The Almost King
Page 16
‘Furnace is on and heating up quickly. Ready when you are, lad,’ Luka’s voice crackled through the speakers, making him jump.
‘Right. Right. Raising the sail now.’ Aleks reached forward, pulling the stiff lever, and wished he could see the sail spread out as it caught in the fierce wind outside. The ship rocked slightly, and Aleks knew the sail was fully raised. ‘Releasing the wings.’ With the pull of a different lever, there was a loud creaking sound and the wings began to stretch out. If Aleks turned, he could see the tips in the corner of the viewscreen. Another shudder ran through the body of the ship. ‘Ready to tilt?’
‘On your mark, boy,’ Luka confirmed, practically giggling with excitement. Aleks’s grin was wide as he flicked the switch that controlled the gears. Nothing could have prepared him for the lurching jolt that happened the moment the wings tilted, violently launching the ship into the air. He could hear Luka cackling down the speakers, but ignored him, reaching for the steering wheel and turning the two handles that would raise the stabilising propellers before the ship could spiral too far out of control. A whoop escaped his lips as he saw the ground below grow further and further away, his stomach churning with nerves and excitement and adrenalin as he wrestled the ship into obedience. Practising the motions on a stationary ship and actually putting them into use in reality were two vastly different things, and Aleks felt a brief moment of panic when the ship shot up, wondering if he’d be able to regain control.
He gritted his teeth, feet braced firmly on the floor, and spun the wheel as far left as he could, turning the ship away from the coastline and over the water. ‘You’re doing good, lad! Just get her past the coastal winds and she’ll ride out steady, no problem!’ Luka encouraged.
‘Easier said than done!’ Aleks retorted, directing the wings and propellers with one hand as he kept control of the steering wheel with the other. The fight was becoming easier, the resistance against him easing up, until eventually he was able to let the wings settle. He brought the ship round, turning just enough to look at Syvana through the viewscreen, and let out a low whistle. ‘The view’s beautiful from up here,’ he breathed. He could hardly believe he was so far up, flying an actual skyship on his own; well, almost on his own. The city already looked so small, the people like tiny bugs as they went about their business. Compared to the few other skyships in the air around him, he was far too small to be noticed up in the clouds.
‘Don’t take her out too far, boy, or you’ll start hitting stormwake from further West, and we don’t want that on your first outing,’ Luka warned. Aleks nodded, glancing over at the wall of charcoal clouds from the Stormlands way off in the distance.
‘Mind if I have a bit of fun?’ he asked, not waiting for a reply before jerking the wheel round sharply to the right. He heard Luka squawk down in the engine room as he was thrown off his feet, judging by the thump. ‘Sorry!’
‘What in the name of the gods do you think you’re doing, boy?’ Luka exclaimed, voice slightly strangled.
‘Having a look at the Stormlands!’ Aleks called back. ‘Let’s see how bad they really are.’
Aleks snickered as he heard Luka muttering about insane teenagers, steadying the ship as a strong updraught sent them rocketing higher into the sky. ‘Bring her down if you value air in your lungs!’ the elderly mechanic yelled, voice even louder through the speakers. Aleks winced, obligingly tilting the wings to send them shooting downwards, keeping to the low cloud cover. He knew that, above all else, he couldn’t go anywhere near the trade ship flight paths, or they’d be caught and arrested.
It took almost two hours, Aleks getting more comfortable with the controls with every mile he flew, until finally he reached the Stormlands. Aleks felt his breath leave his lungs at the sight of them. They truly were incredible up close; endless swirls of cloud and rain lit up by flashes of lightning, wind tearing them every which way as the hurricanes jostled for space. His throat went dry – maybe they had become too powerful to fly through – but he squared his jaw and flew a little closer. He could manage it. The ship was starting to pull away from his hands, but Aleks was confident he could keep her under control, and Luka’s easy chatter meant the mechanic hadn’t even noticed how close they were to the Stormlands. Aleks kept at it despite the little voice in his head telling him to stop, insisting he was still on his first flight and shouldn’t get too cocky.
‘Storms, is that the time?’ Luka exclaimed suddenly, startling Aleks into jolting the controls a fraction. ‘Looks like we both got a tad carried away. Turn her around, lad, and head on home before it starts to get dark.’ Aleks followed the instruction without complaint; he felt comfortable, but he definitely wanted to give it a few more flights before he tried navigating in the dark.
On the way back, Luka gave him a little more leeway when it was proven he wasn’t going to crash them into the ocean, only barking instructions when Aleks came close to doing something dangerously incorrect. He surprised himself with how quickly he picked things up; once he got the hang of it, flying was a lot like riding a horse. You had to respond and react to the slightest movements, acting on instinct. The ship reared, you reared with it; it took a nosedive, you levelled it out smoothly. And when the storm sent you bucking and flailing, all you could do was ride it out and hold on tight. It felt amazing, like he’d been waiting his whole life to get airborne. It was even better than kissing Saria; not that he’d ever say so to her, and he hoped he’d never have to choose between the two.
‘About time to bring her down now, lad. It’ll get darker and windier before long,’ Luka warned. Aleks brought the ship around in a gentle arc, peering through the foggy sky to find their landing spot. This was going to be the hard part; landing the ship smoothly and exactly in the right place.
Spotting the warehouse, he directed the ship further downwards, bringing the propellers in and pressing the button that sent the struts of the wings splaying, enough to buffer the descent so they didn’t go crashing to the ground. ‘Easy does it, lad. There you go, nice and gentle,’ Luka said softly, his voice reassuring in Aleks’s ears as he inched the ship down, letting the sail slacken, and exhaling audibly in relief at the soft thump that signalled their landing. ‘Very nice, very nice,’ Luka said approvingly. Aleks laughed, the sound slightly desperate. He’d done it. He’d flown a skyship. ‘Stay there, I’m coming up.’ Aleks didn’t think he could have got out of the seat if he’d wanted to; his legs had turned to water.
He craned his neck at the sound of footsteps, grinning back at Luka as the white-haired man approached him, beaming. ‘Not bad, then,’ Aleks said by way of greeting.
Luka laughed, clasping his shoulder. ‘No, not bad at all,’ he agreed, reaching for the levers to secure the wings away and let the sail loose. ‘Though somewhat more ambitious than I’d planned for your first outing.’ Luka tried to sound stern but his face gave away his delight. ‘How was it for you?’
‘Terrifying. Exhilarating. Bloody brilliant,’ Aleks replied. Luka hoisted him to his feet with one hand under his armpit, and Aleks felt his knees wobble. ‘Give me a minute and I’ll be able to walk again.’
‘Take your time, take your time,’ Luka urged, rubbing his back gently. ‘You’re not feeling sick, are you?’ Aleks shook his head and the mechanic nodded, looking pleased. ‘Good. That’s one less thing to worry about. I’ve lost count of the number of first-timers I’ve seen empty their guts on landing.’
‘How often have you seen first-time pilots straight after landing?’ Aleks asked with raised eyebrows, earning an odd look.
‘Did I never tell you I used to be a flight instructor?’ Luka asked, sounding surprised. Aleks shook his head.
‘Never mentioned it.’
‘Oh.’ Luka frowned, then shrugged. ‘Well, now you know. I learned to fly when I was younger than you are, with my da. Started training others at the flight school by the shipyard almost as soon as I was qualified, to earn some extra money so I could save up for my own workshop.’
‘Oh, yes – at the same time I was teaching pilots. It was hardly a full-time job. There were only so many times I could send them up and watch them puke on the way back down before calling it a day,’ Luka mused. ‘Got your land-legs back yet?’ Aleks bit his lip, testing his legs, then nodded in satisfaction when they held his weight.
The pair of them left the ship and used the rig to bring it back inside, bolting the doors tightly shut. Luka wandered over to his satchel, pulling out a thermos of tea and two chipped mugs, and filled them both, passing one to Aleks. He took it gratefully, inhaling the familiar scent. ‘Sit down and drink that while you get your head on straight,’ Luka ordered, nudging him on to the bench against the wall. Aleks obeyed, letting himself relax now he was on solid ground. Luka dashed over to the ship, checking the wings and sail and even undoing the bolts on the panels covering the propellers so he could check those too. ‘I’ll teach you how to do this next time,’ he called over to Aleks. ‘But for now, you’ll need a rest. First flight is never easy.’
Aleks’s head was spinning a little, and he was quite sure the floor wasn’t meant to sway like that. He squeezed his eyes shut, setting his tea down to massage his temples, and leaned back against the wall. ‘Definitely an experience, though,’ he called back. ‘When can I do it again?’ Luka laughed, and when Aleks opened his eyes it was to see the man’s rheumy brown eyes sparkling as he grinned at him, satisfied with the ship’s state.
‘Knew you’d enjoy it. You seem like the type to get hooked on flying,’ he remarked, running a hand over the broad spine of the nearest wing before coming to join Aleks on the bench. ‘Not tomorrow – weather looks terrible. See how it looks on Wednesday, hmm?’
‘Wednesday sounds fine by me,’ Aleks agreed. ‘I want to get as much flight time in as I can before winter truly comes, to prepare myself for the Stormlands.’
‘What have I told you about that, lad? Just a pipe dream – it won’t happen,’ Luka said. ‘You felt how it was out there. You did well for your first run – you’re a natural – but you barely even touched the Stormlands and they nearly flipped us.’
Aleks shook his head, fixing imploring eyes on his boss. It hadn’t been that bad. Of course, Luka didn’t have any sort of view of the outside world while in the engine room. He hadn’t seen how far Aleks had gone. ‘I was in the outer layer of the Stormlands,’ he informed the mechanic, watching his jaw drop. ‘And that’s on my first run. Imagine how good I can be in a month or so! It’s not too harsh out there, Luka, you were wrong. I can fly it.’
‘You went that close? Are you mad, boy?’ Luka exclaimed, grabbing Aleks by the shoulders. ‘You could’ve killed us both!’
‘I didn’t, though,’ Aleks said. ‘I kept it safe, kept away from the worst of it. But I’m telling you, Luka, it’s achievable. I’m not saying I want to go out tomorrow and fly right through, but . . . teach me with that goal in mind. We’ll see how we go.’
‘You can’t do it on your own, lad. You’d need a crew.’
‘Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get there,’ Aleks insisted. He looked his mentor straight in the eye. ‘Please, Luka, trust me. I know you want to see what’s on the other side as much as I do. You built an entire ship just to take a look. Now let me take that ship and find out!’
‘This really means a lot to you, doesn’t it?’ Luka asked.
‘I’ve dreamed about it since I was old enough to know what the Stormlands were,’ Aleks admitted. That wasn’t all of it – barely even the tip of the iceberg – but he didn’t think he could adequately explain to the man how much it would mean for him to go on that journey and live to tell the tale. It was worth the risk and then some.
Luka sighed, releasing him and turning away. Aleks’s shoulders slumped, sure that was the end of the conversation. But then Luka spoke. ‘I’m not saying yes right away,’ he started. When he turned back to meet Aleks’s gaze he was smiling. ‘But I’m not saying no either. Storms’ sake, lad, I’d given up on all this nonsense before you came along. I’m not as young as I used to be, y’know!’
Aleks laughed, slinging an arm around the man’s frail shoulders. ‘Then it’s a good thing I turned up when I did, isn’t it!’ He couldn’t shake the smile from his lips as the pair of them started to lock up for the night. He would win Luka over; he would convince the mechanic to let him fly through the Stormlands. He was already halfway there.
21
Aleks was getting addicted to the feeling of flying. Once the terror subsided, of course.
After three weeks of near daily flights, going out for longer and longer each time, Aleks was confident in his abilities. He’d been through some of the smaller storm barriers, and even further in to the edge of the Stormlands, just to test himself. He hadn’t died or damaged the ship in any way, and he liked to count that as a win. Luka wouldn’t let him go too far in, insisting that if he went closer he might get caught in the drift and end up getting sucked in for hours, or worse.
‘Careful now, lad – don’t go getting too cocky,’ the old mechanic said one day.
‘I know, I know, I won’t,’ he assured him, turning the ship away from the potential updraught, however much he’d have liked to ride it further in. ‘But we know I can do this, Luka. Let’s be honest – if I were one of your students, back at the flight school, would I have passed my exam by now?’ His frustration bled through in his tone; after all the extra time he’d spent at the warehouse – time he could’ve spent with Saria, who he’d barely seen all week – he just wanted to make some progress.
‘You passed your exam three days ago. I made you take the test,’ Luka told him with a snort. Aleks smiled to himself; he’d wondered what the oddly structured directions had been about. ‘But you’re not learning to fly a slow old trade ship from here to Erova. You’re learning to do something that no one in all of Tellus has ever done before, so excuse me if I want to make sure you’re prepared for it. If you lose my ship in those bloody Stormlands, I’ll have to start all over again,’ he grumbled. Aleks grinned to himself, hearing the hidden concern in the man’s voice. He knew full well that Luka was worried about him rather than the ship.
‘She’s your ship, you built her, you should know she’s perfectly capable of this. It’s not the pilot that makes the difference, it’s the ship,’ he pointed out confidently, as he’d done countless times since they’d started this venture. He had no doubt that in Luka’s ship, even an idiot could fly to the other side of the infamous storm barrier. Sometimes he wondered how the ship would handle with an expert pilot at the helm, and it made him somewhat jealous and proud at the same time. Proud because Luka had picked him of all people, but jealous at the prospect of how much better a real pilot would be.
‘Bring her in, lad. It’s starting to get frosty down here, so gods know what the outside of her looks like,’ Luka ordered, breaking into his musings. Aleks muttered an affirmation, wishing he had some light to guide him; it was pitch black outside, but a lamp on an illegal skyship was practically painting a target on his head. Still, the city was bright even at the late hour, and it gave him just enough light to find the warehouse.
‘Bringing her down now, Luka,’ he said, gently pulling the lever to tilt the wings. By now, landing was something he could do in his sleep, but the dark made everything harder. He took it carefully, smiling to himself when the ship bumped down gently on the platform of the rig, then pulled the wings in. Letting the sail slack and making sure everything was in order, he got to his feet and left the control room, meeting Luka in the corridor.
‘Nice work, lad. Getting smoother and smoother every time,’ the mechanic said, patting him on the back and nudging him towards the ladder. ‘I think you’re ready to take her out for real.’ Aleks nearly fell off the ladder, eyes widening in shock.
‘What, you mean like . . . through the
Stormlands?’ he checked, turning as soon as he was on deck to stare incredulously at the man. Luka nodded, his expression unreadable.
‘Exactly that,’ he confirmed. ‘You can practise all you like, but you’ll never know until you try it, and it’ll be good to get it over with before the blizzards set in. Unless you’re having second thoughts.’ His eyes darkened in concern, but Aleks shook his head.
‘No, no, I said I’d do it and I will, I just . . . wasn’t expecting it to be so soon,’ he admitted.
‘It’s not going to be tomorrow, lad. You’ve still got to find a crew to go with you,’ Luka pointed out.
Aleks looked at him in confusion. ‘What? Aren’t you coming with me?’
‘Don’t be daft, lad, of course I’m not coming. I told you when we started that I’m too old for this lark,’ he replied. Aleks frowned; he’d thought Luka would at least come along with him and work the engine room, even if he considered himself too old to fly.
‘Well, where in Tellus am I going to find a crew for an illegal, possibly fatal venture?’ he asked as they started checking over the outside of the ship, looking for damage as it defrosted, water dripping on to the concrete floor.
‘Funny you should mention that,’ Luka muttered, a knowing smirk appearing on his face. ‘There’s a lad about your age, may be a bit older, trained under an ex-colleague of mine about four years ago. He was a reckless idiot then, and is probably a reckless idiot now, but he was bloody good behind the wheel of a ship. This sort of thing is right up his alley, and from what I remember he has a mechanic for a brother.’
‘And we can trust him?’ Aleks asked cautiously. Luka nodded.