by Ben Chandler
Most of Missy’s crewmates couldn’t speak Heiliglander, so they hadn’t heard everything she had during the simultaneous confession. She leant a little more of her weight on Yami and replied, ‘He’s going to a temple somewhere in a place they call the Sichtspitzen, the Vision Peaks. He told them he was looking for a temple dedicated to the Blue Dragon.’
‘Apsilla?’ the captain asked.
Missy sorted through the myriad answers she had received. ‘I assume so, but the people of Fronge didn’t know who he meant. They don’t worship any Blue Dragons in Heiligland, but there is an old disused temple near here dedicated to a Sea God. I think they call him Njord.’
The captain looked thoughtful. ‘Sea God? I wonder …’
‘Captain?’ Arthur prompted.
‘In Shinzōn, the God of the Sea is named Rinjin.’
‘And?’
The captain smiled. ‘And, Lord Knyght, Rinjin is the father of Seisui, the Blue Dragon of the East.’
Arthur nodded. ‘So you think this Sea God has some connection to Apsilla?’
‘I do.’
Missy didn’t care if there was a connection or not. The temple was where Karasu was headed with her brother, and he already had a strong head start on them. She pushed herself away from Yami and staggered over to the townsfolk. They shied away from her as she approached, which made her wince. They had already seen enough horror today; it had never been her intention to frighten them any more than they already were. She was suddenly glad the captain had taken the Quillblade away from her. The shintai fed on her emotions, but it also aggravated them. It wasn’t like her to give into anger. She wished she had her brother’s empathic gifts just now to help ease the townspeople, but Lenis wasn’t here. Missy needed to use her own gifts to get the townspeople to tell her where the Vision Peaks were.
Even without Lenis’s empathy, Missy could see the horror and fear that was writ clearly across the townspeople’s faces. Missy picked a few at random and scanned their thoughts, bracing herself for fresh memories of what Karasu had done here. She suppressed the images of burning flesh that rose from her own imagination and focused on the task at hand. She was little prepared for what the townspeople were actually thinking. They were, each and every one of them, thinking about a woman. It was clearly the same woman, but each person pictured her in a slightly different way. To some she was tall and slender with blonde hair. To others she was broad-shouldered and carried a hammer. Some pictured her wearing armour; others had her in a white gown. The one thing that linked all these disparate images was the bolt of lightning each person imagined she clutched in her right hand.
For a few moments Missy stood dumbstruck. What could it mean? Who was this woman and why were the townsfolk thinking about her now? And then realisation struck. They were thinking about Missy. They thought she was this lightning-wielding maiden. They thought she was –
A girl of about Missy’s age shot to her feet. ‘Do not hurt us, great Magni!’
Missy stared at the girl, trying to suppress a groan. They thought she was some sort of god.
‘What’s your name?’ Missy asked, stalling for time so she could delve deeper into the girl’s mind. She soon found what she needed. Magni was a goddess with a volatile mood. She was known as the Lightning-Wielder and was rather fond of smiting things with her Storm Hammer. She was a war goddess, which wasn’t unusual in the Heiliglander pantheon. They had quite a few war deities.
The girl had long blonde hair in a thick braid down her back, and she wore brown trousers with what must once have been a white linen shirt before the smoke had dirtied it. Over the lot she wore a tan-coloured, ankle-length coat that Missy supposed was made of leather. ‘I am Heidi Baumstochter,’ she replied. ‘Named after my father Heid, who was named for the god Heidrun.’
Missy was thinking fast. Her brother, she was sure, would know what to do. He was always better at planning things than she was. And then Missy had her answer. She knew what her brother would do. He’d try and pull a stunt. She didn’t really like the idea of tricking the townspeople, particularly after what Karasu had done to them, but she was also aware that the mercenary was getting further away every moment she delayed. She came to a decision.
‘Very well, Heidi Baumstochter, daughter of Heid,’ Missy intoned in what she hoped sounded like the voice of a goddess, ‘hear me. My fellow god, Njord of the seas, has stolen my Storm Hammer. I, the great Magni, seek the Vision Peaks.’ Missy cursed to herself – surely Magni would know where the Vision Peaks were! ‘I mean, I seek a hidden way into his temple so I can retrieve what he stole from me. There must be a way in that even the gods … I mean, that even my fellow gods do not know about.’ Missy winced. As a god she wasn’t all that convincing. The people of Fronge were looking at her oddly. Heidi had a definite scowl on her face. Time for something desperate. ‘In exchange for your help in my most important venture, I will wreak terrible vengeance on the man who has destroyed your town.’
A ripple went through the townspeople. For the first time since Missy had approached, they took their eyes from her and glanced at one another. Heidi regarded Missy with a calculating look on her face. Missy peeked into her mind. The image of the warrior maiden was gone, replaced by roaring flames that devoured faces Missy didn’t recognise – doubtless they were loved ones Karasu had consigned to the fires of Fronge.
Eventually, Heidi spoke. ‘We have found such a way into Njord’s temple, great Magni, beneath the mountains. We are … we were a community of miners. One day we were digging near the roots of Mount Vorbedacht of the Vision Peaks when we broke through into the lower chambers of the mountain. We mined no further and sealed off the breach, but you should be able to sneak into Njord’s temple through there.’
Missy nodded. ‘That sounds like it could work. Wait here.’
She drew back to where the crew of the Hiryū had gathered to observe the exchange and quickly explained to them what had happened. The townspeople looked on in confusion, most likely wondering why a god needed to confer with mortals. Missy suddenly paused as an awful idea occurred to her. What if they thought everyone on the crew was a god? She shivered despite the heat that still poured off the ruins of Fronge. The towering flames were all gone, but the foundations smouldered.
Missy finished her retelling and her crewmates’ faces registered everything from shock and incredulousness to humour, thoughtfulness and even, Missy suspected, respect for how she had handled the situation.
Kenji was the first to break the silence that followed her tale. ‘Why don’t we just fly after them? It’ll be much quicker than going through the mountain.’
Missy shook her head. ‘We can’t fly the Hiryū without Lenis.’
‘I’ve been flying for more years than you’ve lived, little lady. I’m sure I can work out enough to get us airborne.’
Missy snorted. ‘Have you seen the alterations Lenis made to the engines back in Nochi? He’s done things to those machines that no one has even imagined before. He’s invented an entirely new system for powering them. Pull the wrong lever, or the right lever to the wrong degree, and you’ll blow us all up.’
The captain crossed his arms across his chest and buried his hands up his sleeves. ‘Well, it appears we are to become miners for a while! Lord Knyght, could you please remain behind and help the people of Fronge as best you can? Many of them will need the doctor’s ministrations, and you will need to arrange food and shelter for them in the square.’
Arthur also had his arms crossed over his chest, but that was usual for the stoic Kystian. ‘You will go alone?’
Missy was about to object when the captain overrode her. ‘This will be a stealth mission, Lord Knyght. If, as Miss Clemens tells us, Lenis has Atrum with him, then it is possible they have not yet been detected. I will take Sir Yami with me. His Eien no Kage-ryū is ideally suited to this kind of mission. Masters of the Eternal Shadow style of the Yūrei clan can move about unseen by their enemies, which is why Sir Yami was about t
o sneak aboard Karasu’s airship before it took off.’
Missy startled guiltily. That was why Yami had been in the shadow of the airship when Lenis had flung her over the railing. She should have known the captain would have a plan of his own in motion before they all entered the square. No wonder it seemed as though he was trying to delay Karasu. He hadn’t been buying time for the twins but for Yami.
‘I will also take Miss Clemens along,’ the captain said, and Missy felt her heart soar.
Arthur was frowning. ‘Is that wise?’
‘I doubt Miss Clemens will submit to being left behind.’
‘We could use her here as an interpreter.’
The captain shook his head. ‘Miss Clemens has told the people of Fronge that she wishes to sneak into Njord’s temple. Doubtless her lingering would arouse suspicion.’
Arthur considered this for a moment, glancing over at the townspeople who were only now helping each other to stand. ‘You are correct. We will do what we can here.’
‘Excellent.’ The captain removed his arms from his sleeves and placed a hand on Missy’s shoulder. ‘Miss Clemens,’ he said with only the faintest smile hovering around his lips, ‘will you be so kind as to ask your worshippers to show us the way to their sacrilegious tunnel?’
Lenis sat on the deck of Karasu’s airship with his back to the starboard railing and panicked. His calm, methodical mind seemed to have switched itself off completely. They had left Fronge, his sister, his Bestia, the Hiryū, the rest of the crew, and even Suiteki, who was probably still curled up contentedly next to Hiroshi’s stove, behind well over half an hour ago. In that time Lenis had gone from startled to concerned and was now entering into blind terror. No one would be coming for him. No one could. There was no way anyone could work out how to use the engines since he had modified them. Lenis was alone with Atrum on board a ruthless mercenary’s airship. If they were caught they wouldn’t be punished, or sold.
They’d be killed.
Atrum might be spared – no crew was likely to give up a free Bestia – but Lenis would most likely be thrown overboard. Hung by his neck from the crow’s nest. Have his throat slit, just like … Lenis began to cry. He made no noise, but his body shook with the force it took to remain silent as the tears came. He swallowed the great sobs that threatened to betray him, but it was only a matter of time before he gave himself away.
Missy felt the temperature drop as soon as she passed the mine’s threshold. She shivered, remembering just how cold it was in the mountains of Heimat Isle when you weren’t standing in the middle of a burning town. Their guide, the young girl with the long blonde braid, led the way, carrying a makeshift torch. It was little more than a splinter of wood Heidi had pulled out of the remains of a burning building, already alight at one end.
Missy followed directly behind, keeping up the pretence that she was the deity Magni. The captain came next. Yami followed at the rear.
‘When we discovered we had breached sacred ground, we abandoned this entire mine,’ Heidi informed them. ‘That is why this tunnel is so dark. Usually we keep torches burning, or use Bestia light.’
The girl lifted her torch higher, and Missy saw the tube set into the corner where the wall of the tunnel met the ceiling. She cursed silently to herself, wishing she had planned ahead and brought Lucis with them. Her brother would have, she was sure. Lucis would be able to light the tunnels far brighter and with a much steadier glow than the girl’s torch, which only lit the way a few feet in front of them and sent shadows dancing up the walls.
Missy shivered. She didn’t like these tunnels.
‘We also use Bestia to help with the mining.’
‘Ah.’ Missy figured the girl felt more comfortable talking than she did walking silently through the dark alone with an apparently wronged god and her followers. Missy wondered if she was worried about upsetting Njord by helping them sneak into his temple, even if it was one he no longer used.
‘Bestia aligned to the earth can detect mineral deposits and lead us to them.’ Heidi went on.
‘I see.’
‘And flame Bestia can help us blast through difficult sections, though it is dangerous to use them so.’
‘I’ll bet.’ Missy tried to suppress her frustration but was only marginally successful. ‘Well, Heidi, how long before we reach the secret entrance to Njord’s temple?’
Their guide paused for a heartbeat and then continued on. ‘It is not an entrance, great Magni,’ she said reluctantly. ‘As I told you, we sealed up the passageway.’
Missy swore aloud in Shinzōn.
‘What is wrong?’ the captain asked quickly.
Missy and Heidi had been conversing in Heiliglander, so the captain hadn’t been following their conversation. ‘The tunnel is sealed, Captain.’ She addressed Heidi again. ‘Yes, I remember you telling me it is so, but how?’
‘We collapsed the tunnel around it. See?’ Heidi stopped abruptly and held her torch higher. Its light penetrated no further than two feet in front of them. The way ahead was blocked by broken earth.
Atrum quivered in Lenis’s lap, both from his own fear and from the exertion of keeping them both hidden. The Bestia would be able to keep them concealed for longer than he had the Hiryū, because Lenis was much smaller than an airship, but he couldn’t maintain the cloak of invisibility indefinitely. Lenis didn’t know how long they had before Atrum’s strength gave out and they were discovered. He couldn’t think about it. He couldn’t think about anything. His brain wasn’t working, but somehow some part of Lenis remained focused, churning through the problem while his consciousness was petrified into inaction. The part of him that never really slept, that remained somehow detached from what he felt, beyond his control, was thinking hard. And, he suddenly realised through his panic-induced trance, it had worked out the solution.
Breathe … Think … Missy will come. She will reach for me telepathically. I can show her how to work the engines. They will come for me. Breathe … Think …
The loop of thought cycled through the back of his mind, not exactly demanding his attention, but always there, waiting for him to calm down enough to notice. He focused on the thoughts, repeating them to himself like a mantra.
Missy will come. She will reach for me telepathically. They will come for me. Breathe … Think …
Lenis felt the tears stop and his breathing slowly return to normal. Of course, he should have realised sooner. Missy would communicate with him. That was one of her gifts, part of what made her special. She could send her awareness out further than any other Bestia communicator. She would come to Lenis telepathically, and he would show her how to start the engines, how to monitor the fluxes of Bestia power, how to channel Aeris’s power for maximum effect. The Hiryū would rise into the sky and chase after them, guided by Lenis and Missy’s telepathic link.
Then why hasn’t she gotten in contact yet?
Lenis flinched at the unwanted thought and pushed it away. No! She will come!
Feeling more in control of himself, Lenis took a long, deep breath. A dull ache pulsed in his side. He winced. Long Liu’s pain medication was wearing off. Lenis forced himself to take shallower breaths and considered his situation. Perhaps Missy was even searching for him now. The smoke from the burning town would have hidden them from view, so she wouldn’t know exactly which way they were going. It was only natural she would have trouble finding them.
When Missy did find them, it would take a while for the engines to warm up and for the Hiryū to lift off the ground. Karasu’s airship was already far out from Fronge, and Lenis didn’t think he’d be able to direct Missy quickly enough to use the dual-Bestia system safely, which meant they wouldn’t be able to catch up with Karasu until he landed or docked at an airdock.
Unless Lenis could slow the airship down. The idea became more promising the longer he mulled it over, and he had to do something. Either he had to slow down Karasu’s airship, or find a safe place to hide so Atrum could drop her cloak
of invisibility and get some rest. If he could do both it would be all the better, and there were still the stones of ebb and flow to find. He couldn’t steal them yet, not when he didn’t have anywhere to escape to afterwards. As long as Karasu didn’t suspect he was on board, though, Lenis had some measure of protection. In fact, he was almost perfectly safe now that he thought about it. Instead of sitting around worrying about what was going to happen to him if he were discovered, he could use this time to spy and plan. Perhaps he could get away with stealing the stones after all. Assuming he survived.
Lenis made sure he had a firm grip on Atrum and then hauled himself to his feet. This airship was so like the Hiryū that he shouldn’t have too much trouble finding his way around. He decided to start by having a closer look into the four holds on deck. The twins had only had the briefest glimpse inside three of them. They could have easily missed something, and besides they were out in the open so Lenis would have a clear view if anyone came up on deck. He also really wanted to get a look at that fourth hold. There was a good chance it was outfitted for a cabin, and if so it might just be Karasu’s. Even if he didn’t find the stones, he might stumble across an opportunity for sabotage.
The first two holds held nothing more than the sorts of provisions Lenis and Missy had already seen – barrels of fresh water, fruit, and dried fish, as well as bags of rice. Lenis was suddenly and unexpectedly grateful for Hiroshi’s cooking. Whatever the man’s faults, he somehow managed to turn airship fare into something palatable.
The third hold, which on the Hiryū housed the landcraft and the winch mechanism used to lower it over the side, was the one full of weapons. A closer inspection revealed nothing more than a collection of knives, swords, spears, and bows with barrelfuls of arrows. Lenis frowned. Karasu’s airship was stocked to cater for a lot of soldiers, and that was not a good thing. Before leaving, he selected the smallest knife he could find and drew the blade. Grinning despite the tension that was building inside him, Lenis quickly sliced through each of the bowstrings. It wasn’t much, but it was something.
