"Home!" Claire Banner cried out with tears of joy as the recognizable silhouette of the city appeared over the horizon. The city of Ashmere, ringed within an impenetrable wall of iron and topped with hundreds of chimneys and smoke stacks spewing smoke and steam, was shrouded in a grey haze.
Dozens of freighter airships buzzed around the city's air space, marking the busy city as a vibrant and important manufacturing hub of the region. As a testimonial of the city's brutal efficiency, permission for the Old Ugly to dock at one of the fields was handled smoothly and before the air ship's docking legs touched the field, several customs officials were already waiting for the Old Ugly to began inspections and payments of taxes and services.
The customs officials did their usual checks and collected the fees before departing. Claire stood at the edge of the Old Ugly exit ramp and felt tears gathering in her eyes. Professor Hamlot and the rest stood behind her and they wished her well as she gave a deep bow of goodbye to everyone.
Blake watched the on goings from the bridge, seeing the young girl accompanied by the Professor leaving the ship. He shook his head, thinking back about how this mess got started but he knew that the girl, the Professor and the two other kids were not at fault for Sherene's abduction.
"Start working with the local merchants for resupply," He ordered after casting a last glance at the girl. "Our next stop will be the Capital of the Iron Kingdom. It will be just a two day detour but make sure all our coal bunkers are filled up."
-----
Claire stepped through the wide iron gates of the city and waves of nostalgia hit her. The soot stained walls, the loud hissing and whistles of steam and the sharp acidic smell mixed with scents of burnt fats and ash in the air all brought back memories of her childhood. Professor Hamlot escorted the girl while he glanced around curiously at the stores and houses that lined the main street.
She saw the familiar little steam workshop tucked away at one corner of the busy street. Piles of discarded machine parts and junk formed a small mound next to the rusted steam jack that somehow still remained discarded at the same spot all these years. She recalled working on that steam jack with her brothers and learning the basics of the trade.
A tall muscular elf wearing a leather apron stood behind an anvil and pounded heavily at a piece of machine part. The rhythmic pounding brought tears to Claire's eyes as she race into the shop and hugged her father. "Father! I am back!"
Claire's father dropped his hammer in shock and the surprise turned to happiness as he hugged his daughter back. "My Gods! My child! You are alive and well!"
"Father I missed you!" Claire cried out in happiness.
"Where have you been for the past two years?" Her father asked. "Your school said something about an accident and everyone in your class was dead or missing!"
"Its a long story!" Claire replied and gestured to the patiently waiting Professor Hamlot. "This is my Professor from the school."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mister Banner," Professor Hamlot greeted and introduced himself. "I am Professor Hamlot, her teacher in the studies of history."
"Come in come in!" Mister Banner quickly invited the Professor and the daughter which he hasn't seen for two years into the shop. "Claire! Your brothers are working at the airship factory and won't be back until night falls."
Both Claire and the Professor sat down in the tiny kitchen while Claire's father closed the shop. When he returned, Claire and the Professor gave an explanation regarding Claire's disappearance and the events afterwards. Claire's father nearly fell out of his chair when he heard of the adventures and the dangers his daughter had been through. He hugged his daughter tightly and promised Claire that he would make sure she will not disappear again from his life again.
Professor Hamlot soon bid farewell to the father and daughter and he left to return to the ship which would depart to the Capital the next morning. After witnessing the touching reunion, Professor Hamlot felt a sense of loneliness in his heart as he has no family or much friends to return to. With a heavy sigh, he headed back to the ship with his escorts, unknown to him that several figures hidden in the shadows were eyeing the shop.
-----
"Go!" The command came sharply. Instantly, the figures around the person giving the order seemed to half vanished into the air and they reappeared several feet away before the front of the steam workshop. Breaking quietly into the close shop was easy for these people and restraining the father and daughter couple inside, easier.
The leader of the thirteen shadow warriors of the Dark Moon Hall stepped into the store and looked upon the horror stricken faces of the father and daughter. He turned his attention to the girl and asked, "Is the Prince on board the ship you just left?"
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"I- I don't know!" The girl cried out. "I- I am... just a passenger! I know nothing of the Third Prince!"
Dressed in a grey white simple martial robe, he looked like a soft student scholar of the Suugon Dynasty. His soft features made him looked harmless, except for the sword carried on his back and the smile on his face that did not match the murderous intent in his eyes. After a moment, he dropped his frown and smiled instead, "I believe you!"
"But... I did not mention which Prince it was..." The soft scholar looking leader said with a wide smile. "Well, it doesn't really matters... You will tell me what I need to know... and don't worry... Everyone always tells me what I need to know in the end!"
The girl opened her mouth to scream but something hit her at her back and she felt her muscles cramp up and cutting off her off before she could even start. Her father roared and tried to get between the shadow warriors and his daughter but was knocked out with a swift blow to his neck.
"Now tell me... all about the Third Prince! Everything... Little... Thing!"
-----
The mood on board the Old Ugly was low after the departure of the girl, Claire. In the short time on board, she had bonded with the crew, especially the goblins in the under decks. Dr. Sharon had even cried and dumped a whole of farewell presents onto the girl before she retreated into the medbay to cry some more.
Even the few Oerkin Marines were affected by her departure. Only Blake and the Third Prince seemed untouched by it all, continuing on with his duties and command of the ship. The Third Prince had been quietly nosing around the areas he was permuted to go and doing his best to gather information from the crew.
Trism had placed several of his Naval Intel spooks to watch and report his actions and the report now laid open on Blake's office table. He left the report on the table after finishing it and wondered how to make use of this person. Clearly the Third Prince was smart enough to have suspected that the Old Ugly was more than what it seemed. Would the Third Prince even cooperate with them after they delivered him safely to the Capital or would he negate on his promises and even steal the Old Ugly away.
"What do you think?" Blake asked as he gestured to the report. "Will he keep his promises?"
"So far from what limited information I have gathered," Trism replied. "The Third Prince does have a reputable character of honoring his promises. There barely are any bad rumors of him indulging in vices, but he is known to be an ardent big game hunter."
"A few years ago, he had incur the wraith and hatred of the Dragon Lords for hunting dragons," Trism said. "He is also known to strongly advocate strongly industrialization of steam power on a national level which seemed to offend most of the older more tradition magical lineages... Other than that, there isn't other negative rumors on about him."
"So we can place our bets on him?" Blake mused out loud to which Trism gave a hesitant nod.
"Well, I do not fully trust the Third Prince," Trism commented. "But he is the fastest way for us to get information within the Protectorate and also support within the Iron Kingdom."
"How about the Dragon Lords?" Blake asked. "We do have Saphia in our hands. Will they cooperate with us if we return her?"
"Maybe," Trism frowned. "But... we did destroy an entire fleet worth of their people and ships, not to mention their allies' fleet too..."
"Even if we returned Saphia to them, I doubt she has any decision making power nor influence among the Dragon Lords," Trism confessed. "I wouldn't take that risk and also, we need to travel an extra month or so to even reach the borders of the Domain of the Dragons... And top off another couple of weeks to get to their Capital..."
"Too much wasted time to get an unknown reaction from the Dragon Lords," Trism finished it off. "The better and more logical choice to bet on, will be on the Third Prince..."
Blake nodded before he said, "Take precautions still, we have been betrayed and careless before... Let's repeat our mistakes."
"Yes, Sir!" Trism saluted. "I will ensure that the crew knows the risks and will be ready for anything!"
-----
The field housing the airships docked was cloaked in darkness with spots of light spaced far and wide between. Bored and sleepy guards hurdled around the fire to keep warm while sounds of revelry could be heard coming from the nearby taverns and pubs.
Over a dozen shadows seemed to ooze out of the darkness and attach themselves against the hull of the gaudy colored airship parked on the field. Only a few ship board lights lit the external of the ship but the figures kept well in the dark.
They bounced up the side of the ship with superhuman agility and made their way up the decks. To their surprise, they found no guards were outside on the decks and the hatches all seemed to be locked up tightly. Frowning, the leader of the Shadow Warriors hesitated in using force to break through the metal hatches for it would surely gather unwanted notice.
But they were already committed to their mission and they must kill the Third Prince before he returned to the Capital. The leader made a gesture and the other twelve Shadow warriors split up to search for more ways to enter the ship. After half an incense worth of time, the warriors returned and conversed in low voices. They had found another way in at the other side of the ship, through unlocked view port.
The leader nodded and everyone headed straight to the unlocked viewport which barely allowed a slim person to slip into. One by one, they squeezed their way through the tiny round hole and found themselves in a dark cabin filled with a whole range of unknown items. They sneaked towards the cabin's hatch under the guidance of a small glow lamp and tested the hatch, finding it unlocked.
Just as the leading warrior was about to open the hatch, a small sliding hatch on eye level suddenly slide to the side and two dark objects were tossed through the hole. The hatch slide shut with a loud clank followed by loud clicking sounds of the hatch being locked. The warriors surprised but on alert, leapt back away from the unknown objects just as they went off with a thunderous bark and flashes of eye searing light.
Instantly deaf and blinded, the warriors cried out in shock and pain as they were hit by two flash bangs and the concussion effect, amplified by the small cabin overwhelmed their senses, that a few of the warriors were knocked out cold.
The hatch was undogged and several Marines poked their heads in and laughed, "Looks like we caught ourselves some rats!"