Thorned Rose

Chapters

Prologue: The Foggy Dew
It's a long long way...
Howls of the Wolves
The Dirt Road
Forlorn Reminders.
On Cloud Nine
Aeronautical Evasion
Interlude: Religion
Final Spark
Filly Dreams

Prologue: The Foggy Dew

Rose never did particularly enjoy landing procedures on airships. They were noisy, bustling affairs that had a tendency to give her a headache... Yet, she didn't really mind this one. It'd only been a few months since the end of the YakYakistan campaigns, and she had only just been allowed home on leave. She walked towards the anchor cable as soon as she could hear it audibly crash to the ground below. She gave a salute to her fellow soldiers, winked at the captain, and slid down the cable. Her Ranger's gear clung tight as ever, as her crossbow was hefted upwards by the forces of gravity, and her sabre rattling in it's scabbard. As the wind whipped her mane into the air, She felt herself grin as she slid closer to the ground, her leather boots growing hot from the friction. "Thank the Pantheon I can pull stupid shit like this off", she thought to herself.

Rose hit the ground with a soft "thump", and looked up towards the walls of Sléibhe Tall, the sight of her home making a smile grow upon her face, and putting a tear in her eye. A thick fog had settled around the city, and the sun shone bright in the sky, casting a beautiful image. Rose marched towards the gate that sat ahead of her, stopping as she heard a voice cry out towards her.

"Oi Rosey! Don't ya care to say goodbye to your bedwarmer?" Shouted a familiar, feathered face a few meters away from her.

"Oh please Gilly, we live in the same bloody place." Rose said with a soft smile and a hoof over her muzzle. "Now get the fuck down here and lets go see our folks." She finished, turning back and marching towards the gate.

Sléibhe Tall was one of a few cities in the Shireland, and by far the largest. Built around an incredibly tall but thin mountain known as the Shire, it was where her Gaelic ancestors had made their roosts and built their homes. Over time, it became one of the bustling centers of commerce of Aurighast, rivaled only by the Ruskeel capitol city of Mon'Skrau. Bricked homes and shops lay within it's walls, and was one of the, in her opinion at the very least, more comfortable places to live in the Shire.

Rose heard a large gust of wind from behind her, and Gilmore landed beside her roughly, making a comical show of rolling through the dirt.

Rose snickered at his expense. "Oh bloody Tartarus you big oaf, when will you stick the landing?!" she exclaimed, helping the poor bird up by his talons.

Gilmore looked at her with a deadpan face. "I Don't know Rose, when will you learn to toast bread?" He muttered, Rose's equine ears catching the comment.

"Oi! We agreed never to talk about the Galley incident again!" She shouted, bonking him on the head with the scabbard of her blade. "Maybe next time you want any of my mum's cookin, I'll leave you at the door!" She jested, shaking her head as she walked towards the gatekeeper's post.

The Gatekeeper looked at her, before breaking into a grin and hugging her from over the booth.

"By the gods Rose, You're still alive! Truthfully didn't think I'd hear from ye again when you hadn't sent a letter during the outbreak of the damned war!" he shouted, nuzzling the crook of Rose's neck with his beak.

"Yeah yeah Arik, I get that I wasn't able to send a letter for the better part of 2 years. Lay off me will ya?" She said, hugging the old bird back. Arik was an older gryphon, if she remembered right around a good 70 years old. He was an old family friend, and in her eyes he was a grandfather figure. She released him, before gesturing to the gate. "Mind opening that up for everyone? We've got a lot of cargo to unload". Gesturing to the large airship above her. "The ol' beast up there is in rough shape, and has a hold full of cargo. We had to load up all the furry bastard's weapons, and let me tell ya... fæstning had quite an armory." she said with a large grin, her foreleg propped up on the booth as she waved her other foreleg at the airship again. "The Beast" as it was dubbed by its crew, and those who rode with it during the Campaigns, was one of the larger vessels in the Gryphic Confederacy's navy. Officially, it's title is the "G.C.N Morrighan", and the largest in the fleet. The Morrighan class was indeed heavily armed, with 3 heavy ballistae on port and starboard, along with numerous smaller ballistae dotted around the ship. The ship was, by Rose's memory, 100 meters long, a good 30 meters wide, and another 30 or 35 meters tall, with the hull matching the gasbag meter for meter.

Arik nodded his head, before yelling out to the guards on the inside of the gate to open the doors. The doors creaked and whined as they slowly swung outwards towards the group gathered at the booth. the large doors, made of solid oak, came to a stop once fully open. "Now you go and see your folks you hear? You especially Rose. I Aint heard much, but it sounds like your Ma caught a bug." he said, as he laid back into his chair. "Alright, see you on the flip side bud." Rose said, before walking deeper in to the city with Gilmore in tow.

The first thing that she noticed were the smells. While the border to the shire always had a distinct and earthy smell to it, and YakYakistan lacked any distinct scent at all due to the freezing weather, Sléibhe Tall was a familiar rush as various scents and aromas began to become noticeable. The sizzling of meat, the familiar scent of sweat and exhaustion, to the various ashen smells and the aromas of baked goods entered her nose and scent pangs of nostalgia through her very core.

Rose and Gilmore began walking through the city towards the Residential district, and let their minds wander. They arrived soon enough at Rose's family home, the large two story building gave a warm and comforting feeling to the pair, and Rose stepped towards the door. "I'll see ya soon enough Gilly, I oughta let my folks know I'm alive and kickin'." She said, glancing behind her towards her companion.

"Aye, I'mma go see my pops and take him out for some grub. See you tomorrow, round noon?" Gilmore asked, with a hopeful grin adorning his beak.

"Keep dreaming little bird, keep dreaming" Rose teased, before turning to walk the towards the door of her home, when she heard Gilmore shout behind her.

"I hate to see you go, but gods damn me if I love to watch you leave!" He shouted, gesturing lewdly before an empty can rocketed towards his head, coated in a red glow. Gilmore slumped to the ground, rubbing the side of his head where the can had hit. He looked up to see Rose walking inside her home.

As Rose walked inside, she immediately saw her father, Raldir, gaze towards her lazily, look back down at the newspaper he was reading, only to promptly shoot his head back up to look at her with wide, blinking eyes. "R-Rose? Is that you hon?" He said wearily, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Rose looked at him with sad, but mirthful eyes. "Yes papa, I'm home. I hope I didn't scare you too terribly much?" She asked hopefully. Raldir rocketed out of his chair and embraced her with wings and talons, before sobbing into her shoulder.

"Oh gods, we thought you'd died when we didn't hear from you... we thought you were dead. By the gods we thought you'd been killed Rose!" he said through the tears and sobs, the red tipped feathers the adorned his chest rubbing into her armor. Looking back at her, raised as high as he could on his hind legs, he spoke after a few moments. "Your mother... she's... She isn't doing too well. She caught a nasty infection a while back, and we're afraid she doesn't have much longer." he said, with a sorrow that infected the very atmosphere around him. Rose gasped, before rushing upstairs to her Mother's bedroom. Inside, she noticed her mother. What was, before the war, a motherly gryphic unicorn mare that was as spry as could be at her age, had turned into a frail, weak shell of her past, a previously ivory coat faded to a dull white. She looked towards Rose slowly with faded pink eyes, as if doing so any quicker would be her end, before gesturing to come to her bedside with a withered hoof. Rose quickly obliged, sitting on her hind legs at her mother's bedside.

Lilly Rune looked at her daughter, the weakest of smiles showing on her face as she caressed her daughter's face with a weak hoof, before she spoke in such a soft voice, Rose wasn't sure if she would have heard her if they were outside. "I can't believe you're alive." She said weakly before coughing roughly. "I'm afraid I don't have too much time deary. A week at most. But, I will at least have you and your father here in my final moments." She finished, her plight apparent to all who could see. Rose hugged her mother softly, before her mother lightly pushed her chest back, Rose taking the signal to let go. Rose looked at her mother through teary eyes, hearing her father softly step towards her, taking a seat at her side.

Lilly, with the last of her energy before falling asleep, passed a rolled up scroll to Rose. "This is my will honey. When I pass, be sure to cremate me. The contents of the will depend on it" She said, before dozing off to sleep.

1 WEEK LATER

Rose and Raldir looked upon the funeral pyre, her mother's corpse slowly fading away to ashes. Cracking the seal of the scroll, Rose read it along with her father.

"Dear Rose, if you are reading this, then I have passed from this plane. I know not of whether you are home, or for that matter alive, but I felt that I should write this out regardless. I have a final wish that I would like you to fulfill, should you be able to when you receive this.

I wish for my ashes to be scattered at the tip of the Canterhorn, in Equestria. I visited there with my mother so long ago, and I could not hope for a better place to experience with you, even in death. I bequeath unto you some of my possessions, and wish you the best life you can possibly live. I'd like for you to take my father's shillelagh, and perhaps most importantly of all my recipe book. I wish for none of the memories I have given you to be lost, and I know you will always long for home.

With Love, Lilly Rune.

Rose looked up from the scroll, now wet with the stains of her tears. Her father gazed back at her with vibrant green eyes, before gesturing to the scrolls contents. "It isn't my place to say hon, but I think Equestria would do you more good than staying here. You always said you wanted a better magical education, tá?" He said, before looking back upon the burning pyre.

"Tá Papa, I did. Would you... would you mind if I assisted in gathering up Mother's ashes?" she asked, tears streaking down her face.

Her father looked back at her. "Of course I wouldn't. Now lets wait for the fire to burn out hon." He finished, wrapping a wing around her as the foggy dew slowly faded.

Author's Note

This will be my first story on this site, so be sure to point out spelling mistakes and general errors if you spot them! Feedback is always welcome as well.

It's a long long way...

1 week later

Rose marched along the path in a calm daze, barely registering her surroundings. She'd only left Sléibhte Tall 8 hours prior, yet she already felt as if she'd walked an eternity. Snapping back to reality, she quickly picked up the sound of a roaring river. Stopping to smell herself for a moment, then marching towards where she assumed the river was. "By the Gods I smell like a pig's sty..." she thought, having been walking an unshaded path from dawn until dusk, the sun stopping at the edge of the horizon, unmoving, as if waiting for something to pull it down. A large clearing slowly came in to view, and a welcome sight greeted her. "Oh by the gods yes!" She squealed in excitement, as the river was no river at all, but a waterfall that fed into a lake. "Now where the bloody hell do I set up camp?" she asked herself, seeing numerous nooks and crannies that could be turned into a decent shelter, before settling on a small crevasse located near the base of the waterfall, barely large enough to fit her sleeping roll and pack. Quickly foraging for firewood, Rose managed to scrounge up enough wood for a small, but serviceable fire. As she finished bundling up her firewood and kindling, the sun suddenly shot down and the moon raised up high for all to see. As Rose frowned and concealed her camp as best she could in the darkness, guided by nothing more than the light of her horn, a single thought ran through her mind. "Should have brought matches.".

The Next Morning

Rose awoke to the sound of rushing water, birds chirping, and something outside her campsite. Her eyes shot open in a panic, as she loaded her crossbow as quietly as she could. Slowly peeking out of the crevasse that was her temporary home, she saw a few wild deer some 10 meters off, grazing on the vibrant green grass that surrounded the lake. Rose calmed down, and a lazy smile made it's way upon her face. "And I didn't even have to hunt for dinner. Hernhe favors me this day" she thought happily, quickly muttering a prayer to the hunting god under her breath before taking aim at the deer's heart and firing.

The bolt pierced its heart nearly instantly due to how close she was to the animal, and Rose quickly grabbed the creature in her magical grasp so she wouldn't have to chase it down. The other deer had fled as soon as the shot was fired, leaving the entire expanse of the clearing empty of all but the two souls. Rose, not wishing for the deer to suffer more than it needed to, quickly unsheathed the hatchet that clung to her pack and walked over to the still bleeding animal and slitting its throat, before grasping it's neck in both hooves and pulling, a sharp crack resounding throughout the clearing.

As soon as she could see her victim was no longer breathing, she pulled the bolt out of it's side, inspecting the broadhead. Satisfied that it hadn't suffered any major damage that would make it useless, she stuffed it back into the small quiver and quickly affixed the quiver's cap back on. Quickly jogging back to her campsite, she grabbed a small length of rope before jaunting back to the dead corpse of the deer, levitating it until its legs just barely reached a tree branch around 2 meters off the ground, tying its hind legs to the branch and leaving the corpse to slowly drip out it's blood until she was confident that she could butcher it without getting too terribly messy. Her hooves already bloodied from the affair, she quickly laid her crossbow and quiver near her pack before walking with the slightest pip in her step towards the lake, almost skipping.

As she looked at her reflection in the water, she quickly studied her appearance. Her coat, previously the same ivory white as her mother's, was slightly caked with dirt and mud. Her mane was wild and unkempt as ever, and the various scars of past conflicts apparent on most parts of her body. Her, fittingly, rose red eyes looked back at her. Most prominently was, for any true Gryphic Citizen, the tattoos. Long spiraling tribal tattoos made their way around her body, with a few unique symbols apparent at the start of each foreleg, and another on her neck. Most Gryphs settled for a sleeve, or even just one tattoo, while the rare few made their allegiance as apparent as possible. Any Gryphic soldier was required to have at least one tattoo on their body, in the design of any of three nations that made up the Confederacy. The ink they were made in however, was only available on the continent, and none could fake a true Gryphic tattoo easily. They served just as much as proof of service as badges of honor.

The first of these symbols was on her left leg, a large anchor with a serpent wrapped around it. The next was a bow and arrow, with a few decorative leaves dotted around it. The largest of these unique symbols was the one on her neck, of two swords facing downward side by side, marking her retirement from the military. Rose had served longer than most at 12 years of service, and many of her comrades were saddened when they'd heard the news of where she was going, but understood when she'd explained why she was leaving. Gilmore had taken her out for drinks the night before they left, and though Rose would tell no one, some extra fun afterwards.

As she quickly finished up, she quickly looked around the clearing, and satisfied with the lack of wildlife, stepped a few meters back before rushing towards the lake, shouting at the top of her lungs, "CANNON BALL!!". She could tell, even below the water, that she'd made a satisfactory splash for her standards, as she floated to the surface, she started giggling like she was a little schoolfilly again, before she began cleaning herself off. The water was the perfect temperature for her, not quite cold, but not in the territory of hot bath water either. As Rose finished cleaning herself off, she swam towards the rocky shore near her camp before telekinetically grabbing her old ranger's garb and washing it as well. She still had, by her estimate, 9 hours left until darkness before she would be going back to bed, and her armor would have plenty of time to dry. grabbing the last of her rope from her pack, she eyed two branches that were close enough together to form a makeshift drying rack. Tying the rope to the end of each branch, she slung the various pieces of armor and padding over the rope, the chest piece making a jingling sound as the chainmail underneath rattled. Whistling to herself now that a few basic tasks were taken care of, she sauntered back over to her pack to take stock of everything she'd brought with her.

"So I've got a hatchet, a good 2 pounds of pemmican, a saber and a crossbow, 20 bolts, 2 waterskins, a flint and steel, maps of both Aurighast and Equestria, 300 Aviars, my compass, a basic butchery kit, Mum's Shillelagh, and the lockbox of her ashes. And I've got space left to boot!" She noted to herself cheerfully, putting everything back, with the exception of the flint and steel, in the large saddlebags while humming an old folk song from her youth. Walking over to the shore, she quickly grabbed a large bunch of rocks in her magic, laying them in a circle outside her campsite. Layering the fire as she was taught during survival training, she quickly began striking the small steel rod with the hunk of flint, the sparks quickly catching fire on the kindling at the core of the fire. Rose stepped away and watched the fire grow in size for a time, before walking quickly towards the deer she had killed earlier, All blood having left the carcass. As she levitated a skinning knife over, she heard voices in the air. Glancing up, she could barely recognize Gilmore, and a few others, circling the smoke of her fire. Whistling the shrill cry that all Gryphic soldiers knew, she quickly got their attention, and they soared down to meet her.

"Fancy seeing you here Rosey." Commented Gilmore in a teasing tone, "The Squad and I were totally not looking for you, Nope! Just... happened to be flying by!" he said unconvincingly, before looking to the deadpan faces of his squadmates. "Right guys? Right? Back me up here Flo!"

Floki, not amused in the slightest, looked towards Rose after shaking his head at Gilmore, the dark feathers on his face clashing with the normal white plumage of the gryphon. "We were totally lookin for ya. Just wanted to say one last goodbye you know? We've had good times with ya. What's wrong with one more drunken memory, eh Spooks?" He said jokingly, in the same rough, gravelly voice Rose remembered.

Rose, now leaning on her hind legs against the trees, raised an eyebrow. "Well, if ya want another night of drinking together, help me butcher this damn deer. I can hardly eat it all myself!" She finished with a grin, before looking towards the two other gryphons. "Ludwig, Kholo, Wanna go ahead and get something soft for us all to sit on?" She asked the two. Ludwig was a taller, thinner gryphon from Gehrva, contrasting against Kholo, who had a shorter, far more stout build.

Kholo, a small frown apparent on his face, gestured towards Gilmore. "And him?" The Ruskee gryphon asked, "What's his job?".

Rose laughed, before tossing her hatchet towards Gilmore, the gryphon catching it easily. "Easy, he gets to chop firewood."
She said, before turning to Floki, who had now just begun skinning the deer. "Just before we get started Flo, be sure to save about half the meat. I still need to make jerky for the trip. And between you and me, fish jerky tastes awful." she jested, lightly elbowing the disheveled griffin in the chest.

Floki let out a "hmph" and the two began working on skinning the deer, the sun in the middle of the sky, beating down upon them.

As the hours whittled by, the group shared stories of their old exploits and humorous moments of their past. The fire had grown to the point where they could begin cooking the deer, and various logs and bundles of tall grass were gathered for seating. Rose reckoned it must have been 9 o' clock judging by the moon's position in the sky, when she heard Ludwig ask a question. "What was that lad? I was off in my own lil' world for a moment." she asked, gesturing for him to repeat the question.

"I asked which city you are heading towards, genosse? Only a few port cities are even open for travel as of this moment, what with the war having just ended." Ludwig asked, his thick Gehrvic accent showing through. He took a long swig from his bottle of Cognac, before speaking once more. "Calastore and Mon'skrau are practically stagnant in terms of travel, and the closest port city that is still operating smoothly is likely to be Hafenstadt. I'd bet half of my savings on it." He finished, swirling the liquid inside his bottle.

Rose sighed, her choice drink of whiskey now only half full, before tapping her hoof impatiently upon the forest floor. "Aye lad, I was considering Hafenstadt, but only way for me to get there quickly is through the Verlassen woods, and nobody I've met speaks kindly of it." She said, a contemplative frown and a furrowed brow illuminated by the glow of the fire, her hoof held to her chin.

Rose heard a loud slurping noise, her head snapping to glare at Kholo, who was struggling to get the last of the marrow he could out of the deer's left foreleg, the meat of which hung over the fire in a quickly set up drying rack, before responding to Rose. "Well Prizrak, I don't think you've much of a choice. Besides, What is the worst the could happen?" He commented idly.

Rose looked at him in mock horror, as did the rest of the party, before stuttering as convincingly as she could. "You've doomed us all!", covering her face with her hooves in a dramatic display. Peeking her eyes out from under her hooves, she spotted a spare, untouched and unbroken, bone sitting near Kholo. Grabbing it within her magical grip, she brought it over to herself before cracking it open with the hatchet that was sitting next to her makeshift chair of a stump. "Just for that you crazy amadán, I'm stealing a bone." She said cockily, being sure to slurp the marrow out as loudly as she possibly could.

Gilmore and Ludwig shared a chuckle at her antics, after which Gilmore spoke. "Well, I don't know about you lot, but I'm off to bed. We've got a week of leave, and I for one am spending it drinking." He said groggily, sitting up from his pile of grass and clambering on to a tree branch, getting into as comfortable of a position as he could, before closing his eyes.

The rest of the group agreed, exchanged their pleasantries, and headed off to bed. As Rose fell asleep with a smile on her face, a pair of eyes lingered in the darkness beyond the fire.

Howls of the Wolves

Rose awoke to a strange shifting against her belly, and what felt like fur brushing against her. Cracking her eyes open, she noticed a, quite frankly, adorable sight. A Verlassen wolf and her cubs had decided to take shelter in her camp, and had decided to huddle into a small dog pile near her belly. Verlassen wolves, contrary to their namesake, were incredibly docile in the face of larger predators. Standing at the height of an Equestrian pony, they were by no means small, simply smaller than your typical Gryphic citizen. Their color changed and shifted depending on their environment, from a dark mottled green with various shades of brown in the warmer seasons, to an increasingly uniform white in the later months of the year. As it was summer, the wolf and her pups sported the typical coat one would expect of their species.

As Rose woke up, so too did the wolf and her pups. The mother, clearly wary despite her choice of temporary den, positioned herself between Rose and her offspring. Rose simply giggled to herself, before poking her head out and levitating a piece of jerky over, splitting it up between the 3 small puppies. As her comrades awoke from their slumber, Rose set about gathering up her various effects, along with her armor and weapons. As she finished fastening the various straps for her brigandine, she noticed her companions preparing to take flight. Waving to her friends as they took off, she strapped her large saddlebags nice and tight, before marching off in the direction of the Verlassen Woods.

Three hours later

As Rose continued trotting with a steady pace towards her destination, the sun lazily moved across the horizon. The temperature wasn't too terribly hot, and there was a light breeze going through the area, following the sun to to the west.

One could see the Verlassen woods from miles away, the large pines forming a truly massive canopy for those who called the forest their home. Even in the winter months, it was one of the few forests that were preserved by the Confederacy at large. Dark greens, various shades of brown and auburn, and the occasional white oak of a birch tree made up the spectacle that was the Great Verlassen.

A large part of it's reputation came from what made it's home beneath the massive canopy of the great woods, from Bugbears, Tree Basilisk, Bandits, and other forms of flora and fauna. There was no true safe passage through the area, as the roads fell prey to brigand and beast alike. The only moderately safe passage came from having superior numbers and arms, as even the untamed woods and scoundrels knew to respect steel and bow. Rose knew her odds, and while she realized the risk was indeed fairly high, she also did not wish to take until the end of the year to reach Equestria, so she pressed on.

As she came within earshot of the forest's boundaries, she could hear the faint clashing of steel.

Rose began galloping full speed towards the sound of fighting, the verdant green of the plains quickly transitioned to a darkened green. As she came within visual range of the violence, she spotted five gryphons harassing a caravan, which from the looks of it to Rose, hadn't hired sufficient protection.

Rose quickly slung her crossbow from across her back, swiftly balancing on her hind legs and shouldering the weapon in a practiced, efficient motion. As she took aim to the closest griffon to her, who was, by the looks of it, equipped with scale mail. Time slowed to a crawl as she steadied her breathing, trying to line up a shot without hitting any of the victims of the marauders. As the gryphon stopped for a moment, she pulled the trigger and let the bolt soar towards his neck.

A shrill whistling rung out as she let loose the bolt, and the armored bird's neck snapped toward his impending demise. As he opened his mouth to let out a warning to his fellows, the bolt sung it's song and sank into his opened beak, sinking into his spine, as the bandit dropped to the ground, paralyzed and dying.

His fellows, having heard the whistle of a signalling bolt, turned their attention towards Rose. One of their number, A stout gryphon, made an attempt to break off and shoot towards her, before falling victim to the blade of a battleaxe wielded by a caravan guard.

As Rose slung her crossbow over her back, she quickly slung a hoof towards her saber's hilt, drawing it in a smooth motion. Pony swords had to be made different from normal Gryphon or Minotaur swords, and as such where there would normally be a hoof guard and a hilt, a sturdier hoof guard was all that a pony needed, due to their hooves short ranged telekinetic grip. Due to this, Sabers and Rapiers were quickly adopted by the more Equine members of the Confederacy, as Longswords and other such blades were not able to be forged in such a way.

As Rose sprinted towards the rest of the brigands, now in a bipedal fighting stance, she quickly let loose a kinetic blast towards a much more heavily armored gryphon, this one wearing poorly fitted mail and an overly tight gambeson. His opponent, a pegasus wearing studded faux leather armor, quickly capitalized on the stunned state of the brute, smashing the side of his head with a black jack, the gryphon quickly dropping to the ground unconscious.

A younger gryphon was her second, and last victim of that fight. As she quickly came upon him, he turned too late to stop the thrust to his rib cage, the blade of the saber sliding through the ribs effortlessly. As Rose pulled her blade out, she looked around, noting that the 3 caravan guards had finished off the rest of the brigands. She panted, the mixture of adrenaline and exhaustion from traveling making it's effects clear on her body. Sweat dripped from her face, the entire battle having lasted a mere minute.

Who Rose presumed to be the leader of the caravan trotted up to her, a... "Affluent" looking unicorn, wearing a velvet vest with numerous little pockets, and the stereotypical monocle that one would expect from snobbish nobility perched on his snout. his coat was a soft, creamy beige color, and his mane was chocolate brown.

He spoke, in a surprisingly friendly tone despite the airs he put on. "I certainly didn't expect a Ranger to be out here this late! Not that I'm complaining of course. You have my utmost appreciation young madame!" He said, holding out a hoof for her to shake.

Rose regarded it wearily for a moment, before shaking his hoof and replying. "Apologies, But I'm not a Ranger any longer Sir." She said, craning her neck upwards so that he could see the tattoo. "You're welcome all the same. Why aren't there any more guards?" She asked, gesturing towards the three, a minotaur, a gryphon, and a pegasus. "Money doesn't look to be a problem for you." She commented, pointedly eyeing the pony's attire.

The Pony was still for a moment, before breaking out into loud guffaws. "Oh no no no no! They were just the only ones who wanted to come along! All the other guards I attempted to hire were... discouraged, if you will, when I mentioned these woods here. I suppose I can see why now." He said, smiling warmly before a moment of shock and realization crossed his face. "Oh Pardon me Madame! I haven't even introduced myself! I am Duke Chessur, might I inquire your name Miss?"

Rose replied as she walked towards the corpse of the gryphon she shot, retrieving the bolt that she shot. "Rose, mind if I tag along? I'm heading towards Hafenstadt." She said, before gesturing for the minotaur to toss her the axe. "You boys have a sack? I reckon these five could fetch you all a pretty bounty."

The Minotaur frowned, before speaking in a low, rumbling voice. "We checked the bounty board before we left. These five haven't been marked by the authorities.".

Rose shrugged, before sifting through the dead bodies for anything useful. She found a few Aviars, but not much else of use.

The Pegasus raised her eyebrow, before saying with a scratchy, irritated voice. Her blue coat was dirtied with blood, and her black and blue mane had clearly been ravaged in the fight. "I thought you had respect for your dead. I didn't realize this was a nation of grave robbers."

Rose glared at the pegasus, before growling out in a threatening tone. "We have respect for the honored dead. Bandits and criminals don't receive that same respect."

The pegasus lingered for a moment longer, before walking back to the cart, resting against it before the group moved on again.

Chessur coughed into a hoof, before speaking sheepishly. "Well, I can't promise you'll be payed but you are most welcome to come along, provided you pull your weight."

And as the sun hung high in the sky, the group set off.

The Dirt Road

The Verlassen woods had a certain charm once you were inside them. The noises of various insects dominated the ambience, and the shades of green and brown softened the deeper you went, inspiring many an artist and poet that visited the natural work of art.

Even to Equestrians, the scent of the place was pleasing. A soft pine scent mixed with an earthy, grassy undertone. The dirt road that cut through the forest was immaculately kept, despite the lack of maintenance workers or general population. Various bushes dominated the area around the road, from blackthorn to raspberry bushes. The verdant and lush expanse of bark, grass, and pine was in and of itself a feature of the woods. Dew gathered on the grass and leaves, a faint fog constantly dominating the forest. Vast swathes of undergrowth became home to predator and prey alike, and even Bugbears could find safety from poachers within the forest's canopy.

As Rose pulled the cart along, she let herself become lost within the tranquility of the most sacred location in Gryphon history. No battles had ever been fought in or around the woods, and any Gryphon with a hint of wisdom would respect the forest as one would a docile predator. The only recorded conflict in the Verlassen was when a Yak raiding party chased a battalion of Rangers in to the woods. The Rangers would explain in their after action reports that once the Yak's entered the woods, the forest itself seemed to darken in anger. As they hid in the trees, the last they saw of the furry brutes was their corpses impaled on tree branches.

One could consider the Verlassen the Everfree's cousin. Wild and untamed in it's own right, but tranquil and peaceful to those who respect the unspoken rules of it's domain.

Rose bumped in to something while she was lost in thought, and as she opened her eyes her breath caught in her throat.

A Bugbear had fallen asleep in the middle of the road. As it awoke and roused itself, it looked at Rose almost in... amusement. Once it had stood itself up, it sniffed around Rose for a moment.

Satisfied with whatever it had been looking for, it lumbered off to the side of the road, falling back asleep once it cleared the path.

The pegasus, who Rose learned went by Aquila, stuck her head out of the cart and shouted. "What's the hold-up graverob-!" She had much the same reaction as Rose, and her jaw went slack for a few moments before she quietly stuck her head back in to the cart.

Rose, now much more aware of her surroundings, continued pulling the cart, giving the slumbering beast a wide berth. A dim twilight fell over the forest but an hour later, fireflies flitted about, and the insects of the woods beginning their song anew, much loader and far more robust than before.

Rose's muscles ached with exhaustion, as she began unhooking the cart from her body, she walked over to the cart doors and opened them, giving Aquila a pointed gaze

"You're up for pulling, I'm tired and sore from hauling this damn thing all day." She said gruffly. Aquila frowned, but hopped out and began fastening the Cart's harness to her body.

"Yeah yeah, get some rest you damn savage." She said with a sneer, as Rose hopped into the cart and promptly, as Gilmore would say, flopped on to the floor of the cart.

As she lingered on the floor for a moment, she remembered that the seats of the cart were cushioned and clambered onto the soft and heavenly benches. The Minotaur, who had prior introduced himself as Gavin, chuckled and patted her on the head.

"So, where are you headed after Hafenstadt?" He asked, looking down to her with a raised, questioning brow.

Rose stretched herself out on the cushion before replying. "Equestria. I'm going there to, hopefully, get into a college. Failing that, I'll self study magic." she finished with a yawn.

Gavin gestured to her unarmored flanks, Rose having doffed her armor so that it wouldn't get soaked with sweat while pulling the cart. A large patch of scar tissue dominated the side of each flank, in a square shape that couldn't have been anything but intentional.

"I've been meaning to ask... What happened to yer... 'Cutie Marks'"? He asked, a slightly worried tone in his voice.

Rose scoffed, before pulling a hard tack biscuit over and munching on it idly. "Got captured by the furballs. A few traitors that had defected decided it would be funny to cut them off." She said with a tone of finality, and her ear flicked in annoyance.

"Ah." He said lamely, the inside of the cart having lapsed into an awkward silence.

A half hour passed, the rocking of the cart having lulled the large Minotaur and his Gryphon compatriot to sleep. Chessur, having kept silent throughout the exchange, suddenly spoke, softly as to not wake the others.

"If you are heading to Equestria, I wouldn't object to you coming with me. That is my destination as well. I was only visiting Aurighast to finalize a few business deals when the war had come to a close."

Rose's ears straightened, as she turned her gaze towards the milky unicorn.

"I'm going to assume you've either a boat or airship?" She said, finishing her biscuit with a crunch.

"The latter. She's a small thing, but she does her job well." He replied, sipping his tea before speaking once more. "10 Aviars, and you may ride with me the entire way to Fillydelphia. Food and board is included."

Rose frowned, she studied him for a moment before saying anything. "What's the catch?" She asked apprehensively.

Chessur gave a tiny, almost imperceptible grin. "That you do exactly as you have been doing, and that is being a security guard."

Rose let a small smile wander onto her face. "Alright. We've got a deal then. Once we make it to Fillydelphia, drinks are on me, you hear?" She said, her voice raising in volume a tad.

Chessur chuckled in response, and poured himself another cup of tea. "On to other matters, what would you say to-" He began to speak, but was suddenly cut off as the wagon rocked forwards. Gavin's head immediately shot up, and he made to grab his axe as Rose barreled out of the wagon.

Once outside, she saw that Aquila had stopped completely. In front of her were numerous corpses impaled on tree branches, all of them gryphons. The bodies had long since decayed, nothing but bones and sundered armor left in the wake of whatever did this to the group of avians.

Rose trotted up to Aquila, who's eyes had become but mere pinpricks, and her hair stood on end. Her teeth chattered, and when Rose laid a hoof on the mare's withers she jumped a foot into the air from fear.

"W-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS PLACE?!" She shouted, trying to back up to no avail. Rose hugged her tightly, speaking into her ear.

"Shhhhh sesatna, it's okay. The forest is not angry at us." She said softly, stroking the distraught mare's mane.

"No! What happened to them?! How did it happen to them?! They have to be at least 15 meters in the air!" Aquila continued, now gazing wide eyed at the spectacle in the canopy.

"They broke the forest's rules. They knew what would happen, and they paid the price for it." Rose said grimly, now turned to gaze with pity at the object of the blue pegasus's shock. "There are 5 known rules to the forest, that all wise Gryphs abide by. You don't fight within it's grounds. You don't take from it what you will not give back. You do not hunt it's denizens. You do not fell it's trees. And the most recent rule... You don't poison it's hallowed grounds." She stated cryptically, helping Aquila unhitch the cart.

Aquila complied, setting herself straight as she took a final look at the carnage, before walking back to the cart and laying down inside.

Rose hitched herself to the cart once more, proceeding to march again. The wagon's bright lanterns illuminated the path and all above as she struggled to stay awake. Her body ached with exhaustion, her mind desperately wanted for sweet rest and respite from the waking world. As she marched on half awake, she became aware of the marching of something directly beside her. As she wearily looked over, she saw the same bugbear from before. Marching with her.

Rose chuckled, scratching behind the beast's ears, the creature as large as the wagon itself. It nuzzled into the magical force affectionately, giving a pleasured growl at the contact.

The hours would pass by, and the sun soon shot into the air, casting a soft orange glow on the world and through the Verlassen's canopy. The edge of the woods came into view, as Rose stumbled on her hooves, struggling to stay upright. She finally stopped when she felt a tapping on her left side, Aquila motioning for her to release herself from the harness. The bugbear had long since left, having stopped once it came upon some invisible boundary.

Rose unhitched the harness with haste, stumbling over her hooves as she scrambled to get in to the cart, and in to the sweet embrace of sleep. Hopping groggily into the cart, she clambered onto the cushion she previously occupied, and passed out in exhaustion.

As she opened her eyes, she recognized she was not in fact inside the cart any longer. A white sky and expanse filled her vision, as she spied a large gray shape on the horizon. She began walking towards it with haste, a sigh, frozen in the bitter wind and cold climate of the area she occupied, left her mouth. She felt the familiar weight of her gear on her body, and the bitter cold enter her lungs. She grew closer, recognizing the shape as a castle now. Foreboding crept into her very being, and she crept into full view of the structure. The drawbridge was down, as she walked in to the courtyard.

Yaks filled it, slumped over dead. The cause of the death not readily apparent until one looked to the liquid spilled out of their mouths. It was a soft purple in color, and was slightly foamy. Rose knew this mixture well. As she looked to the center of the courtyard, she saw a pony. It sat, it's back facing towards her. A great white cloak, adorned with soft red specks of blood, shrouded it's mane and tail from view.

Rose marched towards the figure, a grim look of determination upon her face. The figure turned to look at her, it's face a pure white, and it's eyes a crimson red, a white shawl wrapped around its face. The figure had no mane, at least not a readily apparent one.

Rose growled at the apparition. "You don't define me. You are not what I am."

The equine tilted it's head, before speaking softly, with a thousand voices. "Are you so sure?"

Rose scoffed. "Quite. Must we do the same song and dance every night?"

The shawl shifted upwards, as the creature nodded slowly, almost as if pained. "Sadly." It drew a large scythe, jagged and not like the farming implement it's name implied.

Rose let her head hang low. She'd long since learned that this thing could not be beat. It could only be accepted.

The blade swung through the air, through Rose's neck. Rose was not beheaded, but the dreamscape around her crumbled and cracked.

As Rose looked up at the figure once more, she opened her mouth to speak.

And then she awoke.

Forlorn Reminders.

Rose woke with a jump, startling the posh unicorn and burly minotaur sitting next to her, breathing heavily. Chessur snapped his head towards her, with a concerned look on his face. "Sweet Elysium, what's wrong?" He asked softly, the light of the evening sun barely illuminating his face.

Rose grunted as she pushed herself into a sitting position. "Ain't nothin'. Just a stupid dream." She said gruffly, before reaching a hoof to where a sack of hard tack had been the previous night... only to grasp at nothing. She looked towards Gavin and spotted her sack of biscuits, now empty, sitting in his lap. She grumbled before conjuring another sack from the back of the cart.

Chessur frowned at her dismissal. "It couldn't have been 'Nothing', otherwise you wouldn't have woken up because of it. You only achieved..." his speech tapered off, as he fiddled with his coat before bringing out a pocket watch with a hoof. "7 hours of sleep! You were up all night you stupid mare! Go back to bed!" he whispered loudly, before holding a hoof up to his lips, and then gesturing to his left side. Aquila was curled up as best she could, using her wing as a makeshift blanket.

Rose nodded, before curling up much the same. Sleep soon claimed her, despite the lingering foreboding feeling she possessed.

5 Days later

They had, after nearly a week of relatively peaceful travel, arrived at Hafenstadt. Over the remaining days, she learned that the Gryphon's name was Chyrp. The reasoning behind the name was, in his words, "That me parents weren't creative in the slightest.". So, the group had shared other such stories from their childhoods. An incident with a hornet's nest for Chessur, and Gavin apparently never learned fire was hot until he was in his teenage years. Aquila shared stories from her time in the Royal Guard, including a rather humorous tale wherein a thief had called for the guard after his stolen goods were, ironically, stolen from him.

Hafenstadt wasn't notable in any immediate way. Buildings with thatched roofs, a short wall, and a large harbor. It was only once you entered the city proper that you realized what made this place special. Music was a constant in the city, various bards and bands played and sang across the city, each of their voices being added to the ambient chorus. There was a tavern every few blocks, and a bar every 10. No building rose above 4 stories, the tallest of which was the City Hall. It was the only building lacking the seemingly requisite thatch roof, instead having proper shingling.

As the group arrived to the dockyards, they gazed at the commotion and ruckus caused by the various crews and worksponies struggling to get all of their things in order in an expedient manner, shouting and cursing filling the air as they walked hastily towards the airship docks. Noticeably larger than the normal docks, their hulls bobbing lightly in the water as the gasbags held them up.

As they arrived at a gold embroidered hull, the magnificent mahogany having a glossy finish. the gasbag was just as ostentatious, with various floral designs stitched into the fabric, the flag of Equestria on each side of the gasbag. As the group walked up a ramp onto the deck, Chessur cleared his throat before speaking.

"Well my friends, It shall be a week before we are able to leave. I must take care of affairs and clear our departure with customs, and we of course must rest after our travels." He summoned four pouches, each jingling with coin, before tossing them to each of the group. "Find a comfortable inn and I will send for you when we are ready to depart. Don't spend it all too quickly you hear?" He finished with a laugh, before walking into what Rose assumed was the Captain's quarters.

As the group walked down the ramp and into the the harbor, Rose spied a sign off to her right and poked Chyrp with a magical jab. "Oi mate, see what I see over there?" She asked, gesturing towards the sign.

He looked over her and at the sign before a grin crossed his beak. "'Drinking contest, 9 P.M'. Rosey, I'll drink you under the table!" he said with a laugh.

Rose scoffed at that. "Oh fuck off, I bet you 10 Aviars right now that I'll beat yer arse. Double or nothing, if I have to." She held a bent hoof out.

Chyrp regarded her warily for a moment, before slowly grasping the hoof in a talon while looking Rose in the eye. Right as he finished grasping the hoof she pulled him in and whispered in his ear.

"You don't know what you're gettin' into mate. I was in the navy for four years." She hissed with a grin, before whispering much softer. "You'll get a prize if ye win though, how bout that?".

Chyrp's cheeks flushed, before he coughed into his fist. "Oh fine you crazy mare. Don't say I didn't warn you!" He said loudly as he walked off, Gavin having just put his head in his hands at the display, and Aquila holding back laughter as she tailed after Chyrp

"He is so bloody oblivious it is killing me." He said with a grumble. Rose chuckled at the comment, before speaking.

"Wanna find a blacksmith mate? I need my sword repaired. She's got a few nicks in her, and her polish has seen better days." She said, unsheathing the saber slightly to prove her point. The once gleaming steel was now a faded, dull gray.

Gavin winced before nodding in agreement. "Aye. My axe has seen better days as well. I think the Artisans district is somewhere..." he trailed off, searching the sky, before spotting whatever he had been looking for and pointing in that general direction. "That way!"

Rose raised an eyebrow warily, but followed nonetheless. "How in the blazes do ye know where we're goin' just by looking at the sky?" She asked, trying to spot... whatever he had seen.

Gavin chuckled before replying. "I've worked in a forge most of my life. You learn to spot smoke incredibly easily. Find the largest plumes, you find the forges." He rumbled out, stopping and picking Rose up by her barrel and running towards the presumed location of the blacksmith.

"Oi le- let me down ya twat! I can run with me own four legs!" Rose protested, having been brought along for a very unexpected and very bumpy ride.

Gavin laughed as he weaved through the crowd. "Not fast enough!", sliding to a stop in front of a small brick building with a stone roof, he set Rose down. A weathered, worn sign hung out front. Ash's Forge.

Rose huffed. "We could have just as easily walked.". As the pair walked towards the door, they heard a huff from their left. A portly Gryphon chick, with sharp black feathers and dark grey fur sat to a side-section of the building they'd missed.

"Welcome to my forge. The name's Ash. What can I do you for?" She asked cheerily, or rather, as cheerily as she could. Her voice taking on the likeness of the prelude to an avalanche.

Gavin coughed into his hand. "We were looking to get some of our equipment repaired. Perhaps purchase some polish, if you have any to spare".

Ash nodded, walking up to the pair, a limp apparent in her left hind leg. She held a claw out to Rose, beckoning for her to hand over her weapon. Rose, begrudgingly, complied.

Unsheathing the blade as best she could, Ash gave it a once over. "Tch. Typical Ranger's blade. You lot don't reinforce em enough." She hobbled over to the forge, setting the sword off to the side before searching various boxes for materials.

Rose scoffed at the bird's dismissal. "We make do with what we can get. That sword's gotten me through the entirety of the war."

Ash visibly rolled her eyes. "Aye, that don't mean you can't do better. I'll fix your damned blade up, don't you worry none. It'll run you 50 Aviars."

Rose's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "50?! For what?!"

The stout chick chuckled, waving Rose and Gavin over before retrieving an ingot from a hidden compartment. "You see this beaut? Pure mithril. You'll not need any maintenance for years.".

Gavin, having only seen the precious metal once in his life, just nodded dumbly in response before setting his axe upon the same table as Rose's Sabre. Ash, setting the ingot upon the table, proceeded to push the two out of her workshop. "Now git. It'll be done within a week." She said gruffly, before setting off to work.

Rose just looked up to Gavin. "Want to go get some grub?". Gavin looked at her as if she had just said the earth was a turtle.

"You seriously don't care that the lass just has mithril layin' around her shop?!" He nearly shouted.

Rose just snorted. "If she fixes up my blade, and she fixes it up good, I don't care none. What say we go to that tavern we saw earlier?"

Gavin just sighed before nodding, the pair taking the scenic route through to the building. The color palate was surprisingly diverse, the monotonous beige and gray being broken by colorful and vibrant reds and blues. Various bakeries and stalls lined the streets, selling goods ranging from simple foods to extravagant trinkets and baubles. Nearly every species under the sun were hawking their wares to those who cared to listen and browse.

The party of two made it to the tavern after a short time, now seeing the establishment's name. The Dragon's Flagon sat upon a metal sign, with a faux gold outline. An image of a red teenage dragon with a large flagon sat under the stylized lettering, breathing a gout of fire.

Rose was the first to walk in, and both familiar and exotic aromas consumed her senses. Fine ales and wines, the scent of various stews, and the scent of all sorts of beings wafted into her nose. A range of species filled the bar, all drinking, and a grand majority either dancing, gambling, or singing. Parrots, Abyssinians, Diamond Dogs, and even a few younger Dragons.

Having left Gavin behind, Rose happily hopped upon an empty stool at the main bar. The bar tender was a portly earth pony stallion. He had a seafoam green coat, and a similarly colored mane, shocked with white. He raised an eyebrow to Rose before speaking with a weary, exhausted tone. "What can I get you?" He asked, cleaning a glass dirtied with whiskey.

Rose floated a few Aviars from her pouch on to the counter. "Just get me a Shiremare's Coffee, extra whiskey and sugar, go light on the cream. How much would it cost me to get a room for a week here?" She asked, blowing a bit of her mane away from her eyes.

The Barcolt began gathering the various components to her drink with practiced ease, and replied with a bit of strain in his voice. "35 Aviars, 5 a night. 20 bits, 3 a night. Breakfast will run you 5 Aviars, or 1 Bit." He finished Rose's drink, and slid it down the bar towards her. Rose caught it in her telekinesis with ease. "Drinking contest is in a half hour. Flag me down if you want to participate."

Rose nodded eagerly. "Aye, I bet a friend I could drink him under the table. Sign me up!" She raised her glass to her lips, the cream giving her face a bit of impromptu decoration as she sipped the warm, comforting concoction. The whiskey was a tad on the weak side for her tastes, but she wasn't trying to get properly shitfaced yet, so she couldn't complain. As she licked the cream off of her lips and set her drink down, she felt her ear flick as a weight settled in to the stool next to her. She glanced over, and the now familiar face of Chyrp sat next to her.

Later

The hour had passed, the two of them nice and properly drunk. Rose fared much better than Chyrp, due to her impressive Equine constitution, but the pair were still feeling the alcohol's effects regardless. As the two idly chatted, the band began playing a very familiar tune, and their eyes brightened.

As the two wandered over to the dance floor, Chyrp began to sing while settling into the motions of a schuhplattler,

"Ach komm du schöne bring den Wein zu mir.
Bring den Wein zu mir ich verdurste hier!
Ach komm du Schöne bring den Wein zu mir.
Denn mir ist nach Wein und Weib."

And Rose followed, step dancing in unison with her partner.

"Ich schenk dir ein nur wenn du tanzt mit mir.
Wenn du tanzt mit mir dann komm ich zu dir.
Ich schenk dir ein nur wenn du tanzt mit mir.
Dann bekommst du Wein und Weib!"

And as one circled the other, the next verse followed.

"Oh komm du Schöne auf den Tisch hinauf
Auf den Tisch hinauf komm wir tanzen drauf
Oh komm du Schöne auf den Tisch hinauf
Denn es soll jeder sehn!"

Chyrp gave a bow, as Rose played her part.

"Ich komm hinauf für einen Kuss von dir
Einen Kuss von dir ja denn wünsch ich mir
Ich komm hinauf für einen Kuss von dir
Will ich oben bei dir stehn."

And both holding eachother's hoof and claw, they sang in unison.

"Die Sünde lockt und das Fleisch ist schwach so wird es immer sein.
Die Nacht ist jung und der Teufel lacht komm wir schenken uns jetzt ein!"

The two suddenly rocketed away from eachother, beginning their dance anew as Chyrp sang once more.

"Und später Schöne teil das Bett mit mir.
Teil das bett mit mir dass ich frier.
Und später Schöne teil das Bett mit mir.
Es soll nicht dein Schaden sein!"

Rose gave a much deeper bow to Chyrp's previous gesture, gazing up at him while singing.

"Doch nur wenn du heut keine andre küsst.
Keine andre küsst wenn treu mir bist.
Doch nur wenn du heut keine andre küsst.
Sonst schläfst du wohl allein!"

And shooting up from the ground, Held the gryphon low as they both sang their final verse.

"Die Sünde lockt und das Fleisch ist schwach so wird es immer sein.
Die Nacht ist jung und der Teufel lacht komm wir schenken uns jetzt ein!"

As the song came to close, Rose helped the young bird to his paws before gesturing towards the stairs. "Come on lad, I think that's enough excitement for today.", giving him a subtle wink before trotting cheerily towards the stairs.

Chyrp blinked, before grinning. "Guess I got my reward either way!", before darting after Rose.

On Cloud Nine

The first thing Rose noticed, other than a pounding headache, was the bright sun piercing through her eyelids and into her brain, which worsened her hangover. She blinked open crusty and bloodshot eyes and yawned, shaking her messy mane. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she looked over to the other side of the bed, revealing Chyrp doing much the same as her.

Giving a pained, lopsided grin, Rose cracked her back. "Mornin' there. Have fun last night?" She asked, moving to hop off of the bed.

Chyrp groaned in pain. "Urgh, yep. By the Allfather, how much did we drink last night?". Rose thought to herself for a moment.

"Well, if I remember right... You had about 9 glasses of ale, and drank about a full bottle of some hard cider." She replied, stretching and limbering up. "Want some coffee mate?" She asked, gesturing towards the door. "Usually helps after a long night of bad decisions.".

Her bedfellow gave a chuckle at that. "Sure. I'll come with ya... and let's grab breakfast while we're at it."

Rose went out the door, followed by Chyrp, who kicked their door shut.

1 Week Later

A day had passed since they had departed from Hafenstadt onboard Chessur's ship, which Rose had learned was named the E.A.S Chamomile. Onboard accommodations were as expected of a small vessel owned by nobility; Comfortable quarters, a small shower, and decent food that wasn't ship's biscuit. The Chamomile wasn't the fastest vessel, but it made do. Two small propellers were mounted aft on each side of the gasbag, with nearly all controls for the vessel located at the helm, which sat neatly above the Captain's Quarters.

The Chamomile, being a civilian vessel, lacked any serious weaponry. Two small ballistae sat on the deck, one for port and another for starboard. A small cache of 40 bolts was kept on board, though it was nothing more than a token defense against a real fighting ship such as a Brigantine or Galleon.

At the moment, Rose was lounging idly in what would be considered the ship's galley, though it was smaller than the ones she was used to. It didn't matter too terribly much she supposed, but it still perturbed her to see one so incredibly small. From what Chessur had discussed with the rest of the party a day prior, the trip to Equestria would take around 3 weeks; provided there were no complications.

Floating over a book from the small shelf in the corner, Rose turned it over in her magical grasp, examining it. It sported a hard cover, bordered with a fine golden paint. The title along it's spine was bold and striking, it's color a cool crimson, reading clearly "The Keys to Nobility".

Rose's interest peaked, she began reading through the book, with a... "modest" glass of rum at her side. The first few chapters were filler and descriptor alike, outlining that the book was an introduction to political maneuvering and strategy, and other such tips to improve one's skill in the game of politics. Rose reckoned she may have read through a quarter of the book before a hard, rigid feather prodded her side.

Gazing up from the novel, her eyes met Aquila's. the Pegasus mare was dotted with bits of soot and coal dust, giving the impression that she was dappled.

"Chessur needs you on lookout, Little Bird's tweetin' about wanting sleep." Aquila said, walking over to the sink to wash off the dirt and grime that was spattered along the front of her coat.

Rose stretched out; much like a cat, before replying. "Awright." She blinked her eyes rapidly. "Wait, what time is it 'Quila?"
Aquila thought to herself for a moment, furrowing her brow before replying. "Should be 'round... 5 till 6? Fairly sure that's it."

Rose's eyes widened in the slightest bit of shock, before grumbling under her breath and rushing onto the deck of the ship. Clambering up the stairs, she walked up the next set of stairs toward's the ships helm and observation post. Whereas water-bound ships had their crow's next located upon a mast, airships were not afforded such luxury. As such, the lookout was stationed near the Helm, above the Captain's quarters. While the view was not as open, it was the best and most serviceable position for the mechanical chair, able to rotate 360 degrees, and the attached telescope.

Finally reaching the top of the stairs, she spotted Chyrp sitting very awkwardly in a chair normally adjusted for the equine form. Chessur was resting his chin on the ship's wheel, seemingly dozing off. Rose, coughing loudly so as to catch the Gryphon's attention, started walking towards the chair.

Chessur awoke with a loud snort, gazing around with bleary eyes. "Oh. Is it that late already?" He asked, pulling out a small pocket watch.

Rose snorted in amusement. "Yup. Send 'Quila up when you head down. I'll take over lookout, she's taking over navigation." Helping Chyrp out of the seat, she clapped him on the back. "Get some rest you two!" She said loudly, hopping into the well cushioned and comfortable chair.

Gazing into the telescope for a while, her ear eventually flicked as clops walked towards the wheel. Rose and Aquila sat in silence for a long while, performing their jobs to the best of their ability. The hours whittled by, the day giving way to night, the formerly hot and humid air turning to a crisp and cool night breeze. Few clouds dotted the sky, and the only sound came from the small coal powered engine that allowed the propellers to function.

Rose's ear flicked once more, Aquila's voice breaking the soothing silence. "Soooooo... Any story about those tattoos?" She asked warily,

Rose lowered the mechanical arm holding the telescope. "Depends. Which ones?" She replied, her right eyebrow quirked upwards.

Aquila motioned with a wing towards the stylized anchor adorning Rose's left foreleg. "Lets start with that one there. Seems interesting."

Rose threw her head back and laughed. "Got that one when I signed onto the Morrighan, best 4 years of my service. It was fun bein' on the biggest and baddest ship in the fleet." Closing her eyes and letting fond memories wash over her, she spoke again. "Never failed to catch any eyes either. Drinking grog, rum and visiting foreign ports lead to some very... interesting nights. I never complained though."

Aquila chuckled. "And the swords?", Rose cracked her neck before responding. "Got those when I left the service. Any retiree gets em'. The bow is what all Rangers get, and I served 8 years there.". Taking another look around, swiveling her chair in a full circle, Rose took a moment before speaking. "Without that trainin' and experience, would've never made it through the Campaigns. Turns out that it is incredibly difficult to survive in YakYakistan."

Aquila nodded her head in agreement, before the pair lapsed into silence once more.

Rose spoke up a short while later. "How bout you? Any regrets regardin' the Guard?". Aquila mulled the question over for a bit.

"Yeah. A few. Main one being that I didn't enlist with the 'Bolts instead. Would've had far more career options coming out. Also didn't spend as much time with family as I should've." Aquila frowned. "The Guard may have had it's moments, but it was and always had been the worst place to go if you didn't plan on making it a career."

Rose snorted at that. "That's one thing us Gryphs' have on you Grazers. We take care of our military folk... then again, the military up 'till recently was all we had. Makes me wonder what will happen now that the Black and Tans are taken care of."

Aquila shrugged her shoulders. "Things will continue on as normal. You lot sure did the job well enough... killing over half their population would surely quell any more invasions yeah?"

Rose flinched as if smacked across the face. "Yeah.... yeah."

The moon slowly made it's way across the sky as the two idly chatted their shift away, speaking of merry nights and happy summers in their lives. As the sun crept across the eastern horizon and made it's presence known, Chessur and Chyrp came to relieve the two ponies of their shift. Gavin popped into the galley to say a quick "hello" before creeping back down to the engine room to keep an eye on it. Rose was of the opinion that the heat down there was sweltering, but then again; she wasn't a minotaur.

The days passed by incredibly quickly, and in the blink of an eye a week had passed. The group slowly grew bored of performing their jobs with nothing to do, so they resorted to simple games to keep entertained. Cards, Chess, Checkers; It didn't matter. Anything was sufficient to stave off the boredom, especially for a group of creatures not used to the trials of such long travel without an inn or tavern.

Aquila, unsurprisingly, wiped the floor with the rest of them when it came to card games. Her only equal was Chessur, who had an impressive poker face. One that was easily broken when illicit jokes were made, but he tried his best.

Chyrp and Gavin had a fierce rivalry going regarding their chess games, with the two being tied at 10-10. Rose kept herself busy with books on board, surprising herself with how fascinated she was with noble culture and mannerisms. The minor intricacies of speech and dining to greater political scheming was a topic that, uncharacteristically, interested her greatly.

After a week and a half of sailing, everyone was still relatively happy and content. Chessur was noticeably more lax and unrefined, having abandoned most of his vestments and accessories for going in the buff, revealing his cutie mark for the first time. It was a small teacup with a sugar cube being dunked in, and his ship's namesake inside the cup.

Rose and Aquila were performing out their shift when Aquila spoke. "Hey Rose, is it just me or is that a storm cloud on the horizon?" Gesturing northwest of the ship with a hoof.

Rose huffed, swirling the chair and telescope over to get a bead on whatever Aquila had spotted. "Nope. That isn't a cloud. Too narrow." Zeroing in on the object, Rose's breath hitched. "That's an airship. Specifically, one with an intercept course. For us." Adjusting various dials, she spoke once more. "And it isn't running any colors. nor flying any signals... Oh wait, there's one. It's a red flag. And a skull and crosswings."

Aeronautical Evasion

Aquila blinked. "Pardon?", Rose grunted, adjusting various dials and pulling a larger lever, which extended more magnification lenses.

"Yup. Trying to I.D her now. Odds are I wont find anything, but it's worth a look.", humming to herself for a moment before tsking. "She's got some damage across her bow, some patchwork in her gasbag, and she's tilted slightly. Can't tell much other than that."

Aquila hopped off of the helm, running down to wake the rest of the crew, leaving Rose to herself for a moment. Rose weighed their options in her head, not liking their choices. "Can't run, we don't have cargo to pay em off with... and unless they've got Hydrogen in that bag of theirs fighting will only get us killed."

As she heard the others rushing out from their quarters she lowered the telescope and looked at the stairs. Chessur was the first to clamber up the small staircase, huffing and puffing, eyes widened in fear. "How long until they reach us?!" He asked in a panic, his voice cracking in the middle of the sentence.

Rose clicked her tongue for a moment. "Well, I can't tell her size due to her being directly bow on to us, but she's definitely got bigger engines. If she's a sloop or a cutter, I'd give it 3 hours tops. 5 if she's a brig, 7 if she's a galleon. I've only helped hunt a few pirate vessels, but the few that the Morrighan was dispatched to hunt were the bigger fish; The Squall, for example.", Spinning in her chair, she continued. "Only way in Tartarus I can see us outrunning them is if they have Hydrogen in their bag. We've got the supplies for a flaming bolt, and that would send em straight down to the 'Sunker, but... we'd need to get into ballista range." Rose winced at the thought. "And in a boat as small as this one, we'd get torn in two."

Aquila bit her lip, before asking hesitantly. "Would you mind if I used the telescope for a second?". Rose's bow raised, but brought the telescope to Aquila's eye. "See the patchwork there Rose? It doesn't match the fabric on the envelope."

Rose let out a grunt. "I think I see where you're taking this. Normal envelopes are made of cotton laced with rubber..."

Aquila grinned. "And if the patchwork gets hit with lightning, the energy won't be dispersed over the envelope. All that hydrogen would be ignited...", Before a look of realization crossed Aquila's countenance. "Only problem is getting a powerful enough thunderhead that close."

Chessur and Rose looked at each other, before Chessur spoke. "Do you know basic illusion magic? We could perhaps keep the cloud hidden long enough if we worked together."

Rose flinched. "Ain't my strong suit, but I know minor illusions. Nothing as advanced as Invisibility though.", she said as he pulled the telescope back up to her eye. "'Quila! Turn the helm 10 degrees east real quick!"

Aquila quickly complied, the ship lurching from the slight, but sudden turn. As the ship turned, Rose let out a satisfied grin. "Gotcha."

Chyrp tilted his head. "What'd ya see?", Rose leaning back in her chair as she replied. "Good news and Bad news everybody! Good news is that it's a sloop."

Gavin huffed. "And the bad news?", Rose biting her cheek at the question. "That means we've got around 2 and a half hours before they intercept us."

Rose quickly hopped out of her chair. "Chyrp, get in that chair and keep an eye on them. Aquila, get working on that Thunderhead.", She finished as she cleared the stairs in a single jump. "I'm gonna get my armor on and get those bolts prepped. Chessur, keep er' steady!"

Gavin rushed down after her. "What's the game plan here? You and Aquila are the only two that seem to have any idea what's going on!"

Rose kicked open the door to the room she shared with Aquila. "I'll explain once we're all together. I know it seems asinine, but here's the basics." She began as she strapped her boots on and pulled the brigandine and began fastening it on. "We let them get close enough to board us, and if they're smart they send a negotiator over. If they don't and start trying to fill us full of holes, we delay until Aquila can get her Thunderhead off. If they decide to play nice, our plan becomes a lot easier.". Rose strapped her saber to her side, not even bothering to grab her crossbow.

As Rose walked out the door, she heard Gavin cough. Looking back, he nodded to her and said simply. "Godspeed sister.", Rose giving a faint smile in response. "Don't know if this will work, but drinks are on me if it does. We'll get through this Gav'... one way or another.", rushing upstairs before Gavin could reply, grabbing a bundle of blankets and sheets on her way, along with a bottle of rum.

As Rose arrived on deck, she immediately went to work. Grabbing a few of the bolts from a lock box located near the port side of the ship, she hastily cut up the blankets and sheets and wrapped them below the broadheads, and dousing them each in alcohol. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aquila had brought a cloud down to the deck, and was in the process of hitting and pushing it at various points across it's surface. The cloud steadily growing darker, as more energy and magic was pushed into it.

Rose's ear flicked as Aquila spoke. "Hey Rose? How are we going to get the thunderhead off the deck without them spotting it?", Rose pausing as Aquila continued. "If we can get eyes on them at this distance, wont they be able to see whatever we try and do?"

Rose stopped to think for a moment, biting her lip. As she pondered, she spoke. "It entirely depends on how fast you can move. I could blind their lookout with a large enough blast, but the longer it takes you to get into position the less mana I'll have if push comes to shove."

Aquila bit her cheek. "I could get it far enough away in say... 15 seconds? I'm not the fastest flier in armor.", gesturing to the faux leather armor. "Not to mention that I need to make sure the Thunderhead doesn't go off early, especially one as powerful as this.", as she gently patted the now nearly black cloud, electrical energy sparking across it's surface. "It's nearly at critical mass as is."

Rose flinched as if smacked across the face. "That is gonna put a wee dent in my reserves. 'Spose there ain't a way around it though."

As Rose went to prepare another bolt, Chyrp shouted. "Rose! Somethin' ain't right here! You might need to take a look here!"

Rose sighed and walked up the stairs to Chyrp, standing upright and leaning on the chair, yanking the telescope over as she spoke. "What are you yapping abo-" Stopping abruptly as she saw what had gotten the gryphon into such a panic. "Oh. That's not good at all."

Glancing down the lens, the ship was... far too close. Closer than it should have been. Where before it would have taken it 2 hours to catch up with them, it was at the least twice as close as before. As Rose watched, she spotted a few stray lights of different colors on the deck of the sloop. "Likely unicorns.", She thought to herself.

"Fuck this." She said, before shouting to the rest of her compatriots. "'Quila, we're getting you into position now!", before pointing at Chessur, who was still on the helm. "Bring us to a full stop on my mark."

Chessur nodded, and Rose watched with a careful eye as Aquila steadied herself, the Thunderhead clutched carefully in her hooves. It was about the width of Gavin's shoulders, and as tall as Aquila. Aquila nodded up at Rose. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Rose let out a deep sigh, closing her eyes and gathering her wits. Breathing in deeply, she gathered roughly half of her mana reserves. Opening her eyes, the world was different. Wisps of energy flowed around her, and soared through the air. Everything was tinted a shade of red, and she could physically see the spell taking shape in front of her. She let out a final breath, before shouting at the top of her lungs and unleashing the gathered maelstrom, "MARK!"

Immediately, all the mana and energy gathered around her shot into a tight beam, shooting out a great distance before exploding into a bright disk of energy, colored a pure red. Peeking her eyes open, Rose immediately shut them from the blinding light. She held the beam for another few moments, before releasing. Immediately, she felt as if she just ran a marathon, dizzy to her core.

Blinking rapidly, and breathing hard, she looked around. Aquila was nowhere to be seen on deck, and the ship was no longer moving. The disk remained for a few seconds before dissipating harmlessly, it's purpose having been served.

Looking over to Gavin, Rose took a few deep breaths before speaking. "J-just... get those Ballistae loaded. I think I need to sit down...", before Rose laid flat on her side, trying to recuperate.

After a few moments, she felt a prodding on back. Craning her head, Chyrp sat next to her looking worried. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay Rose? you look pretty..." he clicked his tongue for a moment before finding the word he was looking for. "Knackered?"

Chuckling softly, Rose cracked her neck. "Yeah mate... Have not had to expend that much mana in a single setting in a long while." She rolled over to get a better look at him. "Where'd 'Quila perch at?", as she looked through the clouds.

Chyrp pointed to a larger, far off cluster of fluffy white clouds. "'Round there. Should've seen her, she was faster than the Hussars!"

Rose rolled her eyes, before gingerly picking herself up from the deck. The sloop was closing rapidly now that they weren't running. She looked towards Chessur, gesturing to a small box near the helm. "Lets go ahead and run the white flag. Makes it less likely for us to get pincushioned."

Chessur let out a "hmph", but walked over to the small box and unlocked it. Digging through it for a moment, he pulled out a very large, bright white flag. Walking over to the rigging, he attached it to a set of ropes, before using a pulley system to extend the flag out towards the hull.

The sloop slowed down to a much more leisurely pace, no longer being pushed or propelled by whatever magic the unicorns on board were performing.

Every moment from then on seemed tortuously, agonizingly slow. Every second lasted a day, as they couldn't help but watch what could very likely be their death approach them like a bird of prey.

Confident. Cocky. Sure of itself.

Rose scoffed, "Whoever's captaining that boat is gonna get their mug busted if I get my hooves on em'. Cocksure bastards."

They could hear the engines now, loud and arrogant, each chuff of the propeller louder than the last.

It felt like a year, but in actuality it was a mere 10 minutes before the larger sloop pulled along the Chamomile's broadside, and a gangplank was extended. A single equine figure sitting at the other end, clad in a dark red doublet with 2 large white wings, dappled with black spots, poking out of the sides. A beautifully made tricorne sat upon the figure's head, lightly obscuring a scarred white face, clad with a beard of black fur.

"Now... who's the captain of this ship?"

Author's Note

I've made a map of Aurighast for all of your viewing pleasures!

Interlude: Religion

The old, but still spry, white-clad griffon looked at the mass of Gryphs gathered before him. Mare and Stallion. Hen and Tom. All of them gathered here, every Sunday, to hear his sermons. Every week, without fail, at least half of them showed up to worship and to pray.

As he looked over each and every one of them, he felt his gaze soften. His heart fluttered.

These individuals, who by Gott's grace, existed. Individual existences, with unique experiences and feelings. Different views and tastes. The spark of intelligence within their eyes alone was something to marvel at. Within each face he saw a vastly different future. A baker. A carpenter. A sailor. A soldier. A blacksmith. A farmer...

A Bishop. A Priest. A young soul, who devoted their life to worship of the divines.

Father Grayson was an old bird. He had experienced and seen many things. Love and loss. Joy and Happiness. Pain and strife. He was not innocent by any means. He had seen things he would not wish upon even the most heretical. His broken wings were proof enough of that.

Though even to Father Grayson, apostasy was not heresy. To turn away from the light of Auri and embrace of Gott was not in and of itself a heretical act, unthinkable as it may be to reject their love.

True heresy was disrespect to those same gods' principles. To turn away from morality and ethics... That was truly heretical.

A tugging at his sleeve interrupted his reverie. Looking down, a small chick was sitting at his feet, her big eyes placing a pleasant warmth in his stomach, and a small smile on his beak.

"Don't worry Aerie, we are about to start.", nuzzling the smaller bird with his beak, pushing her back towards her parents.

Clearing his throat, he closed his eyes in contemplation for a few mere moments. "Greetings, Ye Children of Faith, both old and new."

A cacophony of voices rose to respond in kind. "Greetings Father Grayson!"

The sun caressing his back, he opened his eyes, giving a hint of a smile to his flock. Noticing the open book in front of him upon the pedestal, he closed it as he began. "It is often that we go over our Lord and Lady's teachings from after The Great Betrayal. Indeed, it is good to learn of what our progenitors experienced, and the lessons they learned from those experiences. Yet, it is equally important to go over from before The Betrayal. For, as many a general and politician have stated, to scorn history is to repeat the failings of the past.", the crowd nodding slightly at his words. "I am glad you all agree. Before we begin, let us take a moment of silence or prayer for those departed."

The shift was nigh instantaneous. Almost as if a fire had been extinguished, though for a brief moment, the room died. What was before light chatter and upbeat candor turned to courteous and respectful silence. Even those who were youngest among their peers dared not speak. The silence persisted for but a brief few minutes, but the silence spoke.

Those who resided within the Confederacy's borders were no stranger to loss, but those who resided within Auri's Cradle knew loss far more than most. It was only due to a miracle that even the Eye of Auri's temple still stood tall and unblemished, for even a longboat cannot pierce the wrathful storm that was the Pantheon's fury. The outlying island villages were not so lucky. Those left without a garrisoned unit or airship fell quickly, and even those towns that were guarded needed repairs and reconstruction.

The loss of life was astounding. Once beautiful and vibrant hovels and houses were burned to the ground within a day, the islands scorched in the flames of war. Entire villages slain in hours.

And when the flames died down, they turned to the temple for guidance still.

Father Grayson craned his head up, and spoke. "Faith is a funny thing. With faith, the powers that now make up the Gryphic Confederacy waged war on each other for decades. To prove that their faith was the correct path to follow..."

"Only when they all faced annihilation, they found the light of Auri. They found the Truth."

Pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts, he resumed.

"In the beginning, there were two of our kind. It is from ancient text inscribed on crumbled stone we learned their names. For what we called them mattered not, when we realized that all of our 'true' gods were one in the same."

"It is from these same long dormant slates we learned how we came to be. Of what caused our creation; The Great Betrayal."

"Auri and Gott. While it is true that in the beginning 'twas only them, Auri soon began to yearn for more. Soon, she bore 9 children. The Great Hunter, Hernhe. The Lord over Leaves, Cranus. The Healing Spirit, Sirona. The Brothers of War, Divano and Dunatis. The Mistress of The Harvest, Alauna. The Sea's Jewel, Caticatona. The Forge Lord, Bel... And the Great Betrayer, Vidkun."

"Together, they carved a home for themselves among what we know today as Auri's Cradle. Hernhe, Cranus and Caticatona endeavored to bring home food to their family. Alauna planted the first of the trees, while Divano, Dunatis and Bel forged the First Blade. But Vidkun grew jealous of their work, and so, he hatched a daring plan."

"In the dark of the night, Vidkun fled home. He knew his mother would chase after him distraught, leaving his father to care for the others. And when she arrived above open ocean, he struck her down with his own claws."

Licking his lips, Grayson gingerly took a drink from his water skin. "As she fell from the heavens, so too did her cradle. When she collided with the sea, she expended the last of her divine power. In an act of spite, she became one with the earth, and gave birth to 300 more children. The first mortal Gryphons. And from her death, Aurighast was formed."

"Distraught, Vidkun attempted to flee, but was struck down by Hernhe's mighty arrow. The Father and The Children agreed to banish Vidkun to the Great Abyss, where he shall bring harm no more."

Looking at a clock in the corner of the room, he coughed. "That is all for now my followers. We shall reconvene in another weeks time. May you all be merry!"

If one listened close enough, you could hear a spectral scoff.

Author's Note

Another map, for a location that you have not seen the last of!

Final Spark

The momentary silence was deafening, and even the roar and chuff of engine and propeller alike were mere background noise.

The pony cut an imposing figure, with both visible muscle and scar in abundance. There was noticeable patchwork and repair in the doublet, nearly seamless with the rest of the fabric. His face however...

His face spoke volumes.

Steely gray eyes glared at his prey, with a darker gray lock of mane caressing his left brow. As he spoke, a few teeth were missing, and the tongue that licked his lips was pierced.

Nor did the pony fall in to the normal stereotype of a bilge rat. He was remarkably well shaven for his occupation, nor did he give off a foul odor as he graced the Chamomile's deck.

The silence was broken once more, the voice taking on the likeness of a whip. Harsh, furious, and swift to cause a reaction.

"I said... Who is the captain of this ship?"

Immediately, Chessur piped up. "I-i.... I am. What can I do for you Mr...?"

The unnamed pony huffed haughtily, before replying with a contemptuous tone. "Captain Cutter of the Dragon's Reach. What's in your hold? I don't have all day."

Chessur smiled sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck with a hoof. "This is a travel yacht, there's nothing but supplies and a few bottles of alcohol in the cargo hold."

The Captain huffed. "Right. And my mother was a grounder," turning back to his ship, he shouted. "Galley, 'Vane, get over here!"

A few seconds later, a pair of pegasi landed on the Chamomile's deck. One, an unclothed purple pegasus mare with a neon blue spiky mane, and the cutie mark of a wind vane. The other had a loose white shirt, soft yellow coat, their mane being brown with a single stripe of red through it, his cutie mark hidden underneath some slacks.

The stallion spoke with a surprisingly soft voice for one of his stature and occupation, his tone completely smooth and without a rumble. "Y-yes Cap'n?"

Cutter glared at him. "You and 'Vane go search the hold. If you find any trade goods, shout for me." And then he spoke, turning to Chessur. "And if we find that you lied to us, you're going to take a long walk through the sky, are we clear?"

The prench pony gulped. "C-c-crystal!", gesturing with a hoof towards the cargo bay doors in the center of the deck.

The two buccaneers walked to the small hatch, opening it to reveal a small staircase. As they retreated down the steps, their hooves clopping on the hard and polished wood.

As his crew-mates entered the Chamomile's hold, Captain Cutter looked to the rest of Chessur's crew. "Now. Where'd the pegasus go?"

Rose snorted, glaring at the white and scarred stallion with a scornful eye. "She's jetted off over to Part Havre to get help. Even if you send an interceptor after her, they won't reach her in time."

He raised an eye at that. "What'd ya think we were gonna do to ye? Sink you off the bat?"

The crew of the Chamomile blinked, before Chyrp replied. "Errr... You mean you weren't going to shoot us?"

The disgruntled pirate facehoofed. "What buckin kind of ship do you think I run?! That's how all those other rats get the navy on their heads!"

A few moments passed with the two parties exchanging idle chat as they waited for the pair of pegasi to finish in the cargo hold, and after a few minutes 'Vane's head popped out from below. "Nothin' cap. They're bone dry except for basic supplies, like food and water."

The white pegasus chuckled. "Well I'll be damned. Load up some of their food, and grab some medicine if they have it.", before looking towards Chessur. "I do apologize for purloinin' some of your supplies, but I'm sure you understand. Do spread the word of my... benevolence you hear?

As he finished, the wind had gone from a slight breeze to an increasingly fast gale. 'Vane and Galley clambered out of the cargo bay, looking around. After a brief moment, Vane started tugging on her captain's sleeve. "Err... Cap. That cloud bank wasn't black before."

Indeed, she was correct. What had before been a white and pristine grouping of clouds had gone pitch black and stormy gray, the darkest point at the center... and if you looked close enough, you may have even seen a mote of blue that wasn't born of the lightning that was crackling and stringing around the clouds.

Cutter narrowed his eyes. "That ain't a good sign... That ain't good at a-AGH!!"

CRACK!

The Captain being cut off, as a single massive lightning bolt sprang from the center of the mass of clouds, hitting the bow of the Reach's gasbag, barely hitting the patchwork.

It struck in the span of a second, the crew of the sloop having no time to react. As the mass of plasma and arcing electricity collided with the cloth, the hydrogen within the balloon ignited, turning what was once an airworthy ship into a charred husk. Any crew that may have been able to fly suddenly weren't, as the flames licked at and consumed their feathers. The hull of the Reach rocketed down towards the ocean quickly, tumbling through the air as it got tied up in the remnants of it's gasbag.

The Chamomile was sent careening away, the gangplank, along with Galley, falling rapidly. The flames were not quite able to reach the Chamomile's balloon, but they made their presence known as a wave of heat washed across the deck.

Reacting immediately, Rose sent a hoof flying into Cutter's muzzle, the nose letting out a loud CRACK at the impact, the sounds of Chyrp and Gavin engaging the other pegasus faintly registering in the back of her mind. Cutter responded with his own right hook while attempting to take flight, Rose catching it before pulling the captain back to the deck, charging her horn and sending a blast of kinetic force at his forehead, the beam colliding and staggering the stallion heavily, as he attempted to shake off the hit.

As he stumbled back, he growled out. "'Woulda let you lot live... BUT NOW I'M GETTIN' REAL TIRED OF YOUR SHIT!", And with that sentence spoken aloud, his hate filled, bloodshot eyes glared at the gryphic mare in front of him. Lashing out with a hoof, he struck her across the cheek, sending Rose reeling from the impact. Following it up with a buck to her chest, a single hoof connected with a loud clink, the impact absorbed by layers of padding and metal.

Rose cracked her neck, a scathing and scornful gaze set upon the captain, stepping backwards. "And you didn't have to chase us... LOOK WHERE THAT LANDED YA MATE!", grabbing his coat within her magical grasp and slamming him against the deck with a thump, her adversary rolled out of the doublet in retort, rocketing towards her with a flap of his large wings.

Impacting her squarely in the chest, the two rolled from the impact, Rose kicking the stallion off. Scrambling to her hooves and drawing her sabre with her magic, she held it in front of her diagonally, shifting it to match the pegasus's erratic movements. Cutter, tired of playing around, rushed forward swiftly, the sabre leaving a large gash in his chest as he pushed through, unperturbed by the blade.

Ramming into her with a shoulder, he knocked Rose down to the ground, leaping to pin her down. Rose rolled away, scrambling back to her hooves as Cutter slammed down in front of her. Eyeing her sabre, she willed it towards her with a mental tug, the hilt nicking her opponent's ear as she recalled it, grabbing it from the air with a hoof. Moving quickly, she stood up and brought it down in an arc at the Captain's face, who moved backwards a second too late, the blade leaving a nasty cut in his muzzle.

The pegasus grinned, swiftly flapping his wings and ascending. Rose held her sword towards him defensively, but as he made to dive bomb her, he feinted, dropping to the deck instead, and swiftly rushing her. Standing on his hind legs, he grabbed her sword hoof and turned, slamming Rose into the hard wood of the hull, taking the blade from her hoof. As he stabbed towards her, she rolled to the left, springing a kick into his groin.

The stallion recoiled in pain, stabbing into the deck with a grimace. "You lil' bi-", being cut off as Rose, having spent her time getting back up, brought him into a choke hold. Losing his concentration, the sabre clattered onto the deck, now forgotten by the two quarreling ponies.

Fighting to maintain control of the situation, he began trying to force Rose towards to the railing of the deck, as his lungs begged for breath and he began seeing stars. The battle-tested mare dropped prone, wrapping her hind legs around the stallion's waist, fighting to keep a strong grip. Wiggling and writhing, the buccaneer finally managed to elbow the mare's muzzle, Rose loosening her grip just enough that her adversary was able to break free.

Clambering on top of Rose, he began raining punch after punch upon her face, aiming at her horn. The Ranger holding her hooves in a defensive position as she was forced to endure blow after blow, struggling to maintain her concentration. After what felt like an eternity, she managed to belt out a basic wave of kinetic force, weakly launching her assailant a few meters away.

Rising on all fours, Rose looked to where she had launched the Captain, seeing that he recovered, much the same as she had. Forming a small shield into the shape of a disk, she launched it directly between his eyes, the impact staggering him for but a brief moment. As he shook off the daze, he opened his eyes to see Rose staring at him triumphantly. As he opened his mouth to snark, he felt something impact his side with a loud TWANG.

Looking at his right side, he saw a large ballista bolt had impaled itself into his chest, courtesy of Gavin. Gasping for breath, he grinned wildly, "H-heh... Good game folks. Good game.", he said, before suddenly rushing forth and attempting to tackle Rose off of the Chamomile's deck.

Rose's eyes widened, moving to dodge the suicidal pegasus. While she succeeded in evading the brunt of the charge, she was far too close to the railing and got knocked over by Cutter's wing.

She immediately registered the rushing wind as she went into free fall, being sent careening towards the surface of the ocean. Captain Cutter was in a similar situation as her, though falling much slower due to his wings. Holding all of her hooves out in an X formation as her muscle memory took hold, she attempted to slow her descent as much as possible, futile as it may have been.

Eyeing the pirate captain out of the corner of her eye, she gathered up a large portion of her remaining wellspring, shaping the spell and letting loose an arrow of energy, sending it hurtling towards her target. The arrow struck true near the base of his wing, sending the pegasus tumbling mid flight and falling like a brick.

As the ocean's surface drew closer, she slowly transitioned to a dive, accepting her fate.

10,000 meters.

8,000.

7,000.

6,000...

And as she resolved herself, she heard a nearly imperceptible whoosh, as something grabbed her, the impact jarring her. Blinking her eyes open, she looked to her barrel to see a pair of blue hooves wrapped around her waist. Snapping to look behind her, she saw the exhausted face of Aquila, huffing and panting from exertion.

"Cheers 'Quila. Have a nice flight?" Rose said jovially, smiling at her friend as they began to slowly ascend towards the now immobile Chamomile.

Aquila's right eye twitched. "Yup. Totally. How was yours?" She asked, her nose scrunched in annoyance.

"Pretty nice all things told. Falling to your death really makes you appreciate the sky more y'know." Laughing quietly, Rose spoke once more. "The funny thing is, is that this has happened before. Back when The Beast was sent to put The Squall down, a stray ballista bolt caught my skivvies and sent me careening off the deck. They had a rescue bird on me within a minute!"

As the two idly chattered on the slow ascent back to the ship, they graced the Chamomile with their presence once more within a half hour, the crew celebrating at their escape from certain death, The lone pirate that remained on board was bound and placed within the small, confined brig of the Chamomile. As they set sail, they celebrated for the entire week. Dance, song, and drinking were commonplace during that time, with even Chessur forgoing all formalities and partying like a wild animal... That is of course, after swearing his friends to secrecy. He had a reputation to maintain after all!

And so, as the week passed by, songs were sung, and praises were given to the pegasus who saved their lives.

And soon...

they would arrive at their destination.

Filly Dreams

Rose sat in her chair, her hind leg tapping impatiently against the metal of the telescope. It had been about a week since the incident with Captain Cutter, and from what Chessur had told her they were due to arrive at Fillydelphia today. Indeed, she could see it easily through through the many lens of the articulated spyglass. A few skyscrapers dotted the cityscape, piercing the lower altitude clouds. Bricked buildings collided with more rustic architecture to create a veritable sea of color, the sun reflecting off of the occasional roof and almost directly into her telescope.

The day was calm and pleasant. The winds were tepid and restful, the breeze blowing through her hair and cooling her coat from the heat of the summer sun. Clouds were few and far between, and from what she knew it was going to stay that way for a long while, what with Summer having just officially begun.

She felt a feather tickle her ear, jerking her head away from it and looking at the blue feather's owner. "Th' fuck, 'Quila?"

Aquila giggled at Rose's reaction, wiping the sweat off her brow. "We're about an hour out from the harbor. I was thinking that maybe after we get situated that I could take you on something of a tour of Filly'. I was stationed here for my first enlistment, and I happen to know some of the best pubs in the city. One of which caters to meat-eaters!" She said, grinning happily.

Rose snorted, shaking her head at her friend. During the remainder of the trip, the two had gotten somewhat closer, spending their shifts talking on stories and memories from the past. "Sounds to me like you're asking me on a date... So yea', I'll bite."

The pegasus nodded giddily, ruffling her feathers. "Not quite a date, but it's been ages since I've had a good Filly Catbano, and I'm sure you'd love the Cheesesteak!"

Rose raised an eyebrow at her, cracking her neck. "I have no idea what in Tartarus either of those are."

Aquila paused, looking at Rose like she was a madmare. "What do you mean?! You said you were in the navy! Didn't you ever dock at Filly?!"

Rose shook her head. "Nnnnope. The Morri' was always deployed on pirate duty or sent to the middle-east to help the Saddles with their revolution. So most of what I've had is curry..." She got a far off look in her eyes, remembering every night after she had ate the dish. "Lots and lots of curry. Oh! And don't forget the halloumi. That stuff was delicious."

Rose nearly burst into laughter as she watched Aquila's brain slowly reboot itself. "W-what? You mean to tell me you never docked in an Equestrian port?!"

Rose thought to herself for a moment before nodding. "Yup. Left the navy before the Morrighan ever had a chance to hit one of the coastal cities over here. The most Equestrian place I have been in my life was probably at the embassy in Saddle Arabia. One of th' first actual interactions I had with you Grazers. Not a good one either." She rolled her eyes and snorted, kicking her chair roughly. "Yer diplomats were a bunch o' pompous cunts who couldn't see the big picture. I get that y'all want peace, but telling those refugees to sod off put a bad taste in my mouth."

Aquila snorted and stomped her hoof. "And then Abyssinia would have been breathing down our necks, and we aren't about to break a thousand years of peace just to help ponies who had rights in the first place!"

Rose put her head in her hooves, sighing. "Quuuuuuila'! They were second class citizens, at best, who wanted a better life!" She lifted her head up and looked her friend in the eye. "Trust me, I was there. Besides, if they were able to smack the cats around like a buckball, then the pussies gettin' mad at Sunbutt would have meant nothin' anyway!"

Aquila huffed and rolled her eyes. "And if we had gotten involved then we'd have Tauran Army coming down to join the party!"

Rose raised an eyebrow at her, holding back a chuckle. "You seriously tryin' to tell me that the bullheads would tangle with the G.C.N and the Equestrian mage corp? Last time they tangoed with us, we sent a single cutter to the DMZ and they came to us cryin' for peace!" She laughed, slapping the arm of her chair.

She stopped as she noticed her friend frowning. "What?"

"You don't have to solve all your problems with violence. You can't just... Bully your way through every problem!"

The Gryphic mare frowned, biting her cheek. "I know that. But diplomacy doesn't always work. We learned that lesson way back during the first Yak raids." She spun around in her chair, blowing a lock of mane out of her eyes. "The situation with Minos was sketchy at best, and the only reason that dispute got settled is because we showed that we weren't afraid to back down. They came in, tried to claim one of the islands in th' cradle as theirs, and we told em, right and proper, to fuck off."

This continued for quite a while, the two bickering back and forth. Eventually however, it tapered off, Aquila huffing and stomping her hooves in frustration. "Buck this, I'm gonna go grab a drink and let Chyrp take over for the," She squinted her eyes, looking towards the harbor. "10 or so minutes we've got left to go."

Rose shrugged, leaning back with her hooves behind her head. "Awright then. You do you I s'pose." Her ear twitched as Aquila stomped off, the deck creaking loudly.

Rose talked with Chyrp for the final moments of their descent towards the harbor, the two discussing their plans for the evening after they had docked and gone through customs. Rose didn't feel like Aquila was too terribly keen on taking her on a tour after their little debate.

Rose was jerked out of her conversation with Chyrp as the Chamomile lurched, halting as it was magically pulled in to the harbor. She felt her hair stand on end, igniting her horn and clamping on to her chair. "Chyrp! This normal?!"

He chuckled at her antics, giving her a nod. "Yup! They installed these a year or so back at most of the busy port cities. More secure than regular rope. Needs less maintenance as well, from what I've heard anyway."

She relaxed slightly, the previously glaring light on her horn cooling to a dim glow. "O-Okay then. I'll trust ya on that. So we just... What? Let the fancy towing matrix do its thing?"

He gave her another nod and a shrug, walking over to the railing and pointing out the now glowing bulbs that sat at the end of each dock. "Yeah pretty much. Worked on a shrimp trawler a 'til about three months ago, and these new towers are amazin.' 'Least for watercraft anyway."

Rose blinked a few times. "Huh. Didn't know you worked on a fishin' boat," She said, hopping out of her and slinging her saddlebags, which she had brought up earlier, on to her back. "Why'd ya quit?"

He clicked his tongue a few times, ruffling his feathers. "Would you believe me if I said I had a err... Disagreement with the captain on the 'availability' of his daughter?"

She wheezed, nearly falling over as Chyrp's words set in. "You... HUH... YOU WHAT?!" She cackled loudly, leaning on the railing. "Oh you are one dumb, slimy dog!"

He glared at her, pointing an accusatory talon her way. "Don't you judge me! She was cute and was single at the time!"

She gave him a glance as she sauntered off of the Chamomile, handing a small stack of papers to the customs agent that was awaiting them. "What do we do with a drunken sailor, Chyrp?!"

The last thing she heard from him was some obscure swear, before she began to trot off towards the hotel Chessur had booked for them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3 hours later

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rose sat in the hotel's restaurant, staring at the glass in front of her with a puzzled look on her face. "Why's there water in my cup?"

Chessur, Aquila, and Gavin raised an eyebrow. Chyrp had refused their invitation, saying that he had a few buddies he wanted to meet up with while he was still in the city. Chessur coughed into his hoof, giving her an amused grin. "What? Is the big bad soldier scared of a little water?"

She snorted, her horn softly glowing as she picked up the tall glass and swirled it around. "Nope. Just... Haven't drank water in nearly a decade. And even then, that was at a ceremony for The Beast after we had dusted the Squall. Real high society sort of gig."

Aquila tilted her head, a look of visible confusion crossing her countenance. "What? Why?!"

Rose shrugged. "Clean water doesn't make it's way into the inner cities that often, Gott forbid the G.C.N! I was drinkin' ale since the age of 5, and they give us grog when we're on deployment." She sipped at her glass, her nose scrunching as the tasteless liquid filled her mouth.

Chessur laughed softly and nodded, patting Aquila on the back. "Indeed, water is something of a luxury in Aurighast. It's part of why I enjoy visiting the country so often," he said, giving her a suave grin. "Their alcohol is stronger because of it. You wouldn't believe the cognacs or wines that come out of their breweries and vineyards!"

Rose nodded in agreement. "In comparison to the Equestrian stuff, then yeah you'd be right. Sounds to me like you haven't tried some of the good stuff from Minos though." She leaned across the table and spoke softly, as if the information she was about to convey was some great secret. "Last time I grabbed a good vodka from a Minotaur, I was out within a few shots. That stuff'll kill ya!"

Gavin smiled, slapping Aquila's shoulder. He was about to speak, until he was interrupted by the waitress arriving with their food. "Apologies for the wait, dearies. A V.I.P came in with quite a large group, and we only finished their orders a short while ago," she said, handing the plates of food to Gavin, who in turn gave everyone their food.

The party sat in silence as they ate, occasionally making small talk as they enjoyed their meal. Soon after, they went off to bed, the moon now hanging high in the sky.

And as Rose tossed and turned in her bed, she couldn't help but feel anxious.

After all, she signs her citizenship papers tomorrow.

Author's Note

Apologies about the delay on this update! I've got a couple of other projects that I'm working on, one of which will be released soon!