Pinnacchia - A Steampunk Fairytale (Complete)

Chapter Fourteen

It happened so quickly, that even Pin's sensors found it difficult to comprehend what took place. One minute Pin felt sensations that indicated that he was free-falling, heading straight towards the sandy beach below. The next minute, a click sounded and he was souring just above the surf, flying on his own pair of wings. He used his gyro-huzi-wotzit to guide himself above the waves, using changes in the air currents to lift him higher. Leaning right, he turned full circle, climbing higher into the sky. He looked at Spidie as the critter tapped his neck. Spidie tickled his ears climbing up his head and tapped on his goggles.

Pulling the goggles over his eyes, Pin used their magnification to see in greater detail schools of fish surfing the waves and and a flock of birds heading towards land. He could see for miles with them on. Spidie curled up in his shirt collar as they continued to climb higher on his wonderful wings. What a sight!

Pin turned to look at his new-found wings. They weren't very big considering his weight, but they did the job perfectly. They had come out of his backpack, folding out when Spidie released them as they fell. The wings folded up perfectly to fit into the space in his back pack, but once extended, they measured twice his height across. He couldn't determine the type of material they were made of, but believed them to be made of some kind of light-weight titanium alloy. His appreciation of Lord Peto's genius grew to new heights.

Pin leaned into his left shoulder, turning again. He found Lord Peto in Monstro lifting slowing above the village. The residents waved from their homes and fields. Many pointed at Pin flying around the massive balloon, cheering him on. Pin watched Lord Peto smile and waved to those below, so he too, smiled and waved, to whom, he wasn't sure, but wave he did.

'Pin, how marvelous that you found your wings.' Pin watched as his Pepe leaned over the edge of the balloon's wicker basket to yell at him. 'I must say, they work perfectly. Come, join me in Monstro, my giant of a hot air balloon.'

Pin circled, calculated his trajectory and lined himself up to land just above the basket. He pulled his wings in at the last minute, using momentum to land him in the right place. He crash-landed upside-down, his feet in the air and his hat covering his face, goggles and all.

Lord Peto laughed so hard that he landed on his bottom next to Pin in the bottom of the basket. There they sat, laughing with each other until Peto leaked tears.

'Ah, Pinnacchia, my boy. Well done!' he exclaimed. 'Now tell me, where has your grand adventure taken you, and how did you manage?'

Pin relayed to his Pepe the whole strange story, how he met Honesty, their trip to Skylands, the penny-farthing ride, the children's buffet, and the trouble they both got into. He spoke of Spidie's rescue, their trip through the belly of the city, and the children they escaped with. At long last, as the sun began its downward climb, Pin spoke of trying to find Lord Peto in his home, and how he discovered he had wings strapped to his back.

Lord Peto laughed again, clapping Pin on his shoulder. 'I am glad you are safe, and I am glad you made it back in time to see Monstro in all his glory,' They both looked up at the inside of the giant black balloon and its methane-fuelled engine. They slowly floated over the land while it was Lord Peto's turn to explain what he had been up to while Pin and Spidie were lost to him.

'It was actually this giant project that has kept me busy while you were on your grand adventures. You see when you did not return from the markets that day, I worried and fretted for days that something terrible had happened to you, and might I add that I had reason to worry. Something terrible did happen to you. I asked all over town for you until a sky-dock worker said he saw you and a little lady take passage to Skylands.

'It is a long story, but I had vowed many years ago never to set foot on that city again, but I just couldn't leave you there. So I got out the plans for this contraption and within days had it complete. I was just about to attempt a rescue of my own when you finally turned up. My boy, I am very proud of you, well done!' He hadn't stopped smiling since Pin and Spidie's return.