“I envy you,” he said. “Wait till you fly through your first cloud.”
“Master Snowshale, I would appreciate it if you would scout ahead!” Pherris shouted over the hum of the elemental.
“Aye,” the halfling said. He gave another sharp whistle, and Blizzard appeared once more, soaring beyond the ship’s flaming ring. Gerith signaled to the glidewing, and it dove just as he leapt over the rail. Seren watched in astonishment as the halfling caught his steed’s leather harness in midair and pulled himself into the saddle just as Blizzard leveled out and soared away over the city.
“Showboating lunatic,” the captain said. “He’ll miss one of these days, and I’ll never see the money he owes me.”
“What do you want me to do now?” Seren said, shouting over the howling winds.
“Just hold on, Miss Morisse,” Pherris said. “Though I’ve no doubt those two will need a hand when … Khyber.” The gnome continued swearing under his breath and concentrated more intently on the small crystal mounted on the ship’s wheel. The ring of fire flashed green and the ship surged forward with a burst of speed.
Seren looked ahead and saw a plume of black smoke rising from the city. She saw the black silhouette of Blizzard rise up from the buildings, circle the plume, and then turn back toward Karia Naille. The glidewing banked sharply and landed on the ship. Gerith cartwheeled out of his harness and landed beside the captain, grasping Pherris’s shoulder for balance.
“They’re alive!” Gerith announced in a bright tone. “Though we should probably hurry before they die in the fire.”
“Why have they set the city on fire, Master Snowshale?” Pherris asked with exaggerated calm.
“It’s just one building, to be fair, Captain,” Gerith said. “I think they intended to distract the Watch, but then they got trapped on the roof.”
The captain cursed again, in a variety of languages. “Guide me to them, Master Snowshale.”
“Easy enough, Captain,” the halfling said as he climbed back into his saddle. “Just head for the fire.”
Blizzard took to the air again, his broad wingspan barely clearing the elemental ring around the deck. The glidewing soared down toward the city in a dizzying circle and Karia Naille followed, falling into a controlled dive. The city grew beneath them. Wroat looked so strange from above; though Seren knew her way around these streets, nothing was arranged quite how she thought it would be. The crowds that gathered in the streets to look at the rising smoke now stopped and pointed up at the airship in awe.
The plume of smoke rose just ahead, to the ship’s port side. It rose from a dilapidated four-story building. The airship fell level with the streets, soaring between the city’s taller structures. Seren could see a large contingent of City Watch galloping down the street beneath them, as well as a brigade of citizens carrying buckets of water from the Howling River. The airship rose gradually, banking to port as she circled the burning building. Blizzard dove and landed on the roof farthest from the smoke, where Tristam and Omax waited. The ship pulled as close as she could, the elemental flames that surrounded her preventing her from getting too close lest more damage be done.
“Throw that cable to them, Miss Morisse, and pull the lever when they are secure,” Pherris said, nodding to a nearby coil lashed to the deck.
Seren quickly complied, hurling the heavy cable over the rail. Omax caught it in one hand, passing the slack to Tristam, who gave a quick salute. She pulled the lever and a winch began to turn below the deck, hauling them both up toward Karia Naille. Omax crawled over first, carrying a body over one shoulder. He dumped it unceremoniously onto the deck.
The captain looked down at the limp bundle with a sour expression. “Omax, why did you bring me a dead watchman?” he asked, looking back to the wheel.
“It was Tristam’s idea,” Omax said.
“He’s not dead!” Tristam added as he climbed over the side. “He passed out in the smoke.”
Pherris pulled a lever and the ship banked upward again. “Then we are merely kidnappers and arsonists, not murderers. That’s good news. Don’t you agree, Miss Morisse?”
The sound of a metallic thunk sounded from the deck beneath them, followed by another.
“What was that?” Seren asked.
“Crossbows,” Gerith said, alighting on the deck nearby. “I’ll be forever working those bolts out of the hull. Tristam, what in Khyber did you do?”
“Not now, Master Snowshale,” Pherris said in a warning tone, concentrating on the ship’s control. The airship pulled smoothly to a halt above a low building and Pherris looked back at the warforged. “Omax, please return to Wroat what is Wroat’s.”
Omax nodded and, picking up the watchman, rappelled over the rail again. He laid the man carefully on the roof and then began scaling his way back up the cable. The flaming circle flared green and the ship started off again even before Omax had cleared the rail.
“Secure yourselves,” Pherris said as Omax climbed onto the deck. “Miss Morisse, say your good-byes to your home. Aeven, please give us a boost before the King’s soldiers discover their own airships.”
The captain did not remove his hands from the wheel, but the ship lurched heavily. Seren fell to the deck, clinging to the nearest secure rope with both hands. Tristam also fell nearby, though when he saw Seren’s eyes watching him his own terrified expression became a grin of false confidence. Even Gerith scrambled for the ropes, securing himself and Blizzard to the deck. Only Omax seemed unaffected, standing in the middle of the deck with feet splayed and shoulders squared against the ship’s sudden momentum.
Karia Naille’s bow fell forward, and the elemental ring burned white with an incredible burst of speed. The city melted away beneath them, dwindling to the size of a toy and eventually becoming nothing more than a distant black dot beside the blue ribbon of the Howling River. The deck boards shuddered against one another, and sweat streamed down Pherris’s face as he gripped the wheel with white knuckles. After several minutes of such frantic speed, the flaming ring burned blue again. The ship fell into a calm cruise far above the Breland plains. Seren wobbled to her feet, holding the railing for support. The ground was now far beneath them. Wisps of white clouds streaked past on each side, some far below. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen. It was like entering a new world, a sea of calm far removed from the chaotic land below. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gerith look at her with a knowing grin.
Dalan d’Cannith’s cabin opened and the fat guildmaster strode out onto the deck. He looked calm and unruffled by their rapid escape. Gunther peered warily around the corner of the door, then retreated rapidly back inside.
“What happened in the city, Tristam?” Dalan asked. He folded his arms behind his back as he looked down at the prone artificer. “You started a fire and attacked a watchman?”
Tristam scrambled awkwardly to his feet and tried to dust the soot off his jacket with one hand.
“I’m sorry, Dalan, I dunno what happened,” he explained. “Omax found a wanted poster with my face on it, so we tried to investigate …”
“If the Watch was looking for you, then wouldn’t it make more sense to return and let Gerith and Omax investigate?” Dalan asked interrupting Tristam’s explanation.
“They think I killed city guards and burned down your house, Dalan! I’d hoped I could set the record straight.”
“And making their arson charges a reality and nearly justifying a murder charge in so doing is how you set things straight?” Dalan asked. “What a unique approach.”
“The building was empty,” Tristam said. “The Watch was already chasing us. That was a distraction, to throw them off while we ran back to the ship.”
“I understand that,” Dalan said. “Why did you choose to create such an elaborate distraction and then trap yourself on top of it?”