The Montfort

Guy brought Madeline onto the bridge and she gasped, "It's all changed? The controls look different and there are new measurements?" She ran around like a kid in a toy store looking at everything. "We always said on the Montgolfier we wish we'd had a gage on the bridge for the steam engines and the control to vent them, is that what this is?"

Guy smiled and said, "Exactly, we took all of your suggestions and wishes and integrated them into the Montfort. This is the prototype for the new model of airship we'll be constructing in our new shipyards. Unlike the Montgolfier, the new ships use magic for fuel and fire. The Montfort can fly forever, only the crew and the moving parts will need to be replaced as time flows on. If the crew didn't need food, then the Montfort would never need to see land again. And in fact, we are testing something special on the Montfort today that may make even that no longer necessary."

Madeline looked at Guy and asked in a huskier voice, "You figured out how to make a gate that moves with the ship?" He grinned and nodded. "That should be impossible, right?" She looked concerned.

Guy grinned and said, "It worked in my lab at the hangar, we are going to do a full-scale test on our shakedown flight today. What I did, was make a gate just like the public gate only it's smaller. In my lab, I was able to put it on rails and slide it back and forth without it failing. We'll slowly advance out of the Hangar today and stop if damage occurs."

Madeline looked at Guy in awe, "That's incredible. Where is the ground side entrance?"

"I decided to make a safe room here at the airbase. We can come and go from here, as well as resupply or abandon the ship as needed in total safety." He smiled, "As incredible as that is, I also added a few other features. The defensive field that Diggory created for the Tower of Magic and some offensive weapons in case of danger."

Madeline looked worried, "I thought you made this as my personal yacht? Why do I need weapons?"

"I am planning for the future, as airships become more commonplace, you'll eventually have trouble. Enemy nations, pirates, salesmen... All kinds of dangers." Guy explained.

"Wait, did you just say salesmen?" Madeline looked confused.

Guy looked at her seriously and said, "Never underestimate the tenacity of a salesman, you'll thank me later."

"With the new magical engines, will it be faster?"Madeline looked interested again.

"Did you notice the shape was changed to be a little more angular at the front and back? I wanted the new ships to cut through the wind, similar to sailing ships. The Montfort will be twice as fast as the Montgolfier. The side profile is also narrower, I wanted it to act less like a sail when you were sailing a direction perpendicular to the wind's direction." Guy smiled as he described it.

"I notice the metal you used was different this time, it wasn't the same iron as last time?" Madeline was curious.

Guy nodded and said, "This time we used steel, steel is normally too hard to manufacture for something this big, but thanks to the magical furnace that Doreen designed, we were able to start large scale steel production. That furnace is also what powers the Montfort's steam engines. It's a brilliant design."

"Will it fly any higher?" Madeline asked.

Guy shook his head, "To fly above a certain height requires a pressurized cabin with climate controls. I don't have the people or the talent to recreate such a thing. Algernon and Diggory said they would look into a magical alternative, but I am afraid that's still a future plan. The problem is that the air gets thinner and colder the higher you go, it would kill the crew to fly over a certain height, so I put a limitation on the spell that allows the ship to float to keep it below that level."

Madeline nodded and said, "When we took the Montgolfier to its ceiling we all noticed that it was freezing cold in there and that we started to get headaches. When we came back down, our ears popped."

Guy nodded, "That's pressure."

"Why did you name it the Molester?" She asked while trying to conceal a smile and a laugh.

Guy sighed and said, "I wonder if Doreen is still single?"

*****

Gorou walked quicker to catch up to the others, "And then there was the time he went to every tailor's shop in town just to make sure I couldn't buy a black costume for the masquerade ball. I managed to find one at a second-hand store though, the bastard couldn't think of everything!"

Touma growled out, "We get it, Gorou, Guy had it out for you. It was your own fault, he was clearly courting Madeline, and you just had to compete with him."

Gorou sighed and said, "Madeline was the first girl I had even fallen in love with, why did it have to be the one woman being courted by Superman?"

Touma frowned, "Wait, you ended up with Alicia, the most beautiful woman in the Kingdom, hell you might even make an argument for the smartest woman in the Kingdom as well."

Gorou winced and said, "I know, I should have been thankful and given her more than I did. I treated her as a second prize." he took a deep breath, "I really wish for her to find happiness."

*****

Alicia giggled as she played with Charles making goofy sounds and faces at him watching him laugh hysterically. Doreen smiled and commented, "You look different now, Alicia."

Alicia smiled at Doreen and asked, "Oh? How so?" She helped Charles clap his little hands together.

"I've just never seen you this happy. Even from before. You are just so involved and positive all the time." Doreen replied.

Alicia giggled and then said, "Charles needs Mommy to teach him how to be a good brave little man." She helped him make a heroic pose which caused him to laugh hysterically again.

Doreen watched them and said, "Watching you with Charles is exhausting." She laughed, "I don't think I would have the energy to be a mother."

Algernon who walked up behind them cleared his throat and said, "If you don't mind my saying so, Mage Leon, you would make a very good mother. You are a very patient, kind and considerate woman."

Doreen giggled and then walked closer to him and batted her lashes, "Oh, then you are ready to take responsibility and make me a mother?"

Algernon blushed bright red and coughed, "M-m-mage Leon, I didn't mean to imply.."

Doreen pouted at him cutely and said, "Oh, am I not your type?"

Algernon rushed out of the room in a panic looking completely flustered.

Alicia laughed, "You are terrible to him Doreen, you know he has a crush on you."

Doreen snorted and said, "Then he should man up and court me instead of just staring at my butt and boobs all the time."

Alicia thought about it for a while and then said, "Oh, then you wouldn't mind if I asked him out?"

Doreen stopped in her tracks looking slowly over at Alicia to see if she was being serious, "Alright, I get it. I'll quit teasing him and make the first move." She sighed, "If he was just a little more confident, he'd be like Guy."

"There is no one else like Guy. He's one of a kind. Madeline is the luckiest woman in the world." Alicia sighed and then played with Charles beaming into a smile once again.