Imperial Birds of a Feather [Alexis please - Private]

[Milo L'Evienne]

First Cycle of Kalendryas, Winter of Era XV

Should Alexis have agreed to accompany both Gwygwin and Barrett outside of his offices, he would have been transported through time and space in the blink of an eye, with his permission of course, to a locale not resembling in the least the Imperial Forum.

He would find himself instead standing on a path through tended fields in the Primus countryside, a monolithic stone building a short walk away towering over the nearby vegetation. It’s construct had most certainly been managed by way of magical means, its exterior smooth, curved and glossy in appearance. Vines reached and crossed themselves up and over it so that the otherwise stony building was provided an emerald covering of foliage. The nature of the field? Rows and rows dedicated to carrots and nothing else, as this particular field was tended to by none other than the wayward…and awfully difficult to pin down, Imperial High Sage. But the building was their destination, its opening visible from Alexis’ vantage on the path.

So having arrived, Barrett turned to Alexis and with a wave of his hand, indicated the entrance in question, outside of which he might just spy the Regent himself dressed rather scruffy for his post, added eight Rosemen and an extra sorcerer dressed similarly in plain clothing. ”The Regent awaits Excellency. I believe he has something he’d like to show you.”

[Alexis Sapientia]

Alexis had been getting extremely bored as of late. Not bored in the sense that he had nothing to do - as Imperial Minister of War, his job pretty much took care of that - but bored in the sense that he no longer had the will to do certain things. He'd noticed that, as he went about his usual workbrightening, shuffling papers and the like. Perhaps it was because he was too controlling or too focused, or mayhaps (a touch of reproach), he was too dedicated? All signs of stress, without a a doubt. Just another reason to get out of the office more. The War in the Sherian would not be won by his making bad decisions while bearing the burden of command.

And thus when the grinning pair arrived at his office, so did Alexis take it as a godsend. Perhaps his Regent was prescient, after all. No doubt as head of the Church of the Faith and avowed lieutenant of the Gods (albeit ad interim), he did know certain things, or perhaps his Commander-in-Chief was similarly wasted as well.

Teleportation was never a nice thing, it was like having to hold one's breath while being given a solid punch in the gut, but as soon as the tingling feeling had worn off, it was, pretty much, all right. Rather similar to the state of one's bottom after a particularly long ride. Ah, well, the discomfort in this case was all-the-more short-lived.

So, here they were, at the apparent estate of the Imperial Know-It-All. A very curious fellow, no doubt due to his penchant for that very curious vegetable. Not Milo's, most certainly. Milo would be more of a tobacconist, though Alexis wouldn't quite know what to say were the man to begin a farm harvesting alcohol bottles and the like.

Curiouser and curiouser, on seeing how everyone was dressed, A;exis still in his de rigeur full-dress black uniform with trailing raven-leather greatcoat, as always.

"Good brightening, my liege! Are we going to raid a few brigands today? I say I'd like that particular exercise! Turnabout makes for fair play and all that..."

He bore the special pin on his right lapel. Very odd device, but then again, Archadoon, too, had its own pegasi riders. Was His Most Imperial Excellency about to establish a new branch of service for the Imperial Armed Forces?

Very curious, indeed.

[Milo L'Evienne]

While the Minister of War was dressed smart for office, Milo on the other hand…was not. Gently worn and scuffed boots and loose buff colored trousers made his garb of office this brightening, paired with a leather duster thrown on over a woolen shirt and suspenders, his old leather hat on his head and hair unbound, his falchion strapped low on his hip. The Rosemen in his company were somewhat a tidier affair, but given their plain clothing, not by much. When Alexis approached, Milo snuffed out the cigarillo he’d been smoking, grinning wide as the younger man approached. ”That would be a great deal of fun, but I had in mind something more along the lines of sweeping the rooftops of the Imperial Forum at full throttle,” he said somewhat mysteriously while indicating the arched doorway behind him. ”I thought we might both be due for a little fun Alexis before all this business drives us mad, and I hope you’re not afraid of heights. I’ve got something to show you…Hold on to your hat,” he declared and indicated Alexis should wander on in ahead of him. ”His Most has got himself a new toy,” Gwygwin explained as he strolled nearby Alexis. ”We’ll not be able to stand him now and gods only know where he thinks he’s going to park the thing.”

Passing through the arched doorway with Milo in his wake, Alexis would be struck immediately by the enormous nature of the building’s interior. He would note too an area of scorched and barren earth, but hovering above it, now that was the real sight to see. An airship, a dirigible, a wooden vessel stretching twenty-five meters long and half that in width. The curve of its glossy wood surface prevented it from taking a rectangular shape, but more similar instead to a vessel suited for the seas. Hovering as it did, it didn’t sit idle but a keen eye might perceive that it nearly breathed for properties yet to be explained. It’s color was a rich brown and while it appeared at a glance to be constructed of wood, it was nothing in fact resembling fragile. And there were wings, extraordinary wooden wings furling inwards along its sides.

Standing alongside Alexis, Milo explained, ”A collaborative effort between a quite talented friend who designed it and worked some extraordinary magic, and our wandering Sage who lent his own talents to the project and as good as grew the thing. Extraordinary, isn’t she? Just this one at the moment in all the Empire. I might like to have got us a fleet and still would, had not our wandering Sage…gone wandering again and thus slowed the process considerably. Have you seen him lately Alexis?” he added then offhandedly with a curious frown and a scratch of his head beneath the crown of his hat. ”He’s turned orange head to toe and grown green sprouts out the top of his head, and oddly enough I wasn’t all that surprised. So,” he added with a wide and crooked grin, ”fancy taking her for a spin?”

[Alexis Sapientia]

The surprise in the Imperial Minister of War's face was self-evident, his jaw all but dropping to the ground as he marveled at the spectacle before him, completely ignoring the questions regarding the state of the Imperial Know-it-All.

"What in the world...?"

Taking a few steps closer, the sailor in him first concluded that it looked like a horrendous experiment gone awry, but the manner in which the material was polished, maintained, and constructed...

"I...I remember that we had the Tritalisman ships back in Nighthawk's time, and I did hear about that little experiment up in Solace Isle, but I never would have thought...I mean, I was considering restarting the program in Midpoint -we had the funding now and all- but, in all consideration..."

Still amazed, so did Alexis look about, on tiptoe, on his knees, almost like a child with new and unexpected lifebrightening presents. Still shaken and amazed, so did he turn to smile at his Commander-in-Chief.

"It'll revolutionize things. The skyriders in Archadoon will have to watch out. I mean...does it...could it...?"

Standing there with his arms on his hips, Alexis Sapientia had to concede that the Imperial Regent knew how to pull a fast one on him indeed. How he had done it without him or the Imperial Shields, the Ebon Watch, or the House of Whispers knowing was nothing short of miraculous.

Then again, Milo L'Evienne was lieutenant of the Gods, if not head of the Church of the Faith...

A solid grin was all it took. The Rosemen (if not the entire Empire) would go up in arms if they both hit it because of this, but dammed if the young man wasn't about to off and give it a try.

"Let the record reflect that I obey all orders of my Commander-in-Chief!"

Giving a playful salute, so did he prod his lord and sovereign forward.

"Aye-aye, sire."

[Milo L'Evienne]

”Revolutionize things…you’ve got that right,” Milo agreed while accompanying Alexis nearer the ship, his hat swept off in the darker confines of the interior. ”It’s remarkable, can you imagine the possibilities Alexis, all the uses? This is just one, but if there were more... I had in mind commissioning twenty of them straight away when Z’kron up and wandered off again. It can still be done of course given the exceptional talents of the ship’s architect, but the process has nontheless been slowed considerably at the moment. Z’kron grew the ship for the most part, but there’s minute granules of rock embedded within the wood. It makes it ten times more durable that wood, I’m told. The scorched earth is a byproduct of the heat needed to get her airborne, but there’s no ill affects had by those on board. This one can accommodate roughly thirty-five men in her hull if not used as a personal craft, or a large store of supplies as well for transport to any given locale. Smaller ones, or larger ones can be created just as easily by way of the same process as I understand it. It’s merely a matter of the design fluctuating a bit in terms of size so long as the basic aerodynamics remain the same.”

”But up there, in one of these, there’s nothing like experiencing it first hand.” And given Alexis’ quick agreement, he grinned and indicated the embedded rungs that led up to the deck of the ship. Sir James at his insistence went first, followed by Gwygwin and Barrett, the Alexis was waved ahead followed by Milo and the rest of this impromptu crew. And when reaching the deck, Sir James offered Alexis a hand to pull him up and over the rail. Milo came shortly after, looking for all the world like a kid with a brand new toy.

Once there on the polished deck he led the way to the stern and up a stairwell there. From this vantage it looked much similar to the deck of an ordinary sea going vessel, wooden rails, familiar shape absent the sails and added wings instead, but with solid wood floors, not the planks that one might have otherwise expected. But there at the stern was a pair of two black circular orbs chained to the ship itself, with runic inscriptions curled over their perfectly smooth surface. ”Touch activated enchantments as it was explained to me,” he remarked to Alexis, while the rest of the entourage hovered nearby. ”Glyphs, I believe was the term. The left orb controls vertical lift, it activates the element of the design that heats the bottom of the ship…the cause of that scorched earth. You’d certainly not like to be standing underneath her when she begins to rise. The right orb contains the same spell, but controls thrust and momentum. Heat propelled,” he concluded, though he could hardly do more to explain it all than how it had been explained to him. His own knowledge of all things magical wasn’t fit to occupy the entirety of a shot glass. But he did indeed know how to fly it.

”The right orb also controls direction, a hand to the right would create an arc in that direction, a hand to the left, similar. And as far as I know, there’s no limit to how long you can remain airborne, at least four of five candlemarks based on how long it’s been flown previously.” There was more of course, details and facets that had both fascinated and amazed him, but those could wait till they’d taken to the skies. So positioning himself in front of the orbs with a hand hovered over the left one in order to see them through the portal in the ceiling, he warned both Alexis and their companions. ”You might want to step away from the rails just in case, it gets awfully hot down there at the start.”

[Alexis Sapientia]

Treestamp: "You Can Fly" from the Disney animation Peter Pan

Astounded, the Imperial Minister of War most certainly was, his eyes taking in the wonders of this confounded device and amazed with the facility in which the Milo went about with these....glyphs, as it were. Piloting the craft was not something suggested be left in the hands of the Imperial Regent, but as he was Sovereign and Commander-in-Chief...

...as they said in the Imperial Navy, the Commander-in-Chief has the conn.

"Is that wise, Sire?" he asked out loud in an almost tinny voice, feeling a little bilious as he saw the glyphs light up and do whatever it was glyphs did. A wonderful way, indeed, with which one could fall and break one's neck, this most certainly seemed, but the fear and anxiety he felt in the pit of his stomach was soon being replaced by the excitement and Jorel-may-care attitude he once had as a student in The Reg.

Gripping the surface - any surface - tight enough that his knuckles turned white, so did the pale-faced Imperial Minister of War concentrate on breathing.

"There's a reason why men don't have wings..." so did he mumble feebly, looking around and catching the eyes of his fellow (soon-to-be?) aeronauts.

[Milo L'Evienne]

Is that wise, Sire? Sir James, braced on deck nearby Milo’s side, who rarely so much as uttered a word beyond necessity and was hardly one given to dramatics in expression, in this case briefly wore one which spoke volumes. Which was precisely my thought on the matter, that briefest of transformations seemed to say and given the disposition of his current charge, his concerns too had gone unheeded. ”There’s nothing at all to worry about Alexis. You're about to witness what can happen when an Elemtalist and a Druid put their heads together,” Milo declared with a wry grin while positioning himself in front of the orbs in preparation for lifting off. ”And even if there were, we’ve got Gwygin and Manyc along remember? Three taps of their staffs and we’re back home, safe and sound in the blink of an eye.” Likely small comfort, given Gwygwin’s fear of heights had the wild haired, and wilder eyed mage looking near to a panic while himself clinging to the nearest immovable object on deck. ”And we’re going in style. Do you know that below deck there are two cabins in the hull, complete with their own mini bars each of them…aside of ample room left for storage or passengers.”

”The ship is so light that it can be moved by a handful of giants, and it can turn on a silver…no ordinary ship. And because it’s made of living material, even were the spells that power it countered, it would merely glide gently to the ground like a leaf on a gentle breeze. In addition, it provides protection from minor magics, replenishes itself in sunlight, might even heal its crew and passengers of minor injuries and even provide them with basic food and water…and, has a built in, centrally controlled defense system that can be used to deflect wooden projectiles. And on top of it all, wings, we do have,” he added then while placing his hand over the left obsidian orb and edging it ever so slightly forward.

The effect was an immediate one. A pulse was emitted from the ship itself, like a living thing which it indeed was and his hand shifted further up the orb’s surface. There was no sudden blast, but instead from underneath the ship vast amounts of flame manifested from seemingly nowhere. No question a fellow might like not to be standing nearby on the ground when the thing went aloft. The ship lurched upwards then and rose first from the bow and then from the stern as heat lifted it vertically up off the ground. And when they’d cleared the dome of the warehouse, Milo then placed his right hand on the right orb and with a gentle touch that instantly resulted them propelling forward in a sudden but gentle burst of energy.

Having attained a sufficient altitude, the ship spun off its vertical rise and shot off in a graceful arc that traveled upward over the top of the domed building and the private estate of the wandering Sage. They were traveling faster than any other known means of transportation would allow them to…save of course the wizard express…but the ride was utterly smooth as if they were hardly moving at breakneck speeds across the countryside of Prime. There were no ill effects come of an impressive altitude or speed, given the spell that powered the ship was given to aspects favorable to surviving under conditions such as this. In fact, oddly enough, not even a breeze ruffled the young Minister’s hair, nor swept the hat from the Regent’s head. Not so much as a flutter of Gwygwin’s robe.

In short order the wings would unfurl and allow them to glide but for now they sped through blue skies and wispy patches of clouds at a dizzying altitude, should any be so bold as to look down. As for looking up, so great was their height and speed added a near silence that should anyone have occasion to and by unlikely happenstance catch a glimpse of them in the clouds, it would be one so fleeting as to lay blame completely at imagination's doorstep. With a smile on his face, after all though he’d not say as much for the sake of the worriers, this was his first time piloting solo, he glanced aside at the Minister of War with a chuckle. ”You can open your eyes now Alexis, we have lift off.”

[Alexis Sapientia]

The Imperial Minister of War was ever the realist. He didn't quite put his faith (or life and limbs) into something he couldn't either see and most tangibly feel. Considering the fact that he was an unbound sentient being (albeit with sorcery powers relegated into the back-burner as he hadn't been able to make sense of it as well), it would be puzzling to any observer as to why Alexis Sapientia, at this very moment, was most emphatically scared sheetless.

Aye, linens-wise, too. He was currently of the mind akin to be bounding out of bed in his natural state in the dark night with such a sordid fright as if awakened by a wildebeast and a creature of the aetherworld.

The wry grin he had seen so frequently on his Regent's face was not lost on the Lord Minister, though the grip he had on the living device was enough to cause his knuckles (and his cheeks) to grow white. Seasickness, he had none, but this?

It appeared to be nothing more than a natural biological reaction given to conscious realization that the laws of gravity were, despite its stringent and consistent application throughout the course of eternity, about to be repealed, at least momentarily.

Bilious would be a sufficient term.

His Regent's reassurances with regard to the teleportation and mages notwithstanding, the thought that there was nothing at all to worry about was scarcely extinguished by the realization that he was about to witness what can happen when an Elementalist and a Druid put their heads together.

Not exactly a comforting thought, but as he near-crawled on hands and knees with tight grips belowdecks to grab two bottles of the stiffest drinks he could lay his hands on, he quietly and wilfully violated the Regent's Regulations (which Alexis himself had promulgated as Imperial Admiral!) on the Governing of Imperial Navy Ships at Sea.

It did no one good to con a ship while under significantly-altered states of consciousness, but Alexis Sapientia was of a mind to think -even though Milo be his dear friend and immediate superior which he held to the highest esteem- that his Commander-in-Chief, dread lord and master, and titular sovereign had very much and quite well indeed, taken leave of his senses and not in full possession of his faculties.

Wyrmquest came to Alexis' mind. He hadn't used any of the stuff since his brightenings of yore in The Reg in Arconis, but he was trying to remember if he'd inadvertently sniffed any of it recently, because this was very much like a scene induced by it; Milo calmly explaining matters as if they were merely discoursing over tea, just as the steady ground disappeared below from their feet, and the tops of trees were soon level with their hull.

Taking yet another hefty swig of whatever it was he had in his hands (as well as pockets, mind you), making water out of whatever liquor it was he'd liberated from belowdecks, Alexis Sapientia slowly opened his eyes wide, just as a gust of wind smoothed the blonde-brown hair from his forehead.

The familiar sensation slightly calmed him down. It was akin to being at sea, really, albeit at a much faster pace than the usual number of statute miles a frigate at full battle sail could give. Slowly standing up - hard grips on solid surfaces - so did he begin to enjoy the vista that was set before him, just as long as he

...didn't look down...

...and as his rosyun began to build itself up his throat, the Imperial Admiral had the good sense and presence of mind to drown that thought with copious amounts of fiery wet invigoration, sufficient enough to wash away his spit as well as the bitter aftertaste.

He began to feel a little mellow afterwards, and could likewise recognize similar expressions on his otherwise uninebriated companions. Or so he thought.

"Ioannes be praised," mumbled Alexis semicoherently. Whether it was an unnecessary blasphemy or praise that they had -for the moment- been granted the privilege to live, the young man would leave to the Head of the Church and Defender of the Faith.

Then again, he was a lieutenant of the Gods, and mayhaps his piloting this newfangled contraption was, in a way, sacrosanct.

Would that the Gods will it so.

"Where're we goin', sire?"

A good question, that, considering how far land was, for the moment.

[Milo L'Evienne]

Milo was not without sympathy. He’d spent many a voyage at sea draped green and miserable over the rail, even a quick jaunt in a rowboat might get the better of him now and again where waters were especially choppy. But ill effects due to air travel hadn’t proven as problematic as they might have despite him having been quick to make a habit of bringing along a tried and true method of heading them off. Mrs. Dandybrale’s contribution as a result, a cure as it was, was wrapped in a packet of butcher paper and stored in his pocket.

Still, his was an empathetic disposition and he might have gone below decks to see after his young friend and Minister once witnessing the latter’s hasty retreat and hearing bottles rattling below deck. He might have, save for both Sir James and Barrett flatly refusing to take the controls, and both of them too sharing a case of white knuckles and wide eyes. There was nothing to do then but enjoy the ride and wait for Alexis to gain his feet under him and return up top, and meantime forego those airborne acrobatics that nudged at the same disposition that sympathized with the Minister of War.

So when Alexis returned with the distinct aroma of a taproom wafting around him, Milo gave him a good looking over and grinned while keeping the ship steady with one hand and dipping into the pocket of his duster with the other. A small packet came up in his hand and he handed it over. ”Have a cookie Alexis, I never leave home without them when going to sea. I guess they'll do the trick up here as well. I can’t say much for the taste, course ginger and mint, but it beats going green.”

”As for where?” he remarked with eyes turned back to the horizon while they sped through the clouds, Aelyria Prime having already passed below them and left behind. It was then he unfurled the craft’s wings so they might slow to a gentler glide, and not a sound here save the breeze so far above the surface of Telath. ”The horizon’s our limit Alexis. At full speed we could be off to share a mid-brightening meal on the farthest reaches of our borders, only to be back again well before pracenda comes around. Can you imagine though, the possibilities? This is just one, imagine what a fleet of them might accomplish.”

[Alexis Sapientia]

"Arakmat!" exclaimed Alexis with very little hesitation, his fear and apprehension mellowing as the liquor took root, giving him the appearance of one bearing a dreamy smile, and a certain aloofness to the relative lack of proximity between hull and ground. "I've never been there, though I've heard tales of how it appears to be nothing more than sand and fellows of an entirely curious and rough nature. They have odd habits, without a doubt, same as those Ndanoshis, or whatever it was they were called."

His voice trailed off as he began to familiarize himself with the thought that clouds were level with the ship's deck. Taking the proferred cookies and settling teeth on one, the comfort food appeared to do the trick. Ginger and mint, indeed, and as a bit of self-control came back in - cookies and other sundry pastry were to Alexis as sugar was to ants - he managed to gulp it down with another swig of liquor, gaining steadier footing and confidence as he acclimatized to this new thought and manner of travel.

Taking a steady hand at a nearby solid grip, Alexis managed to calm down as the familiar feeling of a breeze ruffling his hair soon took hold. Just like being at sea, he repetitively murmured to himself. Just like being at sea.

Several deep breaths later, he managed to fix steady eyes on his Aeronaut-Regent.

"You'd have the Three Suns, the Black Phoenix, and just about every merchant worth his salt bidding you millions of crowns for a monthly berth, because it's bound to save them the same amount. Just transport alone would be quite the lucrative enterprise," grinned he to the owner of a one-time floating saloon, "...and it would certainly come in handy for battlefield casualties, victims of the odd calamity. So many possibilities, indeed..." grinned he, shuddering suddenly at the thought of someone nefarious taking control of such...such a weapon, he noted with a chill at his stomach.

"One could even use it for, say, the Sherian. We'd have to keep it very, very secret, of course. Drop incendiaries and other such devices on the orcs from a safe distance...see what they're up to without them knowing..."

He nodded, realizing the magnitude of all this.

"...like the Tritalisman vessels we used to have. It'll change the Empire as we know it. No more carriage rides across the provinces. One can be in, say, Mystique, with your entire entourage. Heck, it'll probably mean Gwygwin and his lot will have to find more honest work," grinned the Imperial Admiral further at his white-haired and whiter-skinned companion.