Chapter 2
“Iron eagles! Two! Incoming!”
The lookout perched atop the endrin had activated the loud-speaker array, and his voice was heard across the ship. The ship skimmed through the top of the clouds, bright skies overhead. Ahead, a vast mountain rose from the distant earth beneath them and extended above them.
Between them and the mountain, two monstrous birds swooped in fast.
Sergeant Nesbred roared, her voice projecting across the entire ship. “Rifleheads, form up!”
Camron rushed towards sergeant Nesbred, his boots clanging on the metal sheeting of the deck. He’d already been on patrol and was ready. His helmet had been on as it always was when he was on deck in the atmosphere. He had his aethershot rifle gripped tightly in both hands. He saw Tasharna rushing up from below, she hadn’t even had time to secure her helmet. He felt some satisfaction in being more prepared, even if it had just been coincidence.
Sergeant Nesbred waved them forward as she dashed towards the ship’s rail. “Tash, my grandmother runs faster and she’s a full six centuries older than you. MOVE it!”
Ironeagles were dangerous. He’d never faced one before, but he’d heard stories. Each bird had a wingspan almost as long as the deck of the frigate, and their feathers were made out of a stiff metal almost as strong as iron. Essentially, they were flying suits of armour with razor sharp wings and claws.
But … they generally weren’t aggressive. What was going on?
“Line up the eradicator aethercannon!” The voice of Captain Bondson rang out across the deck. “Fire when ready!”
The noise of the firing weapon smacked into Camron like a physical force. The shot just barely missed the closest of the eagles.
Sergeant Nesbred’s feet pounded the deck as she looked back at her squad. “Okay Rifleheads! Yerdun and Hasma, take the bow. Tash and Lorson, the stern. Camron, you’re with me in the middle. Don’t let it land on the deck, or we’re all going overboard! Other than that, fire at will!”
One of the ironeagles, the bigger one, swooped low over the endrin.
CLANG. The lookout went flying as the eagle knocked him from his perch above the endrin.
He swung from his security harness and slammed into the endrin. “Ahhhhh!” He screamed in pain.
The eagle flew overhead, and for a second the light of Hysh was blocked out and the craft was plunged into shadow.
The second one approached the boat but stopped short. It shrieked and beat its wings furiously, momentarily pausing in the air. Its wings caused a gust of wind. Sergeant Nesbred held onto the guard rail and popped a shot off with her customized double-barreled rifle.
Camron had no such luck. He hadn’t magnetized his boots and the draft caught him and heaved him back across the deck. He clattered into a heap.
Captain Bondson appeared in the middle of the deck. “GUNNERY! By all the indifferent gods in the realms, fire the cannon again!”
The belowdecks hatch slammed open and Malaida popped out. “Wait! Wait! Captain!” She tore off down the deck towards the captain.
A loud screech sliced through the air as the first iron eagle circled around preparing for another pass.
The captain spun on Malaida as she ran towards him. “What?” he demanded.
Getting back to his feet, Camron left the Captain and Malaida behind and hustled back to where Nesbred was facing off against the eagle.
His teeth gritted in excitement and his stomach fluttered with nerves. This was what he had dreamed of. To join in battle against the enemy of his ship and prevail. No matter that they were beasts.
The eagle lashed out with its talons. Nesbred stepped aside neatly and the talons sliced right through the guardrail. The claws raised again - the eagle looked like it was about to try to snatch Nesbred and rip her from the deck.
Cam raised his rifle, sighted through the aim, and fired. The ship must have rocked because not only had he missed the eagle, he’d nearly hit the sergeant! The eagle blinked and regarded Camron with unreadable inhuman eyes.
Sergeant Nesbred spared a quick glance over her shoulder before shooting again. The shot clanged into the eagle and knocked a few of the eagle’s metal feathers loose. They plummeted below. Falling like daggers rather than normal feathers.
“Starboard 45 degrees!” the captain yelled.
“Aye sir!”
The frigates he’d trained on would’ve taken a minute or two to change direction. But the Wind’s Oath was so nimble, the change was nearly instantaneous. It had turned further away from the mountain, giving it a much wider berth - easily a score of ship-lengths.
The bigger eagle made another pass and screeched at them, but it was high enough above the boat that it clearly wasn’t threatening.
With a caw, the one that had been facing down Nesbred turned and took off after the first.
They flew up into the light of Hysh, making it hard to make them out against the direct sunlight.
The ship continued on its heading, and the eagles didn’t descend again. When the ship had passed the mountain, Captain Bondson had them adjust bearing and they returned to their original course.
~~~
The mess hall was loud. Although frigates were large ships, there was nowhere below-decks that didn’t feel cramped and the mess was no exception. It was rammed with duardin and ale, the two a potent mixture.
Camron was sitting with Malaida and the other grundcorp Lorson, Hasma, Tasharna, and Yerdun. Camron had only been there five minutes and he was ready to leave already.
“What did ya say to the cap’n?” Tasharna leaned in close.
“Just that ironeagles are territorial. These didn’t seem hungry - it seemed like they were trying to scare us off, not hunt us! It made me think that we had stumbled into their home,” Malaida said. A tankard of ale in one hand, her other hand was raised, painting the tableau as if the others hadn’t all been there. She was luxuriating in her moment of glory. “The only place I could see that might have their next was that massive mountain jutting through the clouds.” She leaned back with a self-satisfied smile tugging the corners of her mouth. “I learned that flying the AetherGale with my pa.”
Yerdun grunted, clearly impressed. Camron scowled, he hadn’t seen Yerdun impressed yet. Certainly not by anything Camron had done or said.
Footsteps caused Camron to look over his shoulder. Sergeant Nesbred was there. “Camron, a word with ya.”
Camron gulped down the mouthful of ale that he had. It went down weird and he barely stopped himself from coughing all over the sergeant. He stood, grabbed his helmet, and followed her to the other end of the mess hall. His stomach felt like it was in his feet. Camron glanced behind him. The others turned back to their conversation, leaving the Sergeant to her business. She turned to Camron.
“Marine Camron,“ she said, her voice low.
Cam felt his stomach lighten. The interior of an airship was never that spacious, but there was also always background noise, and the rest of the crew wouldn’t be able to hear their conversation. The only thing worse than getting dressed down would be for the others to hear.
“Sir.” He said, sounding steadier than he felt.
“About that encounter.”
“The engagement with the iron eagles, sir?”
The sergeant sighed and removed her helmet. Her features were set in a serious expression. “That was an encounter. Lookout Voril suffered some minor bruising, we spent some ammunition, and that was it. No casualties on either side. That’s not an engagement.” She sighed again, sounding long suffering. “Look, I’ll get straight to the point. You need to be better.”
“I wasn’t expecting the gust from the wings Sarge. Next time I’ll grab the rail or activate the maglocks in my boots.”
“That I can almost forgive,” Sergeant Nesbred said, her voice sounded quiet amid the tumult of the room. “But you almost shot me! Where did you learn to shoot? That’s unacceptable.”
He’d always wanted to be a famous soldier, and a part of him knew that at some point he’d get dressed down by his superior. But this didn’t seem right. Where was the yelling? At least then he could tell himself that this was an act, designed to break him down before building him back up again. At least, that’s how his grandpa had described it working.
“You need to be better. It’s one thing to have room to grow and improve, we all do,” she said, “and I’m not so far removed from when I started as a fresh-eyed marine to have forgotten my own hard-won lessons.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.
“But,” she said, lowering her hand and staring at Camron again, “but, I can’t have a liability on my team. Be better.”
Camron’s stomach felt like it had fallen through his body, through the ship, and was plummeting towards the ground below. Whatever he was expecting, it was not this.
A moment silence stretched to two moments, then to four. Eventually, Nesbred went to put on her helmet again. “See you at shift,” she said, and left.
Camron felt his cheeks redden with heat. He didn’t turn back to the table. Didn’t want them to see his shame. He put on his helmet and strode woodenly out of the mess, leaving his half finished tankard on the table.
~ Go to Chapter three here.
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