Keris, You're Our Only Hope
“They're after you, y'know,” Swab said.
“Mrmmmfff...” Rainbow Dash munched on a few remaining scraps of fruit. She squatted in the far corner of her cell, away from the angled slits of sunlight. “Who are?”
Swab gulped, leaning against the bars above. “The Right Talon of Verlaxion.”
Rainbow froze in place. Her ears twitched, and she looked up. “The right what of Verlaxion?”
“A bunch of elite griffon guardians who do the dirty work of the Rohbredden Council,” Swab explained. “They're super dangerous and fearless. I hear a single one of them can reduce a pony to meat and bone within a full minute of evisceration.”
“Those are some big... bloody words for you, kid.”
“Well, it's what Quint and Whony say, anyway.” Swab brushed his bangs over the earless half of his skull. “They make the Right Talon sound super scary. But... then again... they make everything sound super scary.” He shuddered. “Sometimes I like listening to them from across the hold as I go to sleep... just so I can face whatever happens the next day. I find it's... uhhh... easier to expect more than I'll ever get.”
“And so... they're here now?” Rainbow droned. “The Right Talon? At Red Barge?”
“Well, one of them is,” Swab explained. “But—as you can imagine—that's still some pretty bad news.”
“Yeah? For who?”
Swab blinked. “Uhhhhh...”
“I can only imagine one reason why they're here,” Rainbow Dash muttered. "That pony who fished me out of the sea? That crazy-eyed dude with the dreads? Someone that ugly doesn't come out of the woodwork for no reason. Hrmmmff... somehow, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole world knows about the Quade by now. Heck... I bet even Val Roa knows.”
“Who?”
“Not a who, it's... it's...” Rainbow sighed. “Never mind. Not important.” A few seconds later, the mare flinched, then frowned up into the air. “No, I won't explain it to him! I mean... what's the friggin' point?”
“Oh!” Swab grinned wide. “Is Fluttershy awake now?”
“Nnnnngh...” Rainbow facehoofed. “Forget I said anything, kid...”
“Heehee... I like Fluttershy.”
Rainbow peered above her hoof. “You don't friggin' know a thing about her, kid.”
“Yeah...” He nevertheless smiled. “But she's got a pretty name... and she hasn't abandoned you.” He took a deep breath. “Sometimes the best way to know a pony is to not know them.”
“Mrmmf. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.” Rainbow flinched, and she leaned back from an empty spot in the air. “Well... it w-was! Don't give me the stare.”
“Anyways, one of the griffons is keeping an eye on the Barge as we speak.”
“Griffons?”
“Yeah.” Swab nodded. “All of the Right Talon are griffons.”
“Hmm. That'd explain why they're called what they're called.”
“I know, right?” Swab giggled slightly. “Everypony knows that Verlaxion doesn't actually have talons.”
Rainbow blinked. “... ... ...uhhhh...”
“The Goddess exercises Her divine power through them. But... y'know... metaphors...”
“Funny thing about metaphors, kid...” Rainbow gulped. “They're kinda nebulous for a reason.”
“Huh?”
“Have you ever seen Verlaxion in person?” Rainbow squinted. “Seen her power? Heard her speak?”
“Well... n-no...” Swab fidgeted, his hooves squirming against the edge of the barred window. “But... but these are the seven seas.” He gulped. “We're still far from the shores of the holy continent. She doesn't... doesn't exactly favor these waters.”
“And yet you still believe in her?” Rainbow cocked her head to the side. “You hold faith in a Goddess you not only haven't seen... but can't be bothered to show up here and bless you in person?”
“I don't blame her...” Swab shuddered, sniffling slightly. “I've... I've committed a lot of sins.” He sighed, maintaining a weak smile. “Still, I've written her constantly... confessing everything bad I've ever done. If she can't forgive me... then m-maybe she can forgive my parents.”
“Kid...”
“They'll show up at the Red Barge one of these days. And we'll return to the sea together. I-I just know it!” Swab cleared his throat, shivering slightly. “And... and even if Verlaxion decides that I'm not good enough to deserve that, then I have faith she'll show them the way back to continental shores.”
“Kid, have you ever paused long enough to imagine that Verlaxion might not exist?” Rainbow remarked. “Or at least not in the way you've always thought? That everypony here thinks?”
“But...” Swab blinked. “The Council and the Right Talon of Verlaxion—”
“I've been to enough places and seen enough things to know that it takes very little to fool a whole lot of ponies,” Rainbow breathed—almost sneered. “You can have a thousand armies at your disposal, and still they'd just be defending a lie. Truth? Truth has to be seen... witnessed,” Rainbow declared. “Everything else—until you know otherwise—is just horse hockey! You can base your life on false stuff. But—in the grand scheme of things—would you really want to?”
Swab slowly shook his head. “I don't see any of your friends.” A tiny smile slowly formed. “But I still believe in them.”
Rainbow Dash blinked. “Huh...?”
“I see them in your face,” Swab softly spoke. “In the tiny twitch of your eyes. They may be invisible to everypony else—Fluttershy included—but they're very real to you. And I think that's really awesome.” He then shuddered. “I'm sorry that I'm not sincere enough.”
“Sincere... enough...?”
“That you can't see my parents when you look at me,” Swab murmured. “Somewhere, they're lost, and I mustn't give up on faith... or else Verlaxion will never guide them home. That's the challenge, you see. And it's harder than any of the nibbles I've ever labored for. But I mustn't give up. I know my parents wouldn't give up on me.”
Rainbow sighed. “Kid... do you even hear yours—?” She flinched, then glared up at the barred window. “Fluttershy, how many times do I have to tell you?! You can't hug him! No matter how much you want to! You can't hug anypony but... but...” Rainbow grumbled. “Well, they're not exactly here right now, are they?”
Swab blinked. He stood up, shifting from one leg to the other. “Which side of me is she?” He leaned to the left. “This way?”
“Ugh... Swab, please—”
“Or this way?” He leaned to the other side.
“This is friggin' stupid.”
“Heeheehee!” Swab giggled. He smiled down through the bars. “Is she laughing right now too?”
“Mrmmmfff...” Rainbow munched on the last piece of fruit. “...so what if she is?”
“Heeeee-heeheehee!”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. Upon the crest of sunlight, the faintest... subtlest hint of a curve anointed her fuzzy lips...
P-Pow!
Cl-Clank!
“Hey! Hey! Watch it!”
“Hah! That's what you get!”
Both Rainbow and Swab turned to gaze up at the source of sunlight above the brig.
“What in the hay is that?” Rainbow sputtered. “Sounds like a fight.”
“Those were harpoon guns fired just now,” Swab said. He craned his one good ear, twitching. “...and those distant voices...”
“The Right Talon?”
“No.” Swab shook his head. “I recognize them.” He exhaled, his eyes twinkling slightly. “White Bargers.”
Along the northern struts of Red Barge, several dredgers and citizens had gathered. Angry stallions and soot-stained workers flanked a series of cylindrical guard towers. The collective crew sneered and spat at the waters lapping up to the outer edges of the welded hulls.
“We don't have a single weapon on board our craft!” shouted one of several ponies piloting three tiny motor-powered skiffs facing the Barge. Each of the equines looked remarkably healthy, with clean manes and plenty of meat on their bones. A dangling harpoon bobbed in the water besides their centermost ship's dented hull. “Why would you fire on us like that?!”
“Maybe I didn't like the way you smelled!” Saxon cackled from a tower looming above the three skiffs. “Did you ever think of that?!”
“Judging from your coat, I suspect you haven't had a good bath in months,” one of the visitors snorted. “Maybe you're afraid some good hygene would dissolve you away in a blink!”
“Hah! And with bullshit like that, you wonder why I don't try spearing each and every one of you harder!”
“For Goddess' sake... can we please start off on the right hoof just one of these days?!”
By this time, Nixkit and Digiff had strolled over, piercing the crowd of workers gathered along the northern strut. With a sigh, Nixkit leaned against Saxon's tower, gazing tiredly at the three boats. “Alright, Elsaack. What's the problem this time?”
A black-coated stallion with a blue mane turned from scowling at Saxon to blink at Nixkit. “Oh! Nixkit! Praise Verlaxion! Somepony with an ounce of reason!”
“Yeah, but I'm running out of patience,” Nixkit droned. “Just like last time.” His eyes narrowed. “We've been over this before, Elsaack. Skagra doesn't accept favors from northern bargers.”
Elsaack sighed. “Nixkit, this isn't about the offers we've made in the past. Although—if you must know—they still stand—”
“Hell...” Nixkit grinned slightly. “With how swiftly you've lost favor with the Consortium as of late, it should be you begging us for favors—”
“Look, will you can it with the whole 'favors' thing?!” Elsaack frowned. His eyes washed over the entire crowd. “This isn't like any of our usual visits! We came all the way here to give you a warning.”
“Hah! I knew it!” Saxon grinned wickedly. “They want a cut of our coal!” He twirled at a crank. “Quick! Help me reload the harpoon—”
“We don't want your filthy coal, alright?!” Elsaack spat. “Look... ever since we stopped doing business with the Shoreline Trade Consortium, we've been looking for trade partners elsewhere. Our top dredgers have even begun trade missions to the west. Ever since the Syndicate fell, the path has been made open to Kihutaja and other Colonialist settlements who need fuel.”
“Is that what you cruised all this way south to give us, Elsaack?” Digiff muttered. “Your latest sob story?” He smirked. “I'd say we're a bit too rich to care about your sissy whining.”
Several dredgers and workers laughed their muzzles off.
“I'm getting to the point!” Elsaack frowned. “We've brushed paths with several characters over the seven seas, both savory and unsavory. And... and there are rumors abounding, Nixkit. Rumors that the Red Barge has something valuable that lots of other ponies want. I'm talking about ponies who are willing to seize anything by force.”
A few of the chuckles stopped then and there.
Nixkit squinted suspiciously. “Just who are we talking about?”
“Pirates, Nixkit,” Elsaack said. “Privateers. Bounty hunters.” He gulped. “The ocean's ripe with gossip. Even we know a lot. Up in White Barge, just about every worker has heard of Skagra's dealings with Monket. The Slaver of the Waves has been in Mudtop. And if we know that, Nixkit, then they know. They know that you're holding the Rain—”
“Shhhhh!” Nixkit hissed, eyes flaring. “Bite your tongue or I'll have Saxon here rip it out of you!”
Elsaack leaned back, blinking. “The Hell is your guys' problem?” He turned to exchange nervous glances with his fellow crew members. Then, at last, he squinted back at the northern strut. “... ... ...just who is listening in, huh?” He glanced up, his vision scraping past the dark smog clouds lingering high above. “Whose attention has Skagra attracted this time?”
“None of your business, dammit!” Nixkit growled. “Why won't you impoverished flankholes just leave us alone?!”
“Don't you get what's going on here, Nixkit?!” Elsaack explained. “For some reason or another, the whole ocean's riled up, and all the seadogs are thirsting for a cut of Red Barge's meat!”
“Including you foamtards, eh?” Saxon cocked and reloaded the harpoon gun. “Well, you ain't havin' none of it!”
“Please... just... just listen to reason... one of these days!” Elsaack gulped. “All of you. There's a better existence than this. Skagra... every Top Dredger before him...” He slowly shook his head. “He's bent everything all bloody and crooked. It doesn't have to be this way! Don't let him or the Consortium dredge this place into oblivion!”
“And just what do you plan to do to help us, huh?” Digiff remarked.
“We can join both Barges together!” Elsaack exclaimed. “Our struts to your struts!”
Several ponies scoffed, snorted, and laughed.
“We d-don't want your profits!” Eslaack's voice cracked. “Generations ago, we traded together like partners! Friends! Combined, we just might be able to combat any threat that comes this way—”
“Go back to your empty shelves, Elsaack,” Nixkit said, waving a smirk. “Skagra lost patience with you uppity morons years ago, and so have I.”
“Nixkit, please—”
“Leave!” the dredger barked. “Or I'll tell Saxon to let loose on the whole bunch of ya!”
“Heeheeheee...” Saxon grinned, gripping the harpoon gun and twitching.
Elsaack sighed long and hard. He waved a hoof in the air. “Turn about, boys. Let's head back home.” He frowned, shuffling off towards the stern of the ship. “They wanna be seafoam? Let them drown in it...”
Several jeers and hollering shouts flew over their ears. Nevertheless, the three skiffs calmly rotated, faced north, and puttered off at a limp speed.
Nixkit's nostrils flared. He looked at Digiff, then muttered, “Send everypony to work. I'll tell Skagra.”
“Right.” Digiff stomped his hooves. “Okay, ya lazy humps! Back to the pipes! Move it! Move it!”
A few workers—families, foals, and old ponies—stood in place, their emaciated faces lingering on the retreating trio of motorboats. At last, with separate sighs, they all shuffled off... returning to their labors.
High above, perched on a smoke cloud, Keris watched with intense scrutiny.
His hawkeyes traced every detail of the dispersing crew members.
At last, he glanced at the three retreating skiffs. He watched as they carved three white wakes due north, advancing for the distant horizon.
The Lieutenant rubbed his chin, squinting in thought.
“... ... ...” He smiled.
Adjusting his helmet, he stretched his wings out, tipped over, and plunged off the side of the cloud.
Elsaack and the rest of his associates were quietly minding their own business when a heavily-armored griffon landed soundlessly on board the middle skiff's deck.
Muscles flexing, Keris stood up from a crouching position. He gazed calmly at the group of sailors with a friendly smile.
“Hello there.”
Then and only then did the ponies wake up to the avian presence on board. They spun towards him—most gasping. One or two actually tried grabbing weapons, only to collapse over themselves.
“Be calm,” Keris said, waving a talon. “I am no pirate or privateer.”
“I'd say not...!” Elsaack stammered, helping another stallion up to his hooves. He gawked at Keris all the while. “With silver like that!”
“Actually, it's silver-plated titanium—”
“A member of the Right Talon of Verlaxion!” Elsaack bowed low, trembling. “You h-have to be!”
Keris reached over, raising Elsaack back up into a standing position. “I am a humble servant, like you.” He leaned back, beak clenched. “I take it you're from White Barge?”
“Good eyes, sir,” Elsaack said.
“Ears, actually.” Keris strolled across the tiny deck, glancing at the two flanking skiffs. “What exactly just took place back there?”
“You mean at Red Barge?” Elsaack blinked. “You were listening in?”
“Perhaps. But what I hear is different from what I know.” Keris turned around, squinting at the lead messenger. “I take it neither Barge is on good terms with one another?”
Elsaack leaned back, his dark muzzle scrunched. “Hrmmmff... We try to be on good terms with Skagra's crew. But they won't have any of it. I swear... there's something rotten in the water that the ponies of Red and South Barge drink. Only—there in Red Barge—it's way... way worse.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“Are you investigating them?”
“I'm here on a very delicate mission,” Keris explained. “I'm hunting down a monster by the name of the Rainbow Rogue. She's responsible for destroying the home of the Luminards in the Quade. From several eyewitness testimonies, I have good reason to believe she was last seen heading towards these waters.”
The crew members exchanged glances, murmuring nervously with one another.
Keris raised an eyecrest. “This... alarms you?”
“We came here for the very same reason,” Elsaack quietly explained. He glanced past Keris' armored shoulder at the distant struts of Red Barge. “Rumor abounds that the Rainbow Rogue has been caught by Monket.”
“By who?”
“By... By Monket,” Elsaack remarked, blinking. “The Slaver of Waves from Mudtop.” His lips pursed. “You... you and the Right Talon know absolutely nothing about him, do you?”
“Something that I have always desired to rectify,” Keris said, his beak nostrils flaring. “Believe me.”
“Well...” Elsaack leaned in, speaking in a hushed tone. “Monket is the most notorious enslaver of ponies in this part of the seven seas.”
“Enslaver...?”
“It gets worse.” Elsaack frowned. “Lately, rumor has it that he's been hired by somepony in the continent to track down the Rainbow Rogue.”
“A continentalist, you say?”
“Yes.” Elsaack nodded. “We had a few tradeponies show up at White Barge yesterday who recall having seen Monket's steamships heading towards Mudtop. They were coming from the direction of Red Barge. If the gossip from other ponies also proves to be true—”
“You think Monket has already succeeded in his mission?” Keris asked.
“We're willing to bet that the Rainbow Rogue is already in Skagra's possession,” Elsaack explained. “And if that's the case, then it doesn't bode well for anypony on board that dredge coal harvesting platform... no matter how tough they think they might be.”
“Is somepony else after the Rogue?”
“Pfft! Who isn't?!” Elsaack exclaimed. “Mercenaries! Privateers! Pirates! Bounty Hunters!” He pointed. “You're here, aren't you? The Council of Verlaxion isn't the only organization placing a high price on that monster's head. There are several... several parties out there who want to scalp that rainbow mane. And the fact that they haven't tried anything yet is hardly a good sign.”
Keris nodded. “They're ganging together, aren't they? To stage a collective attack?”
“It's the only feasible possibility,” Elsaack said. “We came here to Red Barge to warn Skagra's ponies about it. But... as usual...” He sighed. “...they want nothing to do with us or anything we have to say.”
“I take it you both have some rather sour history together.”
“Inevitably,” Elsaack muttered. “Over the last century and a half, we've been bitter rivals. But not by our choosing. The Top Dredgers of Red Barge—I swear—they've been nothing but homicidal maniacs for the last eight or nine incarnations. It all started before my great grandfather's time, when a group of dredgers staged a coup, replaced the top dredger of these waters with a psychopath. Ever since then, the title's been hoofed over only to whoever's crazy enough to rise to the top and murder his previous master. Heh... you think I'm joking?”
“I think you're the first and only sincere pony I've met since leaving the Quade,” Keris said.
Elsaack blinked at that. Shuddering slightly, he hung his head and muttered: “Every few years or so, we sail down here and try offering Red Barge a hoof of friendship. But they never give us the time of day. Even with how tough things have gotten as of late... with dredge coal shelves being depleted and trade partners abandoning us...” He gulped. “All we want is for the seas to be peaceful for once... from here to South Barge. Is that too much to ask?” He waved a hoof westward. “Now the Syndicate's gone. And that's almost given us hope. But... I guess... so long as places like Mudtop and Red Barge are around, there'll still be miserable ponies spreading filth around... not knowing how to escape the vicious cycle.”
Keris took a deep breath. “That's most unfortunate,” he muttered. “It pains me to see three hundred hard-working ponies being forced to march to Skagra's bloody drum.”
“Nine hundred.”
Keris blinked. “... ... ...I beg your pardon?”
“You... you think there's only three hundred ponies working on Red Barge?” Elsaack stammered.
“Am I wrong?”
Elsaack's jaw dropped. He exchanged gawking expressions with the other ponies, then leaned in to mutter: “Have... h-have you even seen what's below deck?”
“No.” Keris shook his head, hawkeyes narrow. “But now I most definitely want to.”
“In White Barge, we hold the value of a pony's individual life above any and all things,” Elsaack explained. “But in Red Barge... the reality is far more heartless... and bloody. Skagra works his crew members to death. Literally. He controls them through fear and monitors them through starvation. What is it he calls it? 'Nibbles?'” Other ponies nodded gravely. “Anyways, he lures ponies in from across the seven seas with the promise of fortune and sustenance. All they end up being is fresh meat. He sends them below deck to work on the harvest machines, which is the most tiresome and inhospitable task imaginable. And if they don't survive, he scraps what he can from the families—foals turned into orphans that he then turns into child laborers. Then they'll grow up just to become even more cruel and heartless dredgers. Skagra's not the first leader to operate like this. Hell, he's a product of his own predecessor's misery.”
“I knew it was bad out here,” Keris murmured. “But not this bad.”
“Yes. Well...” Elsaack sighed. “We're not the blessed citizens of Central Rohbredden. I understand the selective nature of Verlaxion's grace, but...” He fidgeted where he stood, his breath shaking slightly. “We do so much to provide for the Continent. Is it really that much to ask for the Goddess' blessing in return? If not for us... th-then for our poor brothers and sisters to the south?”
Keris turned, gazing south. Red Barge was a rusted sliver along the horizon at this point. “... ... ...where might one find the entrances to the harvest machines?”
Elsaack blinked. So did several of his cohorts. “Ermm... along the edges of the central platform, deep inside the ring of welded struts.”
“Are they well guarded?”
“In shifts, sure. If I know Skagra, he'd be protecting his assets quite well.” Elsaack cleared his throat. “If I may be so bold, Mister...?”
“Keris,” he said. “Lieutenant Keris.”
“Lieutenant...” Elsaack took a nervous step forward. “What does any of this have to do with capturing the Rainbow Rogue?”
Then Keris turned to smile at him. “It's as I told you. I'm here to capture a monster. I aim to do just that. Now...” His eyes narrowed. “...will you help me?”
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Happy 100,000 words, Utaan! At this rate the finished book will be 800,000 words.
Totally called Keris getting sidetracked on taking down Red Barge. Now let's see how long it takes him to ally with Rainbow.
...I can't wipe the smile off my face. This is gonna be great.
Geez. Multiple factions after the "Rogue", generations of scumbags running a barge, slavers on the seas with a particular slaver hired by a Rohbredden council member...Keris is gonna have one hell of a story to tell Seraphimus.
How about that. The little barnacle-biter got her to smile a bit.
The more and more I read about Swab, the more I want to adopt him. Or at least give him a hug. I'm with Fluttershy on that one.
interesting..very interesting
Oh man. I get the feeling everything's gonna converge all at once. Red Barge gets attacked by the pirate alliance, Keris makes his move to depose the Red Barge brass, and Rainbow Dash escapes in the process.
I wonder if there'll even be anything left of Red Barge by the end of this arc. Or if Swab and Croche will make it out in the end.
6598462 100k words already?
Yeesh... ) ( C is in overdrive with this lately. Almost like he wants to get past this and to the next book asap.
anyway...
White Barge huh? Thankfully not all the barges are cesspits of depravity.
Congrats to Elsaack for the mention.
Didn't Seraph warn you not to do anything like this Keris?
Though I guess Skagra is obstructing justice... nice loophole there loot.
-In the end isolation, hunted by a nation. Utaan.
6598520 I swear, I read your last sentence there as "If Swab and Croche will make out in the end." when I saw it.
Keris heard all, saw all, and is going to follow his orders to the letter.
To capture the Monster.
The trail goes Allll the way to the top.
Harvesting machines? Magnetic grabs, wheel scoop on boom, vaccuum tube, bucket belt? Unless worst its a carousel with bungee divers suits with shovels and bags for personally picking the material up.
I really hope he sends off all this information, in triplicate, along differeing paths, before he heads back to Red Barge. Skagra is paranoid enough to beleive something is happening. Because it is.
Look's like Rainbow's not the only Rogue on this Skiff... Hehe
Bangarang, Keris.
Keris is about to wreck some shit tonight! Good I can't wait for him to tear this place up, the only question is will he let Rainbow help or keep her locked up till its over?
I'm may not be used to seeing so many different fronts converging all at once, but I've read enough on Perfect Storm formation to know where this is heading.
Combine one Swab and one Flutterghost to make a potent upper.
Go Keris! Go Keris! Go Keris! Go Keris! Bring down the Red Barge! *Is very excited.*
I like Keris. <3
Keris to the rescue
100,000 words and we're first getting out of the introduction? Dear god I'm in heaven
In other news, awwwwwwwww yis. 
Keris finally gets his next lead on "The Rogue"... And more overly wise advise from the Swab! 
And I for one can't wait for Rainbow to "Rainbow" this place 
vilcheez: Don't you have the phrase "From the mouth of babes?"
Oh shush you.
Keris is gonna hunt down a monster, eh? Looks like he plans on taking out the Skagra-shaped trash first and then dragging Rainbow out of that place second. But now he knows she's here, and we know nothing about what he thinks of her or what he plans on doing once Skagra is deposed. Will he peacefully take Rainbow back to the mainland? Will Rainbow try to flee? Will there be another fight? I don't think we'll find out until after there's no more Skagra.
I hope
MurkySwab'll be able to work together withBrimstoneRainbow Dash andGlimmerFluttershy to escapeFillydelphiaThe Red Barge....
Okay, I admit they're not totally similar, but there are some pretty striking similarities.
6598834 You and me both.
Star Wars reference.
Congratulations, Elsaack.
He wasn't very specific as to who that monster might be.
6598860 Except Swab found his balls much faster. It only took some roughening from
NooseWhony,LemonQuint,WhiplashDigiff,WildcardSaxon, andRed EyeSkagra.ProtégéKeris to the rescue!Well damn, Swab is my new favorite all time character. He's philisophical AND adorable! I want one!
So Rainbow is learning to be happy again, after thinking that she doesn't deserve to be for so long. Now, it seems nice to know that Red Barge is the exception rather than the rule in dredge coaling (I doubt the labor is any less grueling at the other barges, but at least they claim to take care of their workers). With that knowledge it seems that Red Barge is a very apt name given the blood that it spills, Rainbow always visits such nice places
. Shortly afterward the place always gets a massive upheaval, burns to the ground, or both. Wonder if there is a relation between the two events
.
As for Keris, he is going to find a monster, and the Rainbow Rouge, but are they the same thing? Who is the monster and who is the mare?
That's a very apt chapter title.
Ah yes, thank you Keris. Just so you know, Rainbow isn't a monster, so just take Skagra, find out about the Chancellor, and solve the actual problem here.
Something tells me that Keris is gonna place Rainbow lower on the Monstermeter than certain other ponies. This whole situation is gonna get real messy real fast. And any wholesome survivors of Red Barge--Swab. Croche?--might find a better home for themselves in White Barge.
Keris has just run out of bubblegum.
I'm so hype for what's coming. Except...
... That's not how beaks work, I don't think. Just sayin'
Thank Celestia, we have a level-headed creature on the job who gets his damn facts straight and priorities in line. The way things are looking, it's possible he'll return to the mainland with RD by his side and not in chains. In any case, I eagerly anticipate Skagra's silver-plated titanium alloy evisceration.
Godspeed, Lieutenant.
6598462 Nah, Austraeoh books follow a similar pattern
1) It's the beginning I gotta be all ominous and not talk about Rainbow and be super long for setup
2) I'm actually kinda liking this story. Longer chapters!
3) Meh, s'alright.
4) This is the worst thing to write ever.
5) OH $&%*} I HAVE TWENTY CHAPTERS TO GIVE IT A PLOT
That's a shitload of hunters for just one duck.
And we have objective drift
6599320 if I'm not mistaken, there's a little bit of skin there. Not sure if it's enough to qualify as flaring, but then again ponies don't have nearly enough joints to perform the actions we see them do every week either.
Has anyone else noticed that Swab's special talent seems to have to do with ascertaining the truth? Or is it just me? 'cause if that's the case, I imagine it'll be important later on.
6598536
6598911
Thank you.
He, ha, hahaha. Hehahahhaha.
I like this Elsaack character.
HahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Ahhhh.
Anyway, he actually does remind me of myself, trying to make peace. Wonder if it'll bite him.
Lots of new intel, a massive raider band forming. As well as a first-strike team? White barge and a Talon, together.
Are they going to be enough to fight through Red barge? Sounds like we might be seeing some
Tactical Espionage Action.
Pretty sure this is exactly what Seraphimus didn't want from keris. They mentioned bounty hunters were in on the whole grab the rainbow rogue thing..maybe bard and wildcard are with them..
Red Barge turned psychotic 150ish years ago.
Does anything else in known history match up with that as a potential trigger?
150 years is otherwise known as the magic number for a complete turnover of societal memory; the point when "back then" becomes "history".
Now this guy is awesome, he even knows how to channel his inner Bond.
6598542 It's Swan Song, shipper supreme. I think it's meant to be that way.
BEST.. TITLE.. EVER !
It is surprising to see that there is a barge that isn't governed by asshats, i didn't expect that.
This means there might be a way to resolve this harmonically in the long run without causing a ripple of chaos trough the mainland.
Or it is just a place for future red barge refugees after the place got dashed, because letting children drown might not contribute to rainbows psychical condition and also would bring up even more problems with Fluttershy.
I guess that Skagra will try to make his move on Keris soon because there should be no way that they missed him visiting their visitors just now.
That means that they have to assume that he knows things, and indeed he obtained quite an uncomfortable chunk of knowledge about them.
And here just a thought, what if my suspicion is right and their fuel is indeed chaos metal saturated coal and the dust poisoning is caused by the chaos metal dust. If Keris sees it necessary to ally with Rainbow for a while and they free the ponies of the lower decks, then some of them could have one of those chaos coal dust poisonings, and if dash manages to beam cure them, then Keris might gets the means to convince even Seraphimus to not go all divine chosen meat grinder over her.
also congrats Elsaack
Keris now has some new friends to help hunt the monster. The hype is real.
Congrats Elsaack.
Keris knows too much. He will now be captured, and the Talon will come to the Barge.
6599320 I think it's been stablished since season 1 that griffon beaks don't work like bird beaks. Just look at Gilda's smile.
images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/28300000/Rainbow-Dash-and-Gilda-my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-28315878-638-358.png
6599815 I catch up (again), and I am blasted by a logical theory. I like it. Here, have some whiskey.
I like this story, tis a good one!
I anticipate a wondrous pummeling of Skagra's illegitimate donkey
Over 100,000 words already? I think that IC may have to extend the storyline beyond whatever he originally planned in order to have 12 books, he's writing so much.
I foresee that everything is going to converge all at once. The perfect storm is brewing.
threadbombing.com/data/media/2/THISGONBGUD.gif
Also, congrats to Elsaack. Welcome aboard!!
In addition, we may wish to create a club for all the users that have been honored in this story with characters, callouts, and countries.
The storm is rising. Will the Rainbow escape, as she has countless times before? Or is the storm too powerful even for her?
Find out soon, on Utaan!
6598462
It probably won't be 800,000 words, since IC will have to slow down, but I believe that this could become the longest book (so far) in the Austraeoh series quite easily.
The current longest book of the series is Urohringr, at 438,033 words. It seems that IC likes having the books that start with 'U' being the longest.
Understood.
Geez, Rainbow, go wash your ears or somethin'.
6598542 I too find the idea of him having added that word by accident that much more plausible than him actually going for that meaning.
6599693 exactly. It be the smartest thing to be a part of the huge group coming to get rainbow then Just get her out of there, assuming they still care about her.
So Keris is going to work on taking care of Red Barge's leader, good, he certainly deserves it. Doing so is also an opportunity for Rainbow, as we all know Keris is still going to catch Rainbow. Perhaps she'll have some time during the fight to either prove she's good or get some words into edgewise.
6598520
I would be surprised if Rainbow escapes, it's certainly possible if there's enough confusion when everything converges, but Rainbow's not exactly in any real shape to be doing any stealthy awesome maneuvers. Keris is also her best chance of convincing the talons that she's not a threat, though Rainbow doesn't know this yet. Then again, this story does seem to be rather focused on the chasing of the 'Rainbow Rogue' and that would end pretty quick if Keris gets her now...
6599549 There was mention of a windigo (I think that is how it is spelled) outbreak at some point during Verlax's reign, could that be it perhaps?