I Am Gamer III

by Gabriel Rathweg

  I poured Fire Magic into the engine making sure it was highly powered and would be able to give the type of output the craft would need. When I was satisfied, I began assembling the pieces and completing the craft. When finished, I infused Earth Magic into the bottom hull of the gondola, strengthening it but also making it a bit heavier. To counteract that, I used Earth Magic everywhere else and made things less strong but lighter as well, I even went so far as to do the same with the hide balloon, boiler, and steam engine. They all became lighter and less durable, but I infused extra Fire Magic to keep them more fireproof, so I thought it was a good trade off.

  The last few things needed were the magic infused lines to connect the balloon to the gondola and the propeller and rudder system. I made the lines and then the propeller, which was overly large, like three times the length of the crafts width, and over three feet wide to catch the wind. The landing would be tough, and you’d have to make sure the thing was locked. Luckily, I had thought of that and created a brake and latch to the propeller which put it in a landing position that connected to a large rudder connected above and behind the propeller. This way I had a crude steering mechanism, although I wasn’t sure how well it’d work. That’s what test runs were for right?

  Before I finished attaching everything together, I stopped, then worked on a surprise item. It didn’t take too long and soon I had made it. It was time to launch the aircraft but there wouldn’t be enough room here, I would need to do it somewhere else.

  I looked around the forge and saw that the other three Mage Builders and Freak were all sleeping in various places around the area. Dawn was rising and I now realized that I had worked all through the night. Well, time flies when you’re having fun right? I probably should take a quick rest, but I didn’t feel tired. Besides, I was done with all the crafting of the vessel and now I needed to test it out. I cleared my throat loudly and then banged around the forge as loud as I could for a moment. Thunder Foot and Lightning Fist leaped to their feet, hammers raised and looking around like they were under attack. Smoking Bluejay sat up and stared around wide-eyed as if not realizing where he was.

  “Hey, can you three give me a hand again. I need some help.” I called out, three pairs of eyes snapping to me and looking at me in the blurred haze of the newly woken.

  “Who wants to fly the friendly skies?” I asked, grinning like a cat who just ate the mouse.

  Those three pairs of eyes widened even wider and then they turned to each other and back to me mouths opening and closing in shock. This was going to be fun.

  TRACK 21 – RIGHT ABOVE IT – LIL WAYNE, DRAKE

  The four of us packed up everything and put it in the gondola then picked it up and carried it to the top of the citadel that was under construction. The first floor was very large, over one hundred feet in diameter and there was nothing impeding me there. It was very early and almost no one was awake except for the guards and a couple of Frigg’s cooking assistants. And they just stared at us as we trooped from the forge up to the roof of the citadel, with a boat shaped thing over our heads.

  With quite a lot of cussing that would have made Billy and Patty proud, we finally made it up to the top of the citadel. Once there, I gave instructions and we began laying out the pieces of the aircraft and beginning its final construction. I rolled out and began arranging the giant hide sewn balloon casing with the help of the others. When we were done with that the thing took up over seventy five percent of the floor. Next, we attached the shaft and propeller to the gondola then the lines to the balloon.

  After that, I assembled the steam engine and boiler then retrieved the secret ingredient, coal. Silent Mouse had found some a few days ago and it was one of the impetuses for this idea and the plans for our new and improved river boats. It all depended on how well, or if this worked at all. I loaded the coal into the furnace and lit it with my Fire Magic. The three Mage Builders had all backed away to the far stairwell, close to the exit from the citadel. Freak had done the opposite and was now sitting in the gondola with me while watching me work.

  With the coal loaded and burning merrily, I closed the boiler door and watched in anticipation as the massive hide balloon began to slowly fill. The minutes went by and I kept the coal fire burning strong and let the superheated air continue to fill the massive balloon. A good twenty minutes later and it was mostly full and swaying side to side in the air above the citadel. I had the other builders secure the lines to the stone crenellations around the floor to keep the flying machine from floating away. A flashing started in my periphery and I checked the message while the balloon finished filling.

  THREE ELEMENT FAST ATTACK ZEPPELIN

  VEHICLE TYPE – HYBRID SCOUT AND ATTACK ZEPPELIN

  DURABILITY – 625/625

  CLASS – Unique

  UPGRADES – Fire Resistant, Earth Strength

  WEIGHT – 500lbs (1000lbs with gear, provisions, and crew)

  WEAPONS – N/A

  DIMENSIONS – 25 ft length, 7 ft beam, 4 ft gunnel, 4 max crew – Gondola

  75 ft by 50 ft – Balloon

  This ship is built using Earth, Water, and Fire Magic giving it enhanced strength and lighter weight. It is powered by coal and uses magic as well to fuel the steam engine and propel and raise the craft. The vessel is less durable then normal wood and is subject to damage easily. The giant propeller and machine parts are infused with magical abilities and can operate without fuel by pouring ones own magical energy into the engine.

  Grinning widely, I closed the screen and moved on checking the next ones.

  ABILITY UPGRADED… SKILLS UPGRADED…

  BUILDER (LEVEL – 4)

  You have increased your knowledge of building things. You have gained access to even more advanced marine vessels, structures, and items. The more things you create, the faster your skill will increase, and the more complex things will become available for you to create. Your crafting ability will change and increase with level and usage.

  MAGE BUILDER (LEVEL – 4) – EXPERT

  Your ability to build things and use magic simultaneously is increased to quadruple, as you now know three schools of magic. You may infuse the things you build with both earth, water, and fire which will enhance them in ways sometimes that are unexpected but always beneficial. This skill will continue to increase with usage and level. You are now an Expert Mage Builder. You may now take apprentices and impart your skill to them.

  INVENTOR (LEVEL – 4)

  By using your ability of Total Recall, your building skills, magical ability, and artistic skill you are able to create new and amazing things. There is no limit to your creations only those set by your imagination and creativity. But beware, with great power comes great responsibility, and like Icarus, one can fly to close to the sun. You have innate knowledge due to using your Total Recall skill so much that information access is almost instantaneous for use in creating new inventions. Your ability lets you create things that would normally need advanced tooling with your mage builder ability supplanting the needed tools.

  I closed the last message and saw that the balloon was full now and the whole craft was floating ten feet above the earth. It strained on the lines connected to the citadel’s walls, they being the only thing holding the vessel to the ground.

  “It works!” I cried, jumping to my feet and causing the whole vessel to sway and shift wildly below me.

  This was going to take some getting used to. Freak leaped to his feet as well and looked around him in panic, but he caught his balance quicker than I did, being a cat. Although, the constantly shifting floor had him unsure of what to do, where to run to, or how to stop it.

  “Calm down buddy, just a little rocking of the boat.” I said, in a calming voice which help settle Freak and the gondola slowed its wild shifting and now was just swaying slightly in the breeze. “It’s going to take some getting used to, careful how you step, our weight changes the balance of the zeppelin, got it?”

  “Rawr!” Freak responded
, his growl and sardonic expression enough of an answer for me.

  “You’ll get used to it.” I replied, chuckling under my breath as I made my way slowly to the railing.

  “By Wolf’s great hairy ballsack, you’re flying Law!” Thunder Foot called up to us.

  I looked down over the gunwale at the big man two stories below. I waved to him, Smoking Bluejay, and Lightning Fist who were all staring mouths agape. My legs were becoming more accustomed to the swaying motions and I felt like was getting my sea legs, well air legs anyway.

  “Ok Freak, ready to test this mofo out?” I asked my familiar.

  He had dropped to his belly and gave me a low rumbling growl, which I knew meant he was not super excited at the moment. That and our mental connection which intimated he was feeling quite a few explicit things at me.

  “Oh, come on, where’s my brave tiger, when did I get a little pussycat?” I joked, as I untied the first line and then headed to the second.

  His mental response was much in the line of, I’ll show you a pussycat you son of a… The boat swayed harder for a second now that the first line was free, and I caught my balance as I stumbled into the opposite gunwale. Freak made a growling chuckle and I flipped him the bird. The second line came undone easily and I waited for the gondola to settle before moving to the third, learning from my earlier mistake. Freak gave a disappointed sigh and I laughed at him and untied the third line.

  The zeppelin began to float up and I moved to the rear, Freak with me, and to the rudder and propeller system. I sat in the wooden seat on the aft of the gondola and undid the propeller to let it move free. It began to spin lazily in the breeze while the airship continued its ascent. I looked behind and below me to the ground already over a hundred feet below. This was just a test run, so I didn’t want to go to high. I moved over to the boiler and opened the front vent, letting hot air out that way and not into the main balloon, then moved back to my seat.

  We leveled off after another fifty feet and I removed the brake latch so the crankshaft could now start turning the propeller. A few seconds went by as it started turning, slowly at first then picking up speed as it got momentum, and soon was whirling quickly and pushing us forward through the bright cloudless blue sky. I turned the rudder left and right guiding us around above Thrudheim. I laughed out loud enjoying the sensation of the wind and freedom of flying. Even though we were only going about fifteen knots, it was invigorating. I had always loved anything that had to do with the sky, from flying in planes to sky diving, I was an avid air enthusiast.

  From my position on the aft of the zeppelin I could look behind me and to my left and see the ground and town below. Not only that, but the surrounding area for at least a couple miles was visible. I waved to the townsfolk who were pointing up and exclaiming at me as I flew through the sky. They looked like tiny little midget people and I laughed heartily at the thought. I took us in a wide arcing circle around the town and surrounding areas, getting used to how the airship moved and how the air currents jostled us about. It was almost like I was driving a boat in the middle of a storm with the way we were bounced all about. Eventually, by the third circle around the town I was getting a modicum of piloting ability.

  Freak finally got his courage back and hopped up to the railing and watched as the world went by. I grinned and enjoyed the brief moment of freedom and fun. I noticed the airship beginning to slowly lose altitude and I realized the coal was probably burning out. After a quick check in the boiler confirming it and I started to take us around and around for a landing. I engaged the brake for the engine and locked the propeller into the horizontal position and prepared to land. A few minutes later I was coasting down over the walls of Thrudheim and splashing down just inside the Mississippi River Fort, landing in the center of the waterway with a huge splash of water.

  The whole of the town had gathered around on all sides of the waterway. The balloon was starting to wilt as it lost more and more hot air. Questions and exclamations surrounded me as the tribe’s folk crowded the sides of the canal. I spotted the three Mage Builders and called out orders for them to catch the balloon top. The four of us worked together as the gondola coasted to a stop and was pulled to the dock by the forge. All the elites had gathered there, and they watched as the four of us got the balloon top stowed and the zeppelin secured.

  “By the Morrigan’s teats, you can fly now Law.” Patty said excitedly.

  Others blurted out similar statements and then began peppering me with questions. I answered everyone and then explained what a zeppelin was, how they worked, and what they would be used for. When I was done with my Q and A session, I looked around the group with a huge smile.

  “So, who wants to go first?” I asked, my grin going wider than ever.

  The interest that had been everywhere just a moment ago was gone as pretty much the entire group looked away, no one catching my eye. In fact, everyone was doing there damnedest not to catch it. Everyone except for four people, who all stepped forward, delight written across their countenances.

  “At least someone is brave enough to step up.” I said, then turned to the four young folk. “Dusk and Dawn, who are your friends?”

  TRACK 22 – PRAY FOR ME – THE WEEKND, KENDRICK LAMAR

  MOON FLOWER

  Chieftess Shining Eagle and I sat motionless in the brush as we surveyed the enemy army from our hidden hilltop position a quarter mile from the Cheyenne home. The whole village was surrounded and the Nirumbee were attacking, while the Wendigo sat back and let the smaller foot soldiers whittle the Cheyenne numbers down. I saw the Skinwalkers who were standing together not far from the village supervising the attack.

  At the moment, the Cheyenne were barely holding the assault off on their small palisade but each passing minute another of them fell and the monsters got that much closer to breaking through and into the village. It was night but this was all easily visible by the torches and fires burning in around the embattled Cheyenne home. Add in the bright light of the full moon and the whole battle was visible.

  I signaled to the Chieftess and we moved back down the hill to our waiting mounts and the rest of our force. Ten other Riders were there along with Winston and Fuzzy. They were all silent in the moonlit glade at the hills bottom. I could see their faces though a hard and grim demeanor was in everyone’s countenance. I patted Winston on the neck after I mounted and then nodded to the Chieftess when she was on Fuzzy. She nodded back and I looked over the Riders again, my mind going over the plan once more to see if I missed anything.

  I had decided that I was going to split the Riders up. I knew it was a gamble as we were already outnumbered, and I was making it even more of a disparity, but I had a plan. Sun Tzu’s first principle was Laying Plans, and I did that. The Jicarilla builder squad had arrived soon after our battle and I was able to use them in my preparations. Since we were outnumbered no matter what, my idea was to use a fort to surprise the MOB army. I would split our forces into thirds. One third would head to the besieged Blackfoot, another third to the beleaguered Cheyenne, and the final third to a midpoint.

  This final third would contain the Jicarilla builder squad and they would head out with the falconets and harquebuses and create a surprise fort. The first third, which was led by Dancing Lion and had my sisters, Stone Fox, and the newer Riders, went to the Blackfoot. Chieftess Shining Eagle and I would take the veteran Riders and head to the Cheyenne home. Then both our forces would harass the monsters to the point where they broke their attacks off and chased us to our new prepared position, the secret fort. This would take both our forces walking a fine line of attacking and retreating to keep the enemy engaged without either of us getting caught.

  I shook my head slightly and looked over my forces for a final time. They were ready and so was I. With a gesture we moved out and began our attack. We started off trotting till we made it to open ground and then we eased into a gallop. I pulled the bow from my shoulder and an arrow in the same motion, my Riders followi
ng suit behind me. The monsters were so intent on the Cheyenne who were just at the point of breaking, that they didn’t see us galloping across the plains. I angled us in our Flying V formation towards the rear center of the enemy and where the Skinwalkers were located.

  I stood up tall in Winston’s stirrups and pulled the bow and arrow back, the rest of the Riders doing the same. We crossed the quarter mile of ground in under a minute and soon were just a hundred yards away. Now the enemy saw us, but it was too late. We were in range and had taken them by surprise.

  “Flame!” I called, the dozen voices with me doing the same, activating the ability on the arrow.

  The twelve arrows lit the night and we fired en masse directly at the remaining Skinwalkers. Only four of the monsters had survived and now half of them were down from our barrage. We fired another volley of fiery arrows and then turned our formation with practiced precision and skirted the edges of the monstrous army. There were still hundreds of them, and we could easily get mobbed down and overwhelmed. Our advantage was in our mobility, our familiars along with our superior weapons would be useless if hundreds of Nirumbee piled over us. We’d be eaten just the same.

  That didn’t happen and we did our jobs perfectly. We rode up and down and around the enemy lines, peeling more and more of the attacking MOBs from the Cheyenne village. The two remaining Skinwalkers shrieked and raged calling for all the monsters to get us and soon the village was no longer under siege, and we were doing an organized harassing retreat. Now it was time for the chase, we needed to dance on the line here between staying close enough for them to think they have a chance at us and not actually being in range of their attacks.

  “Riders on me!” I yelled, wheeling Winston around and starting our back and forth galloping with a continuous fiery rain.