The Lost City Of Avaria.

Chapter 2 - Trident

At half past six in the morning, the sun crested through the clouds casting its pale golden glow upon us. My sisters head rests upon my mothers lap, her face like a porcelain doll smooth without worry as she breathes easily asleep. My mother gazes down towards the crowd gathered below worry etched on her brow, my father had not yet returned from trying to discover when the next airship will arrive.

Just as I turned away the city lurched again and we hear a great crack and grind in the air, the sound of metal shearing clean off and falling to the earth below.

"Aaah!" my younger brother suddenly cried out in alarm.

"Samuel Raker! Get away from the edge you'll get yourself killed." called my Mother.

People had started to stir and murmur below, cries of 'what was that' and 'We're going to die' abounded.

"Come ere Sam" I called to my brother, only six years old the baby of our family, with sandy hair and freckles, he has always been curious and boisterous. He happily plods over to me, as Trident our home crumbles beneath us, and my mother manages a weak grateful smile as she strokes my sisters hair.

Trident, the city of beginnings. The last of the air cities to launch before the Great war on the earth stranded the air cities from the world below. Originally planned to be made of strong Spanish steel with high quality Enardiud bags from the United Empire, but construction slowed considerably as costs increased before the war. Toward the end it was rushed to launch, its third tine created with cheap steel from the Ottoman Empire along with the joiner beams between the tines. The large rope safety nets originally intended for our safety never materialised, but it launched and stayed in the air for many years. Towards the end of the War of the Air (*author note-this is a temporary name*) catastrophe struck, despite staying neutral a small pirate Galleon attacked, and despite our defenders and engineers best efforts their attack caused irreparable damage.

Sam stirs me from my meandering thoughts with a sharp poke to the belly.

"Hey Tom, Tom. Look over there its Dad."

My mother is stands up with a sleepy Lily holding her hand and rubbing her eyes of sleep with her small hands. My father rushes up to us, tall, well muscled with dirty blonde hair and light blue eyes. He has aged in the last month, grey hairs mixed in with the blondes, frown lines creasing his face like an un ironed shirt.

"Ok everyone quickly now we don't have long." He breathed out in a rush "The terminal just picked up a hazy transmission from the HMAS Galant. They'll be here in half an hour."

"Ok kids" Mother says as she stands "Grab your gear this is it. Lily come on sweetie" she coaxes her upright "You have to keep hold of my hand ok, Sam you hold Tom's hand and don't let go of it ok?" This she accompanied with a stern look as Sam starts to fold his arms in defiance.

"Sam." says Father with the exact same look as mother, cowing a six year old is not easy. Thankfully my parents had plenty of practice with Lily and I.

"C'mon mate hop on my back, it'll be like when we went to the fair" I cajole Sam with a smile.

With a huge grin Sam agrees and hops on my back. Without further a-due we grabbed our belongings and started off through the crowd.

"Dock 12c" father whispers to mother.

"Why is it docking down there Harvey?"

"I don't know." He shrugs. "Look it doesn't appear to be common knowledge." He pauses as we brush past another family going the opposite way, then with a deep breath he goes on. "I don't think it can take enough people, thats why we need to hurry and quietly. We'll go via Countride avenue, thats pretty quiet."

"Shouldn't we tell everyone?"

"No Jules we can't." As mother was about to speak he puts up his hand. "Not now Jules, look could you imagine the chaos if we said there was another ship coming? A United Empire ship at that?"

With a sigh my mother just nods. This is what we do now apparently, quietly save ourselves.

As we got closer to 12c dark clouds started rising up from the white blanket below the city. Then rising slowly from the dark mass, a UE frigate slowly emerged, black smoke trailing in its wake. On the dock city officials are gathered along with men and women in lab coats surrounding several covered wagons.

"Umm dad..." I start to say as I spot the armed guards looking toward us as we climb down the stairs to the dock.

"Don't worry son, I'm sure they wont turn us away. Lilly is far too cute. Isn't that right Lil?" he gives mother a wink and pokes Lily on the nose.

I keep my reservations to myself and on we go. A couple of the guards are sent up to stop us at the bottom of the stairs down to the dock. Big burly men dressed in the gold jackets and black trousers of the council guard, dark heavy crossbows in their arms and maces by their sides. Sam clings tighter onto me his heels digging into my sides.

"Sorry folk docks off limit to civilians." the first guard greeted us as we reach the bottom of the staircase. My mother and I glanced at one another nervously, but then cool as a cucumber my father gently places his suitcases upon the wooden deck beneath us, removes his bowler hat with one hand, smoothes his hair with the other, and smiles. He uses that disarming smile of his, one full of understanding, and pleasantry.

"Of course gents, I understand. We wouldn't want any ruffians down here trying to run you guys over and jump ship as it were. And of course there is only so much room on that frigate and we wouldn't want a riot on our hands."

"Thats right" The second guard gruffly interrupts "So you take your junk and get back up to whatever level you came from and wait for the next vac ship." as he finished the sentence he gestured with his crossbow towards the top of the staircase.

If my father was taken aback he didn't show it, instead he bowed his head, and then as if it had just occurred to him.

"I just thought that I would mention that I am a mechanic by trade. Now I don't know if your gents noticed but the frigate coming to pick you up has a couple of . . . how can I put this . . . Well to be frank the engine has been run hard to get here. If you listen closely you can hear a continual high pitched squeal. Thats air escaping one of the main boilers. Now there could be a number of reasons for this, but if they had a capable mechanic, or boiler maker on board they surely would of fixed it by now."

The first guard looked at the second, and I noticed doubt start to cloud in his eyes.

"Alright mate, I tell you what" says the first guard turning back to my father "You can come aboard. But you have to come quickly, and, and this is very important, you must keep to yourselves and do as we tell you. Understand, otherwise we leave you here."

My father extends his hand "I understand completely officer, we are at your service."

"Hmph" grunts the second, as the frigate eases into dock the unmistakable sound of small pumps moving enariduid from the bags above the frigate into their copper containers.

We were all hustled onboard and under the deck with a minimum of fuss, whilst they loaded crates onboard along with the council members and other lucky ones. The United Empire soldiers and the council guards were constantly surveying the docking area, crossbows in their arms and cocked ready for action. You could tell the ship was in a bad way, numerous scars along the port and starboard flanks, and new wood interspersed the dark blue and red hull. All this didn't matter though, we were safe aboard the HMAS Galant. We were the lucky ones.