War Mages & False Prophets

Chapter 19

At The Gala: Beauty In The Eye Of The Beholder Pt I

The sun rose once more over the Equestrian landscape. Typically, this task would've brought Celestia a small fraction of peace and a way to begin her day, with a fresh outlook on her responsibilities for the day. As the sun crested to its place in the sky, she found only guilt. Reading Twilight’s letter, she learned that all was not well with her and her friends. For the first time in many years, Celestia found herself not wanting to face the day... in fact, she almost felt like crying.

Looking over the letter, Twilight’s penmareship—which typically was flawless—seemed to have almost been painstakingly written with each letter being exclusive in attention to detail. It looked like the poor mare was up all night writing it with a ruler to make sure the text was perfectly aligned.

The darkness that enveloped Rainbow was surprisingly tight and she seemed to struggle against the bonds that held her. She began to hyperventilate, it reminded her of being in the cocoon despite her attempts to break free of the webbing. The spider seemed to spin around her effortlessly. It's cold and methodical, and the uncaring way she would hang like a dead piece of meat,Rainbow could feel her guts liquefying ready to come apart like the poor mare's head had in the storage room. She could feel the stickiness of the webbing on her face, and across her skin. This wasn't a nightmare, for Luna took care of such things. This dream was a reality; it was an actual living nightmare come to life. She screamed, only to thrash around as she fell out of bed with a thud. Rainbow took a few moments realizing she was awake, safe in her room... merely tangled up within the bedsheets. She felt drained as though she had not slept at all. Rainbow began to cry, pulling her knees up to her chest, curling into a small ball. Why had she gone with them? Why was she acting like this? She is the Element of Loyalty. She was tough, but here she was, crying like a little filly on the floor. She couldn't let her friends see her like this... they wouldn't let her live it down. She even called off for the weather patrol this morning, something she used to truly love. Why was she so miserable? She needed to see Twilight, her friend would know what to do.

Pinkie Pie woke up without a care in the world to a beautiful sunny day at Sugarcube corner. Mr. and Mrs. Cake had given her a list of things to do this morning, and she was going to do them. However, while she had her hands in the dough for making cookie dough cakes and pies, as well as the other treats and sweets, there was something in the back of her mind bothering her. Like she couldn't put her finger on it, and it was driving her crazy. Maybe Twilight would know something, but for the moment these cakes and pies wouldn’t make themselves, and those customers were going to be arriving soon and be hungry, so it was up to her to see to it that they were going to be full and happy. Without realizing it, she made almost three portions for everypony.

The barn door opened as the sun rose on Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack slid the door back into place along its track, looking over her shoulder. "I'm telling you, Granny, I'm fine. I just need to finish up the back forty today."

"Young lady you did your morning chores, then helped Twilight renovate her house and then came home and did the center forty, and for all of that was an eighteen-hour day. Plus tomorrow is the Gala, and I don't want any work being done on that day, just the morning chores," said Granny Smith incredulously, looking at her stubborn granddaughter. "You need to slow down, Applejack. It's going to catch up to you."

“Granny I said I was fine, I-" Applejack started to say before she was interrupted as the backdraft caused by opening the barn door blew several small cobwebs into her face. Something that always happened given the spiders made small webs at night in the barn to eat. The reaction was instantaneous, causing her to immediately to stiffen and flinch—something she had never done. And for a moment Applejack thought she heard a skittering the same skittering sound made by the phase spider's walk. Adrenaline coursed in her veins before she managed to wrestle with a fight or flight response back to reason. All the phase spiders they faced with Braxton were dead—he even said so. They had wiped out the nest. There wasn't any of them left anymore. Applejack turned and looked at Granny Smith, who watched her with concern before saying calmly, "you know, Granny, I think I should probably visit Twilight. I'm sorry for stacking Big Mac with all the morning chores, but I do need to see her."

Granny Smith just nodded and watched her granddaughter walk off to see Twilight. What had happened to her? Granny Smith was sure Applejack would tell her in her own time she always did.

Rarity looked at herself in the mirror, trying to get her makeup right. To cover up the dark circles that had formed under her eyes, and a foundation to cover the faint lines of fatigue on her face. Her last two nights had been very hard on her. She barely slept, and she felt that every time she closed her eyes, she would return to that darkened area of the forest, that awful black patch of midnight. Rarity decided that today was the absolute last straw for this nonsense and she would go in to see Twilight. Maybe a little bit of Twilight's magic could help her sleep.

Fluttershy's morning routine—which often meant getting up early and feeding her animal friends—was interrupted by her oversleeping. Her best animal friend Angel Bunny hopped up on her bed, wanting her to get up and make him breakfast. He thumped loudly with his foot on her base board. Her response was not quite what he was expecting; he met a pillow. Her aim was surprisingly accurate for it carried the little bunny off the bed. Angel gave a surprised yelp when he hit the floor. This, in turn, woke Fluttershy up who put the pieces together relatively quick that she had thrown a pillow at Angel. "I'm so sorry, Angel," Fluttershy stammered in a startled tone. She hugged her other pillow to her chest tightly, wishing she had a stallion to hold at a time like this. Fluttershy was mare enough to know she needed Twilight's help because as she held the pillow and Braxton entered her mind, the more she thought, the angrier she grew. Till she saw the face of one of the phase spiders snap its jaws shut on Rainbow, killing her and making another lunge for her. Fluttershy whinnied, shaking herself from her racing thoughts and fears. It was time to go to Twilight's house.

Braxton smiled as he held up a small leather loop in his fingertips, showing it to her. The leather loop disintegrated, and Braxton stepped off the side of the clock tower edge but didn't fall—instead, he offered his hand to Bon Bon. "Going down, good mare," Braxton says with a warm smile.

Bon Bon looked down over the edge to see her savior was floating in the air, and all without a unicorn horn! "How are you doing that?"

Braxton merely winked at her and said, "It's a kind of magic. And forgive me, my good mare, but where are my manners? I am Braxton Zeddmoore, at your service," He bowed low as he hovered.

For the first time a week, Bon Bon found a reason to giggle. She took Braxton's hand, he wrapped his arms around her, and as she stood on his feet, he lowered himself and her to the ground. Bon Bon drew near Braxton as the spell he cast faded, and then looked up to him. "You know, good mustang, I don't have anything to give you, but should any part of my body please you. I would give it to you gladly," Bonbon said in a whisper.

Braxton kissed Bonbon deeply, and she moaned into the kiss, letting him enjoy it for a moment before she began to kiss him with more passion urging him to take more of her. She moved her hands down his muscular frame, and her hands began to pull and fumble with his belt till it was free from its buckle. Braxtons hands slid under Bonbons shirt till his hands cupped her breasts, his fingers pulling upon and playing with her nipples till they were hard and erect.

Bonbon broke the kiss and moaned in pleasure. As Bonbon's hand had by now cupped Braxton's balls and began to caress his stiffening cock, he moaned before he aggressively pushed her back against the clock tower wall. Bonbon smiled when Braxton's hands left her breasts and took her pants and her panties down with one pull. Bonbon stepped out of one leg while she used this small pause to kiss him again passionately.

Bonbon then pulled him in, wrapping one leg around him as she pulled him into her arms and herself. She felt him enter, and she screamed out her delight. A mix of fear and passion and pent up distress all mixing into an endorphin cocktail, and she wanted more as his hips began to move to thrust within her she moaned into his ear and nibbled on it he shuddered and picked up his pace. Before he gave one last thrust and felt him cum inside of her, Bonbon's own body instinctively wanting to milk him dry squeezed him intimately, and she moaned as another wave of orgasmic bliss was about to envelop her she screamed again, and her eyes fluttered open as her waking mind caught up with her body to see her staring at her headboard.

Bonbon found herself asleep upon her stomach her right arm under her body and numb from lack of circulation her fingers within her drenched sex her thumb resting upon her erect clit, groaning as she rolled to her side to free her arm. She immediately wished she hadn't done that as a wave of pins and needles raced down her shoulder to the tips of her fingers. As she pulled her hand away from her sex, her eyes looked over to the book; she had fallen asleep reading it. The title of the book written in elegant calligraphy read, "You Belong to Me." The tale of a Mare who tamed a headstrong Mustang upon the high seas.

Sitting up, Bonbon picked up the book and threw it "Stupid book!... Lucky horse," she said to no one in particular before settling down, crossing her arms pouting, and drawing her legs up close to her chest. Celestia's letter had arrived yesterday afternoon, calling on her by her call sign as "Agent Sweetie Drops." to both welcome Lyra into the fold of S.M.I.L.E. and to train her to be an agent and also her partner. Bonbon grunted, glad that Lyra wasn't here as she would have teased her about reading one of Lyra's romantic books. She could already hear her friend say smugly, "Now who is the filly for reading those trashy novels," and that thought pissed her right the buck off. Bonbon shook herself free of the anger and calmed down as more of her mind became less hormonal and more reasonable. She was going to have to talk to Lyra to get a few things off her chest and at least tell her upfront that she was jealous and wouldn't want it to jeopardize the friendship and bond she held for her friend. She had a train to catch, and if she showered and cleaned up, she could find the first one out of Ponyville.

Celestia set the letter aside that Twilight had written about her, and her friends she decided it was time to talk to Braxton herself. She spotted him in one of the guest' towers. Were Celestia had accommodated him for the night. He was out on the balcony enjoying the rise of the sun itself she didn't bother teleporting to him nor did she take the stairs down merely hoisted herself over the rail and used her wings to glide down to the balcony where he stood leaning against the railing lost in thought.

"Good morning, Princess." Braxton said gently, not taking his eyes off the waterfall in the distance, enjoying its sound and its serenity.

"Good morning to you. You're up early," Celestia said, before continuing. "I know you gave an oral report of events, but you look like one who has a lot on his mind and as a guest to one of my subjects would you care to share your thoughts?"

Braxton nodded he hadn't taken his eyes off the waterfall before he asked: "When are you going to apologize to them? Because I must do so as well."

This question took Celestia a moment to process and somewhat by surprise. "Apologize? For what must I apologize for good ambassador?"

"The apology needs to go to the Elements of Harmony for dragging them into harm's way. Another needs to go to the group of soldiers you assigned me, would you like an accurate assessment of their abilities?" Braxton said in a calm and gentle tone, not condescending but as one who was an adviser.

"I am curious, war mage," Celestia said, crossing her arms.

The stones on this Stallion are impressive. He thinks we will listen to him Daybreaker admonished breaking into Celestia's train of thought before being silenced.

Braxton didn't look at Celestia but did keep her within the corner of his eye, noting the movement. "Overall the rating I would give them is abysmal. The Elements of Harmony went in without a single stitch of armor or weapon; I let this slide because I thought they had other magic at their disposal, and it turned out I was wrong. And I will live with the guilt that I brought six souls into combat who had no right to be there. It also turned out that I'm glad I gave each of them stone skin, or otherwise, you would be very likely burying at least two of them. The troops you sent with me were barely seasoned as well, and I think I finally figured out why the casualties were so high. Why you lost twenty to the spider in the first encounter because they tried to talk to it, approaching it in a friendly manner."

Despite Braxton's gentle tone, his words hit harder than any fist. Celestia couldn't help but flinch how he had pieced it together, how he had ferreted out the mistake she made at first.

Braxton continued to watch the waterfall. He gave her a moment to piece it together before continuing, her subtle flinch and shift from one hoof to the other told him he was right. Braxton wished he wasn't.

"How dare he stand there and berate us as though we did something to fail," Daybreaker said, breaking into a small tirade about how she would strangle the life out of this Stallion. Celestia could only smile inwardly at Daybreaker’s displeasure. She was returning her attention to Braxton.

"In looking over your history, I have to commend you and Luna on the long reign of peace you have given your subjects, but sadly that's also been your most magnificent double-edged sword. Because very few of you know how to wage war and know how to fight, taking you or your sister out of the kingdom would create a power vacuum that would crumple the country like a house of cards. You and your sister are the reason why nothing comes into this land, and from what I read, I know Twilight is taking to the grooming rather well to be your successor."

"Well our sister is irrelevant, we have run the country for a thousand years without her, Mr. Bookworm," said Daybreaker condescendingly.

"Silence, the adults are talking, Celestia said inwardly before returning her attention to Braxton. "My sister is correct to say you are very astute. Might I ask if this is a professional opinion of our troops?"

"No, it isn't. I haven't seen enough of them to gather the valid professional opinion, this is just a personal opinion," Braxton said, his gaze never wavering from the waterfall.

"Why won't he look at us?! Is our beauty not worthy of being looked upon with wonder? He is starting to piss me off!" Daybreaker said waltzing back into the conversation going on in Celestia's mind. However this point did give Celestia pause. "Why aren't you looking at me as you say this?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Because I don't have to. I can convey just how angry I am not only with you, but with myself, for my naïveté," Braxton said, gently pushing away from the rail. "If you will excuse me, princess, some other matters require my attention."

No, no, he does not get to walk away from us! He does not get to give us advice as though we asked for it! He does not get to stare off into space and at least acknowledge our presence with some form of genuflection! And he does not under any circumstances get to bucking walk away and turn his back on us. Daybreaker mentally screamed within Celestia, her body taking a step forward before Celestia managed to wrangle her fiery temper under her regal mask.

Braxton, hearing Celestia take a step on the stone floor, turned his head and looked over his shoulder. His icy gaze went right through her before his gentle voice said, "Something the matter, Princess?"

For the second time that day, Celestia flinched. This look was one that an Apex predator gave its prey before setting upon it to kill it. Celestia merely brought her hand over her heart and said, "Thank you for being honest, and you are right; I too should finish getting ready, for the Day Court will start soon."

"You're welcome, princess; please tend to your subjects first, they need you now more than ever," Braxton said, entering into his room.

Braxton entered his room, going to Lyra's door that adjoined his room he cracked the door open to find the three sisters asleep together in bed. Braxton shook his head with a soft smile. Looking around, Braxton spotted a flower vase near the entrance adorned with fresh-cut roses. Crossing the room with all the noise of a gentle breeze, Braxton took one of the roses out of the vase. He called upon a cantrip to bring the rose to full bloom, looking back over his shoulder at the still sleeping trio. Braxton then drew near the bedside where Lyra slept peacefully he drew the rose softly over her skin and across her nose.

The smell of roses began to draw Lyra out of her slumber. She had missed her Mustang.The touch of something very soft caressed her cheek before trailing down her nose, lips, and chin. Her eyes fluttered open to see her Mustang using the rose to softly wake her bringing his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. Lyra couldn't help but smile. If this was a dream, she didn't want to wake up. He beckoned for her to rise as he withdrew, and she quietly left her two sisters still sleeping in bed.

Lyra got up out of the bed as she saw him raise an eyebrow and give a smile that hid quiet laughter. Lyra blushed, realizing she was wearing only his shirt and her panties. The muslin shirt hem was stopping just before her half thigh saddling over her tail and rear end. As Lyra slid through the door he was retreating through, she whispered to him, "Missed you." he drew near him and embraced him gently, holding him in her arms.

Braxton smiled and returned the embrace, one of his arms going across her shoulder, and the other hand resting upon the small of her back. "Good morning, Lyra, that shirt you’re wearing looks vaguely familiar."

Giggling like a filly, she nuzzled into his chest, drawing a chuckle from him as she looked up to him. "I think a certain Mustang, as good looking as he is, needs a bath."

"Indeed, I do. I was waking you up to at least tell you I was going down to the base of the falls-," Braxton said as his weight started to shift away from Lyra.

Lyra playfully grabbed his arm with a smile "Why in the wide world of Equestria would you go take a bath in a cold waterfall? I'm sure it hasn't warmed since winter wrap up. when you could take a bath here in the palace, it has running water?"

"Does it now? Are you offering to show me how that tub works?" Braxton said in an attempt to embarrass Lyra.

Despite the blush mounting in her cheeks, she replied, "I thought you would never ask, my mustang."

Drawing close to her, so he had to look down, and she had to look up at him, "Oh lead mare… lead me to the water," Braxton said, being both playful and overdramatic, before stealing a kiss from her lips with a smile.

Lyra had a moment to think that Octavia's plan could have backfired on her. 'Remember a stallion loves a mare to chase after him and the grander you make the chase, the deeper he will love you for it.' This went out the window with the speed of a Wonderbolt when Braxton stole a kiss from her lips. All she could do afterwards was point to the bathroom and say, "tub… that way..."

Braxton smiled. "Lead on, my beautiful mare. I will stay behind and enjoy the view."

Lyra suddenly remembered that his shirt saddled her tail and she pulled it down over her rump and her tail. This caused the front to come up, and Braxton chuckled at her antics as he followed her into the bathroom.

She was closing the door behind them with her magic. Lyra turned to face Braxton, who was already taking off his shirt and moving to take off his boots. 'Get a grip mare, you dragged him in here and you're the nervous one?!' Her eyes going to him was a mistake. Because that is where they stayed as she watched him take off his clothes. Her breath hitched, taking in how his muscles moved and flexed. Her tail instinctively flagged, and she could feel herself wink the more she looked at him.

A gentle touch that made electricity dance over her fine fur of her back brought her out of her thoughts, and the focus back to a very naked Mustang standing before her a soft look upon his face. "Are you alright, my dear?" Braxton asked.

Lyra shook her head yes. "Just looking at a very handsome man."

Braxton smiled before he replied, "And I am looking at a lovely mare." His hands drew up her shirt before taking it off of her to learn she wasn't wearing a bra, and when her breasts came into view she instinctively crossed her arms as he smiled, his gaze taking in her figure. "So what is the incantation oh beautiful mare of the waters."

Lyra couldn't help but giggle softly. "No incantation, it’s mechanical. Two knobs: one for hot, one for cold. You turn them to fill the tub to the desired water level," she explained, turning on the water to fill the tub.

"Sounds like a tinker gnome’s machination. Does it have better odds of working?" Braxton asked with caution as the water came crashing into the tub, causing him to give a reflexive jump.

“Tinker gnomes? What are they, dear?" Lyra asked curiously as the large tub began to fill with hot water.

"Well," Braxton said as he stepped into the still filling tub, "That tale calls for a bath, soak, and a mare."

Lyra gave a startled eep as she was pulled into the tub with him. She hadn't taken her panties off as she slashed down into the bathtub against him surprised and laughing. "Much better," she heard him say and watched as he used his feet to turn off the water. While she rested between his legs looking over her shoulder, her rear end up and her wet tail was flagging. She looked back to him and muttered "show off," trying not to sound too impressed, sticking out her tongue at him.

"I've got to be me," Braxton said, his voice smug he was rewarded with a splash to the face and he laughed. Braxton kissed Lyra on the end of her muzzle. He was watching her eyes cross for a moment before he began speaking once more.

"Tinker Gnomes are kin to Dwarves, and they tend to be noticeably smaller than their distant cousins. While your typical Dwarf stands about four feet eight inches, your average tinker gnome stands about three foot four. Gnomes, as they proudly maintain are less rotund than dwarves, though there is a running joke among the dwarves that a gnome's nose is one size too big for its face."

Lyra couldn't help but laugh as she nuzzled into her Stallion while they bathed. She wished she had stopped in to get more paper to write this down. Twilight would love to hear about it. She would have to remember as much as she could. Her attention returned to her Stallion as he smiled down at her.

"Tinker Gnomes or ‘Tinkers’ love to construct and design machines. Each Tinker belongs to a guild that focuses on one particular branch of technology. almost all are utterly incomprehensible to intelligent non-gnomish folk. Often, Tinkers’ industry far exceeds their skill producing complex and worthless machines. We humans have a saying that "there is a fifty-fifty chance, that whatever a tinker is working on blows up in your face. Should you stumble into a community of tinkers, the gods have wholly abandoned you, for if the one you're standing next to doesn't get you, his neighbors might." Braxton finished with a shiver.

Again Lyra found herself laughing; it was horrible, but in recent days, the truth had become stranger than fiction. She had to know more. "That reaction sounds like a man who has seen it happen," she prompted, looking to him as her hands made trails of water down his chest.
"Oh yes, first accounts here, my mare, all around. I was honoring a contract for a shipping company taking a ship full of provisions from the human portside capital of Kingsport to Twin Sunspire Peak, a small coastal town in the northwest, that had become besieged by Minotaur pirates from across the Draco sea.

“Minotaurs?" Lyra asked for Braxton to nod in response. Lyra couldn't quite see Iron Will as a pirate till the book opened up once more in her mind. Showing a much more terrifying creature that stood over seven and a half feet tall, muscular and broad shouldered. Still, the thing that made Lyra's blood run cold was that they where man-eaters beholden to a clan structure and very warlike.

"You have Minotaurs here?" Braxton asked as he shifted to look at Lyra, who nodded pleadingly

"Yes but they are very nice. One is a motivational speaker."

Now it was Braxton's turn to be surprised. "I might have to meet these Minotaurs for myself, but we digress. Our contract had tasked us with clearing out the blockade and resupplying the town that had been besieged and terrorized. Our group of sellswords, comprised of myself, Jinn Silverclaw, our warrior, Jorace Thacher, our Priest, and Cynthia Swanflight, our huntress. We decided that our best course of action was we pose as merchants blending in with other merchants on the Merchantman ship. To appear as a target, letting the pirates come to us, instead of hunting for them and wasting time." Braxton made a sour face recalling the memories of the trip before he spoke again.

"A one-month journey in winter seas. The first two weeks, Cynthia and I spent more time heaving our guts over the rail than blending in. When I think about after all was said and done, I would have gladly traded it all for two hours of peace on the rack."

"Rack? What is a rack?" Lyra asked.

"An instrument of torture made to dislocate the joints of your body by pulling."

"Why in the name of all the creators, would you wish to do that to yourself?!" Lyra exclaimed, deeply troubled that her Stallion would choose that form of mutilation over what happened.

"Okay, maybe an hour, but no less. The back half of the three weeks... that is when things became interesting, and I use that term loosely."

Lyra chuffed and looked to him as he smiled back at her knowing she wanted to hear the rest of the story. "Please go on, dear. You can't dangle this story in front of me and not expect you to finish it."

Braxton chuckled softly, "We were two weeks out when the pirate's ship finally found us, and we were more than happy to earn our combat pay by this point. Once the fighting started, it turned out we had overestimated our crew and our passengers in thinking that they would fight… that was not the case. So as it came down to it, four stood against thirty; not good odds in even the best of circumstances. The fight itself wasn't going our way. But believe me, we gave as good as we got, by the time it got to that point. Jorace lay near death's door, Cynthia was down to three arrows in her quiver, and while my spells were exhausted, I was helping Jinn cover Cynthia so she could try to get a potion down Jorace's gullet to try to heal him."

Lyra shivered despite the warmth of the bathwater and being near Braxton, yet she found herself wanting to hear more and gave him a quick kiss before she spoke. "What happened next?"

"Well, whether the gods blessed us or had forsaken us is often a matter of debate amongst my friends. But I am firmly in the camp of ‘they just like throwing things at us to see how we handle it’," Braxton said with a smirk, realizing that maybe the day of looking back on this and laughing had finally come. If that was the case he owed Jinn about fifty pieces of gold. He smiled at the sad irony of it all, but it was enough of a pause that his mare noticed.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Lyra asked, standing up and taking off her panties, wringing out the wet fabric before casting them aside and returning to the warm water with her Stallion. Letting her eyes travel over his naked form, stopping to admire a healthy erection from him. While not shaped like a stallion in size and girth, he was nothing to sneeze at ten inches by her best guess. He gave a soft grunt when she moved him out of the way so she could return to lay between his legs and hold him.

"Just thinking about Jinn. He and I had a wager that one day I would look back on this adventure and laugh at it... one day," he smiled giving a small laugh. "Seems I owe my brother-in-arms fifty pieces of gold."

"Oh," Lyra replied, her ears flattening, realizing Braxton would not be able to see his friends or brother-in-arms again to pay him back. "We could stop if you want." She looked to him and his smile warmed her heart.

"As my mare eloquently put, I can't quit halfway through," he replied, giving her a soft kiss which she gladly returned, along with a hug that made him smile. "The fight wasn't looking good, and while we focused on our enemies—and they had focused upon us—we both failed to spot another ship. A gnomish ship that—while it posed little threat to the merchantman, or so we thought, it would have been more than a match for the barque the pirates were using. My last thoughts running through my head was they are going to hit us. We woke up on what we later dubbed "The Miracle."

"The Miracle?" Lyra asked giving a laugh and a sigh of relief.

"Oh yes," Braxton deadpanned " 'The Miracle', a miracle we all survived, a miracle we made it to where we were going, and a miracle that after spending three weeks on that damned ship we didn't say that we would take our chances swimming with the sharks."

Lyra could only laugh it was horrible she knew, but she said it to her Mustang all the same "It couldn't have been that lousy, sweetheart, you’re still alive."

Braxton raised an eyebrow and tried to sound incredulous and keep the smile off his face at the same time. "Well then my little mare, let me paint you a picture of a Tinker Gnomish vessel." Braxton shifted to let her once more get comfortable in his arms. "'The Miracle', a real technological horror to behold. The horror that this ship existed and the phenomenon it managed to stay afloat, much less sail in the direction it was pointed in. According to its gnomish crew, years in development, even longer years in comity, and centuries of craftsmanship later, it was the terror of the high seas. Come to think of it. That is all they got right. Most ships would flee at the sight of the gnomish colors, a golden screw on a field of puce mostly because the steam-powered boilers that ran the ship had an unfortunate habit of exploding. Take two ships, saw them in half, and put their prows together so that it looked the same coming and going. The figurehead will still haunt my dreams. A buxom gnome holding large screws in their hands and looking resolutely out to sea."

Lyra couldn't help but laugh once more, and she tried unsuccessfully to stifle it. She could see her love on an old ship commanding ponies like the Stallion in 'You Belong To Me.'

"But the sail," Braxton continued, "that is the stuff of pure nightmares. The Gnomes, feeling that all ships have sails being requisite in a ship being a ship, had studied the 'lesser intelligent' races and deemed that it was a waste of space cluttering up a deck with masts, ropes, and canvas. Plus, it was also a waste of energy in their eyes. To spend all that time trimming and climbing the rigging. To try to maneuver sails to catch the wind. The gnomish solution was to have one giant sail that not only captured the wind but dragged the ship along with it. According to the gnomes, this was the feature of the vessel that gave the ship its revolutionary design. An enormous affair of billowing canvas with a beam the size of ten stout oaks rested on three greased rails running on either side and down the middle of the ship. Massive cables ran the length of the ship, powered by the steam boilers down below, operated this technological terror. It pulled the sail along the length of the vessel at a high rate of speed, thus to the gnomes, self-generating wind. And according to them could go forward or backward as needed."

Lyra was beginning to get the picture as Braxton continued to describe this nightmarish sail.

"Once it reached the end of the rail, it was supposed to wind itself up neatly and then travel under the ship to return and make its journey. Again, in whatever direction the captain wants the vessel to move in," Lyra listened spellbound as Braxton continued. "At least that is what the sail did on the drawing board, and probably numerous gnomish bathtubs, I would wager. In actuality, the gears that controlled the wind-up mechanism for the sail rusted almost immediately in the saltwater. The sail often hit the water partially rolled up or fully unfurled, this created a giant drag on the ship and sometimes dragged the vessel back further than it had traveled forward at times. The fact that this design meant the ship made about half a knot on a good day with a strong wind didn't seem to bother them.The gnomes entirely outweighed this 'minor' inconvenience as they put it by an unexpected bonus as the sail would leave the water; it acted as a net bringing with it schools of fish. Providing breakfast, lunch, and the occasional concussion for any poor sod not wearing a helmet getting struck by a falling tuna."

Lyra couldn't hold her laughter in. This ship could not be real. She caught her breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. "So let me get this straight, my love, this ship had two prows, no stern, so I will go out on a limb and say no tiller either?" Braxton nodded, yes."So how did the ship steer? Also, how did it turn the battle that wasn't going well for your party and the merchants?"

"Well, nothing daunted the gnomes overcame this flaw by the use of pressurized air casks powered by steam-driven bellows that when vented could steer the ship whooshing it along on a different tack. The gnomes learned that day that if one released the air in both casks simultaneously, the ship would conduct a turn away maneuver through a three hundred and sixty-degree rotation perpendicular to ninety degrees of your original heading. Guaranteed a one way trip over the side or assured you wouldn't be able to walk in a straight line again." Lyra buried her face into Braxton's chest, howling with laughter as he waited for her to finish before continuing. "This maneuver is what saved and doomed us in one stroke. For when one of the casks released its air supply, it overcame one of the rusty seals that held it in place. It blew a hole out of the side from within the ship. Skipping across the ocean waves like a stone and putting two man-sized holes in both the barque and the merchantman below the waterline. In effect, stopping the fight dead in the water. Both ships sinking puts a damper on fighting after all. The crew of the Miracle pulled most of us from the icy waters, and as much of the cargo as could be salvaged. I learned later both Jorace and I spent time in the company of gnomish healers, while those not eaten by sharks or frozen to death by hypothermia retrieved most of the goods for the town we initially set out to save. It took us three extra weeks to make that voyage and was not conducive to peace of mind or keeping one's dinner down. The ship wallowed in the water like a drunken sea elf when the sail was under it. Surged forward with a stomach-wrenching jolt when the sail was out of the water and rocked sickeningly when the sail hit the water behind. The bilge pumps worked to keep the ship from sinking till we could get to the port. Our party was never more grateful to back on solid land again. I can remember Jinn kissing the earth repeatedly. I had lost my appetite for fish after having eaten it for three weeks straight. Jorace thanked every god and goddess he knew of, and Cynthia later that night also became religious, but I think I attribute that more to Jorace's handy work than any act of divinity."

"I think I know where Cynthia is coming from," Lyra cooed softly. She drew herself up to her knees and kissed Braxton softly, so glad she had him. She deepened the kiss, and his hand came up to cup her face as she reveled in the embrace. She was about to straddle him when she felt his posture change he broke from the kiss and made a motion with his hand.