I stood on the bridge of the airship carrying me away from Spyre, and felt hot tears on my cheeks. What was it even for! I wondered. Soriya had been right there, and Lakshmi had been close enough to touch, and… and it was all down the drain from my inability to fight off two low level priests who simply didn’t want me to hurt myself!

I can blow up an airship or a city block, and I can’t seem to free myself! I raged internally. And to top it all off, I’m still dressed in this silly Saintess ballgown costume!

Nearby, Vicar Hnin smiled blandly, apparently oblivious to the tormented tangle of emotions inside me. The Deacon, of course, had stayed behind, with a smile that burned in my mind like acid, and a last wave of his hand. ‘Keep the Saintess safe, Vicar Hnin!’, his last words to me… I wish I could make them his last words! I thought, stomping my foot in frustration.

“Saintess, you mustn’t feel so much distress! The city is fine, one of the under-priests was on hand who luckily knew enough to dismantle the artifact before irreparable harm was done, and you could hardly have known that your powers would have such an effect on the device!”

I glared at him, and wiped at my eyes. “No. Of course not.” I said as blandly as I could.

He was right. I had learned something important. I was not sufficient to accomplish… whatever that ancient device had been trying to do. There was more needed than simply the touch of a human shaped plot device. But what? The expression on Lakshmi’s face… I shook my head in irritation, and wiped at my eyes once more. This is pointless. The plan has gone south, and now I’m going to have to figure out how to solve this.

I tapped my chin in thought. Alright, Lily. You’ve screwed up. I could leave now. I could just Gate out. It was tempted. Just… so tempting to see the look on Deacon’s face as I vanished.

But gate where. I don’t know where Eshaan and the others are! I could appear in the middle of the Imperial city… I mentally rolled my eyes.

Oh yes, there’s a fine plan. And I’m sure the Saintess appearing in the middle of the city will go unnoticed. And there’s no guarantee that the others are even still there. Plus Lakshmi has gotten into some kind of trouble… Oh spirits, I’m stuck here, aren’t I?! I have to stay on the plot rails so my party can find me!

Maybe… maybe I can slow us down? Make it easier for them to catch up? If I can wrangle a tour of the engine room, I could trigger Forge? I don’t think I can sink the airship ‘safely’, whatever that means. Honestly… after what Deacon showed me, I’m not sure that I’m even safe if I sink the airship. I bit my lower lip in frustration. I have been depending on my status as the main character to keep me safe far too much! I should not take my state of being alive as a given! I swallowed. Half the heroines accomplish their goal by dying, it seems, even if they come back!

“Vicar!” one of the crewmen called. “Our lookout reports a small craft approaching from the rear!”

The Vicar looked up, and then headed over to the helmsman. “Is it one of our escort craft?” he asked curiously.

I felt a leap of hope, and pressed my fist to my chest to try and keep my breathing steady. I risked a glance out the windows at the ground below. Rolling hills covered with forests, and the peaks of mountains just coming into view ahead of us. A small smile started to creep across my face. Exactly where the least damage happens to those below us. Lakshmi, I owe you an enormous hug! Or… was it Eshaan? This seems a bit like an Eshaan play? Now… how can I help…?

“No, Vicar, our escort craft are all accounted for.” The crewman responded.

“Hm.” The vicar narrowed his eyes stroking his chin in thought. He looked up and nodded once. “Take the saintess to her quarters. Though air pirates are unlikely this close to the capital, we mustn’t take any chances.”

“Wait, please!” I said. “Please, I don’t want to be stuffed into a cabin like some trophy!”

The vicar hesitated. “You said we’re well protected by the support craft, surely there’s no need to put me in some cage?”

The vicar’s frown grew more pronounced. “Saintess, your quarters are not a cage, you are not our prisoner here. Your rooms are some of the most luxurious onboard.”

I frowned at him. They are a cage, if you won’t let me leave this foolish role you’ve pushed me into. “They feel like a cage.” I said. “Especially when you send me away at any hint of danger.”

Vicar Hnin sighed, and nodded. “Very well, but at the first sign of true danger you must agree to return to your quarters.”

My mouth twitched and my smile must have looked ghastly. “O-of course, I promise.”

The looks the crew and Vicar Hnin exchanged told me that my ability to lie had not gotten any better. They did at least pretend to believe me, however.

Forge is out. I can’t direct him to do anything if I don’t know what to dismantle. Tower is out, punching a hole in the airship just crashes the ship and possibly kills me. And a lot of other people too. Gate could take me home, and what good would that do, I’d be stranded even more firmly and my friends worse off than before. I can’t summon my way out of this. None of my white magic spells are offensive, except {Holy White} and if I’m reading the description right, then it’s basically an even more powerful version of Tower’s attack.

My lips quirked in frustrated amusement. I could always offer to {Cook} for them, maybe they’ll be so busy laying around with full stomachs that I can walk away. I thought sarcastically.

I chewed on my lower lip, and then glanced around the bridge again. Broad glass windows, and a command deck that was more for ornamentation than actual fighting… They’ll come through the windows. That’s the most dramatic entrance. That means they’ll try to send me to my quarters… I sighed, my shoulder’s slumping in defeat. Ok. Frightened maiden in the corner it is. I’ll keep them away from me with Tower. I slipped across the bridge towards one of the empty bridge stations that looked out over the broad deck of the airbarge.

Just ignore me, harmless white mage here, no one of any importance. I thought as I edged quietly towards the console.

The situation, as they say, evolved quickly from there. The intruder craft shot past us, and circled around. I squinted at it, shading my eyes. It sort of looked like the skeleton of the craft that had been taking shape in our barn but… if it was Lakshmi, where had she gotten so much metal?! And was that…?

A sparkling series of lights blinked from the belly of the ship, and suddenly large explosions erupted across the upper deck of the airbarge, the windows of the bridge shattering inwards.

Where did she get a cannon from?! I boggled, even as I ducked down, crouching behind the console, hurriedly chanting {Barrier} to shield me from the rain of glass shards around me.

“Protect the Saintess!”

“Lady Lilyanna!?”

“Hurry, we have to-“

Whatever Vicar Hnin was about to say was lost as another hail of gunfire splashed across the upper decks, this time a mix of the fighter craft and Lakshmi’s ship. I hadn’t a shred of proof that it was actually my friends… and yet I just knew it was true. I knew they’d come for me. It went beyond my faith in the plot, it was… just somehow true.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

How terribly foolishly romantic of me. I smiled wryly, then ducked as another blizzard of shattered glass bounced off my {Barrier}.

The small fighter ships surrounding us darting up and towards Lakshmi to intercept. I bit the inside of my cheek hard, suddenly terrified for my friends. I needn’t have worried. A massive blast of fire and earth magical power erupted from the hull of the ship, tearing apart two of the close fighter craft and sending another one slowly spiraling down towards the greenery below.

When did Soriya learn how to cast like that!? I boggled.

A hand grabbed my arm. “Saintess! Are you alright?! We have to get you to safety!”

I looked up into the face of a frightened crewman, then down at his hand on my forearm.

I looked up into the howling wind coming through the shattered bridge windows and suddenly felt an urge to giggle rising up inside me. I slowly stood up, smiling my ‘saintess’ smile at him, and gently peeled his hand off me.

“Yes. Of course, you’re quite right. We do need to go.” I gave him another smile, and then leapt backwards out of the bridge windows, the hem of my dress trailing artfully upwards around my legs as I fell.

That was foolish, what if somebody sees my panties!? I found myself thinking inanely before I hit the deck just below the bridge windows.

I completely failed to stick the landing, however, and my back and sides complained fiercely from the pounding. I rolled to my side and let out a groan of genuine agony.

I’m glad I’m high enough level to handle that. I thought, then hurriedly chanted a {Heal} to fix what felt like broken bones. The pain immediately eased, but I noted that my dress was badly torn. No magic cloth for your Saintess? Hm. I stood up, and immediately regretted it, wincing as my shoes pinched my toes.

“Well first thing, these are going!” I hopped on one foot, pulling off first one shoe then the other, and hurled them vigorously over the side of the airbarge. I looked up to see a group of well-armed priests and Vicar Hnin climbing out of the broken bridge windows. Glancing the other way, Lakshmi’s little ship shot in, it’s hatch yawning wide, and Eshaan and Daniyel dropping the 5 meters to the deck, their weapons drawn.

Vicar Hnin held out his hand to me, calling out loudly. “Saintess! Please, you must come with us! We need you! The church… the whole of Gaia needs you!”

I looked at him, giving him a sad smile, my hand clasped to my chest. “I’m sorry Vicar. But I told you. I’m not your Saintess.” I glanced up at Lakshmi’s glorious insanity of a ship and then back to him. “I’m an airpirate.”

I turned and sprinted as fast as I could towards Eshaan, the brilliant glow of his grin like the glow from the doorway of my home.

Behind me, I heard the vicar cry out in disbelief and then rage, and heard the whining ‘zing’ of bullets zipping past me.

So much for your love of the Saintess. I smiled grimly. Daniyel and Eshaan charged forward, and as much as I wanted to hug them both, we had bigger problems. I looked up into the open hatch of Lakshmi’s airship, where…

No way…! “MOTHER?! What are you doing here?!”

…Holly was throwing a rope ladder out the opening.

She smiled down at me cheekily. “I should think that’s obvious dear. Your boyfriend and I are rescuing you. Hurry up now, anyone would think it was your first time.”

I numbly grabbed the rope ladder and hurried up it as fast as I could. My stockings slipped on the rungs of the ladder several times, making me flail uselessly for a bit, before finally throwing myself into the open hatch. I rolled to the side, panting, to let Eshaan and Daniyel climb aboard.

“Nice of you to join us!” Soriya said cheekily, before leaning out of the hatch to throw another of those ungodly spells she was hurling around.

Is that… a staff she’s got mounted under Diaboli!? What the heck did I miss while I was out?!

There was an extremely loud boom, and a shaking. An extremely ominous whine started building in the rear.

Holly smiled down at me. “Oops, that’s my cue. Sorry sweetie, got to make sure the engine doesn’t explode!”

Lakshmi leaned out of her pilot’s seat to yell at me. “Hey, your royal saintess whatever! How about a shield before Sparrowhawk is turned into scrap metal!”

I blinked several times before my brain finally kicked into gear. “R-Right!” I clasped my hands together and closed my eyes, summoning Tower, and begging her protection.

“Of course, Child of Æther.” Her voice was cool and amused. “I was beginning to think you had grown tired of us.” A brilliant honeycomb sphere surrounded the ship, just as Daniyel finished crawling aboard.

“This is why I wanted you to go first!” Eshaan shouted at him angrily.

“Hold on!!” Lakshmi shouted, and everything unsecured tumbled to the rear of the airship cabin as the Sparrowhawk accelerated away from the airbarge at what had to be ludicrous speed. Which included myself, Soriya, Daniyel, and Eshaan.

I groaned as I looked down to see Eshaan’s face pressed between my breasts. Soriya’s expression was considerably smugger than mine, despite Daniyel’s face being in much the same location on her body.

“Now!? Really!?” I shouted angrily at the world in general.

Soriya grinned at me. “When else would you expect it, your boyfriend is extraordinarily graceful most of the time.”

“Not! The! Time!” I shouted at her, struggling to sit upright and push Eshaan’s head out of my cleavage at the same time.

Eshaan was mortified, of course, stammering apologies and groveling in what I had to admit was an appealing way as he peeled himself free.

Daniyel, proving as unflappable as ever, made graceful apologies to Soriya as he got up, pushing himself against the torrent of air that was roaring through the cabin from the open hatch, slapping the close button. The thunderous roaring immediately died away, the uncomfortable shaking stabilized, and the Sparrowhawk gave another jolt as it picked up another burst of speed.

“Thank you!” Lakshmi hollered from the cockpit.

Daniyel bowed to her. “You are most welcome, Captain.”

Lakshmi flashed a grin at him, before quickly turning back to her readouts and instruments. I groaned as I spotted several crimson lights blinking at her from the panels.

Oh come on. I thought wearily. Not again.

“I really am terribly sorry, Lilyanna. I’m so sorry, it really was an accident!” Eshaan stammered at me. I let out a groan as I stood up, looking him square in the face.

He was looking anywhere but into my eyes, stammering apologies.

“I mean I really couldn’t help it; you saw what happened-”

I took a step towards him. He was blushing furiously.

“-and I understand if you’re mad, I don’t blame you at all-”

I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into a kiss. It lasted for a long eternity and felt unfairly good.

Alright. So this is much nicer than I expected. I thought with a sigh, closing my eyes and putting my full effort into it.

<{Orator} Advanced to level 5. For your faith in your friends and for escaping the machinations of Deacon Brown you have advanced to {Orator:5}> The worldsoul whispered in my mind.

I finally broke the kiss. Eshaan’s eyes were wide and the poor boy looked like he’d been hit with a house beam.

I smiled into his eyes. “Thank you for coming to rescue me, Eshaan. I knew you would.” I said softly.

Soriya slipped up next to me. “Well, you look a sight.” She smiled teasingly. “I see you couldn’t resist getting a new dress though.” I looked down at myself and grimaced. My beautiful saintess dress was in tatters, and showing quite a bit more flesh than I was comfortable with. My stockings were torn in several locations. The gown’s trailing train had been ripped away, and most of my gloves were missing, several abrasions on my skin testifying to close misses that I’d been unaware of. There were dirt smudges over most of my body.

“I think she looks fine.” Eshaan murmured in a daze. I looked up at him and rolled my eyes. I patted his cheek gently. “That’s sweet of you to say Eshaan, but I am a complete wreck. I am sincerely regretting my decision to discard my Sage’s Robes to blend in better.”

Soriya grinned. “We can always buy more at our next stop!” Soriya said cheerfully.

There was a sharp pop and the smell of magical energy leaking into the air from the engine room. An alarm began to blare from the cockpit.

“Dear, I think we have a bit of a problem back here.” Mother’s voice called from the engine room.

I closed my eyes and groaned.

***

The crash was an anticlimax. It was a lot more of a controlled smash into the desert than a disintegrating fireball in the air. It helped that the sand under us was acting more like water than real sand.

When we came to rest, the Sparrowhawk had stopped near a vast hillock of sand, on top of which was a shining black dome a few meters across. Behind us, a long wake trailed off into the sand behind us, already filling in as though it was viscous water. Before long, there was no trace of our long splashdown, and the sand was already mounding upwards against our hull.

The heat was almost overpowering. Soriya and I quickly rigged up another variant of the {Environmental Protection} ritual we’d done in the Tol Jaegren range, but I could feel it weakening by the second.

Daniyel looked up at the white sky overhead and the blazing sun, then nodded grimly. “We have landed in the-”

“Sand Sea.” I interrupted him.

He turned to look at me with surprise. “You know of the Sand Sea?”

Soriya patted Daniyel on the bicep. “She’s just showing off. This is your homeland, right? The Salazar Desert?”

Daniyel nodded gravely. “It is. Though few brave the Sand Sea, it is treacherous and deadly, its sand shifting as though it were an ocean.”

Soriya looked up at the black dome on the hillock above us. “What’s this?”

Daniyel shook his head. “I do not know. I have never heard of such a thing. As I said… very few people travel into the Sand Sea willingly.”

Lakshmi came out of the engine room, kicking the doorframe and swearing. “Well that’s torn it. The primary drive housing is wrecked, and the focus crystal is cracked. The Sparrowhawk is grounded until I can get parts!”

I glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. “How many airships have you wrecked?”

Lakshmi looked at me angrily. “None, until I met you!”