by Ink Blood
After they had landed on the airship, and one of their saviors had shot the other, they had been trundled into yet another cell by the armed guards. It was a nicer cell than the Inquisition had provided, but they were still prisoners. So much for my idea of getting us to freedom.
The cell itself was cold; the walls were plain steel, although the floor was laminated. There were two beds, but the mattresses were almost as thin as paper. The only light in the room came from a single light bulb in the center of the ceiling; there were no windows. Einar felt like an animal, being transported to some unknown place where he would be paraded for the joy of others, moved from cage to cage every few days.
They had been told they were being held there as a safety precaution, as the crew did not know who they were. However, Einar had tried to explain their situation over and over since then, to anyone who would listen. The trouble was, not many of the crew seemed interested in listening.
He looked up from the floor to see Haze staring at him, a smile on her face. How can she be smiling?
“Einar,” she said, her voice quiet and soft. “I wanted to thank you.”
“Thank me? For what? All I have done is ruin your life,” he said as he looked at the ground again.
“That’s not true,” she continued. “If it weren’t for you, those two soldiers would have killed me, or worse.
Then, after that, you tried to save both myself and my mother, and through all of that you saved me again. And then you saved my life yet again in that compound!
If it weren’t for you, I would not even be here. So I want to thank you.”
Haze swung her legs around and rose from the bed before walking over to Einar. She placed a hand on his face and wiped away the tears, lifting his face so that he was looking straight into her eyes.
“You have done more for me than I could have ever asked of anyone,” said Haze. “So from now on, I will do anything I can to help you.”
She leant towards his, her lips pressing against his. Einar could not help but open his eyes wide, his heart racing as he felt himself sweating. Without a thought, he wrapped his arms around Haze and pulled her closer. She was warm, and her skin was as soft as feathers.
He let his eyes close, the warmth of Haze’s body smothering him. He lifted one of his hands and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ears.
There was a knock on the cell door, and Einar felt Haze jump, and the moment was over. There was a loud creak as the handle on the door span around before the door itself swung open. The pilot that had saved them stepped in as Haze stepped away from Einar, smiling at him as she moved backwards.
“You two,” said the pilot as he moved in. “You are to come with me. The Captain wishes to see you.
He has heard your tale, and has a few questions for you.”
The pilot stepped to one side, leaving the door open, before extending one arm to signal Einar and Haze to step out of the cell.
“I will go first,” said Einar. He wiped his eyes again, before whispering to Haze. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise you that.”
*~*~*
33
SERAN
Seran drove the steamcar slowly, trying to stay a safe distance behind his target. The cloaked man’s car had driven east from Argent before turning southward through a forest track. Since that turn, Seran had not seen another vehicle, and thus knew he should keep his distance so that he did not draw attention to himself.
After almost an hour of tailing their steamcar, he saw smoke rising in the distance and slowed his own car before turning off the road and into the trees. One good thing about the Ringlands; there are so many trees to hide behind.
He stopped the car, turned off the steam engine and climbed out, taking Firethorn and his other belongings as well. From the trees he followed the road toward the smoke. It was coming from a compound.
The front gate had been torn apart, and the main courtyard was a sea of bodies and debris. Bullet holes covered the walls of all the buildings, and the burnt husks of vehicles decorated the grounds. This cannot have been done by Creatures alone. He moved closer, standing to the right of the main gate, on the outside of the compound. In the center of the courtyard stood the cloaked man and the young woman. The driver was still seated in the steamcar.
Seran watched carefully from his hiding spot behind the external wall as the pair examined the dead bodies. The young woman seemed to stare into space as the cloaked man knelt down by each body that was still intact and checked their pulse before moving on the next. After the tenth body, he knelt down to a man near the external wall, close enough for Seran to make out his face.
The man’s skin was cracked and twisted, his eyes a dark green and bloodshot. His face was pale, as if it had never seen the light of day.
He checked the man’s pulse before tilting his head and placing a hand on his forehead and breathing deeply. He closed his eyes, his eyelids looking as though they would snap if they were moved too much.
“Give this man strength enough to speak,” said the cloaked man. A strong breeze flew across Seran and into the compound, making the strange man’s cloak dance. The injured man at his feet coughed and opened his eyes. Seran shuddered. Something is not right here! How did he do that? That man was clearly dead!
“You there,” said the cloaked man. “Tell me. What happened to the prisoners I had brought here?”
“The boy and girl,” said the injured man, “were taken during the attack. There was nothing I could do, milord.”
“Taken by who?”
The cloaked man’s voice rose in volume, his skin tightening and his fists clenching.
“It looked like the Valkyria, milord. But the ship that picked them up was like nothing I had ever seen.”
“The Valkyria, you say,” replied the cloaked man as he wiped a hand across his face and smiled. “Good. Then everything is going according to her wishes.”
“Milord?”
“Do not fret,” said the cloaked man. “Your actions have helped her plan come to life. Everything seems to be falling into place, albeit faster than she or I had anticipated.”
The injured man turned his head and gazed at the young lady who hovered behind the cloaked man in a daze.
“Tell me,” said the injured man to the young lady. “What is this plan of yours?”
“Her?” The cloaked man laughed. “I do not refer to this young lady. She is but one of the keys to unlocking our dreams.
And you, my friend, have played your part well. But I am afraid your fate is not mine to decided.”
The cloaked man rose to his feet and gazed into the sky.
“Tell me, old friend,” he said to the sky. “What is your decision for this man?”
Another breeze flew over the compound, the cloaked man closing his eyes and nodding. As the breeze faded, he looked down to the injured soldier and smiled.
“She has decided to spare you the heartache of this life.”
The cloaked man drew an emerald green great sword from underneath his cloak and drove it into the heart of the injured man, killing him almost instantly. Pulling the sword from the man’s body, the cloaked man turned to the woman and smiled.
“Our business here is done. If the Valkyria have them, then it is only a matter of time. For now, let us return.”
He moved toward the steamcar, seeming to float rather than walk. The young woman followed silently, both climbing into the car.
Seran moved swiftly away from the external wall and back into the trees as the steamcar drove out of the compound and back up the road toward Argent. For a moment he sat still, unable to comprehend how someone could slaughter their own soldier in cold blood and who the cloaked man had been talking too.
After a few minutes, he rose to his feet and walked back to his own steamcar, trying to formulate his next move.
“If the Valkyria is in the vicinity, perhaps they would be willing to assist me…”
The road back to Argent had been
silent, the somber air now reaching out from the city and seeming to infect the rest of Esterland. Only two other vehicles had passed Seran by, both of which carried passengers dressed in black and had black ribbons extending from the front of the engine housing to the top of the cabin.
Clouds were beginning to fill the sky, their shadows covering the ground below. Seran’s steamcar trundled along the road, bouncing as it rolled over the uneven ground.
“Why is the Valkyria in the Ringlands?”
It made very little sense to Seran. There was no logical reason for a self-proclaimed neutral airship to be flying within Inquisition airspace.
“Unless,” he said to himself. “Are they planning on flying south?”
None but the crew of the Valkyria knew where the airship made port. It never docked at ports controlled by others, and vocally proclaimed itself an enemy of all who seek to control. The Valkyria was, in essence, the largest sky pirate ship in existence.
Despite that, Seran knew that they were the best chance he had to destroy the Inquisition’s secret. Even though they would not want to help a man of the Empire, he was sure they could not allow the Inquisition to create anything that would give them supreme power.
After all, the Valkyria publicly stood for, in Seran’s mind, a childish sense of justice. They would attack any military force that grew “too powerful” in their eyes. They acted as a referee in the game of life and war. He had to find them.
He pulled up outside an air-taxi rental store and walked inside. It was common place in the Ringlands for those who wanted to travel long distances to rent a small airship like an air-taxi for a few days, and such traditions would surely benefit Seran now.
“Welcome good sir,” said a rather plump man with slicked back hair and a suit that seemed as if it would fit one of the upper class members of the Grand City of Alexandra, rather than an air-taxi rental store owner.
“I need something small but fast,” said Seran.
“Ah, we have exactly what you need, sir,” said the shop owner as he extended an arm toward the backdoor of the store. “If you would come this way, I can show you all kinds of small airship. I am sure one will be to your liking.”
Seran followed the man through the door and into a large open space with several different models of small airship, although in truth they were just different body styles of air-taxis. The man continually turned and looked back at Seran, repeating the action every couple of steps. Something is wrong here. He could not put his finger on it, but he was sure of it none the less.
“So, why do you need a fast airship?
“My business is my own,” said Seran as he followed the man around a corner, only to find himself in a dead end alley.
“Are you sure it is not to escape from Argent?”
Footsteps closed in behind Seran. He turned to see five large men with bats standing behind him, blocking his exit.
“You see,” said the store owner, “milord of the Inquisition came to see me. He told me of a man who had been following him, and said that he would come to see me very soon looking to escape Argent. And milord is never wrong.
I still do not understand how he knows what will happen, but he is never wrong. And once again, he was right; here you are.”
Seran breathed in deeply, tensing his arms as the men behind him stepped closer.
“He put a pretty price on your head. Just your head mind you. The rest of you; well it does not matter.”
Seran moved his hand to Firethorn’s hilt, spreading his legs and twisting his body in preparation.
“Well, boys,” said the store owner. “It seems we have a brave one here. Teach him a lesson will you? And make it quick. I would like my coin today.”
The five men shot forward, but Seran was ready. He span around, unsheathing Firetorn and driving the blade into the neck of one of the men. He proceeded to start the chain-sword’s motor, the teeth spinning and cutting the man’s neck further.
Splatters of red sprayed across Seran’s face as the other four attackers stood in shock. He pulled Firethorn from the man’s lifeless body and swung it toward a second man, severing his arm in an instant.
Spinning once again, he swiftly removed the head of the third attacker before standing still, his legs spread and Firethorn ready to strike again.
“A chain-sword?” The store owner’s voice shook as he spoke. “Then… You must be a Dragoon?”
“So, you know something of the Empire,” said Seran. “It is a pity you did not realize sooner. Although it would not have helped you. Either way, I cannot suffer you to live now that you know who I am.”
He dived forward and ran the fourth man through before driving Firethorn into the fifth attacker’s chest. Seran turned toward the store owner and smiled.
“Allow me to thank you for the airship. I have a good number to choose from now.”
He shot forward and pushed Firethorn through the store owner’s abdomen. The man did not last long.
Seran returned to the store’s front office and entered the room marked as the toilet. After washing his face and Firethorn’s blade, he walked back outside and climbed into an air-taxi, starting the engine.
“Now then,” he said. “Let us find the Valkyria.”
*~*~*
34
NATE
“So,” said the Captain, “you are now outlaws within the Ringlands.”
The boy, who called himself Einar, had told Irving and Nate that his sister was kidnapped, and that the Inquisition had attacked the home of the girl, Haze, and taken them prisoner. It was a wild story, but for some reason Nate believed him.
So did the Captain, it seemed, as he stood with a smile, rather than a frown. He had even told the guards to remove the restraints on their arms.
“Do you know why they captured you, rather than killing you?”
“No,” replied Einar. “They asked me various questions about my sister and Rin, but that was all.”
“And you attracted the Creatures to the compound?”
“Yes, sir. It was the only idea I could think of that would allow us to escape.”
“You realize that those Creatures took the life of one of my crew, and the close friend of the man standing beside you.”
Nate clenched his fist. He could not believe that people were talking about Charles in the past tense. Nor could he believe that he had died saving these two civilians, who offered no obvious use to anyone.
“I do, and I am terribly sorry for that.”
“Be that as it may,” said the Captain, “we are still short a vital crew member. What do you suppose we do about that?”
Nate looked up at the Captain, wondering what he was planning.
“I do not know, sir,” said Einar.
“Well, I have an idea.”
The Captain stepped forward toward the pair of civilians and smiled. His eyes moved over them like an eagle examining its prey.
“As Charles died saving you, and he was Nate’s gunner,” said the Captain, “I think you owe it to both of them to take his place.”
Nate shuddered.
“Captain! You cannot be serious,” said Nate.
“But I am.”
“But Captain! Look at him! He is a worthless child! He could never replace Charles!”
“And he will not,” said the Captain. “However, you are in need of a gunner, are you not?”
“Yes, but-”
“And you,” said Irving as he turned back to Einar. “You have nowhere in the Ringlands that you can be safe now. I am offering you a place on my crew. Do you accept?”
Nate could feel his blood boiling. How could anyone think of giving Charles’ position to this man who caused his death?
“We do,” said Einar after a brief pause.
“Good,” said Irving. “Now, as for you Haze, we are in need of another cook in the mess hall. It is the safest place for you on this vessel.”
“Captain!”
One of the scouts ran over to
Irving, handing him a pair of binoculars.
“An air-taxi is approaching! It is requesting permission to land!”
*~*~*
35
SERAN
Seran circled the massive airship. It was far larger than he expected, being only the third airship he had ever seen with more than floors. Girders and struts extended from the front and back of the ship, with tubing passing through them. Mid-air refueling stations. Impressive. Although they should put extra protection on those girders.
“Attention,” said a booming voice emanating from the Valkyria. “Your request to dock has been granted. Please proceed to the starboard hangar.”
Seran titled to the small air-taxi and flew around the Valkyria once again, spotting a large part of the wall sliding open. On his previous circle of the airship he had not even seen that there had been a door there, let alone a hangar bay.
“They certainly hide their weak spots well, except for the refueling pipes.”
He slowed the engine as he lined up the air-taxi with the hangar bay and flew through the open door. The hangar itself was huge, as was everything about the Valkyria. There was enough room to hold a small fleet of air-taxis, even though there were only seven apart from his.
As the engine of his air-taxi slowed to a halt, he climbed out of the machine and stepped onto the metal flooring of the hangar bay.
A large group of armed men and women entered the hangar through a thick metal door. Within seconds they had surrounded Seran, their pistols and rifles pointed directly at him. He put his hands on the back of his head and smiled. For pirates, they seem incredibly organized.
Groaning filled the hangar as the large metal exterior wall slid back into place, closing with a loud bang and a long hiss from the motor. Steam spurted from the motor and expanded to fill the hangar before dissipating a few seconds later.
“I request an audience with your captain,” said Seran, yet none of the Valkyria’s crew seemed to move. Their weapons remained trained on him from all directions.