by J. C. Staudt
Nerimund stands at the ship’s stern. He is still and silent, but not wooden. He’s awake, and very much alive. I may never understand that little guy. Until the day he decides to show us more of his magic, he’ll be the eccentric little traveler who always keeps things interesting.
Mr. Sarmiel is at the helm, weirded out that Nerimund’s behind him, but as unflinching as ever. He’s waiting for my orders. Now that the deed is done, I feel free enough to give them. We’re setting our course for somewhere far away; a place beyond the clouds, where some primies need a hand with a bunch of narrow-minded jerks who are giving them a hard time. I’ve made it my business to widen minds by whatever means necessary. I may not be competing for most wanted man in the stream anymore, but I’ve still got plenty of trouble to cause.
Speaking of primies, the smartest one who’s ever lived is standing next to me. As I turn toward him, Chaz gives me his trademark look of fear, wondering what I’m going to ask him to do next. It isn’t anything scary, though. I give him a sly smile.
“Let’s take a little detour on our way to Straikus,” I tell him. “We can go anywhere you want.”
“How about Atherion?” he says with a smile.
“This is for you,” I say. “Not me.”
“I don’t know if Sable’s ever been to your home town, but I haven’t,” Chaz says. “Besides, I want it to be someplace way up high. Someplace where you can drive for miles and never run out of road.”
“Atherion is like that.”
“It’s settled, then. Atherion it is.” Chaz goes belowdecks to put the final polish on his bright blue motorcar.
Sable slips an arm around my waist and rests her head on my shoulder. “Glad you got rid of it,” she says.
“I would’ve kept it forever,” I say.
“You didn’t need it.”
“It was me, though.”
“No. You’re you. That was just a thing. Baggage.”
I reach up and run my fingers over the scars at the center of my chest. “Long flight ahead of us,” I say. “How about we give our strategy another run-through?”
“My strategy,” she corrects me. “These bullies need to be taught a lesson.”
I smile at her. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”
THE END
Afterword
I hope you’ve enjoyed the fifth and final segment of Driftmetal. If you liked the series and want to check out more fun steampunk, my new serial, Skyjackers, is set several hundred years earlier in the same world. Sign up for my Readers’ Group if you’d like to receive the first episode of Skyjackers FREE and get advance copies of my future books, along with other exclusive perks. Thanks for reading!