Chart of the Moon Goddess: Part Four - I dream of Flying

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Slacker Prototype Bar by AgMac Silver Mac

 In the Mount Olympus Temple of Zeus Hade’s moves his right Bishop into position, Admiral Kamaeus, the Preying Vulture is on the move.

“Ahoy!” The watchman bellowed from up top, "Incoming Dragon off the starboard quarter!"
Captain K shouted from the poopdeck, "Okay you all heard the news, get to it!"
At once the deck crew begins to clear the deck of the supplies and cargo, then clearing the lines for their most dominant member of the crew. Not every ship had its own dragon but Slak-Tor and Tarakona gave the Dragon Fire the luxurious advantage of firepower for the ship to get out of risky situations.

Amidst the late afternoon clouds Tarakona's silhouette appear in the western sky over Gamelon. The dragon performed a few lazy banks in between playful dives punctuated by a few delightful puffs of smoke and flame. The unexpected fireworks display over the city is just a demonstration to the people below that there was no need to fear these great creatures. The exercise was also for their Dragon master and his beloved dragon, and to spend as much time off the ship as possible.

On mid-ships, making his way through the bee hive of activity he spots the Dark Warrior, surprised that she was out at this time of day. "Ah, may I join you my Lady?" Cornelius tips his hat then leans upon the rail next to Lady Ravenhill.
"Why certainly, you are always good company Sir Cornelius." She replied with an appropriate curtsey.

“Cannot sleep? Lady Tessaria does make a fine tea for such a need. Shall I gather her presence?”
“It’s not that, it’s a feeling somethings is not quite right, almost a warning to be aware.” She smiled as if to shrug off the intuition. She wasn’t wearing her mask, reveling her full black lips and small septum nose ring. It always meant she was relaxed and quite at ease as long as there are no potential for confrontations. She was just watching the aerial acrobatics. “It must be nice to fly for the sheer leisure of it.”

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"Have you not flown before?" Pondered the Edwardian Pirate, “I though you could but you rarely reveal all you’re capabilities. Your kind that is…like a form of a Bat or a Raven as I had observed. ”
“Oh that.” She smiled.
It was a lovely smile he thought.
She continued, “You mean Shape Shifting. It can be done by certain Clan Kindred with that talent but I don’t have that talent. My blood line as well as of my Kindred have limits and Shape Shifting has a high blood limit cost such that it would beat expense in my other abilities, though I dream of flying. To be above the clouds and see the Moon close up at my own joy and leisure.”

There were many times he found himself observing her when he was up the occasioned night. She was always glancing at the moon as if she were in some kind of communion at a deep spiritual level. “It is what I can observe back at our adventure on Skrete Island. In the dark of the jungle you flew from tree to tree, rooftop to rooftop so fast it was like a flying shadow and had our pursuers in an absolute state of panic, and it's the same with you flying from our top mast onto the mast of our enemy ship well before we could close the gap.”

It was an astute observation for Cornelius even as their pirate band was in the midst of leading a Village rebellion against the Empire in the expansive Skrete island jungles.

She tilted her head and took the time to explain, "It is part of the Aspex disciplines of the dark arts, Shadow Casting or shadow play as I can form and project dark shadows to move from place to place adding my Celerity ability of physical speed bounding from place to place I can even portray the illusion of being two places at once. Performed in the night it becomes terrifying to my opponents. I can take out an entire squad one at a time easy. It heightens the anxiety and instills fear in my opponents and raises the adrenaline in my prey. The taste and effect of adrenaline heightened blood is terribly addictive to me. It is also my primary tactic in nighttime boarding. I board the target ship from the top mast and eliminate the crow’s nest watch as loud as I can. I need to provide a necessary distraction to allow my crew mates to board with minimal casualties. It is part skill, part illusion, and part performance. I have executed this tactic in cathedral rafters and castle colonnades, columns, galleries and libraries.”

As a man of machines, mathematics and gentlemanly manners Cornelius always found the world of the mystic arts, the metaphysical, and intuition a wondrous mystery. This Victorian-esq style refined woman of exquisite manners over her persona of a predatory night creature is reminiscent of a Jekyll and Hyde story the kind of dual personality. He continued to be attentive to her explanation.

"So it is not true flight. More like an exaggerated jump that simulates flight with projection of shadow copies of myself flying from tree to tree even in multiple directions."
“Brilliant… The Broach!” Cornelius thought to himself. He gazed upon her face as she admiringly watched the Dragon master's extraordinary handling skills. He felt a bit nervous as he fumbled about in his pocket for the gift he fashioned together, “Speaking of Skrete Island I neglected to thank you for saving me back there.” He presented his hand crafted jewelry to her.

1Steampunk styled Broach by Unknown

“Poppycock my Cornelius we….What’s this? Oh a lovely broach.”
“Please have it, I would be so content for you to keep it as my token of appreciation?”
That lovely smile reappeared. “Why thank you Cornelius, this is a very unexpected gift. Then won’t you mind pining this over my left breast?”
“I will take just a moment my Lady.” Cornelius carefully pins the broach upon her dark laced blouse. “Done.”
“Why thank you Sir Cornelius how do I fair?”
“Topping my Lady Ravenhill, quite Topping,” and in a gentlemanly act kissed her hand in typical Edwardian fashion and she returned to him a dainty kiss on his cheek that warmed his spirit. "And someday my Lady, I hope you may get that wish to fly.”

Tarakona performs a loop to loop maneuver, and on the second loop Slak-Tor slips off his saddle and dangles dangerously off of one hand clinging for life. The crowd in the city can be heard shrieking in horror as if he was going to fall to his doom. But it was one of his patented crowd thrillers as the shrieks turned into thunderous applause when he skillfully remounts and wave to the delighted Gamelon crowds. Slak-Tor finishes by hoisting his silver trident in the air drawing another round of applause to mark his finale.
"Isn't that great publicity guys?" The grinning Captain K joins Cornelius and the Raven, "I bet he's part entertainer as well as being part dragon blood, what a ham!"

Britannia’s Silver Trident by @sbsparts

K and the command crew watched Tarakona take a wide turn before striking a line towards the Dragon Fire. The Dragons’s legs in a galloping motion like a horse in a charge.
"Standby, here they come!" Captain K quickly checked the Landing deck. "Clear! What’s his speed?"
Cornelius' eye gear engaged for a closer observation, Tarakona was now close enough even to see the gleaming dragon amulet hanging around Slak-Tor's neck. "He's coming in pretty fast estimating thirty five knots!"

Dragon Pour by Rix Metal works

"Drop landing," Quipped Noname.
"Rock landing," Replied Goldie.
"Another Doubloon?"
"You're on Pal."

This time the beast doesn't hesitate but lands on the reinforced deck in a heavy thud. The mooring lines draw taunt and the gangplanks fall away from the wharf as the whole ship careens over to port before rocking back and steadies.
Slak-Tor dismounts as Tessaria steps into his arms, unamused she says, "Please don't do that dumb stunt."

"Rock." Goldie lays out his hand.
Noname slaps a silver coin on Goldie's palm, "Don't spend that too soon."

Lighthouse from Pexels by d123x under License

Across the harbor near the lighthouse a cloaked figure collapsed his spyglass to scribble a quick note.
"Fly bird!" He whispered tossing the bird into the air.
The pigeon flies off with the message.

1. My own photos using Huawei KII-L05 Smartphone P. Pixabay Vector under CCOR. Clip art from 123RF W. Wiki Commons

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1 The Chart of the Moon Goddess

Previous Episodes of Chart of the Moon Goddess
Chart of the Moon Goddess: Part One – The gods play chess Chart of the Moon Goddess: Part Two – Gamelon Chart of the Moon Goddess Part: Three – Precious Chart of the Moon Goddess Part: Four – I Dream of Flying

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“Et lux in tenebris to serve laboro, sum sicarius” “I work in the shadows to serve the Light, I am an Assassin”