Chapter 19 - Follow
The Vault of Bones
“I’m sorry, Blade,” Kalos said, shaking his head hard enough that his short feathers swept back and forth. “We can’t.”
“Kalos,” Blade said, her ruff rising. “This isn’t some random cultist that got—”
“I know!” Kalos’s temper, long since frayed, snapped, and he brought his fist down on his desk, the wood rattling with a thump. “But Blade, we cannot afford to follow this Anubis character right now! What would you have me do? Send the Seeker after them? It’s the only ship in the fleet that can keep up with that airship they got away in, and the Seeker needs a refit. Tartarus, Blade, most of the fleet needs a refit. Do you know how many lives we lost taking this island rock?”
“I—”
“Almost a hundred,” Kalos said, shaking his head. “Six corvettes and a frigate. And that’s just lost. We’ve got another three airships that might not even make it back to Teardrop.”
“Kalos—” Her cousin ignored her.
“Then we’ve got Titus’s fleet, which took almost as bad a beating as we did,” he continued. “Four ships were destroyed with all crew lost, and she’s had to scuttle another five thanks to Captain Pyre’s zealous use of flame trebuchets.”
“Kalos, I’m well aware—”
“No, Blade, I don’t think you are,” he said, glaring at her. Blade fought back the urge to jump across the desk and slam his head into it repeatedly. “You lost one member of your team—”
“To an immortal.”
“—we,” Kalos said, ignoring her statement, “lost almost two-hundred and fifty across the alliance. The fleet is in severe need of a refit. We’re low on fuel, supplies—even ammo. The Seeker is completely empty. Some of the airships may need to be towed home or be left at the mercy of the winds. Are you following what I’m saying?”
Blade fought back the urge to spit out something caustic. “I do, Kalos,” she said, swallowing her pride. “But someone has to go after them. The leader of the cult slipped through your claws, and you can’t let that stand.”
“Stand?” Kalos shook his head, whipping his eyes across the ready room before settling once more on her. “Blade, the fleet is in no condition to limp, let alone stand or fly. Right now, I agree with the Patriarch. The fleet needs to be refit if we’re to maintain our control over the Ocean. The Bloodhooves have been pushed all the way back into their fortress and have lost almost all of their forces. The cult is shattered, survival of their leadership aside. Our priority, now that we are the dominant force on the Ocean, is to stay that way. Which means refitting the combined fleet so that it can track down the last problem areas and keep everyone on the Ocean safe while Titus goes about getting everyone unified. We can’t do that and send our forces chasing after one airship, especially when that one airship beat back several of our own during the escape.”
“Then let us go after them,” Blade said, narrowing her eyes as she stepped closer to the desk, her wings flaring out behind her. “We can catch them before they get too far.”
“You can leave any time you want,” Kalos said, shaking his head.
“We’d need a ship.”
“You have a ship, if I’m not mistaken. The Arrow.”
“That’s back at Cragtooth Heights,” Blade said.
“Then you’ll have to ask for passage from Captain Titus and her crew,” Kalos said, rising from, his seat as he spoke. “Look, Blade. I don’t know what you expect me to do. We’re out here because of something that was partially your idea in the first place. We helped you get this far. You helped us. Fine. A deal’s a deal. But we’re not beholden to your mission.”
“He’s an immortal, Kalos!” Blade shouted, her temper breaking. “You didn’t see how effortlessly he slaughtered Barnabas!”
“No!” Kalos slammed both forelimbs down on his desk, using its height to rise over her. “And I also don’t see how charging after him with a fleet that’s barely holding together and almost completely without armament would do any better than your team did! The patriarch has spoken. We’re to finish dealing with our prisoners here and then make for Teardrop for resupply and refit. If, at that point, the individual you’ve identified as Anubis is confirmed to be within the boundaries of the Ocean of Endless Ice, along with any of the remaining cult members, we will deal with them.”
“But—”
“That’s the end of it, Blade,” Kalos said, sinking into his seat. “You’re welcome to return with us to Teardrop or convince one of Titus’s ships to take you where you need to go, but as for the Teardrop Eyrie, our course is set.” For a moment the ready room was silent, both of them looking at one another. To his credit, Kalos looked apologetic.
She still wanted to rip his feathers out.
“Look, Blade,” he said when it was clear that she wasn’t moving. “I’m sorry, all right? But you need to understand our position. Strategically, there’s nothing to be gained from us charging after one ship. Either we refit and go after him when we’re ready, or we refit and find he’s still causing trouble on the Ocean.”
“And if he’s left the Ocean?” She was barely able to keep the growl out of her voice.
“Then he’s no longer our problem,” Kalos said, shaking his head. “Now, if I’ve made the situation clear enough to you, I’ve got a lot to do today dealing with the prisoner questionings.” He squared his shoulders, his eyes locking with hers. “Have I answered your questions?”
“You have,” she said, not even bothering to control the lashing of her tale behind her. “I’ll let you get on with your duties then, Captain Arcrider.” She turned towards the door.
“Blade,” Kalos said, his voice dropping slightly. “I’m sorry. I really am. I’d like to hunt this guy down too. But you have to understand that we’re in no condition to go after him.”
“I understand,” she said, not looking back. “My team will just have to see what we can do.”
“Right, well, don’t get too distracted. The fleet’s leaving tomorrow morning at dawn. so if you work something out, let us know before then.”
She nodded, closing the door behind herself as she walked out. Oh, don’t worry, Kalos. You’ll know.
The bridge crew gave her a few curious looks as she walked out, but none of them said anything. Still, she could feel them watching her as she made her way down towards the main deck. The conversation between her and Kalos had definitely been loud enough that they’d heard portions of it.
Blasted Icewing clan, she thought as she made her way through the Seeker’s halls. Backing out when they’re the closest to actually being able to do something about this. She could feel her talons leaving little notches in the wood as she walked, her frustration making itself heard.
Worse yet, he’s right, she thought. They took a real beating. But the least they could do is give us a ship. I don’t care if he doesn’t have an army. With that “fear” ability, I’m not sure he needs one.
She stepped out onto the main deck, instinctively tugging her wings about her as she left the warmer confines of the Seeker. Icy wind washed over her, its faint howl mixing with the shrill, endless groan of the ice, and she shivered. Should have worn a coat. Still, it was too late now. She wasn’t going back inside for a while. The cold would help her cool off. Besides, she needed to go talk to the rest of the team.
She picked her way across the deck, stepping around the various engineers that were hard at work getting the Seeker, if not back into shape, then at least fit to travel. Entire sections of the main deck had been cordoned off, surrounded by yellow or red chalk that denoted their need and priority for repairs. Several engineers were hard at work attempting to wrestle a ballista back onto its swivel mount, while another deckwing nearby was busily going up and down the gunwale, pressing his talons into burnt sections and testing them for weaknesses.
They’ll be at this for a while, she thought as she made her way towards the gangplank. Even if they’re just trying to take care of the most obvious problems. She’d had a good look at the damage earlier when she’d walked around the back end of the Seeker, and the ship was in bad need of a refit. Several of the rear propellers were gone, two more cracked, and there were armor panels that were heavily scarred to the point where she doubted it would be worth patching them. They’d need to be replaced. And for that, they’ll need an airship dock. The closest of which was Teardrop. Deadwinds take Kalos for being right.
The gangplank shook, rattling against the deck as she neared it, and she slowed, waiting for whoever was working their way up it to reach the deck. Her eyes widened in surprise when a single hoof, followed by a cast-wrapped leg, appeared over the top of the gangplank, chased moments later by a familiar-looking red minotaur sitting in a wheelchair and being pushed by a lone griffon guard. The minotaur’s eyes widened as he caught site of Blade, and despite her mood, she couldn’t help but grin.
“Well …” she said, enjoying the growing look of panic on the new arrival’s face. He was missing one of his horns now, she noticed. A bandage had been wrapped around the stump, and he was sporting a number of new bruises that stood out against his red coat—at least, where he still had it. From the look of things, he’d had a close brush with a fire. “Fancy meeting you here, Ennuis.”
“You …” His voice was shaking with either rage or fear, she couldn’t really tell which. “You’re the cause of all of this! You!” The griffon that had been pushing Ennuis’s seat stepped back, her bored look switching to mild curiosity at her charge’s apparent energy.
“You’ll have to summarize for me, Ennuis,” Blade said, grinning as the minotaur glared daggers at her. “What all of this are you referring to?”
“All of it!” the minotaur shouted, bouncing in his seat. A few of the nearby engineers looked up for a moment only to turn back to their work as Ennuis continued ranting. “Everything was fine until you showed up. Because of you, I got my arm broken!” He tapped the cast with one finger. “Because of you, I got my finger broken.”
“Uh-huh.” That one actually had been her, but she wasn’t about to say anything.
“You were the one who wrecked my ship!” he said, jabbing his finger in her direction. “You were the one who led this attack.” Not entirely true, but she’d take it. “And because of that, I lost one of my horns! And got my leg broken!” She grinned as his fist came down on his broken leg with a meaty thunk, eliciting a slight whimper of pain, though his expression didn’t change.
“Well,” she said, shrugging as she stepped towards the gangplank, taking care to pass on the side with his broken arm in case he got any ideas. “I guess that’s what you get for picking the losing side.” She turned towards the griffon who had pushed him up the gangplank. “This the prisoner that Kalos is supposed to be meeting with?” she asked.
“Yes,” the griffon replied. “He’s one of the more senior remaining captains that we captured. Captain Arcrider wanted to meet with him first since he seemed to be the most vocal.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” Blade said, noting the angry glare Ennuis was giving her. “Ennuis has quite the mouth on him, though it’s mostly talk from what I’ve—”
“Talk!?” The chair shook, rocking back and forth as Ennuis tried to rotate it to face her. “I’ll show you talk, griffon. As soon as I’m out of this chair, you’re mine! You ruined everything, and I will make you pay! You understand me? I will make you pay!” He’d re-attracted the attention of several of the nearby engineers now, all of whom were looking on with slightly curious gazes.
“You’re dead meat, griffon,” Ennuis was saying, his eyes glaring daggers at her. “Just as soon as I get out of here. I’m going to make you regret … everything … Hey! What are you … What are you doing!? You can’t—!”
She gave the front of the wheelchair a quick shove, ignoring the sudden shout from the griffon escort as Ennuis began to roll backward. The minotaur’s eyes opened wide, a look of horror coming over his face as the rear wheels tipped over the edge of the gangplank, and then he was gone, a faint scream echoing through the air as his chair rolled backward down the ramp. A moment later there was a terrific crash, the sound of splintering wood filling the air alongside a howl of pain. Then, for a moment, all was silent.
“My arm!” Ennuis screamed, his echoing voice so shrill it almost could have passed for a howl of the wind. “You broke my other arm! Why, you witch!? Why?”
“Pity,” Blade said, spreading her wings and taking to the air as the stunned escort looked on in shock. “I was hoping it’d break his jaw instead.” She flew off before the guard could say anything, ignoring the cold bit of the wind as it snuck between her feathers and cut through her coat, and instead focusing on climbing in altitude until she had a better view of the camp.
The island almost looked as if giant mushrooms had taken over. Airship envelopes were everywhere, in some areas clustered so tightly together that she wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that the repair crews were using torches or magilights to light their way beneath them. Almost every ship in the griffon air fleet had landed after the remaining cultist forces had surrendered, and they’d wasted no time in getting to work on their battered vessels. Of the few that hadn’t been horribly damaged, only the destroyers were still airborne. The rest had landed, their crews helping redistribute supplies and equipment.
The pirate fleet hadn’t suffered much better in their fight with the remaining Bloodhoof forces. According to what she’d heard, the Bloodhooves had beat a hasty retreat after their leader, Pyre, had fallen, but the Cragtooth’s own ships had still taken a heavy beating in the battle, some of them quite close to being sucked down on the ice and torn apart. The island wasn’t home to a dry dock or even a pier, and so the pirate ships had circled, banding together in small, makeshift bunches that could serve as temporary, floating harbors until they could get to more permanent locations and enact repairs. The only reason they were still sticking around at all was because of Titus’s ironclad determination to not let the alliance fall apart at the first sign of trouble being over. Not that it was over.
Blade caught a whiff of smoke as she flew towards the dig site, the smell making her beak itch. The scent had probably come from the smoldering remains of one of the cultist bunkers rather than the distant, burned out pirate wrecks still getting sucked below the ice. The Order had held out to the bitter end, even when their leader had abandoned them, but their magic hadn’t been enough to hold back the combined might of the Teardrop and Cragtooth fleets. The last bunker to go had been pounded into an almost indistinguishable pile of stone, wood, and rubble by the combined fire of both forces, but the unicorns in it had fought back to the very last.
Really determined, Blade thought, the scent fading as she moved towards the center of the camp, where a large open space in the surrounding envelopes marked the location of the dig. Foolishly so. Then again, maybe they’d known what was going to happen if they let themselves be captured. She’d already heard rumblings of what was being planned for most of the cultists that had surrendered. They were being kept under heavy guard and observation until there could be a trial of sorts, but everyone knew that the only outcome for a good majority of the order would be their execution at the mercy of the ice. Most likely with an amputation of the horn just to make sure they wouldn’t magic their way out of it. In fact, most of the comments she’d heard had been to the effect of removing the horns of the majority of the Order, whether they still swore fealty to the cult or not. A faint shiver rolled down her spine. She couldn’t imagine what that would be like. The closest she could come was thinking about how it would feel if someone cut off her wings.
Then again, it wasn’t like the cult hadn’t earned it. Or been unwilling to do similar to others.
She stiffened her wings, locking herself into a slow, spiraling descent as she moved into the air above the dig site. Down below, at the head of the steps, she could see a familiar ice-blue coat and white mane. Frost, hard at work on her memorial for her brother, her horn glowing a vivid purple.
Blade wasn’t sure what to do about the unicorn mare. After her initial outburst, she’d been quieter than ever—not that Blade was sure what she would have said in the first place if the mare had spoken. But since her brother’s death, she’d kept mostly to herself, responding mostly with nods or a quick shake of the head. The most she’d been able to get out of her had been a quick question the following morning, while she’d been watching a team remove her brother’s body from the vault. She’d looked right at Blade, her eyes red, and asked: “We’re going after them, right?”
Aside from that, and her brief insistence that she was “dealing with it,” the mare hadn’t spoken much at all. Her actions, however, well … Blade tucked her wings close as she landed, wincing as her feet touched the frozen ground. Frost’s actions had been something else.
The mare stood at the top of the dig stairs, her horn glowing a brilliant purple, her eyes tightly shut as she worked her magic. The reason for the rose made of ice on her flank was clear now that Blade was seeing the full extent of what she could do. Arrows and armor were simple, harsh tools made crudely and with dangerous purpose. But this? She took a few short steps towards Frost’s work. This was art.
A towering statue of Frost’s brother stood at the head of the stairs, the hard ice it was formed from so blue it could have been the same shade as the minotaur himself. He was standing in a relaxed pose, his axe held at his side in one hand, the other raised above his head in a sign of victory. The sculpture was so detailed she could see the individual teeth in his grin, the slight shift in color that marked the irises of his eyes.
And still Frost was hard at work, the purple glow that was her magic moving back and forth across the surface, fine-tuning every detail, polishing the ice until it was almost glowing. If not for the size and the massive, square plinth it was set on, Blade almost would have expected it to start moving on its own, to turn and let a loud, familiar, friendly laugh boom across the island.
But it was just ice. A memory of someone who had been, who was no longer. The real Barnabas was dead, his body in a makeshift coffin aboard Titus’s ship awaiting transport back to Cragtooth heights, where the captain had promised to give him a funeral the entire Ocean would remember. There was something to the way she’d said it that made Blade wonder if the captain had hoped to be more than just friends with the amiable minotaur.
None of my business, she thought, chasing away the errant thought as she walked up to Frost. She cleared her throat, not wanting to startle the mare, especially when she was using so much magic. “Looking good, Frost,” she said. “Seriously, you could be an artist.”
Frost didn’t say anything, though the magic field did pause for a moment.
“It’s an excellent memorial,” Blade said, her tail lashing behind her as she searched her mind for something to say. “Actually, I’m kind of curious as to what there is left to do to it.”
“Making sure it sticks,” Frost said, her voice sounding slightly strained, as if she was putting forth more effort than she appeared to be. “The harder the ice, the harder it’ll be for anything to damage it. That’s why it’s blue.”
“Ah.” So it wasn’t just an aesthetic choice. Or maybe it was a bonus. “How hard is it right now?”
“Harder than anything I’ve ever made,” Frost said, her voice quiet. “Hard enough it’ll be decades before it even thinks of cracking.”
“What about the air?” Blade asked. “Not that I’m trying to discourage you or anything, but won’t it melt?”
“It never gets warm enough here to melt,” Frost said, her voice flat. Her eyes opened as she turned towards Blade. They were red, and Blade could see wet, frozen tracks that had carved their way down her face. “Did you get us a ship?”
“I’m gathering everyone to meet to discuss the next step of our plan,” Blade said, ducking around the question. “Do you know where Hain and Alchemy are?”
“Hain’s back in our quarters,” Frost said, turning back towards the statue. Her magic moved down, towards the plinth. “Alchemy is probably there too, working on another batch of potions.”
“Right.” Blade nodded, watching as Frost began to carve words into the statue’s base. “Well, as soon as you’re finished up here, come and join us. We’ll be back on the Seeker.” And if I’d known that Hain and Alchemy were both there … well, I’d have still needed to come over her anyway. Plus, I needed to blow off a little steam. She glanced down at the entrance to the vault, a shiver running through her spine. And maybe a reminder of what we’re after.
She took a few steps back and launched herself into the air again, her wings pumping against the cool air as she lifted off. She circled around once, then twice before heading back towards the Seeker.
Ennuis was gone by the time she got back, probably picked up by his escort and taken in to see Kalos. She stuck to the lower levels of the ship, avoiding the bridge area since she didn’t want to run into anyone who’d overheard her outburst with her cousin. She passed a few griffons moving from one area of the ship to the other as she made her way to the galley, but none of them gave her more than a second glance. They were all too busy dealing with whatever jobs they had.
She found Hain in the galley, digging into a late breakfast of cured meat that smelled like it’d been salted a little too heavily for her tastes. He was the only griffon there. Even the nearby kitchen looked abandoned.
“Hain,” she said, slipping into a spot across the table from him.
“Blade,” he said between bites. “How’s the team?”
“Rough,” she said, shaking her head. “I think.”
“You talked to them?” he asked, before tearing a chunk of meat—probably lamb—away from his meal with his beak. A single string dangled down from the corner of his mouth, and she tore her eyes away from it as her stomach growled. “You hungry?”
She shook her head. “Later. And no, I haven’t really talked to them about it. Should I have?”
Hain shrugged. “That depends on if you’re planning to talk to them about it or not. If you aren’t, well then yeah, you should. As a group, I mean. If you’re planning on doing it today, well then you’re fine. Just don’t say the wrong thing.”
“Which is?”
Hain let out a sigh and dropped his meal, licking his talons clean before resting them on the table. “Blade, the ugly truth of leading a team like this one is that there’s always a risk that some of them are going to die. It happens. It’s usually tragic, and sad, but that’s the business we’re in at the end of the day. How many teams did we break-up on our way here? A lot,” he said, holding up a talon as she opened her beak. “And I won’t disagree that they deserved it. I’ve seen a lot of things in my time, but finding out that the rumor I heard about those experiments was true with that behemoth, well … I don’t think anyone would disagree that we’re doing the right thing.”
“The point is Blade,” he continued. “We’re in a dangerous business. Any one of us could die doing this. The question we have to ask ourselves is whether or not what we’re accomplishing is worth that risk. We need to ask if it’s worth our lives to do what we’re trying to do. Now, whether it’s about money … or whether it’s about something else, we need to ask ourselves what that’s worth.”
“So, what’s that make the wrong thing?” Blade asked.
Hain shook his head. “That depends on the job, Blade. And as the lead, that’s for you to decide, and tell everyone else about. Me? I’m just here when you need a plan of action. Speaking of which,” he said, picking up his breakfast once more. “I heard there was some shouting between you and your cousin. Anything I need to hear about?”
“You’ll hear it when the rest of the group does,” she said, standing. “Which will be in my quarters, in about five or ten minutes.”
Hain nodded. “Good,” he said, pausing to take a bite. “Glad to hear you’re not giving up. But about what I said …”
She paused, looking down at him. “Yeah?”
“Say the right thing,” Hain said, before turning his attention back towards his breakfast.
Right, Blade thought as she walked out of the galley. Whatever that is. What do I tell a team when I’m the one who led them right into the situation that got one of them killed? What sort of encouragement am I supposed to give them? She turned towards the crew quarters, stepping around a yellow-outlined hole in the deck that hadn’t been covered over yet. What was it Hain had been saying, about making sure that what you were doing was worth the risk? That would mean going full-disclosure, telling them everything. Then again, after what had happened to Barnabas, maybe they deserved to know.
The door to Alchemy’s quarters was shut, and she knocked, waiting until the earth pony said “Come in” to slide it to one side.
“Hey, Alchemy,” she said as she stepped inside. His quarters looked just like every other berth on the ship—the same lined bunks, the same dispersal of drawers. The only difference, which wasn’t a surprising one given that most of them had very little in the way of personal equipment with them, was that on the bunk opposite the one he was using was his potion kit, spread out across the thin mattress, burners boiling away at various fluids. “Replenishing your potion stock?”
“Trying to,” he said, not looking up in her direction but keeping his eyes on the kit. “Not having much luck though. I’m starting to run low on ingredients, so I’m really having to make some stuff stretch.” He paused, reaching out with one hoof to adjust a flame under a beaker. “And I’ll have you know we’ve used almost fifteen-hundred bits worth of materials so far.”
“You’ll be compensated,” she said, the words slipping out of her beak before she’d even considered them. Thankfully, the earth pony didn’t seem to react. “We’re going to be meeting in my quarters in a few minutes to discuss where we’re going from here.”
“All right,” Alchemy said, still not looking in her direction. “As soon as I’m done here I’ll head on over.”
“How are you holding up?” she asked.
Alchemy paused, his hoof freezing in mid-air. “What?”
“You heard me,” she said, taking a step forward. “You’ve got that super-potion stuff running through your veins. How are you doing?”
Alchemy let out a sigh. “If I start talking about our future potion shortage, you’re not going to take that as an answer, are you?” The question was so straightforward it almost a statement.
“No,” Blade said, shaking her head. “Though I do appreciate the information on the potion shortage and pricing. I’ll see if we can do something about that. It doesn’t include your personal potion, does it?”
“No,” Alchemy said, shaking his head. He still hadn’t turned to look at her. “I always make sure I’ve got enough a reserve of that to last me a few months. I’ve still got quite a bit left.”
“Good,” Blade said. “The last thing I want is for you to have that running as a shortage.”
“I wouldn’t let it get there,” Alchemy said. “Trust me.”
“All right,” Blade said, leaning against the doorframe. “I will. Now, in relation to that, how are you doing?” When Alchemy didn’t say anything, she pressed on. “You’ve been pretty quiet after, well, everything that happened.”
“You mean Barnabas dying.”
“Not just that,” she said, shaking her head. “An ancient immortal. That behemoth.” She saw him twitch as she mentioned the twisted, maddened earth pony. “We saw a lot of stuff go down inside that vault. And felt a lot too,” she said, her mind skimming back over the way Anubis had shut them all down. We’re going to need something to counter that, she thought. “But of everyone in the group, you’ve been the most quiet.”
She saw his ears twitch at that declaration, and she caught herself. “Not quieter than Frost, I mean. But for her, quiet is normal. You on the other claw …” She let out a sigh. “I just wanted to ask how you’re dealing with it.”
“Which part?” Alchemy asked. “The part where Barnabas died and I couldn’t save him? The part where we faced down and killed an abomination that used to be a sapient being just like the rest of us? Or the part where we met an ancient immortal?”
“So you’re not doing too great.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t really know.”
“You’re still here. Making potions,” she pointed out.
“Refuge in my special talent isn’t exactly the best way to deal with it,” he said, turning to look at her. She almost recoiled. His mane was unkempt, jagged and obviously slept-on, but his eyes reminded her almost of Frost’s they were so haggard. Large bags hung under his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept, despite the appearance of his mane.
“I ... I didn’t know you could get bags under your eyes,” she said, choosing her words carefully. Alchemy didn’t look good. “Doesn’t your potion stuff help with that?”
“It does to a point,” Alchemy said, turning back towards his kit and adjusting another burner. He tugged a drawer open, plucking something out of it with his teeth and pushing the drawer shut once more. She watched as he dropped the leaves in a small pestle and went to work, grinding the plants with a small, smooth stone. “But I didn’t sleep much last night.”
“Look,” she said, the smooth cadence of the mortar and pestle filling the room with a steady rhythm. “Barnabas’s death has been … hard.”
“It’s not that,” Alchemy said before she could continue. “I’m a doctor, Blade,” he said, giving her a faint smile. “I’ve seen enough death up here to give me some experience with it. I’ve even lost ponies I would call friends, out on the ice-dredgers.”
She paused. “Really?”
He nodded, one hoof still grinding away, though she was sure whatever was in the mortar was probably almost powder by this point. “Yeah, ice-dredging can be pretty dangerous. Whether out on one of the boats or just being the town doctor back in Ruffian’s Wharf …” He shrugged. “I’ve seen sapients die before.”
“I should have remembered that,” she said.
Alchemy shrugged. “You’re just doing the right thing,” he said, staring at the bubbling mixture and then giving a nod that she guessed was more to himself than to her. “Checking on me. And, like I said, I didn’t sleep much last night. Or the night before.”
“Why not?” she asked. “I mean, it’s obvious you’re a little on edge. And don’t get me wrong, I think we all are. Losing Barnabas … it’s a blow.”
“It is,” he agreed, reaching into his kit and bringing out a metal funnel. He set it in the mouth of the bubbling flask and then deftly picked up the mortar, shaking its contents into the funnel and from there into the flask. The bubbling mixture shifted colors, first becoming a dark green and then sliding over towards a more virulent pink. The bubbling slowed too, a thicker, more viscous sound.
“But it’s not what’s been keeping me up,” he said, shaking his head as he turned off the burner beneath the potion. “It’s definitely there. Trust me, Blade,” he said, giving her a quick, crestfallen look. “I’m hurting as much as the rest of us. Oddly enough, being a doctor seems to have given me some of the same resilience the rest of you have. I wouldn’t have thought about that before I started out on this.”
“So what’s been keeping you up?”
Alchemy let out a sigh. “The other two things, honestly. That … monstrosity we faced, and .. Anubis. The first one simply because it was sickening. I’ve seen a lot of horrible things in my time—mostly horrible injuries—but I’ve never … I mean … that poor pony …” A shudder ran through his body. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
“Me either,” Blade said, her tail twitching behind her as she thought back on the deranged … she didn’t want to call it a beast, but there was really little else she could identify it as. At the time it had just been something to face, but afterwards, seeing the expressions on the faces of the griffons and pirates that had come into the vault and seen it … well ...
“I keep telling myself that maybe he was a volunteer,” Alchemy said, turning back towards the potion. “But maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he had a wife. Kids. I don’t know. The cult did that to him, though.”
“We did a good thing, ending it they way we did,” Blade said.
“I don’t disagree there,” Alchemy said. “It’ll just be a little while before I stop seeing that face in my sleep.”
“You’ll be okay, then?”
“I think I will,” he said, shaking his head. “I just need to … digest things.”
“Well, digest fast,” she said. “We’re meeting in my quarters any minute now.”
“How many minutes?”
She shrugged. “As many minutes as it takes everyone to get there.”
“What are we going to be talking about?”
“Us,” she said. “The team. What we’re doing next. If anything.” She shook her head as he opened his mouth to speak. “Save it for the meeting. My quarters. Say … two minutes.”
“Right,” Alchemy said, glancing back at his potion. “I’ll be there.”
“Good,” she said, backing up and closing the door before letting out a long breath. Well, that actually went an unexpected direction, she thought as she moved toward her quarters. At least he’s not a wreck, though he’s definitely feeling the hit. She could understand that. As much as she tried to ignore it, there was a hollow feeling in her chest, buried beneath all the anger and the frustration. She could feel it pounding against her ribs from time to time, begging to be let out. But that wasn’t going to happen.
You lost someone, but you can make it mean something. That was what she kept telling herself, even if she wasn’t sure she believed it. She paused, one talon on the door to her room. Maybe that’s what Hain meant by … No. She dismissed the thought. Revenge has a way of taking over. Keep a clear head.
Hain was already waiting inside when she opened the door, sitting against the back wall with a level look on his face. “Everyone coming?” he asked as she stepped inside.
She nodded. “Soon enough.”
“Need a plan?”
“I’ve already got one,” she said. “Thanks for the advice earlier.”
Hain shrugged. “After that shouting match I heard about, I figured you needed it.”
“Well, thanks anyway,” she said as she sat down on the other side of the room, leaving a bit of space between them. “It’ll probably come in handy.”
There was a knock at the door, and it slid open slightly to show Frost standing there. The tear-tracks that had been on her face earlier were gone, along with the reddened eyes, but there was still a hint of hurt buried behind them. Hurt and anger.
“Frost,” Blade said as the mare stepped into the room, sitting herself down in the corner by the door.
“Blade.” The room went silent as she shut the the door.
All right, Blade, you can do this. She tapped her talons against the floor. Give everyone a reason for wanting to be a part of the mission, right? She could do that. Hopefully.
There was another knock at the door and Alchemy entered, looking a little more alert than he had a few minutes earlier. He nodded at all of them and then moved to close the door.
“Wait,” Blade said, holding up her talons. She rose and crossed the room, poking her head out of the door and looking in both directions. The hall was empty. And because her room was forward of the others, it was right up against a reserve boiler. There was no one on that side, and with Hain on the other side …
She closed the door. “All right,” she said, striding back across the room towards the corner she’d picked. “No one else is listening.”
“And that would be a problem?” Alchemy asked.
“Just a bit, perhaps,” she said, still standing as she faced the rest of the group. “Also, it’s kind of about us.” She took a deep breath and looked around the rest of the group. “Look, these last few days have been hard on all of us. Losing Barnabas … none of us saw that coming. And finding out that the cult was right, but not about who …” She took a long breath and then shook her head. “If it’s all the same with everyone else, I’d like to just focus on the big question, which is what do you guys want to do next?”
“Go after Anubis,” Frost said, her voice so cold Blade almost expected to see ice growing out across the floor.
“What do you want to do, Blade?” Hain asked.
“The same, actually,” Blade said, looking at him. “Not for the same reasons, obviously. But I accepted a contract. I need to get that key back. I don’t care who has it. I’m getting it back.”
“Then that’s probably what I’ll do,” Hain said, nodding. “I accepted this job, just as you did.”
Blade looked at Alchemy. The earth pony’s eyes had widened.
“Wait,” he said. “Backing out is an option?”
She nodded. “At the moment? Yes. Our deal with the griffons and the Cragtooths has expired. They’ll give us safe passage back to Teardrop, but past that, we’re out of luck. And since I’d kind of planned on getting the key back at the end of this, the only payment we’ve earned thus far is from Captain Titus for bombing the Behemoth, and we haven’t even collected on that yet.”
“We could today, though,” Hain said.
She shrugged. “It’s about five-hundred bits. Not the best payday. In any case, backing out is on the table for anyone who wants it.”
“Well …” Alchemy’s ears went flat as all eyes turned to him. “What about you, Blade? What are you going to do?”
“Me?” She felt her tail lashing back and forth behind her. “I’m going to hunt down Anubis and get that key back, one way or another. I didn’t let an ancient cult stop me, and I’m sure as Tartarus not going to let some immortal do the same thing.”
“Alone?”
She nodded. “If I have to, yeah. I started this job alone. If I end up continuing it alone, so be it.”
“I’m in,” Frost said before anyone else could say anything. “As long as I get to kill Anubis.”
“That’s a pretty daring statement,” Hain said. “They’re called immortals for a reason.”
“I’ll find a way,” Frost said. There was a cold certainty to her words. A shiver ran down Blade’s spine.
She really means it, she thought. She turned towards Hain. “What about you?”
Hain let out a sigh. “I started this job,” he said. “That means I’m in it until the end. Barnabas was a friend of mine as well. If you’re all set to track down this Anubis, well …” He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “I’m in.”
“Alchemy?” Blade turned towards the earth pony, watching as his eyes widened. “We could really use both you and your potions, but if you want to back out now, I understand. I think the rest of the team will too.”
For a moment she was worried that he would say “No,” that everything was going to fall apart on her. But then he nodded, his jaw set as he looked her in the eye. “Yeah,” he said, his voice steady. “I’m in.”
“Good,” she said. “Glad to hear it. We’ll get that key back, get paid, and along the way—” She caught the look in Frost’s eyes and nodded. “We kill ourselves an immortal.”
“Right,” Hain said. “Barring all the problems with the simplicity and ease of that statement, first we need to catch up to him.”
“I know,” Blade said, a faint feeling of excitement filling her chest. “He went east. And to follow him, we’re going to need transport. Fast transport.”
“So what?” Alchemy asked. “Are we going to get the Arrow?”
“No,” Blade said, shaking her head. “That’d take too long. The trail would go cold, and we’d end up losing him completely if he went underground. He’s in a fast ship, too, so he already has that against us.”
“So then what?” Frost asked, a puzzled expression on her face. “We need a ship.”
Blade grinned. “I thought that would have been obvious,” she said, spreading her wings. “We go for one of my favorite standby plans.” She saw the dawning look of recognition on Hain’s face as the older griffon’s eyes widened.
“We do plan B.”
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Blade: We need the Seeker.
Kalos: You're not getting the seeker.
Blade: *nicks the Seeker*
PTSD abound, hits Alchemy and Frost hardest. Hain seems mum about this, and has his head together to still advise Blade.
Now, how to take down something that won't die? To start, you could always drop a boat on him.
Easiest option would be to inform the demi-god tier beings on your side, but you probably won't get as much a payout.
Speaking of which, where is Anubis heading anyways? Towards the desert, perhaps?
Sounds a bit like Blade's going to loosen her lips about who commissioned this mission now that the stakes have gotten higher. I wonder if it is as an apology to Hunter for fighting him in Rise, but how would he know about this whole now possibly apocalyptic situation.
So, who is Blade's Mr. Johnson?
My NuYen is on somepony a bit taller than Hunter.
Good lord........
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Eeeyup, she's totally going to steal a ship. Said ship is probably going to go down in flames at one point, though its not as if she already did that to one of Equestria's trains.
Celestia if she knew a immortal would be involved.
6282774
Hunter only knew about the key, he didn't need to know what it did to commission the mission to get it back.
Only one law broken today? Which? Assault and battery, perhaps? But I don't think that a broken arm costs only 45 bits to repair...
Viking, I can't even ... I was so excited to read this that I actually couldn't--I had to wait quite a while until I could calm down enough and stay calm enough to click open this chapter. I did other things for hours. This chapter was really good, though. I'm looking forward to more things taking off--I can feel more thunderheads rolling in. The Dusk Guard is going to get dragged into this because Anubis needs that last piece of the second key--the one Nova recovered. I'm fairly certain Celestia and Luna have it now, but if somebeing like Anubis blasts through the regular Guards to take the crystal, the Dusk Guard is almost certainly going to be called in, as they were specifically designed to counter situations like this. Or, well, maybe they didn't plan on facing anything of this level... so far, only a blast from the Elements or from the Tree's Rainbow Power has sufficed to deal with a threat of this magnitude. Then again, who knows? Besides you and your editors and pre-readers, that is. I have a feeling Anubis wants that key for the Necropolis in the desert, and he'll probably start off somewhat slowly as he builds his power base. The hints that he wasn't as strong as he appeared--like the fear magic being weaker after he reanimated those skeletons--suggest to me that he needs time to reach full strength. He doesn't seem like a dunce, either, so I suspect he's going to have some sort of plan before he tries conquest and slaughter of everything. He sounds like he had some massive, long-term plan when he talked about what sounded like sealing himself in the Vault, so I'm expecting serious business out of him, not just random attacks, especially given he's already "recruited" a number of lackeys. He's going to be more like a Tirek-level threat, I think--slowly building up to the power to take on all the most powerful beings the world has to offer. The Crystal Empire's return, and the return of Sombra, were a big deal in the show and seem like a big deal here too, given the level of concern Celestia and Luna have regarding them, but next to Anubis they're starting to feel like very small potatoes...
I've been waiting for this last plot development. It seemed like everything was going a good deal too well. The action reached a frenzy, villains fell like grass to goats, bigger and bigger things were blowing up. The story reached a point where it could either end, having been a fun, riveting romp... or something could go horribly, wrenchingly, catastrophically wrong, and we could get to the real meat of the tale. Where it could become something truly epic and memorable (much like the first, dare I say). Needless to say, we've embarked on the latter.
I enjoy what I've seen of the villain. He seems like the sort that could be a real test for our perilous protagonists. Mentally, emotionally, physically, in heaping portions. I like the theme you chose for him, too. It feels like it's got most of what you wanted to say about him, hidden within its haunting chants and vicious chords. It was a nice touch showing him handling his rod in such a jaunty manner; there's something classy about a villain with a magical walking stick.
I wish we could have seen more of the character you offed. I guess that's a testament to your ability to make them likable, so good job there! If I had reached the poll before it closed, I would have selected them as my favorite character of the crew. Mostly, I'd say they're the one I would have most liked to hang out with. They would have had the best stories, been the quickest with a joke and a smile, and probably been able to whoop my butt in cards. Regarding the writing, the death scene's done wonderfully, too. Even though I was slightly spoiled about their fate ahead of time, it was still a heart-wrenching and mind-numbing experience. I could barely register the awesome skeleton griffons because a friend was lying dead not ten feet away.
So here goes, Blade. You're out to follow the semi-literal god. Your team is ready to follow you. What follows? I suspect more Ennuis abuse (which is a delectable delight, so says my inner jerk-face).
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I wonder if she broke the wheelchair, but 45 seems a bit cheap for one of those.
Although, I admit I'm not exactly an expert on how to transfer the American Dollar to the Euro to the Equestrian Bit and back again... But I think that question was answered in one of Viking ZX's blog posts... Or in a comment... Might be easier just to ask again.
Tartarus is calling your name, Anubis.
What are you going to do about it?
Good old high adventure
So satisfying to read
So I'm guessing that blade gets in contact with the dusk guard for transport that's my theory
Ennuis is the butt monkey of this story. And it is nice that it is one of the antagonists that is the butt monkey.
It is good that they have picked a goal. Simple and straightforward. Easy? Not at all. But it gives them a lot of wiggle room.
Plan B, I suspect, is going to be so much fun to read.
These scenes just get funnier every time they appear.
Is the one crime committed this chapter conspiracy to commit grand theft Seeker?
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I was gonna say a railroad car... but Blade ain't Littlepip lol
Barnabas’s death still hurts as bad as I remember it did the first time I read this way back when. I really miss him :(