Adventuresome

Chapter 19

Lilliana was still wide awake when Perrin entered the cabin. Caught up in worries and plans, she found sleep elusive. Rather than try and talk about any of this, she decided against speaking up while Perrin moved around the room.

Her thoughts chased around her head until the airship pitched sharply to one side. Perrin was sent flying out of her cot and Lilliana rolled hard into the cabin wall.

"The hell was that?" Perrin shouted.

The whole ship was stuck listing at an angle. Disoriented, Lilliana stood up and steadied herself against the back wall.

Dominick, are you hurt?

"Fret not about me, girlie." The wind spirit said in her head. His voice was prompt but strained.

Far from comforted, she turned to Perrin. The desert wanderer was letting off a constant stream of curses under her breath while she buckled on her weapons' belt and harness.

"Are you expecting a battle?"

"With that bastard who the hell knows? I knew, I knew something would happen. I don't trust that filthy beast of a man with his ugly, hairy face. I don't trust him one bit.

"Wait, wait. Who are you talking about? General Tancred?"

"What? No. That damn Captain Rill."

The airship trembled beneath their feet and tilted further to the side. Lilliana felt a surge of family pride rise in her gut. "Captain Rill? You don't trust him? He's been a friend to my family for two decades."

Perrin let out a snort, loosening the giant sword sheathed over her shoulder.

"You do trust him?"

"Of course!"

"Good luck with that." Perrin said, before walking with remarkable ease out the door despite the slant of the deck.

With far more difficulty, Lilliana followed after. She clung to the doorframe when she saw outside the cabin. The sky was filled with the colors of dawn, but the ship hung at a crazy angle to the horizon. One slip on the deck could send her sliding down, over the railing, and into the open air. Below, the ship hung over a darky, murky mass of marshland.

In the center of the deck, Perrin was standing with her feet planted firmly, her enormous sword in her hands. Standing across from Perrin was Captain Rill.

"Captain Rill!" she shouted, "What has happened to the ship?"

"Technical difficulties, Lady Lilliana. Return to your cabin."

"Don't listen to him, Lilliana." Perrin added, not taking her eyes off the captain.

She looked from one to the other, and then up to the sail above their heads.

"Dominick!" She cried into the wild wind blowing around the ship. The whole ship shuddered again. She felt like the airship was going to break apart. The tilt increased and even Perrin lost her footing on the changing angle. The sky and the ground were horribly steady compared to the turning ship. The wind was strong around the ship but the sails hung limp and useless. "Dominick what's happening?"

Blue light flared through the air, like lighting charges crashing around the ship. The sails filled with air for a moment and the ship struggled to right itself. Before it could do so, flames erupted at the base of the mast. Perrin dived out of the way just barely in time. Captain Rill also threw himself backwards so that the mast crashed down in front of him.