“Waiting is hard!” Rosie whined.

Twila agreed. But at least the massive barrel they’d chosen to hide in had an unexpected surprise. Apples! The fruit crunched in the girls’ mouths as they bit into their green skins, the sharp, sweet smell filling the air inside the barrel–and, presumably, the space around them.

Juice dribbled down her chin as she swallowed. “We’re spending ship’s money on apples the next time we can afford them.” The apple’s sour flesh made her face pucker.

“Shhh!” Rojir said. He stood next to the barrel, not eating apples. “It’s time to be serious.”

Twila spat out her apple and shut her mouth. After further discussion, the crew had realized that only one member of their crew–two, if you counted Auntie Charlie–actually had a wanted poster. The ship rats had convinced her she was the only one who needed to hide. A few, like Rosie and Carter, had also elected to find hiding spots, but most just stood around. Rojir, Jamis, and Marianna blended in perfectly in the seedy streets of Seapike. Maybe too perfectly.

Echoing, marching footsteps filled the black stone passageway. Twila and Rosie held their breaths. Silence filled the air, except for mystlocks being cocked.

In the pause, Twila listened. She thought that, just maybe, she could hear Auntie Charlie fighting inside. Her hand went to her pistol. Her legs tensed, her boots pushing into the somewhat-pulped apples below her.

“Alright, men, take prisoners if you can, but remember they’re pirates, even if they’re rats! Get in there!”

Twila heard a crash, then boot steps on stone and wood. She looked up, ready to spring out of the barrel, but Rojir’s hand waved her back down. She waited instead.

Waited as ticks filled the air.

Waited as the footsteps faded.

Waited as the tavern door slammed shut.

Then, finally, Rojir’s hand waved them up. She clasped it with her own and let him help her out of the barrel. “Okay, crew, through the door in one minute. That’s enough time, right?”

Rosie nodded as she clambered out of the apple barrel. “That should be fine. Things happened fast in there.” She flicked a bit of crushed Granny Smith off her boot.

“Okay. Marianna, open the door when I nod. Everyone else, follow me in.” Twila drew her pistols.

Then she waited some more. She kicked at the dirt and fiddled with the mystlock on [Anton’s Paired Pistols]. Then she nodded to Marianna. “Open it.”

The door swung open. Purple myst poured from the dark room, and Marianna coughed. The sharp, acidic smell mixed with the sweet scent of crushed apples.

Twila started to charge in.

And ran straight into a Marine’s back!

What was this? Twila’s crew hadn’t told her there’d be any soldiers left in the tavern. So why were they here? She caught a glimpse into the dark, smokey room. One Marine–the one she’d run into–started turning toward her. Another stood beside him by the door, and two others were grouping the barflies and dockworkers up near the counter.

The one she’d run into turned. He stared at her as she stared at him.

“You’re the girl from the wanted poster!” He shouted.

For a moment–one crystal-clear moment–everyone froze.

Then his musket lowered. The other Marines turned and aimed their guns. And Twila stepped back out the door. “New plan! Back up,” she said.

The door crashed open. A trio of purple mystshots zipped out. One caught Twila in the chest. Her [Platejack Coat] heated up, the metal uncomfortable even through its cloth lining, but the shot dissipated against the brass armor. Then the Marines rushed out, reloading their muskets.

Rosie fired her pistol. When the purple flash faded, one Marine was down, holding a hand over his arm.

Another shot zipped toward Twila, missing by an inch. She could feel the heat next to her cheek. Still, they outnumbered the Marines. “Come on! We can take them!”

A handful of dockworkers boiled out of the door behind the Marines. They ran past the soldiers, and Rojir drew his [Reciprocating Saber] to meet them.

Swords, bottles, and chair legs clashed. Mystshots hissed back and forth through the air. And someone shouted into the tavern.

Twile fired both of [Anton’s Paired Pistols] toward the tavern door. A moment later, another pair of Marines rushed out, bayonets fixed. The odds weren't in the crew's favor anymore, with five upright Marines and the dockworkers against them.

Twila said the only thing she really could. “Crew, back to the Hourglass!” She started running, reloading a pistol as she went. The rest of the crew followed her. Rojir backed up, swinging his sword. A mystshot caught his leg, and he fell to the tunnel floor near the apple barrel.

Jamis grabbed Rojir and picked him up, leaning the bigger boy against his shoulder. As they limped down the passage after the group, more mystshots flew over their heads.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Twila fired her pistol again, not trying to hit anyone. Then she tucked it away and drew her [Heat Blade]. Then she rolled the [Loaded Dice]--3, 3, 5, 6, 5. If she was going to help the boys escape, she’d need all the help she could get.

She ducked around a corner as the boys passed her.

Then the first dockworker ran down the hall. She stepped in front of him in a perfect first guard, deflected his rusty saber to her left, and lunged.

Her sword caught him in the shoulder, right below the joint. In the fleshy part of his arm. Exactly where she’d wanted to put it.

He went down screaming, and she poked her head around the corner. A trio of Marines were hustling up the stairs. She looked behind her. The boys were almost around the next corner.

She ran.

Shots snapped over her head. Rosie fired her pistol around the corner, and the Marines dove for cover.

Then they were out of the tunnels into bright light and cleaner air. After breathing so much burning myst, the fresh air in Twila’s lungs made her cough. “To the ship,” she rasped between coughs, and the crew ran and hobbled into the crowded street.

As they shoved their way past men in tailed coats and women in dresses that made their waists too thin, the Marines rushed out into the street behind them. One fired his musket, but the others started shouting about keeping the townsfolk safe and wading through the traffic instead.

The kids ducked under the walkers’ arms and gained distance. Then, the uniformed soldiers started to split the milling crowd, gesturing and shouting. Twila looked ahead as the crowd broke near the road’s edge.

The Hourglass sat in the harbor, violet-emerald mystsmog pouring from its engines. Twila checked her belt. The starter was missing. Becca must have taken it. But why was Becca running the engines?

She dove back into the tide of people, pushing forward. As she did, she looked for her crew. Rosie was ahead. So were the two from the Endeavor–were they siblings, twins, or friends? And Marianna was already at the gangplank.

But where were the older boys? And Carter?

Twila glanced back over her shoulder. Sure enough, the two street rats were right being her, limping through the crowd toward the harbor. The Marines pushed through the crowd right behind them, though. Twila looked forward again. Marianna had disappeared–up into the ship, Twila assumed.

She turned and started loading her pistols. She had to help the boys escape! Would she have time to save them from the Marines?

A tinkling, twanging song filled the air, and Twila turned again. She watched as the crowd stopped walking and turned to face Marianna. The tiny, dark-haired girl winked and started dancing just before Twila zoned out.

Then a hand clasped around her wrist and jerked her toward the harbor. Toward the Hourglass.

“Let’s go, skipper,” Jamis grunted. “Help me with Rojir–Marianna’s music won’t last long!”

The music box started slowing down as if to punctuate Jamis’s words. Twila glanced at the big boy, then at Jamis. Rojir’s face was pale, and a rictus of pain covered his face. “I’ll take his other side. Let’s go!” She said.

The three limpers reached the foot of the gangplank, with Marianna lagging behind. Just in time, too–the music faded to nothing, and people started moving again.

“I knew this would happen,” Becca cursed as the crew hurried up the gangplank. She pointed at the ship’s starter, jammed into its place on the wheel mount. “Helm’s yours! Get us out of here!”

Already warmed up, the Hourglass lifted off as Twila fiddled with the altimeter and speed dial. As soon as the airship was free from the harbor, she pressed [Anton’s Pocket Watch] into its space.

With a purple flash and rapid ticking, the Hourglass hopped forward, back to the present!

When the purple faded, Twila breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe.

But far in the distance, a sloop almost identical to the Hourglass powered toward the harbor.

[Twila Tighe, Ship Rat Mystgineer, Equipment Level 1.33 (Myst 1/12, Hit Points 1/2)]

[Head - Empty]

[Eyes - Myst Lens (lvl. 1) Myst Sight (passive) See own status block and others’ classes]

[Chest - Platejack Coat (lvl. 2) Plated Coat (passive) +1 Hit Point]

[Waist - Apprentice Mystgineer’s Bandolier (lvl. 1) Deep Pockets (passive) - Equip an additional Gizmo]

[Legs - Canvas Overalls (lvl. 0)]

[Gizmo #1 - Loaded Dice (lv. 2) - Roll the Bones (active, 1 myst/roll) - gain a random myst enhancement; Skill - Trickery]

[Gizmo #2 - Anton’s Pocket Watch (lvl. 4)] Redo (active, 5 myst/5 seconds) - redo the last five seconds of time, with knowledge of what’s happening (1 minute to reset); Skill - Piloting]

[Gizmo #3 - Empty]

[Gizmo (Belt) - Mystwork Lantern (lvl. 2): Mystlight (active, 25% failure chance, 1 myst/attempt) - start the light; Adjustable Light Aura (sustained, .5-2 myst/tick) - light a variable area; Skill - Perception]

[Myst Battery - Condensing Battery Mk. 2 (lvl. 1) Myst Storage (passive) - 12 myst maximum, requires condenser to refill; Condense Myst (passive) - Condenses 1 myst/6 ticks]

[Weapon/Pair - Anton’s Paired Pistols (lvl. 2) Smoothbore Myst-Shot (active, 1 cartridge/shot) - fire a ray of heated myst; Rapid Shots (active, 2 myst/shot) - fire twice/tick; Skill - Marksman]

[Weapon #2 - Heatblade (lvl. 2) Heat (active, 1 myst/tick) - cause the blade’s edge to superheat; Skill - Acrobatics]

[Weapon/Pair - Empty]

[Skill #1 - Trickery 2]

[Skill #2 - Perception 2]

[Skill #3 - Piloting 4]

[Skill #4 - Marksman 2]

[Skill #5 - Acrobatics 2]