The Dragon Chase: A Tale of the Everburning City

Chapter 32: Gerald

For a single moment, the first in his life, Gerald couldn't hear the Spire. Or the lift-bag. Or even the fires of the Salamander shots in his pockets.

Before this moment, he wouldn't believe that such a Craft could come from a mortal will.

Master!

"How?" Mia asked, from beside him. Gerald glanced at her, already understanding the wide-eyed, disbelieving expression she wore.

"That explosion should have ripped the ship apart," Mia added

"We can direct explosions," Gerald answered simply.

He didn't mention that an explosion like that would have done more than simply blast the ship apart. It would have wiped out most of a district. His own power still shook as he felt the fury in Tabitha's last assault, which had ripped a hole in the side of the ship and hurled the Dragon into the water.

It had taken more than a little of his own strength to keep the force of the explosion from breaking his own ship, even at this distance, and not being in the path of that monstrous Craft.

His master's ship now swung slowly just above the water, dangling at a precarious angle. He didn't need to inspect the ship to know that Tabitha's immense Craft had likely blown one or two of the tether chains apart.

He turned to Maxwell, who had relieved him at the helm. "Take us alongside the other ship! Close enough to board!"

Maxwell didn't respond, but the ship's propellers whirled to life, the swivel propellers turning to push the Songbird's bow towards the other ship.

"Lucille! I need to set their ship down! You and I are going over there! Amelian, once we're off, take the Songbird in a slow patrol, and watch to see if that Dragon tries to crawl back out of the water! Valen, have Cassidy assemble a detail to assist the other ship with emergency repairs!"

They all snapped at attention as he addressed them. Valen, who should be Secretary, Amelian, who would be Secretary, and even Lucille, whose job was to not follow his orders.

It worried him, he admitted to himself, that he was so comfortable with their obedience.

He paced impatiently, forced to idleness as the Songbird pushed against the wind to reach the other airship. Their plodding approach left him alone with his thoughts for the first time since the ship had taken off a few hours ago.

His master could still be alive. It wasn't simply wishful thinking on his part. The last explosion was her Craft. Unless she chose to make it happen, a Crafter's own will couldn't harm herself. And he, like this entire City, owed her the time it would take to confirm his suspicions, and look for her.

"You think she lived through that?" Lucille asked, from beside him.

"I hope so," he admitted before he glanced over and caught her expression.

Lucille was trying to keep her fears from showing, and Gerald appreciated that. But his shadow was afraid of what his master might be reduced to, if she lived through her fight. With that fear was a fresh understanding of what his master was capable of.

It was a possibility Gerald forcefully pushed away from his thoughts. Instead, he forced himself to inspect the damage done to the other ship.

One tether was broken. Some damage to the frame holding the lift-bag. Five Valkyries missing from what looks like an original complement of twelve. The hole in the hull ran along nearly half the length of the ship, and had breached the hull in the deck below.

But the breach didn't extend lower than that. The ship can still float.

As they drew alongside, he was only a little surprised to see Lucille leaping from the rigging along the lift-bag, with the winch cable in her hand. She landed with that unnatural grace of motion that made him wish he exercised more.