Odysseus: Sailing Embers. (IC Open)

[The Floor Kippers]

Jonathan grinned at Marran and looked him up and down.

"Fascinating," He joked, "I never suspected such things could be."

He paused to look over his shoulder at the rest of the group, he too was impressed with Silver's speed.

"And don't forget, I was on the university running team," He added, turning back to Marran "I can keep pace with some of the best of them."

There was another pause.

"What's to say you don't?" He added with a smirk, thinking back to his university days.

[Orangi]

"Can you? Lot of universities out there Jon..!" Marran said, upping his speed a little bit.

'I'll wait... Just a while longer...'

"Really Jon you've already lost! we've got about seven more minutes of this if my clock's accurate!"

[The Floor Kippers]

"Nonsense," Jonathan said, shaking his head, "This is when mankind falls into it's own. Endurance. I might not be able to run faster than you, but I can run longer than you. Horses, wolves, cats, we out run them all, baby."

"What is he up to" Jonathan thought to himself

"I was also Phaelaf Universities running champion,"

[Orangi]

"Orranian Naval Academy of Osarra, but you have no idea what that is, like I don't know your stuff! And can you run longer than... me..?" Marran said, the instructor beginning to run faster than him.

"Shut up and focus on running!" She said as she passed by.

'Oh that just won't do.' Marran thought, breaking out into a full run, catching up with her. "Who said I wasn't!?"

[The Floor Kippers]

Jonathan smiled to himself and hung back, biding his time.
Marran was reminding him of his old running partner, Jalax. Always trying to go that one step beyond, pushing himself on with the trash talk they shared, racing the instructors.
It had been a great shock and loss to the team when Jal was involved in a Hovercar accident in which he lost a leg.
Jalax had been saddened greatly when he discovered that he would run no more. After a few months in which he had slipped into a funk, despite Jonathan's best efforts, he had surprised Jon by showing up at the sports ground on a championship race day, just to cheer his old partner on.

Jonathan grinned as he thought about Jalax. He had been a good freind, but he wasn't as cute as Marran.

He nearly stumbled as he realised what he had just thought and his brain reminded him that it was far too soon for those thoughts with a short and nasty flashback and a pang of guilt.

[Quidomne]

"Heh heh, Silver, why are you...crusty...?"

"Wait-HUH?!"

Rivette awoke in a start, butter substitute and miscellaneous foodstuffs covering her face.

She looked around in a sleepy daze. The mess hall was empty. The group of mismatched compatriots was gone as well.

The gears of Rivette's mind began to whir.

Click.

Click.

Click.

DING.

"SHIT, EXERCISE!"

Rivette quickly levitated her napkin to clean her filthy face and jumped over the table like a prized equine athlete, dashing toward and out the exit, leaving her tray of half-eaten food behind.

She was never late for things, she thought. She was always on time. This was bad, very bad, she thought.

But she handled it in the best way she knew how.

Frantically and loudly.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

Going at a speed rivaling that of a nervous chihuahua, Rivette reached the exercise area in a surprisingly short amount of time.

She was utterly exhausted and unfortunately late, but she was there. She saw the cat man, Silver, Bentu, and the cook already in mid-gallop.

Avoiding the eyes of the officials, she watched them for a bit as she rested, leaning and hiding by the entrance, her sides hurting from both lack of breath and a good tool-bag smacking.

[Cevalo Nacio]

Hathor had been in the exercise room but had done little else but mess around with small weights by the sideline. It felt stupid, to be running on an indoor track when the culture of all the people of Cieria was gone and most of its people dead, it was odd seeing frivolity of any kind but than, she supposed, she would have to adjust

[Ceffyltir]

Silver galloped along the track, the clanking of her right hoof keeping a steady beat like a metronome. This was the first time she had put any real physical effort into anything since doomsday. It felt relaxing to be able to release the tension in her muscles, even if it didn't change the situation she was in.

She could hear Smedley and Marran taunting each other a few meters ahead, and she could swear that they said something about her as well. Marran even briefly turned around with a smug-looking smile on his feline face before widening the gap between them even further.

Oh, that does it.

Silver tilted her head downward, her thirst for competition intensifying. Her pace doubled; though she wasn't sure how long her legs could sustain that kind of effort.

[Orangi]

Marran heard metal clanking him getting louder and louder. He didn't need to look back to know who it was. "Hey! Don't push too hard with that leg, don't want to see something bad happen to it!" Marran said, keeping pace with the instructor.

"Unless you really want to!"

"Shut the hell up Varri." The instructor said, taking time to flick his ear as he ran beside her.

"Ow! Why are you allowed to do that?" Marran whined.

"Keep belligerents in line. Part of the job- now can it and run!" She said, keeping her current pace. Marran figured this was her best.

'I'll give you running...' He thought, grimacing just a little bit.

[Ceffyltir]

"Serves you right." Silver huffed with a grin, just loud enough for Marran to hear. She slowed down a bit, keeping an even pace with him and Jonathan; her haunches angrily yelling at her for the sudden and unnecessary burst. Her energy reserves were still plentiful, but she knew she couldn't turn it up to eleven if she was going to gallop the whole time - especially with the odd rigidness forming in the second joint of her prosthetic.

It was strange. That leg had been through hell and high water for months if not years without a single issue, but at soon as it was mentioned, it felt like it was beginning to lock up.

It didn't matter, though. Not to Silver. As long as she didn't force it, it should be fine...

[Orangi]

"Damn!" Marran said, watching Silver run beside him. "No servos, no synthetic muscles, just joints and plates? Color me impressed!" Marran said as he ran along the track. "How does that even work? Either there's some sort of trick to it or it's just extremely well made. Either way I'm damn impressed..!" Marran stated.

It did puzzle him. It seemed a bit rough around the edges, extremely basic. 'What does keep that leg going?' He wondered.

[The Floor Kippers]

"Silver, was it?" Jonathan exclaimed to shake himself out of slipping into a dark funk again, "Glad you could join us."

He gave Silver a friendly grin as she kept pace.
"That artificial leg of yours certainly is an impressive piece of craftsponyship. Am I imagining that fact, or are you the one responsible for it's crafting?"

[Ceffyltir]

Silver rolled her eyes, her smile briefly disappearing.

Why is this accursed leg always the main topic of discussion? Surely I have more interesting qualities...

The small smile returned. "Me? I couldn't build this thing if I tried. It was created by my brother and an old friend of mine... They each had different talents to contribute - metalworking and enchanting, respectively, so they worked together. The final product came out rather well, if you ask me. It's sturdy, lightweight, and uncomplicated." she explained.

[The Floor Kippers]

"Ah, it follows the old adage of my home world," Jonathan replied, "Keep it simple, Stupid."

"Sorry to bring up the leg, by the way. I was just curious," He grinned, "I bet you get questions about it all the time. Rest assured there will be no further enquires on that topic from me"

[Palonitr and Howland]

Salas Fileon grunted as he lifted his weights, taking out his anger about the loss of his people. He continued the physucal punishmentbon his body until his anger dissapated into tired frustration. He stes down his weights and starts to flash back to scenes of the invasion.

He flashed backed to when he saw his own tribe ship fought along side the Odysseus. When it was the last to stand with the Odysseus and faithfully the tribe chief blocked a devastating blow that was headed for the Odysseus with the Tribe Ship. Its flashed back to when he saw his entire tribe ship be incinerated by a flash of blue. At that time, Sallas was the liason between his tribe ship and the Odysseus, where due to that, Sllas saw everything from the Odysseus's bridge.

Calming himself down, Sallas noticed a particular group of civillians being more loud and rowdier than most of the emotionally dead population. He sighed and grabbed his towel and police badge as he made his way to the group whom were disturbing the populace with their more cheery nature. He hoped that the other civilains be able to get over the loss of their families and homeworld soon as it would make the ship sombre. He put on his O.D.P.D PT shirt as he reached the group.

Sallas approached them " How's going here civillians. The name is Sallas Fileon, O.D.P.D, District A6 garrison." He grunted out his words to the group.

[Orangi]

Salas Fileon grunted as he lifted his weights, taking out his anger about the loss of his people. He continued the physucal punishmentbon his body until his anger dissapated into tired frustration. He stes down his weights and starts to flash back to scenes of the invasion.

He flashed backed to when he saw his own tribe ship fought along side the Odysseus. When it was the last to stand with the Odysseus and faithfully the tribe chief blocked a devastating blow that was headed for the Odysseus with the Tribe Ship. Its flashed back to when he saw his entire tribe ship be incinerated by a flash of blue. At that time, Sallas was the liason between his tribe ship and the Odysseus, where due to that, Sllas saw everything from the Odysseus's bridge.

Calming himself down, Sallas noticed a particular group of civillians being more loud and rowdier than most of the emotionally dead population. He sighed and grabbed his towel and police badge as he made his way to the group whom were disturbing the populace with their more cheery nature. He hoped that the other civilains be able to get over the loss of their families and homeworld soon as it would make the ship sombre. He put on his O.D.P.D PT shirt as he reached the group.

Sallas approached them " How's going here civillians. The name is Sallas Fileon, O.D.P.D, District A6 garrison." He grunted out his words to the group.

"Awful!" Marran said, bolting past the officer. "Never been worse!"

And he wasn't lying. While his compatriots could distract him, everything that'd happened yesterday was easily the worst thing that happened in his life. He kept his mind on the track.

[Quidomne]

"Woah...that leg..."

In Rivette's humble opinion, she considered that one of the better prostheses she's seen, and having lived in a neighborhood of laborers, she's seen quite a few.

"From its movement and general appearance, it would appear the mechanism itself is fairly simple, with a good deal of enchanting for supplementation," she pondered. She was no stranger to magic, as, well, it came out of her freaking head a lot.

The mismatched band had long since stopped galloping and once again began to converse, but Rivette was unaffected by all of this, as she continued to ruminate over mechanics and function. Unfortunately, her ruminations had made her dreadfully unaware of the slim figure of Helen Phillips, who stood a few feet to her right.

"Enjoying the view, hon?"

"Oh, well, actually I was just..."

Rivette calmly turned her head to meet the bright voice, and she froze. Her rosy eyes widened as she uttered the requisite swear.

"Oh...shit."

Rivette shrunk back and stammered, trying to emit an excuse of some kind, but Helen raised her hand to cease the sad display.

"It's fine, kid. Usually I would dock you for something like this, but i figured I owe you one for fixing my treadmill a while back. Just...don't let it happen again, or you owe me 2 miles on the track. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Rivette meekly replied.

Helen smiled wryly. "Good girl," she retorted. "Now either finish cavorting or am-scray. We got shit to do around here."

Ms. Phillips strided away purposefully, her firm thighs carrying her along.

Rivette released a sigh of relief. She was all right. Helen was nice, but...this encounter had stirred up some rotten feelings in her. she hated how she submissively bended to authority figures all of the time. A terrible habit, she thought, borne by her natural shyness. She was not a child to be pushed around or coddled, she asserted. She was one of the best damn engineers on this rust bucket. And, besides, she hasn't wet the bed like a filly since...

...

"HEY, I WONDER WHAT HOW THOSE GUYS ARE DOING!"

Rivette quickly trotted over to the track as the merry band continued to run.

[Orangi]

Something occurred to Marran.

The small smile returned. "Me? I couldn't build this thing if I tried. It was created by my brother and an old friend of mine... They each had different talents to contribute - metalworking and enchanting, respectively, so they worked together. The final product came out rather well, if you ask me. It's sturdy, lightweight, and uncomplicated." she explained.

His pace slowed as the instructor passed him, going back to where roughly Silver and Jonathan were.

"Silver, hey... Did you say that leg- that was... enchanted?" He asked, trying to fully understand what he just heard. "Like, enchanted enchanted? Or is that just a term?" He finished, slowing down to more of a jog than a full run.

[Slorch]

Something occurred to Marran.

The small smile returned. "Me? I couldn't build this thing if I tried. It was created by my brother and an old friend of mine... They each had different talents to contribute - metalworking and enchanting, respectively, so they worked together. The final product came out rather well, if you ask me. It's sturdy, lightweight, and uncomplicated." she explained.

His pace slowed as the instructor passed him, going back to where roughly Silver and Jonathan were.

"Silver, hey... Did you say that leg- that was... enchanted?" He asked, trying to fully understand what he just heard. "Like, enchanted enchanted? Or is that just a term?" He finished, slowing down to more of a jog than a full run.

At this point in time Bentu caught up with the rest of the group. His breathing was only slightly elevated, because he was used to long distance runs. "Yes, Marran. Enchanted enchanted. It's kind of the unicorn's thing. They do magic, the Pegasuses fly around and control the weather, and the earth ponies work with plants." replied Marran.

[The Floor Kippers]

"Hey, Marran," Jonathan said, as he began to overtake, taking advantage of Marran's slowing, "Less chatting more running. This monkey man is gonna beat you."

He grinned widely as he entered his stride that had placed him highly in many a competition.

[Orangi]

Marran's ears perked up and his pupils narrowed. Smedley? Win? He would have none of that.

"Oss Vor Iik!" He bellowed at Jonathan as he lurched forward and leapt into the track, claws on his hands scraping against the floor. He'd wanted a chance to do this and worried that he wouldn't get to.

He'd have to thank Jonathan for this chance.

His powerful legs sprang him forward and his arms kept him going, the motion would repeat several times as he reached the turn in the track. With unparalleled agility he turned the corner and sprang to the starting line. In a few brief moments, he crossed it, slowed, and sat on a nearby bench. Their routine was nearly out of time anyway. Catching his breath, he looked back to see the others just getting to the middle of the turn in the track. He looked at Jonathan and stuck his tongue out.

'No lanky monkey man is going to beat me on all fours. Even if that is exhausting.'

[The Floor Kippers]

"Magnificent!" Jonathan grinned as he admired Marran as he bounded ahead.

A short while later he reached Marran and the finish line, perfectly happy with second.

"I concede Marran, on all fours I'd need bionics to beat you," He smiled as he came to a halt, looking around for a drink of water, "Especially in short distance."

[Quidomne]

Rivette heard the cat man's incredulity about Silver's enchantment and what Bentu said about her people. It was strange hearing what was essentially what was so passively accepted as as social and physical reality for her explained so tersely and as something so out of the ordinary. Yeah, magic. Why was that weird?

She saw the cat man's ("...MARRAN! That's it!") display of physical fortitude and was mildly impressed; he deserved a reward, an educational reward at that. Marran was sitting on the benches near the track. Rivette ambled over and knelt about 4 meters in front of him. She closed her eyes, lowered her head slightly, and focused. Her horn began to glow that familiar golden glow.

Her saddlebags became enveloped in the glow and unzipped, exposing the various implements inside. Wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, and other tools of varying size and shapes began to slither upward out of both bags one by one, one after the other, like glittering, shining snakes. Soon, a twister of steel and plastic slowly swirled about a meter of Rivette, a sort of Caduceus of the mechanical professions. Spinning...eddying...

Rivette twitched. The golden, metal tornado swirled to a stop and stood for a moment. Then, in a flash, the multitude of tools zipped past one another, formed a large, majestic fan, like some elaborate display of a very practical peacock.

Rivette opened her eyes, seemingly unphased. She tilted her head, closed her eyes, and smiled.

"Magic."

[Orangi]

Marran sat there, dumbfounded. Everything he knew was shattered- everything about reality. Yet, what did he know about reality? Or this one at all? Humans, small horses, a myriad of other forms of life. And that...

Marran began to clap, and soon he was bellowing approval. What he'd just witnessed, even back home, was completely impossible to do naturally. Was this naturally? It didn't really matter to him. This was apparently a thing that was common here in this reality, this place.

"The twisting and the fanning and the... Just... I can't do that, can I? If I can I want to figure out how- seriously! Doubt I can but that's okay just... Wow. Wow! Honest to Zarren magic! I- I can't believe this! Oh I didn't give you enough credit- that was just... Amazing! And you said that's how her legs work?" Marran asked, gesturing at Silver, who just crossed the start line- not so long after Jonathan.

"That was incredible. Just... Wow. You've got to-... Tell me, tell me you have cards here. I want to see you shuffle a deck so badly. You have no idea."

"Ten minutes of rest, after that, weights. Stretch and get some water in you. Fountains are over there." The instructor said, passing by them, giving Marran a slap on the shoulder, and getting back on her hoverstand, floating upwards and soaring to another part of the hangar.

Marran grinned at the instructor as she left, but his thoughts immediately returned to what had just happened. He really couldn't believe what he just saw. Somehow, this was more shocking to him than Humans. One was a legend, a thing of times past, but the other flat out did not exist. And yet here it was, right before him. Everything he thought he knew about the rules of this place just went out the window.

And for a brief moment, he loved it.

[The Floor Kippers]

"Fantastic," Jonathan gasped at Rivette's display. Magic was less of an impossibility to him, he had heard whisperings of beings with these sort of powers on his travels, and he had merely dismissed them as over active imaginations, until now, "Can everyone on your world do that? Can anyone do that full stop? Where does the energy come from? Is it limitless? How much can you lift in one go?"

A river of questions practically flowed from him.
Jonathan Smedley was, by nature, a curious man, especially when it came to matters outside his field and experience, and now there was a glint of childlike curiosity in his eyes, one that had not been that strong for many years.