Chapter 7 - Fight or Flight

  Robert ran, bolting through the back door of the manor’s playroom stage. His party followed close behind, with Brukk, now one-handed, on their heels as they escaped the flames and the unknown orcs behind them.

  The exit led them into a small dressing room lined with racks of clothes, wigs, and shoes. All were untouched, collecting dust since the Reaping began, Robert thought. Another door stood open on the opposite wall, and they pushed through as another shout echoed behind them.

  “Brukk! What is this treachery?”

  Robert rushed through the dressing room, maneuvering around the racks cluttering their path. Behind him, he heard Brukk tossing them aside, the wooden frames crashing against the walls as he cleared the way.

  Reaching the door first, Robert pushed through and found another long hallway, wider this time, running the length of the playhouse. To his right, the hall ended in a set of double doors leading somewhere unknown, but to his left it opened into what looked like the manor’s main entrance hall. Two curved staircases rose to a second floor overlooking an open foyer, with red carpet underfoot and white stone statues lining the walls.

  Robert felt a puff of air brush past his cloak, followed by a sharp thud, then two more in rapid succession. Just opposite the doorway, two large black arrows jutted from the manor wall.

  “Archers!” Alice shouted from inside the dressing room.

  Robert ducked low, taking position by the door, ready to slam it shut once his friends were through. He caught a glimpse of their attackers past Brukk as the orc exited the doorway. Two orc archers in slick black leather armor, unlike the heavy plate worn by those in Stormskeep, were drawing another volley from the burning stage.

  “Move, move, move!” Robert called out to Alice and Oswin as they crouched low and darted through. He slammed the wooden door behind them just as two more arrows punched through it with solid, echoing thuds.

  Robert bolted after them as they made their way toward the manor’s entrance. A massive golden chandelier hung above, its candles casting flickering light across the grand hall. Two enormous doors stood to their left, the main exit, Robert thought. Above them, an arched window framed by open curtains revealed the dark, clouded sky beyond, just beginning to pale with the first light of dawn.

  [The Hour Unspent: 25 days remain]

  “Follow me, humans. We’ll circle them,” Brukk gritted out, in what Robert guessed was as quiet as an orc could manage, though the sound was still terrifyingly loud.

  Carrying Varg across his shoulder, with two thick black arrows jutting from the warrior’s back, Brukk charged through the front doors with his other shoulder lowered. The doors exploded outward into the rising sun just as another crash rang out behind them, where the pursuing orcs had breached the changing room door.

  Robert did not dare look back as he crossed the broken doorway’s threshold into the open air. A grassy terrace surrounded the large stone manor, sloping down into the gray swamp beyond.

  Bolting forward after the rest, Robert assessed his state while running. His mana was gone, his health barely half its normal strength, and his stamina was fading fast. What are we doing? he thought. We’ll never outrun them.

  “Brukk, where are we going?” Robert shouted as the cries of orcs echoed from the manor’s entrance.

  “Just keep going, priest! They’ll be around the perimeter somewhere,” Brukk barked, cutting left along the manor’s outer wall.

  Rounding the corner, Robert saw it, the large hole he had glimpsed from inside the playhouse. Smoke and fire billowed outward, the blaze now consuming the entire theater where the Baron had given his final grim performance.

  In front of the opening hung a wooden ladder leading upward. Robert lifted his head as he sprinted with the rest toward it. High above, a massive airship floated in the smoky dawn, smaller than the ones he had seen leaving Stormskeep but unmistakably of the same design.

  Oh no, Robert thought as Brukk leapt high, grabbing the rope ladder halfway up toward the airship’s deck. Without climbing further, the orc pulled himself upward with the strength of his one good arm and both legs, launching himself to the edge of the deck with astonishing speed.

  As he looked upward, Robert could make out two other airships circling high above the manor, their red triangular sails glowing bright against the dawn. This is a bad idea, he thought grimly, reaching the base of the ladder as Oswin and Alice climbed ahead of him. Robert took two steps upward, awkwardly gripping his staff as he climbed. I’ll never make it, he thought, just as a sharp clang rang out and his head snapped backward.

  He nearly lost his grip as an arrow struck his helm, the impact echoing in his ears. Another arrow whistled past, and he screamed, “The orcs are shooting at us!”

  A loud metallic bang resounded from above, and the ladder lurched upward in a rapid ascent toward the ship. The sound of grinding chains filled the air as Robert gripped the ladder tightly while it rose higher into the sky.

  As Robert reached the top railing of the great ship’s hull, the ladder jerked over the edge, flinging him forward. He tumbled across the railing and crashed onto the wooden deck, landing hard beside Alice and Oswin.

  Behind him, the last length of the ladder slid over the railing and was pulled into a hole in the deck, vanishing below.

  Robert gasped, rolling onto his back beside his friends. As he looked up, the hideous face of a green creature peered down at him. Its long pointed ears jutted out horizontally from its head, far larger than any orc’s, and its nose was long and crooked. No taller than a small Felinoid, it wore filthy leather clothing that reeked of sweat and oil. Its sharp, uneven teeth gleamed as it snarled at him, speaking in a high-pitched, screeching voice.

  “What the gears are you doing on the ship, humans?”

  “They are with me,” Brukk grunted, dropping the unconscious Varg beside Robert. Alice grabbed one of the arrows from the big man’s back and yanked it free, but he didn’t stir. Don’t be dead, my big friend, Robert thought grimly. His mana was still too low to cast a heal.

  “What?” the screeching voice exclaimed as its owner waddled up to Brukk. The small green creature pointed a clawed finger toward him, its hands looking far too large for its tiny frame. As Robert glanced around the deck, more of the creatures began to surround them. They were small, but their grotesque faces and sharp-toothed grins filled him with unease.

  He called on HUD to inspect one that had gathered around him.

  [Zurni (Goblin Engineer, Level 24)]

  “Listen here, you,” the goblin squeaked. “This is Captain Krogar’s ship, and as first mate, I’m in charge while...”

  Brukk kicked the angry little creature square in the chest, sending it flying over the side of the ship with a fading screech.

  “Yeeeeeeee…!”

  “Goblin Zurni, you’re first mate now!” Brukk barked. “The rest of you, ready the ship to depart!”

  “Yes sir, Captain Brukk!” Zurni shouted, saluting sharply as the other goblins scattered across the deck to obey.

  Robert watched Alice pull another arrow from Varg’s back. The ghastly sight made him sick to his stomach, but he kept his composure and called out, “Does anyone have a mana potion?”

  “Mana? What is mana?” one of the goblins screeched as it waddled past, dragging a coil of rope far too large for its size.

  Did the world they come from really not have mana? Robert considered, uneasy at the realization.

  “Robert, look!” Alice called, pointing skyward. The two airships that had been circling high above were now descending toward them.

  “Cursed hell,” Robert muttered. “The orcs on the ground must have found a way to signal them,” he said to Alice. He turned to Brukk, who was climbing the steps toward a massive wooden wheel at the back of the ship. Beside it stood several steel levers of varying sizes. “Brukk, we’re going to have company very soon!”

  “Let them come, priest,” he replied. “Zurni, make hot the engines, full sail!” Brukk roared.

  “FULL SAIL!” Zurni screamed, his voice cracking as the goblins around the deck erupted into motion. Some scrambled to the rigging, while others disappeared below deck, their high-pitched chatter mixing with the whir of machinery deep within the ship.

  Two goblins rapidly scaled the rope mesh over the ship’s center mast, leading to a red-tied sail high above the deck.

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  “Toplins, SET THE SAIL!” Zurni screamed upward as the goblins untied the ropes binding it. With a sudden snap, the red sail unfurled and caught the morning breeze. It was made of thick red canvas with a massive black sword stitched at its center.

  Robert jolted back as the great ship lurched to life. He ran to the edge of the deck and peered over, watching as they left the burning manor behind, smoke billowing across the hideous swamp that had nearly claimed them all.

  Looking behind them, Robert spotted their pursuers. “They’re gaining!” he shouted to Brukk, who was pulling one of the steel levers while steering the ship with his stubbed hand.

  “I know, priest. I’m missing a hand, not an eye,” Brukk growled. “Those are schooners, smaller and lighter than our frigate. We’ll never outrun them at level flight, but what they lack is power.”

  “Power of what?” Robert asked.

  “Power to climb,” Brukk replied with an ugly grin. He yanked one of the silver levers, and Robert suddenly felt the world press down on him, the weight of his helm seeming to double. He tore it from his head, dropping it to the deck, and clutched the side rail as the ship surged upward.

  “Robert, we’re going higher!” Oswin shouted in terror. Robert looked over the edge. The ground was shrinking fast, the smaller airships climbing after them until a cold white mist swallowed their shapes.

  Clouds, Robert thought in awe. We’re in the clouds.

  “Zurni!” Brukk roared through the mist. “Prepare the crossbows! Get the humans some weapons! We will engage them above the clouds!”

  “CROSSBOWS!” Zurni screeched in reply. Next to Robert, a steel hatch dropped open in the deck beside the railing. The grinding of gears echoed as a massive crossbow rose from below, clicking steadily until it locked in place and tilted forward, its enormous frame aimed into the open sky. Through the mist, Robert saw another doing the same on the far side of the deck.

  “RUNNER! Get the humans’ weapons!” Zurni added in a scream.

  Alice, who was still crouched beside Varg and keeping pressure on his wounds, called out, “Get me a bow!”

  Robert checked his mana while the goblins scurried about the deck in a flurry of motion. Just enough for a single heal, he thought, relieved, and cast it toward Varg.

  “Robert, I think it stopped the bleeding,” Alice said with a faint sigh of relief. “But the wounds are still open.”

  If only I had a mana potion, Robert thought.

  “Priest, here you go!” a short goblin barked, hefting a massive mace toward him. Robert tried to take it, but the weapon dropped to the deck with a heavy thud. He was far too weak to carry it.

  “I’ll be fine,” he said to the goblin, who wore a yellow tunic and trousers with pointed leather boots. The creature shrugged and waddled back below deck.

  Another goblin passed by, dropping off a large black bow for Alice and handing a jagged sword to Oswin, who accepted it with an uneasy look.

  Varg is not going to be happy when he finds out we left his greatsword in the burning manor, Robert realized as he watched Alice test the unfamiliar orc bow.

  As they prepared for the battle ahead, the mist around them began to thin, and bright sunlight flooded the deck as they broke through the cloud line. Robert shaded his eyes while his vision adjusted.

  “Priest, look over the edge!” Brukk shouted. “Tell me where the two ships are once they emerge from the clouds!”

  Robert leaned over the railing, staring down at the sea of white below. For a moment nothing moved, then the faint outline of a red sails began to rise through the mist, followed by the second ship’s masts as both ascended after them.

  “Here they come!” Robert shouted.

  “Zurni, furl the main sail! Slow us down, now!” Brukk roared in response.

  “Toplins, FURL!” the small goblin shrieked in Robert’s ear. The sound was awful, he thought, as the bald creature continued to barked orders across the deck.

  Above them, the two goblins who had climbed the mast to open the sail leapt from their perches, gripping metal chains as they descended rapidly toward the deck. The red sail folded in on itself, and Robert felt the massive wooden ship begin to slow as the canvas deflated.

  Robert looked over the edge of the deck again. The two airships had fully emerged from the clouds and were racing upward to meet them. They looked similar in design to Brukk’s ship but were smaller, with several angled triangular sails instead of a single large square one. The wood the ships were made from was pale in color, unlike any tree Robert recognized, he thought.

  “Where are they now, priest?” Brukk called out.

  “Just under us!” Robert shouted, adrenaline surging through him as the tension on the ship rose.

  “Humans, ready the crossbows! They’re not meant for a goblin’s height!” Brukk ordered.

  Robert glanced back at Alice, who was already notching an arrow. “Robert, you take it. I’m better with my bow,” she said. “Oswin, man the other.” She pointed him toward the second crossbow, and he ran to it with a cautious step.

  Robert examined the massive contraption. A thick metal wire served as its bowstring, and beside the trigger sat a large steel reel, almost like a fishing rod, he thought. He gripped it with both hands and turned. The wire drew back with each click of the reel until it locked into place.

  Along the deck’s railing in front of him, several large bolts were mounted in racks. Each had a dark steel shaft and a serrated arrowhead nearly the size of Robert’s head. He grabbed one of the bolts, trying to figure out how to load the heavy weapon.

  “Zurni, prepare for the Draknok maneuver, now!” Brukk shouted as Robert slid one of the bolts into place.

  “DRAKNOK!” Zurni screeched across the deck as Robert gripped the stock of the mounted crossbow.

  Alice rushed to his side, peering over the edge. “Gods, they’re right under us!” she started, then the sound of churning gears below suddenly stopped. A weightless sensation hit Robert as his stomach lurched and the airship began to drop.

  “Hold!” Brukk shouted as Robert and Alice clung to the crossbow, struggling to steady themselves while the ship plummeted from the sky.

  A violent crash shook Robert to his core as the massive airship slammed down onto one of the smaller schooner ships below. A wooden mast speared upward through the deck, and Robert heard the shrieks of goblins beneath them.

  “Re-engage the engines!” Zurni screeched, darting toward the passage below deck.

  “Priest! What have you done? I told you to spot them!” Brukk roared, hauling himself back up to the wheel. “Why would you drop us right on them?”

  “I told you they were below us! I’m a farmer, not a naval battle tactician!” Robert shouted, glancing over the deck. Beneath them, the smaller ship was tumbling downward toward the clouds, its mast and sails gone, the top of its deck crushed inward.

  In front of Robert, the second schooner leveled out beside their frigate. He could see orcs and goblins racing across its deck when arrows began to rain down.

  “Robert, get down!” Alice shouted, yanking him by the cloak behind the deck’s railing. Iron arrows thudded across the planks as several goblins went down with squealing cries. Robert grimaced, unable to soothe their pain. His mana was still drained.

  Robert looked toward Varg, who was still lying lifeless near the center of the deck. Two new arrows stuck out from his back. Dammit, Varg, Robert thought, unsure why he was cursing the unconscious man.

  “Priest! The crossbow, do something! Are you humans always so useless in battle?” Brukk shouted from the wheel.

  Robert rose just as Zurni screamed, “Captain, we’re leaking air! We can’t stay afloat much longer!” As Robert watched the exchange, a massive arrow attached to a chain shot past and struck the ship’s mast with a loud crack.

  He spun, following the length of the chain back to the opposing ship. “Shoot the thing!” Alice shouted at him as he stood there dumbly. She loosed a flaming arrow across the gap between the two ships, striking one of the enemy’s red sails and igniting it in a burst of fire.

  Robert gripped the wooden handle of the large crossbow and maneuvered it toward the largest of the opposing ship’s three sails. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the trigger. The bolt shot forward in a blur, arcing across the sky and over the enemy ship’s deck before disappearing into open air.

  “How did you miss that giant boat, priest?” Brukk bellowed in anger.

  “Ignore him, Robert. Just reload and try again,” Alice said as she notched three fire arrows at once. They struck the enemy deck, igniting in bursts of flame as five orcs loosed another volley in return.

  “Get down!” Oswin shouted, diving to the railing beside them.

  All three of them huddled as another rain of steel peppered the deck. A sudden jolt rocked the ship as Robert saw the impaled mast bend toward them.

  The chain, he thought. They’re trying to snap it.

  He rose and looked across the gap, spotting a line of orcs on the schooner hauling at the chain in powerful, synchronized heaves.

  Robert grasped another steel bolt from the rack when Brukk roared from behind them. “Bloody humans! I’ll do it myself!” Robert looked back to see the big orc spin the massive wooden wheel hard to the right.

  “What is he doing?” Alice cried as all three of them clung to the railing while the frigate spun sharply.

  “Brace for impact!” Zurni screamed, gripping the web of ropes on the broken mast. The iron chain went slack, and the shouts of orcs echoed from ahead as Robert pulled himself up, grabbing the crossbow.

  “Oh no,” Robert muttered, seeing the schooner’s wooden hull directly in front of their larger ship. “Hold on!” he shouted to Oswin and Alice as a deafening crash followed. The impact of the two wooden ships colliding threw them forward, crushing Robert against the crossbow. The air left his lungs as Alice and Oswin slammed into his back, pinning him against the long wooden frame.

  Grimacing in pain, he looked up in horror as the schooner’s hull shattered in a burst of splintered wood against their larger frigate. Several orcs leaped from the rear of the schooner’s wreckage as it broke in two, drifting downward into the clouds while clinging to large yellow kites as they fled. When the frigate’s nose ground through the center of the smaller ship, a second, larger explosion tore through the air. Fire and smoke billowed upward as the heart of the enemy’s ship detonated.

  The concussive blast from the explosion sent Robert falling backward onto the deck as he gasped for air through the pain in his injured ribs. Beside him, several goblins sprinted toward the bow with buckets of water, but before they could reach the flames, the ship’s nose suddenly began to dip downward.

  “Captain! We’ve lost the engines! We’re going down!” Zurni screeched in panic.

  “Hold on to something, humans! This flight is about to get rough!” Brukk growled.

  It isn’t already? Robert thought as Alice and Oswin pulled him up. They braced themselves around the giant crossbow as the ship plummeted. Still at the center of the deck, Varg’s heavy frame somehow stood where he had fallen, oblivious to the chaos around him.

  “I think I’m afraid of flying,” Oswin cried out as the airship gained speed, plunging downward.

  “Just hold on, Oswin! Everything will be all right!” Robert shouted as the sunny skies turned to white mist, then to dark, treacherous rain clouds. Water began to pound against them in sheets as lightning flashed all around, illuminating the swirling darkness as their descent into madness continued. “It’s a bloody storm!” Alice shouted through gritted teeth.

  “Don’t let go!” Robert screamed as the dying frigate plunged downward through the storm. Then, just as suddenly as the storm had appeared, it was gone. The airship burst through the last of the clouds as if they had entered another world. Cold wind blew through Robert’s wet hair and clothes, chilling him to the core. Ahead of them, approaching fast, was the tall outline of a snowy mountain range.

  This is it, he thought, closing his eyes.

  “Brakes, Zurni, now!” Brukk roared.