Zen stared out the port window as the Deadlands came into view once more. Nothing had changed. It was just as barren as before. She tapped her Comm and all she got was static.
“What’s so interesting out there?”
She shrugged and turned to the speaker. Stephan was gazing at her with cool eyes. She smiled and blew a lock of hair from her face. “Nothing exactly. I was curious about how a volcano would look like.”
He grinned. “We’re not there yet, silly. The volcano that is. I’ll tell you when we are.”
She smiled. “Promise?”
“Promise. It should take us another hour at least. You should at least rest a little. That jungle wasn’t easy on you.”
She punched his shoulder. “What are you saying? You carried me halfway! If anyone should be resting it should be you, Captain.
He rubbed his shoulder. “You’ve got an arm on you Zen. That stung!”
She grinned. “And don’t you forget it waterboy,” she said walking off to where Edline was sketching on her favorite sofa.
###
“Hard thing to forget,” he muttered watching her bend down and talk with his sister about her sketch. Both giggled. He sighed and walked back to the cockpit. Now that I know how hard she hits as a joke, I don’t want to find out how she hits her enemies...and with Mira? Well, she probably won’t take that well but I don’t want Mira in any way shape or form...ever!
He sat in the pilot’s chair and grabbed the steering gear, taking the ship off the auto flight. After an hour he switched the auto back on and went to find Zen. They would fly over Kuja in ten minutes. He found her sitting across from Edline on a settee and giving the girl pointers while drawing in her sketchbook. He tapped her on the shoulder “It’s time,” he said and Zen nearly jumped out of her seat dragging him to the port window.
At first, all that could be seen was steam but then the steam clouds parted and Kuja was revealed in all her glory. She wasn’t a tall mountain but a large cavernous sinkhole of bubbling lava in the ground. They flew pretty close to it and she could see the cracks that led from the sinkhole and down to the blackened valley. They flew by Old Faithful, the geyser who now spewed venomous acid water instead of pressurized water. All around them, the wilderness was charred black from the explosion of Kuja.
There was the mega eruption of 2436 and then there were the smaller eruptions of 2776 and 2938. It was still active today. The scientists thought that after the mega eruption, it wouldn’t erupt till 4036 but they had been wrong and the early settlers had learned of their mistake and moved to a less hostile environment. Right now the volcano was situated in a small calcified ash mountain which was gradually growing and giving it volume. It had been called Kuja by the nomads and so remained with that name since no one else ventured onto the poisoned land.
“I’m going to draw this,” Zen whispered awed by the raw magnificence of nature.
Stephan grinned. “You are pretty good at capturing the details. Wait till we land and you see where the Yuka live,” he said walking back to the cockpit.
Zen faced him smiling one hand cocked on a hip “Are we getting ready to land Captain?”
“Yeah, You better sit and hang on. It’ll be a bit bumpy coming in. Where is your brother?”
“Wherever your brother is probably. Those two are tight as thieves these days.”
Stephan nodded and kept walking to the cockpit.
###
Isaias was standing by the engine as Marco watched Val work on the star generator with his abilities. He would have been jealous of how much attention Marco was giving Val if he wasn't sure Val loved Marek too much to cheat on him. Then again with pirates you never knew. He inched closer to Marco who was staring at Val’s hands with rapt attention. They were covered with a pale silver glow.
“So you just piece the generator back together,” he asked, shifting towards Isaias slightly.
Val nodded. “As a metal elemental I can understand metal like no one, else partly why the Yuka like me so much.”
Marek tapped on the hull door. “We’re about to land. Captain has ordered everyone to their seats. Us included honey boo. You remember what happened last time we attempted to land on Kuja right?”
Val dropped his hands and nodded. “We almost didn’t.” He turned and followed Marek out before turning back to Marco and Isaias. “Both of you sit down on the nearest thing and buckle up. The SMVK was not made to land on volcanic grounds,” he warned before disappearing out the door to get Skin. Marco stared at Isaias before both rushed out the door and were met with the crew sitting down in the common room.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Zen had moved to occupy the same sofa as Edline and all their drawing supplies had been stashed away in their dimensional pockets. Kiera and Val shared the couch so they took the last sofa. Stephan and Marek were flying this thing in the cockpit. Isaias noticed that there was a green belt around the others and searched the sofa until he found his own green belt. Sliding it in place over himself and Marco, he relaxed. How bad could the landing be?
###
Stephan took hold of the steering gear.
“Steady. You know what happened last time,” Marek warned.
“Yeah! We were lucky the Yuka and Val could fix the Generator in a month! I know Marek! You don’t have to lecture me on it!”
“Then why are you holding the steering gear so rigid? That’s what got us into the accident in the first place!”
Stephan loosened his grip on the joystick and breathed a sigh. He turned to face Merek. “Better?”
“I’ll feel safe when we have landed. Ready for this Captain?”
Stephan took another breath and nodded.
“Let’s get ready to tangle with a volcano then,” Marek muttered and Stephan pressed lightly on the joystick steering the SMVK to the left. The steam was fogging up the windows but he could still make out the landing strip the Yuka used for their aircraft.
“Here we go,” he muttered pressing down on the joystick. Slowly the ship began to descend.
“Uhoh”
Stephan looked at Marek. “What do mean Uhoh?”
“Kuja doesn’t look too happy S. I think we’re about to fly through one of her explosions. See the rivers of lava spewing from her? They just turned violent.”
“You know I can’t see squat!”
“Just keep flying and don’t stop!”
Kuja gives a big bellow and begins to foam at the mouth.
“Oh, shit! Fly!”
Kuja erupts with a giant lurch and Stephan leans left nearly running into a lava spray from her smaller craters. The ship begins to shudder as little rocks pelt it from the outside.
“Evasive maneuvers!”
Stephan grabs the joystick and leans in.
###
Zen and the others are holding on as the ship begins to weave through the debris outside. Still, the ping on the hull reminds them of the rainforest.
“Are we being shot at again,” asked Isaias as he hung on to his chair, as the ship took a steep dive, then began weaving again. Beside him, Marco looked a little green. He hoped Marco could hold it in.
Kiera shook her head. “The volcano must have erupted and what we are flying through is the debris.”
A huge rock fell on the wing denting it slightly. The ship lost altitude. Val glowed silver and spread his arm in the direction of the bent wing. Outside the wing straightened and the SMVK gained altitude. At the same time, the volcano erupted again.
“Val you know what using your abilities near Kuja can cost us,” Kiera said crossing her arms.
Val scratches his head. “Oops sorry.”
Kiera nodded as the ship began to weave again.
Isaias narrowed his eyes. “What happens if he uses his abilities?”
Kiera turned to him. “Being a metal elemental, Val can set off the volcano. Something inside metal elementals resonates deep with the Earth’s core and can set off a volcanic eruption. That’s why the Yuka both adore and fear him.”
“So he’s causing us to go topsy turvy?”
“Not the first time,” muttered Val as he sat twiddling his large thumbs.
Zen glared at her brother. “It doesn’t matter if he caused it or not Isaias, it matters that we get passed it! Besides he can’t help it any more than you can help disappearing in the dark so back off!”
Isaias wilted from Zen’s glare and tried to hide behind Marco who sighed. “No way buddy. You face your sister alone. I want no part of it. Besides she’s right you know.”
Isaias pouted and crossed his arms turning to face the other side.
“Don’t give me the cold shoulder for being right Isaias. I can be just as mean,” Marco whispered and Isaias’s eyes widened at Marco’s proximity. He turned to say something and instead banged heads with Marco when the ship jerked.
“Oof!”
“Oow!”
Zen snickered and lay back in her chair, one arm around Edline who had stopped sparking and was enjoying the ride. Skin was safely in its terrarium in a separate seat sleeping.
###
Stephan sighed bringing the ship up. He thought the worst was over and then the heavy ash began to fall and clog the engine. All sorts of lights began to flash and he gulped as they began to lose altitude.
“What now,” screamed Marek as he grabbed his steering gear and tried to stabilize the ship by restarting the thrusters. It didn’t work
“The thrusters are too clogged by the ash to work Marek. I’m going to have to wash the ash out. Keep the ship as steady as you can. Once we reach the appropriate altitude, pull out the landing gear.”
“We’re going too fast, Stephan! We’ll be lucky if all we lose is the engine this time!”
“Just do it, Marek!”
“But!”
Stephan undid his seatbelt and stood rushing out of the cockpit and into the common room. Passing everyone, he headed towards the storage room and came back with a harness and some rope. He turned to Val. “I’m going to need your help on this Val. The engine’s full of ash and if I don’t wash it off we’re going to crash.”
Val undid his seat belt and walked off to help Stephan. Zen watched as he got into the harness and gave the rope to Val, before opening the hatch and stepping out into the flurry of ash.