Author's Note
I'm fairly new to this fanfiction thing, so I'm grateful for any feedback. I'm posting this chapter as a "trial run" for my current fic ideas and style of writing. If there's anything I could do to improve the readability, enjoyment, interest-level, etc. of my story please say so in the comments!
1 - Fogbound
Waves broke and wood creaked. A cold, salty sea spray carried through the air as the HMS Assurance cut across the water. She was a frigate, built in the early 18th century, with speed and maneuverability in mind, rather than sheer size and firepower. She was carried by three masts, with clean, white square sails hanging from them and a Union Jack fluttering above the lookout’s post in the middle. She boasted forty-four guns carried along two decks, a considerable amount of firepower given the smaller size of the ship compared to mightier “ships of the line.” Under the gun decks was the berthing area, where the crew lived and slept when not on duty. Her armament provided ample power to fulfill her intended role—patrolling for pirates and smugglers.
Now the ship was headed to resupply in New England, before sailing across the Atlantic to spend some time in the reserves. The ship carried nearly 250 men in total. One hundred sailors, whose time in America was over and who looked forward to spending some time at home. And, a large company of one hundred fifty veteran soldiers, to whom the Assurance was merely transportation. They were to disembark at New England and reinforce the northern garrisons in response to a growing French and Indian presence.
The Assurance was under the command of Captain Robert Williams, a young man in his early twenties. Despite his age, he was far from inexperienced. Born and raised on the seas, his father was a naval officer, and from William’s earliest childhood days he was working on ships. Williams was only seven when he began doing servant work on the ships. Thanks to his own personal skill and fortunate circumstances, he found himself as the captain of the Assurance.
Williams was an optimistic sort of fellow, filled with the energy of youth and joyful patriotism for his great homeland and the vast Empire that he now played a role in defending. He had not been in command long, but the crew had taken a liking to him. His upbeat nature and willingness to listen to more experienced crewmen under his command for guidance helped them get along swimmingly. Certainly something that would come in handy, for what the future held...
Captain Williams stood by the helm, thinking. He hoped not to remain in England too long, for he always wished to visit the vast corners of the world. While his time in North America had been interesting, it was far from the exotic areas of the Empire like India or Africa. He did prefer North America to the Caribbean, where vicious diseases and native savagery was rampant, or so he had heard.
“Sir!” he called, “We’re about a day out from the port. The lookout sees heavy fog ahead, and that may make navigation difficult.”
Williams snapped out of his musings and looked up at the Lieutenant. “Talk to the navigational officer, make sure we maintain our bearing as we pass through. As long as we maintain that, we should be fine. Fog up here never seems to last too long anyways.”
“Aye aye, sir!” Brown replied with a nod, moving down onto the main deck.
The ship returned to being rather quiet, as men moved back and forth to attend to their duties, and the occasional murmur of conversation carried over the strong winds and crashing waves. It was early in the morning, and most of the men were waking up from their slumber. With grey, overcast skies, a thick fog rolling in, and a biting wind, the day looked bleak.
Williams was thankful for the heavier coats that the ship carried, helping keep himself and the others warmer up on the deck. Presently, he was wishing for a hot cup of tea to warm him and cut through the early morning drowsiness. Alas, that was a luxury he would have to forgo until they reached port. Only a day left to port, he reasoned, and then they would be able to gather plenty of supplies to keep them comfortable, and alive, through the month long journey back to England.
As the ship slowly entered the thick fog, Williams felt a slight sense of uncertainty, or perhaps anxiety. He had sailed through fog before, of course, but this just felt… different. It was denser than usual, too, and he could barely see past the sides of the ship, and not at all in front of it. Not that visibility should be a worrying problem out here, where there were few rocks and obstructions. If they kept their bearing, they should arrive safely and as scheduled.
The wind blew, the sky remained grey, and waves and sea spray continued to crash against the ship. As Nature held her bleak course, a general ennui settled among the crew, as Williams stood by the helm.
Three days. They had been sailing through this accursed fog for three days.
“Where the bloody hell could we be!” exclaimed the navigational officer, looking over scattered maps and location estimates on a table, with Captain Williams and Lieutenant Brown on the other sides.
“Perhaps we’re still too far east and not close enough to the coast?” suggested Williams, taking a cursory glance at the maps, “Or maybe we’ve gone too far north here and we’re headed around, towards Quebec and French territory?”
After a few hours in the fog on the first day, their compasses began to spin wildly and quickly became useless. Thus, they had been restricted to using their estimated speed and last known bearing to make guesses as to where they were. After two days they began to change their direction toward what they believed was Westward, as they did not want to go too far North. Of course this carried the risk of running into the coast, but they believed it was better than being caught by a malevolent current of wind and being carried out into the middle of the Atlantic.
“No, no, no…” muttered the navigational officer, “we should have reached land by now! We should be in the middle of a damn forest by now! There’s no way we’re far enough to be in French waters, but it’s impossible we haven’t reached land yet.”
“We’re in the hands of God, now…” muttered Brown, shaking his head while trying to make sense of their unexplainable location.
“Then I’m sure we’re on a safe course, Lieutenant,” Williams said. He turned to the navigational officer, “Get some rest. You’ve been hard at work with no sleep these past few days and frankly you look like you could use some now. We’ll be able to handle it from here.”
The officer nodded, and made his way out of the cabin and down the hall towards his cabin. Williams sighed, and turned back toward Brown.
“I suppose I’ll head up to the deck, see if anything changes. I don’t know where we are, but we’d be better be ready for anything. Can you ensure the men are prepared just in case? Last thing I want is for some French ship to blindside us out here.”
“Of course sir, I’ll get right on it,” Brown replied, turning and walking out to find and brief the sergeants.
Williams looked at the nonsensical maps and location estimates one last time, before shaking his head and following Brown out of the cabin. They were truly in God’s hands now.
The fog began to thin, and a warmer breeze blew. The last remnants of fog and cloud lifted by the middle of the third day. Williams could finally see the bright, blue sky above and shimmering water below. It was warmer than it had been the past few days. Oddly warm, he thought. In the distance there was evidence of land. Finally, the men thought, they would arrive at port.
“About time we got here,” Williams sighed, “I was getting worried we were blown off course…”
“Sir, I don’t think we’re out of it yet,” began the nearby navigational officer, “These warm airs and clear seas, this cannot be the North Atlantic!”
“Perhaps we were turned around and travelled Southward for three days? No, then the time we spent going ‘West’ would have been going ‘East’ and there would be no land this close… and there aren’t any islands out here…”
Williams nor any of the other officers could think of a valid explanation for these strange events. No matter, they would just need to sail towards land and find a port. They could figure out their whereabouts then.
They sailed a while longer until a cry was heard from the lookout on the top,
“Captain! There’s a ship headed straight for us at ten-o’clock. She isn’t one of ours!”
Williams extended his own telescope and looked over the waves. Sure enough, there was a small brig headed towards them. He could make out movements on the deck, but not enough to identify them. Their clothes looked to be a patchwork of different colors, but they flew no flag. Tramp traders, perhaps?
He swore as a flag was clearly unfurled over the top. A symbol recognized anywhere: a plain black flag. They were pirates. Williams wasn’t sure why a clearly weaker ship would attack them on the open seas, but he wasn’t about to risk failing their mission. They were late already.
“Pirates inbound, loose the sails, all hands on deck. Full speed ahead!” He yelled out to the crew. The highly trained sailors sprang into action, swarming about the ship like ants to make the necessary preparations. The sails snapped as the wind caught them in their full spread, the ship lurching as they sped up. Cannons were readied and rolled into position. Supplies were secured. The soldiers were armed and readied. The proud flag of Britain fluttered in the wind.
Williams took another look at the pirates ship as the two sailed towards each other. As they grew closer he was able to clearly view the crew, and they looked to be… small horses? Colorful ponies? He looked away, shook his head, but when he looked again they were still there.
“Lieutenant Brown, tell me you’re seeing what I’m seeing,” he said with a slight waver, handing the telescope to the nearby officer.
“What are you seeing Capt—What in God’s name are those?!”
“No bloody idea, but they mean to do us harm,” Williams leaned over the helm and shouted, his voice carrying over the noise of preparation, “Listen up men! The filthy pirates headed this way aren’t French, they’re not Spanish, and they’re not… they’re not human.”
A confused murmur arose as Williams continued, “From what we can discern, they’re some kind of pony. Incredulous, I know, but they’re there. Remember we sail in the greatest navy in the world, under the flag of the greatest empire! Do not lose focus, and we will prevail over this rabble.”
Most of the crew didn’t know how to take the captain’s words of some kind of pony pirates attacking them, but their discipline took over and they continued to ready the ship. If the captain’s claims were true, they’d see for themselves soon enough.
Williams guided the ship and looked out towards the ever-growing pirate ship. He narrowed his eyes, and waited for them to come within range.
“Fire the chasers! Aim for the sails!” He yelled.
Seconds later, a pair of shots rang out as the two forward-facing cannons fired at the incoming ship. It was a long range shot, the pirates were still around a half-mile away. One cannonball plunged uselessly in the water ahead of the pirates, while the other scraped a sail. Not enough.
Williams thought… He could wait until the enemy ship drew closer, and bring their broadside along theirs for a more “traditional” approach, but he would risk losing men that way. He could turn towards the starboard side and try to rake the enemy ship as it came in, but if the brig was faster than them it could come behind and do the same to them. He cursed, of course his first real battle as a Captain couldn’t be easy.
Realizing every second he delayed the pirates grew closer, he decided to take the risk. He had faith in the Assurance, he had faith in his crew, and he had faith that God would aid them in this battle.
He began to turn towards the starboard side, so that they would be perpendicular to the enemy ship. Williams briefly thanked his luck as the enemy ship made no motion to turn themselves, if anything they seemed to speed up. They must think he’s trying to flee, he realized.
“Furl the sails slightly,” he called, “slow us down!”
Williams watched closely as the enemy ship drew closer. They came in past the quarter mile mark, and he waited. The crew waited for orders, if they had any anxiety the did not show it, for they were stoic and prepared.
The ship drew ever closer, and the crew could clearly see the strange creatures clamoring aboard it. One hundred yards… seventy five… fifty…
“Fire the cannons, port side! Given ‘em a taste of lead!” Williams finally shouted.
Another few seconds passed, and their cannons rung out. A symphony of twenty-two cannons broke the quiet, as smoke filled the air. Many of the cannons reached their intended target, smashing and splintering the wooden hull of the pirate brig. At this range they had enough power to penetrate the front of the ship and travel some distance down the middle of it as well, likely dealing severe damage to the ship’s structure and the crew within.
The pirates aboard the ship appeared to panic, yet the ship began turning to the starboard side to line up their own cannons with the Assurance’s. Williams brought the ship closer to the enemy.
Suddenly he saw specks of light on the pirate ship. Horned ponies… unicorns? Their horns began to glow, and suddenly a barrage of fireballs were fired at the Assurance. Williams swore as several of them impacted the sails and rigging and immediately caught fire. He knew they had to act quickly.
“Fire in the rigging, sailors, put out that fire! Sergeants, get the men ready for boarding action!”
Buckets of water were passed between sailors, desperate to put out the fire before it spread to the masts and ship decks. The soldiers readied themselves on the side of the ship, muskets loaded and bayonets fixed.
Several of the pony pirates took flight. Why not, Williams thought, if they have unicorns they may as well have pegasi too. He couldn’t believe this, were they in some fairytale land now?
The pegasi flew closer to their ship, swords in hand. The soldiers created three ranks on the side of the ship, one kneeling and the other two standing.
Williams heard a sergeant's voice, “Company, present arms!” The soldiers raised their muskets. “First rank, fire!” A deadly cascade of bullets rushed towards the pegasi, sending several plummeting into the ocean. “Second rank, fire!” Again a wave of lead shot down more of the pirates. “Third rank, fire!” The firing of shots was unrelenting for the pirates, who suffered more casualties to the precise musket fire. Of the fifteen or so that began the short flight, around five remained.
The few that managed to make it to the ship were quickly repelled with sharp bayonets, easily cutting through the cloth that some wore, or the skin of those who wore nothing.
The ships were very close to each other now, being only ten yards away. Grappling hooks sailed from the deck of the Assurance and latched onto the pirate ship. The pirates likely knew they had made a mistake, expecting a weak merchant ship but receiving a highly trained military ship instead. Yet now there was no escape.
Williams swelled with pride at how splendidly his first battle as Captain was going. As much as he was tempted to sink these murderous pirates right then, he knew capturing some would be helpful.
“Cannons ready, sir!” A sailor called out.
“Fire!” yelled Williams, as the port side cannons dealt another deadly volley. At such a close range many of the cannonballs tore through the enemy ship and out the other side. The pirates’ cannons and gunners were totally incapacitated and unable to return fire.
Wood tore and splintered as the two ships finally collided.
“Go, go, go!” Men yelled as the British soldiers charged onto the pirate ship, giving the stunned pirates little time to react.
Williams himself drew his pistol and sabre and lept onto the pirate ship, never being one to be far from the action. Perhaps foolish, he recognized, but he was hardly going to stand idly by during his first battle!
The two sides clashed on the deck of the pirate ship, and the British soldiers clearly had the upper hand. Musket shots quickly eliminated many of the pirates, who seemed to only carry swords, and the reach of a soldier using a bayonet far exceeded that of a small sword-wielding pony. Thus, the soldiers were able to cut and slice without much risk to themselves.
Williams looked up and saw the enemy captain, a brown unicorn with a dirty golden mane, standing behind the wheel, barking orders in… English? He just now realized these ponies appeared to be talking English, baffling, but something that had to wait.
He charged across the deck of the ship, towards the helm. As he drew closer, the captain and a regular looking blue pony turned and seeing him, readied their swords. Williams aimed his pistol and fired it directly in the centre of the blue pony, causing it to collapse. He brought up his sabre and he and the pirate captain began to circle each other.
He noted that the pirate captain’s sword was levitating, surrounded in some kind of aura similar to the fireballs other unicorns had shot at the Assurance. What kind of demonic ponies were these, who wielded magics of fire and levitated swords?
“You’d best give up, pirate. You’re not going to get much out of us,” Williams warned.
The pirate snorted, and looked up at him with hard eyes, “I don’t know where in Tartarus you crawled out from, but you’re not leaving here alive!”
The two continued to circle each other, looking for openings and daring the other to make the first move. The pirate struck first, launching a fast thrust at Williams chest. Williams was almost caught off guard, but his reflexes kicked in as he brought his own sword to the left to parry the pirate’s, and almost as quickly he slid his sword downwards and out to put distance between him and the pirate’s sword, before cutting quickly towards the right.
He stepped back and readied himself to parry another attack, but the pirate captain dropped his sword and stumbled backwards. Williams’s sharp sabre had cut across the pony’s neck, and he collapsed seconds later. Advantages of fighting such a short opponent, he guessed.
Around the ship the fighting was clearing up and the British emerged as the clear victors. Prisoners were bound and lined up along the deck of the pirate ship as Williams stood in front of them and studied them, thinking on what he should do.
While a few of them looked defiant, many of the others looked frightened and even remorseful. Rightfully so, he thought, they had certainly picked the wrong ship to attack.
He realized that it would be best to keep these as prisoners, as they needed information on wherever the hell they were, and he figured if the unthinkable had happened and they were really in some other realm, handing these brigands over to the local authority would be a better choice. Only about fifteen pirates remained, so they wouldn’t place too much of a burden on the Assurance.
Williams was still shaking from adrenaline after the battle. It wasn’t his first battle, but the feeling of leading his men against pirates of some sorcerous, strange species was both frightening and exhilarating for the young captain.
He looked down at the prisoners, “Make sure they’re restrained well and throw them in the hold. Take any cannon shot, rations, and materials you can from this brig and sink it.”
He was met with a chorus of acknowledgement as the crew moved to carry out their orders. More slowly than usual, however, as many kept looking back at the strange ponies they had fought.
It was clear what they were all thinking, “What are these things?! Talking pony pirates, like from the mythological tales of the Greeks and Romans? Just where are we, and what are we facing?”
The Assurance bobbed up and down under a clear sky. The late afternoon sun hung on the edge, hours from slipping under the water. The decks bustled with activity as sailors sorted the materials they had taken from the now sunken pirate ship, and set to work repairing the damaged rigging and sails that had been burned by the magical fire. Most of their sails had been burnt beyond use; luckily they had spares, and the crucial masts held strong.
They were able to obtain a wealth of items from the pirate ship. Ever-important lumber, sails, and rope would aid greatly in repairing the Assurance. Ammunition was strangely lacking on the pirate ship. Their cannonballs were much too small to be of use, and there were no muskets nor gunpowder to be found. They did find other useful goods, such as bread, fresh water, and some kind of dried fruit. There was even a substantial amount of gold coinage and jewelry.
With refreshed supplies, their most immediate concern was finishing preparations and deciding their next move. The crew seemed to still be trying to process the events of that day and the otherworldly magics and creatures they had encountered. They wanted answers soon, but for now they were content occupying themselves with their work.
The crew seemed to still be trying to process the events of that day and the otherworldly magics and creatures they had encountered. They wanted answers soon, but for now they were content occupying themselves with their work.
Captain Robert Williams sat alone at his desk. He rubbed his temples before sighing, and going over the situation again in his head. He and his crew were floating in some uncharted land, having been attacked by talking magical pony pirates, and still at risk on the open sea, unable to discern whether any port cities would be friendly or not. The supplies would hold out for another few weeks, but the men were going to get restless and they still had a mission to complete.
He just didn’t know what to do. Williams wished his father were here to lend advice, he always seemed to know how to approach any situation. Williams could always ask a more experienced sailor what their take was, but he wanted to keep that as a last resort. Once their being in a mysterious land sunk in, the men would look to him for guidance. He could not afford to show weakness, and must act with confidence and determination. Such was the mild loneliness he had come to know in his brief time as captain.
Williams realized he needed information. Where were they? At what port could they dock? Who ruled these lands if they were uncharted? What the hell are these magic ponies?
“Clear skies and warm winds surround us, yet we remain in a fog…” he muttered to himself.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Williams called.
Lieutenant Brown entered, “Sir, I came to tell you the prisoners have been placed in a spare room in the hold as you ordered.”
“Good, thank you. Tell the quartermaster to ration our supplies so we can last another couple weeks.” Williams thought about the pirates they were holding before continuing, “If we have anything left, use it to feed the prisoners. I think I’ll go have a look at them myself.”
“Aye sir, I’ll get to it,” Brown replied as he exited the Captain’s cabin.
Williams sighed one last time, enjoying the brief sanctuary from the problems his chair provided, before rising to his feet and following the Lieutenant. There was valuable information to be found.
A sorry bundle of ponies lay scattered across the sawdust-covered floor. Light filtered in from a small window at the very top of the room, illuminating floating particles of dust in the air. There were two candles on a small table by the door providing additional light. The room was silent, except for the occasional shuffling of the prisoners and the creaking of wood as the ship rocked from the waves.
Four vigilant guards watched over them, two by the door and two standing over the prisoners. They stood stiffly with their muskets against their shoulder, and hawk like gaze scanning the prisoner pirates for any sign of rebellion. It was unlikely they would dare to escape, however. While some of the prisoners held defiance in their eyes, others appeared more sullen at their current state. A few gave looks of curiosity as they stared at the guards.
The soldiers found it only natural for the ponies to be curious, and not only because they were a different species. They were, after all, far superior to these ruffian pirates. Simple commoners would be unused to the discipline and order, the pristine red uniforms, the crisp actions and smooth transitions.
And, for the most part, the soldiers’ thoughts were accurate. The ponies making up the remains of the pirate crew had never expected the ship to contain alien creatures. Neither did they expect them to be well organized, and apparently members of some foreign military. Some of the prisoners shuddered slightly at what these soldiers could want with them. Were they truly aliens, or just from some far flung corner of the world? What would they do to them? Were they scouts, ahead of a world-conquering army?
Williams walked in, and the soldiers snapped to attention.
“At ease, men.”
The Captain studied the prisoners. He’d never actually held and interrogated prisoners before, but he was familiar with the process. He searched the faces of the prisoners. Williams was looking for a pirate who looked somewhat important, so they would know good information, but also likely to talk. Most of them avoided his eyes, suddenly taking great interest in the floors or walls. A few returned his gaze, staring at him threateningly. They wouldn’t do at all, he thought.
He walked around the ponies, never taking his eyes off them. After some more searching, he found a suitable candidate. He settled on a glum, light grey unicorn, with a dark orange mane and matching eyes. The unicorn wore some kind of tattered cloth clothing, similar in style to the pirate captain's clothes. Most of the other pirates wore nothing, so this one’s clothes set him apart.
Williams pointed at the unicorn and spoke to two of the nearby guards, “Bring him along, I’d like to chat with him.”
The guards grabbed the unicorn, who protested, “H-Hey! Whaddya want with me!”
“Nothing to be worried about,” Williams replied with a smirk, “If you cooperate, it will be a pleasant chat. Come along now, we have much to discuss.”
Williams turned and walked through the door, the soldiers towing the nervous unicorn along. A light smile touched the soldiers’ faces; it would be interesting to see the young Captain get his hands dirty, and if he was successful eliciting information from the prisoner.
Williams thanked the soldiers as they left the small room, returning to their guard duties. Now he was alone with the unicorn. The room was noticeably smaller than the other, with no window and only several candles for light. A few crates of supplies in the corner on the right. The prisoner was seated on a dirty cushion on the left, next to the bending hull of the ship. Williams sat on a chair, above the prisoner.
The Captain looked down on the prisoner for a minute. He tried to stifle his his adrenaline and rapidly increasing heart rate, but he found it difficult. Here he was, a new Captain, about to interrogate some mythological race. Williams wasn’t even sure how to go about it, should he keep acting aloof? Perhaps he should be more kind, or would that show weakness?
He decided to begin with a simple question. “What’s your name?”
The unicorn weakly met his gaze, “I-I’m Silver Flare.”
Williams found that to be a most unusual name, but he kept quiet about that. Perhaps all these creatures had such odd names.
“Tell me, Silver Flare, why did you attack us?”
“We’re pirates… we thought you were some small merchant ship, honest! We weren’t going to kill anypony, we just wanted to take some supplies!” The unicorn’s voice wavered as he offered the pitiful excuse.
The Captain snorted and shook his head, feeling his anger rising. He couldn’t believe this miserable wretch thinks attacking innocent civilians was any better. “That’s not a good reason, Silver Flare. You know, under our law piracy is often punishable by death.”
“No! Please! You can’t do that!”
“Out here, Silver, we can do what we like. But you know what’s even more interesting?”
Williams didn’t wait for an answer before continuing, feeling more confident in himself.
“I saw what you and your horned friends did, casting magicks and fireballs. You know what the penalty for such sorcery and witchcraft is?”
The unicorn attempted to reply but seemed to choke on his own words.
“Death, again. Much nastier business though. Burned alive, or maybe boiled. Hung in a cage and left to starve, all quite dreadful ways of dying if you ask me.”
By now the prisoner was visibly shaking, and his eyes widened as Williams detailed just how users of unnatural magic were put to death.
“Of course, if you don’t find those fates palpable, we could always make a deal,” the Captain offered.
“Y-Yes! What do you want?!” the unicorn exclaimed, his voice quavering in fear.
“Answer my questions, and you and your friends shall live. We’ll drop you off with the local authorities when we arrive at a port.”
“Th-they’re not my friends, you know…” the unicorn muttered.
“Really then, why are you committing violent acts of piracy with them?” Williams pressed.
“I-I just need the money! I s-swear! I don’t like crime either!”
The Captain shook his head again and sighed amusedly. Hypocrisy at its finest, he thought. “Enough of this, you are a pirate, end of discussion. Now do you accept the terms?”
“Y-Yes,” the unicorn muttered, dejectedly.
“Excellent. Let us begin. What are you?”
The unicorn gave him a puzzled look. “I-I’m a unicorn, of course.”
“I know you’re a bloody unicorn, what species are you? Where do you come from? And do you all use magicks?”
“N-No, just unicorns… I’m a pony, sir. W-We all are. Earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns. We all come from Equestria.”
Williams prepared himself for what he was going to hear. It was important he remembered every detail about this strange creature and it’s answers.
“Equestria is your native nation, then?”
“Yes, i-its one of several nations. Mainly p-ponies like us live there.”
Just great, Williams thought. They were in foreign waters off the coast of some pony nation. “Do you know of the British Empire, pony?”
Silver Flare blinked. “T-The what?”
“The British Empire. Largest, most powerful nation on the globe?”
“I-I’ve never heard of it. Or seen anypony like y-you before!”
Williams leaned back in his chair. Could it be… were they on another planet altogether? He didn’t know if it was possible for the fog to have led them to some other world. Unless there were a divine act or insidious sorcery involved. Though given what he had seen today, that wouldn't be the strangest thing. He just had one more question.
“Where is the nearest port town that would be friendly to our arrival?”
“W-Well, Seaforth Port, where we sailed from, is less than a day, I bet,” Silver Flare appeared more confident in his answers as he went on, “Many different races stop there, you see, it’s a rather central location. Your appearance would be strange, but they’d be friendly! It’s just due south of us.”
“Is that so? Very well, we shall head to Seaforth Port. If it is as you say, we will turn you and your fellow pirates over to the proper authorities there. If not, I cannot guarantee your safety.”
“I-It is, I swear! It’s the closest port and it is completely safe!”
The Captain nodded, and rose to his feet. His boots thudded on the wooden floor as he walked over to the door and pulled the door open. He walked down the hallway, to where the rest of the prisoners were held. Sticking his head in, he spoke to the two guards that had helped him earlier,
“We’re all done. Take him back here.”
“Aye sir,” one of the soldiers replied, “He tell you anything about where we are?”
“A few things, I’ll speak to the ship once our preparations are complete.”
The soldiers left, Williams following them out the door. There, he ran into the quartermaster who was carrying a small wooden container.
“Ah, ‘scuse me Captain, I was just deliverin’ our new friends some dinner.”
“Excellent, thank you. I assume we have enough food for both us and the prisoners for the next few weeks?”
“Aye sir, while we were running low, the foodstuffs we procured from those pirates helped out. I reckon we’ll last another two, two and a half weeks at this rate. Though between you and me, I’ve been switchin’ out our biscuits with theirs. Much fresher.”
Williams chuckled, “As long as they’re safe to eat, do whatever you like.”
“Will do sir!”
The two went their separate ways. As Williams thought back on his brief yet productive conversation with the pony, he wondered how he could inform the men of their current predicament. He decided he would meet with Lieutenant Brown, and a few of the other officers aboard to inform them of what he had learned, and their next move. The officers could then disperse the information among their men. Deep in thought, he walked along to gather them for the meeting.
The room was tinted orange, as the setting sun shone through the window. At a table stood several men. Captain Robert Williams and Lieutenant Brown stood next to each other. On other ends stood a few lower-ranking naval officers, as well as Captain Crowley, the man in charge of the soldiers.
On the table sat a largely blank piece of paper with various cartography utensils around it. On the map was a crudely drawn estimate of where they had come from and the coast they could now see.
“With the information we learned from the prisoner,” Williams spoke, “it appears the closest port is called ‘Seaforth Port.’ He has assured us that is safe, and I believe it will be a suitable location to learn more about our current situation as well as unload these prisoners.”
“It also appears…” he paused before continuing, “it appears we are in another world. These creatures have never heard of any of the nations we know, and it is impossible they could exist on the scale they claim to without ever being seen before.”
There was a low murmur as the men grappled with that realization. They had expected perhaps they were in a new land, but an entirely different world was something else altogether.
“And just what are these creatures, Captain? Are they all capable of the flaming magicks we witnessed?” asked Crowley.
Williams shook his head, “No, not all of them. They call themselves, as a whole, ponies. Though they are notably different than the small horses back home, namely they’re intelligent. And, they come in three races it seems, earth ponies who aren’t too remarkable, pegasi that can fly, and unicorns, who are the ones capable of magic. Though their magicks appear to be more focused on a single action, such as throwing fire, rather than the reports of sorcery back home causing famine or disease.”
“Do you believe them to be a threat to Britain, then?” asked one of the other officers.
“No,” Williams replied with confidence, “While they are capable of flight and magic, they do not appear to have firearms like our rifles and muskets. From what we found of the pirate ship’s weaponry, they rely on swords and spears. Although, we still have much to learn about the countries of this world themselves.”
Everyone visibly relaxed, knowing that even with magicks these ponies were not a large threat.
“Relay this information to the men, if you will,” Williams said to the other officers, “It is important they learn of our situation quickly.”
The other officers nodded in understanding, and Williams continued, “Now onto our plan. Through the night we shall sail south, towards the land. There is a bright full moon, so we will not risk running aground. In the morning I will lead a small party into the town, escorting the prisoners to the local authorities, and hopefully finding a government office which would provide us information.”
Lieutenant Brown turned to Williams, “Sir, do you really think they’ll take kindly to a warship and soldiers entering their port?”
“Perhaps, perhaps not. However that is why the Assurance will remain at sea, while the shore party will take dinghies to shore. We will pose as a diplomatic envoy, which should help alleviate any concerns the locals have about our presence. We may remain at the town for several nights, although I cannot see it taking longer than three days. Will you be able to watch the ship while we’re gone, Lieutenant?”
“Aye, of course sir.”
“Good man.” Williams turned to Crowley, “If you would be so willing, a small group of twelve or so soldiers to accompany me and help escort the prisoners would be much obliged.”
“Of course. I have some good men who will help you. I’ll inform them tonight and they will be ready in the morning.”
“Excellent, thank you. I shall see to it that the quartermasters provide enough supplies for the journey.” Williams turned to face the entire group once again, “Remember to inform your men of our situation and get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us. Dismissed.”
The other officers shuffled out the door, leaving Captain Williams alone. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, noticing his heartbeat was higher than usual. While he may appear to the others as confident in the plans, he was still unused to being a captain.
Being thrust into a foreign world didn’t help matters. When their voyage began, his job wasn’t necessarily difficult. The men were all good men, sailors and soldiers of varying experience. The ship could more or less run itself. Yet now, in a completely new world, he couldn’t rely on his own limited experience or seek guidance from others. Williams knew he alone must make the decisions, the next steps, to ensure their safety and hopefully, return to England.
Now, he knew he needed to focus on gathering more information. It would be much easier to plan if they weren’t blind. Rising to his feet, Williams decided he would talk to the quartermaster before retiring to his bed. Tomorrow would indeed be a long day.
The sun crested the horizon and began to rise steadily, but the crew of the Assurance were already hard at work. Three small dinghies were prepared, each one carrying some small crates of food, ammunition, and gold, both in theirs and some that they had found on the pirate ship. Each dinghy would carry five prisoners and four soldiers, as well as one carrying Captain Williams.
The Assurance was fairly close to shore and a little east of the town. It wouldn’t take more than twenty minutes for the dinghies to row onto land, and from there perhaps fifteen minutes to walk towards the town.
Even without the use of a telescope, Williams could make out the shapes of ponies milling about in their town. Thankfully the Assurance didn’t look too alien compared to other passing trade ships they had seen, and none of the creatures seemed to notice them.
The port of Seaforth stood out from the surrounding grassland and forests. There was a small harbor at which half a dozen ships were docked. Behind it lay the town itself, consisting of various small two to three story buildings. They were all in a more medieval style, with the second floors often hanging over the first. They were all surprisingly bright colors, with white walls, yellow rooftops, and brownish red wood as supports. There were many flowerbeds decorating the buildings, both around the ground of the building and under the windowsills. All together, the village looked rather bright and cheery.
Other than the unusually bright colorfulness, Seaforth looked almost like a British port, bustling with commercial and civilian activity. There was a notable lack of any military ships or soldiers, however. Williams hypothesised that could be why the pirates were rash enough to attack them.
“Captain Williams,” a voice called out, “The dinghies are ready sir.”
Williams shook himself out of his thoughts and looked over. Sure enough, all three dinghies had been loaded with supplies, prisoners, and soldiers. They were waiting for him, now.
The Captain made his way over to the middle dinghy, Lieutenant Brown and Captain Crowley stood by, waiting to see him off.
Williams turned toward the two, “Wish us luck. I know the Assurance is in good hands, though try to avoid contact with passing ships in case of more pirates. If we don’t return within a week, send a search party, eh?”
“Aye sir, we’ll see to it,” Brown replied.
“Godspeed, Williams, don’t get into too many fights without me,” Crowley chuckled.
With that, they were off. The dinghies were let into the water, and the soldiers began paddling towards the shore. The prisoners were silent, though many of them looked relieved that they were being taken to a town they knew rather than being held in the hold of an alien ship.
The sun continued to climb higher into the sky, it’s bright rays sparkling on the crystal clear water. There was not a cloud to be seen, and the sky was a bright blue. Perhaps this is what the Caribbean would be like, Williams thought as a warm breeze passed. Certainly the warmth and clear, still waters were a stark contrast to the North Atlantic.
A short while later, they had reached the shore. The dinghies were pulled up onto the clean, white sand. As the prisoners were being roped together in a column, Williams took the opportunity to look around.
In front of him was a cobbled coastal road, and behind it large, grassy plain, with forests in the distance. To the right, the coastal road continued off into the distance, and to the left about a mile or two away it led into Seaforth Port.
Simply put, this new land was beautiful. The grass was a vibrant green, and everything appeared more colorful than back home. He could hear seagulls and other birds overhead, and the occasional buzz of a bug in the grass.
Once the prisoners were secured, they began to march them towards the town. The fifteen pirate ponies walked in a line, with soldiers in front of them, behind them, and occasionally on either side. Captain Williams walked to the right of the middle of the column, looking at the scenery as they went. Indeed even the soldiers themselves found it difficult to focus on the prisoners and the road ahead of them, as even the more veteran ones had never seen such a tranquil, colorful land.
The group proceeded down the road. The sound of boots on stone mixed with the clopping of hooves as they went.
“Great, off to prison we go…” muttered one of the ponies, a pegasus.
“This isn’t so bad, think of the alternatives!” offered a unicorn, whom Williams recognized as Silver Flare.
“Easy for you to say, this is home for ya,” the pegasus grumbled.
“Well, yeah, but I-”
“Quiet back there,” one of the soldiers ordered.
Silver Flare stopped mid-sentence, and hung his head meekly. The pegasus grunted and they both continued the forced march.
Clearly some of the ponies were less pleased with their situation than others.
After around twenty-five minutes or so, they were getting very close to the town. Along the way Williams had a sudden realization, and he decided this would be a good point to stop the group. The town lay just over a hundred yards away. He had the soldiers pull the column to the side of the road, and motioned for them to gather around him as he addressed them.
“It may not be the best idea to stroll into this town with a bunch of ponies as prisoners, they may not immediately recognize them as pirates. I’m going to venture into the town first and try to find the guards. While I’m gone, hold these pirates here and make sure they don’t escape.”
“Are you sure you should go alone, sir?” Asked one of the soldiers, wondering if it was the best idea for the Captain to go alone into a foreign, possibly hostile, town.
“I appreciate the concern, but I’m sure it’ll be fine. Anyways,” he added, patting his pistol, “even if it did come down to that, I’m sure I can handle a few ponies.”
The soldiers nodded, and went back to their positions to watch the ponies. Williams gave a parting wave as he set off alone down the coastal road.
As he walked, he wondered how he would go about finding guards or other authorities he could report their captured pirates to. Williams supposed there wasn’t anything he could really prepare himself for until he arrived and saw for himself.
After a few short minutes of walking, he found himself nearly to the entrance to the town. It was rather unremarkable, with no walls or even guards. The road simply led through an archway, and continued through the town. Various buildings and storefronts lay on either side of the road.
He got closer and could see ponies going about their business. Some were buying from street vendors, others were standing around talking to each other. Many were walking up and down the coastal road, which appeared to server as a main street for the town.
Williams felt his heart speed up as he approached. While he had been confident of his plan back on the ship, actually being alone and taking the first step into an alien town made him quite nervous. He had no idea how his arrival would be seen, and if he would even make it out alive. Already a couple ponies spotted him and stared.
The Captain stepped through the archway, and walked down the street. The street rapidly became more populated with many ponies, all of various races. As he stepped closer, silence slowly drifted over those on the street. One by one they turned to look at him, giving him mixed looks of curiosity and fear.
Williams looked at them and took a deep breath. This would be an interesting day.
