Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-Eight — Towerhidden
Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-Eight — Towerhidden The Beaver circled around the tower. Not just to bleed off some speed, but because it let us snoop at the big tower and its surroundings, in case some not-so-neighbourly sorts of people were waiting to ambush us.That was mostly Bastion’s concern.I was looking forward to meeting the cry living in the tower.Or maybe it would be more accurate to say the cry that made up the tower.The entire top was a mushrooming cap of angular, bluish crystal, growing out and over the upper edge of the cylindrical tower. Every few meters around there were some arrow slits, but they were filled with jutting bits of blue crystal.“Looks clear,” Bastion said.“Same from this side!” Joe called out from where he was hanging off the other deck.Clive spun the wheel a little, then gently pushed one of the levers back up. The engine’s constant droning hum stilled, the Beaver slowing down a bunch. Finally, we started to rock a bit in the air. Without constant momentum pulling us ahead, and with the ship’s centre of gravity being somewhat high, we had a tendency to sway a bit.“We’ll get him settled, then come down a little until we can drop anchor,” Clive said. “We’ll be keeping our nose south.”I looked out ahead of the ship. “Isn’t that the direction we came from?” I asked the obvious.“Yes, and it’s a direction in which we didn’t see any adversaries,” Bastion said. “Good thinking, Clive.”“Not my idea,” the old harpy said. “Just some old common sense that’s been shared around.”With a whud, the anchor dropped onto the sandy ground around the oasis, Clive tugged back on a lever and the Beaver lowered down until the keep was hovering just a couple of metres over the ground.“Who wants to go down first?” I asked as I kicked the rope ladder down. It unfurled with a clatter and rattled against the hull before settling down.“Go ahead,” Amaryllis said. “This isn’t some unexplored land, so I hardly see any great glory in being the first to set their talon down.”I grinned and climbed down the ladder until I was a rung away from the earth. “That's one small step for a bun, one giant leap for bunkind.”“Broccoli, what on Dirt are you talking about?” Amaryllis asked.I looked up to see her half-contorted around to stare at me. “I’m having fun,” I said as I jumped back.Soon, all of my friends were gathered in the shade cast by the airship and its big balloon. Moonie didn’t take the ladder, on account of having no hands or legs or limbs at all, and just floated down to hover next to us.“Okay! Moonie, is there a proper way to greet a cry you haven’t met before?” I asked.“It’s customary to trade one’s full name, guest first. Other than that, there aren’t any customs I can think of, no,” the cry said.Just because Moonie couldn’t think of any customs, didn’t mean that there weren’t any. After spending so long on Dirt and meeting so many new people, I’d come to expect them to behave strangely compared to what I was used to.“Let’s go say hi then,” I said after translating what Moonie had said. “And let’s try to remember to be polite!”“Why were you looking at me when you said that?” Amaryllis asked.“Coincidence?”“You do know I’m the only one here with any sort of diplomatic training,” she said.“Awa, I have some,” Awen said. “It’s part of being a lady.”“As do I,” Bastion adds. “Paladins often escort diplomats, and royalty, for that matter.”I tapped my chin. “Well, I don’t have an education in being diplomatic, but I have convinced dragons not to eat villages, made deals with nobles of different countries, befriended princesses, and I can be real convincing sometimes.”Amaryllis pouted, which really didn’t suit her.“But, uh, I’m sure you’re really good too, Amaryllis,” I said.“Oh, stop it,” she mumbled. “Let’s go say hello to the sentient rock.”I shared a look with Awen, and we both giggled quietly before following Amaryllis.The tower was pretty impressive from the ground, an imposing brick pillar that rose up twice as tall as the Beaver, balloon and all. The bricks around it were shaved on the outside, giving the tower a smooth look, at least where they weren’t bulging out a little.The closer I got, the more I noticed the cracks and broken sections of the tower. For all that it was very impressively built, it was less-impressively maintained.“Where’s the door?” I asked.“There’s an opening there,” Awen said as she pointed to the side. “I saw it on the way down.”We walked around the base, giving the tower a fair amount of distance, in case some bit of it chose that moment to come tumbling down to bonk one of us on the head. When we reached the door, we all paused, no one taking the first step.“Whelp, nothing for it!” I cheered as I bounced ahead. The door was a solid plank of wood, with some iron reinforcements across it giving it strength.I knocked, of course.“Hello! My name is Broccoli, and I’m here with some friends. Is anyone home?”There was a long moment of silence before a bong like someone firing a rifle at a gong sounded out. “Who are you?”I folded my bun ears way back, shielding them from the noise. “Uh, hi! I’m Broccoli, Broccoli Bunch. Captain of the Beaver Cleaver. These are my friends.” I gestured behind me, assuming that the cry that had spoken could see up somewhat.Amaryllis caught on first and stepped up with a slight bow. She presented herself, then Awen did the same, and finally Bastion.Moonie hovered closer to the tower, and even though the cry was expressionless, I could feel some trepidation bleeding off of it. “Greetings, great one. I am a Shard of Mountaintopper’s Growth, Fourth Shard, and not Yet Whole. We come in peace, to share our song.”If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.Stepping back a bit, I shared Moonie’s words with the others.“Can you understand the... tower as well?” Amaryllis asked.“It’s a bit loud, but yeah,” I replied.On cue, the tower chimed again. “I am Towerhidden.”No elaborate name, and no mention of titles and shards. Maybe that was because it had a proper name?Moonie seemed reluctant to speak, so I grinned up to the tower and tried to look as friendly as I could manage with my neck straining back. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Towerhidden. You have a very nice tower. Is it your home?”“It is,” Towerhidden replied. The pride in its voice was obvious, and also very loud. I stumbled back a bit, then worked my jaw to stop the ringing.“Cool, cool. Um. We came here to bring Moonie to safety. They’re a cry from the Crying Mountains who are being chased by other, much ruder cry.”“And what crime did they commit?”I glanced at Moonie, looking for a sign that the cry wanted me to answer that for them. Instead, they hovered closer. “We were born broken, too independent. I... I am me. Too much so.”“I see. Not an uncommon thing. And the one who helped you escape?”“Couldn’t Moonie escape on their own?” I asked.“No. They are too weak.”I frowned. That was rude. It might maybe have been right, but it was still rude.“Shard of Waterwatches Compassion, Third Split and One Whole. They saw our plight, and nurtured us in the mountain. When it became clear that we would be unable to grow into a proper cry, they assisted us, bringing me to the Grey Wall, and hiring this soft one and her crew.”“We know of Shard of Waterwatches Compassion, Third Split and One Whole. They have brought many to this island.”“And no one is stopping them?” I asked.Moonie shook from side to side. “It is their compassion that leads them to act that way. Though they are only just whole, they are acting upon their progenitor’s instinct to protect and save. No cry can fault them, even if they disagree.”That was... well, it was weird. The cry really didn’t think the way a human would.“I suppose I only have to welcome you to the Lonely Island then. It is a quiet place on most days. The Monocorn graze to the north, and to the north and west is a small settlement of soft ones. Perhaps, if you wish, you may station yourself there to grow. They can be quite agreeable.”Moonie shifted. “I... I do like soft ones. Perhaps I will. Thank you for the welcome, Towerhidden.”Was that it? Moonie didn’t need to eat, and they didn’t need clothes and such, so were we just going to leave them here?“I must know. Were you followed on your way here?” Towerhidden asked.“Just out of the Grey Wall,” I said. “Some cry in rocket-powered planes attacked us. Other than that, though, no, I don’t think we were followed.”“You may want to reconsider that.”I spun around and looked to the south, ears bouncing back up straight as I squinted at the horizon and looked for... anything, really. There were some clouds, but nothing visible. “I can’t see anything.”“See what?” Bastion asked as he turned.“Towerhidden implies that we were followed,” I said.“My sight is greater than your own, soft one,” Towerhidden chimed in. “There are ships coming, three of them.”“What do they look like?” I asked.“I do not know much of the ships small ones use, but there are trailing great gouts of black smoke.”“Rocket-powered airships?” I asked. That sounded... really terrible.“We should go,” Bastion said.“Right,” I said. “Uh, this feels wrong, just leaving.”Moonie bobbed up and down, then paused. “Would... would I be asking too much to come with you? Only as far as the settlement to the north? Perhaps if I am seen leaving the ship, they will not chase you.”“I can assist,” Towerhidden said. “I do not want my location being divulged, but I can still assist. Reach Mistrust, and you will find aid waiting for you.”“Mistrust?” I asked.“The town of soft ones to the north. Go. I don’t wish the shards from the Crying Mountains around my tower.”I looked at my friends, then gestured to the Beaver. “We should get going,” I said.“One moment,” Towerhidden said. “Shard of Mountaintopper’s Growth, Fourth Shard, and not Yet Whole, I have something which I wish to give you. A missive to be passed on.”I gestured for my friends to go. I could catch up. And I sorta wanted to snoop into the tower while I was here.I didn’t get to see much. The door opened, and within was a cavern-like space, lined with bluish crystals that reflected light from every direction like an unmoving kaleidoscope. Moonie moved in, and I heard the tower hum and chime, but I couldn’t understand anything for a moment. Just as quickly as they entered, Moonie was out with a scroll, of all things, hovering next to them.“Got everything?” I asked.“I do,” Moonie said.“Neat! Bye, Towerhidden! I’d give you a goodbye hug, but I don’t have time to go all the way around and hug you equally.”“I fail to understand.”“That’s okay too,” I said. Poor Towerhidden. Didn’t know what he was missing. “Stay safe!”I sprinted back to the Beaver. The crew, my friends, were already running around and getting the airship ready to take off.Hopefully this next stretch of the adventure wouldn’t hurt our ship any more than it had been already. I hopped a few times, then bounced up and onto the deck. “Alright everyone! Let’s get ready to set sail!”“That’s what we’re doing, you unobservant idiot,” Amaryllis said.“Oh, right.”
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Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-Nine — They're Going the Distance!
Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-Nine — They're Going the Distance! The Beaver was, in my humble and ill-informed opinion, the best ship.We were making good time sailing across the Lonely Island. Clive set the engine to a speed that wasn’t so fast we'd need to worry about overheating in the long run, but was still much faster than usual. It strained the ship a little, but I knew the Beaver could handle it just fine.That was, if the ships behind us didn’t catch up.I stood on the aft castle at the rear, eyes straining to make out the tiny pinpricks way out in the distance. Towerhidden had to have good eyes. Or maybe... well, they were a giant eye-less crystal, so whatever they used for seeing had to be good. I couldn’t see anything but three faint pinpricks.“Ah, Broccoli?” Awen asked as she climbed up the steps to join me.I half-turned and grinned at her. “Hey! I’m trying to see the baddies before they get to us. Not that they’re necessarily baddies. I guess just... hmm, misunderstood? At a cultural crossroads with our own way of thinking and our current goals?”Awen giggled. “I think it’s okay to call them baddies.”“I don’t know. You start calling people baddies, and the next thing you know, whatever they do you see in a bad light. It’s a great way to listen less.”“Well, maybe if you could see them better, that wouldn’t be a problem,” Awen said. She eyed the deck for a moment, then pulled her hands out from behind the small of her back. “Here.”She was holding up a tube. A cylinder of what looked like worked brass, with some sort of guiding rod on one side with little screws next to it, the sort that ended in knobs. It was about the size of a soda can, but looked like it could expand.“Is that a telescope?” I asked.Awen nodded. “It’s a spyglass. It’s not perfect; the focus is a bit hard to handle, and the adjustments are a bit fiddly, but, well... I hope you like it?”She pushed it towards me, so I grabbed it, then I grabbed Awen and gave her the best thank-you hug I could manage. “This is so cool!” I cheered. “Thank you!”Awen laughed. “You’re welcome!”I pulled back and immediately brought the spyglass up-calling it a spyglass was also way cooler-and I tried to sight it on the ships in the distance. I had to extend it, of course, which made a satisfying clunk sound. Awen was right; the spyglass was a bit fiddly, but I figured it out and was able to make out the three ships following us in much greater detail.All three of them were much bigger than the Beaver. Or at least, they were wider. They had a long, flattened balloon, likely to keep it a little bit more aerodynamic, and their entire foresection was thin and wide. There couldn’t be any space for rooms beneath.Maybe that made sense, if cry didn’t need sleeping quarters and food and such. Rooms to handle that stuff would all be wasted space, so their airships just didn’t have anything like that.Instead, they had what looked like large ballistae on their front deck.“That looks like trouble,” I said.“May I?” Awen asked.I passed her the spyglass, and she looked through it, then adjusted it a tiny bit. “Oh, those look dangerous.”“And the cry onboard can probably do the laser thing,” I said.Awen passed the spyglass back, and I glanced through it again. Either she’d adjusted it better, or the cry ships were a whole lot closer. The image was much clearer, which didn’t inspire much confidence.“I don’t want to have to fight them,” I said.“I don’t think it’ll come to that,” Awen said. “At least, I hope not. I only have a dozen good bolts left, and a bunch of plain ones. Those ships look more dangerous than what we can take on. Maybe if there was only one?”“I can’t think of a way to split them up,” I admitted. And even just one would probably be enough to cause all sorts of trouble.“You’ll figure something out,” Awen said.“Yeah,” I replied. I hoped that she was right.Turning, I collapsed the spyglass, then looked for a place to stow it. My bandoleer had one pouch that was just big enough, so I emptied the emergency tea I had in it and tucked the telescope away for the moment.“Clive!” I called as I walked closer to the harpy pilot. “Is there anything we can do to move faster?”“Unless we do some downright dangerous things to our engine, I don’t think so,” Clive said. “Are they catching up?”“They are,” I said. “And they look like they’re way better armed than we are. I think we could take one of them on, but not all three.”“Aye, I understand, captain,” Clive said. “I don’t know how reasonable they are.”“What do you mean?”Clive rubbed a talon under his chin. “Pirates often want the booty aboard a ship more than they want the crew dead. It’s bad form to steal, but far worse form to kill for things. A captain ought to know when to surrender their cargo to keep the crew safe and hale, but I don’t think they’re after any cargo.”I chewed on my lower lip. They were after Moonie.Surrendering the cry wasn’t an option, of course. That would be just so mean. At the same time, we couldn’t fight back well enough to scare them off.“I don’t know what to do,” I said.Clive reached down and pushed the throttle up just a pinch. The engine roared just a tiny bit louder. “We’ll get you a bit more time,” he said.I nodded. “Thanks, Clive. Awen! Can you check on the engine, make sure it’s still running fine?”“Aye, aye, Broccoli!” Awen said before running off.“There’s a town ahead!” Joe called from the front of the ship.I ran over, leaning against one of the Beaver’s figureheads to see out ahead. Joe was right; there was a town. Nothing too big. Maybe something between Insmouth and Needleford in size. Not a town, but not quite a city yet. No port that I could see, and a lot of trees all around it.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.I tugged out my spyglass again, and squeezed an eye shut to take in the town in more detail.The houses looked like they’d all been built by one of two people. Some were squat stone buildings, others were much taller and made of wood. They at least shared the same roofing material. It made sense, if both cervid and sylphs had joined up here, then they’d both build homes in the way that they were most comfortable with.Then I noticed the towers in the centre of the town. Some five of them, with familiar bright blue dots around them that could only be more cry.“Right, I need Moonie,” I said.I had something of a plan, and not very much time to implement it.Awen, Amaryllis and Bastion soon joined me, along with a pile of tarp. When I was done explaining my idea, the three of them looked skeptical, but not altogether doubtful. I figured that meant that we had a good chance of succeeding.“It’s stupid,” Amaryllis said. “But it’s the kind of stupid that might work.”“I’ll do my best,” Awen said. “But there’s really not much time.”I nodded, understanding. “Your best is all I can ask for, Awen, and as for the other part, that’s only if Moonie agrees,” I said.Which meant explaining things to the cry in question. I left my friends above, where Amaryllis recruited the Scallywags to help her with her bit of the plan, then ran down to the deck below. Moonie was hovering in the dining room, a book floating before them.“Hey,” I said.“Hello, captain,” they replied.“So, we have a plan. It’s not a very good one, but it’s better than nothing. How good are you at hovering?”“I am capable enough,” Moonie said. “Though it depends on the circumstances.”“And if the circumstances are jumping off the side of the Beaver to land in the middle of a town?”“We... might not be that capable. We can slow down a fall, certainly, but we need something to push off of, and to orient ourselves. A more whole shard would be able to hold in place, though at the cost of great mana. As is, we can hover here by anchoring ourselves to the room. It takes less mana than we naturally regenerate.”“Okay,” I said. “Next question, do you know what a parachute is?”“No?”“Well then! I think you’re about to find out!”We returned to the top deck to find Awen sitting on the ground with a bunch of tools laid out around her. She had a few tubes out already, and more items that looked like a jumble of rods held together with wire and a few screws.“Ah, Moonie, I need your help,” Awen said as she bounced to her feet. “Can you fire a laser out? What’s the range of your laser attacks?”“The range is limited based on the amount of mana used,” Moonie said. “The more I use, the further it goes, but even then, the beam will dissipate after some distance.”“Lightning magic does the same,” Amaryllis said. “It’s only partially natural, and the attack will either ground itself, or just fizzle out once it’s outside of the caster’s range of control.”Awen nodded. “Can you fire a normal attack? Just out in the air.”Moonie bobbed up and down, then I felt a faint stirring in the air, and a reddish beam lanced out. It travelled a good fifty or so metres before it sort of faded away, losing its colour and becoming a blur in the air that went on for a little ways longer.“So that’s why they’re not shooting at us now,” I said.“Long-range magic is complicated,” Amaryllis said. “And mana-intensive. Spells that are held together without contact with the caster can travel much farther. A fireball will outrange a beam-like attack nine times out of ten.”“Huh,” I said. I wondered what that meant for ship-to-ship combat and the like. Fireballs weren’t that fast, after all. Maybe that was why ballistae were preferred over hiring a good mage.“Can you try with this?” Awen asked as she raised her tinkered-up device to Moonie. It was basically three glass discs held in place with three metal rods that had holes cut into them and screws fitted through those. “This is Broccoli’s idea, but I think it might work.”Moonie’s magic grabbed onto the focus and spun it around. “What do I do with this?” they asked.“Shoot the laser through it,” I said.The cry aimed the device out towards the empty sky and fired.The beam scattered, travelling all of a metre as a wide unfocused burst.“Ah, let me see that,” Awen said. She tugged out one of the bits of glass with a few twists of a screw, then frowned a moment before a new disc formed over her palm and she tucked it in. “Try with this.”Moonie fired again, and this time the beam was a lot tighter, though it did fire off at an angle. Still, I guesstimated that it had travelled quite a bit farther. “I think it’s working,” I said.“I’ll calibrate it some more,” Awen said. “We don’t have a lot of time to figure out what’s optimal though, and I have to make a bunch of these.”I patted her on the back. “Do what you can,” I said before jumping over to where Amaryllis was trying to direct the Scallywags. The parachute they were making looked... somewhat functional. A bunch of cords connected to a round-cut sailcloth with a little hole in its middle. The cords converged on a rope harness that Oda was stringing together with surprising ease.“This thing looks like a mess,” Amaryllis said. “I understand the principle of it, but still.”“Moonie can mostly slow themselves down, I think,” I said. “This just needs to slow them down a little more than that. It’s aiming them towards the centre of town that’ll be tricky.”“This plan is stupid; I have said that, right?”“You did,” I replied, “but maybe it’ll work!”“Hmph,” she said. “We’ll see.”
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