Skyborn

by Eric Asher

  The hand of the Titan Mech slid neatly beneath two pallets, each stacked high with traps. Jacob shook the arm slightly to make sure the load was properly secured and then took a deep breath. He pushed the lever for both tracks forward, and the arm lurched before settling into a steady forward motion.

  Jacob had been worried about the sand, and whether he’d been right to choose crawler treads, considering the added weight. Relief washed over him when the sand churned up around the treads, and the entire assembly continued on.

  He set the first two pallets near the dry riverbed. Tempted as he was to drive into the empty bed, he was in no rush to awaken any Tail Swords hidden in the sand. He shifted the steering levers again, spinning the arm around, and digging it into the sand.

  Jacob looked over the side of his seat and cursed, afraid the treads had gotten too deep. But when he pushed both levers forward, the treads dug themselves out with little effort. He repeated the same trip until all the pallets were unloaded, leaving stacks of traps near the riverbed.

  The last loads were bundles of steel and iron. Plates and rivets and enough material to raise a simple floating dock. Jacob overheard George talking to a member of the construction crew. She didn’t look happy, but Jacob only heard her say something about not having nearly enough supplies.

  “Another ship is coming,” George said. “This is only to get started.”

  The annoyance on her face lessened as George explained the situation. Gladys signaled the captain of the supply ship when Jacob was clear, and the lift slowly rose back into the sky.

  “Jacob!” George shouted. “I would be most appreciative if you could show Helena how to operate the arm.”

  “Why are you so kind to an Ancoran?” Helena asked.

  “He’s my friend,” Gladys said, cutting off whatever response George had readied. “And his friends have saved my life more than once. You will treat him as well as you would treat me, if not better.” She tacked on that last part in a flat voice.

  Helena flinched as though she’d been struck. “Of course, My Princess. I did not realize.”

  Jacob looked away, his eyes landing on anything except the awkward exchange.

  “Jacob,” George called out again. “Show Helena how to dig pits first. I believe that should be our priority over the docks themselves.”

  He nodded and scooted into the copilot’s seat. The arm could be operated from either position, but the copilot had easier access to reposition the arm, while the pilot’s seat provided ready access to the levers controlling the treads.

  Helena sighed as she made her way to the arm. Piercing brown eyes met Jacob’s, and he gave the older woman a smile. A tight braid swung behind her head as she climbed into the pilot’s seat. “Alright, show me how to run this contraption. George seems to think it will save us time, but that usually means I end up with extra work.”

  “It’ll help you with the reconstruction,” Jacob said. “I’ve seen it in Dauschen on the docks Archibald is building. They’re sending another arm to Ancora too. The controls are just like a crawler.”

  “I’ve never piloted a crawler.”

  Jacob shrugged. “No problem. The left lever moves the left tread, and the right moves the right tread. Move them both in the direction you want to go, or opposite directions to spin.”

  “Spin?” Helena asked incredulously.

  “Well, spin slowly,” Jacob said with a laugh. “Maybe turn would be a better word. Let’s take it to the edge of the riverbed.”

  Helena sighed and grabbed the steering levers, gently pushing them forward. The treads were smooth in the sand, and Helena was much kinder on the controls than Jacob. He explained how to turn while moving by adjusting the appropriate tread speed, and Helena deftly circled a large stone before coming to a stop beside a pallet.

  “It is easier than I expected.”

  Jacob nodded. “The arm is a bit more complicated, but it’s the same idea.” He pointed to a dark bronze wheel. “This opens and closes the hand while the levers to either side raise or lower it. The slide across the top moves everything on a plane. The smaller levers here that are joined by another handle? These release the ratchet, which allows the wheel to rotate the arm instead of opening it. Watch.”

  The hand opened and closed with barely a sound, but the engine roared to life when Jacob moved the slide to swing the arm out over the riverbed. A few spins and pulls later, and the Titan Mech arm plunged into the sandy bed.

  “Probably be easier if we stay on the edge of the bed. Those larger rocks could cause problems with the traps.” Jacob twisted the arm, flexing the wrist until it raised a scoop of sand and pebbles into the air that would have taken hours for someone to dig by hand. Another round, and a pit large enough to hold a trap was ready.

  Jacob used the Titan Mech hand to pluck a trap off the pallet and set it into the hole. He hopped off the arm and gestured for Helena to follow. In the pit, he showed her how to attach the lever and release the safety. The latticework rose as he pumped the chambers full of air. He’d been concerned about the intake pulling too much sand, but the filter Frederick had added worked better than Jacob had hoped.

  “And now we just have to bury it,” Jacob said. “What did that take? Fifteen minutes? And you’ll be faster than I am with some practice.”

  Back on the arm, he let Helena take over and settled into the copilot’s seat. He was happy to see how fast she acclimated to the controls. A sign they were intuitive, and the arm could be controlled by those who weren’t tinkers themselves. She buried the first trap and dug two more holes.

  Jacob watched, offering little advice. Helena followed every step he’d shown her, a precision to everything she did. He could see why George wanted her to learn how to operate the arm. If she was as good at training people as she was at learning, Midstream would have a perimeter defense by the end of the day.

  Jacob yawned and lost count of what hole Helena was on. He’d taken to watching the pressure gauges on the arm and making small adjustments to give the fingers more strength. If he hadn’t been watching them so closely, he wouldn’t have seen the sand shift. Wouldn’t have noticed the glint of something dark in the pit a moment before something exploded from its depths.

  “Tail Sword!” Jacob shouted.

  Two Midstream workers sprinted away from the pallets as the curved arch of the Tail Sword’s stinger lashed out.

  “We have to run!” Helena hesitated. “I have no weapon!”

  “Move,” Jacob said, leaning across her as the Tail Sword stalked toward them. He slammed the lever down in an attempt to crush the Tail Sword, the same as he’d done to the assassins in Dauschen, but the Tail Sword was too quick. The beast might have been some ten feet in length, but it moved terrifyingly fast.

  Jacob forced the steering levers in opposite directions, spinning the open Titan Mech hand to the side like an angry slap. This time it caught the Tail Sword, sending it reeling into the riverbed. But the angle was all wrong as it charged them again, and Jacob’s heart sank.

  Helena wasn’t armed, and he’d left his air cannon back by the pallets. Maybe if he could …

  The Tail Sword’s leg came down, and Jacob recoiled when the entire body of the creature ruptured, spraying gore and viscera across the sands. It took him a second to realize what had happened, and Helena apparently realized it at the same time.

  “It stepped on a trap.”

  One of the heavy bolts thunked down into the sand beside them a moment later. With that kind of delay, Jacob had little doubt the traps would be more than a match for an armored crawler. He grinned at Helena, a half-mad chuckle escaping his lips.

  “The hell is wrong with you, boy?”

  “A lot,” Gladys said, startling Jacob when she appeared at his side, aiming his air cannon at the black carapace. She pulled the trigger, the boom echoing over the Titan Mech’s engine, and pulping the Tail Sword further. “Just to be safe.”

  “That’s enough for now,” Helena said. “
I want a guard out here in case anymore Tail Swords pop up. We may not be so lucky next time.”

  And Jacob knew she was right. There was luck involved in that Tail Sword stepping on a trap. If it hadn’t, they might have been able to escape on the arm. But it’s possible it could have run them down. It would have been a stupid way to die.

  “Come on,” Gladys said. “Let’s get you two some food. And I’m sure George is going to want a word with you after that.”

  Jacob glanced up and found the royal guard standing at a distance, his arms crossed. It wasn’t quite as intimidating as his mother’s glare could be, but he suspected Gladys was quite right.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Jacob sat down at a low table beside Helena, crossing his legs beneath it in a far less graceful fashion than the Midstream folks. He wasn’t used to sitting on the floor without chairs, and his instinct to slouch was met with a constant thwack across his back from Gladys.

  “We don’t slouch at a royal table.”

  “Sorry,” Jacob whispered.

  Gladys kept a straight face for all of ten seconds before bursting into laughter.

  “This isn’t a royal table, is it?” Jacob asked.

  George gave a half shrug. “Technically, any table where royalty sits is considered royal. But no, my dining room is not a royal table.”

  “So this is your house.”

  “I told you it was,” Gladys said.

  “You also told me it was some kind of royal … royal … what did you call it?”

  “It’s my house,” George said. “Or, it will be when the construction is done. Most of our belongings are still in the dwellings behind The Fish Head in Bollwerk. Now, enjoy your meal. I am afraid not all the news today is good.”

  With that ominous warning, Jacob took a rice ball from the offered platter. It was heavily seasoned, with dried fish in the center. Fish in the middle of the desert felt like a luxury in itself. A strange slaw, a bit too crunchy to be entirely vegetables, was served as a side dish. But the flavor was pleasant and complemented the saltiness of the rice balls well.

  “I missed these,” Gladys said, sinking her teeth into a rice ball. “You should put them on the menu at The Fish Head.”

  “Perhaps,” George said. “I am not sure how well the people of Bollwerk would respond to such fiery spice.”

  “Take it to Ancora, then,” Jacob said. “Because I love it.”

  “Now that’s an idea!” Gladys said. “We could open a restaurant in every city.”

  George took a deep breath. “We can discuss that at length after Midstream has been rebuilt. I think it would be rather nice to open a restaurant in our own city.”

  Gladys nodded at that.

  “That would be wonderful,” Helena said. “It is too long a journey to Bollwerk for one of your meals. I have missed these.”

  They moved on to dessert, a crispy fritter in a sweet cream sauce. Jacob had tried something similar back at The Fish Head, but this one had more texture, more chunks.

  “You like the Stone Dog?” Gladys asked.

  Jacob recoiled. “It’s poison?”

  “Yes,” Gladys said flatly. “I’m eating poison.”

  George gave a slow laugh. “They must be boiled to be prepared. The poison breaks down in heat. And you are left with a sweet flavor.”

  Getting over his initial revulsion, Jacob took another bite. “Well, whatever it is, it’s delicious.”

  “To the matter I am concerned with.” George wiped his hands down and took a sip of his drink. “We have been watching the passes on the edge of the desert. In the north, our scouts have made some disturbing discoveries. Fel has been deploying forces along the edge of their territory.”

  “How far south?” Helena asked.

  “The border of the grasslands. They are amassing a concerning number in the pass to the north. Should they decide to march on Midstream, they need only cross the edge of the smallest foothills and dunes. Archibald sent a pair of clippers to take stock of what awaits farther to the west.”

  “What of the crawlers?” Gladys asked.

  George nodded. “Several armored crawlers were spotted. They will make short work of the terrain between Fel and Midstream. I can only hope the traps will be enough to slow them.”

  George glanced at the clock, slowly ticking away the seconds. “Archibald should be contacting us shortly.” He sat a small copper box on the table. Jacob had seen its like before, a transmitter and speaker built into one unit.

  So not so much a lunch break, Jacob thought. George wanted everyone at his house, in a private setting, so they could talk to Archibald.

  “Does Archibald plan to send us a warship?” Gladys asked. “We have a chance against a ground invasion, but that won’t stop them from bombing us.”

  “The traps can take down a smaller airship,” Jacob said. “If they’re low enough.”

  “That is more of an uncertainty than I care to entertain,” George said.

  The speaker on the table hissed and clicked before Archibald’s voice sounded around them. “George, this is Archibald.”

  George clicked the transmitter. “We are here, Speaker.”

  “Who is with you?”

  “Gladys, Jacob, and Helena.”

  “Good. I don’t have much positive to share. Fel has gathered a squadron of airships near the Red Woods. They can flank you easily enough. I’m sending two destroyers to flank them first, but Fel is also moving toward Dauschen via the North Woods.”

  “You do not intend to send one of the warships here?” George asked.

  “Not at first. Warship One is moving past Dauschen now. If we can turn back Fel’s squadron before they cross the river, I’ll give the order to make for Midstream.”

  “And if not?”

  “Dauschen will be lost,” Archibald said in a simple statement of fact. “And you’ll be left fighting with two destroyers and whatever you can muster.”

  George held a hand up when Gladys leaned toward the transmitter, looking like she was about to chew Archibald’s arm off. She paused, took a deep breath, and nodded.

  Gladys pressed the transmitter. “Tell your destroyers to drive the airships low. Jacob’s traps may be of more use than just defending against the ground troops.”

  “It will be done.” Archibald hesitated. “Should things go poorly, it would be wise to have a plan of escape.”

  “We’ve run long enough,” Gladys said. “From Fel and warlords and every city who has come for us. Fel will remember this day.”

  “How long do we have?” George asked.

  “From the time they start moving, only a couple hours. Gods only know when that will be.”

  “It’ll be soon,” Jacob said. “They’re in the open now. They won’t want to give us more time to prepare.”

  “He’s likely right,” Archibald said. “Prepare yourselves. I hope to speak to you again soon. And when the battle comes closer, use code names. It will at least delay comprehension of the message should it be intercepted.”

  The static over the connection went dead.

  Gladys stared at the transmitter. “I thought we’d have more time.”

  Helena stood up. “I’ll be setting traps. You best tell the guard what’s coming.”

  George started to answer, but Gladys interrupted. “I will. We’ll be ready.”

  * * *

  Hours passed, and Jacob thought he might collapse as they mounted the last trap from the second pallet to a crawler. It was George’s idea. Make them mobile, like a ballista, only far more maneuverable. Whatever required less digging, Jacob was all for it.

  The arm moved things along, but they quickly realized they’d have to bury some by hand if they wished to be done by sunset. He’d only helped dig two holes and wouldn’t have been surprised if he fell over dead in the blistering sun. He made his way back to George’s house later in the evening, surprised to find Gladys there.

  “I thought you’d be rallying your troops.”r />
  “My troops are my friends and family, Jacob. There are only a few hundred of us in Midstream. I’m not sure what we can do against Fel.”

  “I’d rather fight Fel than a wall of Red Death. Maybe they’ll run away when they hit the traps.”

  Gladys blew out a breath. “Have you talked to Alice?”

  Jacob shook his head. “Not in a couple days now. Do you think George would mind if I used his transmitter?”

  “Not at all. Well, honestly, he probably would, but if I’m telling you to use it, there’s not much argument, right?”

  Jacob grinned as Gladys pulled the small copper box off the table and sat down on the couch. She handed it over, lifting the lid to expose the dials inside. Jacob spun the two around until he was on the Skysworn’s frequency. If anyone knew where to find Alice, it would be Mary.

  He clicked the transmitter. “Skysworn, are you there?” Jacob waited and was about to click the button again when the speaker crackled to life.

  “Is that you, Jacob?”

  “Alice?” He asked. “What are you doing on the Skysworn?”

  “What am I doing on the Skysworn? What are you doing on the transmitter?”

  In the background, he heard Mary complaining that they weren’t using code names.

  “Right, sorry,” Alice said.

  “I’m with … the princess out in the desert. Helping build some defenses.”

  “Of course you are,” Alice said. “Do you ever do anything that might not get you killed? That would be nice to hear sometime.”

  Gladys pushed the button. “Hello! He’s assisting us. I think the rebuilding is going to go a lot faster now that we have one of those arms.”

  “Arms?” Alice asked.

  “It’s part of a Titan Mech, like we found in the notes.”

  “You got it working already?”

  “Well, just an arm. But I had a lot of help.”

  Alice was silent for a time. “I can imagine who would want to help.”

  “So what have you been doing?” Jacob asked, feeling like the question was incredibly lame.