Chapter 25: Framework 3
Elania breathed in the crisp morning air, her eyes scanning the horizon. The recent cold front had blown over, replaced by a sunny blue sky.
Clouds stayed attached to Contia, generated by the artifice keeping the city afloat, but other than that, Elania could see far, far into the distance.
All the shades of green greeted her, and she pointed toward the massive lake at Contia’s northwest border with the Monevoian Empire.
Yolani nodded, her gaze following Elania’s finger. “It’s beautiful.”
They made their way down the city wharf toward their two new airships, now fully functional and staffed. The ships gleamed in the sunlight, their hulls polished to a bronze shine.
Elania couldn’t help but smile. “We need to name them,” she said, turning to Yolani with a grin.
Yolani hummed. “Maybe we should name them Elania and Yolani, since they are a pair.”
Elania laughed, shaking her head. “No way. I don’t want my ship to sink.”
Yolani grinned, bumping her shoulder against Elania’s. “If that happened, I’d probably lift her back up and make her airworthy again,” she teased.
Elania smiled and turned back to the ships, her gaze roving over their sleek lines and gleaming metal.
“How about Heart and Gold?” she suggested.
Yolani smiled then nodded. “I like it.”
Elania laughed, the sound bright and carefree. “If we had just one ship, it would be Heart of Gold.”
Yolani raised an eyebrow. “What’s that mean?”
Elania smiled and shook her head. “Just a fun name for a ship I remembered.”
As they neared the jetty, a sense of excitement began to build as they watched the Ironfist mercenaries load up the airships. Tools and artifice gear were being loaded up for their first official contract. It would be the pilot mission to a steady stream of crit that would take care of half their problems.
Sergeant Harlock spotted them and approached, his weathered face creasing into a smile. “Elania, Yolani.”
Yolani stepped forward and pulled out a tiny scroll and reiterated the details of their contract. “Our mission is to deliver a load of supplies to the town of Freyhoi, then proceed north to a Contian lumber camp. There, we will find two full loads of dried lumber ready for transport back to the city. The Bank of Contia is acting as broker and insurer for a local company, and they’ve agreed to a payment of six hundred crit upon successful completion. The entire mission should take two days—today and tomorrow.”
Harlock raised an eyebrow. “That sounds accurate, yes.”
Yolani rubbed the back of her head and smiled. “Sorry, just… it sounds very official, something that we put together in a hurry.”
Elania smiled. “I’ve seen Freyhoi before, when I was with Arlois. I know where it is.”
Harlock chuckled, patting a pouch at his belt. “No worries there. We’ve been provided with a map that shows an updated position within Contia’s borders, so getting lost won’t be an issue.”
Yolani glanced at the mercenaries loading the ships. “How’s the loading coming along? It would be best if we could depart soon to ensure we stay on schedule.”
“We’ll be on time,” Harlock assured. He turned and gestured down the jetty toward the ships.
The three fell into step together. The sound of boots on the planks echoed across the wharf.
Harlock cleared his throat. “Which ship will you be departing on personally?”
Elania gestured to the two vessels, indicating each in turn. “We’ve named them Heart and Gold. Take your pick.”
A smile tugged at the corner of Harlock’s mouth. He pointed to the ship on the left. “The flight captain will be on the Heart. That alright with you?”
Elania nodded. “Fine by me. We’ll ride along on her, then.”
They boarded the ship, the deck creaking beneath their feet.
Elania watched as the crew loaded both vessels, their movements efficient. Crates and barrels were moved downward into the hold, or stacked and secured on the deck, the ropes pulled taut.
Yolani’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “I’m gonna go check on the engines.” She disappeared below deck in a flash.
Elania chuckled, shaking her head. She turned to Harlock, who stood at the railing.
“How has the Ironfist been adjusting to their new roles?” she asked.
Harlock shrugged. “Things are fine. The work isn’t all that different from what we’re used to. But some of the airship-specific tasks and knowledge are a bit lacking.”
Elania raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“We’ve hired some locals to assist, but the men will need time to adjust.” There was a hint of pride in his tone. “They’re good men, though. They’ll get there.”
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Elania nodded, expecting as much. She had a high opinion of the Ironfist, but airships weren’t exactly something you found underground.
The sound of the engines rumbling to life filled the air, and the ship began to vibrate beneath their feet. An excited thrill ran through her. They were going to take a trip on real bonafide airships!
She’d read so many sky pirate steampunk things that this definitely qualified as scratching off an entry from her favorite fantasy-trope checklist!
***
An hour later, Elania leaned against the railing, her fingers drumming an impatient rhythm on the polished wood.
The loading process seemed to drag on forever, the crew moving at a steady pace as they hauled crates and barrels onto the ship. She sighed, her gaze drifting to the wharf below.
What had seemed efficient before now just felt… slow? Probably because she was bored out of her mind.
“You’d think they’d move a little faster,” she muttered.
An hour passed, then another, and still the ships remained tethered to the dock.
Elania groaned and pushed off from the railing and made her way to the front of the ship.
A narrow pole jutted out from the bow, its metal gleaming in the sunlight. Elania hopped up onto it, her arms outstretched for balance. She grinned, the rush of the wind in her face a welcome distraction from the tedium of waiting.
“One, two, three...” she counted, her eyes scanning the crowd below.
“…five-hundred, five-hundred and one, five-hundred and two…”
A flash of light on metal caught her eye, and she turned to see Yolani approaching from behind.
“What are you doing?” Yolani asked, an eyebrow raised.
Elania shrugged, her gaze still fixed on the wharf. “Counting people. It’s not like there’s anything else to do.”
Yolani bit her lip. “We’ll be ready to go soon. Just waiting on your word.”
Elania’s eyes widened, and she jumped down from the pole. “Really? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Yolani rolled her eyes. “I just did.”
Elania bounced on the balls of her feet. “Let’s go, then! What are we waiting for?”
Yolani waved to the men watching them, and Harlock’s voice rang out across the deck, his orders crisp and clear. The crew sprang into action.
A rope pulled a flag up the side of the ship, the fabric fluttering in the breeze.
“What’s that for?” she asked.
Yolani glanced at the flag, then back at Elania. “Signaling. It lets the other ships know we’re ready to depart.”
Elania nodded, her gaze fixed on the horizon. “So why aren’t we moving yet?”
Yolani sighed, her expression patient. “It’ll take an hour for us to get out of the city and moving faster.”
Elania groaned, her shoulders slumping. “An hour? Seriously?”
Yolani patted her on the back, a sympathetic smile on her face. “Patience, Elania. We’ll be on our way soon enough.”
Eventually, her wish came true, and they started to move.
It wasn’t until they were away from the city that things finally stopped being so dreadful.
Wind whipped through Elania’s hair as the airships soared through the sky, leaving the city behind.
The propeller engines hummed, their steady rhythm a comforting sound amidst the rush of the wind. Elania stood at the front of the ship, her arms wrapped around Yolani’s waist, holding her close.
“This is great,” Elania murmured.
Yolani nodded. “The airships are designed for speed, even with the enormous balloons. But this is about her top speed, or we risk knocking the crew overboard.”
Elania grinned. “Speaking of flying, do you want to go? Just the two of us?”
Yolani shook her head, her gaze fixed on the horizon. “Maybe later. I want to watch the ships for now.”
Elania nodded, her eyes drifting to the Gold, which followed slightly behind and to the right of their vessel. The two ships moved in tandem while keeping a safe distance.
“I was getting worried we had misjudged the time,” Elania admitted. “But it looks like we’ll reach the town soon enough.”
Yolani nodded. “Landing and takeoff procedures take up a huge chunk of trips like this one. Airships are dangerous and require a lot of work to operate safely in crowded areas.”
Elania nodded, her gaze returning to the front of the ship. “But out here in the open, they can really zoom.”
In the distance, faint whiffs of chimney smoke rose from their destination.
As they reached Freyhoi, the airships descended while cutting their speed, the large balloons acting as an effective airbrake.
Elania watched from the deck, her eyes fixed on the landing docks below. They were smaller than the ones in Contia, and the ships had to maneuver carefully to slot into their designated bays.
“Steady now,” Harlock called out. “Nice and easy.”
The crew moved with efficiency, adjusting the trim and securing the ropes launched up to them from the waiting ground crew. Elania felt the ship shudder as it touched down, the wooden planks creaking beneath her feet.
As soon as the ships were docked, the crew began unloading the cargo. Elania watched as they hauled crates and barrels off the ships, their muscles straining with the effort.
Yolani emerged from below deck, her face smudged with grease. “I made some adjustments to the artifice,” she said, wiping her hands on her pants, “based on what we learned during the flight.”
Elania nodded. “Always tinkering, aren’t you?”
Yolani grinned. “You know me. I can’t help myself.”
Harlock approached them, his weathered face creased with a smile. “We’re on schedule to reach the lumber mill,” he said. “We’ll overnight there and head back to Contia in the morning.”
Elania sighed, her gaze drifting to the sky. “It would be nice if we could fly at night. Get back to the city faster.”
Harlock shook his head. “There’s no point. Night docking isn’t permitted. We’d be stuck circling in the air until morning, and our trip isn’t that far.”
“I just wish we could speed things up,” Elania admitted “The faster we deliver the cargo, the more income we generate.”
Harlock’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “Doing it safely and without crashing is much better than risking going faster for slightly more income.”
Elania nodded, her shoulders relaxing. “You’re right,” she said. “Safety first. And not just because of my investment in the ships. The crew is important, too.”
“Glad to hear that,” Harlock replied, chuckling.
Elania turned back to the ships, watching as the crew finished unloading the cargo. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the town.
Their first successful delivery. It really had been routine, but that wasn’t bad, was it?
A few hours later, the wind whipped through her hair again as the airships soared over the dense forests east of Contia’s lake.
The trees stretched out, a sea of green that seemed to go on forever. Yolani stood beside her, eyes wide with excitement as she pointed out every variation of tree she could spot.
“Look, there’s a grove of ironwood trees!” Yolani exclaimed. “And over there, those are silverleaf oaks. They’re prized for their durability and resistance to rot.”
Elania smiled, amused by Yolani’s enthusiasm. It was funny to see her so obsessed with wood, but she didn’t mind at all. She loved it every time—seeing Yolani so passionate about something.
As they flew on, a large circular clearing came into view. Two makeshift docks jutted out from the center, their wooden planks gleaming in the sunlight.
Yolani pointed to the clearing. “That’s the camp! We’re almost there.”
As they drew closer, Harlock approached them. “We have a problem,” he said. “The landing crews aren’t there to wave us in.”
Elania frowned, scanning the clearing below. He was right—there was no sign of any woodcutters or workers. The camp looked deserted, as if everyone had suddenly vanished.
“Can we still dock?” she asked.
Harlock nodded. “We can, but it’ll be slightly more dangerous without the crews to guide us in.”
Elania’s frown deepened. Where were all the woodcutters? Had something happened to them?
She turned to Yolani. “Something’s wrong.”
Yolani nodded, her own expression mirroring Elania’s anxiety. “We should be careful.”
Elania turned back to the clearing.
Whatever was going on, they needed to find out. And fast.