“He’s alive, just stunned,” she said, laying Gerith on the deck.
“What happened?” Seren asked.
The glidewing shrieked uncomfortably and shifted its position, one wing snapping open to reveal a smoking wound on its leathery flesh. Tristam’s face went pale when he saw the burn.
“Lightning,” Dalan said, looking at the creature with a deadpan expression. “Captain Pherris?”
“I know,” the gnome said, busily working the controls. Seren felt the airship accelerate. The blue elemental fire now glowed.
“Damn, too late,” Dalan swore, looking out behind them.
Seren looked back as well in time to see a massive shadow emerge from the clouds behind them. It resolved into the sleek, sinister hull of Kenshi Zhann, now bearing down on them with methodical, inevitable speed. A bolt of white electricity fired from its bow, missing Karia Naille by several yards.
“A warning shot,” Dalan said.
“They want us to land,” Pherris said grimly. “Awaiting your command, Master d’Cannith.”
“We can’t outrun them, Dalan,” Tristam said.
“I thought our ship was faster than theirs,” Seren said.
“Only over short distances,” Tristam said. “They’ll catch up eventually, and on the plains there’s nowhere to hide.”
“There’s always somewhere to hide,” Dalan said. “To Khyber with surrender. Get us out of here, Captain.”
Pherris nodded and leaned into the controls. The ship lurched forward with sudden acceleration.
“Shouldn’t we return fire?” Eraina shouted.
Omax emerged above the deck, carrying several crossbows and quivers full of bolts. He offered one of the weapons to Eraina.
“Karia Naille has no built-in weapons,” Omax said. “We must defend ourselves.”
“Better yet, wake up the halfling,” Zed said. “If anyone knows a place where we can hide an airship in Talenta, it’s him.”
Eraina nodded, bowing her head in prayer over Gerith’s prone body. Omax stepped over her, handing out weapons to the others. Seren weighed her crossbow uncertainly. She had never wielded one before. She looked up to find Zed loading his own weapon, but conspicuously holding it out so she could see how it was done. He gave her a sidelong look, waiting for her to load her own.
When she fumbled with the bolt, he loosed his bolt over the side and reloaded, showing her how to do it again. He never offered his advice or asked if she wanted help. He only showed her the way.
“Save your ammunition, Master Arthen,” Dalan chided, hefting his own weapon.
“It just went off, Dalan,” Zed said, grinning at Seren.
Moon had drawn closer now, and another bolt of searing lightning exploded from its bow. This time it struck Karia Naille squarely in the hull. The ship shuddered violently, throwing Seren to her knees. The ship was so close now Seren could feel the warmth of the elemental fire that held it aloft. A peal of thunder echoed through the sky, and the clouds began to darken.
“Storm coming fast,” Zed said. “Magic?”
“Magic,” Tristam said. “But not theirs.”
“Aeven,” Pherris shouted with a triumphant cackle.
Gerith sat up with a start, gasping as Eraina’s blessing roused him from unconsciousness. He twisted and struggled frantically, barking incomprehensibly in his native language. Eraina clasped one arm around the scout’s shoulders in an effort to calm him, but Gerith only relaxed when he saw Blizzard’s head poking out from its hiding place behind a stack of barrels. The creature gave an annoyed squawk and returned to licking his wounds. Gerith laughed in relief when he saw his pet was alive.
“Good to have you back among the living, Master Snowshale,” Pherris shouted without looking away from the wheel. “Your counsel would be appreciated!”
Gerith stood up on wobbly legs, looking around at the landscape as he attempted to get his bearings. Seventh Moon now soared directly beside them. Seren could see soldiers on the deck readying crossbows. Omax pushed her down behind the ship’s rail as he took cover himself. A flurry of bolts thudded into the hull and passed over their heads. The clouds above now churned a dangerous black. A rumble resonated above them as the storm continued to brew. Dalan stood up briefly and loosed a single bolt at the other ship; Seren thought she heard a man cry out on Moon’s deck.
“There’s a small gorge about a half mile east of here,” Gerith shouted. “If they lose sight of us we can land there unseen.”
Pherris nodded and turned the wheel sharply. The elemental fire now burned pure white as a burst of speed came over the smaller ship. At same instant, the sky exploded in rain and another searing flash of lightning exploded from Moon. Seren wrapped one arm around the railing at the savage force of the explosion. A loud crack sounded from deep inside the vessel, followed by the smell of burning wood.
“I think that was the keel,” Tristam said in horror. He staggered clumsily across the shaking deck toward the cargo hold. “Dalan, I might need your dragonmark!”
The fat guildmaster stood and loosed another bolt at Moon, then followed Tristam. Omax followed as well, stopping only long enough to pick up a barrel and hurl it at the other vessel. The improvised missile sailed through the void and left a dent in Moon’s hull, which was answered with another flurry of crossbow bolts. The head of one jutted through the railing just beside Zed’s face.
“So tell me about your goddess, Eraina,” Zed said with exaggerated calm. “I suddenly find religion interests me.”
“Belay your salvation until we are on the ground, Master Arthen,” Pherris snapped.
“But if I survive I won’t need to be saved!” Zed said with a grin. The battle appeared to have cheered the grim inquisitive’s spirits dramatically.
Karia Naille dropped steadily from the sky even as she gained speed. Moon dove to intercept them. Another flash of lightning lit the sky, but this time from above and directly in Moon’s path. The larger ship swerved, losing ground. In the flash of light, Seren thought she saw the silhouette of a slim woman standing protectively over Pherris, arms spread wide against the storm. When the lightning flashed a second time, she saw only the ship’s figurehead.
“This is west, Captain, we’re headed west!” Gerith shouted, pointing the other way. “The gorge is the other way!”
The captain leaned hard into the wheel to fight the ship’s steady decline. Smoke was now rising from between the deck boards. She could hear Tristam and Dalan shouting at one another below. Pherris peered back at Moon with a scowl, waiting for something Seren couldn’t see.
“Hold fast!” the gnome shouted and turned the wheel sharply.
Seren heard a wooden groan and another snap from deep within the ship as Karia Naille spun about in midair. Eraina lost her grip on the rail and tumbled across the deck with a startled cry. Zed snatched her leg before she flew over the side. Their ship hurtled directly toward the larger warship on a suicidal path. Moon swerved hurriedly, but their pilot was less skilled than Pherris. The larger ship rolled dangerously as she turned. There was a moment when the black hull passed only a few feet from Karia Naille. Two rings of elemental fire passed through one another with the crackling smell of ozone. Karia Naille soared off at tremendous speed even as Moon struggled to recover from its dive. The rain came down in a furious downpour, covering their escape.
“Captain, we have to land!” Tristam shouted from below.
The gnome continued to fight the controls as the ship shuddered and lost altitude. Seren clung to the rain-slicked rail. She felt terrified and helpless. She saw a flaming board peel itself away from the hull beneath her and tumble into the storm. The gorge yawned in the ground before them, dividing the landscape. The ship wove into the wide stone mouth and everything went dark. Something gripped Seren’s arms tightly. A flash of lightning showed that roots had grown from the wooden deck to hold her fast, saving her from falling into the void.