“Fo’ when Anu offewed wowdship of dah seas an’ oceans. aww wejected, feawin’ it’s dawk powews, an deep endwessness. So uwtimatewy Jo was giben dah domain, not as a gift, buh as punishment.”
[An excerpt from the Anuian Holy Text “The Creation of Everything”]
After we were given our mission we left our gear at Stablelot, and silently started heading to Seaside by hired wagon. And to be honest, it was pretty strange seeing my unit wearing normal clothing and not the usual armor. With Charles wearing a light brown shirt with a coat over it, Ix with a dark beige coat with a green shirt and Dar wearing a loose brown shirt with several white pattern cuts on it with him also wearing a black coat. And finally me with a dark yellow shirt and dark green coat. After that observation I sat at the corner of the silent wagon thinking about our soon to be search and location. Nickel City, home of the bat ponies. It was a pretty mysterious place, with visitors almost completely prohibited, with the only general info being that they had a strange way of running things. Clans they called it, where there wasn’t one head of state, but just a bunch of powerful families that ran things and plotted against each other, only uniting when an outside invader threatened all of them. Sounds like a… “Lovely place” And the search for Enoch and Willow, shouldn’t be that hard, two normal fluffies in a sea of bat fluffies should stick out like a sore hoove. Charles looked at us and spoke.
“Stiww nu feew comfowtabwe about saiwing, bewy wough watews dis time of yeaw.”
Ix speaks trying to comfort Charles.
“Well the journey shouldn’t take that long, let’s hope seas are merciful.”
As the wagon kept moving along we pass a village and I look seeing lots of injured survivors sitting by a fire in the center. Dark speaks noticing the sight to.
“Damn dey must hab come hewe seekin’ a doctow. what a howwibwe disastaw.”
There was now a bleak sadness filling us as we passed the village, the scars from this disaster wouldn’t be healed for a very, very long time. Now almost at Seaside I started to thinking about my family, I knew before we left I had to visit to see what was going on, and to be honest felt a bit of dread just knowing I was going to be home soon not knowing what was going on. I also could now start feeling drops of snow on my nose, and looking up I saw it had started snowing, with it looking like it was going to be a lot.
Arriving at the gate of Seaside I looked to see a sign outside with the following text.
“Survivors of the tower collapse not welcome! We are already overcapacity!”
Getting off the wagon, I thanked the driver and than made it closer to the gate, with a Seaside guard looking at us for a few seconds before speaking.
“Fwuffy saw 'ou came fwom dah diwection of Stabwewot, tuwn back!”
I speak.
“We am not injuwed an’ am a wesident of dis city, Emiwy come’s seekin’ fwuffy’s pawents. Dey am wowwied about me.”
The guard speaks.
“Dah othews?”
I speak coming up with a lie.
“We am aww apawt of dah Mewchant Guiwd, I was weadin’ a twadin’ stand when dah towah feww. Ouw contwact hasn’t expiwed yet. Su dey stay wiff fwuffy.”
I heard Charles chuckle a bit when I said we were apart of the merchants guild. And the guard after a few seconds leaves coming back a little later and speaking.
“Ou am pewmitted to entah.”
And with that the gate starts to slightly open, giving us enough space to head inside.
Once I give an initial look at the city, it felt strange being back here. Like I have grown and witnessed so much back at Stablelot, that I feel like I left my emotions there and was a little numbed. Walking for a bit I spoke looking at Charles.
“Chawwes Emiwy has to see fwuffy’s pawents. Whewe can fwuffy find 'ou when am done?”
Charles speaks wiping the falling snow off his face.
“just wook fo’ meat dah docks, Chawwes has an idea on gettin’ a ship.”
Hearing this I nodded to my unit in goodbye and went on my way, heading home. Traveling there weren’t that many people around with the only ones there not even looking at me as they passed. As I got to a plaza I could see the statue of Velvet… And it was defaced! The statues head had been torn off with on the ground. And around the statue’s neck was a sign with the following words.
“DEATH TO THOSE THAT INSULTED THE GOD’S!”
Did some nutjobs really think that the Doe dynasty were punished!? I moved myself along before I got to upset. I could see my house now in the distance, and walking towards it I see that there is no light inside, no fire. Pushing aside my growing worries I open the door to the main hall and my jaw drops.
Empty, nobody is home. I look around and shout.
“MUMMAH!? DADDAH!? BWUDDAH!?”
I turn to see the dining table, and on it I see something. Letters, my letters. They’d did come here and were opened! Also on the table I could see multiple bills and warnings, and notes from doctors. Than just before I started reading these notes I heard a voice from behind me.
“Emiwy?”
Mother she was at the door looking at me with tears starting to form in her eyes. Instantly I ran at her and gave a hug starting to cry as well. Mom speaks.
“Mawia am su happy 'ou am otay! When dah towah feww… I, I thought 'ou wewe-”
I speak interrupting Mom’s last word.
“It’s otay’ am home!”
After a few more seconds of hugging I speak.
“What happened to Daddeh! whewe’s Bwuddah!?”
I look at my Mother and see her reaction to my comment, it was one of deep sadness and stress. Finally she speaks sitting at the table.
“Am bwuddah he weft. Said somethin’ about goin’ out nowff to find hewp fo’ am fathah. it’s been 2 months since he weft”
I speak.
“An Daddah?”
Mom takes a deep breath before going to her and dad’s room, speaking as she does.
“Fowwow Mummah…”
I knew as I walked what was on the other side of that door, wouldn’t make me feel any better.
Inside the room was dark with my Mother even having to get candle to light just for us to see better. And walking towards the bed I saw him. His left arm was completely missing, with what left of it rotted. He breathed extremely slowly with each time being deep and slow, and with better lighting I saw just how skinny he had gotten, with him aged considerably since I left. As I got closer to him I had no idea if he was awake and touching his forehead I saw his eyes slightly open and his head slowly turned to me speaking.
“Emiwy am back…”
I speak tears in my eyes.
"Yes, yes Emiwy am.
He struggles to reaise his body to give me a hug, with my mother chiming in as he does,
"Pwease honey nu am unweww!’
Dad eventually stops trying, with him now out of breath. But seeing this I go to give him a hug, with him wrapping his right arm around me speaking as he does.
“It’s gud am hewe, doctow says fwuffy won’t make it to next yeaw. buh atweast I get to see fwuffy’s babbeh one wastes’ time.”
Mom speaks as I start to sob.
“Nu say that! wip am gettin’ a speciawist as we speak.”
The room falls silent.
For the next 20 minutes my Mother explained what had been going on since I left, after my Dad’s accident, his condition deteriorated more and more. And my Mother had to get a second job just to support the household. The reason she didn’t want to give any update letters was because she thought if she did it would worry me, and distract me from my training and job. And I told my mother all that has happened to me, my training, my unit, my first months as a guard and the collapse of the tower. Than finally I told her about my mission, telling her that it must be kept secret and not to tell. She seemed shocked by the revelations, and a little upset that I would soon be leaving soon but understood. As I gave one last hug to my Dad and Mom I spoke to both of them.
“Goodbye Emiwy wish she shouwd stay hewe buh…”
I was silent. I wrote a few notes one for my brother, and one for Aubrey and than giving one last hug to my Mom I left for the docks, giving a final wave in the now foggy outside street. Making my way to the docks, I see a few ships but not my unit. so as I walk I try calling for them with nothing coming of it.
Than as I get near the edge of the talk I could hear Ix speaking, with a wooden ship coming into view.
“Emily you’re here, Come!”
Getting on board the medium size ship I see it is labeled as property of the Doe dynasty, with Dar speaking with a smile.
“‘Ou wouwdn’t bewiebe it, dis ship was just sittin’ hewe unguawded an’ abandoned! how things go wiff am pawents?”
I just frown as Dar’s smile fades and he understands. As I put my things down I see Charles as the wheel speaking.
“Wet’s just go befowe dah fog get’s to bad. An’ when Chawwes gib’s 'ou an owdah fowwow it!”
We nod and not much time later the sails are down and anchor raised and we begin to move out of port. Looking out I could see multiple guards running to the docks, with weapons raised shouting at us. didn’t matter though as soon the fog consumed us, and we were invisible.
The next few hours were spent just standing around trying not to get sick. Charles seemed to be in good spirits just looking out and sometimes at a compass, and Dar and Ix were below deck looking to see what was below. And I was just sitting still distressed about my family. Charles seeing how upset I looked spoke.
“Dis am quite dah fancy ship.”
I speak.
“Didn’t 'ou steew it?”
Charles speaks.
“I pwefah bowwow.”
Charles smiles as we continue. It started turning to night, and the fog subsided a little and we could see out. It was water all around with only the occasional bird coming into view, and there was also the waves as well with me getting sick more than once. Dar got to the upper deck and looked at the cloudy sky and half moon speaking as he did.
“when wiww we be dewe?”
Charles speaks.
“Hopefuwwy if we keep up dah speed, by next mownin’.”
Dar is quiet for a few moments, before nodding and laying down. I started to lay down as well and than a few minutes later I could start feeling droplets of rain on my face with a bit a thunder as well. so getting up I begin to head to the lower deck with there being more and more rain, than I notice something. Charles face, what was he so… Afraid of?
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The sound of thunder filled the air, with Dar jolting awake in a panic. Looking behind me I see it, a giant dark cloud with glimpses of thunder and lighting, and we were getting near it. Charles yells trying his best to turn around.
“HEPW!”
I begin to head towards the wheel and once I get there I start to help him turn it, it seems to work as we slowly turn the wheel the ship begins turning right. Than Pushing again I heard a loud snap, and the wheel broke. Charles speaks.
“FUCK! head down nao!”
Following him we go to the lower deck. And once there I could feel the waves getting rougher and rougher and winds so fast we couldn’t go back out. Ix and Dar were panicking, with me trying to find cover and Charles doing something in another room. Than something happened, the ship made a lean to the left and things and flying everywhere. I tried to hold on but a box came right at me, hitting me in the face. And it was lights out.
When I woke up it was quiet and my vision was all blurry. Was this it? Paradise, or who knows I didn’t go to the temple that often so, the underworld? My vision started improving and I could tell was still in the ship, good not dead! I tried to get up to no avail with me hearing the sounds of hoofSteps coming from above. Was that Charles… Or Dar or Ix? I could hear a voice, a scratchy voice I didn’t recognize.
“Pwopewty of House Doe, 'ou think dah boat got woose? come wet’s wook bewow.”
I started to see a figure come below with it speaking soon after.
"Come we hab 4 bewow, aww of them fwom Motow!
Just than just as I started regaining more and more of my senses I saw a pike in my face with the one holding it being a… Bat pony. A bat pony with a black coat and dark grey mane and wings that were hairless with thin skin. The bat pony spoke.
"‘Ou am undah awwest by owdah of Cwan NaJook! Fo’ dah acts of attempted espionage, an’ unauthowized entwy into dah Nickew city docks!
Hearing this, I raise my hooves and think to myself. Were here. Fin
Thank you for reading my story! I hope to have the next part done in a few day’s to a week, and of course constructive criticism is appreciated. May you have a good day!