A beaten, bloodied, and still groaning body tumbled down the stairs as Abe climbed to the upper deck. He turned his blade to it, but its energy was quickly fading, and he could hear the final thumps of the man’s heart as it stopped.

“Seen better days, huh,” Abe murmured as he stepped over the body and passed through the archway onto the deck.

In the center of the deck, a couple of dozen skeletons had formed a shield wall around a giant skeleton wearing an overcoat, a feathered tricorne, and waving a scimitar above its head.

Several attackers were engaged in battles across the deck, mostly pitched against other passengers and the occasional out-of-position guild skeleton. At their rear, a half dozen attackers armed with various guns picked shots through the chaos, aimed mostly at breaking the shield wall.

However, unlike the skeletons, most of the passengers seemed capable enough to hold their own—likely contracted reavers like himself.

As he rushed forward, a shrouded figure that seemed to shift between a solid and spectral state phased through an attacker’s sword swing and countered with a curved dagger to the man’s chest. Black veins were lining his body in seconds, and he fell to the ground in agony.

There was another attacker to his right, a lightly armored female. But as Abe approached and she turned her guard to him, the spear-wielding draugr she had been engaged in combat with stabbed his weapon through her neck.

Abe turned his gaze across the bow, spotting the attacker's vessel. Smaller than the reaver ship, it looked like a floating can with crude levers and pulleys fastened to it. A bridge connected the two ships, and a man was hit by a beam of some kind of energy as he ran toward the reaver ship, blasting him off into the dark void of the Vale.

“You made it,” a feminine voice came from his right.

Abe turned to see Viara flying above the deck just in time to see her fire a beam of energy from her palm. It slammed into one of the riflemen, flinging them backward and into the Vale.

As more attackers fell, the passengers outnumbered those that remained, and men were cut down ruthlessly as attacks came at them from all angles.

There were several corpses at Abe’s feet, and he watched as the attacker's line crumbled before his eyes.

I might not get another chance to do this.

He lowered and began to shuffle through the pockets of the bodies, finding several pouches filled with ducats.

A drone of echoed skeleton calls confirmed guild assets had been protected, and Abe rose to his feet.

The attacker’s vessel was turning away from them, and a second later, the tension snapped the bridge, sending a half dozen retreating riflemen falling through the darkness into the abyss as their allies fled.

Several other passengers had the same idea as Abe and were eagerly looting bodies.

“Alright, alright, you’ve thirty seconds before the deck is off limits again to non-employees,” boomed the giant skeleton at the center of the shield wall that was disassembling itself.

Abe noted the powerful core of deathly energy at the heart of the giant skeleton. He wasn’t like the other employees, likely a D-rank, but a powerful one. The other passengers above deck held similar power, albeit slightly weaker.

Floating down to the deck, Viara touched wood, and her wings fell lifelessly into a cloak. “You made it to the deck; I suppose that means you’re not entirely useless,” she said, eyes distantly scanning the vessel.

Abe turned to where she gazed and noted that there were still a few energy signals from the attackers that were being snuffed out one after another.

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I guess she can see energy, too, or maybe it’s another similar trait?

“We better get back below deck,” she continued, and Abe nodded.

Arriving back in the cabin, he let Viara take a seat before shuffling inside.

“Flying seems pretty useful out here.”

“It is,” she smiled. “Flying deckhands usually attract good salaries. More consistent than reaver jobs, and maybe even safer. But I hate orders.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“Don’t be so blunt, you won’t find many freelancers as easy to work with as me.”

“Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that as well.”

“It is what it is,” Viara waved dismissively. “Dying does something to you, I guess.”

“Yeah, it shoves a pole up your ass,” Abe grunted.

“A colorful way of putting it.”

The cabin fell under an awkward silence for an hour or so as guild employees made makeshift repairs and prepared the vessel to continue its journey.

Once repairs were completed, the ship continued through the Vale. Several hours passed, and the ship stopped a few times before they approached the small rock floating through the Vale.

From a distance, it looked like nothing. A speck in the unless dark of the Vale. But as they neared, details formed. A hill climbed above all else at its center, with a tower built atop it. Forests and clearings covered the rest of the island, for the most part. And soon, they could even see a few structures dotted across it—little makeshift outposts here and there.

It might not be as impressive as Lantern, but floating islands in space are still pretty cool.

He spotted a tiny timber pier jutting out from the island’s side and several small boats anchored to it. There was no way the giant ironclad ship piloted by the guild was docking with that thing.

Abe shuffled closer to the window as they flew close enough to see tiny figures moving about the island’s surface.

Metal groaned as the ship jerked to a halt, still some hundred meters or so above the island. It was hard to see what they were doing from the window, but a moment later, ropes were thrown over the edge, and he spotted the figures on the ground taking and securing them.

“Well, here’s our spot. I’ll meet you on the ground, she said and shimmered through the wall.

Abe watched as she flew down to the surface.

“Yeah, that looks like a useful skill,” Abe mouthed as he slid out of his seat. I suppose Nia can float, maybe I can learn to fly?

A knock came at the door, and he turned to see a skeleton as she shuffled out. It stood patiently, waiting for Abe to open the door.

“Passenger Abraham Evgenia of team Mutton, correct?”

He nodded.

“Right this way, sir,” the skeleton chattered as it turned and led Abe down the corridor.

The rooms were still mostly wrecked from battle, only holes in the outer walls having been patched.

They continued up to the deck, where several skeletons stood around an opening in the railing. Beside it were large wheels that fed rope and were locked into position.

The skeletons looked to be waving instructions down to the surface, a back and forth that continued for a couple of minutes.

Targa stood a couple of meters back from the commotion, arms folded with the occasional disapproving grunt escaping his mangled lips.

What a pleasant chap he is.

Soft footsteps sounded at his back and Abe turned to see the pale, skeletal figure of Xer approaching—a skeleton escort at his side.

“Quite the exciting trip this was, wasn’t it,” he wrinkled as he stepped up to Abe’s side.

“You could call it that, I suppose. Did they cause any issues for you?”

“Not really. A few of them attacked my compartment. But I barely needed to raise a hand. Between the skeletons and other passengers, they were quickly overwhelmed and dealt with.”

“Good to hear,” Abe nodded.

I guess he’s not the charitable kind, I could have guessed.

“Those dreamers must have been desperate to attack a reaver ship. Surely, there are easier marks to make in this section. Oh well, the pitiful existence of Astral nomads. Destined to petty banditry.”

“Yeah, they didn’t have the best odds.”

“Existing out here doesn’t have the best odds,” Xer’s thin, purple lips smiled.

Abe turned away; the necromancer had a way of making him feel uncomfortable when doing nothing.

“You three ready?” A skeleton turned from the opening where the ropes descended.

“Me first,” Targa sneered and pushed the skeletons aside as he stepped up to the ropes.

“Just take this here-”

“Give it,” Targa said, snatching the rope from the skeleton’s hand and jumping off the ship’s edge.

“Wights are a positively delightful bunch. I hope you keep your head straight,” Xer said, extending a papery hand.

“So do I.”

“Please,” Xer nodded. “Feel free to go next.”

“Sure,” Abe said, stepping up to the ledge. He looked over to the ant-like figures below and vertigo kicking in.

Grabbing the rope, he cracked his neck and swallowed, trying not to look down.

I ate my way out of a fucking zombie horde, and I’m still scared of fucking heights? Come on, Abe, pull yourself together.

A hole swelled in his stomach as he accidentally looked down again. Fuck me. So much for OHSA, he exhaled.

“I’ll see you at the bottom,” Xer called from behind.

“See you there,” Abe muttered as he jumped from the deck, sliding several dozen meters down the rope before tightening his grip.