Somewhere far far away ... Part 5

Somewhere far far away ... Part 5 (a collaborative story) by CaylaCatz https://budgetpixel.com/u/CaylaCatz and @panos https://budgetpixel.com/u/panos Table of Contents (so far!) Part 1 Chapters 1 - 4 Part 2 Chapter 5 & Chapter 6 Part 3 Chapter 7 & Chapter 8 Part 4 Chapter 9 Here: Part 5 Chapter 10 (by CaylaCatz) : Cat’s First Day on the Job (Harpies are not in my contract!) Comments for Part 5 Chapter 10 : Cat’s First Day on the Job ( Harpies are not in my contract !) Chapter 10 images and text by CaylaCatz Cat's chapter: With the alert horn blaring, Xenya ran out of the engine room with Cat following. “That’s not a drill,” Xenya yelled Cat’s stomach tightened. “What does that mean?” But before Xenya could answer, the side hatch slammed open. Chief Musten barreled in, two teenage apprentices on his heels. His face was pale beneath the soot. “Good — you’re here, Xenya ,” he growled, breathless. "Get back into the engine room!" "Yes, Chief Musten," the girl said and spun on her heel to turn back. Cat registered that the Chief had a wolf's head as they all ran back into the room. Chief Musten shoved the heavy door shut and threw the locking bar across it. “Stay behind me.” A thump hit the other side of the door. Something screeched — high, sharp, and furious. Cat’s pulse spiked. “What was that?” Chief Musten didn’t answer. He braced his weight against the door. The apprentices did the same. The youths had absolute confidence that their chief engineer was strong enough to hold back anything trying to shift those doors. Another thump. Then a hiss. Then— BOOM! A blast of arcane fire tore through the hinges. The door sagged inward, glowing red at the edges. The crew jumped back out of the way when a second blast sent the door crashing to the floor in a shower of sparks. Two harpies stepped through the smoke, feathers shimmering with oily iridescence. One carried a compact arcanepunk cannon still smoking from the shot that took down the door. Chief Musten jerked his chin at the apprentices — a silent order. One boy hesitated — then sprinted. He dove between the harpies’ legs and vanished into the corridor beyond. He was their hope for to get backup. The remaining apprentice, Tobbie, froze as he could not see a space he could slide through. Cat grabbed his sleeve and yanked him behind a boiler. Melnya, the bird, flew down and rested on Cat's shoulder. Cat stared at the harpies. She'd read of them, of course, but never thought she'd see them in real life. Razor-edged wings, check. Wicked curved black talons, check. Digitigrade birdlegs, check. Predatory faces with a feathered mane, check and check. Legends and novels had described harpies perfectly. 'This is insane.' She thought, gulping down the hysterical giggle that wanted to bubble out from her. This was so not the time. Little ten-year-old red-headed Xenya fearlessly stepped forward, angry fists clenched, eyes blazing. “This is my engine room,” she growled. The cannon harpy hissed "Get out of my way, little girl" and raised its weapon. Before the arcane weapon could fire, Cat felt Melyna on her shoulder suddenly stiffen. Its wings flared wide. A sound tore out of Melyna's throat as she opened her beak wide — but not a sound meant for human ears. It was too high, too harsh for human ears and they heard nothing. Cat felt it only as a faint vibration in her bones. Chief Musten winced as his Vuldren ears definitely could hear that frequency but he kept his eyes on the harpies as he pulled his sword to defend his domain. He also had a pistol but never pulled it, knowing the danger of a gun in an engine room. A bullet hitting the wrong spot could set off an explosion. But the harpies... they heard Melyna's song. They shrieked, clutching their heads as the ultrasonic cry stabbed into their eardrums. “Now!” the bird hissed. Xenya didn’t need telling twice. She darted forward and kicked the cannon harpy in the knee. "That's for calling me a Little Girl!" The creature staggered. Cat grabbed the nearest wrench — a heavy one — and hurled it with all the strength she had. The tool slammed into the harpy’s wrist. The cannon flew from its grip, clattering across the metal floor, skidding toward the boilers. Xenya dove after it. She hit the floor in a slide, sparks flying from her boots as she snatched the cannon with both hands. The little red-haired mechanic spun around just as the harpy lunged straight at Cat. Xenya didn’t think. She didn’t aim. She just pulled the trigger. A burst of arcane force struck the harpy squarely. It collapsed in a heap of burnt feathers and metal trinkets, the sound of scorched chicken filling the room. Cat froze, heart pounding. Xenya stared at the cannon in her hands, chest heaving. Melyna muttered, “Well. That escalated.” But the danger wasn’t over. The first harpy was already engaged in swordfighting furiously with Chief Musten. It drove the Chief backward with a flurry of lunges, forcing him toward the humming etheric regulator. “Stay back!” Chief Musten barked, parrying desperately. Xenya raised the cannon again but the harpy kept the Chief between them, wings flaring, movements unpredictable. “I can’t get a clear shot!” she cried. "Don't shoot," yelled back the Chief between parries, "You might hit the engine." Cat scanned the room, searching for anything long enough to strike from a distance — a pipe, a pry bar, anything. She spotted a length of conduit on the wall and grabbed it, but dueling harpie and mechanic moving. She worried one swing and she might hit the Chief instead. Tobbie swallowed hard. Barely 12 but already tall for his age, he'd never seen a harpie. He'd only come aboard a few months ago and thought it would be a grand adventure and also better than living on the streets which he'd done for a short bit after his Mam died. His hands shook, but he grabbed a metal rod from the tool rack and stepped forward. This was his ship too. He'd do whatever he could when he would. “I can help,” he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. The thought gave him strength and he watched the fight sharply for his chance. The harpy snarled, driving the Chief back another step. The etheric regulator behind him pulsed with unstable light. Everyone froze, tools raised, hearts pounding but none of them could act without hitting the Chief. Even a moment's distraction in this fight could end his life. The harpy hissed and swung its sword in a vicious downward arc at Chief Musten. He twisted aside — barely — and the blade missed him but struck the etheric regulator behind him with a loud clang. The impact sent a shower of sparks across the engine room. "Damn!" said the Chief. Everyone stared at the regulator. Even the harpie stood still glaring. The regulator was the last thing she wanted damaged. Their colony needed it! The regulator flickered. Once. Twice. Then its glow deepened into a dangerous, pulsing violet. The bird’s feathers puffed out. “That’s very bad,” Melyna whispered. A low buzz filled the air — faint at first, then rising, vibrating through the floor, through the pipes, through their bones. Cat felt her hair lift from her scalp. Xenya dialed the cannon down fast, turning it off. The apprentice boy’s metal rod began to tremble in his grip. The harpy's eyes widened. ZZZZZZZZZZAAAAAARKT!!! A blinding wave of purple energy erupted from the regulator, exploding outward in a circular shockwave. Chief Musten and the harpy were both hurled backward. They slammed into the far wall together, the Chief landing hard on top of the creature. His sword clattered away. He groaned, trying to push himself upright but the harpy’s blade had nicked his side, and blood seeped through his shirt. “Chief!” Xenya cried, sprinting toward him. Cat and the apprentice boy rushed to help, grabbing the Chief under the arms and pulling him off the harpy. But the harpy was already moving. With a snarl, it surged upward and snatched Xenya by the throat with one clawed hand. Xenya gasped, dropping the cannon but even as she struggled, she kicked the cannon across the floor towards Tobbie. He caught it, eyes wide, hands shaking, and flipped the switch back on. The harpy tightened its grip on Xenya, dragging her close as a shield. Its wings flared, feathers bristling with fury. “Give me the regulator,” it hissed, “or the child dies.” Cat froze. The boy froze. Even the bird went silent. None of them had a clear shot. None of them could move without risking Xenya's life. The regulator behind them flickered again, unstable. The Chief groaned, trying to rise, but using the movement to hide that he'd just managed to reach his sword to pull it towards him. Xenya clawed at the harpy’s wrist, kicking wildly, yelling, "Let me go, you mangy feather‑brained gutter‑gull!” The harpy bared its teeth. “Choose.” Comments