by Drew Wagar
‘Best speed home,’ Coran whispered to himself. ‘And let’s hope we’re in good time.’
The crossing of the Straithian Sea was uneventful. There was a little rough weather to navigate, but it was nothing that the Mobilis couldn’t shrug off with ease. The flying machines behind seemed likewise unaffected, they held their position and their formation regardless of sun or rain.
On the first chime of the fifth stretch all of the crew were on deck, looking for the island of Amar. It wasn’t long before it came in sight.
‘We’re getting good at this navigation lark,’ Coran said as the Mobilis closed the distance to the coastline. The weather was fair, but there was a stiff breeze blowing, the sea around them choppy, causing the ship to pitch and roll. They were all used to it now.
‘You can thank Meru for that,’ Mel said. ‘He reset the timers and made the measurements before we left.’
‘Good lad.’
‘Looks like they’ve been busy,’ Fitch said, pointing at the coast line. ‘Look at the walls. They’d better not take exception to us again.’
Fitch’s eyesight was good, but before long all of the crew could see the changes to the coastal defences of Amar. Along the walls were many more of the catapults they had seen on the recent return, now lined up at hundred hand intervals.
‘That should give any approaching fleet pause,’ Coran said.
‘Assuming they try a head on attack,’ Fitch said. ‘If I were the priestesses I’d conduct an aerial attack first to weaken the city before bringing the boats in.’
Coran nodded. ‘From what Meru told us about Viresia, that seems to be their tactics. The question is, how do we frustrate that approach?’
Fitch grinned. ‘I left ’em with a few jobs to do for me. I have a few sneaky ideas based on what I saw in Nireus.’
As the Mobilis approached, they could see crowds of people lining the walls and the quays, the awesome sight of the enormous flying machines had drawn everyone out.
‘Any suggestions as to where to land the beasts?’ Coran said.
‘No space in the bay or the city,’ Mel said. ‘But there’s a flat plain above the cliffs overlooking the city a couple of marks inland. Easy enough to reach and more than enough space there.’
Coran nodded. ‘Show Ren where it is, he’ll be able to manage it I’m sure.’
Mel jumped down from the wheelhouse and ran aft.
The Mobilis slowed and turned into the harbour. The quayside they were approaching was thronged with people waving flags and banners.
‘Looks like we’ll get a slightly warmer welcome this time,’ Fitch muttered.
They moored to shouts and cries of welcome. Senators Janaid and Henoch were waiting for them amidst a crowd of well-wishers. Coran raised his hands high and was rewarded with a loud cheer from the crowd. He shook as many hands as he could until he reached the senators.
‘It is such a pleasure to welcome you back, Captain Coran!’ Janaid shouted above the din. ‘It seems your mission was fruitful.’
‘We have brought what we can …’ Coran said.
He was interrupted by the thumping vibrations of the flying machines. Ren had brought them all in low across the bay and they cast the quayside into shadow as they passed overhead. A collective moan of awe and appreciation shattered through the crowd as the machines glided by above. Both senators were watching, mouths agape.
‘My word,’ Henoch managed to utter. ‘I never imagined …’
‘Our lost legacy,’ Coran said, unable to resist driving his point home. ‘These are the machines of our ancestors, here to help us against our ancient foe.’
‘They’re truly coming?’ Janaid said. ‘The priestesses?’
‘Aye,’ Coran said, with a terse nod. ‘They’re coming all right.’
They were drowned out as the down-thrust from the flying machines echoed above them. The water in the bay vibrated and splashed in strange patterns.
‘That little scamp,’ Coran muttered, looking back at the ship. Ren was standing on the aft deck, having decided to bring the flying machines in at that angle before ordering them to rise up over the cliffs. The crowds watched as the machines receded, pointing and talking amongst themselves.
Henoch looked around him, casting his eyes over the Mobilis.
‘Where is Meru and that young woman who was with him?’ Henoch demanded.
‘They’re on a mission,’ Coran said. ‘I’ll give you the full details once we’re ashore.’
‘But they’re coming back?’ Henoch demanded.
‘That’s the plan,’ Coran said.
The flying machines were landed on the high plain beyond the city and seemed to be none the worse for wear for their trip. Once the crew were rested, the senate was called together to discuss progress.
As Fitch had seen, the residents of Amaris had not been idle whilst the Mobilis had been away. Along with the catapults, the city armoury had been working throughout, producing swords, bows and crossbows. Amaris had no standing army, there had not been need for one in living memory, but the guards of the city were trained and there had been no shortage of volunteers signing up to defend the city. Production continued, but it seemed that by the end of the pass anybody who wanted a weapon would have one. Training in their use lagged behind, and there had already been a few injuries from those over enthusiastic with their new-found tools.
‘We’ll have several thousand at the wall,’ Janaid said. ‘We’re organising into manageable groups now, each under a guard who has some discipline and training. We have scarce two hundred of them though. Plenty of volunteers, but this is no seasoned army we have here.’
‘They will fight to defend their homes,’ Coran said. ‘Or they will perish.’
The five original catapults that had been positioned along the walls had been joined by fifteen more. The city carpenters had been hard at work building them and they were almost finished. More weapon designs had been found in the city archives; giant crossbow devices that had been tried and found to work well.
Fitch’s mysterious instructions had also been followed. Two odd contraptions stood on either side of the harbour entrance. They looked like a pair of enormous funnels or siphons, aimed outwards towards the sea. Connected to them were a furnace and bellow, along with a large metal reservoir of some kind.
‘The smiths followed the instructions as best they could,’ Henoch noted. ‘But they are quite bemused by the function. We had to raid the entire island to find enough metal for them. What do they do?’
‘I’ll set them up soon enough,’ Fitch answered. ‘Should give those priestesses a nasty shock.’
‘What happens if they don’t attack the city directly?’ Mel asked. ‘They might try to land elsewhere and invade across the land.’
Coran shook his head. ‘One advantage to these islands having rocks and cliffs. There’s nowhere else to land a fleet, and no army would be able to set anchor off shore and wade in under fire from the cliff-tops. No, Amaris is the only way into Amar. They’ll know that soon enough.’
‘The priestesses might attack the outlying settlements from the air though,’ Mel argued.
Coran nodded. ‘That’s true enough. We’ll have to evacuate them as best we can. We can’t defend everything.’
Much of the discussion had focussed on the use of the flying machines. When the call went out across the city for volunteers to help fly them, Coran had been met by many of the younger men and women. They had all been surprised when it was left with Ren, with some help from Mel, to train them in how the machines worked. Some could not grasp the concepts, but before a couple of stretches had passed Ren had selected those with the best aptitude for the task and assigned them each to a vessel.
‘He’s chosen five,’ Mel said, when Coran inquired. ‘So we now have a flying corps.’
‘Five? Coran asked. ‘He needs six.’
‘He’s flying one of the small ones himself,’ Mel answered.
‘No he’s not,’ Cor
an snapped. ‘Mel, he’s just a kid …’
‘Other than Meru he’s the best flyer we’ve got,’ Mel replied. ‘And you’ll not keep him out. He’s determined to do his bit.’
‘This is a war, a battle. Folks are going to get killed.’
‘And if everyone is dead, who’s going to be left to care for the youngsters?’ Mel countered. ‘He’s got just as much reason to fight as any of us.’
‘I’m not going to win this one, am I?’ Coran muttered.
Mel grinned and shook her head. ‘No, you’re not. I’ve already told him he can.’
‘I don’t like it.’
‘You don’t have to like it, just let him fly.’
‘All right,’ Coran grumbled. ‘Does he know what we need to use the machines for?’
Mel nodded. ‘He sure does. We’ve already organised it.’
Coran narrowed his eyes. ‘Already?’
The refitting of the flying machines had already been put into place under Mel’s supervision. All the flying machines apart from the medical transport had large sliding doors along their flanks designed to make loading and unloading more straightforward. A series of rope harnesses had been rigged up within.
‘Aerial shooting platforms,’ Mel said. ‘Crammed full of archers.’
Coran grinned. ‘We can take the fight to the priestesses in the air.’
‘Better still,’ Mel said. ‘The machines can hover over the city. The priestesses need to keep moving. We may even have the advantage.’
‘We’ll still be outnumbered.’
‘But it will give them pause,’ Mel said. ‘An aerial defence is not something they will have encountered before. With their ships under fire and their dachs occupied, their strategy may collapse. They’ll be expecting a quick victory from the air and then an invasion. All we have to do is repel them. We’re the ones with the island. They’ll be all at sea.’
‘I’ll crack the jokes around here.’
Mel smiled.
Later that stretch, under Coran’s instruction, Ren had flown the medical transport down into the city. It did not have the sliding loading bays like the other vessels, and its primary role was far too valuable. Ren landed it as close to the main infirmary as could be managed. The ground vehicles had also been pressed into use, ferrying supplies around the city.
‘Our strategy then,’ Coran said, as the senate assembled. ‘A spirited defence of the island. We must not seek to push the attack, only to prevent the island being overrun. Based on the description of the attack on Viresia, the priestesses will attack from the air first. They carry thrown weapons which turn to fire on impact, thus every section of the wall and as many parts of the city as we can manage must be well provisioned with water, particularly around our own weapons.
‘Our own aerial defences will counter the priestesses in the air. This should frustrate their attack and force them to resort to the boats. Save for the Mobilis, we have no fleet ourselves, so we must rely on the defensive weapons we have constructed. Thus it’s vital to protect the catapults and the crossbows from the priestesses.
‘Once the ships reach the walls it will become a pitched battle of numbers. Our best hope is to make them reconsider their attack as too costly to continue.’
‘And what of their mental abilities,’ Henoch asked. ‘Will they not strike us down before we can bring our weapons to bear?’
‘We do not know the extent of their powers,’ Coran said. ‘And we do not know how to defend against them. We can only count to courage and fortitude, of that Amar has plenty.’
‘What of the girl,’ Henoch demanded. ‘And what of my son?’
Coran sighed. ‘Whilst on the mainland we discovered another threat, a threat not just to Amar, but to all peoples, all Esurio. There is a device that protects us all from the flares. It is ancient, another product of our ancestors’ technology that you see represented here in these remarkable flying machines. It is called the Obelisk. Due to age or infirmity it is failing. Zoella and Meru have taken a flying machine to see if it can be repaired.’
‘But the girl had powers alike to the priestesses,’ Henoch said. ‘Surely we need her here? When will they be back?’
‘I would have preferred that too,’ Coran admitted. ‘But this threat is real enough. They will return as soon as they are able. With luck they will be back before the priestesses arrive, but we must see to the defence of Amaris now. We need every advantage we can get. Anything that gives us an edge. That is our priority.’
The preparations continued for stretch after stretch. Provisions were stockpiled, water carriers improvised and placed wherever they could be sited. The training with weapons continued for those who could wield them.
Above, cankers had once again begun to grow on Lacaille. It seemed another flare was brewing.
‘It would be a fine thing if we get hit by a flare when we’re being attacked,’ Mel said, peering up at the sky.
‘Might go in our favour,’ Coran mused. ‘I wouldn’t fancy being at sea in a wooden ship during a flare. At least we can seek refuge in the city.’
Mel nodded.
‘I don’t suppose they might treat with us?’
Coran looked out to sea.
‘If they want to talk we’ll meet with them,’ he said. ‘If there’s a way to avert this, let’s see if we can find it. But from what Zoella said, they believe Lacaille has sanctioned our extermination. Unless we can convince them that their goddess isn’t real, I don’t see much hope in that direction.’
Mel sighed.
‘Do you think we can win?’
Coran ran a hand through his hair and then stroked his beard.
‘We’ll give it everything we have,’ he said. ‘We have the advantage of the flying machines, we have the only land in the midst of the ocean hereabouts.’
‘The ancient people of Nireus had all these things,’ Mel said. ‘They still lost.’
‘I don’t know, Mel,’ Coran snapped. ‘There’s no surety to be found here.’ He took a deep breath. ‘I’m sorry, not enough sleep these last few stretches.’
‘My fault,’ she said. ‘Daft question.’
Coran leant forward on the city wall, still gazing out to sea.
‘I’d say we have a chance,’ he said. ‘Whether it’s a good one or not is hard to tell.’ He thought for a moment. ‘Caesar told me something before we left.’
‘Caesar?’
‘Yeah,’ Coran answered. ‘He didn’t quite wish us luck, but he wanted us to prevail against the priestesses.’
‘I always figured that machine was impartial, never taking sides. He didn’t seem all that keen for us to have the flying machines.’
‘I remember,’ Coran said with a chuckle and mimicked Caesar’s metallic sounding voice. ‘Conflict between Esurio colonists is strictly prohibited by original statute and is not permissible.’
‘But he did let us have them,’ Mel said. ‘After Zoella asked him to.’
‘And he identified she had the authority to do that,’ Coran said. ‘I reckon he found a way around the restrictions for us. He couldn’t do it himself, but he guided us to a way that it could be done.’
‘So what did he … it … tell you?’
Coran turned to look at her.
‘He said something about the original colonists of this planet and what they wanted. Peace, quiet and comfort was the general impression I got. Caesar said they’d left religion and the idea of people in power behind them.’
‘Sounds idyllic.’
‘Doesn’t it just,’ Coran said. ‘But he also said that we, us Amarans, were the closest culture to what those original colonists were aiming for. Our survival was important to him. If ever a machine had sentiment … well, there was something there.’
‘Pretty touching stuff from a machine,’ Mel said.
‘Almost brought a tear to my eye, I’ll admit,’ Coran said. ‘Made me think though.’
‘Yes?’
‘Two thousands rounds and more
have passed since our ancestors found this place. Sounds like they had far greater challenges to overcome than we do. Meru told me some bunk about them travelling from another world umpteen million marks away in order to get here. Don’t know if that can be true, but … imagine that, sailing between worlds, what must that have been like?’
‘They did achieve some amazing things,’ Mel said. ‘Everything we’ve seen points to abilities so great we’d struggle to even measure them. We all saw that sky-ship.’
‘And yet, despite all that,’ Coran said. ‘Despite all they could do, all the heights they scaled, what they wanted was the simple life; no politics, no war, no religion. Just people living and minding their business. Like they were trying to start over again.’
‘Sounds good to me.’
Mel moved closer to him. Coran put his arm around her and she rested her head against him.
‘Maybe we have right on our side,’ Coran said. ‘Perhaps we’re fighting for what was meant to be, what should have been. Not much comfort I know …’
‘It might just be enough,’ Mel whispered.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Airea, Capital of Taloon
Round 2307, Fifth pass
Kiri had left Meru locked in the room until the end of the stretch. The chimes of the sleeping had rung out through the city by the time she returned. She was carrying a pack of clothes tied up with string.
‘I have told Karquesh that you were indeed a spy,’ she said as she locked the door behind her. ‘It’s close enough to the truth. Since he gave you to me as a gift he is happy that I … dispose of you as I choose. I told him I would take you back to Drayden as my prisoner.’ She smiled at the look on his face. ‘I could hardly tell him the truth now, could I? He’s released you into my care, that’s the important bit. We are free to do whatever we choose.’
She came across to him and gave him a kiss. The lust flared up between them once more, but she pulled back.
‘Not that, not now,’ she breathed. ‘We must …’
