The Dragon Chase: A Tale of the Everburning City

Chapter 28: Amelian

"All hands!" Amelain shouted as she stepped into the middle of the deck. The crew grew quiet and attentive almost immediately.

Poor fools were scared, Amelian acknowledged silently as she scanned the crowd that now gathered around her.

"The Dragon has slipped past the other airship and is on its way to the Bore. If it is allowed to achieve its aim, the City will go dark. This ship, and every soul on it, are all that stand in its way."

"We plan to lure it into close range, and hit it hard enough to drop it into the water. Corporal Vascel, choose a detail and move the starboard Valkyrie and its ammo to the port side. Sergeant Lancet, Valen will require your assistance. Flight crew, Maxwell will have deployment orders. Everyone else, arm up. Salamanders and extra rounds."

Amelian paused and was slightly unnerved that every eye on the ship was still watching her. So she reached into her training, grinned, and added, "Ss of right now, we're the City's only defence, so screw-ups will not be tolerated."

One of the engineers raised his hand. Raised his hand, like he was in school. Good grief. She nodded to him, and he asked, "Is that different from normal somehow?"

The entire crew started laughing. Rich and rancorous, Amelian was surprised to see even Valen break decorum and join in. She looked up to the wheel house, where Gerald grinned and waved. Lucille, still with a knife held lazily in her hand, only shrugged when their eyes met.

Amelian smiled and chuckled to herself. "No," she admitted, "It's not. To your stations!"

"End of the world is easier with orders to follow, isn't it?" Valen asked, grinning.

"It really is," Amelian laughed. She glanced back up at Gerald again, and added, "Poor bastard."

Valen saluted and marched away, meeting up with the newly promoted Sergeant Lancet. She quickly directed him to the railings, with one of the lanterns, pointing towards a building in the City below.

She turned away after a moment and took the opportunity to take out her spyglass and watch the Dragon's progress.

And found she didn't need to. She could make out distinctive shapes in the mass of flames, and the billowing mass of fire that swirled with every beat of its immense wings.

"Get that Valkyrie moving!" she shouted as she dashed over to where Mia was still unlatching the cannon's mount. Despite the six people attempting to lift the gun, two of whom were Samuel and Barnes, they couldn't get the wheel-mount over the makeshift guard that kept the gun from rolling further onto the deck.

"Gun's ash-seared heavy," Mia cursed, as Amelian joined them. "We need to cut away the guard."

"We don't have time to do that!" Amelian hissed, just before a hand set itself on her shoulder.

Lucille stepped past and drew a Salamander round out of her pocket. She held it up over her head for a moment, and Amelian saw the end of the shot begin to hiss and spit out a small lance of bright blue flame.

"You're a Crafter?" Amelian asked, as Lucille turned the burning Salamander shot and pointed it at the metal. The fire cut through the metal rapidly, and it took only moments for her to cut through the entire rail.

"Gerald's doing this. Said it was easy," Lucille remarked, as she began to cut through the other end of the rail. It clattered on the deck a moment later, and Lucille kicked it away. "Show-off."

They wheeled the Cannon across the deck in a headlong rush, driven to a frenzy by the crackling thunder of the Dragon's wings. It took only a few moments to set the Valkyrie a few feet away from the other gun, and Amelian took the opportunity to step back and look up.