RISE

21 - Battle

Author's Note:

Here is a drawing of Captain Quincey - I'm not as happy with this one, it was really difficult to get a good pose reference, I completely re-started five times. Hope you enjoy anyway!

~*~*~

Aaron was plopped onto the deck of the airship with little ceremony. There, he discovered that Captain Quincey's crew was comprised entirely of humans. They were dressed in cartoonishly classic pirate garb. Many of them had peg legs or eye-patches, and one of them had a stuffed green parrot stitched to the shoulder of his shirt.

Quincey flitted up to the poop deck and started calling out orders to the crew, the same mismatched, nonsensical amalgamations of pirate lingo that they'd been using earlier. The crew got to work immediately, using the ship's machinations to fill the balloons and gain altitude. Aaron walked to the edge of the ship and looked down, seeing Beatrix rev her engine a few times and then start charging up the almost vertical incline of the mountain.

He nearly pitched overboard when a hand clapped him heartily on the back. He turned to see Zeck looking over the landscape. "It's not much to look at, I know, but there's more to Hell than just this. You'll see."

Aaron nodded vaguely, a bit thrown by her statement. The scenery was the last thing on his mind right now, but he was glad she was making conversation with him, at least. "So, um, what's with Captain Quincey? Why do they have a human crew instead of demons?"

"They're being tortured, obviously," Zeck informed him with an eye-roll. "This crew mutinied their captain, a kind man who had spared the lives of the passengers of a ship they'd plundered. He made them leave the ship intact so that the passengers could return safely. It was a mistake, you see; they typically went for merchant or military ships, but this one was taking passengers across the Arabian sea. The crew took all of the valuables they could find, but they didn't want to leave survivors who could report their crimes, so they marooned their captain on a small island with no food or water and left him to die. Their punishment is to sail under the incompetent Captain Quincey. They have to figure out what Quincey's orders are supposed to be, and if they ignore their orders or make a mistake, they're punished severely. I think it's pretty funny."

Aaron gaped at her incredulously. That might have been amusing, he supposed, but he wasn't sure this was where he wanted to be for an important battle. His anxiety grew as they rose in elevation. He started twisting his hands together, watching the sharp peaks pass them by, and tried to focus on Elvorix riding Lathe ahead of them.

The little dragon was much faster than the airship or Beatrix's motorcycle, so he zigzagged around and doubled back to keep the small group together. Beatrix was able to keep up with the ship, speeding over the rocks, and she was able to jump over gaps and obstacles. Zeck and Ezgalog were on the deck, stretching and warming up, seemingly hyped for the impending fight. Aaron unsheathed his sword and started practicing with it, hoping he didn't look as inexperienced as he felt.

Suddenly, the highest peak had passed below the ship, and their course was redirected to go over the mountain range and toward the valley which held Gourmal's castle. The energy of Zeck and Ezgalog increased, and they brought Aaron into their sparring match, laughing vivaciously. Aaron allowed himself to feel comforted. It wasn't only Elvorix's parents who were fearlessly confident in Elvorix's victory, and the enthusiasm of his friends helped Aaron feel excited, as well.

Moments later, Captain Quincey cried out "LAND HO!", which apparently meant that their goal was in sight. Zeck, Ezgalog, and Aaron rushed to the bow to see the approaching castle. Aaron frowned in confusion – it looked completely different now. He remembered a few dark gray blocks with one orange flag and an equally bland stone courtyard. The castle they now approached was a pale color with blue tiles covering pointed towers, with more orange flags, and it covered a larger area. Captain Quincey, who appeared next to him, peered through a telescope at the castle before handing it to Aaron.