“Right!” River yelled, waving with both arms. “Go right!”
Micah dodged to the right just as the worm crashed back to the earth. For a moment, River lost him in the cloud of dust. He emerged a second later, still hanging onto his hat. River heaved a sigh of relief. The dust began to clear, and River noticed that the worm seemed to have disappeared. She kept a wary eye on the ground around him as the halfling raced up to her.
“Take my hand,” River said, leaning out to reach him. “Climb up!”
They locked hands at the wrist, and River effortlessly swung Micah up onto the Bonecrusher. Micah’s boots bounced off one of the large metal wheels as she swept him around to the back end of the tank. She set him down and he stared at her a moment, panting, his eyes wide with terror. He turned, staring back towards the east.
“Where did it go?” he said.
“Back underground.”
Micah scanned the plains with an uneasy look. “It could be anywhere…”
The words were barely out of his mouth when they felt something strike the bottom of the tank. The vehicle shook violently under their feet, and Micah lost his balance. River thrust out a hand to catch him. She latched onto the handrail with the other, steadying herself, and shoved Micah towards the open door.
“Get inside,” she said. “We’re getting out of here!”
Micah dove inside, and she jumped in after him.
“Stand there!” River commanded as she settled into the pilot’s seat. Micah obediently stepped up onto the gunner’s platform. River released the brakes and engaged the transmission, directing the engine’s power back to the wheels. The tank surged, throwing her back into her seat. Micah swayed left and right as he grabbed onto the gunner’s controls to steady himself. They felt another heavy thump, and this time the tank lurched sideways. River fought to maintain control of the vehicle’s steering.
“Can this thing go any faster?” Micah said.
“I’m already going as fast as I can!”
Micah put his face to the viewfinder. River glanced at him and realized the halfling was the perfect size to operate the cannons. He could easily stand on the platform, where most men would have to kneel uncomfortably. River released the controls long enough to pull a fresh round from the ammunition rack.
“Take this,” she said, handing it to him. “Put it in the chamber, right there.”
Micah accepted the device and stared at it for a moment. “What is this? It looks like-”
“Don’t worry about what it is,” River said. “Just get it in there.”
Micah followed her instructions. The moment he locked the round into the chamber, the worm struck again. This time, the creature leapt up in their path and came crashing down on top of the tank. The chassis groaned under the worm’s weight. The wheels began to spin, digging into the earth. River disengaged the engine.
“What are you doing?” Micah said. “Why did you stop?”
“It’s on top of us,” she said. “It’s too heavy. If I keep going, I’ll bust the transaxle… Look through the viewfinder. Can you see it?”
Micah pushed his face back to the viewfinder. “I can’t see anything. It’s black.”
“Perfect,” River said. She reached over, winding up the firing mechanism. “Now,” she said. “Pull the trigger!”
Micah did. There was an ear-shattering explosion, followed by a barely audible screaming noise. They both forgot everything else and put their hands to their ears. For a few moments, everything was still. Their ears rang painfully, blocking out all other sound.
“Did we kill it?” Micah shouted.
River stared at him. It sounded like he was yelling at her with a pillow over his face. She could barely make out his words.
“Look again,” she shouted, nodding at the viewfinder. Micah leaned forward, pressing his face into the form.
“I don’t see him anywhere.”
River cautiously opened the side door a few inches. After confirming it was clear, she pushed the door open far enough to lean out and look around.
“He’s gone,” she said, crawling back inside. “Maybe we scared him off.”
She grabbed two pairs of earmuffs from the rack behind the chair, one for herself and a second pair for Micah. After putting them on, River showed Micah how to load another round and reset the cannon.
“If that thing comes back, we’ll be ready,” she said.
They started driving again. Less than a hundred yards from their starting point, the worm returned. Micah caught a glimpse of it in the viewfinder, and yelled for River to turn in that direction. She tried, but unfortunately, the creature had learned its lesson from their previous attack. It circled to the rear of the tank and vanished from view. A second later, the vehicle surged sideways with such force that Micah lost his grip on the controls and fell over onto River’s lap. He found himself lying face-up, staring into her face.
Micah blushed uncomfortably, and River couldn’t help smiling as she helped him back to his feet. The halfling crawled back into position and leaned into the viewfinder just as the worm struck again. The tank careened, throwing him up against the cannon. Micah grunted and quickly righted himself. He pressed his face to the viewfinder and turned it side to side, trying to get a visual. River activated the controls, turning the tank around in a sharp circle. After doing a full three-sixty, she asked Micah what he could see.
“Nothing!” the halfling shouted. “I think it’s hiding again.”
River pursed her lips. She altered course, making a beeline for the train. Once they were moving, she grabbed Micah’s arm to get his attention. He gave her a questioning look, and River pointed at the steering controls.
“Take over!” she said, jumping out of the seat. Micah hesitated. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him over. “It’s easy. Push both sticks to go forward, pull back for reverse. Pull one stick back to turn. Got it?”
Micah nodded uncomfortably. River gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. Then she opened the door and climbed out of the tank. Micah watched her with a wide-eyed stare. “Wait!” he shouted. “Where are you going?”
But by then, she was already gone.
River emerged from the Bonecrusher and made her way around the back of the vehicle. The rope trailed along behind, dragging the unexploded round as it bounced along in their wake. It flopped erratically from side to side, occasionally striking the earth in such a way that it rebounded into the air doing somersaults. Every time, River winced, but each time, the shell landed unexploded.
Behind them, she could see the worm carving a subterranean tunnel through the earth. Dirt and weeds boiled and bubbled up in a zigzagging course in their path. River tugged on the rope, trying to move the weapon into the worm’s path. She lowered her center of gravity, still holding the rope in one hand, and drew her revolver. The worm closed in, yard by yard, and her finger danced nervously on the trigger.
“Just a little closer,” she said under her breath. “I’ll give you a surprise you won’t forget!”
A moment later, the worm burst out of the earth. River yanked on the rope, bringing the unexploded round into the worm’s path. Unfortunately, the weapon hit a low-lying sage bush and bounced back to the right. River groaned. She tugged again, trying to get it in line with the worm’s trajectory, but at the same moment, the tank lurched, throwing River into the air. She landed on her side and began sliding off the rear of the tank. She tightened her grip on the rope in her left hand, still clutching the revolver in her right. Behind her, the unexploded round struck the very same rock. It bounced high in the air. At the same moment, the frayed rope snapped. It went slack, and River slid off the back of the tank.
As she fell, River kicked her legs, trying to spin back around. The shadow of the worm loomed over her. The narrow slit of a mouth opened, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth. The creature lunged, striking out, and nabbed the unexploded round in midflight. It gulped the weapon down.
River simultaneously f
ired as she hit the ground. Her bullet struck the worm in the face, but had very little effect. The creature hovered for a moment. River couldn’t tell if it was stunned or just preparing to smash her. She rolled over, pushed to her feet, and broke into a sprint.
The Bonecrusher had rolled a hundred yards past her, and River put on a burst of speed trying to catch up. Then something unexpected happened. Inside the tank, Micah yanked on the controls and brought the Bonecrusher around in a sudden one-eighty. River had a split-second to realize what he was doing. She dove out of the way, rolling across the ground as Micah squeezed the trigger.
There was an ear-shattering kaboom! as the cannon fired. River heard the whistle of the projectile, and the instantaneous thump as it struck soft flesh. The round exploded inside the worm’s body; a second explosion immediately followed the first. River raised her head in time to see the worm’s entire midsection explode. Its upper body twisted and flopped to the ground, a disconcerting squealing sound emanating from its mouth. The lower half careened and then flopped lifelessly to the ground. The worm jerked a few times and then went still.
The Bonecrusher rolled past her, and River realized that Micah had no idea how to stop the vehicle. She crawled back to her feet, bruised and aching, coughing from the dust as she went lurching after him. River called out to him, waving her arms in the air, but the tank rattled on, its driver oblivious to her location.
Eventually, Micah figured out that by steering the Bonecrusher in a wide circle, he might eventually find her. When River realized what he was doing, she adjusted course and intercepted him not far from where the worm had died. As it reached her, River climbed back up onto moving vehicle. Micah cheered as she crawled inside.
“We killed it!” he shouted.
“You did,” River said, patting him on the back. “Well done!”
Micah realized he was shouting. He pulled off the earmuffs. He moved aside, returning the controls to River. She settled into the pilot’s seat and guided the tank back in the direction of the train.
“What was the second explosion?” Micah said. “I didn’t expect that.”
“Something he ate,” River said with a grin. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
Micah’s eyes widened. “I almost forgot. River, something terrible has happened. Socrates needs you!”
“What’s going on?”
“The people of Stormwatch are revolting. They’re getting ready to attack Dragonwall! If we don’t stop them, Socrates said it will escalate into a civil war.”
River clenched her jaw. “Perfect,” she said. “This is just what we need right now.”
Chapter 31
Socrates had already returned to the mountain, so River bypassed the train and headed straight into Stormwatch. Micah was a little concerned with River’s decision to drive the Bonecrusher into an already tense situation.
“What are you doing?” he said as she turned south along the tracks. “We can’t take this thing back up to the mountain!”
“Why not? It may be slow, but it’s faster than walking.”
“But it’s a tank!” he said. “Doesn’t it seem like an act of aggression, driving through town in a war machine?”
“I don’t care how it seems. We have less than two hours before sunset, at which point the fog will come back, and maybe the dragon, too. We need to secure this situation now. They’ll think twice before attacking Dragonwall with this sitting in their path.”
Micah clearly didn’t approve. Instead of arguing, he gazed through the viewfinder as they rumbled into town. It didn’t take long for the townsfolk to notice them coming. The citizens raced to surround the tank, and they began throwing rotten vegetables as it passed by. When the vegetables failed to elicit a response, they escalated to sticks and rocks. The walls of the tank reverberated noisily with every impact, and the operators had little choice but to don their earmuffs to muffle the noise.
Micah shot River an I told you so look, but she was too busy navigating her way through the pedestrians to notice. The last thing either of them wanted was to crush someone under the tank’s wheels. Thankfully, the citizens were at least smart enough to get out of the vehicle’s way.
As they left the city, Micah informed River that even more people had gathered along the road up to Dragonwall. They weren’t equipped with rotten food or sticks, but they were armed with hoes, axes, and a handful of rusty old swords. As the Bonecrusher rolled past, they clanged these weapons against the tank and yelled at the drivers. They parted to make way for it, nonetheless.
“I’m just glad these doors lock from the inside,” Micah said.
“We’re almost there,” said River. “Just a minute more.”
Dane’s knights held the plateau by forming a line across the road. They parted to make way for the tank as it crested the road, and then fell back into position. River disconnected the transmission and turned a valve to release the boiler’s pressure. There was a loud hiss and a cloud of vapor formed around the tank. She climbed out, followed by Micah. They found Socrates and Dane waiting outside.
“What’s going on?” River said, dropping to the ground next to them. She turned to help Micah down, but he was already scaling the side of the vehicle.
“We don’t know yet,” said Dane. “Rumors of my brother’s death have been spreading. We’ve heard stories that he was poisoned or drowned, but the townsfolk won’t let us near the palace. You can guess who they’re blaming it on.”
“Have you told them you didn’t do it?”
“It’s not so easy,” said Dane. “The baron has been telling them lies about me for years; about all of us in the mountain. They won’t listen to anything we say. Their minds are already made up.”
River considered that. “What about us?” she said. “We’re outsiders. Maybe they’ll trust us as a neutral party.”
“I wouldn’t bet on it,” Dane said with a grim expression.
“Which leads us to the next problem,” said Socrates. “The baron’s death has left a power vacuum in the city. There’s no one in control.”
“It’s only a matter of time until someone takes charge,” said Dane. “If I don’t occupy the city and appoint a new baron, someone will claim the palace. I can’t allow that to happen. I have little choice but to suppress this uprising now. The longer I wait, the greater the risk.”
“What if we can find out who killed him?” River said. “Who would have benefitted from Lord Fenn’s death?”
“Benefitted?” said Dane. “I suppose most would say me. Of course, the child of a noble usually takes his place, but Morgane has gone missing.”
“Missing?” River said. She turned, staring over the shoulders of Dane’s men at the rowdy crowd. “What could have happened to her? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Agreed,” said Dane. “I see very little logic in any of this.” He turned to face Socrates: “I know there is wisdom in your words, my friend. What would you advise?”
Socrates stared at the crowd that had gathered in the road. One of the gears in his head made a sudden whirring sound. A steady cloud of steam rose from the smokestack behind his ear.
“The death of the baron could be an advantage,” the gorilla mused, stroking his jaw, “if only you had more time. Lord Fenn’s contrivances have festered like a wound in your kingship, seeding this rebellion for years.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Dane said with a wry grin.
“If you had more time, I would suggest winning your people back through actions rather than words. You are a charitable and honorable man. If they could see that…”
“Impossible,” Dane said. “I don’t have that kind of time.”
“Then it seems you have little choice in the matter.”
“Night is coming. If I don’t secure the city by nightfall, it will cost more blood than I can afford to retake it.” He turned away and started for the line. Raising his voice, Dane shouted, “Captain, prepare the men! Get ready to march.”
“There must be something we can do,” said Micah. “We can’t just let these people start killing each other.”
They glanced down at him. Each of them seemed to have forgotten he was there.
“I am afraid it is not our choice,” said Socrates. “Lord Fenn is even more cunning in death than he was in life.”
“What about us?” said River. “Should we help Dane?”
Socrates took a deep breath, inflating his massive simian chest. His skin stretched with a sound like twisting leather, and the gears and actuators inside his arms made quiet whining noises. “We are losing precious time. The dragon will be back soon, and we must be ready for him. After Dane clears the road, we’ll return to the train-”
A violent shriek cut him off. The sound was like a combination of a raptor’s wail and the deep rumble of a lion’s growl. It was a sound they all seemed to recognize instinctively, whether they had heard it before or not. The mob went silent. All faces turned to the sky. A few disheartened voices cried out in fear. Over the crest of Dragonwall, a great black shadow appeared. The dragon perched there for a moment, looking down over his territory.
“It cannot be,” Dane said. He swung around to face Socrates. “The beast has never been seen in daylight. Never! I swear it!”
Before Socrates could respond, the dragon spread his leathery wings and dropped from the summit. As he hurtled down the mountain towards them, there came a great wailing cacophony that echoed back and forth across the ridges. Dozens of dragons appeared in his wake, their scales glittering in brilliant hues of yellow, blue, green, red, and silver. The beating sound of their wings and their shrill cries filled the air as the dragons crested the summit. Their shadows fell over the crowd below, blocking out the sky. The townsfolk cried out in terror. They abandoned the fight, dropping their makeshift weapons as they broke into a run for the city.
The Dragon's Breath (Aboard the Great Iron Horse Book 3) Page 21
