Fiddler was cowering behind a table that Noah had knocked over with the sheer force of his physical attacks. The wooden surface splintered and creaked every time it was hit by a stray bullet. It would not shield him forever but, right now, it was his only option while Noah was out there fighting for their lives and Nima was hopefully clever enough to escape. Worry for his friends and a natural habit for thoughtless curiosity overpowered his instinct to survive as he tried to catch a glance at the situation from behind the table.

Dicey and his companion were gone but that still left Noah to an unfair fight against six. The monk sure knew how to dodge a bullet. It looked like a well-choreographed dance, the way he evaded each bullet and tried to strike his opponents in the same swift movement. Fiddler could swear that he saw a faint blue aura swirling around Noah’s hands but he was never close enough to the masked men to actually affect them, no matter how tightly Fiddler kept his fingers crossed.

Nima was scrambling back to her knees, she pulled herself up at one of the few still standing tables. No one, except for Fiddler, seemed to be paying attention to her and she was willing to take advantage of that. He saw her reaching for a glass of knives and forks on the table. She took them all in one hand and threw them at the terrorists, one after another. The first of the attackers went down after a knife got stuck in his throat.

Noah immediately used the distraction to take another one down.

Now the terrorists had recognized Nima as a threat as well and Fiddler’s hands around the neck of his violin case grew sweaty with fear and the knowledge of his own failure. Would he do it? Would he deliberately hurt someone so his friends could remain unharmed?

Then, the little bell above the door shrieked. Somehow, between all the chaos, it still found the guts to go off. It chimed like it would have on any other day, as two more men came to unexpectedly join the party. They were prepared, their guns and swords already drawn.

The smaller man made use of his well-earned element of surprise by impaling the closest attacker with the blade attached to his gun. He pulled the trigger, a powdery shot followed while the gun was still buried deep inside the man’s guts. He dropped to the ground at the same time as the man withdrew his weapon.

In the meantime the taller one of the two men beheaded two more attackers in what looked like almost one single movement. Noah took care of the last one of the six terrorists whose motionless tangled bodies covered almost the entire floor by now.

Despite the two new intruder’s initial good nature, neither of the three friends were able to relax just yet. Nima and Fiddler were still very obviously dealing with the shock of having witnessed – and caused – their first real life deaths. Noah was in standby, his now full-on glowing fingers spread from his palms, arms in a perfect angle to his upper body. He was not going to relax until he had figured out the two men’s intention and the coincidence of their impeccable timing.

“The hell happened here?” The man with the long hair demanded to know as if it was his birth right. And Fiddler almost believed him. In fact, he was about to be the first one to jump up and answer the question.

“I guess we’ve found ourselves some allies. That’s what happened” Noah shot back with a taxing, yet amused eyebrow. There was a silent question hidden underneath and the answer would be determined by the man’s next words.

“You did” The corners of his mouth twitched very briefly. “Pardon my rudeness…You can call me Bronze and this…” He nodded towards the taller man at his side. “…is Neon”

Neon did not bother to look at the people he had helped save. He seemed preoccupied with the bodies lying on the ground like he was somehow worried one of them might get back up and attack any time. Only then his gaze shot up and his golden eyes appeared sharp, the color of the first rays of sunshine in the morning. His body language implied exactly how ready he was to protect the smaller man in front of him, in case Noah had something else to say.

But the monk’s body relaxed to the slow rhythm of his nods. “I’m Noah and…” He made a funny face as he let his always casually attentive gaze wander. “…I couldn’t tell you what happened here even if I wanted to”

Bronze crinkled his nose. The gesture made Fiddler wonder how old he was. He did not look much older than him by appearance alone, but the way he was carrying himself and the edge of his calm voice were perhaps telling a different story.

“That’s a pity” He lazily kicked a body in front of him which made Fiddler flinch. “I guess it’s too late to ask these guys”

Though still intimidated by the two men’s presence and the events that had unfolded way too quickly in this cramped amount of time, Fiddler decided to speak up.

“They took our blood and they…knew all about our Blessings after they did” He explained and his voice was less cheerful than it had been before he had seen another human being die for the first time.

“That’s all?” Bronze could hardly believe the simplicity of that reveal.

“What about the part where they tried to kill you?” Neon suddenly intervened.

Fiddler was quick to shake his head. “They only did that because…” His face changed immediately. Where was Speckles? He dropped to all fours in order to search the café grounds for the little monkey, suddenly unaware that everyone else was still watching him curiously. As if on cue, Speckles chirped from the other side of the room. He had found shelter underneath Nima’s work apron.

“Because we attacked first” Noah concluded professionally. It was true that the monkey had struck first, though, Noah had been very close to lashing out himself. He had made it clear that he would not let anyone take his blood. Not for science. Not for anything.

There was a cut in the conversation, a little pause that allowed everyone to reflect on their decisions, the people they had killed without much thought. Even Nima had not hesitated. That one still stuck with Fiddler.

“Are you guys alright?” That was somehow the final question Bronze would ask, everyone knew. If the answer would be ‘yes’, they would leave. Things would not go back to normal but this encounter would end and Fiddler, Nima and Noah would have to somehow go from there.

But, indeed, Fiddler remained the only one wounded, nothing but a scratch.

“We’re okay, thanks” Noah summed the situation up, but not after checking on everyone with a brief, but meaningful gaze.

Bronze and Neon nodded in perfect unison. It was time to leave…not yet.

“Hands up” Thus, the déjà-vu was set into motion. Only this time, the group of people storming the café were dressed in all white. Yet, their pointed guns were the same. And the situation was obvious. Not immediately to the three friends, perhaps, but Bronze and Neon were accustomed to the peace guard’s preying glances of recognition.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Bronze…captain” One of the officers remarked with inappropriate glee. “Didn’t think I’d find you here out of all the places” He tilted his head. “And you brought your friend. How courteous”

The breakdown of the situation really was not in Bronze’s and Neon’s favor. There were six unidentified dead bodies on the ground, three helpless citizens and two wanted – dead or alive – pirates in the middle of it all. The story practically wrote itself. And that was how the peace guards would interpret it anyway.

Neon was actually the first one to really raise his hands. Not in defeat, but rather in exasperation. “Are you serious right now?” He complained. He dropped his hands again, exhaling audibly.

That served as enough distraction for Bronze to slide towards Noah and wrap his arm around his neck. He pressed the blade of his gun against the monk’s throat and swiftly pointed his other gun at Fiddler, still half on the ground. “If you shoot us, I’ll shoot them”

The second Neon realized what his captain was going to do, he grabbed Nima by her arm and pulled her up, shielding himself with her body in the same way Bronze was doing it with Noah. The more, the merrier, right?

While Fiddler’s eyes were widened and his brain was still refusing to comprehend everything that had happened in the past hour, Noah seemed immediately aware of the pirate’s plans. He did not fear that they would actually shoot them. And neither would the peace guards, if it meant shooting two innocent kids and a monk. It was a perfect plan, Noah had to hand him that, almost smiling slyly.

And, indeed, the peace guards’ expressions changed while they lowered their guns ever so slightly.

Bronze nodded slowly.

“That’s what I thought. Now, if you would be so kind and let us and our new friends walk out of this back door. I would not recommend you to follow us any time soon. We’ll keep these guys company until we’re safe. Don’t you worry about them”

As the guards did not react and Noah did not actually struggle, Bronze felt inclined to back off. The fact that he did not have to use a lot of force to drag the monk away, let him know that he somehow trusted them enough to play along. Even Fiddler followed after a simple wave of his gun.

The alley outside was clear but the pirates did not let go of their ‘hostages’ yet. Bronze still felt the need to explain.

“Thank you, I really appreciate that” He shot a glance back at Neon to ensure that he was treating the girl equally as gentle.

“No worries, pal” Noah shrugged and laughed dryly. “I’m almost curious how you’re gonna get out of this one”

They left the café far behind before they let go of Noah and Nima. No peace guards had followed yet but Bronze did not doubt that they would come after them. They were likely just gone to order some backup.

And what was he going to do then? They still had a long way to go and they could not risk to let go of their hostages until then. This town was infested with peace guards. Neither of their three new friends seemed impatient or scared. But it was time to explain himself and the nature of his plan. Bronze did not stop or encourage anyone to do so as he raised his voice.

“Look, we are not going to hurt you, alright?” He took special care to regard Noah with an honest glance. He did not doubt that the monk could end this play-pretend hostage situation at any given moment and he wanted him to understand. “I would let you go but I’ve got an ugly feeling that we haven’t seen the last of those guards. That means I will have to ask you to keep following us onto our ship. In return, we will promise to keep you safe and drop you off again as soon as possible, so you can all go home. Deal?”

The time Noah took to reply was only pretend. It did not matter why those guards had known these guys’ names. He still owed them one. And he did not even have a consistent home. What was a few days’ vacation on a ship to him? He glanced back at the two others. Fiddler did not look like he had a place to stay that was more comfortable than whatever these guys would have to offer. And Nima…did not look frightened but rather generally uncomfortable. She was walking next to Fiddler and it struck Noah that maybe she would follow them either way.

“Well, I can’t speak for the rest of us but…it’s a deal to me” Noah finally agreed and it was obvious that his approval was all Bronze needed because he did not really seem to care much about asking the two kids.

By now Noah was able to understand where exactly they were all heading to. The big pipe was still towering over the market place through thick circles of smoke and it marked the very center of Bronze’s focus. Lifting their gaze a little higher, they saw the sky being clouded by an abundance of ships. And Noah was not the only one to put one and one together.

“A real ship?” He heard Fiddler blurt out. It made him smile. He, himself, had never been on a flying ship either. Perhaps his excitement was not as obvious as Fiddler’s, but it was there…in a more content and calm manner.

Bronze indicated for the group to climb up the stairs and ladders of the big pipe. He made Neon go first and followed up last, like they were actual hostages, just in case.

Up here, they could see how the groups of white spots gathered and tactically split up again at each crossroad until every alley and every street was covered by peace guards. They were still after them and it made Noah curious, because a homeless boy, a waitress and a monk were hardly worth the trouble. The pirates, however, had to have their own skeletons in the closet if the peace guards had deemed it necessary to send a whole battalion after them.

Two harsh and sharp whistling noises suddenly pulled Noah away from the sight. He was just about fast enough to catch a glimpse of Bronze shoving a little whistle back into his pocket. It took less than two minutes until two rope ladders came cluttering down out of what felt like mid-air.

“I hope none of you is afraid of heights” Bronze uttered but probably did not really care for an answer.

“If you find that you can’t go up any higher, just hold on tight and someone’s gonna pull you up, alright?” He added with a much softer voice. He let his eye wander over Nima and Fiddler in particular.

Everyone nodded more or less. They were all in too deep at this point. It was far too late to change their minds. What did they have to lose? Once they were up in the air, the peace guards would be able to spot and follow them. But if they were to change their minds now…as much as Noah thought that he could fight the two pirates, he did not feel like he should. Not at this point anyway.

Noah decided to make an example. He was the first one to climb up one of the ladders. The other two followed immediately up the second ladder.

Fiddler was surprisingly adapt and immune to the height while Nima had to force herself not to look down. It was easier for her, because she got to look up at Fiddler being brave, unintentionally encouraging her to be brave as well. She tried to concentrate on the minds of her new friends. It was always hard to single out distinctive thoughts in groups of people. But she could still read their feelings. They came to her in waves and their intensity left her shuddering and smiling both at the same time.

Bronze’s tension built the foundation for everything else to build upon. She knew he was constantly checking how close the peace guards had come. Neon’s thoughts felt angry and hot. They were circling around Bronze more than anyone, but she could not tell if he was really mad or just worried and annoyed. Noah’s ease was fuming around them and softening their edges like cotton candy. As always, Fiddler’s thoughts were too entangled to read and it made her feel dizzy.

A sudden jerk went through each ladder as someone began pulling them up while they were still dangling in mid-air. Nima tightened her grip the way she had been told to do, but she did not stop climbing upwards and neither did anyone else. At the same time they seemed to be going forward. She took a quick glance up and noticed how the ship above had been set into motion.

The peace guards did not shoot at them yet, but a good dozen of one-seated propelled air cycles suddenly emerged behind them like a swarm of wasps.

Luckily, the ship was coming closer and after only a few more steps on the ladder, they were finally being pulled up on deck where the landing on the wooden planks was not exactly soft, but still somehow felt secure.

Noah and the pirates landed more gracefully than Fiddler and Nima, but Bronze was the first one to actually be up and running, mustering his entire crew from below and above the deck, his voice clear and commanding.

“Set to leave immediately. There’s a fleet of peace guards following us. We’ll try to throw them off by speed, but I’m afraid they might be faster than us, so keep the canons ready if necessary. There’s no particular destination, just get rid of these guys, alright?”

He looked like a conductor, the way he was standing in the middle of the deck, orchestrating his crew until everyone knew their place and task.

Fiddler dared to pull himself up at the ship’s railing, but dropped to the floor immediately when he saw how close the fastest of the peace guards were and how fast their numbers had doubled already.

And that’s when they actually started shooting. The Clockwork Heart was toppled by a grazing shot and Fiddler and Nima were involuntarily pushed a little closer. They were the only ones still cowering on the ground.

“Okay, shit” Bronze straightened his back. “That’s it. Shoot them” His face hardened but it was exactly the command his crew had been waiting for.

A thundering vibration went through the ship as three cannonballs were shot right after another. They each took down one or two peace guards. Their air cycles caught fire immediately and they each dropped to the ground like flies.

Three more cannonballs took at least six more peace guards spiraling down into the ocean. The others began to slow down or retreat entirely. But it was ultimately Bronze who demanded to stop the fire.

And then there was silence. Loud enough for Fiddler to hear the blood rushing through his ears, suddenly interrupted by Noah who was snickering and a slowly clapping his hands.

“Congratulations. For a while I wasn’t sure you’d actually make it” He tilted his head curiously to meet Bronze’s gaze. His nostrils flared and a loose strand of hair got caught by the wind until he tugged it back behind his ear.

“We always make it” He clarified and took a step towards Fiddler and Nima on the ground. He offered his helping hand for either of them to take it. “I’m sorry about that. Welcome to the Clockwork Heart”