Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-Two - Befriend Them with Lasers

Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-Two - Befriend Them with Lasers

Can we expect them to be violent? Bastion asked.

We suspect they will not stop themselves from acting violently against the little shard. They may even extend that violence to you, though they should refrain from killing you. The Crying Mountains have an amicable relationship with Wallwatch; we would not want to disrupt that over an internal matter.

I translated that for Bastion even as I ran over to the bed and tugged the sheet off the top. It was a bit raggedy, but not that bad. A big red blanket made of woven cloth. Moonie, Im going to cover you in this. Maybe if were lucky, they wont notice that were carrying you.

Moonie bobbed up and down. That seems amusing.

I grinned as I tossed the covers up and over the cry, then pulled them snug around them. It didnt take long to tie it all up in a bow around Moonies side.

Good thinking, Bastion said. Mister... Blue, perhaps you should leave as soon as weve left. Ill give you a signal. Try to keep them occupied for at least half a minute, that should be enough for us to get a good lead.

We understand, the larger cry said. They hovered over to the door, while Bastion beat his wings and climbed closer to the ceiling.

You might want to leave some silver behind, for the window, Bastion said.

Huh, why? I asked.

Close your eyes, Bastion ordered.

I ducked my head and squeezed my eyes shut a moment before the window above exploded and sheets of glass rained down onto the floor. A few pieces thumped against my captains hat and my ears, but I flicked them away with a twitch.

Lets go! Bastion called. He had his sword half unsheathed. I suspect hed used the pommel to break the glass.

I nodded, hugged Moonie close, then jumped up and out of the top.

Mister Blue, go! Bastion said a moment before he flipped out of the room. The Walled Inns roof was all tin with windows cut into it for every room. I saw some flickering candle light from a few of them. They didnt all get sunlight, not with another set of homes right above the inn.

I glanced up at the huge iron struts keeping the floor above in place. Which way? I asked.

Then something hummed behind me and I half-turned to see one of the cry floating up. It glowed, and before I could process, a scarlet laser fired out of it and right at me.Visitt novelbin(.)co/m for the latest updates

It met a crystalline wall that snapped into existence right in front of me. It was like a huge, spiky snowflake that bounced the laser off and allowed it to cut a slice into the inn room some metres away.

I gasped. That had been close. I could recall using Cleaning magic to kinda dissipate a laser before, in that Glass Dungeon, but this laser was faster... somehow, and I wasnt expecting it at all.

We are afraid that we cannot allow you to harm the broken shard, nor the soft ones, came Blues crystalline voice.

Lets go! Bastion said.

The sylph took off, heading not in the direction of the docks, but right towards the huge wall.

I eyed a few beams holding up the homes and structure above, then leapt out after him. Bastion, the Beavers that way! I said with a nod to the west end of the city.

We need to lose them first, he said.

Was it that bad?

I jumped, aiming for the roof of what looked like a shop. I never made it since Bastion rammed me out of the air.

I eeped, then gasped as a laser zipped by so close I felt my tail warming up. I pushed my cleaning aura out, hoping that it would at least dampen the attacks a little the next time they came so close.

We fell down a level, narrowly avoiding a catwalk before crashing onto a busy road, right in front of a bunch of people who gasped and squawked at our landing before them.

I rolled to my feet, ignoring the bit of discomfort from the rough landing. You okay, Moonie?

Yes!

Come on! Bastion said.

I patted down my skirt with one hand, hugged Moonie closer to my side, then followed after Bastion as he cut into the crowd.

It wasnt really much of a crowd, which was unfortunate because I saw one of the cry flying closer, with a dozen snowflake disks around its middle that were glowing and sparking. It spotted us running a floor below, and dropped down to be on our level.

Duck! I called out before a pair of reddish beams snapped out and burned some holes into the wooden walls of the buildings behind us.

Oh, for the love of... put whatever that is away then get to helping. Youre the captain, you should be acting like it!

Yes, maam! I said before darting to the back of the ship. Hey, Moonie, Im going to put you in my room for a bit. Theres a nice view out the window. Uh, try not to get into too much trouble, alright?

Understood, the cry said as I practically stumbled my way down to the lower deck and squeezed past two of the Scallywags who were moving up.

Trouble above! I said. All hands on deck!

I stuffed Moonie in my room. It was a little rude not to give the cry the full tour, but there wasnt any time for all that.

Ill be back once things quiet down, I said.

Moonie bobbed up and down, which served to get that blanket to drop. Thank you.

I grinned, then clicked the door shut before racing back out onto the main deck. Everyone was running around, unmooring the Beaver and prepping him to take off. I saw Steve struggling with one of the ropes and rushed over to help.

The Beavers engine roared to life, and I saw Clive pulling on a few levers to keep us steady as we undid the last of the ropes holding us in place.

Were free! Gordon called.

A building nearby exploded, and we all glanced over in time to see Bastion flying out of the fire on a direct path for the Beaver. He landed on the deck, boots skidding across the wood until he came to a full stop and panted. We should go, he said, calmly.

Clive! Full reverse! Get us some height! I didnt know how high the cry could fly. Hopefully not as high as the wall, but I sorta doubted that.

Aye, aye! Clive called a moment before we started to pull out of our mooring.

Im going to go prepare the ballistae! Awen said before she darted away.

I blinked after her, but decided we had bigger concerns.

Bastion swiped his sword along the length of his sleeve to clean it, then slid it back into its sheath. He looked uninjured, though his pant-legs were a bit singed here and there from what had to be near-misses. That was some good practice, he said.

I hope the rest of us dont need to practice that much, I said.

The cry that had been after Bastion appeared by the docks, but we were already backing out pretty quickly, and there was a good hundred or so metres between us. Surely they wouldnt...

I ducked as a red beam flashed out and cut a black line against the side of the Beavers hull. Oh, shoot!

Lasers didnt have a range.

Amaryllis! Can you do magic to protect us? I asked.

She eyed the cry, then grinned. Sure, she said.

I had a bad feeling in my tummy a moment before she pulled her knife-wand out and pointed it ahead.

I wanted a shield. Instead Amaryllis fired a thick bolt of lightning that snapped out with a boom so loud and strong my ears flipped back and I was pretty sure she gave the Beaver a bit of a speed boost.

Amy!

Its proactive protection! she said.

The dust around the dock cleared, revealing another crystalline snowflake shield. It dropped, and a red beam snapped out and punched a fist-sized hole into our balloon.

Oh no, I said. Steve, Gordon! Get to that. Clive, more speed! Amaryllis, be a bit more proactive!

Amaryllis cackled.

But-but not too proactive! I said.

The Beaver tipped backwards, rear pointing towards the ground a moment before the engine burped, stopped, then sent the propeller spinning in the other direction.

Amaryllis leaned off the side and flung magic back at the docks, enough to keep the cry busy shielding itself.

I couldnt help but laugh as we took off and shot into the sky as fast as our little ship could manage. Not the ideal start to an adventure, but certainly an exciting one!