Quillblade (31 page)

‘Seisui's alive!' the twins heard someone shout, but Lenis knew better. Seisui had died long ago, tortured to death by the
sickness of the Wastelands. Only her empty shell remained, and Ishullanu used it now to secure his escape.

The Clemens twins braced themselves for Apsilla's attack, but the dragon swept past Raikô to dive on the
Hiryû.
They turned in time to see the flashing of Gawayn's blade as the cursed swordsman leapt onto one of the holds. The arc of his sword carved a path through the storm and Apsilla beat her wings in a vain attempt to arrest her dive. It was no use. Her momentum carried her into one of the holds and tore it from the deck, sending the landcraft over the railing.

The twins-as-Raikô sped towards the
Hiryû
as Anastasis, once more wielding her giant hammer, leapt at the fallen dragon's flank. Apsilla flicked her aside with one of her wings, and the twins saw her crash into the railing. The others had entered the fight now, and they pressed Apsilla from all directions. Hiroshi managed to get his
kusarigama
wrapped around one of her hind legs and its sharpened chain bit through the gaps between her scales. Gawayn was slashing at her flailing wings, but she brought her tail down and slammed the swordsman into the deck.

The twins threw Raikô's body through the storm. As Apsilla raised her head to strike at the captain, they dug their talons into her shoulders. Apsilla bellowed, throwing her head back even further and exposing her throat. As their crewmates pressed in on the wounded dragon, the twins used Raikô's beak to tear through the exposed flesh covering her oesophagus.

Apsilla's cry died with her. Lenis pulled his hand free from his sister's. ‘Send Raikô away, Missy.'

Somehow, amidst the fury of the storm and the battle, they had remained safe in the forecastle of the
Hiryû.
The Quillblade fell out of Missy's numb hand. As Raikô disappeared into the clouds, the
shintai
turned into a feather and floated down to the deck.

The rain grew heavier but the wind and thunder ceased altogether. Lenis looked at Apsilla. Though it was dark, her body was clearly visible, glowing with a faint blue light in the dimness. The light grew steadily brighter until Lenis couldn't bear looking at it anymore. It vanished abruptly and Apsilla was gone.

Lenis felt something tickling his chest. He saw blue light emanating from the crystal around his neck.

Missy pointed. ‘What is it?'

The rest of the crew were making their way to the forecastle.

‘I don't know.' Lenis reached up to cup the gem.

‘The dragon egg will hatch at the death of the spring rains,' Anastasis intoned.

A feeling of love and adoration radiated through Lenis as he closed his hands around the crystal hanging from his neck. He felt something ripple along its surface and opened his hand. There, nestled in the middle of his palm, bathed in the pelting rain, was a miniature blue dragon.

Lenis and the captain leant against the railing and looked out over the imperial city. The gold frames of the roofs cast light into their faces.

‘What are we going to do now?' Lenis asked.

Apsilla's daughter was nestled inside his robe, sleeping against his chest. The baby dragon looked more like a lizard than her mother at that moment. She was small enough to stand on Lenis's palm, and she had no wings. Missy had called her Suiteki, which meant ‘droplet' in Shinzôn.

Captain Shishi smiled at Lenis, a warm, affectionate smile that Lenis returned. ‘We cannot stay here much longer. Ishullanu has had almost a week to recover from his shock, and the repairs to the
Hiryû
are complete. We must keep Suiteki safe at all costs.'

‘So, we run?' The thought of a lifetime spent fleeing the Demon King was far from appealing. Who knew how long
it would take Suiteki to mature into a fully fledged dragon? How long would it be before she was strong enough to face Ishullanu?

As if sensing something of his trepidation, the captain placed a hand on Lenis's shoulder. ‘Perhaps one day people will read of our exploits in Lord Tenjin's records. They will hold their breath as we flee Yukitoshi. They will weep when Namei is taken from us, and their hearts will lift with joy when Suiteki is born. They will know how it ends, Mister Clemens, in great tragedy or grand adventure, in victory or defeat. Either way it will not change the great things we have already done, or the sorrowful things that have been done to us. We do not run, Mister Clemens.' The captain laughed and spread his arms to indicate the horizon. ‘We fly!'

Missy came up on deck. ‘Let's just go and think about the destination later.'

‘I tell you, there's hope for her yet!' Hiroshi shouted.

The captain looked from one twin to the other. ‘An excellent suggestion, Miss Clemens. What do you say, Mister Clemens, shall we begin?'

Lenis thought about it for a moment and then grinned. ‘Yes, sir!'

He hurried to the engine room. The timbers of the restored deck gave off an almost yellow glow. There was something about this fresh light, this golden dawn, that filled Lenis with an enthusiasm he hadn't experienced the first time he had sailed the
Hiryû.
Then, too, they had been running
away from something, but this time Lenis could sense that they were also running
towards
something. He could almost see it, just on the fringes of his awareness. Perhaps this was the Way Captain Shishi had spoken of. Perhaps not. What mattered was that he was now moving towards some goal that was his and his alone.

The Bestia were pleased to see him. Ignis licked at his hands, sending small flashes of heat across his skin. Atrum weaved between his legs, the Bestia's tail curling along Lenis's calves. Aqua and Lucis were in their hutch, but they placed their paws over the side when they saw Lenis, wagging their tails and making small mewing noises to get his attention. Terra was curled up on his bunk, but she raised her slender neck when he approached and nuzzled at his hand.

Aeris was waiting by the engine, calmly cleaning herself. Lenis opened the new hatch and she leapt into the engine block, eager to be off. A moment later they brought the
Hiryû
to life and Lenis, satisfied everything was running well, left the Bestia to play in the engine room. He came to the middle of the airship and ducked under the mast-shaft, waving to Hiroshi as he passed through the galley. The cook laughed and raised his ladle in salute.

Excitement ran through the airship like a current of Bestia power. Lenis allowed it to fill him, buoying his own anticipation. It felt good to be moving again, to have his friends and family so close around him. The thought brought with it a stab of grief for Namei.

He made his way up the stairs and onto the deck. He relished the chill air, the wind, the speed, the height, the slight throbbing of the deck beneath his feet, but he stopped smiling as he came to the stairs to the foredeck. Save for the battle with Ishullanu, he hadn't been here since Namei had died. He remembered what she had looked like as she knelt before her killer. Everything before and after that was hazy, as though he wanted to forget all but that last image of Namei, alive.

Smatterings of her blood had coloured the steps with dark splotches. He was amazed that no one had thought to grind the wood back when the rest of the deck was restored, but at the same time he thought it fitting. On the foredeck, just behind the sweeping neck of the dragon figurehead, were the last signs of his friend.

Lenis closed his eyes and moved forwards, remembering the games he and Namei and his sister had played with the rune pieces in this spot. He stood in the middle of the foredeck and placed a hand on the back of the figurehead's neck. Despite the chill of the wind, the wood was warm. He could feel the thrumming of the
Hiryû
's flight through the timber. It could have been the fluttering of life just beneath Namei's skin, her spirit pulsating through the airship as her blood had once run through her veins. It joined with the rise and fall of Suiteki's breast next to his heart.

Despite the pain, Lenis smiled. He had once thought that Namei had been just like him, a slave caught up in other
people's fates and the captain's bizarre pursuit of the Way. He had been wrong. Namei had chosen her own path, had fought to find her own Way, and perhaps she had. Perhaps out of all of them, Namei had first found her true purpose, her Way.

Lenis opened his eyes and felt the sting of the air. His tears were scattered across the deck behind him. He was embraced by warmth he did not expect, and he opened himself to the life around him, to the spirits of the crew. Whether they knew it or not, whether they could feel it or not, they were all connected. Was this what it meant to have a family? Lenis looked at the discoloured patch of wood beneath his feet. There was something else here. His tears fell into the stain of Namei's blood. Aeris may have powered the engines that drove the
Hiryû
through the air, but Namei had been the true heart of the
Flying Dragon.
How could they go on without her? Somehow the airship had survived her. They all had. But were they truly whole?

Yes, Lenis, don't you understand? We aren't just a crew anymore. We're a family ... A family isn't just about blood, it's about spirit, and our spirits are one now. So don't be afraid, I'll always be here to take care of you, to help you. We all will.

Lenis wiped the tears from his eyes and looked over the dragon's shoulder. He threw his arms wide to catch the wind and laughed. They truly were whole. They had overcome the threat of the Warlord. They had witnessed Suiteki's birth. They had discovered the truth of the Wasteland Demons.

Together.

Lenis's laughter filled the air. The airship that carried him onwards seemed to vibrate with his joy. They
were
connected, and the horizon seemed wider and more open than ever before.