Zealot

Carn rushes to catch an airship, while Amala races to intercept him.

5.

Zealot

 

 

Amala cursed the stupid dress that she had been geised to wear, as she ran across the snow covered parade ground after the crazy Bugbear.

Never had she seen Carn move so quickly.   He was unbelievably fast and she knew where he was heading as soon as she exited the Armory.   Her parents had constructed a docking platform many years ago for the several royal airships that patrolled Northmarch.   They would come through the town about once a month for an overnight stop, so usually there was at least one of the magic vessels docked in mid-air at the docking platform.

But that had changed with the civil war in Northmarch.  Most of the ships had been seized by Redburr’s forces - or some of the Imperial legions who were secretly backing them.

Yet just this morning, The Phoenix, had arrived to everyone’s delight.    It was the newest of the ten airships that Queen Eioldth had ordered constructed.   It was propelled by arcane vacuum engines like all the others in the fleet, but The Phoenix was an experimental craft that also had what they called a ‘Fire propulsion engine’.  

The engine had a firestorm spell cast into the engine bay that was activated - once a day only- by a wizard.   The spell shot the fire from the mouth of the engine bay which would propel the craft to great speeds for the duration of the spell - which was not a long period of time.   Yet the speed the craft reached during that time meant that it could accelerate quickly and then use the usual arcane vacuum engines to maintain the speed for several hours.  

So The Phoenix was the fastest ship in the fleet, though being near to it was slightly dangerous when it used the fire propulsion engine.   When it had arrived, Captain Bairns and his crew had sworn loyalty to her parents and their cause.    She had asked him to take the craft to patrol the sky over the location of the cave to the Underdark.   If there was trouble, they would be able to quickly assist, as well as bring back quick messages of any developments.   

The ship was scheduled to depart after the crew rested, resupplied and ate lunch.

Amala wasn’t sure how she was so confident that Carn was heading for the airship, but she just knew.   She could hear the wizard chanting the activation spell as she dodged around people on the crowded street near the airship platform.

“MOVE!” She yelled at several merchants who were standing in her way in the middle of the street, staring dumbly after the rapidly moving form of Carn up ahead.

They jumped out of the way as she flew past, still holding her skirt up so she could run quicker in the snow.

“What’s going on?” the voice of General Luca called after her as she ran past the Muddy Boot.

“I don’t know for sure.” She yelled back, not slowing down, “Talk to the refugees in the stable yard for me.”

“Why?   What are you doing?”   He shouted.

“Me?   I’m going to catch and skin a Bugbear!”

 

***

 

Carn did not fully understand how the practical magic worked that powered the majestic airship, but he did know that The Phoenix was easily the fastest airship in Her Majesty’s fleet.   He also had been told by Darv that Amala had ordered The Phoenix to go and patrol the area where the Duke and Duchess’ group had entered the Underdark.     

If what the messenger had said about the demon was true, then Carn knew that he just may have the solution to stopping the demon.

 

But it would cost him everything.

 

He could hear the lovely Drow woman yelling for him to stop, and he sensed that she was gaining on him.   He could not help but grin at the angry sound of her voice.    Even irate, her voice was pleasant.   She could become a powerful bard.   The girl had the passion and charisma.   Yet she hadn’t tapped into that yet and probably never would.  

He wondered what would become of her.    So many men were fascinated with her.   Linel, Mattleos, her brother’s squire, Sintore, and many more.   She would have her pick of the crowd.

 

“CARN!  I MEAN IT, YOU’D BETTER STOP!” She screamed to him as he rushed up the winding stairwell leading to the airship docking platform.   Thankfully no-one was in his way, for he had no room to maneuver around them on the narrow stair.

Above he could hear the fire-powered engines beginning to ignite and could see the mooring ropes being thrown across the platform to the ship.   It would float out, away from the platform as it slowly rose in the air, and then, once clear of the tower, the spell would be released and the ship would take off like a bolt of lightning.

It would be close.

“CARN!   YOU CRAZY BUGBEAR, STOP!”   Amala’s voice called, and from the tone of her voice he sensed that she suspected he might be able to make the ship before it took off.

Pumping his legs as fast as he could, he exited onto the platform, startling the handful of ducal personnel that were watching ‘The Phoenix’ begin to ascend.

“STOP HIM! STOP THE BUGBEAR!”  Amala was calling as she now reached the platform, but by then he was out of their range.   The Phoenix was probably 15 feet above the platform and perhaps that same distance out from the edge of the boarding area.   He had no option left, so with a final burst of speed, he raced toward the edge.

“DON’T YOU DO IT!  CARN! DON’T-“

He threw himself forward, pushing off with all of his strength, his arms stretched out above him as he leaped.   For a terrifying moment he was in mid-air, but then he slammed into the side of the airship, and his huge Goblinoid hands clutched the deck railing.

Carn quickly pulled himself up on the deck as the fire spell began to fill the engine tube.   Spinning around as he laid sprawled out on the deck, he shot a glance over the side, fearful that Amala would try the insane leap.

He was relieved to see her skidding to a halt at the edge, cursing and shaking her fists at him in frustration.

“WHY, CARN, WHY?!” She called to him as the airship continued to ascend.

“I have a way to help them, Amala.    I think I can stop the demon.    It will kill me though.”

“KILL YOU?!  WHAT IN YESH’S NAME "“

“Goodbye, fair Amala.” He yelled down to her, waving his hand as he got to his feet on the airship deck.   He had to get into the craft’s cabin before it shot forward, or he’d be thrown off the back by the force of acceleration.   “Goodbye!   I wish I could have explained everything to you, but I am not allowed.    Farewell, we shall not meet again!”

With one last look at her, he turned and ran across the deck, pushing his way into the cabin and seating himself just as the spell was released.

With a roar, The Phoenix took off, leaving a trail of fire and smoke.   On the airship platform, the stunned daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Westmark stood there with Carn’s words echoing in her ears.  ‘We shall not meet again!’

Amala frowned with a defiant snort, “We’ll see about that!”

Reviews

[Elina]

"They would come through the town usually once a month for an overnight stop, so usually there was..." You may want to exchange one "usually" for another word.

[Eddie Davis]

Thanks, Elina.