I repeated his call into the strange cone.
“Cannoneers ready!” came a cry back.
The ship approached the mountain and, as I anticipated, hundreds of Wyranth soldiers stood at the base, ready for any sort of attack. They had a few of those whirring contraptions that had attacked the Gentry’s farm what felt like an eternity ago. I couldn’t wait to destroy a few of those. They wouldn’t be destroying any more helpless villages with the Liliana here to defend them.
“Fire at will!” I shouted.
All at once, the cannons roared. The giant balls streaked from the sides of our ship, down toward the Wyranth below. Each one pelted several of the soldiers, blasting the surface below. The mountainside erupted with plumes of smoke. The Wyranth battle commanders shouted, and their men fired shots at the ship.
Glenn opened up fire with the forward crank turret, which struck several soldiers in a line.
The Wyranth war machine contraptions came to life and tossed their own cannon balls into the air. These weren’t as effective as the straight-shooting anti-airship artillery that we’d seen before, but they still provided enough danger that Major Ral thought it best to ensure the ship stayed straight in facing them, to provide a narrower target from the ground. He lifted our altitude considerably.
Our next volley was less accurate as a consequence. It still caused chaos in the army, but not nearly as effectively as that first surprise round. The Wyranth returned fire with another volley of cannon shots from their war machines. I watched the projectiles arc toward us and come dangerously close. The pilot kept the ship mobile, making it harder for them to track us.
Our gambit paid off. I spotted several dozen Wyranth soldiers trickling out from the forest. It meant that they wouldn’t be searching for my father or Talyen. The more time we bought to allow them to dig and plant the device, the better. I wished I’d been down there with them to help direct them to the place that I’d seen in my mind’s eye.
That was a silly thought. The exhilaration of being up on the bridge, commanding the Liliana’s crew, leading them in a real battle, it couldn’t be matched. Even when I had been naïve, and took control of this ship on my own on that fateful day, I hadn’t had this much energy running through me. I hoped that energy wasn’t the giant trying to regain control of my body.
KILL! KILL!
Those were the first words in my mind that I’d heard from it since those flashes of its life. Just like before. It wanted more of that energy that the death and destruction brought, unconcerned with the specifics of the situation. Our goals were aligned for now, even if it didn’t realize the end result.
We played a game of chicken, moving the ship back and forth, sending in volleys and retreating, even after the sun had set. The glow from inside the mountain lit the Wyranth down below just enough for us to continue our assault, and the Liliana was easy for them to pinpoint in the air. The shots from the soldiers’ guns did little at this range.
But then a cannonball struck.
It cracked the fore bow, just where Glenn had been standing with the turret. I watched as it ripped through the deck, knocking the gun aside, plowing into the compartment where Glenn had stood. I rushed forward to the door of the bridge.
Lieutenant Colwell stopped me with a hand to the shoulder. “Baronette, there’s nothing you can do.”
ANGER. PAIN. MORE.
With a single thought, the monster overwhelmed me with emotion. The boy had been so nice, and I had liked the fact that someone took notice of me and found me worth betraying his orders. It meant he had loyalty to me. My heart sank. Lieutenant Colwell was right, however. There was nothing I could do, but that didn’t bring me comfort. Quite the opposite.
Talyen and my father had to deal with this kind of thing on a regular basis. Even killing the Wyranth soldiers felt uncomfortable to me, but watching a crewman die, one whose name I knew, it hurt. I bit down on my bottom lip hard. I had to show confidence. Lieutenant Cowell and Major Ral were watching, and what they saw would trickle down to the rest of the crew. I had to lead. My hands shook with rage.
“Keep firing,” I said. “Let’s take down one of those war machines. For Glenn.” I pointed to one. “Focus fire on this one.”
YES! KILL THEM ALL!
Lieutenant Colwell stared into his binoculars, then called out some coordinates into the cone for the cannoneers. I held still for a moment, staring at that contraption, willing its destruction.
The cannonballs fired. They struck true. All of our ship’s batteries in one location. The thing blew into a thousand or more pieces. I clenched my fist.
And then I heard a much larger explosion.
This one came from inside the forest. With all the excitement, I’d forgotten about the team. The mountain itself seemed to shake in front of us. The Wyarnth soldiers stopped firing in our direction. Rocks fell from the mountainside, the aperture caved in. It left us in the darkness of night until a massive column of dirt and debris shot into the air. Fire broke out below. Dust filled the sky.
Everything pulsed in a brilliant baby blue light. My ears rang. I couldn’t see anything in front of me and had to shield my eyes. Lieutenant Colwell and Major Ral did the same.
An ear-piercing, high-pitched noise blasted directly into my head, followed by sudden wave of excruciating pain. It was as if dozens of knives sliced at my head and body all at once, giving no time for recovery before the next wounds stabbed me. Lights flashed like I’d never seen.
“Go pick up the crew,” I said, tugging at Lieutenant Colwell’s sleeve before I collapsed to the bridge floor. I heard the thud my body made, and then darkness came for me.
I have returned triumphant! How blessed I am to have such crew, friends and family. It warms my heart to be able to write in this log again. When you read this in the future, know that I love you and I’m proud of you.
An excerpt from Baron von Monocle’s log
Day 13 of the Month of Queens
19th Year of Malaky XVI’s Reign
Ever since I’d discovered the Liliana, I’d become accustomed to waking up in strange places, having no memory of how I’d arrived there. This time, I awoke in a bed that was both familiar and unfamiliar. The sheets were fine and soft, the pillow under my head was plush, and I’d been tucked into a warm blanket. The scenery didn’t match my father’s cabin, and it couldn’t be construed as anywhere near my accommodations in the Wyranth prison.
I had the kind of fuzzy-headedness I recognized from sleeping too long after I’d been sick in the past. Had I been sick? What happened?
Bad dreams. That was an understatement. I touched my face to make sure I still had one. For a long time after that, I lay still, staring at the ceiling. The shadows formed a comforting pattern there. It was daytime, with natural light trickling through the shutters of the window beside me.
After several minutes of that, aches and cramps signaled to me that my body was tired of residing in the same place for so long. I sat up and let my legs dangle over the side of the bed. Something was missing, but what?
I thought about it for a long while, staring at my toes, wiggling them from time to time. Any movement felt good.
A wet nose pressed against my wrist, followed by a playful lick. Toby. Him I remembered. I scratched under his chin and gave him a pet. Then I ventured to my feet.
I wobbled. That was familiar. I’d been hurt, very hurt. The memories came flooding back to me. Wyranth soldiers had shot me, and I’d hit my head hard. That had left me under recovery aboard the Liliana. Talyen had sent a landing party to plant the explosive and destroy the creature inside Devil’s Mountain. After I thought my injuries had been healed, I’d commanded the ship, providing a distraction so they could do their job and save Rislandia from a prolonged war.
Just as I pieced things together, someone poked their head through the doorway. It was James. At first, he looked concerned, but then elated. “You’re awake!”
“James,” I said weakly. “Where are
we?”
“King Malaky’s palace,” James said. He stepped through the door. He wore the dark sleeves of a Knight of the Spire with a tabard bearing the spire symbol in the crimson colors of the Rislandia Kingdom. A sword rested at his side.
“You look so—”
“Knight-ish?” He smirked.
“Yeah, that’s exactly it.” With a deep breath, I took a couple of steps toward him.
James grabbed onto me, supporting my arm to help me. “They promoted me to a full knight when we returned. Apparently, I did very well on the mission. This is everything I ever wanted.” He sounded so happy, and I was happy for him even though I still needed to get my bearings before I could give a believable smile.
“What happened back there?” I asked.
“I’d better let Captain von Cravat and the Baron talk to you about that,” James said.
He left me then so I could dress, which took a considerable amount of time given that I was still weak. Quick movements made me dizzy. I found my way out of the room eventually, wearing the same poof-filled formal garments I had been given the last time I visited the palace.
Though the clothes were scratchy, it was nice to have something familiar. It grounded me in reality, and I hoped that would prove a sign that I might come out of the funk I’d been feeling since regaining consciousness.
In the hall, I found more familiarity. The same servant from my last visit greeted me. He had kind words and well wishes. That was a good sign. I half-expected to be tried for treason for stealing the airship and pulling it from the assigned mission. He told me I was expected in the king’s banquet room and led me there.
When I entered, I saw King Malaky, Mr. du Gearsmith, my father, Talyen, the princess, and James already seated. Smiles abounded and everyone rose to greet me and ask how I felt. After several hellos and hugs, and my many reassurances that I was doing fine, thank you, I sat by my father, and we enjoyed the breakfast meal. I’d forgotten how wonderful the king’s breakfasts had been. After eating mush in the Wyranth prison, I couldn’t be more grateful for the eggs and sausage.
James and the princess shared whispers, resulting in giggles on her part. I raised a curious brow but said nothing as we ate.
King Malaky had spent the time observing the conversations, picking at his own food and seldom commenting. Over the course of the meal, the topic shifted to the Devil’s Mountain mission. I noted that King Malaky learned toward the table when the conversation turned.
“Are you sure you want to talk about this now?” Talyen asked. “The Liliana’s medic advised us to keep conversation light until you’d regained some of your fortitude.”
“I’m sure, I’m fine,” I said in between stuffing my face with bites of egg.
My father set down his fork. “We learned that the ingestion of the vitality ether did indeed provide a link to the evolved giant inside the mountain. I’m sure you’re aware of that already. What you may not know is that Commander Willett thrashed and wailed until she eventually lost consciousness. Our medic confirmed this.”
I nodded.
“Well,” he continued, “because of that, the creature was able to alert a good number of Wyranth soldiers stationed near the capital. It was a good thing you and Talyen revised our original plan to find an alternate route and dig our own tunnel. We brought as many strong men as we could to work the operation, and sure enough, the location you told us was hollow after only a few feet. We were able to get inside a tunnel—which is disgusting down there by the way—and make our way to the creature via underground passage.”
“We’re very fortunate that you decided to take charge, Zaira. I told you to stay in your cabin, but the crew told us how many Wyranth soldiers they saw coming from the forest, no doubt in search of us. I’m not sure we would have survived without your distraction,” Talyen said. She ate in small bites, dainty and proper in every regard. She made the perfect noblewoman as well as military officer.
“Not to say we didn’t have our own firefight. We lost a lot of good men and women,” my father said, a frown creeping across his face.
King Malaky wiped his lips with a napkin. “And their sacrifice will be remembered. Their names will be proclaimed with honor.”
Everyone nodded to that.
“Lieutenant Colwell told me the moment our explosive detonated, you collapsed to the floor. He rushed you back into the medical bay, and you were out until we returned to Rislandia City.”
“What about Marina, is she—?”
My father cut me off with the wave of his hand. He wiped his face with his napkin. “We don’t need to bore King Malaky with the details of all that went on with individual crew members. Suffice to say, she is on the Liliana under the care of the medic.”
I peered into my father’s eyes. He meant to say he hadn’t told the king she’d betrayed us. That meant he protected her. For my sake, or because she had proved a useful member of the crew? I had much to learn of my father’s sense of loyalty.
“You were very brave in all you did,” Talyen said with a reassuring smile.
King Malaky cleared his throat then, garnering our attentions. “Brave indeed. I’m told by our spies that the Wyranth Empire is in disarray over this. Apparently, that creature had an incredible amount of control over their forces. After the explosion, many of their soldiers refused to fight anymore. It’s a curious situation that our alchemists will study now that we have a good sample of this vitality ether. You did good work. I believe this will be a turning point in the war,” King Malaky said. “That brings us to a discussion on what transpired to take the Liliana there to begin with.”
“I took full responsibility for that, Your Majesty,” Talyen said, bowing her head slightly.
King Malaky huffed. “Everyone on that ship was complicit in violating my explicit orders. Under normal circumstances, that would be defined as high treason. You had a clear mission given by myself and General Carwell to assist the Grand Rislandian Army near Plainsroad Village. You could have left them stranded at the mercy of the Wyranth. That’s very dangerous.”
“Have mercy on my crew,” Talyen whispered.
“Your Majesty,” I said, despite Mr. du Gearsmith’s prior warnings not to speak until spoken to. I had to do something or Talyen might be executed for saving my father. “I believe I gave Captain von Cravat the idea. I’m the one to blame.”
The king considered for a long moment. He looked to Mr. du Gearsmith, who had watched the entire time without any comment, then back to me. “I did say that these were extenuating circumstances. You technically achieved your objective in assisting the Grand Rislandian Army, even if you didn’t do so in the way you were told. Since the Wyranth have, for the most part, stopped their fighting and turned back, your work, albeit a couple of days late, cannot be discounted in that. Returning one of my best advisors to my side can’t be scoffed at either.”
I held my breath. Talyen didn’t appear to worry, however. In fact, no one else around the table looked as worried as they should be. What was wrong with them?
My father grinned at the king. “What happens next?”
King Malaky noted my father’s smile with a small chuckle. “You have such a profound influence on everyone you meet, Theodore. I see your young daughter proves to be no different than you.”
My father and the king laughed together.
I wrinkled my nose. What was that supposed to mean?
King Malaky let out a sigh. “I can’t in good conscience follow the letter of the law in this example. It’s my job to adjudicate responsibility and make exceptions where they are warranted. But!”
I held my breath.
This time, King Malaky set his gaze directly on me. “If I find in the future that you manipulate any of my officers to treason for some harebrained scheme, your status of the daughter of my friend won’t protect you. Do you understand?”
I exhaled and nodded.
“Excellent. Then let us rejoice in our victories and the return o
f the great Baron von Monocle. We’ll have a parade and three days of rest before we return to our respective duties.” King Malaky smiled the biggest smile I’d ever seen.
The princess clapped for that, and James followed her lead.
“Excuse me,” Mr. du Gearsmith said. “Legally, an error was made. The Liliana will need to be transferred to its rightful owner, the Baron proper, due to the false pronouncement of his death. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind signing the forms of consent, Miss von Monocle?”
“Of course,” I said. Though I’d been filled with relief a moment prior, my heart sank. I had enjoyed owning the airship, being the “Baronette” for the short time I’d had the privilege. I’d had little time on my own to explore what that meant. The taste of adventure had been wonderful for me, and this meant that my father would be returning to his post. I would be set up in some civilian life somewhere in an effort to protect me from all of this. I frowned.
My father held a finger up in the air. “Hold on a moment if you would.”
“Yes?” Mr. du Gearsmith asked.
My father stepped around the table and took my hand. “Zaira, if there’s anything I’ve noticed in my time apart from you, it’s how much you’ve grown. You’re a woman now, and a beautiful one at that. I know the initial attempt at rescuing me wasn’t altogether successful, but look what we accomplished because of the way events unfolded. Wouldn’t anyone say that was a job well done?”
“Thanks,” I said with some skepticism.
“Before you woke, I’d discussed much of this with King Malaky. I’ve accepted a position with him as his chief of foreign relations. It’ll be, in large part, hobnobbing and paperwork. All sorts of things I’m sure you’d find boring. For a man of my age though, it’s a welcome post.”
I looked to Mr. du Gearsmith, then back to my father. “Does this mean you want me to sign over the Liliana to Captain von Cravat?”
For Steam and Country: Book One of the Adventures of Baron Von Monocle Page 28
