Chapter 18 The Wild Blue Yonder

Rorin comes to my shop almost 2 weeks after the execution. We all had been working hard to get ready to leave for our trip, and he tells me that Holden Cockswell may have a way we can travel much faster to where we want to go. He wants me to go with him out to Cockswell's complex outside the city, going on about lost technology and the plans I had shown Holden. Not really sure what Rorin was talking about, I agree to go out with him, and after a brief carriage ride, we arrive at the massive area that Holden had taken for his work site.
It is no wonder that Holden had chosen to work outside the city. The various buildings he had required for his work were massive, along with the sheer amount of people working for him. And now that I look around at the people working, I am somewhat surprised to see Tieflings, Halflings, and some of the other races that are rarer in the city working here, including the only other dragonborn I know in the city, Mag Bronzescale. I have seen her around town, but we never walked the same circles, and she keeps to herself, like I do. Although, looking over at her, I should really change that. The only thing I know about her is that she is a follower of Lord Terrance. I recall now, standing among his workers, that Holden always was a guy who would help out those looked down upon by the majority of the city. Not much was mentioned about him, but from what I have seen he has been pretty good.
Oliver meets us as we walk through the grounds, greets us, and guides us over to where Holden is working, and I can finally see Holden in his prime. In his own space, working on a project. People approaching him, him quickly gives instructions, and goes right back to what he was working on. And what a thing he is working on! A massive arched roof spans over a single work building, and inside I can see a Ship of all things. The middle support for the sails has been removed, and as I get closer to the building, I can see a large canvas sail of some sort has been put in it's place, held in place by ropes tied to the side. It looks, almost like there is air or something trapped inside the canvas, as it seems to be inflated. I'm not sure why a giant canvas bag would be put in place of the normal propulsion of the ship, or why exactly the ship is so far from any water but they say genius mixes with madness. Standing so close, I can see that the ship appears to be floating a foot or so off the ground, and the ropes that are tied to the ground are holding the ship in place, not holding it up as I had previously thought. While Holden is working, Oliver is free to tell us that with help of the plans I showed Holden, the fabled Airships have once again come into being, where magic was once used, science now takes it's place. Something about a lighter than air gas, and how fire does not mix well. I guess I will have to be careful about breathing to hard while on board. There will be a test flight soon, going over to Rivertown, and we are welcome to come along, as it will drastically shorten our trip.
As I look over a Holden, I slowly remember a man built very much like he is, a Knight, who came into my shop some 15 years ago, and bought a suit of armor that I had worked very hard on. This armor was a piece like none I have ever created before, I had worked on it for most of a year, starting with just a breast plate, and moving out from there. Made to be decorative, yet functional, it had sat in my shop as just an example piece, as our shop had not yet worked may large jobs yet. When it was finally purchased, a knight had come in, asked for the price, and without pause bought it. After two days of fine adjustments to make sure it would fit him properly, he left with the armor. That had helped the shop blossom into what we had now. Wasn't Holden's dad a knight or something like that? Could it really have been him father? I will have to ask him, or maybe Oliver.
Holden comes over, and thanks me for the plans for this, going on about how Elon had discovered the real secret to this accomplishment, and spent the next 10 minutes telling me about how Orcs use tea candles to make small floating balloons, and how that discovery lead to what he had been looking for for several years of research. Not entirely sure what he was talking about, I just let him go on happily. Honestly, seeing him so excited about something for so long, and letting him talk about something he so obviously enjoys, I can let him talk about it while I marvel at the creation.
With the reinvention of the airship, this will change everything. Overland trade will change from caravans, to villages having airship docks. Prices of goods will change. Armies will be able to move much faster, drop troops off faster, ambush targets easier. Any force that was faster than their opponent will have an advantage, and flight was a different thing altogether. This discovery will mean great things, but it will lead to terrible tragedies as well. Care needs to be taken.
Dwelling in my own mind, I didn't immediately notice an Elf, one of the oldest I have ever seen, coming towards us. Holden introduces us to Gayle Wales, who is going to be the pilot for the ship. Learning that Gayle was a pilot for the airships when they ran off magic, she knows how to control them, and is probably the best qualified for the job. As we exchange pleasantries, a halfling man approaches us, and I do a double take. Ageless eyes, blonde curly hair he seems familiar, but I can't place him, a face that bounces off the surface of my memory. He introduces himself as Nagisa, the chemical engineer. I ask him jokingly about what happens if there is a fire on board, and he exclaims “Fire Extinguishers!” seeing the puzzled look on my face, he pulls out a vial, and with a wicked grin launches it at the ground, and a thick foam quickly covers the ground for about 10 feet around us. Including on my feet. It is not a pleasant feeling. Holden, quickly calling for sand, and spreading it around when it shortly arrives, seems to be used to this odd occurrence, and tells us not to mix any of this with water for a couple minutes after this happens. I am going to have to be very careful to not use any fire on this ship, for fear of this little man coming and throwing foam at me, or the ship blowing up. Great.
As we take our leave from the complex, Oliver is kind enough to walk us out, and inform us that it seems to be rather cold up in the sky, what with the biting wind, and warmer clothing should be taken into consideration. I immateriality make the mental note to pack my winter coat that goes over my breastplate. The last thing we are told, is that the council, and temple heads know about this project, and of course the Sanctum, but Not the General public. In my opinion, that is a very good thing for now. That Will change, but I won't be the one to spill the beans.
On the Day we are to leave for our trip, we had decided to meet at Rorin's estate in the morning, then head over to Holden's complex. Aurane and I walked over together, and as the group all mounted up, before we could leave the stables, A large dark carriage pulled by Giant sheep pulls into the front of the manor, and a dwarven woman climbs out of it, in the most wondrous armor I have ever seen. The grace and style of the craftsmanship is like nothing I have witnessed, and I feel like I have been a child beating a scraps for all the work I have done. A battle axe of equal beauty, double blades gleaming in the morning light, is grasped like a deadly cane in her hands, blades down pommel supporting her layered hands. Too stunned by the armor, I don't catch much of what is said between her and Rorin, but I gather that her name is Ophelia Firebrand, she and Rorin were at some point a part of an arranged marriage, and that may or may not be happening still. She is from a city in the frostfire mountains, and has been traveling to stay this winter here in Cherwood. She had gathered that we are about to leave on a trip, and has told us that she is going to go stay with Madam Whitcraft, the poor thing. Aurane and I exchange glances, as we both have heard the name. Whitcraft is a very wealthy family here in town, and the Widow Whitcraft has not been seen outside her estate his Lord Whitcraft passed away some time ago. Well. It seems she is going to have some company besides her many servants.
As Ophelia departs, our group, including a cook and a groom from Rorin's employ head out to Holden's complex. Cool air, and a strong breeze reminds us that it will be even colder up in the air. After stowing the mounts in the hold, we all went back up to the deck of the ship to watch the skeleton crew make ready the airship. The ropes that hold us on the ground are let loose, and sails are raised on the sides of the great balloon, a Steam powered rudder on the back of the ship is free of any restraints, and is tested to make sure it works properly, a great rumbling noise coming from within the ship, moving the rear fin-like structure back and forth. Seeing that everything works properly, we get higher and higher into the sky, which is a very jarring experience. Trying not to look down at the city getting smaller and smaller, the breeze turned into a harsh wind, cold and bitter. I tighten my coat up against me, trying to ward off the shivering I'm sure will start any second now, and some of it not from being cold. As I turn from the railing, a great yowling cry comes up from the bowels of the ship, a horrible cry of a creature that is being tortured by some unimaginable mental break. Mittens, as it turns out, is Not enjoying this motion, and is attempting to let everyone in the world know that. Not having anything that I need to do on the ship, I head down to the area we had put him to try to comfort him somehow. Marda comes down after me, as she too has made at least some sort of bond with him. As we spend time comforting him, Marda thinks it may be a good idea to set up a hammock down here to spend the night nearby.
As evening approaches, Watches have to be kept, and the minimal crew would gladly take some help in the night. Being asked to go up above the balloon and keep watch at the top of the ship, I gladly tell them I will watch the back of the boat. As I take my position, I have a bit of trouble at first when looking down, as while it is dark, I can still make out some of the land far below, but I figure out that if I stand back from the railing, and look out on the horizon, it isn't so bad. Seeing the moonlight off the far landscape looks kinda nice really. I could enjoy that scene for a while. There seems to be some sort of nocturnal bird following us though. I wonder if there is a bird that is good luck for airships, like the Albatross is for sea fairing sailors. Wait... now that I think about it, I shouldn't be able to see anything up here as dark as it is, unless it would be bigger....isn't there some sort of large bird? Goc? Moc?
I turn back to it, and it is one hundred feet away, the giant beast with a wingspan larger than the boat, I cry out “Up axes and clear the fields!! Danger!!” and in a panic lose two eldritch bolts at it before crouching down behind the railing, while nearly shitting my pants. I have just made myself a target for this thing, but really it could just tear into the balloon and send us all down to our death. Or it could swoop down, pick anyone up, and there would be nothing we could do about it. I also just called everyone on the ship who is going to respond to danger to me. Crap. Turning and looking, I see Melfina, who was up in the front of the ship, dash down the ladder, speed across the deck, and nearly teleports up the stairs to my deck new dagger spinning on the end of it's chain. She gets there just in time to have the monstrosity come in and rake her with it's claws. The massive talons slide along the metal, cutting into it, and finding areas where it could puncture into her, attempting to lift her into the air. She manages just barely to wiggle out of the talons before it can take her away. The bird then turned, and drove it's beak at my chest, denting it and knocking the wind out of me.
Aurane must have heard me, as I can hear him calling out to his god, and a bolt of divine energy hits our target, and briefly illuminates it. Using my own divine energy from nature around me, I focus on the Roc, and I feel that I can hit it just a little harder now. With the help of my magic, and the divine light from Aurane, I am able to push myself and slice into it several times with my axe as Melfina reaches up to touch it, pulsing out a necrotic wave from her touch, causing one of the talons to wither. Backing off from the spell, she flicks out her dagger, slicing into the body with the wicked virgin blade. As the blood flies out from the dagger wound, she mutters a quick word, and her own wounds knit back together, the blood on her wriggling and flowing to stop a couple of the smaller wounds. I can barely see past the gargantuan feet, but I see in the chaos that Rorin has appeared, then another image of him, then only one again. The Roc, injured and angry, tries to eat the poor Dwarf, beak open wide, and the beak goes clean through him, and into the deck below, causing a good amount of damage, and leaving behind what turned out to be an illusion of our wily companion. Taking advantage of the monsters confusion, a great yowl comes up from below, and Marda appears on the back of mittens, swords drawn, and as the cat leaps up onto the crowded deck, she leaps up to swipe at the feathered fiend, slicing into it, cutting off feathers, and digging into the meat of the wings. The specter from the turtle looms out of the deck itself, coming up from below the creature, and is briefly illuminated by a tremendous flash of a lightning bolt from Aurane. The bolt smites the bird squarely on the chest, and as it shrieks out in pain, the specter tears silently into it, leaving black dead gore behind. Laying into it again, opposite Melfina, who simply raises a hand. A flash of sickly energy darts from her hand and the head of the creature rocks back, the skin withering, feathers falling out. The skin continues to dry out, cracking as the weight of the feathers themselves pull on the skin underneath, which cannot support even that light of a weight. The body falls onto the deck, and just crumbles and tears, coming apart in pieces. I expect blood to be oozing out, but only dust comes out, as if the corpse had been dead for a long time now. Some of us scramble to grab the feathers, I just make a casual swipe and grab two before they are blown off the airship.
Mittens has managed to tear one of the feet off, maybe before the spell had fully taken effect of that part, and is viciously tearing into it, growling at anyone who dares to come too near. Not wanting him to scare off the crew, should should be doing something, I try to comfort him, and he slowly lets me closer. Gayle comes up, apparently the crew was not going to be fighting anything we come across, and I ask Why there are no weapons aboard. It wasn't thought of, and would make a good suggestion. A suggestion box would also be a good suggestion. Melfina is looking a bit worn out, and while she heals herself for a little, I give her some healing as well. I still feel like I owe her for bringing me back to life, and while I did help her at the tower, Healing is one thing. What she did is beyond me. Getting comfortable against mittens, I sit and try to stay awake so no one will bother him. The soft fur on the side of his chest may be a bit too cozy, as I drift into a tranquil sleep.
I wake up very snug and warm, and everything seemed to be vibrating ever so slightly. Opening my eyes, I come to find that Mittens, the magical mystery murder kitten, has come to curl up around me, and seems to be very pleased about his current situation. The few crew working around us seem to be giving us a wide berth, making sure not do disrupt the huge deadly creature, not to mention the moorbounder. Carefully getting up, I head down to the main deck to try and find some food, when I come across Nagisa. Sitting along the side of the ship, he looks up at me, and I know where I have seen him. Standing in the street, kids dying with arrows in them, and people rushing out to see what has caused the commotion. Now standing out in that horrible memory, stands a single halfling, a witness to a horrible crime. Pulling my self back to the airship, I can see that Nagisa has not aged a day. I can feel a panic attack coming in, and I rush down into the hold to try to find something to base my consciousness to here and now, to not loose myself to my own horrible mind.
Over the next few days, I struggle to keep together in the presence of the ageless halfling. I busy myself with the task of going over all of my inventory, but I find myself wandering back to that memory, only to realize several hours later that I have been polishing the same item for that whole time. With only the distraction of the moorbounder to keep me busy, I start to miss the calming effect my shop has had on me. With only brief forays up to the deck, I am convinced that I will go insane, or suffocate before we get to Rivertown. While passing the Incantori mountain range, I can swear that I saw Elladamrial's face in the mist, but when I look again it is gone. That day we had favorable winds, but it could have all been a coincidence. It could have been.
As the trip lengthens, I wonder about my shop, and the city, and what could happen while we are gone. It's not like we could stop anything drastic that could happen there, but being with them if it happened would have been a more comforting thought. We will just have to get this all taken care of as fast as we can so we can get back to those we care about, before anything has a chance to happen.