Mount & Blade : the New World

by BoarHide

Chapter 3 : Beachhead

The fleet sailed closer to a giant snowy mist. It lined across near the horizon, threatened anyone to stay away, however yet failed to stop Ariel and her fleet. Her longship leaded the way, dared the mysterious cold sea into the hiding horizon. Ariel stood at the front and looked forward. She was waited to see and proven what is behind the edge of the earth.

"Ma'am," her companion said, "Our fleet fears this sea might be the end of us all. They wish to go no further."

Ariel turned back, looked at the old engineer, "Did she go this way?"

"Please, ma'am..." Artimenner said.

"Artimenner, did she head this way?" Ariel asked.

"As our scout said, then yes." Artimenner said.

Ariel nodded and looked at the mist. Artimenner said, "But she is probably no longer."

"With no body, I am not convincing." Ariel said, "She must still be somewhere beyond here."

Artimenner knew there is no point to continue his persuasion. He stopped. Ariel said, "This sea is cursed, but nothing can stop us. We shall be the first kind to broke its charm."

The old engineer slowly nodded. The fleet sailed even more closer to the mist and eventually be consumed by it. The longships stayed closed to each other, avoided to be lost in an unknown territory. Many people started to pray, hoped there is nothing more than the mist. Rowers kept pushing the ship forward, guided by their commander who held the fleet together.

A stress moment had passed when the mist fading away. Ariel men could not hold back their cheer when they firstly saw another frozen shore faraway. Artimenner felt relief. The mist was nothing more than a show.

"Ma'am, we made it!" Artimenner said, "Ma'am?"

Ariel stared at the shore for a moment and turned back to Artimenner. The old man dropped his smile ans stepped away when he had witnessed what is happened to the empress.

---

Starlight sat in the train with Falcon. They had been heading toward Ponyville to visit Twilight. The unicorn believed she is going to be happy to see Falcon there.

With bits from Falcon, they had a little problem to worry about the snack. The sultana was kind enough to effort a snack for fillies and colts in the same bogie. Luckily for them, the royal guards had really underestimated Falcon which made them broke. Starlight had to admit herself she had never seen anypony as skillful as Falcon and as many as bits in a single day before. The unicorn stared at the sultana. She quickly noticed it.

"What's the matter, Starlight?" Falcon asked.

"...Well, Falcon," Starlight said, "I just would like to say I had misjudged you - a bit."

Falcon chuckled, said, "It's nothing. You can misjudged me."

"And, by the way," Starlight said, "Will the Calradia army ever show up? I know you are not a bad person and all, but is this possible invasion just... too much."

Falcon paused, looked at her hand and fiddled with a coin. "I know." Falcon said, "I might not understand your realm clearly, but I can assume you barely have a war here, is it not?"

Starlight nodded, Falcon continued, "Then that explain everything. The land that distance from a conflict will weaken their army and military. Their subjects will be soft. I do not care if you are human or not, but the prosperity of your land is depending on your forces and power. To told the truth, I can not imagine how this land ever last for a night."

"By the power of magic," Starlight said, "And friendship."

Falcon stared at Starlight. The unicorn felt stress as the sultana pieced through her with her eye, but flinched when Falcon laughed politely and patted on the unicorn head.

"I like you." Falcon said, "It is certain the magic that keep this realm grows."

Starlight did not know if Falcon was being satire or not. The train kept heading south and Ponyville started to be visible from their bogie.

---

Artimenner stared at Ariel and Ariel stared at him. Everyone on the fleet looked at each other, noticed something is changed. Ariel had turned into a living painting of herself. She looked mostly the same, but much more gentler and colorful. The empress looked at herself and her men, surprised what the mist had changed them into something unbelievable.

"Everybody, listen up!" Ariel commanded as she heard a panic among her men, "This is not a time for admiring your new look. Fleet, make haste to the shore, now!"

The fleet complied her command. They sailed toward the shore and headed to the south, which used to be their north. They hugged the coastal line and flowed along a current. The sky, the sea, the coast, everything was vivid and active like an animated painting. Several hours passed, the frozen shore had slowly replaced with a lively and colorful grassland and forest. Everyone in the fleet was amazed how such promising land is not too faraway from their frozen arid colony. Ariel looked in the sky. The sun was nearly set. She looked at the shore and raised her banner up.

"Fleet, into the beach!" Ariel commanded.

Longships headed toward the shore and landed safely. Ariel jumped down from the ship with her banner while everyone loaded everything they needed to place an encampment. The empress looked around, flagged her banner on the new founded land. The banner danced along a warm breeze. Ariel breathed in the air she had been missed for a month.

Ariel whistled, called her mount to the banner. The horse headed toward its owner, embraced with Ariel for a moment. The empress petted him for a moment, then swiftly mounted him and explored a land nearby.

The land was flashy, but fertilized and unoccupied. The sky were dried in red as evening had come. Ariel carefully thought, frowned. Her six mounted companions, thirty Swadian knight and a mounted banner carrier later joined her and waited for her command.

"Royal guards here, waiting for your command." Bunduk reported.

"Where is my Khergit scouts?" Ariel asked.

"They are on their way and will returned with everything about this land, sister." Bunduk said.

"Splendid." Ariel said, drew her sword, "Royal guards, followed me."

The troops followed their mistress deep into the continent. The grassland preferred a cavalry, greatly aided their exploration. They ventured deeper and deeper, searched for any civilization within. For a moment, they thought they are the first people who ever landed on this continent, but soon this was proven wrong.

"Whoa..." Bunduk said.

A huge farmland and orchard stretched across the grassland were in front of them. The fruits and vegetables are fresh, healthy and various. Beside several kinds of fruit, cabbages, wheat, there were other vegetable they had yet seen before. However, what is astonished them most was what is near the horizon.

Pillars that rose up to the heaven stood up challenging the nature, defied any knowledge and sense ever known to mankind. A golden colossus horse head set on the top of the pillar, declaring the mighty of its own architecture. Knights and companions were completely stunned. It took Ariel for a moment before she came back to her sense.

"Cavalry," Ariel command, felt unsettled, "Watch your guard."

The royal guards kept their sword in touch. Bunduk said, "Stay safe, sister. We shall be on guard."

Ariel nodded. She looked at the pillars as the night settled down. "Stick together." Ariel said. "Follow my lead."

Comments

[TheDrunkenKnight]

So far I can only see some grammar errors, like usage of plural where it doesn' need to be. But the story is good none the less. Keep it up pls.