Love In A Sinking Realm ⊰BTS⊱ Steampunk

CHAPTER 3 ✑ A Young Captain

The brawny crew members, dressed in homogeneous uniforms, spared Jun and Selenya from the effort to carry the prince onto the ship. Yoon had already bounced back to work. They could hear his voice ordering sailoring argot, incomprehensible to Selenya, except for sporadic 'SET SAILS', or 'ALL HANDS TO STATIONS' and 'ENGINES TO THE READY' which could only mean that the ship was ready to depart.

As the engines grawled, the waters around the vessel babbled and lathered. Steam escaped from the vertical, long cylindrical exhaust punctured on the side of the quarterdeck. The smell of the sea filled their noses, winds glutting the sails and the figurehead of a blue phoenix aimed at the dazzling horizon.

Jun pulled Selenya by her hand and scooted up to the quarterdeck where the sailing-master piloted the ship.

"Wait a second, what about Jinghim?" she asked resisting him and craning her neck to spot the prince in the midst of the hubbub.

"Don't worry, they're taking him to the Surgeon."

"But, I'm an Alchemist, I can help!" she insisted trying to release herself from his grip.

"Our surgeon is as well as an Alchemist" a steady voice stated curtly.

Yoon showed up from behind them. He had platinum white hair tied in a high wispy bun. A purple silky scarf was fastened around his forehead, keeping turfs of hairs from getting in his cat-like, almond black eyes. A white baggy blouse, tucked in a tight belt of a pair of brown trousers, dangled loosely under a combination of leather armor covering his shoulders, forearms and knees. He had two pistol holsters on the side of his legs, one for a katana and several knives strapped to his boots. A spherical golden necklace, similar to the one Jun wore, hung on his bared chest.

"We could stay here and chat, or you could let me pass so I can do my job," he said with his distinctive impassive sharpness and signed for them to follow.

They obeyed, almost involuntarily, and cleared the staircase for him to pass. They looked at each other meaningfully, raising their eyebrows and shrugging their shoulders.

They had already put quite a distance from the harbor, when something collided on the navigational deck of the ship. If it weren't for the metal casing, the explosion would have obliterated every living thing around it. The craft fluctuated convulsively, flattening down the entire crew. Following the projectile, a downpour of bullets rattled on metal and wood, jabbing holes on the solar sails and killing a few unfortunate crew members.

"TAKE COVER!!!" bellowed Yoon and together with Jun, threw themselves on Selenya.

A pack of small military airships hovered in their direction. The crew scattered erratically around the deck, firing back with their pistols and preparing the ship's artillery.

"Jeez, guys! I'm not that helpless!!!" Selenya shouted irritably, finding herself once more under their weight.

"Get off!" hissed Jun elbowing his brother so he could be Selenya's primary shield.

The girl grunted and shoved both off of them instead, "Both of you get off!"

Yoon stood up, took one of his pistols, poked his head out of the metal casing of the bridge, placing his boot on the rail, and emptied all of his ammo on one of the crafts. Attempting to escape, the airship left a long smoking trace until it exploded mid air. The crew cheered.

"Mr MARSTON, GET TO THE LIGHTNING CANNON!" ordered the boy to a feline-humanoid sailor.

"Aye, Capt'n!"

"MS EDITH, ACTIVATE THE MAGNETIC SHIELD AND SECURE THE DECK!" commanded to a swarthy sailor-woman.

"Aye, sir!"

"LADS, WAIT FOR NY COMMAND!"

"AYE CAPTAIN," men and women billowed all at once in a sonorous unison.

Yoon turned to Selenya with a contradictory tender tone, "Cover your ears."

"FIIIRE!!!"

She pointlessly pressed her index fingers in her ears. Thunderous blasts, glaring flashes of blue lighting and smoke engulfing the ship, utterly overwhelmed her. Even Jun, eager to show off his brother in battle, was caught off guard by the deafening rumpus. They both found a corner to hide, squinting stupefied. Then the worse happened.

"CAPTAIN! THE MAGNETIC SHIELDS ARE MALFUNCTIONING, SIR!" Ms Edeth sounded through the racket.

Great, thought Selenya.

"BRING THE MECHANIC," Yoon yelled in response.

"HE HAS FALLEN, SIR."

Splendid, she thought again predicting Yoon's next command, since she happened to be an Inventor as well as an Alchemist's Apprentice.

"SELENYA, WE NEED YOUR HELP! JUN, GET YOUR BUTT UP AND COVER HER!"

"SHUT UP! I'M NOT STUPID!" snapped Jun standing up brusquely from his hiding spot.

"THEN WHY ARE YOU HIDING?!?" Yoon screamed back with a bestial expression while steering the ship.

"I'M NOT HIDING!"

"YES, YOU ARE!"

"NO, I'M NOT!"

"YES, YOU ARE!"

Selenya bravely endured the noise of cannon fire and the smothering smoke, took off her coat and lifted the sleeves of her shirt to an elbow length.

"NO, I'M NOT!!!" Jun's face became red as a tomato.

The girl rolled her eyes while delving in her bag, took a pair of heat resistant black leather gloves and wore them.

"YES, YOU ARE, YOU DAFT SACK OF SH---"

"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!!!" Selenya intervened fiercely before the two brothers could tear each other's throats in the middle of a battle, "Jun, let's go!"

The two of them, stooping and shielding their heads, went down the stairs and headed for Ms Edith on the side of the deck. She handed them a gear box and pointed at the tiny entrance of the engine room next to a smoking lever and a control-table full of buttons. Selenya frowned frustrated, pressed on several switches and descended down the hole. Jun squeezed in with her.

It was a scarcely illuminated narrow corridor of gears, pipes and tubes, sweltering heat and steam wafting all over their boots. Selenya felt Jun's breath bouncing on her neck while she slouched her way down seeking for the source of the issue. Explosions and gunfire kept erupting from uptop, rocking the ship and knocking them off balance. Regardless, Selenya ignored all of the commotion and focused on screwing a few nails, attaching misaligned pipes and pulling levers. Jun handed her the necessary gear while keeping her body steady.

After a couple of minutes of adjusting and fiddling with the machinery, the mechanism of the shield was successfully repaired. Jun and Selenya pushed for the exit when another quake shook the ship. This time it was Selenya's turn to fall on Jun, nose to nose and dangerously close to his mouth. She raised her torso up and hit the back of her head on a metal pipe causing white sparks of pain to fill her vision.

"Ouuuuh," she groaned dazed while struggling to dismount a flustered Jun.

"Oh, my gosh, a-are you okay?" he stuttered but was interrupted by the far away voice of a sailor.

"THEY'RE BOARDING THE SHIP! DRAW YOUR SWORDS!"

They stood up and climbed out of the hole. Selenya shut the metal door and pulled the lever to activate the shield. A glowing veil enveloped the entire vessel.

Jun drew his sword and flang himself in the battle, slashing, jabbing, kicking and punching ferociously. Selenya, with a steadier hand, reloaded her crossbow-pistol and shot several soldiers. Drew her sword, but a bullet darted. She dodged at the last second and it slivered her ear. Three soldiers changed towards her. Her vision became blurry. Pain stroke her like lightning, ears ringing...She barely heard Jun and Yoon screaming her name...Her legs abandoned her...The battle became a foggy mixture of smeared colors, until darkness fell like curtains...

Oh, bugger! I never asked for this..., she thought...all I wanted was to pass my Alchemy exam...