I walked up the scaffolding leading into the ship. In my arms were the last of the tubes we had left to install.The original design called for just pressing the tubes into place by folding the ends over, but after Keith succeeded in reverse engineering my rivet gun, I started trying for a welder. Keith managed a functional welder that followed my design, and despite our lack of any spatter protection, the mana seemed to produce better welds. My lightning mana is reasonably efficient, but Keith’s fire mana version is not, though as a bonus it doesn’t risk damaging his eyes.

The boiler is narrow and long, as the vertical triple expansion engine we had assembled back in the capital was designed for efficiency, not maximum power. In retrospect we could have gotten the dwarves to cast it for us too, and it would have been simpler, faster and of a higher metal quality. Regardless, it ran well during our testing and the only thing I regretted about the design was that it wasn’t reversible. However, everyone had agreed that if we needed to back the boat up the mages could figure something out.

The boiler had two smokeboxes to maximize efficiency by passing the coal’s burning gasses back and forth through the boiler’s fire tubes, thus ensuring complete combustion of the fuel. Keith and I finished by riveting the rear smokebox into position, and as we left for lunch, we were met with a crowd. I now regretted how much I had been slacking when it came to learning Wernst, as when we came up the mountain Daniel and Remin hadn’t joined us, leaving me bereft of any teachers. Rodney was the only recognizable face among them, flanked by a woman who looked exactly like how I’d describe a crazy cat lady, and a bald man with extensive facial hair.

“Rodney.”

“Creighton, meet the crew.”

“Hello.”

~~~

Krisjen had been a boatswain for many years, and despite the near disaster of the last expedition, he had agreed to join for the new attempt. The money was nice, but the real reason he joined was because he detested the short port to port trade he currently found employment in, as it failed to capture the real freedom that had drawn him to the sea in the first place. No matter the ship, whole crews would rotate off after only a few stops, and he’d be forced to break in green recruits again.

When Rodney had told him they were setting off again, he’d jumped ship and was relieved to hear just how many members of the old crew Rodney had managed to bring back aboard. He could have done without the old hag, though. Joan was a fine navigator, but wasn’t a person you looked forward to being stuck at sea with. The only relief was that as a navigator, she would sleep during the day so as to use the stars as a guide at night.

“The dwarves couldn’t make their tunnels slope just a little less?”

“It’s almost like we’re climbing a mountain.”

“They can dig them at whatever incline they want. I am certain the deeps are a gentler grade.”

“They cut these to create a shortcut between existing caves. They would have to make the tunnels a lot longer to decrease the slope.”

“Don’t they have to drag ore all the way up?”

“The depths have first smelt bloomeries, they only haul bars up.”

“Still seems excessive to me.”

“Stop complaining, focus on something else.”

“Do you think it will still look like a real ship, or are we going to be screaming through the air in a flying henhouse?”

“I expect it will be able to sail the open sea as well. The reason being, if it doesn’t work like a ship, why do they need us?”

“You’re right, but you can never trust mages to follow common sense.”

“We’re almost there, I hope they have something ready for us to eat.”

“Even if it’s mushrooms?”

“Even if it’s mushrooms.”

The trip up the Cloven Roads did not take the crew as long as it had taken the original convoy, as the crew wasn’t burdened with bulk construction supplies. They had passed a number of delving bands, but as they neared the peak they bumped into a patrol. Apparently, there had recently been a Facade Spider operating in the upper roads, and the dwarves wanted to make sure nothing else had snuck up through the untrodden paths.

They did not spend long inside the dwarven city, having arrived at lunchtime, Rodney paid out advances, along with a warning to try and find warm clothing before they spent it all on alcohol. The dwarves lived on top of a mountain, and with the three months of lead time, the dwarves had a few outfits ready, even if they were not perfectly sized for humans. The next morning, they started back down the other side of the mountain on their way to the Lake of Stars.

The shipwright’s camp was about a three hour walk back down the mountain, but the path was mostly on the surface. The air was thin, and still quite cold when they exited a short tunnel through a ridge line and could see the Galefast for the first time. The third iron frame was being prepared to be erected, with the fore-mast already inserted, and the top-mast resting next to the keel, needing to wait to be mounted after the frame.

“Holy shit. It is a boat.”

“They’re using metal frames? Will it still float?”

“It’s going to be able to fly, Krisjen. It must be able to float.”

“I meant without mana.”

“Oh. I don’t know.”

“Eric, where are you?”

“Here, father.”

“What do you think? Is it going to sink?”

“I think it will float, especially if it’s dwarven made.”

“That’s good enough for me.”

“I’m gonna go find out when they’re planning to launch her. They say a ship christened with dwarven wine is blessed with good fortune, and if they take too long I won’t have any left.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Come on Joan, let’s just go look at the ship first.”

“You two are both coming down with me. The rest of you lot too, You all need to meet the mages and Creighton.”

“Who’s Creighton?”

“The Soulsteel who designed the ship. Now, let’s go.”

~~~

Eugene and the High King were down at the Lake of Stars, watching as the ship was launched. The body of water derived it’s name from the mirror surface, and from the claim it was a crater from a huge meteor. Plumes of water shot upwards into the chilly air, and much to everyone’s relief the Galefast did not sink. It took only a moment for the ship to settle, and then as the watertight status of the hull was confirmed, a cheer echoed back and forth throughout the valley.

“When are the levitation tests?”

“They’re after dinner, such that the boilers will have enough time to warm up, and to leave enough time to test both the screw and rudder before trying to take first flight.”

“Do you think the crew will adapt?”

“They were already used to tying themselves to the mainmast during the last expedition, and in the sky it should be a lot calmer than on the Roiling Sea.”

“I hope they don’t have a fear of heights.”

“Most of them are already used to climbing the rigging, I expect that they will be fine.”

“Our Peak is about sixteen thousand feet above sea level, and humans can’t breathe up that high. Is there anything you have to push past that limit?”

“Well, we won’t know how high the ship itself can go, but Creighton made it clear that as the ship climbs higher the boiler will get less efficient, but the engines will get more powerful.”

“So you can’t estimate the ship's maximum altitude yet?”

“We were planning on sticking to ten thousand as a general rule, but they’ll have to test it before they set off.”

“You’re still not planning to go then?”

“Why should I go? I don’t know any special lore, I don’t know any magic. I might know how to wield a sword well enough, but not better than any knight we could send instead of me.”

“Who’s going to negotiate with the locals then? There could be survivors.”

“I guess I assumed the mages would do it.”

“What if there are nobles among them? They could be descendants of your long lost ancestors, after all.”

“I suppose that could be true, but is that really enough of a reason for me to go?”

“It’s an adventure, my boy. That’s enough reason for you to go.”

“Are you sending a representative then?”

“To be honest, half the reason I want you to go is so Fredrak will have a peer with him.”

“I would not consider myself his peer, even if he’s only your nephew.”

“Come now, I’m certain you’ll both make good company for the trip.”

Despite the lack of wind in the valley, the sails were being tested by summoning a breeze, and the ship started doing laps around the lake. The first smoke could be seen coming out of the funnel, located port side amidships. They were also taking this time to test the anchor, though it was a simple mundane anchor, as the planned enchanted anchor hadn’t yet reached usability. The ship continued working up as the sun sank ever lower, and shortly after dinner the day’s final tests were marked by the ringing of the ship's bell, followed shortly by the ship’s whistle, both echoing across the water.

~~~

Keith could see Creighton was having a lot of fun pulling the steam whistle’s rope. He had been familiar with traditional whistles, as they were often used deep underground to communicate breaks and shift changes to miners. The one installed on the ship was far louder than anything he’d heard before, putting even magical noisemakers to shame with its strangely harmonious sound.

“First time propeller?”

“Aye, screw first. Kris, Have you dropped the sails?”

“Aye, we’ve stowed them.”

“Engine is warm. Can start now.”

“You heard him. Let’s go.”

The triple expansion engine couldn’t be started while still cold, and the steam jackets had now brought it up to temperature. At first the shaft remained still, the first piston being in a bad position to make power. The second, however, kicked the whole engine into motion. The steam began exhausting out though the stack, and with it the induced draft the fire only burned hotter, causing the pressure in the boiler to continue to grow.

Initially the boat didn’t appear to be moving much at all, but it did begin to gain speed and topped out at ten knots. This was good, especially because the lake was slightly too small to ensure it was their absolute top speed. After reaching maximum pressure, they began testing the generator. They ran the engine slowly at first, ensuring that the lightning mana wasn’t escaping from its paths, and that the Plates of Advanced Levitation weren’t about to tear themselves from the ship.

Initially, no one on board the ship realized when they had taken off. The ship had been riding high in the water as they slowly increased the power to the plates, and it wasn’t until cheers had sounded from across the lake that they realized they were now aloft. The last planned test called for ensuring the enchanted rudder would work to steer the ship while in air, and after making a couple turns, they brought the ship back down into the water. The descent was gentle until the spray caught the Plates and the ship lost all of its lift, slamming down and bobbing back up, causing a number of large waves. Though the plates were now wet, and would be unable to operate again until mostly dry, the generator and the conducting channels remained undamaged.

“I couldn’t tell you when we actually left the water.”

“As soon as the generator turned on, the ship didn’t sway at all.”

“Natasha is work is good. Make sure to tell her.”

“Aye, we should.”