Chapter 5 • The Serpentress
He rose early the next morning, long before mealtime, put on his heavy overcoat and a pair of warm gloves that Mister Standrews had given to him, and headed out on deck. The sun was just rising in the eastern sky and the wind was cold, but calm. The Captain and Rollie were in the wheelhouse going over charts and checking compass readings when Talin quietly entered. Aila was still in her cabin, so Talin stood back out of the way and let them go about with their calculations and plotting.
“Maintain our course, Rollie, bring it about, due south on this heading. Start to descend slowly until we get just above cloudtop, then level off and wait for further orders.”
Captain Ansak noticed Talin watching curiously as the young Quartermaster went about setting his coordinates. He didn’t look as if anything were out of the ordinary, but his voice had a note of seriousness to it.
“That little bit of trouble or whatever it was that we saw last night got me to thinking that perhaps we should get headed back down into the lanes. We’re about two days out from Cartania if we stay our present course at this height. If we reconnect and follow the shipping lanes, it will add an extra day, maybe two depending on the winds. I find no pleasure in delaying our shipment any longer than absolutely necessary, but under the circumstances I feel it is the prudent decision. Out here, even at this altitude, we increase running the risk of a Rogue encounter. Due to the fact that we are a private commercial vessel and not a designated warship of the Coalition, we’re somewhat limited in our offensive weapons capabilities, but, too be sure, we can more than handle ourselves in a scruff. But I’ve some very They continued a gradual descent until they floated just above the uppermost layer of clouds. Rollie eased back on a set of levers and the craft leveled off. They drifted along the course set by Captain Ansak for quite awhile, as the sun continued to rise and the air began to warm. Soon, talin removed his gloves and coat and wiped his brow. The Captain offered him some cider in a small tankard and talin sat and sipped, watching as some landmasses started poking their frosty heads up through the mist. They navigated over and around them, diverting from the compass setting and regaining it again. The Captain gave the order to proceed through an opening in the clouds and get below the upper layer. No sooner than they had, a call came from the bow lookout.
“Ship ahead,sir.” Rollie confirmed, “Off the starboard bow.”
In the distance an airship could be seen silhouetted against the sunrise, making it impossible to tell if it was friend or foe. Captain Ansak calmly ordered Rollie to take the transport back into the upper cloud layer and seek some measure of concealment until they could determine the nature of the craft.
“We had the sun square on our bow for a moment or two there,” he pointed out, “Lit up like a lantern, we were. I can only hope that if they did see us, they’re amicable.”
They approached steadily, but with caution, trying to stay under cover of the clouds, but at the same time keep the mystery ship within sight. They slowly gained on it and Captain Ansak lifted a pair of double lensed spyglasses, referred to as bi-glasses, up to his eyes.
“It’s flying the Tarugan colors,” he said, adjusting the focus, “If I’m not to be mistaken, that’s the Serpentress, Kel-Banoff’s vessel. Fancy meetin’ her in these parts of the sky.”
“Kel-Banoff?” Talin asked, “Then you know who they are? Friends of yours, I hope?”
“In a matter of speaking, yes and no. Competitors of a sort, more like. Kel Banoff runs a small merchant and shipping enterprise in the outer perimeters of the Realm, based out of her homeland of Taruga. Has an all female crew, she does, In times of slow business, she supplements her income by hunting cloudskimmers for their buoyancy oil. There’s no law against it, it’s just not to my liking. Cloudskimmers share the skies with us and have never paid anyone I know of any harm, and I intend to return the consideration. Live free and let live free if you ask me. Kel-Banoff, on the other hand, has her own opinions and motivations which steer her course. She’s not a bad sort, mind you, and she tends to her business and generally leaves me to mine, but there was a time, when we were both much younger Out of professional courtesy and an unspoken but respected agreement between the two Captains, the Acadia Pride remained in the upper cloud stream high above the Serpentress. Just as they were about to over take and pass her, four dark tan balloons emerged from the clouds below and in front of the Tarugan ship. A second set arose flanking it’s port side from just behind. They continued to climb out of the clouds, revealing two slim black hulls suspended from each set of balloons. They were of a design completely unknown to Talin, and flew no flags nor had any markings to identify them other than a pointed white oval towards the bow in the shape of an eye. The ships were smaller, but faster and more maneuverable than the merchant vessel, and rapidly moved into a position that could only Kel-Banoff was not one to be trifled with, and opened up on the lead ship. The first shot fired with a belch of smoke and flame, but fell short of it’s target and the black ships neared closer, penning her in on one side, forcing her to slow and come about. Her second shot went sailing right between the ship’s hull and the balloons that carried it, slicing through some of the tether ropes and releasing one of the balloons into the air. The lead ship now hung at a precarious angle, no longer fully supported. Some of the crew could be seen tumbling over the rails as it uncontrollably pitched and swung from side to side. Their screams were lost to the winds as they plummeted head over heels and disappeared into the clouds below. A third well placed shot went right through the hull and exploded with a huge ball “Must have struck the powder hold. Splendid shootin’ you wily ol’ skycat!” Captain Ansak cheered, punching the air with his big fist. “Knock them out of their filthy nests and let’s see how well they fly with their wings clipped!”
The second black ship had moved in closer up alongside. At that tight range, damage inflicted from her blast cannons posed a danger to the Serpentress were she to strike with them now. Common procedure would be to use small arms fire, and if the enemy got within boarding distance, hand to hand combat would be employed. Kel-Banoff’s crew began using scatter rifles and blast pistols, to good effect. Then the cloud tops suddenly lit up as a long stream of burning liquid shot from the black ship and set the deck of the Serpentress ablaze. Crew members on board could be spotted attempting to put out the fire as tether lines began to burn and snap. A second streak of liquid fire shot from the attacker and the Serpentress was engulfed in flame. It spiraled out of sight leaving only a trail of thick black They stood in the wheel house, Talin unable to believe what he had just seen unfold before his own eyes. It was a sight he would never forget. The Captain gave evasive maneuver orders to the Quartermaster, and Rollie immediately gave the ship’s engines full power. They swiftly lifted up into the cloud cover and sailed at a brisk pace, cloaked in the thick billows and remained there for a bit until they had vacated the area, and then the Captain set about plotting a new course.
“Rollie, take us back to open sky and make straight for Cartania, full speed ahead.”
Talin sat down for a moment and thought about the crew on board the doomed Serpentress. When he stood back up, he turned and looked to the Captain with newfound determination.
“Captain Ansak, I’ve decided, I’m going to request the Air Corp.”
Aila slept late, until the seven bells sounded for the morning meal, rousing her from her slumber. Today it was she who was the last to arrive in the galley hall. As she took her seat, she apologized for sleeping in, explaining that she had just felt like laying in bed and doing some thinking. Her granduncle handed her a large taurine full of hot cinnamon oatmeal with raisins from her own vineyard.
“Seems young Talin here has also been in contemplation this morn.” The Captain commented with a solemn tone. “He’s set his mind to enlisting in the Air Corp.”
Aila set down the taurine and looked at Talin with confusion and concern.
“What made you all of a sudden decide to do that?”
“I was something early this morning, while you were still in your cabin. Something you couldn’t imagine. We actually watched as the crew of two ships were sent to their deaths.”
The Captain looked over at Aila, and folded his hands in his lap.
“Kel-Banoff’s vessel was attacked in the lower cloud banks just after sunrise. She put up a good fight, she did, but she was sorely outgunned. She didn’t have a whisper of a chance, pity upon the ol’ girl.”
“Wasn’t she the Captain of the Serpentress? Weren’t you and her...”
“Aye, that we were, my dove, a long time past. I shall miss her, now that I know that she has joined the Spirits of the Winds.”
“Couldn’t you have done something?” Aila asked.
“Nay, it started and ended much too quickly for us to render assistance. We were a good deal higher up than they and the two rogue craft ambushed them from out of the cloud cover below. Some kind of a flame weapon that shoots a kind of burning oil, like a hose, they used. Frightful thing, never seen anything quite like it.”
“Who were they? Do you have any idea?”
“That I don’t. The hulls were long and slim, with a curved bow and stern. They floated under a pair of round bladders, and flew no colors. The craft were black as a moonless night with a demon’s eye painted on their bows, and seemed to come out of the clouds like dark evil spirits. I suspect that what we saw last night was a similar attack.”
“That’s what made me decide to enlist in the Air Corp.” Talin broke in, “The sight of those crew members being attacked like that, unprovoked, made me realize that I wouldn’t be happy in the Ministry of Agriculture knowing that innocent lives are in jeopardy and I’m not doing a thing about it.
Let someone else grow vegetables for the banquet halls.”
“Feeding the troops is an important duty as well, young Talin, one can’t fight on a stomach that’s empty, too be sure. But I do admire your decision and I shall lend you whatever assistance that I can offer, and I shall begin by schooling you in one of the most basic, yet important skills that a fine airfarer must know. The art of the sword. We begin directly, meet me out on deck, amidship. After we’re done with our meal, of course”.
Talin finished quickly and went to his cabin to find a loose fitting shirt that he hoped would allow him more freedom of movement than the warm, but thicker tunic he presently wore. He then wrapped a kerchief around his head to keep the hair out of his eyes. Upon redressing, he went out onto the deck and shivered slightly against a brisk early afternoon breeze. Mr. Standrews were standing in the center of the deck next to a broad hatch cover, atop which lay a selected assortment of blades with varied shapes and lengths. A few such as the knife and hatchet were familiar to him, and he knew that the others were swords of one type or another, but had never actually held other than his grandfathers regimental saber. The closest he had come to a sword fight was playing as a boy in the woods back home, During the warm season, he often spent the nights there, pretending that he was a great adventurer exploring unknown worlds. His grandfather would often occampnay him, teaching him about basic outdoors survival, such tracking and hunting wild game and how to make snares and traps for capturing them in order to supplement their diet with meat. There was even an occasion or two that he remembered his father staying out there with him, telling him tales about the land and of his mother who died of an illness shortly after Talin was born.
Captain Ansak soon emerged on deck, followed by Aila. She wore a somewhat baggy pair of pants and a billowy blouse tied around her waist with a wide belt.
“Well Talin, are you ready for your first lesson on being a rough and tumble skydog?” Asked the Captain as they strolled over, “Not a man nor woman is admitted to the Air Corp without the proper face to face skills of close combat.”
He picked up a long, narrow double edged sword and held it in his hand, showing to Talin.
“This is a rapier,” he described, “Appropriate for a gentleman’s duel, particularly when there is ample room to move about.” He handed it to Talin and let him get the feel of it, then continued, selecting a weapon with a broader blade and only one sharpened edge. “This is a cutlass, ideal for fighting in close quarters, such as onboard a ship. You can jab with it, but is most effective for slashing attacks.”
One of the gunner’s mates came out onto the deck with a flour sack with a red spot painted in the center and stuffed with old rags, which hung from a wooden stand, which he stood up near them . The Captain demonstrated the different motions with the cutlass, then taught Talin, still in possession of the rapier, how to take the proper stance.
“The fencing stance is essential for maintaining your balance while engaging in combat. Place your feet shoulder’s width apart and perpendicular to each other, with your lead foot pointing towards your adversary, like so. Bend your knees slightly, as though you are about to sit in a chair. Your shoulders and body should face away from your opponent so as to present as little target area as possible. Fine, just fine. Now that you know how to stand, let’s try some fighting moves.” He chose a blade similar to the rapier and handed it to Aila. “Show him what I’m talking about, my dove.”
Aila faced the hanging flour sack, assumed the stance and stood ready for her granduncle’s commands.
“There are four basic fighting moves,” he explained, “the thrust, lunge, parry and riposte. To thrust, extend the sword in the direction of your target, keeping your arm straight and your palm up. Show him a thrust, my dove.” Aila gave an example of the thrust. “This move is often followed by the lunge, which rapidly closes the distance between you and your opponent. With the leading foot, take a large step forward, bending deeply at the knee and extending with your back leg, while keeping the back foot planted firmly on the ground. Give ‘em a good lunge, Aila.” She lunged at the sack, poking it firmly. Then turned to face the Captain, who in turn picked up the cutlass.
“The parry is a defensive move, used to deflect the thrust of your opponent. Variations include the lateral,” he took a deliberately mild swing with his weapon, which Aila countered with a deft blocking maneuver. “semi-circular,” she gave a spin of her wrist, knocking the cutlass sideways, “and circular.” With a twisting motion of her sword tip, the Captain’s cutlass went flying from his grip and landed with a clatter on the deck. “Follow up a successful parry with an offensive thrust, called a riposte.” Aila turned to the flour sack and drove the rapier right through it.
“Splendid, my dove, splendid! Sword fighting,” he continued, “is equal parts mental and physical. Sharpen your skills with daily practice, keep your wits about you and always try to anticipate your opponent’s next move.” In one fluid motion he snatched the slim knife off of the hatch cover and threw it underhand burying it directly into the red spot on the swinging sack. “Now you have a go at it, young Talin. You’ve all afternoon to practice, if you care to. We’ll let you two be now, as we’ve got matters that demand our attention in the wheel abode, goin’ over shipping manifests that need to be checked and logged before we reach Cartania. Aila can give you some pointers and answer any questions you might be havin. See you at seven bells.”
Under Aila’s surprisingly skilled guidance, Talin repeated the four basic moves over and over again. Although the air was cold up in the open sky, his kerchief was damp with sweat and he soon ended up removing his soaking wet shirt. He continued his exercises as Aila went inside to get a pitcher of cool water. She returned with the pitcher in one hand and the sawed off handles of two broken and useless old mops in the other. Mr. Standrews followed behind her, toting a wooden board which was carved out and encased a row of ten colored beads that slid back and forth horizontally on two slim rods. Tucked under his other arm were two woven chest plates that attached about the waist and shoulders with leather straps. As it turned out, he was quite an adept swordsman himself, though you wouldn’t “Captain Ansak and myself have been observing you for some time from the wheel house, and I must say, you’re a swift learner. He thought that perchance you may enjoy and benefit from a sporting little diversion. It’s a leisurely pastime we use on occasion to keep the crew’s abilities from waxing and provide a lively bit of recreation as well. The rules are quite simple. On my mark, you are to approach each other, touch swords, or in this case mop handles, and commence. No blows to the head, keep it blow the neck. If you are struck anywhere in the torso, it is considered a mortal wound and you’re competitor shall move one of their beads from left to right. If you or your weapon are forced off or fall from the hatch, they move a bead. First one to transfer all ten beads from one end to the other shall be Talin and Aila agreed. The mop handle was about the same length as the sword he had been practicing with. The grip was wrapped in worn leather, with a guard that was just a simple wooden disc. It was not all that different than the ones he used to make as boy. They eyed each other and Aila cocked one of her eyebrows and gave him a wide but mischievous smile. In return, Talin furrowed his brow and tried to appear menacing without looking ridiculous. She let out a slight snicker and assumed the stance.
“Combatants at the ready.” Standrews gave the command and Talin prepared himself. A number of the crew had assembled on deck to watch and suddenly he felt a little self conscious and worried that he might embarrass himself if he were to lose too badly to Aila. She had much more experience and it was a sure bet that her beads would make it from one end to the other long before his. But he was already standing atop the hatch with many sets of eyes upon him, and he determinably resolved to give it all he had.
“Combatants engage!”
They moved to the center of the hatch cover, touched weapons and commenced fighting. Aila playfully toyed with him at first, lightly tapping his elbow and then one side of his hip and then the other. She backed a step, smiled at him and winked. He came at her with a thrust and a lunge, which she suddenly sidestepped, sending him stumbling off the hatch. The crew laughed and cheered, as Talin picked himself up and climbed back on the hatch, trying to block them out of thoughts. He tried to keep in mind what the Captain had said about keeping your wits sharp and anticipating your opponent’s moves. They each got back into position and initiated round two. Aila came at him and over confidently lunged at his chest plate. He countered with a parry and pinned her just below the collar bone. The round The crew was clamoring with shouts of encouragement on both sides, and Captain Ansak had even come down from the wheel house and joined the rooting crowd. Talin found renewed tenacity and was victorious in the next two rounds. At the end of nine rounds, the talley now stood with Aila in favor by one. They were just about to begin the next bout when the meal bell rang out. The crew members let out a mild groan, as the excitement on deck had reached a fevered pitch. The Captain, though, was not one to miss a meal, in spite of a good hearty competition, and officially concluded the match. Aila was declared the winner, but it had been a close and well fought fray. Talin was actually quite proud of himself and surprised by how well he had done, considering Aila’s previous training and superior The following days went by quickly, as Talin concentrated on absorbing all of the knowledge he could in the short time they had before landing at the Citadel. He divided his time between practicing his swordplay and learning basic shipboard procedures aboard a large vessel. The gunners showed him how a blast cannon works and even let him pull the firing lever, sending a shot harmlessly into a small stray chunk of rock that drifted by. During periods of rest in his cabin, he read his grandfather’s book repeatedly. Trying to commit to memory the Oath, codes and other seemingly important passages and excerpts. Before the final evening meal of the voyage, he took the now wilting wild flowers his cousin Janna had picked and put them between a folded sheet of waxed parchment he got from Chef Latrelle In celebration of the last night of the trip, Chef had prepared an enormous banquet. The crew were in their dress uniforms, and the Captain wore a fancy velveteen vest underneath an ornate coat with gold braid draped over and around the left shoulder. Upon the chest of the coat was an impressive row of award pins and service medals. He hailed Talin as he entered.
“Talin, my lad, this eve you stand at a crosswinds in your life. Behind you lay your past and your youth and before you lay your future and your destiny.
I must say, there’s a part of me that envies you and would jump at the chance to do it all again.”
The crew were in a spirited mood, talking and laughing boisterously among themselves, when Aila made her entrance in a light lavender silken gown, her dark brown hair drawn back and with fastened in a bow with a long piece of fine ribbon. Captain Ansak and the crew went silent, set down their mugs and rose with Talin following their example, as she gracefully passed and took her seat. Talin suddenly realized how pretty that Aila truly was, and was secretly thankful for the outfit his aunt and grandmother had made for him and having worn it tonight. The Captain remained standing as Talin and the crew were quietly seated.
“First off, as Captain of this ship,” he declared, “I want to thank all of you present and those on duty, for another splendid passage.”
“Knock twice on dry wood.” One of the crew murmured under his breath as a soft rap-rap sound was made somewhere under the table.
Ansak arched a heavy eyebrow, made a deep, gruff noise, as if clearing his throat and proceeded.
“As I was expressing, save for a spiteful misfortune that didn’t severely affect our journey, we have had fine weather, clear skies and good company.
We make port on Cartania on the morrow, to unload our cargo and resupply, as well as deliver to the gates of the Citadel my fair dove, Aila and young Master Talin, soon to be the prides of the Alliance! Fill your mugs and let us drink in salutation and tribute to them and to yourselves.”
They all drank deep, including Aila and Talin. It was a cool, light drink called gingermead that had a semi-sweet taste not unlike mint. It was very refreshing and went down smoothly. He refilled his mug and had another big quenching swallow. The myriad of delectable foods were numerous and plentiful, and Talin made it a point to sample everything. He had no idea what the meals were going to be like once he go into service, but he could be fairly certain that they would be nothing like this and he was resolved to savory it to it’s fullest. They ate, drank, joked and laughed merrily throughout the evening, with the Captain offering toasts and accolades at random intervals. Aila giggled intermittently, and Talin himself was feeling uncommonly giddy and light headed. His vision began to slightly blur in and The crisp night air felt good on Talin’s damp forehead and neck, and he breathed long and deep, trying to regain his bearings and his balance. Aila accompanied him over to the rail, each one helping to hold the other one up.
They steadied themselves against the railing and watched in serenity the last faint orange and purple glow of the diminishing sunset fade into darkness as the moon and stars came out to take it’s place in the skies overhead. Aila shivered lightly and Talin removed his coat and draped it around her shoulders. She smiled at him and pulled him in close, sharing the warmth of the coat.
“That gingermead can be a deceptive brew.” She contended, “My granduncle has only let me have small sips on rare occasions in the past, and I’ve never drank that much, prior to tonight. I suppose I over did it.”
“I guess I did, too. I’ve had my grandmother’s berry brandy before, bit it was nothing compared to this. To think what my Aunt Lennarra would say if she were to see me like this. Why, she’d give me a lecture that would go on for days. My head feels like it’s floating in a bucket, and my stomach’s tossing back and forth.”
“Mine as well. But as far as what your aunt or anybody else might think, remember that you’re about to fill the boots and uniform of a man in service. The Air Corps, no less. You’re a man now, and deserve to be considered as such. We just overindulged in one of the privileges of being an adult. I don’t know how they can ingest so much of that stuff, find their way to their bunks and still function the next morning like it was nothing.”
“As far as I’m concerned, I could lay down right here on the deck and go to sleep. I can tell you this, Aila, I don’t think I’ll be doing this again any time soon.”
“Nor do I. But I don’t think that we want to be discovered in the morning passed out next to the rail. Do you suppose we could make it to our cabins, or do you want to stay awhile longer?”
“I think I can make it.” Talin replied taking a deep, cleansing breath. He withdrew his half of the coat from his shoulder and put it about hers as they commenced back across the deck and inside were it was warm. Some of the crew still lingered in the around the table, and as Talin escorted Aila to her cabin they could just get a glimpse into the galley hall where Captain Ansak sat in his big, high backed chair with his head tilted back and slightly off to one side, his beard stained with food and drink and snoring thunderously. Aila looked at Talin and just shook her head in amusement.
“Like I said, I don’t know how they do it. Here’s your coat, thank you for letting me wear it. I can’t wait to just lay my head down and let the spinning go away. Unfortunately I don’t know of a remedy for this other than a generous dose of sleep. Good night, Talin, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night, Aila. The way I feel, it might not be until the afternoon.”
“Maintain our course, Rollie, bring it about, due south on this heading. Start to descend slowly until we get just above cloudtop, then level off and wait for further orders.”
Captain Ansak noticed Talin watching curiously as the young Quartermaster went about setting his coordinates. He didn’t look as if anything were out of the ordinary, but his voice had a note of seriousness to it.
“That little bit of trouble or whatever it was that we saw last night got me to thinking that perhaps we should get headed back down into the lanes. We’re about two days out from Cartania if we stay our present course at this height. If we reconnect and follow the shipping lanes, it will add an extra day, maybe two depending on the winds. I find no pleasure in delaying our shipment any longer than absolutely necessary, but under the circumstances I feel it is the prudent decision. Out here, even at this altitude, we increase running the risk of a Rogue encounter. Due to the fact that we are a private commercial vessel and not a designated warship of the Coalition, we’re somewhat limited in our offensive weapons capabilities, but, too be sure, we can more than handle ourselves in a scruff. But I’ve some very They continued a gradual descent until they floated just above the uppermost layer of clouds. Rollie eased back on a set of levers and the craft leveled off. They drifted along the course set by Captain Ansak for quite awhile, as the sun continued to rise and the air began to warm. Soon, talin removed his gloves and coat and wiped his brow. The Captain offered him some cider in a small tankard and talin sat and sipped, watching as some landmasses started poking their frosty heads up through the mist. They navigated over and around them, diverting from the compass setting and regaining it again. The Captain gave the order to proceed through an opening in the clouds and get below the upper layer. No sooner than they had, a call came from the bow lookout.
“Ship ahead,sir.” Rollie confirmed, “Off the starboard bow.”
In the distance an airship could be seen silhouetted against the sunrise, making it impossible to tell if it was friend or foe. Captain Ansak calmly ordered Rollie to take the transport back into the upper cloud layer and seek some measure of concealment until they could determine the nature of the craft.
“We had the sun square on our bow for a moment or two there,” he pointed out, “Lit up like a lantern, we were. I can only hope that if they did see us, they’re amicable.”
They approached steadily, but with caution, trying to stay under cover of the clouds, but at the same time keep the mystery ship within sight. They slowly gained on it and Captain Ansak lifted a pair of double lensed spyglasses, referred to as bi-glasses, up to his eyes.
“It’s flying the Tarugan colors,” he said, adjusting the focus, “If I’m not to be mistaken, that’s the Serpentress, Kel-Banoff’s vessel. Fancy meetin’ her in these parts of the sky.”
“Kel-Banoff?” Talin asked, “Then you know who they are? Friends of yours, I hope?”
“In a matter of speaking, yes and no. Competitors of a sort, more like. Kel Banoff runs a small merchant and shipping enterprise in the outer perimeters of the Realm, based out of her homeland of Taruga. Has an all female crew, she does, In times of slow business, she supplements her income by hunting cloudskimmers for their buoyancy oil. There’s no law against it, it’s just not to my liking. Cloudskimmers share the skies with us and have never paid anyone I know of any harm, and I intend to return the consideration. Live free and let live free if you ask me. Kel-Banoff, on the other hand, has her own opinions and motivations which steer her course. She’s not a bad sort, mind you, and she tends to her business and generally leaves me to mine, but there was a time, when we were both much younger Out of professional courtesy and an unspoken but respected agreement between the two Captains, the Acadia Pride remained in the upper cloud stream high above the Serpentress. Just as they were about to over take and pass her, four dark tan balloons emerged from the clouds below and in front of the Tarugan ship. A second set arose flanking it’s port side from just behind. They continued to climb out of the clouds, revealing two slim black hulls suspended from each set of balloons. They were of a design completely unknown to Talin, and flew no flags nor had any markings to identify them other than a pointed white oval towards the bow in the shape of an eye. The ships were smaller, but faster and more maneuverable than the merchant vessel, and rapidly moved into a position that could only Kel-Banoff was not one to be trifled with, and opened up on the lead ship. The first shot fired with a belch of smoke and flame, but fell short of it’s target and the black ships neared closer, penning her in on one side, forcing her to slow and come about. Her second shot went sailing right between the ship’s hull and the balloons that carried it, slicing through some of the tether ropes and releasing one of the balloons into the air. The lead ship now hung at a precarious angle, no longer fully supported. Some of the crew could be seen tumbling over the rails as it uncontrollably pitched and swung from side to side. Their screams were lost to the winds as they plummeted head over heels and disappeared into the clouds below. A third well placed shot went right through the hull and exploded with a huge ball “Must have struck the powder hold. Splendid shootin’ you wily ol’ skycat!” Captain Ansak cheered, punching the air with his big fist. “Knock them out of their filthy nests and let’s see how well they fly with their wings clipped!”
The second black ship had moved in closer up alongside. At that tight range, damage inflicted from her blast cannons posed a danger to the Serpentress were she to strike with them now. Common procedure would be to use small arms fire, and if the enemy got within boarding distance, hand to hand combat would be employed. Kel-Banoff’s crew began using scatter rifles and blast pistols, to good effect. Then the cloud tops suddenly lit up as a long stream of burning liquid shot from the black ship and set the deck of the Serpentress ablaze. Crew members on board could be spotted attempting to put out the fire as tether lines began to burn and snap. A second streak of liquid fire shot from the attacker and the Serpentress was engulfed in flame. It spiraled out of sight leaving only a trail of thick black They stood in the wheel house, Talin unable to believe what he had just seen unfold before his own eyes. It was a sight he would never forget. The Captain gave evasive maneuver orders to the Quartermaster, and Rollie immediately gave the ship’s engines full power. They swiftly lifted up into the cloud cover and sailed at a brisk pace, cloaked in the thick billows and remained there for a bit until they had vacated the area, and then the Captain set about plotting a new course.
“Rollie, take us back to open sky and make straight for Cartania, full speed ahead.”
Talin sat down for a moment and thought about the crew on board the doomed Serpentress. When he stood back up, he turned and looked to the Captain with newfound determination.
“Captain Ansak, I’ve decided, I’m going to request the Air Corp.”
Aila slept late, until the seven bells sounded for the morning meal, rousing her from her slumber. Today it was she who was the last to arrive in the galley hall. As she took her seat, she apologized for sleeping in, explaining that she had just felt like laying in bed and doing some thinking. Her granduncle handed her a large taurine full of hot cinnamon oatmeal with raisins from her own vineyard.
“Seems young Talin here has also been in contemplation this morn.” The Captain commented with a solemn tone. “He’s set his mind to enlisting in the Air Corp.”
Aila set down the taurine and looked at Talin with confusion and concern.
“What made you all of a sudden decide to do that?”
“I was something early this morning, while you were still in your cabin. Something you couldn’t imagine. We actually watched as the crew of two ships were sent to their deaths.”
The Captain looked over at Aila, and folded his hands in his lap.
“Kel-Banoff’s vessel was attacked in the lower cloud banks just after sunrise. She put up a good fight, she did, but she was sorely outgunned. She didn’t have a whisper of a chance, pity upon the ol’ girl.”
“Wasn’t she the Captain of the Serpentress? Weren’t you and her...”
“Aye, that we were, my dove, a long time past. I shall miss her, now that I know that she has joined the Spirits of the Winds.”
“Couldn’t you have done something?” Aila asked.
“Nay, it started and ended much too quickly for us to render assistance. We were a good deal higher up than they and the two rogue craft ambushed them from out of the cloud cover below. Some kind of a flame weapon that shoots a kind of burning oil, like a hose, they used. Frightful thing, never seen anything quite like it.”
“Who were they? Do you have any idea?”
“That I don’t. The hulls were long and slim, with a curved bow and stern. They floated under a pair of round bladders, and flew no colors. The craft were black as a moonless night with a demon’s eye painted on their bows, and seemed to come out of the clouds like dark evil spirits. I suspect that what we saw last night was a similar attack.”
“That’s what made me decide to enlist in the Air Corp.” Talin broke in, “The sight of those crew members being attacked like that, unprovoked, made me realize that I wouldn’t be happy in the Ministry of Agriculture knowing that innocent lives are in jeopardy and I’m not doing a thing about it.
Let someone else grow vegetables for the banquet halls.”
“Feeding the troops is an important duty as well, young Talin, one can’t fight on a stomach that’s empty, too be sure. But I do admire your decision and I shall lend you whatever assistance that I can offer, and I shall begin by schooling you in one of the most basic, yet important skills that a fine airfarer must know. The art of the sword. We begin directly, meet me out on deck, amidship. After we’re done with our meal, of course”.
Talin finished quickly and went to his cabin to find a loose fitting shirt that he hoped would allow him more freedom of movement than the warm, but thicker tunic he presently wore. He then wrapped a kerchief around his head to keep the hair out of his eyes. Upon redressing, he went out onto the deck and shivered slightly against a brisk early afternoon breeze. Mr. Standrews were standing in the center of the deck next to a broad hatch cover, atop which lay a selected assortment of blades with varied shapes and lengths. A few such as the knife and hatchet were familiar to him, and he knew that the others were swords of one type or another, but had never actually held other than his grandfathers regimental saber. The closest he had come to a sword fight was playing as a boy in the woods back home, During the warm season, he often spent the nights there, pretending that he was a great adventurer exploring unknown worlds. His grandfather would often occampnay him, teaching him about basic outdoors survival, such tracking and hunting wild game and how to make snares and traps for capturing them in order to supplement their diet with meat. There was even an occasion or two that he remembered his father staying out there with him, telling him tales about the land and of his mother who died of an illness shortly after Talin was born.
Captain Ansak soon emerged on deck, followed by Aila. She wore a somewhat baggy pair of pants and a billowy blouse tied around her waist with a wide belt.
“Well Talin, are you ready for your first lesson on being a rough and tumble skydog?” Asked the Captain as they strolled over, “Not a man nor woman is admitted to the Air Corp without the proper face to face skills of close combat.”
He picked up a long, narrow double edged sword and held it in his hand, showing to Talin.
“This is a rapier,” he described, “Appropriate for a gentleman’s duel, particularly when there is ample room to move about.” He handed it to Talin and let him get the feel of it, then continued, selecting a weapon with a broader blade and only one sharpened edge. “This is a cutlass, ideal for fighting in close quarters, such as onboard a ship. You can jab with it, but is most effective for slashing attacks.”
One of the gunner’s mates came out onto the deck with a flour sack with a red spot painted in the center and stuffed with old rags, which hung from a wooden stand, which he stood up near them . The Captain demonstrated the different motions with the cutlass, then taught Talin, still in possession of the rapier, how to take the proper stance.
“The fencing stance is essential for maintaining your balance while engaging in combat. Place your feet shoulder’s width apart and perpendicular to each other, with your lead foot pointing towards your adversary, like so. Bend your knees slightly, as though you are about to sit in a chair. Your shoulders and body should face away from your opponent so as to present as little target area as possible. Fine, just fine. Now that you know how to stand, let’s try some fighting moves.” He chose a blade similar to the rapier and handed it to Aila. “Show him what I’m talking about, my dove.”
Aila faced the hanging flour sack, assumed the stance and stood ready for her granduncle’s commands.
“There are four basic fighting moves,” he explained, “the thrust, lunge, parry and riposte. To thrust, extend the sword in the direction of your target, keeping your arm straight and your palm up. Show him a thrust, my dove.” Aila gave an example of the thrust. “This move is often followed by the lunge, which rapidly closes the distance between you and your opponent. With the leading foot, take a large step forward, bending deeply at the knee and extending with your back leg, while keeping the back foot planted firmly on the ground. Give ‘em a good lunge, Aila.” She lunged at the sack, poking it firmly. Then turned to face the Captain, who in turn picked up the cutlass.
“The parry is a defensive move, used to deflect the thrust of your opponent. Variations include the lateral,” he took a deliberately mild swing with his weapon, which Aila countered with a deft blocking maneuver. “semi-circular,” she gave a spin of her wrist, knocking the cutlass sideways, “and circular.” With a twisting motion of her sword tip, the Captain’s cutlass went flying from his grip and landed with a clatter on the deck. “Follow up a successful parry with an offensive thrust, called a riposte.” Aila turned to the flour sack and drove the rapier right through it.
“Splendid, my dove, splendid! Sword fighting,” he continued, “is equal parts mental and physical. Sharpen your skills with daily practice, keep your wits about you and always try to anticipate your opponent’s next move.” In one fluid motion he snatched the slim knife off of the hatch cover and threw it underhand burying it directly into the red spot on the swinging sack. “Now you have a go at it, young Talin. You’ve all afternoon to practice, if you care to. We’ll let you two be now, as we’ve got matters that demand our attention in the wheel abode, goin’ over shipping manifests that need to be checked and logged before we reach Cartania. Aila can give you some pointers and answer any questions you might be havin. See you at seven bells.”
Under Aila’s surprisingly skilled guidance, Talin repeated the four basic moves over and over again. Although the air was cold up in the open sky, his kerchief was damp with sweat and he soon ended up removing his soaking wet shirt. He continued his exercises as Aila went inside to get a pitcher of cool water. She returned with the pitcher in one hand and the sawed off handles of two broken and useless old mops in the other. Mr. Standrews followed behind her, toting a wooden board which was carved out and encased a row of ten colored beads that slid back and forth horizontally on two slim rods. Tucked under his other arm were two woven chest plates that attached about the waist and shoulders with leather straps. As it turned out, he was quite an adept swordsman himself, though you wouldn’t “Captain Ansak and myself have been observing you for some time from the wheel house, and I must say, you’re a swift learner. He thought that perchance you may enjoy and benefit from a sporting little diversion. It’s a leisurely pastime we use on occasion to keep the crew’s abilities from waxing and provide a lively bit of recreation as well. The rules are quite simple. On my mark, you are to approach each other, touch swords, or in this case mop handles, and commence. No blows to the head, keep it blow the neck. If you are struck anywhere in the torso, it is considered a mortal wound and you’re competitor shall move one of their beads from left to right. If you or your weapon are forced off or fall from the hatch, they move a bead. First one to transfer all ten beads from one end to the other shall be Talin and Aila agreed. The mop handle was about the same length as the sword he had been practicing with. The grip was wrapped in worn leather, with a guard that was just a simple wooden disc. It was not all that different than the ones he used to make as boy. They eyed each other and Aila cocked one of her eyebrows and gave him a wide but mischievous smile. In return, Talin furrowed his brow and tried to appear menacing without looking ridiculous. She let out a slight snicker and assumed the stance.
“Combatants at the ready.” Standrews gave the command and Talin prepared himself. A number of the crew had assembled on deck to watch and suddenly he felt a little self conscious and worried that he might embarrass himself if he were to lose too badly to Aila. She had much more experience and it was a sure bet that her beads would make it from one end to the other long before his. But he was already standing atop the hatch with many sets of eyes upon him, and he determinably resolved to give it all he had.
“Combatants engage!”
They moved to the center of the hatch cover, touched weapons and commenced fighting. Aila playfully toyed with him at first, lightly tapping his elbow and then one side of his hip and then the other. She backed a step, smiled at him and winked. He came at her with a thrust and a lunge, which she suddenly sidestepped, sending him stumbling off the hatch. The crew laughed and cheered, as Talin picked himself up and climbed back on the hatch, trying to block them out of thoughts. He tried to keep in mind what the Captain had said about keeping your wits sharp and anticipating your opponent’s moves. They each got back into position and initiated round two. Aila came at him and over confidently lunged at his chest plate. He countered with a parry and pinned her just below the collar bone. The round The crew was clamoring with shouts of encouragement on both sides, and Captain Ansak had even come down from the wheel house and joined the rooting crowd. Talin found renewed tenacity and was victorious in the next two rounds. At the end of nine rounds, the talley now stood with Aila in favor by one. They were just about to begin the next bout when the meal bell rang out. The crew members let out a mild groan, as the excitement on deck had reached a fevered pitch. The Captain, though, was not one to miss a meal, in spite of a good hearty competition, and officially concluded the match. Aila was declared the winner, but it had been a close and well fought fray. Talin was actually quite proud of himself and surprised by how well he had done, considering Aila’s previous training and superior The following days went by quickly, as Talin concentrated on absorbing all of the knowledge he could in the short time they had before landing at the Citadel. He divided his time between practicing his swordplay and learning basic shipboard procedures aboard a large vessel. The gunners showed him how a blast cannon works and even let him pull the firing lever, sending a shot harmlessly into a small stray chunk of rock that drifted by. During periods of rest in his cabin, he read his grandfather’s book repeatedly. Trying to commit to memory the Oath, codes and other seemingly important passages and excerpts. Before the final evening meal of the voyage, he took the now wilting wild flowers his cousin Janna had picked and put them between a folded sheet of waxed parchment he got from Chef Latrelle In celebration of the last night of the trip, Chef had prepared an enormous banquet. The crew were in their dress uniforms, and the Captain wore a fancy velveteen vest underneath an ornate coat with gold braid draped over and around the left shoulder. Upon the chest of the coat was an impressive row of award pins and service medals. He hailed Talin as he entered.
“Talin, my lad, this eve you stand at a crosswinds in your life. Behind you lay your past and your youth and before you lay your future and your destiny.
I must say, there’s a part of me that envies you and would jump at the chance to do it all again.”
The crew were in a spirited mood, talking and laughing boisterously among themselves, when Aila made her entrance in a light lavender silken gown, her dark brown hair drawn back and with fastened in a bow with a long piece of fine ribbon. Captain Ansak and the crew went silent, set down their mugs and rose with Talin following their example, as she gracefully passed and took her seat. Talin suddenly realized how pretty that Aila truly was, and was secretly thankful for the outfit his aunt and grandmother had made for him and having worn it tonight. The Captain remained standing as Talin and the crew were quietly seated.
“First off, as Captain of this ship,” he declared, “I want to thank all of you present and those on duty, for another splendid passage.”
“Knock twice on dry wood.” One of the crew murmured under his breath as a soft rap-rap sound was made somewhere under the table.
Ansak arched a heavy eyebrow, made a deep, gruff noise, as if clearing his throat and proceeded.
“As I was expressing, save for a spiteful misfortune that didn’t severely affect our journey, we have had fine weather, clear skies and good company.
We make port on Cartania on the morrow, to unload our cargo and resupply, as well as deliver to the gates of the Citadel my fair dove, Aila and young Master Talin, soon to be the prides of the Alliance! Fill your mugs and let us drink in salutation and tribute to them and to yourselves.”
They all drank deep, including Aila and Talin. It was a cool, light drink called gingermead that had a semi-sweet taste not unlike mint. It was very refreshing and went down smoothly. He refilled his mug and had another big quenching swallow. The myriad of delectable foods were numerous and plentiful, and Talin made it a point to sample everything. He had no idea what the meals were going to be like once he go into service, but he could be fairly certain that they would be nothing like this and he was resolved to savory it to it’s fullest. They ate, drank, joked and laughed merrily throughout the evening, with the Captain offering toasts and accolades at random intervals. Aila giggled intermittently, and Talin himself was feeling uncommonly giddy and light headed. His vision began to slightly blur in and The crisp night air felt good on Talin’s damp forehead and neck, and he breathed long and deep, trying to regain his bearings and his balance. Aila accompanied him over to the rail, each one helping to hold the other one up.
They steadied themselves against the railing and watched in serenity the last faint orange and purple glow of the diminishing sunset fade into darkness as the moon and stars came out to take it’s place in the skies overhead. Aila shivered lightly and Talin removed his coat and draped it around her shoulders. She smiled at him and pulled him in close, sharing the warmth of the coat.
“That gingermead can be a deceptive brew.” She contended, “My granduncle has only let me have small sips on rare occasions in the past, and I’ve never drank that much, prior to tonight. I suppose I over did it.”
“I guess I did, too. I’ve had my grandmother’s berry brandy before, bit it was nothing compared to this. To think what my Aunt Lennarra would say if she were to see me like this. Why, she’d give me a lecture that would go on for days. My head feels like it’s floating in a bucket, and my stomach’s tossing back and forth.”
“Mine as well. But as far as what your aunt or anybody else might think, remember that you’re about to fill the boots and uniform of a man in service. The Air Corps, no less. You’re a man now, and deserve to be considered as such. We just overindulged in one of the privileges of being an adult. I don’t know how they can ingest so much of that stuff, find their way to their bunks and still function the next morning like it was nothing.”
“As far as I’m concerned, I could lay down right here on the deck and go to sleep. I can tell you this, Aila, I don’t think I’ll be doing this again any time soon.”
“Nor do I. But I don’t think that we want to be discovered in the morning passed out next to the rail. Do you suppose we could make it to our cabins, or do you want to stay awhile longer?”
“I think I can make it.” Talin replied taking a deep, cleansing breath. He withdrew his half of the coat from his shoulder and put it about hers as they commenced back across the deck and inside were it was warm. Some of the crew still lingered in the around the table, and as Talin escorted Aila to her cabin they could just get a glimpse into the galley hall where Captain Ansak sat in his big, high backed chair with his head tilted back and slightly off to one side, his beard stained with food and drink and snoring thunderously. Aila looked at Talin and just shook her head in amusement.
“Like I said, I don’t know how they do it. Here’s your coat, thank you for letting me wear it. I can’t wait to just lay my head down and let the spinning go away. Unfortunately I don’t know of a remedy for this other than a generous dose of sleep. Good night, Talin, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night, Aila. The way I feel, it might not be until the afternoon.”
