Chapter Sixty-Seven - Fairness

Chapter Sixty-Seven - Fairness

Chapter Sixty-Seven - Fairness

Ouch, I told the ceiling.

Did we die? Amaryllis asked from somewhere nearby. I couldnt see her on account of all the dust and stuff in the air. Did Abraham die, at the very least? That would be fair.

I groaned and pushed myself up, then blinked through the haze as I realized that I was no longer aboard the Shady Lady. At some point I must have been ejected from the ship because I was now on some sort of deck that I didnt recognize.

Coughing, I pushed a bit of cleaning magic into the air around me in a sort of bubble. The worst of the dust vanished and unveiled the Shady Ladys figurehead embedded into a wooden walkway, cracked planks and splinters all around the ships prow.

The air cleared a little more when some wind slipped in from where the hangar doors had been at the very back. There was a nice big hole there, roughly Shady Lady shaped, though it looked as if the balloon hadnt made it into the hangar with the rest of the ship.

Haha! We didnt die! Abraham shouted a moment before bursting out from a pile of junk with nary a scratch on him.

Raynald was the next to appear. His goggles had a crack running along them and his suit had a few new stains on it, but he seemed fine otherwise. Were still alive? Joy.

That was brilliant flying, Mister Raynald! I said.

Yes, well, zank you, the grenoil said as he looked around. It seems as if ze Shady Lady will need a bit of maintenance before she can take off again.

Bah, thats no problem. Were back home! Once were done with all the backstabbing and suchlike we can see about hiring some lads to patch the old Lady up. Maybe I can get that niece of mine to give her a look-see, she always loved the Shady.

Amaryllis hopped off the Shady Lady, tossed a bag that I recognized as my own to the side, then shook herself a little. Right. Well Im never flying with any of you again, she declared.

Ah-hah! Abraham laughed. Another young lady ruined by Abraham Bristlecone!

My harpy friend stared at him for a moment, she looked around until she found a nice big piece of wood. Then, with noble poise and grace, she walked over to Abraham and started whaling on him with it.

Ah, I said.

Raynald shook his head. Let her bleed off some energy. We can look for ze exit in ze meantime.

Alright? I said. Amaryllis did seem to be having some fun, and the wood didnt seem to hurt Abraham at all. A product of his level, or maybe a skill? Or maybe knocks to the head just didnt do anything to someone like him.

Raynald and I moved to the back of the hangar. It was relatively small for a place to store airships, with walls of smooth stone that looked like something bored out with a huge machine. I ran my hands against the smooth surface, curious as to how theyd managed it.

At the back were a few small cages with tools within and, much to my surprise, a sort of lift platform with railing that ran all the way up a dark, angled tunnel. Too steep to climb, but not enough that any platforms coming down the lift would be coming straight down.

Here it is, Raynald said as he found a large machine with a pair of chains running beneath it. A panel on the front was covered in a bit of dust that flew off when the grenoil man made a slight gesture with his hand. Lets see if zis still works.

I hope we wont be stuck down here, I said.

Wiz ze amount of fracas we made coming in? I doubt being stuck will be a problem. Being left alone will be a much larger concern.

He pressed a hand to a rune on the machine and it began to make a rattling noise, then the chains beneath started to move, one being pulled in, the other pushed out. It had to be some sort of motor, maybe.

Ah, Miss Bunch, do you have mana to spare? he asked.

Health 111/120

The platform shifted and started to climb back up where it had come from, and for a moment I was nervous as we were swallowed by the dark. I kind of wished we had a light. Then I realized something. I forgot Orange! I said.

You moron, Amaryllis said.

Ah, the poor thing, she must be so worried, I said. Did you see if she was hurt after the crash?

Shes a spirit cat, Amaryllis said. A little crash like that wouldnt even begin to scratch her.

Oh, oh good, I said. I really didnt know all that much about my kitty companion. But that was okay, we had plenty of time to learn about each other as time went on. Im going to resummon her, will that do anything to the platform?

It shouldnt, Raynald said.

I nodded and, under Amaryllis scrutinizing gaze, pressed my hands against my collar and pushed some mana into it.

A ball of orange magic appeared before and, and just as it did last time, it resolved into an unamused Orange.

Orange! I said as I extended my arms for a hug.

Orange padded over to Amaryllis and sat on her shoulder.

No... I whimpered.

Amaryllis huffed, and it was an evil, smug huff. One that meant that she thought she was better than me.

I didnt have time to cry or lament the loss of my kitty friend to my birdy friend because the platform rumbled to a stop and I noticed that we were no longer in darkness. There was a slit of open sky, one that began to widen as hands gripped the edges until a pair of sliding doors were pulled aside to reveal a dozen men in shiny plate armour with halberds lowered to point right at us.

My hands reached for the ceiling. I knew what to do when the police were around. Be nice and ask to see your lawyer.

There were two people that stood out from the bunch, one a straight-backed man with a face whose main expression seemed to be placid resignation, and a guard whose uniform was a lot more colourful and who was wearing a helmet with a bunch of feathers sticking out the top.

They eyed us all, then locked onto Abraham.

The butler-looking man closed his eyes and sighed.

The guard... Captain, I guessed, started to tremble.

Hahaha! A kings welcome! Abraham said as he stomped off the platform and batted aside the nearest halberds. Albert! You sly old dog, youre still alive?

Yes, Lord Bristlecone, the man in the neat suit said with a short bow. A pleasure to see you returned to our fair lands. You look... well.

Never been healthier Albert you dog. Who's the boy pissing himself next to you?

This is Gerald. Commander of the Western guard, Albert said as if reporting on the fact that it was currently sunny and rather on the warm side.

Well, tell him that shaking in his boots wont intimidate anyone, Abraham said. He tossed the ships engine to the side where it landed in the grass with a dull thump and didnt so much as bounce, though it did make all the guards jump back. Come on girls, Albert here makes a great tea! Sometimes its not even poisoned!

That was a mistake, Lord Bristlecone, the butler said.

Bah! It didnt do anything more than make me want to take a piss anyway. Now, wheres that cute little brother of mine? Oh, and get someone to look at the Shady Ladys engine here. It exploded this morning so we had to coast in for a landing. The hangars in a bit of a state too! Haha! I looked over to Amaryllis, but she just shrugged one shoulder. Judging by the awed looks on the faces of all the guards, Abraham was a known quantity around here. Come along now! No time like the present to muck up the old mansion!

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