Engines of Alchemancy (The Alchemancer Book One)

Chapter 14. Attunement

IGNORING THE FIRST SOUNDS OF thunder, Shanna made her way straight for the quarterdeck's railing where she thought at first to grab hold of the spider web of ropes, lean out over the edge, and hang on for dear life. But as soon as she was close enough to see over the side, her head swam and she nearly fell flat on her back instead. Only a quick grab at the ropes saved her.

"Pretty far up, huh?"

It was Tom, who looked as if he was about his duties but who stopped, if only for a moment.

"Yes, we are," Shanna said. "I thought the top of Graggly's Tower was high, but this..." She leaned out over the railing once more, looking at the ground below. Long, sloping hills were covered so densely with trees it looked like a bobbing sea of green. She leaned further out, trying to drink it all in. "This is amazing!" The words had barely escaped her lips when her grip on the ropes slipped. Only Tom's assistance saved her.

"Whoa! Careful!" he said, hauling her back. "We're with the wind now, so should mostly be a smooth ride. But you still need to watch yourself."

Shanna steadied herself with two hands on the railing.

"Don't worry. It took all of us a while to get used to it. But it's the future of travel. Cap'n says so! Here!" Tom reached into his shirt and pulled out a small pouch. From it, he took out a small block of something green. "Take this. With a storm coming, you'll likely need it sooner or later. Just a smidgen. Put it between your lip and your gums. It'll last about half a day. Helps with the wobbles."

Shanna took it with a nod, sniffed at it, then put the cube in her pocket.

"Now," Tom said, "I better get back to it 'fore one of the mates sees me dawdling."

Shanna watched him jump down to the waist deck and disappear amongst the other airmen there.

Thunder boomed again, this time shaking the deck of the Griffin and sending a rolling vibration deep into the hull. The noise hastened the men into action as they prepared for the coming storm by tightening ropes and stowing anything that wasn't bolted down. Shanna remained on the quarterdeck, which was empty but for herself and the occasional mate, busy at some task. She did her best to stay out of the way while she immersed herself in the thrill of it all. Never in her life would she have guessed that she'd partake in such a voyage. It was the stuff of dreams and wishes. She could only imagine how much someone might pay for such a privilege. A king's ransom, Shanna figured.

It suddenly reminded her of the prisoners. It was unlikely they shared her present excitement. She knew they'd been brought onboard. Probably locked up somewhere below. She'd have to find out where and visit them, to let them know she was still working on a way to free them. Tom would know where they were being held. She resigned herself to asking about them the next time she ran into him.

Shanna spotted the dwarven chief at the bow of the ship. If not for two of his dwarves standing beside him, Shanna might have approached. She was just thinking she might do so anyway when the winds changed. The Griffin's bow heaved, cresting like a ship passing over a wave. The airship hung suspended like that as the winds assailed her, then she dropped and leveled off. Shanna, who'd just grabbed hold of the deck's railing, wondered if another assault was coming when a new gust answered her question. Again, the airship rose and fell. The moment it leveled off, Shanna took out the herbal cube given to her by Tom, broke off a smidge, and placed it in her mouth as instructed. She'd just shoved the rest in her pocket when another gust hit the airship. Thunder cracked nearby, shaking the hull so that Shanna felt the vibrations course through her hands and feet and into the rest of her body.

It occurred to her that perhaps she should go below when Erlek, his sitheri guard in tow, emerged from the companionway. He took in the situation with a glance, then mounted the short flight of stairs separating the quarterdeck from the captain's perch. One snakeman remained at the foot of the stairs while the other followed Erlek up. The captain, whom Shanna had not seen up to this point, greeted the pair at the top. From his expression, it was immediately clear he was not pleased to see Erlek. The captain was a tall, lean man, dressed in a heavy frock, with hair the color of walnut, chiseled features, and a stare that, though not directed at Shanna, still caused uneasiness in her gut. Shanna thought nothing of eavesdropping, and so she took clumsy, unbalanced steps towards them while fighting down a growing unsettling in her stomach. The remedy was not working fast enough. The sitheri who guarded the stairs fixed its serpentine eyes on her, forcing Shanna to fight off a chill as she looked into their inhuman depths. But the snakeman, having no care for what she was about, turned its gaze from her and paid her no more attention. Shanna swallowed, taking the last few steps needed to hear the exchange going on above. She let her gaze sweep the length of the ship, pretending to have some interest in the goings-on there. Erlek and the captain were already deep into an argument.