Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-Three - Warning: Rocket Launch Detected

Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-Three - Warning: Rocket Launch Detected

Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-Three - Warning: Rocket Launch Detected

The Beaver Cleaver leapt over the Grey Wall, all sails out to full and engine roaring to help us defy gravity just a bit faster.

I clung onto my captains hat and stood with my legs spread out for maximum balance. The entire ship was aimed skyward, so that wed gain as much altitude as we could. Wed made an escape. And in doing so, had left Blue behind. I felt a little bad about that, but I think the cry would have been happy with us getting their charge out of the clutches of those other cry.

They could fly too, so it wasnt impossible that theyd be able to catch up, or at least meet up with Moonie on the Lonely island.

Captain, hes starting to struggle, Clive said, cutting through my introspection.

Struggle how? I returned.

Not enough thrust to keep it at this sort of pitch, was the quick reply.

I nodded. Level us off! I said before I jumped to help. With Steve and Gordon both hanging onto the balloon to patch it up, that left our crew two bodies short for doing things like adjusting the sails.

We tilted a bit to one side as the sails on the opposite side were adjusted first, but soon the Beaver was returning to an even flight across the skies. It was pretty cloudy at our altitude, with big puffy balls of white cotton floating past us. That was great; it would make it harder for anyone to track us, though the engine did leave a faint black trail in the sky behind us.

Maybe I could spray some Cleaning magic on the exhaust to mask our trail?

Captain, permission to slow us down? I dont want to tax the engine, Clive asked.

Granted!

We slowed down, and the wind didn't tug at us quite so much and it became a lot easier to move about. I saw Steve and Gordon climb down the front of the balloon, then rush across the ship to get to the opposite end, where the exit hole still needed patching.Th.ê most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m

Hey, Clive? I asked as I got closer to the harpy. Are those two holes going to be a problem?

I couldnt entirely see the patch the two harpy crewmates had made, but it looked pretty good to my untrained eye. A green square about two handspans wide that clashed a bit with the bright blue of our balloon.

Shouldnt be a problem, Clive said. We have some compressed gas in the hold to replace what was lost.

The holes are patched! someone squeaked. I turned and blinked up at Steve who was giving us a wave. We shouldnt be losing any more! he squealed.

I smacked a hand over my mouth. Do... do we use helium in that balloon? I asked.

Yes, Clive said. Its the safest gas to use for airships. Cheap too, if you know a good alchemist.

Oh, cool! I said.

Broccoli, Amaryllis said. Do you hear that?

I titled my head to the side, bun ears twitching this way and that to better make out any noise. It didnt take much to hear what Amaryllis was talking about. A sort of hissing roar, like a gas burner that was lit one room over. It came from somewhere behind us, in the direction of the Grey Wall.

I ran to the Beavers side and leaned over the rails, one hand holding my captains hat in place so that it wouldnt get whipped away by the wind.

My eyes narrowed, searching the clouds for whatever was making that noise. The wall was already quite a ways behind us, though it still loomed huge, hiding the horizon behind its bulk. The lowest of the clouds hovered just below the top of the wall. Thats where I saw the first glimpse of whatever was following us.

It was a plane.

Not like any plane Id seen back on Earth, not unless Da Vinci sketches counted.

She looked away, cheeks still burning. No one asked.

Awen, you are awesome.

I felt Amaryllis crowd in next to me to inspect Awens machine. That looks like something Id see in a report with the word disaster in its title, she said. Well, as long as the disaster is on the side of the things bothering us.

Does it have a non-lethal setting? I asked.

Awen and Amaryllis stared at me.

Uh, nevermind.

Captain! Theyre gaining on us, Clive called back.

I ran up the steps at the rear of the ship so that I could see out over the back. The three planes were getting much closer. I could even make out the bright blue of the crystals tucked into the middle of the frames.

They were still a little ways away, but that wouldnt last.

I bit my lower lip and considered things. They were faster than us on the straight-away, but they were planes, theyd need to turn and circle around a bunch.

Clive, evasive maneuvers! Everyone else, get ready to fight!

Awa! I have my crossbow in the hold, Awen said.

Bastion nodded and dove down, returning a moment later with Awens crossbow. That made two crewmates with ranged options, not including Amaryllis and myself with our magic.

Im going to try and create a barrier with Cleaning magic, I said as I jumped back down. But I dont expect it to work that well.

Dont worry, well make the fool regret tangling with us, Amaryllis said.

Hang on! Clive called out a moment before throwing the wheel around and tugging a few of the control levers back. I felt it when the gravity engine shifted down and weakened its field.

The Beaver shifted to the side and started to swing around with the slow ponderous motions of a whale turning in the ocean.

The planes came into view over the starboard side, the three in a loose arrowhead formation.

Awens turret spun, then locked into place. I saw her grin as she aimed down her sights.

The turret fired. Four shots with a quick tack tack tack tack, beat, and as many shiny blurs zipped out towards the planes.

It was clear right away that Awen had undershot by a bit; maybe shed underestimated the weight of her bolts since they flew well under the planes.

And then two of them exploded out some three hundred metres away, bright bursts of fire that filled the air with a sprinkling of glass.

Reloading! Awen screamed as she started tugging on levers.

I snapped out of it, then started to push as much Cleaning magic as I could out. If I could interfere with the magic creating the lasers, maybe I could save us some repairs later.

This was turning out to be a lot more exciting than I thought it would be. Who knew accepting a passenger could be so much work?

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