The Almost King

by Lucy Saxon

  ‘Boy kept more secrets than a minister when I knew him, and I doubt that’s changed. And the potential to make history will tempt him far more than any obligation he feels to report what we’re doing,’ he assured Aleks, pulling a rag from his coat pocket to buff out a scratch on the ship’s hull.

  ‘What about the brother?’

  ‘Cut from the same cloth – don’t worry.’

  Aleks nodded, binding the wing carefully once more after checking the fabric for tears. ‘If you say they’re trustworthy, I believe you. So where can I find them?’

  ‘Go to the flight school and ask for Drazan. That’s the younger brother, the pilot; he’s more likely to be around. From what I’ve heard, he’s doing lots of teaching in the hope of someone letting him pilot their ship long-term. Sharp lad, good instincts; should pick up the steering on this girl without too many problems if you show him the ropes.’

  Aleks nodded. ‘I’ll go on Saturday,’ he promised.

  ‘Good, good. Shouldn’t be too hard to find him. Drazan’s hardly a common name.’ Luka wandered over to pick up his satchel, rummaging through it for the keys to the warehouse. ‘I’ll start stocking up for the trip. Water, non-perishables, all that. The galley has all the basics in it, but you don’t know what you’ll find on the other side of the Stormlands. For all we know, there’s just empty sea, so you’ll need plenty of food, just in case. If you’re lucky you’ll find land with animals and recognisable plants.’ He paused, eyeing Aleks contemplatively. ‘Can you hunt, lad?’

  ‘Luka, I grew up in the middle of nowhere out West – of course I can hunt,’ Aleks retorted with a roll of his eyes, though in actual fact he was excited by the prospect of hunting in foreign lands. ‘I’ll need a gun, though, and some wire for traps.’

  ‘Not a problem, not a problem. I know I’ve got a gun around the shop somewhere. If not, I’ll whip you up one, won’t take but a few hours,’ Luka assured him. Aleks wondered what his life had become when he was hanging around a warehouse with a man who could build a gun in only a few hours. His parents would kill him if they knew.

  The pair parted at the tram station in the city centre, Luka heading back to the workshop and Aleks to the Compass.

  ‘Where have you been, then?’ Bodan asked when he arrived, eyebrows raised and arms folded over his chest. Aleks frowned; had he promised to work that night?

  ‘Out,’ he replied vaguely, making the bearded man scowl.

  ‘I can see that,’ Bodan retorted, cuffing Aleks on the shoulder. ‘You look half-frozen. Go on, get by the fire before you catch your death of cold.’ Aleks obediently went to sit at the table by the kitchen fire, surprised when Bodan followed him.

  ‘Oh, is our dirty stop-out finally home, then?’ Ksenia asked when she walked into the kitchen with a tray of used tankards. ‘It’s about time.’ Aleks glanced at his pocket watch, wincing when he saw how late it was.

  ‘I’m sorry, I lost track of time,’ he began.

  ‘You seem to be making a habit of it,’ cut in Bodan. ‘Almost every night this week you’ve been back late, grinning like a madman. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were up to something.’

  ‘Is Aleks back?’ Raina called, appearing in the cellar stairway. As she caught sight of him, she frowned. ‘Where have you been, then? You can’t have been out with Saria – her da wouldn’t let her stay out this late, especially not with a boy.’ Aleks sighed, pulling off his hat to run his fingers through his hair.

  ‘I was with Luka,’ he said eventually, leaning back against the brick of the hearth, relishing its warmth. ‘We’ve been working on a project and some of it has to be done at night.’ That only seemed to make them more curious, and he bit his lip, thinking. He’d have to tell them something sooner or later – sooner, if things were going to go as fast as Luka expected – to explain his absence when he finally left. ‘If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell a soul,’ he started, voice completely serious. Raina slipped further into the room, shutting the door behind her to close them off to the rest of the pub.

  ‘What’s going on, Aleks?’ Ksenia asked, a worried frown on her face. ‘You’re not in trouble, are you?’

  ‘No, no. Well, not yet, anyway,’ he added wryly. ‘Luka built a skyship. Smaller, faster and better than any skyship ever invented. It’s a three-person crew maximum, and he’s been teaching me to fly it. We’re . . . I’m going to fly it through the Stormlands to see what’s on the other side.’ He was grinning just at the thought of it. Bodan sighed, shaking his head.

  ‘That man,’ he muttered. ‘Getting kids caught up in his crazy ideas.’

  ‘It’s not crazy!’ Aleks protested. ‘It was my idea to take on the Stormlands. And I’m not a kid. The ship works astonishingly well. I’m almost ready to set out in her, I just need the other two members of my crew. It might be a bit of a long shot, but if this works . . . we’ll go down in history.’

  ‘I didn’t think history was something that interested you, lad,’ Ksenia remarked, her lips pursed. ‘What were you going to tell us, anyway? When the time came, and you had to leave?’

  ‘I hadn’t figured that out yet,’ Aleks admitted. ‘I wanted to tell you the truth, but then I thought . . . if I didn’t come back, you might have got Luka into trouble. And at least if I’d told you I was going back home or something, you wouldn’t worry about me. Wouldn’t mourn me, if the worst happens.’ Raina’s hand flew to her mouth and Aleks regretted his choice of words.

  ‘You daft boy,’ Ksenia murmured, swatting him round the head. ‘You don’t think we’d worry about you even if you were heading home? I’d insist on a letter as soon as you got there, and at least one a week once you’d settled.’ Aleks blinked, surprised at this.

  ‘When are you headed out?’ Bodan asked gruffly, leaning against the countertop.

  ‘Not sure yet,’ Aleks replied. ‘Like I said, I need to find two other crew members, and then there’s things like supplies and provisions to get ready. But I promise I’ll let you know in advance.’

  ‘Aleks . . . you could die,’ Raina breathed, finally speaking. She was pale, her fingers anxiously playing with a loose thread on her dress.

  ‘It’s a risk I’m willing to take,’ he declared firmly. ‘If anything happens, it’ll be a problem with my flying skills, not Luka’s ship. I don’t doubt she’ll get me through the Stormlands, nimble little thing that she is. And I swear to the gods I’ll do everything in my power to come back.’ The girl stared at him for a long moment, before letting out a small squeak and darting across the kitchen, practically falling into his lap to hug him. He held her tightly, kissing the top of her head.

  ‘You had better come back,’ she muttered into his shoulder. ‘Or I’ll make you wash the dishes from now until the end of the world.’ He laughed around the lump in his throat.

  ‘I’ll come back,’ he assured her, hating that it felt like he was lying to her. ‘I’ll be back before you’ve even had a chance to miss me.’

  ‘I think we should all go to bed,’ Ksenia said softly a few moments later, breaking the tense silence that had settled over them. ‘It’s late.’ Aleks gently eased Raina off his lap, squeezing her hand before letting her go, and she wiped at her cheeks, straightening up.

  ‘Yes, you’re right,’ she agreed. ‘Goodnight, everyone. I’ll see you in the morning.’ Stopping to kiss her aunt and uncle goodnight, she left the kitchen, and Aleks let out a long breath.

  ‘I hadn’t expected her to be so upset. Or anyone else, for that matter,’ he admitted quietly.

  ‘That’s because you’re an idiot,’ Ksenia murmured fondly, making him laugh. ‘Goodnight, lad. Thank you for being honest with us.’

  ‘Goodnight,’ Aleks replied, glancing over to include Bodan, who merely nodded in reply. Grabbing his hat off the table, Aleks trudged up to his bedroom and sank on to his bed. If it was that hard telling them, how hard would it be to explain it to Saria once the time came? But he still didn’t regret agreeing to do it, not
when he imagined reaching the other side of the Stormlands, seeing parts of the world that no one had ever seen before. He’d be mad to turn the chance down. He snorted to himself, lips curling in a half-smile. Most would probably consider him mad for doing it in the first place.

  22

  Saturday morning found Aleks leaving the Compass with a shopping list in his hand and a determined expression on his face, his purse weighing heavy in his pocket. He and Luka had methodically gone through everything each of them had thought would be necessary on the trip, and there were still a fair few things Aleks needed to buy. He’d figured that he might as well get his shopping done at the same time as looking for Drazan. Most of the things on his list could be found in or near the shipyard, anyway.

  It was strange being near the shipyard; he hadn’t been since he’d first arrived in Syvana, and while he’d been amazed then at watching the skyships take off and land, it was a whole new feeling now he’d actually experienced flying himself. He watched enviously as several trade ships rose as if they were made of air themselves and landed without even a single bump. He wished he could do it that seamlessly.

  Wandering through the crowd, Aleks kept his eyes peeled for the flight school. He took a minor detour when he spotted a shop that claimed to sell everything you could ever need to fly a skyship, buying a thickly padded brown leather flight coat. It made his wallet significantly lighter, but it was warm and would hold up to the harsh weather.

  It wasn’t until he’d walked almost from one end of the shipyard to the other that he saw it; a building proclaiming to be the School of Skyship Mechanics, Engineering and Ownership.

  The building’s entrance hall was small, with a desk set up in one corner and a bored-looking woman sitting behind it writing in a notebook. Aleks approached the desk somewhat nervously, and the woman looked up at him. ‘If you want to book lessons, I’m going to need to see a signed sponsorship form from your captain or master,’ she said in a monotone voice.

  ‘Oh, no,’ Aleks replied, shaking his head. ‘I’m just looking for someone, actually. His name is Drazan.’ The woman pursed her thin lips.

  ‘He’s out teaching at the moment, but his session should finish in fifteen minutes or so. You’re welcome to wait.’ She pointed to a short row of chairs against the opposite wall. Aleks sat down, propping his ankle on his knee and leaning back. Hopefully fifteen minutes would pass quickly; he was unnerved by the silence of the room, after the noise and bustle of the shipyard outside.

  Pulling his shopping list from his pocket and crossing off the items he’d bought, he jumped when someone called his name.

  ‘Aleks! Storms, it’s you!’ He looked up, eyes widening when he saw a face he hadn’t seen in months. ‘I thought that scruffy hair looked familiar. Gods, I’m glad to see you safe and sound.’

  ‘Zhora!’ he cried, jumping to his feet. Zhora crossed the small room in a couple of strides, bundling him in a tight hug. ‘Fancy meeting you here.’

  The tall man barked out a laugh. ‘Yes, well, didn’t I tell you we’d meet again?’ he pointed out cheerfully. ‘You’re looking well! A bit better fed than the last time I saw you.’ Aleks stifled a grimace, remembering the state he’d been in after escaping the military base.

  ‘Oh, I’m being well and truly spoiled now, I assure you,’ he said. ‘I’m lodging over at the Brass Compass, and the landlady there is the best cook I’ve ever met.’

  ‘Oh, aye, I know the place. Bloody good cider too,’ Zhora agreed. ‘What brings you round this way, then? Not looking to learn to fly, are you?’

  ‘No, I’m looking for someone,’ Aleks explained. ‘Man named Drazan – do you know him?’

  ‘Know him? He’s my little brother,’ Zhora replied. ‘What do you want that scoundrel for?’ Aleks blinked in shock; did that mean Zhora was the mechanic Luka wanted in on their mission?

  ‘I work for Luka now, the mechanic,’ Aleks started, mindful of the woman behind the desk who was not so discreetly eavesdropping. ‘He’s got a bit of a project going that he needs a little help with, and apparently you and your brother are the men for the job. He sent me out here to find Drazan and talk to him. I had no idea you were his brother.’

  Zhora’s face lit up with a mischievous smile. ‘Old Luka’s got a project, has he? Sounds awfully mysterious,’ he teased.

  ‘Oh, trust me, it is. But it’ll be right up your alley, I’m sure. I was told Drazan would be back from a lesson soon, so I was just waiting for him.’

  Zhora clapped him on the shoulder. ‘Might as well wait for him by the landing deck. He and I were going to head out for lunch together. You’re welcome to join us, lad. We can talk over this little project in detail.’ Hand on Aleks’s shoulder, he led him through a door at the back of the room, into a narrow corridor and through another door, which opened out into a section of the shipyard that was clearly set aside for learner pilots. ‘How’ve you been, anyway? It’s been quite a while.’

  Aleks and Zhora chatted happily, catching up on what each of them had been up to. Since work on the tunnels had finished, Zhora had come back home and started offering his services at the shipyard to anyone who needed any repairs doing, which then led to the flight school hiring him for maintenance on their ships. He was thinking over an offer to teach one of their mechanics courses, but Zhora assured Aleks that he hadn’t taken any permanent position yet.

  ‘Ah, there he is! Watch the little show-off,’ Zhora said suddenly, pointing out a small merchant-size ship that was drawing ever nearer to them.

  ‘What if it’s the student behind the wheel?’ Aleks asked in amusement, but Zhora shook his head.

  ‘Nah, the kid he’s taking out today is only three lessons in, so he won’t let him land yet. Don’t want to break anything.’ Aleks smiled to himself, remembering his own first landing.

  The ship descended smoothly, settling down as light as a feather on a concrete landing deck. ‘OK, that’s impressive,’ Aleks murmured.

  ‘Little brat’s good for something,’ agreed Zhora fondly. They waited for Drazan and his student to emerge from the ship, and as soon as Aleks saw him it was obvious he was Zhora’s brother. He was practically the spitting image of his older sibling, with the same dark brown hair, square jaw and vibrant blue eyes. When Drazan drew closer, Aleks could see he was almost as tall as Zhora too.

  ‘Zhora!’ he called in greeting, shooing away his student with a few words. ‘I thought you’d be waiting inside. Who’s your friend?’ He eyed Aleks curiously, and Aleks smiled back at him.

  ‘This is Aleks, Draz,’ Zhora told his brother. ‘The traveller I met back in the tunnels – remember I told you about him? Turns out he’s working for old Luka now, and the nutter has a project he wants the pair of us in on. Aleks here is his dutiful little messenger boy, come to tell us the details,’ he teased, making Aleks scowl. Drazan smiled and held a hand out.

  ‘Pleasure to meet you, Aleks. I hear you’re quite the adventurous lad, unless my big brother’s been telling tales again,’ he joked.

  ‘Depends what he’s been telling you,’ Aleks replied, shaking Drazan’s hand firmly. Drazan was probably two or three years older than him, and at least three inches taller, but seemed friendly enough. If he was anything like his brother, Aleks was sure they’d get on.

  ‘Well, now I’m intrigued.’

  ‘I invited Aleks to join us for lunch,’ Zhora cut in. ‘Figured he could tell us more about Luka’s latest madcap idea.’

  ‘Sounds like an excellent plan,’ Drazan agreed as they headed around the side of the building, through to the main shipyard. He fiddled with his flight goggles where they were draped around his neck, glancing at Aleks inquisitively. ‘So what’s his idea, then? Something fun, I hope.’

  Aleks grinned; that depended on his definition of fun. ‘Something best discussed in private, especially away from guards,’ he replied.

  ‘We’d best find somewhere to eat undisturbed, then,’ Drazan said, looking excited. ‘I know just the
place.’ He grabbed Zhora’s arm, tugging him down a side street, and Aleks followed quickly. Drazan’s place turned out to be a small restaurant squeezed between two shops, and they were given a table in the corner, far away from the other two people in the restaurant. Aleks glanced around suspiciously, checking their area was clear before talking.

  ‘Luka’s built a skyship,’ he murmured, the two men leaning in close to hear. ‘And while he’s been teaching me to fly it, we need a qualified pilot and a decent mechanic for what we plan to do with it.’

  ‘And what do you plan to do with it?’ Drazan asked, eyes shining eagerly.

  ‘Fly the Stormlands,’ Aleks told him. He could say it a hundred times and it would still send shivers of excitement down his spine. ‘All the way through to the other side.’ Zhora swore, and Drazan let out a low, impressed whistle.

  ‘You really think it’ll work?’ Zhora asked, and Aleks nodded.

  ‘Definitely. I’ve flown her about as close to the Stormlands as I can get without getting taken by an updraught right into the centre, and I’m certain that with a good pilot behind her wheel she’ll have no problems. You should see her go – she’s incredible,’ he gushed.

  ‘She sounds amazing,’ Drazan murmured.

  ‘She is. But Luka says he’s too old to make the journey, so I need two people to join me, and he assured me you two were the right men for the job.’

  ‘By the sound of it, I’d say he’s right. I’m in,’ Drazan said decisively.

  Aleks raised an eyebrow at him, spooning stew into his mouth.’ We might not return,’ he reasoned, but Drazan merely shrugged.

  ‘Similar risks every time I take a particularly dense student up with me. I quite fancy my chances with the Stormlands.’

  Aleks grinned, shaking his hand. ‘Good to have you on board. Zhora?’

  The older man chuckled, leaning back in his chair. ‘Can’t let the brat have all the fun without me, can I? Where he goes, I go,’ he replied. ‘When do we get to see her?’

  ‘Tomorrow, if you like. We can take her up, get you both used to her. She flies a little differently to most ships, so I’m told. But if I picked it up within a month I’m sure you’ll have no problem,’ he said to Drazan, who grinned, looking excited at the challenge. ‘Meet at Luka’s workshop at eight; I assume you know where that is?’ Both men nodded, Drazan’s lips twitching.