Voyages Away from the Zeppelin

III.Land of the Lost

I can’t seem to find where I placed my words
I’ve checked the sofa, I’ve checked the pantry, I’ve checked the car
I’ve lost them in the world and fear for them on their own.

I can’t seem to find where I placed my sounds
I’ve checked the stove, I’ve checked the fridge, I’ve checked the sink
I’ve lost them in the world and fear for them on their own.

I can’t seem to find where I placed my sight
I’ve lost the ability to look for the things I’ve lost
I’ve lost them in the world and fear for them on their own

Without the sight to look for that which is lost, is anything really lost at all?

Alone on the path in the forest Rachel found herself deserted once again.
“This is going to become a pattern isn’t it? I thought the fact that I could never keep my beau’s around was just because I usually made them into experiments…now I’m beginning to think it was a foreshadowing.” Sighing deeply she began the trudge back to the tavern. Packing stuff away in her bag she wondered if maybe she shouldn’t put the holster on for her Tesla Gun…and set up gear so that she was armed…considering her whole view of the world she was in has changed since it turned out to be, well, another world. Sighing loudly again, she squatted down and put her pack on the ground, digging out the holster Captain Desdinova had made for her, she strapped it on her waist and leg putting the Tesla inside.
“Gun. Check. I should save the Ice flower that Lien-Hua made me, that will only be for extreme circumstances. Jack the Ripper’s lantern will be much better for escaping.” Nodding she attached the lantern to her belt.
“Alright that should do for now, I will have to make a utility belt sooner than I thought, when I get back to my room I will have to do that so that the next time I go out I will have it all ready. I will also have to think about setting up defenses…hmm Ideas Ideas...Ideas…All to be addressed later this evening.” She swung the pack around and starting marching back towards the Tavern she had come from earlier. As she approached the building again she was able to notice a few more things about it, like the lake for one. That was interesting. She felt the darkness hovering in the air, that was something she had felt sometimes at home but not to this extent. It was like the feeling of a muggy summer night out on the Savannah Pelt. Well it just came back to the same thing every time. She would just have to watch herself. She walked up to the door and stepped inside the tavern once again this night looking around at the atmosphere that was in there now.
Panthress smiled as Rachel came in and sat up on the couch she'd been lounging on. She knew she'd been ornery to leave the poor woman walking back alone, but she hadn't felt like returning once she'd delivered the pork to the kitchen. She smiled as she remembered the look on the cook's face when she came in with enough pork to make up 4 huge hogs, in chunks whose sizes had no business being on a normal pig. To her credit, though, the cook didn’t ask where it came from, and merely set her staff to work cleaning, freezing, and cooking the meat. Even now the wonderful smell of pork roast and smoked pork chops was wafting into the main room, making Panthress’ mouth water at the thought of the tasty food.
She sat up and peered over the back of the couch almost like a kid as Rachel came inside, grinning cheerfully as if greeting an old friend.
“Ah, 'bout time you got here! I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost!” She eyed the woman's holster curiously then felt a question pop to mind.
“So that gun, what's it called? What kind of attack does it make? It doesn't really look like a normal projectile gun.” She popped up off the couch and sauntered over to the bar, sitting and spinning a stool around for Rachel to join her.
Raising her night goggles to the top of her head she made a slight salute wave to Panthress when she noticed her.
“Well I feel a little lost, I’m not the best navigator but I can make do in a scrape.”
Rachel nodded at her and wandered on over to the stool and sat down next to Panthress.
“The gun?” She looked down.
“Ah, it’s an invention of Tesla’s. It fires a poly-phase electrical pulse which stuns the target and causes short-term memory loss at its lowest settings. I have never set it at its highest yet, but it’s essentially a death ray.” She chuckled lightly. Shesplayed her hands on the counter looking around the place.“So…what kind of stuff do they carry for alcohol? Anything from Norway or Sweden or shall my bad luck continue since this is a different world?”
Panthress showed keen interest in the weapon as it was described.
“Electrical, eh? Does that mean it'll vaporize someone on its highest setting?” She glances at the well-stocked hard liquor visible behind the counter and ponders a moment.
“Let's see...Norway or Sweden? Looking for beer or hard stuff? They have a very wide variety here. If you just describe the kind of taste you're after I bet they'll come up with one you'll like. They always do. Well, for the folk who have the patience to try a few, anyway. Just be sure you don't end up with bloodwyne, that's a vamp drink.” She chuckled and ordered herself what she called a spiced milk. As the bartender mixed ingredients it became obvious rum was the main spice, though cinnamon and nutmeg were also involved among other things. Snorting with laughter slightly Rachel shook her head.
“I’m not sure exactly how it would affect someone on the highest setting, I haven’t been in a situation where I needed to do more then just stun someone.” She thought for a moment.
“Something sweet and with a high alcohol proof.” She stopped at the idea of Bloodwyne. “They actually cater to the parasites?” She shook her head in surprise. “Well I’ll be damned…” She laughed. “Or rather they will. Hmm, I guess I’ll take some honey spiced wine.” She eyed the bartender as she pulled out some British pounds wondering how well her money would do here. Well might as well try.
The bartender hopped off the step that had made him look like merely a short, bearded man, and revealed himself to be a dwarf as he moved to the back wall and hopped up on another step that ran the length of the bar. He nodded when she said something sweet with high proof and started to reach for one bottle, then paused when she said wine and gave her an odd look.
“Missy, do yeh want lots of alcohol or do yeh want wine? Cause they ain't the same round here.” Panthress laughed and didn't comment till she saw Rachel try to bring paper money out to pay for her drink.
“Ah, I'll get her tab till she finds work 'round here.”
The dwarf just gave her a look, half amused, half gruff, and shook his head as he waited for Rachel's answer.
“Yer a softy for someone so mean, Cat.” He turns back to Rachel and nods firmly.
“So what'll it be? Ever had mead? We got a local brewer that whips up a mean mead that'll tickle yer tongue and knock yer socks off a few minutes later.” He obviously thought wine was for wimps, but then, he was a dwarf.
Rachel blinked watching the whole exchange between the short man and the panther.
“Well uh, thank you for paying for me. And yes, yes mead is exactly what I’m looking for. It may not be Swedish but…it’ll do.” She put her British pounds away.
“So I take it that I’m going to have to find a job around here to pay for things? Well that will be interesting…I’m not sure what services I could manage to sell around her if there are people like you flitting around.” She sighed scratching her eye. “So how does this all work exactly?” The bartender snorted when she spoke of the mead and pulled down the golden bottle from the shelf. As he poured a small glass full, the smell that wafted up was sweet, with a touch of spice, and barely even a hint of the alcohol it was. Of course, it would certainly bite a little when tasted, but was also very smooth, and easy to drink a lot of.
“Bah. Had lots of folk claim their homeland drinks are the best, and I've been able to prove 'em all wrong given the chance.” He capped the bottle and pushed the drink to her, then replaced the bottle and returned to wiping the counter without another glance their way. Panthress watched her put the money away and grinned.
“Save that money, by the way. There are dealers that come through now and then who might buy it off ya. Just make sure they don't give you less than proper value. A lot of folk think their money's totally worthless here, so they give it away for coppers on the pound, so to speak.” She took a sip of her drink and let her eyes half-close as she savored the wonderful flavors.
“Ah...good stuff. Oh, and I'd watch that mead if I were you. I've seen a lot of strong drinkers flatten themselves out quick with it, and the hangover the next morning is killer, I'm told. I think our dear bartender gets a kick out of seeing how fast he can knock someone out with his service, sometimes.” She laughs when the dwarf just snorts and otherwise ignores her, and then turns her attention back to Rachel.
“As for work, this is really the best place you could be for what you do. There are always new jobs showing up, a lot cause people know this is a hub for newcomers. Making magical trinkets, especially magic/tech combos, can bring you a lot of gold. There’s also always a need for fighters for this war and that, or bodyguards, or well...just ask around. You know better what you'd be good at than I do. Don't worry bout the tab, either. I've lived long enough to have no problems with money.” Her sly grin indicated she was probably extremely rich, though she didn't seem to wear a stitch of clothes or own a single thing. She sipped it and smiled.
“Finally something goes right. It’s good I’ll give you that Barkeep.” She took a hefty drink. “Depends on the proof of it, but I’m used to living off this, bread, and onions. Being a witch doctor for an Airship of pirates can sometimes be a very poor paying job. The only people who usually out drink me are the person who brews it as they tend to have it swimming in their veins almost outweighing the blood.” She laughed lightly. “But I will take it a little easier until I’m familiar with this brand.” She sighed deeply looking around.
“So I can exchange but people are swindlers about it, I’m not surprised. Well I’m good at making concoctions of potions and prayers, some clanks here and there mostly I can modify other peoples inventions to make them better. I’ll just see what I can do in the mean time I suppose finding someone to exchange my money with since would be the top priority, I do have quite a nice bit of loot from the last trip we did.” She took another drink and then set the drink aside for a minute letting the effects wash over her so that she could see just how strong this stuff was.
“So I take it you are a mercenary?” Panthress just grins when the woman says she can handle her drink, making a silent bet with herself how long it'd be till she over did it and ended up with that hangover she had mentioned. She knew there was something about the brewers in this area that managed to get more strength to their alcohol than most places, and it always amused her when folk came in used to drinking and ended up acting like pups who'd never tasted the stuff before.
“Some are swindlers, some aren't. Same here as any place as far as I've seen. Just gotta have an eye for it I guess. What loot do ya have?” She took another drink, then blinked and chuckled at the idea of being a mercenary even as she waited to see if Rachel trusted her enough to give out details of what she owned. Not like Panthress couldn't find it before the poor woman could get halfway back to her cabin if she wanted to.
“Not a mercenary, no. I fight for myself when I'm in the mood to play, or those I care for if they get into trouble. My skills aren't for hire. I do help out with odd jobs here and there, though. I like this place and do my best to keep it running in good shape when there aren't enough around to do the job otherwise. That and I bring in the occasional special goodies when I run across them in my travels, like that pork today.” She leaned back on her stool so far it looked like she'd fall right off, if it weren't for the tail she'd wrapped around the legs to hold her up, or the wings she'd propped the tips of against the floor behind her.
“I basically just do as I please, and have a great deal of fun when someone comes around thinking they can make me do otherwise.” Rachel nodded somewhat distracted.
“Not as much as I’d like since we hadn’t divided things up just yet, just some souvenirs, mostly enough to get by until I get my name around about what I can do I suppose.” Rachel felt some of the effect of the wine, it was stronger then the stuff at home but nothing she couldn’t handle. It was hard to feel scared of hangover when she knew every cure out there for those sorts of things. It was a common enough ailment that she got used to treating it, being around pirates and all.
"Huh, well I guess then I can’t expect to hire you if the occasion should warrant it.” She chuckled lightly and took up her glass again pausing just at her lips. “So what other things can I expect to see around here that are a part of the norm?” She nodded, pleased by the woman's answer. It was a good one that wouldn't tempt a greedy soul. This one looked like she might do well here if she could survive her first few encounters with the more dangerous folk in the area. Of course, Panthress was one of those, she mused. So Rachel really was doing well.
“If I'm bored I might help you out, but don't count on it. I'm anything but predictable, and dependable is about as far from what I am as one can get.” She chuckled, and then thought a minute about what things she might mention to this woman. It was a shame there weren't more folk in the tavern tonight. It might have helped.
"Well, there are vampires of many different sorts, were-beasts of all kinds. You saw a dwarf there at the bar. There are many kinds of elves. Watch them, they tend to have easily insulted egos, and the ones with dark skin are likely, though not guaranteed, to be more than happy to remove your head from your shoulders than look at you. Those don't show very often, though.” A thought struck her and she smirked.
“Come to think of it, I'd get that stuff from where you've been staying and move here if I were you. I wasn't kidding when I said there was a cabin down that path. You musta just landed in between here and there and made your own little place. It puts you in the way of whoever would usually stay in that cabin, though, and most of the folk that do aren't people you wanna meet without some real good defenses.” She paused and took a drink, thinking about her many adventures in the area.
“Oh yeah, there's the usual witches, ogres, elementals, mutants, experiments, monsters of all sorts...well, basically, if you could imagine it, it's out there somewhere, or will be some day.” All this caused Rachel to sigh and take another hefty drink emptying the glass. She nodded to the barkeep to pour her another. Once he had she took a drink from the glass.
“Well that does complicate things slightly.” She looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Well it’s basically just a piece of the airship, my personal quarters and the adjoining room which is my lab. However, it would still easily make a decent home…I could always add on a bath & kitchen quite easily…” She trailed off with thoughts in her head on how to make it a home. It would actually be easier than the plan for the fence. “Wait, even if I was to set up a large fence like structure that acted like the Tesla did but on a high enough setting to injure badly but not kill, you don’t think that would deter the denizens around here?” She took another drink shaking her head.
“You and the…uh, dwarf? As you call him, are the only sentient beings I’ve seen since arriving in this land.” She considers things for a bit, then can't help but grin at the challenge she'd just come up with for herself. “Actually, there's an easy solution for you. We just move the whole thing. There's a cabin that burned down out a short ways east of here that no one's replaced yet. It would be a good site for you to set your house down and build on.” She finished her own drink and smiled like the cat with the canary. She was having fun with this one. It wasn't often people came equipped with their own houses.
“There are plenty of people around, they just aren't here tonight. Not sure why, but it does happen once in a while.” Rachel was taken aback for someone who was supposedly so dangerous and unpredictable she was being awfully helpful; Rachel immediately became curious what her motive could be.
“So, then what would the catch be?” She eyed the panther woman. “What kind of a return would you expect? I’m sorry for being so suspicious but you yourself warned me about you.” She smiled shaking her head and took another drink of the sweet and deadly mead quite enjoying the buzz she was getting, it was exactly she needed for a day like this. Panthress blinked, then laughed, apparently pleased by the suspicion.
“Ah, I'm what you call a chaotic creature. I can swing from quite good to neutral to murderous evil or worse in the blink of an eye. Most of the time I run fairly close to neutral, though, and today you caught me in a good mood. You're also an interesting person, who seems intelligent and willing to face the challenges ahead without freaking about it. Those are all points in your favor. Once in a while I take a notion to help someone out some. Today is just your lucky day. Another day I might have watched the pig eat you with amusement, or might have killed the pig, then lost in bloodlust, killed you as well.” She shrugged, grinning happily even as she spoke of her darker and more dangerous side.
“You've already paid me for any help I give, just by being someone I'm having fun helping. When you get as old as I am, being interesting and new can often be the most valuable thing a person can offer.” Rachel figured she could trust this creature just as far as she could throw her. Rachel being only 93 pounds and not having any clank limbs, yet she thought idly, meant the panther would get maybe a centimeter. However, the question at hand was weather this panther truly was capable of moving what was soon to be her abode.
“Well it’s all steel, and it’s approximately the size of a train car. I would also have to secure some items since normally we don’t have that much movement.” She began to think about what she could rig up to help the panther carry it and what all would need to be done to prep this kind of an activity. Doing so mental calculations she quickly got a rough estimate of its weight. “It will probably weigh about 10 tons, think you could handle that?” Panthress’ smile turned into a wicked grin and chuckle as she thought of how she would do it.
“Oh, you won't need to secure anything but the most delicate stuff, and then only for a just in case.” Her snicker could have been evil, but her grin hadn't changed.
“I have some...acquaintances that need a workout. We'll have it moved without trouble. Oh, and...” She smiles at Rachel, her eyes sparkling with her amusement as she planned the chore in her mind.
“To ease your worries about me a little bit, first of all, I don't lie. I may twist words till you don't know whether you're coming or going, but I don't flat out lie. Also, when I'm influenced by one of my more drastic moods, you'll notice my eyes change color. Darker for evil and lighter for good. And if they go green, well, I'm just murderously mad, which can have everything or nothing to do with which mood I'm in otherwise. I'm told I'm usually fairly easy to read, and my moods usually take some sort of trigger to change. So you don't need to worry about me flipping for absolutely no reason.” She stood and stretched a little, her black wings reaching out above her and shimmering sleek with orange-ish tints from the lanterns nearby.
“Wanna go see where your house will go?” Rachel eyed her, mostly trying to get a glimpse of her yes. Sighing she laughed and downed the rest of her drink.
“Might as well.” She grinned. “Lead the way miss Panthress.” She stood and adjusted her pack. “Ready when you are.” Panthress nodded, grinning that toothy grin of hers, and stepped lightly through the main room and out the door.
“Those night goggles will prolly come in handy now.” She steps down off the porch and stretches again, this time her wings spreading out to their full reach, a huge 14 ft wingspan from tip to tip. The leading edge of the first flight feather on each wing seemed to gleam oddly, as if they were black sword edges rather than normal feathers.
“Care to take a quick route?” There was mischief in the cat's neutral gray eyes, but no hint of danger in her manner. Rachel followed her out pulling her goggles down over her eyes. She eyed the cat in the dark. The image in front of her eyes was of a great female humanoid panther with wings spread, the night sky spread out behind her head and the tree tops of the forest frozen against the horizon with what seemed like little to no wind on the air. The glass from the goggles colored everything in a dark green like those old glass bottles made during the late 1800’s. She popped her neck and tightened the some straps on her pack to secure it more properly so that it held onto her much like a mountain climbing pack.
“As long as you don’t drop me, I can’t guarantee what some of the things in my pack might do if they break together. It could go off like….well lets just say it probably would wipe out things for the next 100 miles, and turn the ground to glass.” She sniffed the night air lightly catching the smell of the trees and that a smell that went with the atmosphere that hung over the air, something that meant things just weren’t quite right here, something was in charge that was not quite of a pleasant nature. Rachel herself didn’t distinguish between good and evil at least not socially, as far as she was concerned there was a right course of action to get the desired results for each individual person. She believed in a glorified hospitality rule, if you provided hospitality you got in return and you provided it in order to get it in return. She only hoped the creature she was about to trust with her life, had some similar notion. Rachel actually only hoped that the creature would decide it would be more worth her while to help Rachel because of what Rachel could do for her. Rachel began to wonder if she was dealing with a God of a sort. Things walked on the earth that couldn’t be explained, and this panther was certainly one of them. Panthress may not have hailed from Rachel’s home world, but something said that this creature wasn’t a regular mortal and it wasn’t just the fact that she had lived so long. Rachel left her musing for another time and returned her mind to the present.
“That and I wouldn’t want to try out the highest setting of the Tesla just yet, it wouldn’t be a controlled testing of it and therefore I couldn’t record the results properly.” She tried to make the unveiled threat as light hearted as possible, something to keep the panther in a good mood and amused with her. She smiled at Panthress, it was a smile that said that they both knew Rachel could probably only step the panther up for a bit but that she didn’t want to even if Panthress pushed her yet she would if she had to.
She was indeed amused by the Tesla threat, and proved her good mood even further with a chuckle and comment.
“We'll have to do that some time, so you can have controlled results and properly record them. Later, though. Dying wears me out, and I'm gonna need plenty of energy to control the things that'll be moving your house. Now here we go!” And without warning, she slipped around behind Rachel, hooking her arms under Rachel's, and pulling them both down a bit. With a smooth spring that somehow didn't jerk her rider's arms out of their sockets, she shot skyward, her huge wings booming against the air as she pushed them upward with apparent ease. After only a couple wing strokes, she hooked her legs around Rachel's as well, and then leveled them out and they were flying quickly to the east.
“The site will be obvious, even in the dark. A large burnt area there isn't much there but charred ground. An elemental was let loose accidentally and turned everything to ash before it slipped back to its own plane. The ground's good and hard and flat, and there's a nice yard around it, so it should be ideal.” And as she spoke, they started circling the very area she described, her wing beats steady and sure as she flew only about 30 feet up off the ground.
“Hmm,” Rachel looked over the site. “Now this elemental you’re talking about, did it do anything else to the area besides just burn everything? Any poison or anything else? And what are these places called? That way I can have some reference and draw myself a map up.” She eyed the prospective pad for the area of the house to be. It looked level enough to easily set her room down on it. With all the vegetation being cleared out it would make it easier to start fresh with building up a Tesla poly-phase fence. Now if everything had just been burned away, that meant that she would have fairly fertile soil for planting things. Not only that, she could dig a bigger underground lab and possibly a house and make the top one a decoy…ideas began to form of a secret underground lair that she could dig in secret underneath the cabin she could make it very extensive that way she could have areas for her many experiments. A small smile began to spread over lips as diagnostics and blueprints began to form. She chuckled at the questions as they soared.
“Elementals tend to only do one sort of thing. This one was a fire elemental, so it burned things. There's nothing left you need to worry about, and the occupant has moved on. Well, been kicked out of the area for being so careless, actually.” Though Rachel probably couldn't see her grin, she might hear the satisfied tone in the feline's voice that said she was the one who did the kicking.
"These are just some of the cabins owned by Winston, the owner of the Tenshadows Tavern. Don't know what else to call 'em.” And they spiraled upward so she could see that there were cabins scattered all around in the fields, some with gardens, some surrounded by trees, some with simple yards like Rachel's. Then she banked and they turned back toward the forest and Rachel's home.
"Now you have to remember this land belongs to Winston, so you'll have to ok it with him if you want to do much more than plant a garden or raise some animals. If you want to get more complex, which I wouldn't be surprised if you did...” Panthress snickers quietly as if she could read Rachel's mind, which she could, but wouldn't without good reason, of course.
“...you'll have to find some place out in the woods, or buy land off one of the nearby farmers. If you manage the latter I'd be very surprised.” And they flitted back over the tavern, the smoke from its chimneys rich in the chill air. The trees beyond shot by underneath quickly, their dark tops seeming ominous even from above in the darkness lit only by stars, for the moon had yet to rise this night. Rachel pouted, she actually pouted she hadn’t done that in years.
“Well then I will just have to find this Winston and convince him what I could bring his hamlet if he lets me have some free reign. I happen to be an excellent witch doctor. A wonderful blend of science and magic, clanks and healings, prayers and curses, minion maker and legion destroyer…I’m an incredibly sought after commodity. Which is why, our ship was one of the few pirate ships that had the blessing of, her Majesty Victoria herself.” She sighed watching the passing of trees underneath them as they made their way towards where her spliced room was sitting. She had been lucky that it had landed rather gently, and in a clearing at that. It seemed she had crossed the dimensional rift with little to no injury or problems. Well other than losing the whole rest of the airship. Oh and the crew as well. She thought of Desdinova and sighed again. Well she would have to get over it; if she ever got to see him again she would be happy to accept his proposal. As it stood now she might have a better chance finding a husband here that was if there were any humans running around. If not she could always make one, she had played with the idea but nothing had come from it, though if she found out how to prolong her life she would have plenty of time to perfect the design. Panthress chuckles again as they fly.
“You're quite welcome to try. Maybe he'll surprise me. Course it probably depends in part on how many accidents you have during those experiments of yours. As you have seen so far, it's the accidents that get most people in trouble around here. I'm one of the few that start trouble on purpose for entertainment's sake.” She started circling again, dropping down toward the trees, and there was the clearing and the "house" sitting in the center.
“My, you did get lucky, didn't you? I have to say I've never had someone show up with a part of their ship like that before. It's usually either the whole thing or nothing but the person. Heck one poor gal landed in the middle of the tavern common room quite naked. She wasn't too pleased about that one, though a lot of the taverns folk were amused.” She came down before the building easily, releasing Rachel's legs at the last moment and setting her lightly on her feet, her powerful wings sending up gusts of wind laden with bits of leaves and grass until she dropped beside the woman and settled. With an easy flip those wings were folded against her back, the tips reaching to the backs of her knees, and she looked around at the building with a keen eye that was not in the least bothered by the darkness.
“Secure your breakables and I'll go have a chat with our helpers. Don't be alarmed if things get a bit...spooky for a while. These guys aren't exactly the nicest folk in the area.” And then she steps forward, and the darkness swallows her whole, leaving Rachel alone in her "front yard". Rachel blinked as the panther disappeared.
“Alright then…” She pulled out her dog tags and formed them into the key opening the door to her bunk quarters. Stepping inside closing the door behind her she moved through the room quickly to the door to the left of her bed. Opening it she walked into her lab and proceeded to pick up stray vials and bottles securing everything in the cargo hold doors that secured everything away safely. Once the lab was in order she moved back into her personal quarters and shut the lab door again and locked it. With that done she moved about the room picking up random artifacts that she didn’t want to chance activating if they broke or just decided to get wiley. She closed them up into their cabinets that glowed with a purple light and strangely enough a smell of fudge that rolled out on purple mist. Smiling at the happy smell of fudge she closed everything up tight and heading back outside locking the door behind her. She yawned and waited for the panthers return. After a couple of minutes she pulled out a small and delicate cigar. The smell that wafted off it was that of spiced honey. There seemed to be a theme in Rachel’s tastes. She leaned against the door puffing smoke rings up into the night sky.
“Well I will have to get the gas lamps working again, or maybe I will change them out like I always wanted too. I still can’t believe Desdinova wouldn’t let me, especially when I backed down from changing out the whole ships lamps to just my room. The chemicals in those little blue balls I made last for 200 hours before needing to be re-shaken.” She sighed deeply inhaling the smoke of the sweet cigar. She shook her head looking around at the forest around her.
“Lots to do and so little time, I will probably be up for the next 40 hours. Not the first time, but I will have to do some serious dealing with all the things that have happened. I let a little out, but I wonder if I will survive this one with my mind completely intact, I might actually go a little crazy. Not that many people would be able to tell the difference.” She laughed lightly. “Alright girl time to get cracking.” She threw the butt of the cigar down and dashed it out with her boot. She yawned into the cool air and saw a little bit of the outline of her breath misting in front of her goggled eyes.
“Alls well that ends well, eh?”

Voyages Away from the Zeppelin

II. Pigging Out
Thank you to BP from Tenshadows Tavern for her assistance in this short tale.

The blasted tavern had been empty! Empty! How the Gods does one manage that?! Well she would just chalk it up to her bad luck. Wandering outside she began to head back the way she had come to find her cabin…and hopefully her crew. She forest seemed more…foreboding then before. Everything was a bit more, wet then she had remembered it, and the trees seemed to threaten her as she approached. Shaking it off as a silly notion, these trees didn’t have the obvious characteristics of the family of deadly trees. Nothing like whomping willows, or voracious tanglers, no sleeping woods, no man-eating grass…couldn’t be, not in this part of the country. Of course, looking around this didn’t look like the right part of the country they had been flying in only this morning. She filed that question away for later trying to figure out what the blazes was going on. Pulling her night goggles down, she tromped forward following her path back to her isolated room.
She walked forward through the trees mentally engrossed with the crash that had taken down her zeppelin and brought her to this area. She knew it couldn't be southern France, the surroundings were all wrong...it looked almost like somewhere in Germany! But that couldn't be that was way off course...what had happened? Sigurd never had problems with navigation; she was excellent at knowing where she was at all times? She had the uncanny ability to be able to tell a person where things or people were in relation to her body. But this was...the sound of something crunching interrupted her train of thought.
The sounds of snuffing and the crunching of heavy feet in the underbrush got louder, and there was strange movement off to one side, as if there was a large ripple moving through the trees and shrubs at a slow, ambling pace. The ripple promptly paused, and a large bush was abruptly uprooted and sent flying into the path ahead of her with a rattling crash of drying fall leaves and thin limbs. The ripple trotted after it, stepping out into the patch and only then becoming obvious. An enormous pig stood there, pushing the plant around by the root ball, licking up the grubs and bugs and even a couple snakes that had been hiding in its mass.
The size was about the most normal thing about this pig. It was obviously huge, the size of a large pony or small horse. A double set of tusks sprouted from its mouth in wicked spikes that reached a good 2 feet out above and below the top of its wrinkled snout, canines that had gone wickedly out of control. But the weirdest thing about this pig was it was sporting peculiar scales all along its sides and that formed into heavy plated ridges along its back. It was the scales that made it seem like a ripple from a distance, because they had a way of making the eye un-focus and get confused, so one wasn't sure if they were looking at the pig or whatever was near the beast. An attempt at invisibility gone wrong, apparently. The whole effect was unsettling, perhaps even dizzying to some.
Rachel had absolutely no idea what she was looking at; it looked like an old experiment she had tried back at the Academy before she realized she had a talent for other things outside of genetics. The thing was simply monstrous! It easily was taller than she was being only five feet tall. Watching the thing her mind began to click and work better than it had in the last few hours. If she could only capture the creature and dissect it! Then she could figure out how it ticked and learn from the other Doctors failures and make it better! Imagine the royal Calvary being invisible and riding giant invisible pigs! Britannia would be the Empire it once was! Now how to sneak up on it, so far the thing hadn’t seemed to notice her. She edged close to the nearest tree and began searching her pack for her gun; she never really was much of a fighter. The silly little girl hadn’t taken to wearing the holster that Captain Desdinova had custom made for her. Perhaps that was a mistake, perhaps not.
The pig had been rather unaware of her until she moved. Its eyesight was obviously poor; the tiny, beady little eyes were ridged with ragged scales that cut off its vision above it and to the back almost like blinders. Unfortunately, when Rachel stepped off the road she moved into its line of sight, and the pig jerked it's massive, ugly head up and toward her with a heavy grunting snort. The plating that ridged down its forehead made it look almost dragonish as it snuffled her way and took a hesitant step toward her.
”I wouldn't try to shoot that thing if I were you.” A rough, heavily feline-accented voice spoke softly only a few feet behind and to the side of Rachel as the panther came stalking up to stand beside her.
“It would probably only make it mad, and I doubt we can escape it as easily as climbing a tree. “ She'd seen the bush laying in the road, and thought it likely trees wouldn't fare much better
Rachel blinked looking back and saw a panther…and heard words coming from it. And not only that, intelligent words. Someone had obviously been very busy in the area making mutations of creatures, she wondered if it was a biological clank. Coming to her senses she realized the pig was heading her way, and that the feline was quite right…with those scales a gun would be useless…unless she had the snow globe! She couldn’t remember who had invented it, but if it was still in her pack perhaps she could manage to shake it over the creature and freeze the creature in its place. It would also be a great way to salvage the thing so that later when she did the autopsy everything was in good condition for studying! She switched her hand around feeling for the snow globe.
“Maybe not a gun little kitty clank, your quite right. How about a little bit of ice?”
The panther looked up at the woman in puzzled fashion at being called kitty clank. Ok, so this one was apparently used to strange animals, though she obviously hadn't been here very long.
“I have no idea if ice will stop that thing or not. It's a mage accident, so there's no telling what kind of defenses the beast has.” As if to prove her words, the pig snorted again as it got a good whiff of the pair, and its scales went red, though it was likely just a color change, for no heat was evident. It let out an angry squeal, painfully loud coming from such a big beast, and rattled it's scales like some giant reptile, the ridges along it's back standing up like spikes as it pawed at the ground a moment with it's snout nearly touching the earth. It sniffed at the dirt it'd gouged up, found no food, and seeming to be even more angered by this, it charged Rachel and BP at full gallop, it's fat belly wobbling from side to side in almost comical fashion and that wickedly tusked snout waving wildly around as if it were already ripping them to shreds
“Sticks & Stones!” She grasped the globe and trying to think quickly as she didn’t want to loose the specimen or the globe by just throwing it at the creature…that and she wasn’t sure how far out the freezing would go if the globe shattered and didn’t want to be frozen herself she looked a the panther.
“See if you can distract it long enough for me to scramble up this tree, I will jump on its back and see if the freezing process will work.” She gave Rachel a very quick glance of disbelief
“You don't even know how that thing will work? Oh great!” She lets out a rough laugh that resembled a cat's snarl and darted sideways away from Rachel across the path toward the woods on the other side. She wished there was a clearing to work in, since that would be far easier, but she knew there wasn't one anywhere nearby, unless one counted the cabin's yard down the road. She doubted this woman wanted to find out what the pig might do to her home.
The pig stopped short when its targets split apart, seeming confused for a moment as to which to go after. It snuffled again loudly, swinging its massive head back and forth to see them both, its tiny tail whipping back and forth behind it angrily as it stamped the ground with a heavy thud. The one that had just moved was smaller, and it smelled like danger. The other one was standing like easy prey, and smelled...faint memories of humans and food mixed in its tiny brain and made the pig snort hungrily. Yep, she smelled like food! Its scales turned brown and it charged toward her with a squeal, alarmingly quick for such a large thing.
“I’m not sure if it will work because I haven’t used it on a mutation experiment yet. Its design is meant to freeze anything that is under it when it is shaken. Call me silly but I don’t go around trying it out on giant pigs to see just how far down inside their innards it will freeze.” As the pig charged towards her instead of focusing on the cat, Rachel found herself cursing in a most unladylike manner. Rachel scrambled her small frame up the nearby tree while tossing her pack away into the woods hoping that it would stay safe. As she reached one of the tree limbs above the pig’s height, she watched its advance toward her. Swallowing hard she balanced herself on just her feet her arms out preparing to jump, the globe safely tucked inside the front of her jumpers. Praying to the Gods she held her breath and waited for the deciding moment to come.
The pig slammed into the tree with its snout and forehead with enough force to make the whole tree shake alarmingly. It turned its head and ripped at the trunk, its massive tusks gouging deep ruts through the heavy bark and into the pale wood beneath. It butted the tree again a little less forcefully and let out a frustrated squeal, then started snuffling around at Rachel's smell, trying to find out where she'd gone. It couldn't see her above it, but it would soon, because it started sniffing up the trunk where she'd climbed.
Panthress had let out a loud snarl when the pig chose Rachel over her to chase, but the noise hadn't diverted the beast. As it attacked the tree, she decided she needed to make herself a more obvious target. With a smooth motion she stood on her hind legs, her body becoming humanoid, though her features were still quite feline. Huge black feathered wings sprouted from her back and she let out another snarl then yelled at the beast as she snapped her wings open wide and fanned them, trying to catch the pig's attention.
“Hey ugly! Over here!” The monster stopped it's sniffing with Rachel just barely out of its sight and turned its huge head toward Panthress with a grunt. That female sounded humanish, but it didn't smell human, it smelled like danger. But...it was a lot bigger now! Could it be food? Confused, the pig stopped under the tree and stamped a foot angrily, its scale coloring rippling with camouflage, reds, browns, and yellows in odd streaks across its sides. It dropped its head like it was going to charge Panthress, champing its teeth with a horrific noise.
When the tree had shook violently she had to cling frightfully at the tree.“Aahhh!” She watched the pig’s attention turn to Panthress. While the pig was distracted Rachel jumped from the tree at the pigs back. Landing on the pigs back with her butt proved to be rather painful, the scales were hard on the soft tush. Crying out in pain she couldn’t focus enough to find a hand hold and stay on the back. Instead she slipped right of the side and was sitting on the ground looking up at the pig close enough to smell its foul body odor and to reach out and touch it after just landing on it. Things weren’t looking good.
Panthress let out a curse as she saw Rachel jump down at the pig. Who did she think she was? Some western TV hero? It made her wince to think how much that had to hurt, but she didn't have time to do more than that, because the pig had jumped a bit when landed on and now whipped around with an enraged squeal, it's tusks raking the air at where it thought it's rider should be. (It didn't realize she'd fallen off, thinking it'd throw her off and catch her on the way down.) Its lucky Rachel was sitting on her butt, because those tusks rushed through the air only inches from her head. It would have impaled her quite perfectly if she had been still on and fallen off when the pig thought she would. As it was, the pig squealed again and hopped, flipping its huge body around and smacking its hip into the tree she'd been in so hard it swayed and the ground under it bucked a little as its roots started to give way. She might notice its underbelly was not scaled, and seemed a fairly normal pig belly with pale skin and short, coarse, sparse hair.
Panthress jumped forward at that moment and slapped her wings against the air so hard they boomed, trying to startled the beast far enough away to let Rachel get up and out of range of those hooves and tusks.
“Get behind it! It can't see you if you're behind its shoulders.”
Rachel’s mind was racing. Looking at the pig’s underbelly she felt an idea spark to life in her mind. She dashed to her feet and darted to the pig’s blind spot.
“Its underbelly is exposed, to use the snow globe I need to have the beast belly up!” She managed to keep time with the pigs dance, staying in its blind spot for the time being.
“I’m positive that if we hit it where the scales aren’t it will affect him like it affects most living creatures by turning him into a Popsicle!”
Panthress clapped her wings again as the pig squealed at her and faked a charge, backing up and swinging its head viciously around as it tore up the ground with its hooves. Its tiny tail was almost comical as it whipped back and forth, slapping it's scaled rump with a little "whap" each time.
“You want me to flip it over?” She spared a glance at Rachel, actually laughing at the idea. “Are all mutations that strong where you come from?” But the idea seemed to amuse her for more reasons than one, and she threw her wings back and tucked them against her back, her arms coming out as if she intended to actually wrestle the beast right on over.
”I'd watch the hooves if I were you, it's not gonna like what I'm about to do.” She jumped straight at the pig's head, feinted to the right, dodged to the left when the animal reacted and swung its head in the direction it thought she was going. She slammed into its shoulder and neck, ducked enough to get under its heavy jowl, and got an arm down under its leg along its chest, the other up against its neck.
With a loud growl of her own as the pig squealed in dismay at the feel of her claws digging into its relatively tender armpit, she planted her feet and twisted with far more strength than anyone her size should have. The beast was flipped, its legs and snout flailing wildly in all directions, and landed with a heavy thud on its side and nearly rolling completely onto its back with the momentum of the throw. The whole action took barely more than the time one would take to cough
Rachel got in position to avoid the hooves and then blinked, missing it all. Next thing she knew, the beast was exposing its belly. She rushed over pulling the snow globe out of the front of her jumpers as she went. She turned it the right side down and shook what looked like a regular very Victorian plain snow globe. Only what came out of the bottom was a whirlwind of snowflakes. These poured down onto the pig’s belly. As the first one hit the stomach of the beast a large patch of frozen flesh appeared. The pig let out a mighty squeal in pain and struggled against its captor, before it could get free however more snowflakes rained down on it. Suddenly the beast was frozen solid, only for some reason the ice had an adverse reaction with the pig’s biological makeup and frosted him over so much that he soon crumbled into pieces before their very eyes.
“NOOOO! I wanted to study it!” She fell to her knees the snow globe now sitting harmlessly in her hands. “B-b-b-bu-bu-but!....” Her bottom lip trembled. “It’s not fair…I never get to advance my genetic permutations when I can’t study other scientists work.”
Panthress had been trying to keep the beast from getting back to its feet when the snow globe started pouring out its magic. She waited to what she thought was the last moment to break free, and paid for it dearly.
As the pig felt its belly freeze, it reacted by tucking its chin down hard in an attempt to get back to its feet. Unfortunately, Panthress was there against it's chest, and as a result one of the tusks caught her in the shoulder, pinning her for a moment longer than she'd intended to stay and shoving her downward a little...right into the snowflakes floating up along the pig's chest. With a pained and startled gasp, she was caught in the magic and frozen solid.
The difference was she didn't crumble like the pig did. when it was all done she was left kneeling on the ground, arms out as if she still held the pig down, a disgusted look on her face and the pig's frozen tusk still stuck in her shoulder blade where it'd broken free of the crumbled mass the rest of the pig had become.
Rachel frowned looking at her helper who was now stuck solid.
“Well crap, that’s what I get for messing with someone else’s invention. Don’t worry I’ve got something to counteract it. Had to make it after the incident with Lien-Hua trying to commandeer our ship. Anywho, lemme grab my pack.” She jumped up racing over to where she had thrown it. Lifting it up she begin searching the pack for the item that would defrost her companion.
“Ah-ha!” She whipped it out of her pack revealing it to be a hot water bottle huggie, it was quaintly in the image of a pig for kids to hug and cuddle when they were feeling bad with a tummy ache.
“Here we are.” Shouldering her pack she walked over lifting it, it was always nice and piping hot like it should be. The fluid inside sloshed happily as she walked over.
“Now how to make it so you can cuddle with it to thaw you out properly…”
The frozen Panthress didn't give her time to figure this out properly. Without warning her body began to glow with a faint reddish light, and in less than a minute she fell out of her pose into a huddled heap on the ground, shivering violently and gasping for air.
“b-b-b-brrrrr! Ahhh...ooh-oh-oh-oh..that s-s-s-stings!” She muttered as circulation started pushing its way through frozen veins again. She began rubbing her arms fiercely, her wings trembling over her, the ebony feathers still frosted where the heat from her flesh hadn't reached yet.
Rachel blinked.
“Well you are a well constructed clank after all. So….I’m figuring since I’m in Germany….Van Rjun creation?”
“V-v-v-van...w-w-what?” She was slowly recovering, and managed to sit up straight as she rubbed fiercely at her body. She winced as she moved her shoulder, then reached back and felt the tusk still stuck there.
“Ugh...” It took her only a moment to yank it out, then several seconds as she gasped against the pain as the fur around it mixed with her blood and created a hard, protective seal.
“G-germany? Hah hah...Y-you haven't t-talked to anyone around h-here yet, have you?” She looked up at the woman standing near her and chuckled through her chattering teeth. “And w-what is a c-clank?”
Rachel nearly choked.
“You aren’t a clank? A mechanized biological robot? What do you mean talk to anyone? You’re the first living thing I’ve encountered, save the pig.”
She laughed again, this time obviously feeling better, though she held her left arm carefully against her side so her shoulder wouldn't hurt more than necessary as it healed. “No, I'm not a robot of any sort. I was born and raised on another world, just like you apparently were. Are you from an Earth? Or does your world go by another name? A lot of humanoids have so little imagination in naming their homes, you know.” She was having a bit of gentle fun, now. She always loved finding newcomers first. Their reactions were often quite interesting.
“Wait…another world? I’ve broken the time-dimensional barrier!? You’re telling me I’m in another world, and you’re from another one?” Her mind started to turn inward at the implications. “Yes! YES! YESSSS! Mwhahhha! I will be revered for the rest of humanities existence!” She began to cackle… and found that she actually couldn’t get herself to stop. She had accomplished more in this one day, then she had in the last decade. She would never have to work again on those filthy little projects that didn’t warrant her attention, she would be able to work on whatever she wanted whenever she wanted too. All her dreams were coming true. Quite suddenly she was quite.
“How in the verse did I manage it? And sticks & stones how am I going to get back?!”
She nodded grinning a toothy grin at Rachel as she got to her feet, careful not to stumble over the still solid chunks of pig scattered around her feet.
“Yep...” And she stops and blinks in surprise at the woman's almost crazed reaction, one she hadn't really expected. Thus it made it all the better to her, and she started laughing, until Rachel asked how she would get back. Then she sobered and shook her head. This was the not so fun part.
”There are tons of theories as to how one manages to get here...probably nearly as many as people. Unfortunately, there are very few ways to return, and most people never manage. Chances are good if you didn't travel here deliberately, you won't find your way back, because you don't know where you'd be going. You might be from another dimension, another world in this one, or another world in another dimension...and there's no telling what time you came from.” She smirks and shakes her wings out, drops of water spraying out behind her from where the frost had melted.
“A friend of mine ended up on this planet nearly 2 centuries after I got here. I had only been gone for about 2 years from his point of view.”
“…..Son of a Slattern!” She threw the piggy hot water bottle down which proceeded to steam a little bit at the top.
“So I’m likely to be dust before someone from home figures it out as well? Well then I will just have to work on extending my life, the proverbial fountain of youth as it were.”
Panthress can't help but snicker, though she tries not to sound mean.
“Long life's easy. Just find one of the vamps running around here. I'm sure they'd be glad to turn ya. There are other, rarer options, too. I'd steer clear of the necromancers though. Their spells might keep you walking and talking, but no guarantees about your state of mind or body's health after a few years.” She was having fun watching the woman's reactions. She was obviously used to sciences, more advanced sciences than many worlds BP had visited, in fact, if they had biological robots and were far enough along that this woman thought she'd achieved dimensional travel. She didn't have the heart to tell Rachel she might have done nothing but walk into one of the many random worm holes that sucked people in once in a while.
“So…vampires are real, eh? I hadn’t found one yet…no surprise considering the pygmy zombies down in South Africa…” She sighed deeply. “Well this changes things drastically. Alright…data collection…I have to start if I’m going to figure this out.” She dug in her pack and pulled out a silver globe that had pretty Indian artwork carved into its surface, it looked to be made out of real silver.
“Your life story, miss panther?”
She blinks and stares at the woman as if she'd gone crazy when asked her life story. The idea was so hilarious to her she couldn't even laugh properly.
”Hah! Are you joking? No, of course you aren't. You don't know...Lady; I'm nearly 8,000 years old by my best guess. I don't think I could fit my life story into your lifetime, even the abridged version. Let's just say I've traveled...a lot. I've pissed a few gods and a lot of powerful people off and survived whether I wanted to or not. I've helped a lot of people and hurt a lot of people, and I'm not gonna try to count how many I've killed, or the means by which I've done so. This place is kind of a home for me, a place I come to for rest. Been visiting off and on for over 200 years now, this planet's time. I think it's actually about 600 now if you count my own time, since my travels are through time as well as space.” She eyes the silver globe as she speaks, but most of her attention is on Rachel. She was really glad she'd been in a good mood today and helped this woman. She hadn't had so much fun in a while.
“My name, by the way, is Panthress. Simple, but I was an original on my home world.”
“Yes, yes of course. My name is Rachel Trevethan, Witch Doctor of Luftshiffehalle 93. And actually I don’t need you to talk out loud, if you just touch this part up here-“ She motioned to a small circle carved in to what seemed to be the top. “- and if you just think about your life I will get all the information I need. But if talking helps go right ahead. Also if you could classify yourself that would be much appreciated.”
She raises a whiskered eyebrow and chuckles.
“I think you'd be better off researching data from other folk. Every storage device has a maximum capacity, and I wouldn't be surprised if I overloaded this one. Besides, it'd still take months, just thinking about it all. My memory, while crowded and not necessarily organized well, is perfect. The amount of data would be...extraordinary.” Panthress seemed to have a very good grasp of technology herself, though she obviously wasn't familiar with Rachel's own types.
“I really don't know what to classify myself as. I'm a combination of two different creatures. Originally I was a human and a panther. We were forced into a single body when my human side was about 18 years old and my panther side was about three. I didn't gain these wings until I was nearly 800 years old, through an interesting experience with my home planet's consciousness.” She pauses, thinks and smirks. “For simplicity's sake, I call myself a were-panther.”
Rachel laughed lightly.
“This isn’t powered by conventional means, trust me. And just light onto the major points of interest. Were-panther, eh? That is quite interesting. I will have to run some experimental tests to see how to make one.” She mentally ticked off some thoughts of just how to go about it, but her mind soon came back to the present.
“So tell me about the area.”
She frowned a little and refrained from touching the orb. She didn't really want to have any part of her life recorded by this woman, especially after she mentioned figuring out how to make a were-panther. Other comments she'd made struck home and she sighed.
“A scientist. You're one of those people that go around dissecting things to see how they tick. You see if you can make things without worrying about the consequences of your actions. That's why you wanted to freeze that pig, isn't it? So you could find out how to make another?” She stepped away and shook her head, flicking her wings one more time and folding them securely against her back. Every move was graceful and smooth, with no sign of trouble from her recent experiences. She turns around after a moment and sighs.
“This area is called Tenshadows forest. There's a tavern off that way.” She nods down the path. “The cabin you were heading toward is one the tavern's owner built for people who preferred solitude, or needed it for one reason or another.” The tone of her voice might make Rachel think of a hungry vampire, or some other less pleasant creature that wouldn't do well in a crowd.
“There are worm holes that draw people in from all over the universes and dump them in this area, so be wary. The next talking animal you meet might not be a shape shifter, or it might be a witch trying to draw you into her tower to have you for dinner or test potions on you. Curiosity is a very dangerous thing around here.” She grins as she turns to examine the gouges the boar's tusks had left in the tree
“Take it from someone who knows all too well.”
Rachel frowned deeply.
“I am not a scientist, I cater to the Gods for the people of the crew, I also handle spells & some inventions that involve magic combined with science. The inventions I make do not solely rely on science. I work for her Royal Majesty Queen Victoria. The information I am wanting from you specifically is to see if I can figure out how I crossed the dimensional divide. I didn’t want to make another pig like it I wanted to make something different to have steeds for the Calvary units. And the Tesla gun I have would not have made an effect on it much like you said. Even if I had dialed it all the way up, it would have just bounced off those scales. The freezing was the only thing I had in my pack that would have worked though normally I use it to chill drinks. And actually the place I was returning to was the piece of the airship that must have came with me, it was my bunk room and lab. If I don’t investigate I might as well lie down and die. Knowledge is power and currently I am the lowest thing on the food chain with how little knowledge I have, therefore I find things out and I improve my chances of survival in the long run. What does not end up killing me will only improve my ability to survive.”
She looks sidelong at Rachel for a long moment, considering her words then finally lets out a soft chuckle. Whether that was a good or bad thing, who could tell?
“My pardons. Since I'm not familiar with your world I didn't know you categorize science and magic separately, though you obviously combine the two in use. Words often hold very different meanings from world to world. Some worlds have no magic; some have no science, and some, like yours combine them to different degrees. Or have both but scoff at one and embrace only the other. “She reached down and picked up a hunk of frozen pig, a piece of bright red flesh that melted a little around her fingers to bloody her fur as she held it.
“I do have to commend you on use of that freezing orb; it made that task quite a bit easier than I'd expected it to be. As for knowledge, it is indeed power, but around here, having power can be a magnet for other powerful creatures that are out to prove they're strongest. If you do somehow manage to survive gathering your knowledge, I'd recommend keeping it hidden when you can. Otherwise someone like me might come along and decide to test you.” Her grin this time wasn't friendly. It was broad and showed every tooth the savage predator possessed in a way that indicated she was not always such an easy person to get along with.
“I've died a lot of times for my curiosity. I doubt you would return from death so easily. But...” Her entire manner changed abruptly, and she became cheerful and friendly once more as she started pacing around the pig, eyeing the pile of frozen rubble it had made as if planning something.
“...if you really do want to know more, join me for a drink and a bite at the tavern. There are plenty of folk there to learn from.” She drops the piece of flesh in her hands back into the pile, then steps back and focuses on a bare spot of ground nearby. There was a strange shiver of pure darkness, then a large, clean sack was laying open there.
“Oh, and you won't find out how to get back from me. I don't take myself; I just ride the back of a very powerful silver dragon. She decides where I go and when. I'm just along for the ride.” And she starts picking through the flesh, tossing chunks into the bag and licking her lips at the thought of the roasts she'd get out of this huge beast.
Rachel began to laugh lightly at all the exchange.
“I’m not a powder puff, just not much of a fighter I just don’t like to do it so I abstain from it. Doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself.” She sighed putting the orb away since she was just ignoring her.
“I don’t expect you to know how to get back, looking at recordings of the images of your memory I might notice something you didn’t realize was important as you were passing between them.” She sighed watching Panthress put the pig into the sack.
“I suppose after all this I could use a drink though."
She chuckles as she works quickly, and the huge sack was quickly full. She straightened and licked her fingers of the blood, then pulled the bag closed and hefted it with ease.
“I didn't say you were. Just giving you a friendly warning. I'm no kitten, but I get my butt kicked regularly around here. Thought you might like to have an idea of what you'll be dealing with. Not like you can really know till you're face to face with 'em.” She considered the woman, and the distance a moment, then snickered
“Think I'll take the shortcut, so this meat doesn't thaw. You know the way there, I bet. See ya there.” And without further warning, she steps forward, and her own shadow seems to swallow her up in the blink of an eye, leaving Rachel alone on the path with the leftovers of the frozen pig.

Voyages Away from the Zeppelin

I. The Crash


Somewhere in the recesses of her sleep addled mind an alarm blared. She heard her Captain’s voice fogging in and out.

“May.”

“Yes we truly do have excellent weather in England during May, especially when we are on the other side of the continent. You do have a very intriguing sense of taste Captain Desdinova.”

“Day.”

“Yes, yes I shall definitely find something extraordinary to work on today. I’m thinking that the clanks down in the boiler need their fortunes told. And I shall see about making an offering to Turanos to favor the winds for the zeppelin so that we can make it back to Luftshiffehalle 93 in one piece. Soon my Captain we will be back in cheery England amongst our colleagues with the victory in hand. There is no way that Robert’s crew on the Ophelia can top our spoils from this voyage.”

Without further ado Ms. Rachel Trevethan found herself tossed out of her bunk and splayed on the floor of her cabin. Cursing with some very unladylike language she heard the comm. System buzzing with interference. Reaching for the switch she found that the cabins gaslight system would not work. Curiously puzzled with all that was going on she proceeded to reach out and touch her bunk. Even from sleeping her eyes could not penetrate the darkness that surrounded her. Frowning she pulled herself up and made her way blindly for the door. Her fingers brushed the wall lightly and she found the molding that announced she was at the door.

“Finally.” She sighed in relief. Finding the handle she turned it lightly and opened the door onto more blackness. “Well damn it, what in the blazes is going on?! Hello?! You can’t tell me a whole airship full of people and not a damn one in earshot!” She walked out into the hall and reached out to find the opposite wall. “And of course the night blind person is walking around in the dark…if I break something I don’t think I will agree to marry the Captain when he finally proposes…I don’t think I shall.” Instead of a wall though, she felt what had to be the most beaten up wood she had ever felt. The walls’ weren’t wood…they were all metal…what was going on? She grasped it and pulled close to it wrapping her arms around it, she found herself actually hugging a tree. Starting to panic a little she slid down to her knees.

“We crashed? How could we have crashed? Desdinova is the best…the best!” She felt dirt underneath her jumpers. “You’ve got to be kidding me. This simply can’t be happening.” She crawled back towards the door of her cabin and made her way inside, she begin to search for her expedition gear. “I know I didn’t put it away since we were going to be making port soon, now where did I stash it though?” She found her way to her desk and sure enough the pack was sitting just underneath it. She wrestled one of the pockets open finding the small globe she was looking for. Shaking it with all her might, the room was filled with the glow of blue light. Sighing in relief she got up and looked out the door of her cabin only to see a forest.

“Sticks & Stones! You’ve got to be kidding me!” She rushed outside and followed the contour of her room which was sitting all by itself out in the middle of this forest.

“Oh…my….gods….” She sat down again and begin to really panic. “But my lab! All my clanks and my inventions and my offerings and altars…I just…I just….ye gods! We were going to get married! I was going to own half the zeppelin once we had got the mortgage paid off! I was going to finally not be labeled nuts by the Academy! They were going to offer me a position with the Royal family! Noooooooooo!” Her eye twitched slightly as she breathed deeply.
"This is going to be harder then I thought." Getting up and setting her jaw determinedly she went back into her cabin grabbing the pack and shrugging it on. She grabbed a pair of goggles off a shelf and put those on. Now able to see due to the glass in the goggles she put the globe away. Grunting she walked outside and looking back at the cabin. For good measure she pulled out her dog tags and put them into place to form the key locking the door. Cracking her neck to the side she began to walk through the trees.

Walking through the trees beneath the dark canopy of leaves she begin to feel just how utterly quiet the woods were. Sighing she watched for signs of life, she could see no evidence of what must have been a horrible wreck. The zeppelin must have been a catastrophic mess! Her room had been left essentially intact, but where were the pieces of walls, flooring, the gas lamps…why was there no fire? What in the verse was going on here? As she walked she seemed to find a natural path through the woods, one that hadn’t been there a minute ago. She walked on still finding nothing of what had been her home and any of her friends and colleagues. She became less focused on her surroundings and began to internalize turning inward as her mind tried to handle everything that was happening around her. Something along the way refused to click, and she remained stumped.

As she continued to internalize her plight she overlooked the trees that were now growing closer together and altogether missing the roots that were before her feet. Next thing she knew she was kissing dirt.

“Blech! Yuck! Gods girl get it together!” She leaned up slightly spitting dirt out of her mouth and caught sight of what could only be light from some kind of building. “Praise be to the Gods, I’m saved!” She jumped up brushing herself off a bit and began making her way towards the structure. “I’m sure I can find someone to help get my wits about me until morning when we can send out a search party. Once they realize how generous the Queen will be with such individuals I’m sure they won’t hesitate.”

As she got closer to see what could only be called a tavern, and not one of her Royal Majesties well provisioned ones at that, she lifted the night goggles up and placed them on top of her head. Clicking her tongue inside her mouth she walked forward to try the door. Finding it open she let herself inside and after her eyes adjusted a bit, drank in the sight of the room.

Steampunk Ladies Gloves

For those ladies out there that aren't exactly the crafty sort, but love Steampunk & can't find any gloves to suit her budget or her taste there is a simple solution. If your like myself and feeling particularly thrifty you can look through your drawer of stockings. I found an old pair of knee highs that had holes in the toes. They were a ivory set that I never wore much anymore as it was anyways. To start with I cut the toes off, just to the point where the holes were at so as to make these as long as possible. Next I put them on and looked at where the knuckle of my thumbs were at on each if they were position at the same point. I proceded to mark the area and make a small nip into the material and slid my thumb through. Brilliant.
Now if your satisfied with this you can stop right here. Depending on the material of the stockings you might not even need to hem the edges that you've just cut.
However, my opinion is of lots more ornamentation. I am still looking for the right materials with other items that need to be thrown out. The plan is to lace all the edges. The hand hole, the thumb hole, and the arm hole. Following the lacing I will place on the outside arm near the elbow section of the glove a set of three buttons. As the project progresses I will take pictures and explain how it was done and with what materials. For now, think of this as a little taster a small nibble for a small mouse.