Stephan climbed his way up the wing and balanced himself on the tip before slowly walking down their slope towards the large thrusters. He hissed as the heat of the volcano hit him with the force of a freight train. His skin burned in places. He put up a water barrier and continued feeling relief from the water. Little rocks pelted his shield as he inched closer to the stuck thrusters. He knelt and continued to crawl to them til he was just above the thrusters. Pulling water from the atmosphere wouldn’t do which was why he had brought a few water bottles to collect water from. He unscrewed a water bottle and let the water settle on his hand. Then he led it to the thrusters and gently washed the ashes out of the propellers. It took two water bottles and thirty minutes to clean the mess.
He tapped his ear. “Marek try the thrusters now.”
The thrusters gave a whirl and Stephan had to move back as they came back to life.
“We’re back in business,” he heard Marek yell through the comm.
He smiled and began crawling back to the wing where he stood again. He began walking back to the footholds that were beside the wing but then the ship tipped to the left sending him rolling forward. He managed to hold onto the tip of the wing with his fingertips.
###
Zen had undone her seatbelt and was watching Stephan’s return when the ship tipped almost throwing her out of the ship if Val hadn’t grabbed her.
She gasped. “Val the rope! Grab it!”
Val noticed the rope as it slid off the ship. “Oops.”
“Val! Buddy! Tug me in,” Stephan cried.
Zen glared at him and then went to watch Stephan as he struggled to hold on to the wing. Biting her lip she stroked Ishevara. A strong light encompassed her for a minute then the rope was back into her hands. She handed it back to Val. “Help him up! Now Val!”
Val nodded and began tugging the rope. Slowly Stephan got a foothold on the wing and climbed onto it. He crawled to the footholds and climbed down before shimmying down the side of the ship and across to the hatch. He closed the hatch and got out of the harness heading towards the storage room. Val looked over at Zen. “You won’t tell him about the rope will you?”
“If you don’t tell him about the crystal,” she said grinning. Val smiled and nodded. Both of them walked to their seats and buckled up as they felt the landing gear lower below them. Stephan rushed back to the cockpit and relieved Marek of the flying. He lowered the thrusters but now they were jammed on seventy percent output. He tried to shut them off completely and nothing.
“Shit! We’re coming in hot and heavy Marek. How long is the Yuka’s landing strip?”
“Less than 3000 meters of runway to work with. After that, there are craters galore filled with piping lava!”
‘We’re going to have to make it then. I don’t feel like landing in a lava cesspool.”
“How right now we are 177 mph faster than we should be at landing!”
“We need to touch that landing strip the minute we see it.”
“Is that possible?”
“It’ll have to be.”
The SMVK came down, its landing wheels touching the tarmac then the ship lifted and veered left slightly. Stephan gritted his teeth and realigned the ship to the tarmac. This time they landed and kept going.
Stephan prayed.
The ship got reverse thrust despite the steam, slowing the ship and the SMVK came to a jerking stop just three meters from the end of the tarmac.
Inside Zen was glowing slightly. She and Ishevara had unmade the steam and created real air for the ship to use in its reverse thrust. Everyone was too busy praying to notice that she had used Ishevara to land. She grinned and petted the crystal
Thank you, my friend.
Your wish was selfless guardian. Do you have any wishes of your own?
Of course Ishevara but I don’t need you to make them come true. I will make them come true. I will not abuse you like that. If I do you can shock me ok?
Yes, Guardian.
She unbuckled her seatbelt and stood while everyone else finally opened their eyes,
She grinned. “We landed,” she said walking over to the port window and seeing the smoke coming from the bottom of the ship. “Kiera, should there be smoke rising from the ground?”
Kiera unbuckled and went over to the window where Zen pointed to the smoke rising from the ground. Kiera searched her databank for the likeliest explanation. She arrived at one plausible one. “The brakes must be on fire.”
Zen faced her. “What!”
“Well, we came in at 400 mph so the brakes worked over time. Stephan will have to cool them.”
“Won’t he get burnt?”
“He’s a water elemental.”
“Still he could…”
Stephan rushed out of the cockpit and opened the hatch before disappearing outside.
Kiera patted Zen on the shoulder. “He’s done this before.”
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Zen hmphed before following him outside.
###
The smell of sulfur and rotten eggs assaulted her nose first as the sweltering heat of the volcano made her begin to sweat. The steam didn’t help much and it was hard to gather clean air in her lungs. All around her ash fell.
She held out her hand as the ash collected on it and closed her fingers over it. When they opened, they were covered in soot. She grinned taking in the barren landscape, and further ahead the craters filled with lava. The trees that grew were ash white and naked of leaves. The branches were brittle as glass. She walked over to Stephan who was holding the brakes under a water shield, the steam let out by them clogging the air around them rising temperatures even more. Ishevara began to shine and the shine encompassed Zen.
It is a dangerous terrain Guardian. You will need me to breathe in it.
Thank you Ishevara.
The crystal pulsed from her chest and she ran a hand down it sending small tingles through her. Ishevara was happy. She smiled and approached Stephan who wiped away the sweat that had collected on his forehead showing off his burnt arms. In some places, the skin was flaking off. Zen narrowed her eyes and walked up to him, grabbing an arm and healing it before he could say a word. She did the same to the other.
“Is your back also crispy,” she asked hands on hips.
He rolled his shoulders and winced. “It’s not bad enough for you to waste your life force on Zen!”
“I’ll decide that. Let me see.”
“Zen, really…”
“I said let me see!”
Stephan sighed and turned around hauling his shirt over his head and wincing at the move. “There, see? Nothing! Now...whoa...what was that!” He turned to her.
“Me touching your back. You had blisters forming all over your back and upper shoulders.” She ran her finger up his back and he shivered at her caress.
“Ok, I’m healed now. Thank you,” he said holding onto his shirt. She hmmed and ran her hand up his back slowly. She was mesmerized by the tan skin and the strong lines that made his back. She couldn’t stop touching it. All the way to his shoulder blades and back down again.
“Zen,” he choked out, “stop!”
“Why?” She began her trail again and Stephan groaned. He turned to face her and grabbed her hands. They were mere inches from each other now.
“Stop it, ok,” he whispered concentrating on her eyes. The light from the volcano was bringing out the different shades of brown that made up her eyes. They glowed slightly but whether from the light or from crystal use he didn’t know. All he knew was that they were beautiful and she was close...too close. He didn’t know who leaned in first but he felt himself slowly drift into her eyes.
“Ahem, you might want to put on your shirt S, before her brother arrives and starts one,” Marek said from behind Zen. He had gone to check on the brakes and found them about to kiss. That would have been a big mistake on Stephan’s part with the Mira situation. He turned around and left the two blushing teens.
Stephan scrambled to put on his shirt while Zen took two large steps back still blushing.
“I-I’ll meet you inside,” she said turning around and heading for the hatch.
Stephan called after her. “Zen…”
She stopped and turned to face him, her ponytail swinging behind her. “Yeah?”
“Thanks for the healing...you didn’t have to.”
She smiled. “Yes, I did.” Then leaving him with her words she left.
Stephan grinned and then thought about the one thing that could ruin this thing he had with Zen. I have to get rid of Mira. She doesn’t understand the word no...in any language.
He sighed. He didn’t want to hurt Mira but if she still had it in her head that they were meant to be...well he was always the harbinger of bad news.
###
The crew all wore breathing masks that were secured at the back of the head with a metal clasp. They shone in the volcanic light.
“So you don’t breathe in the ash and crystalize your lungs,” Kiera had said. Zen fidgeted with her mask as it was slightly larger than her face and poor Edline had to have her’s readjusted a couple of times by her brothers to fit her face, The good thing was that the Yuka didn’t need masks so hopefully, they had a shield against the ash or so Zen hoped. She walked in between Isaias and Marco and slightly behind Stephan and Marek who knew the landscape. All around her, the brittle trees grew in abundance. I could probably fell one with one push!
She stepped over and around a large crater bubbling with lava. Lava wasn’t red as she had once thought, but an amalgamation of yellows and oranges of various tones and yes some red. There was also black from the cooling lava flows. Lava after all was molten rock. She peered up at Stephan who had a mask on his face. It only made his eyes stand out. She blushed thinking back to their almost intimate moment. We almost kissed! I can’t believe it! Me! I almost kissed someone!
She turned her gaze back onto Stephan. He was talking to Marek about the brakes. Marek was elbowing him in the side while he was blushing slightly. His gaze traveled over to hers and quickly fell away. He quickened his steps but she could see his ears were a deep maroon. She grinned and picked up her speed til she was walking beside him. He turned to her surprised.
“What are the Yuka like,” she asked tugging on her ponytail.
“They’re a simple clan, more worried about water than valuables but like all Deadland nomads, evolved to sustain the harsh climates and landscapes of Kuja.”
Zen tilted her head. “What about technology? Metal? I thought all nomadic clans were based around these things?”
Stephan shook his head. “The Yuka has evolved beyond that. You’ll see Zen. Rafael is an old friend of mine. He helped me when I first escaped from my mom.”
Zen’s eyes widened. “You must think highly of him and his family then.”
Stephan stopped walking and turned to face her. “Only him. I have no respect for anyone else in his family,” he said seriously.
Zen gazed at him confused.
“Zen there’s something you should know. I don’t want to hide anything from you.”
“What is it?”
“I’m…”
“Hey, guys hurry up! Stephan aren't you leading us to Rafael,” Marco asked standing a few feet from them. They realized they had become the last two in line and Zen hurried to catch up. She turned to Stephan and smiled. “You can tell me when we arrive at the Yuka Stephan.” She turned and ran towards her brother who was tapping his foot impatiently on the cracked ground. Stephan sighed and glared at his brother. When they arrived it’d be too damn late!
He took his spot beside Marek and they continued trekking toward the Yuka.