by Drew Wagar
‘Get topside!’ Mel yelled at Meru. ‘Help Coran. I’ll get this fixed!’
Meru staggered to the hatch. Mel helped him open it and pushed him through, sealing it after him.
Coran hauled Meru up to the wheelhouse and closed the door behind him.
‘Aren’t there supposed to be two of you?’ he demanded, raising his voice over the squall.
‘Kiri’s sea-sick.’
‘How’s the ship?’
‘Water rising in the hold, getting close to the batteries. Daf and Creg are on it.’
Coran nodded.
‘Grab the throttles,’ he yelled. ‘The props keep pitching in and out of the water, if you hear them spun up, cut them back, wait for them to grip again and then give me full power. I’ve got to keep the bow half way from the wind shear, but she’s turning all about on me.’
Coran was already swinging the wheel about as the Mobilis rolled over another series of waves. Meru knew well enough that the ship had to be pointing through the waves, otherwise it risked being caught broadside and flipped over. No wooden vessel could have dared these waters and survived. The Mobilis was made of sterner stuff.
Beneath him he could feel the reassuring rumble of the twin engines, still pushing onwards through the gale. Through the windows, the sky was dark, with clouds low above them, rolling and twisting. Rain lashed against the panes of glass like hammer blows. Meru could see the glass bending and shuddering with the impact.
Then the sky was gone, replaced with a wall of water rising before the ship.
‘Shades.’
Meru watched in horror as the Mobilis tilted down and then felt himself thrown backwards as the bow rose as the ship pitched through the trough of the wave already behind them.
‘Full power!’ Coran yelled. ‘Meru, the engines, full power!’
Meru lurched up and grabbed the throttle control, wrestling them forward to their stops. The Mobilis’ engines dug deep into the water, struggling to push the ship forward.
The ship was rearing up, high and higher into the air.
We’re going straight to the bottom, stern first!
Meru had no idea what angle the ship was at; it felt vertical, hanging there for long agonising moments whilst the wave threatened to overturn them.
‘Come on …’ Coran was yelling. ‘Come on … over the …’
Then the bow nosed down, the Mobilis crested the wave.
‘Yes!’ Coran screamed, at the top of his lungs. ‘Yes!’ His voice caught. ‘No …’
The bow was falling into the trough of the wave, the ship now pitching downwards as much as it had pitched up. The ship plummeted down the far side, accelerating at a shocking rate before the bow dug into the water at the bottom with a massive splash. Meru caught a glimpse as the water rolled up the deck, submerging it.
He saw Coran spare him a glance, his grip tight on the wheel. The engines whined as they came out of the water and then dug in.
Boiling froth smashed into the wheelhouse. The glass held for a moment, but it shattered under the pressure and the wheelhouse was submerged in moments. Meru lost his grip and was hammered backwards in the raging torrent. Stars spun in his vision.
* * *
Kiri shrieked as the ship tilted upwards. Both she and Zoella were tossed from the bed and thrown to the floor, which became a wall. They tumbled sideways, only to see Fitch sliding along the corridor, yelling and screaming obscenities.
Water splashed around them. The bed came loose and crashed about them eliciting another scream from Kiri. The ship groaned and began to tilt the other way, everything loose in the cabin rolling and tumbling about them. Kiri was panicking now, thrashing around in delirium and utter fear. The ship rolled forward, throwing them to the floor and then on to the opposite wall. Zoella tried to stop them from being impaled by the metal frame of the bed as it swung, lurching around the room.
This is it … we’re going down. After everything, this is what happens? Just drowned?
Fitch came sliding back in the opposite direction, managing to grab on to the door frame of the room, before disappearing again. Another torrent of water splashed through the hatchway, a deep moaning and cracking sound echoing through the hull. The lights flickered and failed.
Kiri howled in the darkness.
Zoella grabbed her and pulled her close, there was nothing but unreasoning terror coming from her sister’s mind.
Let it be quick … let it be quick …
More water sloshed into the room, rising fast. Zoella huddled down, wrapping her arms as tight as she could around her sister.
Waiting for the end.
* * *
‘Queen Rihanna!’
Rihanna turned, stepping away from the balcony overlooking the city of Airea. It was Vandare, gasping and panting in a hurry.
‘What is it?’ she demanded.
‘A ship,’ he managed, wheezing after his run. ‘A ship … spotted off the coast.’
‘What kind of ship?’ she asked.
‘Not one of ours,’ he said. ‘It seems to have been driven out of the great storm to the sunward.’
‘Made of metal?’ Rihanna asked, a grin creasing her own expression. ‘Why … yes.’ Vandare answered.
‘Show me.’
Vandare gestured out to sea, pointing to the sunward side of the bay beyond the city.
‘There it is.’
Rihanna squinted. She could just make out a mark on the sea, grey, but flickering in the light of Lacaille.
‘It’s them,’ she said. ‘It must be. The ship from Amar with the maid aboard. What is it doing?’
‘Even stranger,’ Vandare replied. ‘It appears to be adrift. It hasn’t moved under its own power since we sighted it, and it is floating with the tide.’
This must be the Amaran vessel, if not the one we saw wreak devastation in that battle. I can capture it as Nerina commanded … I will have proved myself to her satisfaction.
‘Send our vessels out to capture it,’ Rihanna demanded. ‘Make haste before it departs. I want it brought back to the harbour.’
Vandare nodded, took a deep breath and withdrew.
Rihanna stretched her thoughts out, seeking any sense of the woman she and Nerina had met on the quay in the Amaran city.
Yes, there is something there … a power … strong …
But there was something else, another presence, faint and unsure … but unmistakeable. A face came into Rihanna’s mind. A face that was all too familiar.
Dark black hair, blue eyes.
It can’t be … I saw her die! Drowned in the sea at Amar!
But the realisation grew stronger, a sense of horror and surprise.
Kiri!
She yelled out to her companions. Within moments their dachs took to the sky, sweeping out from the city of Airea and across the glittering sea.
* * *
‘Meru!’
Meru felt someone slap his face.
‘Ow! Hey!’
He blinked, spitting out salty water from his mouth.
‘He’s alive too.’
Meru recognised Fitch’s voice and opened his eyes.
‘What …?’
Bright light glared in his vision … sunlight. Lacaille!
‘We made it?’ he managed to croak.
‘We did,’ Fitch said, hauling him to his feet. ‘Not out of trouble yet though. Get up and help with repairs.’
Meru scrambled to his feet. He was still in the wheelhouse, the last thing he remembered was the crashing descent after the wave. Now the sky was clear and blue, the sea flat and calm. He looked around seeing a bank of cloud to the sunward. He followed Fitch out.
The Mobilis’ deck was a mess. Meru could see that the main mast behind the wheelhouse had disappeared, taking with it much of the plating. The mesh sails that powered the ship had been pulled up and ripped out, they were a tangled mess. Just beyond where it had stood, the flying machine was still lashed down, but Meru could see dents in its fuselage. Looking towards the
bow, the forward mast was bent and broken, the other set of mesh sails torn and twisted, also hanging out of their storage slots in disarray.
‘Oh no …’
‘Check that flying machine,’ Fitch yelled. ‘We might need it.’
‘Is everyone …?’
‘Everyone’s alive,’ Fitch shouted back. ‘For now. Flying machine, jump to it boy!’
Meru staggered across the deck, seeing the ripped and slashed remains of the cables that had secured the rear mast, only a few ragged pieces remained. There was a huge gash in the decking where the mast had once been attached. Two hatch covers for the engines were buckled and bent. Neither engine was turning. The Mobilis was adrift.
Looking around him Meru was surprised to see land off the starboard side of the ship. It was someway distant, perhaps seven or eight marks. He could make out something else, some kind of regular structure. It was hard to see.
A port? A city maybe? Where are we?
They had to be somewhere off the coast of Taloon. He remembered the general features of the map shadeward from the zone of the vortex.
He clambered over to the flying machine, unlocking the door and climbing inside. He switched on the onboard systems and was relieved to find everything was working. They’d been lucky. By the looks of the damage the mast had swung out over the starboard side of the ship before it detached. If it had fallen astern it would have smashed the flying machine to smithereens.
‘Systems online,’ Sandra’s disembodied voice called.
‘Sandra, check everything,’ Meru instructed.
‘All systems are functioning normally,’ Sandra replied. ‘Minor external damage is noted, non-critical.’
‘Keep this machine ready for immediate departure,’ Meru instructed, climbing out and securing the door before running up the deck. The Mobilis was sitting low in the water; he could see the bow was submerging in the slight swell.
No one else was on deck, so he jumped down through the hatch.
‘What’s …?’
‘Get them up on deck!’
Coran’s voice echoed up and down the corridor. Before him Meru could see Zoella pulling Kiri’s sodden and lifeless body along with her. He ran to help her.
‘She’ll be alright,’ Zoella said, as he helped hoist Kiri up. Meru heard Kiri moan, she was muttering something unintelligible. Her kai was held tight in her hand.
‘She was so ill,’ Zoella said. ‘Then being thrown around and soaked …’
Together they got Kiri up and out on to the deck. She was pale and slumped where they had left her, but gasping for breath in the breeze, already looking a little better.
‘I’ll take her from here,’ Zoella said. ‘You need to help out below, doesn’t sound good.’
Meru nodded. ‘Get yourselves to the back of the ship near the flying machine.’
Zoella nodded and he jumped into the Mobilis, running forward.
‘Coran, the bow’s awash,’ he yelled.
‘We know!’ Mel’s voice shouted back.
Meru ran down to the far end, peering down into the hatchway that led down into the forward hold. Below him, Daf and Creg were hammering at one of the bulkheads while Coran, Fitch and Mel looked on. The water in the hold was up to their waists and rising. A stream of it was pouring in from where Meru could see a buckled cross beam.
As Meru watched the water flowed over the batteries all stacked in neat lines in the lower section of the hold. Mel was leaning against Coran. He was holding her, her head cradled against his chest.
As he watched the stream of water slowed to a trickle. Daf and Creg put down their hammers, both looking weary. Meru could hear Mel sobbing.
‘Everyone up on deck,’ Coran called, his voice heavy.
* * *
The dachs had gained altitude, now high above the sea. Rihanna could see the dark hulk of the Amaran ship below and in front.
She clenched her eyes shut, feeling the dach between her thighs.
Nerina!
The answer was swift.
Rihanna? News?
News indeed! The ship has returned, I fly to take it now.
The girl, Zoella? She is aboard?
Yes, but there is something else you will wish to know.
There was a pause in their communication. Rihanna sensed the puzzlement from the other end.
What?
She lives.
It can’t be …
It is! It’s her! Kiri is alive and on that ship!
Glee and cruel laughter erupted across the link.
Bring her! The joy of seeing her humbled before us. Bring her to me!
* * *
Coran vaulted up on deck, Mel just behind him. Kiri was lying nearby rolled up in some blankets, her head resting in Meru’s lap, she seemed to be unconscious, her kai still clutched in her hand. Zoella sat alongside them, with Daf and Creg beside her, both looking exhausted. Fitch was leaning against the wheelhouse, his clothing drying in the warmth of Lacaille above.
Coran spoke to Mel before they both turned and walked to the rest of the crew. Mel had dried her eyes, but she sat down without making eye contact with anyone.
‘Right,’ Coran said, with a heavy sigh, crouching down amidst them. ‘This is how it is. The good news is we’re clear of the storm, but that’s as far as that goes. Now the bad news. Stern mast is gone and took the coils with it, front mast is a useless mess. The forward batteries are awash and the rear ones are just about keeping the pumps running, but they won’t last for long. Once they stop …’
Coran saw Zoella look at him in surprise.
‘You don’t mean …’
Coran nodded.
‘So,’ he said. ‘We need to get everyone off. Looks to be land not too far away, so we get the flying machine ready. It can’t carry all of us at once, so that means we need at least two trips, plus the rifles and anything else valuable aboard. Meru, you’re flying.’
‘Wait a minute,’ Meru said. ‘Maybe the flying machine can tow the Mobilis to shore, at least beach her …’
‘Too dangerous,’ Coran said. ‘The ship might go down with the cable attached.’
‘Then let’s take the charging technology from the flying machine and power the engines and the pumps,’ Meru said.
Mel looked up.
‘Meru, it won’t work,’ she said. ‘Took me, Daf and Creg two full stretches with quayside cranes to plug the batteries into the Mobilis and wire it all up, let alone try and fix some other tech we don’t even know about. We don’t have the tools and we don’t have the time. The ship is too badly damaged.’
‘But …’ Meru said, looking around at the decks. ‘The Mobilis … she can’t …’
‘She can,’ Mel said, her expression distraught. Meru saw her clench her eyes tight shut. ‘And she will.’
‘She got us through the storm,’ Coran said. ‘She gave us everything she had, kept us all alive, got us this far. But nothing’s going to stop her foundering now.’
Meru’s mouth fell open, but he didn’t say anything else. He shook his head. Only the faint sound of pumps churning away and the gentle lapping of the water reached their ears. The crew looked at each other hopelessly.
‘Now. Time’s wasting,’ Coran said. ‘Get that …’
Kiri leapt up and gave an ear-splitting shriek. The crew jumped back in shock, Creg nearly tumbling off the side of the deck. Kiri’s face was drained of colour and her eyes were wide and dark with fear.
‘She’s here! She’s coming!’
‘Scorchin’ snuts girl!’ Fitch cursed at her. ‘What in …?’
‘She’s coming!’ Kiri yelled again, her distress plain to see. She turned around and gestured towards the shoreline, pointing with a shaking arm and outstretched finger. Everyone looked where she was pointing.
‘Kiri’s there’s nothing …’
‘No there is,’ Fitch said, standing up and shielding his eyes to get a better view.
‘What is it?’
‘Don
’t rightly know,’ Fitch said, getting to his feet and vaulting up to the wheelhouse. He returned with the ’scope, opening it up and putting it to his eye.
‘Dachs!’ he yelled. ‘Riders on them, looks like three of them. There’s a pair of ships coming too.’
‘Dachs? Ships?’ Mel asked, her face pale. ‘Priestesses?’
‘Everybody up!’ Coran yelled. ‘Fitch, grab the rifles!’
The crew scrambled to their feet. Kiri was unsteady, but staring out to sea with a haunted expression on her face.
‘Who is coming?’ Zoella asked her. ‘Kiri, who is it?’
Kiri blinked and looked at her. ‘It’s Rihanna. That must be Airea. She’s sensed us …’
Zoella looked up, seeing the dark spots above the sea marking the position of the dachs. She concentrated, focusing her thoughts …
Yes, three of them … I can hear their thoughts …
Both of you! So you’re not dead after all then, Kiri. I’m pleased. I want to take your life myself!
You will not hurt her!
A brief blast of surprise rippled across the link before it dissolved into glee.
So you’re the maid, the maid from Viresia! Both of you are here. Lacaille’s will be done! So, Kiri is weak, is she? Both of you will be captives of Drayden this stretch.
The link broke.
Feet clumped along the decks of the ship. Zoella turned to see that the rest of the crew had returned, each of them holding one of the rifles and loading them with the small cartridges Meru had once shown her.
‘It’s definitely Rihanna,’ Zoella said. ‘One of the priestesses we were warned about … we’re just off the coast of Taloon … that’s definitely Airea over there …’
‘Our luck really stinks,’ Meru grimaced.
Within moments, everyone save Kiri and Zoella had a rifle ready.
‘If you can stop them striking us down with their mental tricks,’ Coran said, hoisting his rifle up. ‘We may stand a chance.’
‘We’ll try,’ Zoella said, looking across to Kiri. Kiri nodded, she looked pale and uncertain, only just able to stand, propping herself up with her kai.
The dachs were high in the sky above them now, still far out of range.
‘Checking us out,’ Coran said, squinting as he looked upwards.
