Lark Ornnen took a deep swig from the frosty tankard of ale just as the balled fist caught him square in the jawline. The bar interior span for what felt like an eternity in Lark's fleeting vision as he crashed upon the uneven wooden floor. The tankard of ale plastering patrons next to him in a froth of fermented barley. He had caught a faint glimpse of a white uniform in his spiraling fall and even though his senses were knocked awry by the blast he already knew his attacker could be none other than Captain Tellos Stormslade. Lark spat blood and a molar from his mouth as he sat up on the alcohol stained floor rubbing his swelling cheek. Lark was astonished when Tellos offered him a hand.
"Is that how you welcome an old friend?" Lark gurgitated through his blood filled mouth as he accepted the outstretched arm and was pulled to his feet.
Tellos smirked mockingly and replied. "If you weren't an old friend it would of been a bullet. You whore-son wretch." The bearded naval officer smiled although it seemed to belie the other sinister thoughts that were veiled behind it.
"You violated the Privateer's code. That's something you can't do without being severely punished." Tellos pointed menacingly at the still wobbling Lark and said. "You are lucky I don't kill you right here for what you've taken from me." Tellos massaged his swelling knuckles and watched as Lark brushed at his ale drenched jacket waiting impatiently for Lark to speak.
"Why should I care about your Privateer code?" Lark asked seemingly oblivious to the fact that four more white uniformed privateers appeared behind the statuesque captain. "I'm not a privateer anymore. In fact I don't own a ship anymore." Lark said matter of factually as he spit a blob of coagulated blood from the side of his mouth.
"Don't play games with me Lar. I've known you since the Kallic invasion. I know you think your some kind of aeroship captain but that doesn't forgive you for being a thief. Even if you aren't a Privateer I know Aeros aren't scum like you." Tellos turned to face his newly arrived crew members. "You see Lar, I want what you took from me and if you don't give it back I'll make sure my boys here find another way to pay back your debt."
"I'd sure like to seem them try: Besides I don't have those worthless guns anymore. Cheaply made, rusty steel jamming contraptions; I sold them to a trader from Fardeth for a keg of ale." Lar smiled as he watched Tellos' bearded face redden with anger.
"How dare you insult me. Those cylinder guns were the finest arms that my lineage have ever made. I know you still have them. They're probably mounted on that hovering trash heap you call an Aeroship." Tellos bellowed the anger swelling inside him. "You have til the end of this week to get me those guns back. Even if you have to go to Fardeth to get them. I promise you old friend that if they aren't back I'll make sure all of your limbs are crippled just like that one." He pointed at Lark's right leg. Lark's smile disappeared at the mention of his maimed right leg and he looked Tellos in the eye with anguish in his eyes. Lark knew Tellos had witnessed how his leg was maimed in the breaking of the siege of Kall against the Orc host. This was an insult that hit Lark to the core.
"Fine, I'll bring them to you in four sunsets, you blabbering sea dog." Lark lied.
"Lar, you know you don't have a choice. I have privateer brethren in every town and city from here to the Inland Sea. A crusty face like yours will be easy to spot. Mark my words you'd be a dead man." Captain Tellos Stormblade, Lark regretfully knew was telling the truth.
"You'll have them in four nights." Lark said knowing that he was signing his own death warrant.
"I have your word then. I'll be watching you. So don't you even think about flying off in that trash ship of yours either. For perhaps I already spoke with that rabble you call a crew and maybe I know quite a few have families in Mistvald that they won't want to see any harm come to." Tellos's licked his lips and smiled for he knew that even if Lark were to flee his crew would revolt or mutiny if threatened with such an act.
"You'll have them, you mongrel. Now leave." Lark knew he was pretty much dead in four nights and just wanted rid of the pompous naval captain. He needed time to think, or at least have something stiff to drink. Tellos shook his head and laughed as he turned and waved his crewmen to follow. The biggest crewman in a sweat stained uniform which appeared to want to burst open with tensed muscles gave a throat slitting signal before chuckling and leaving the bar.
"Inbred buffoon." Lark mumbled under his breath. Thinking now about how badly he could go for the ale that now made his shirt and jacket a soggy mess.
******************
Lark had no sooner mounted a stool and turned back to the bar when he was spun around in his seat and a muzzle of a rusted flintlock appeared in his face. When his vision unblurred from focusing on the hollow steel muzzle he could see down the gun and up the red filigreed arm to the stern face of Parth Sinder. Lark couldn't believe it; could his luck get any worse today.
"I'm amazed a pile of pig dung like you could even bare to show his face in this city again." Parth said as he cocked the pistol.
"Well I was just about to leave." Lark said trying to duck away from the muzzle which tracked his head like a magnet.
"I don't think so." Parth said forcing Lark back into his seat with a swift kick of a muddy boot smashing his back to the bar. "Honestly, how stupid do you think you made me feel when you tricked me into that fool's errand. I should of known when I saw that grubby halfling that he had to be a member of your crew." Parth shock his head in disbelief at how easy it had been to find the man who sent him on a six month trek across hundreds of miles of hostile land.
"I should of known that tale that manling told me was too good to be true. I spent a winter in the most remote lands and scuttled my aeroship for lack of coal hundreds of miles from a settlement. I fought my way through barbarians, goblins, and froze just to survive to find you." Lark couldn't believe Parth was standing here with a gun to his temple. Lark knew that he was probably going to die for the trick he had pulled on Parth, but at the time when both he and his crew were starving and the situation was dire he had to rid himself of his stiffest competition. When competition was so fierce and a livelihood was on the line; a man would do just about anything he could to get an edge over his rivals. Even if Lark assumed he'd never see Parth again the risk at the time seemed worth it. He had sent his halfling lieutenant and navigator, Grumbald Aleheart to Parth's Aeroship with a falsified Legislated decree from the Mistvald Legislator stating that the vessel was to take an emergency cargo to Darnth on the far western fringe of the Five Realms. The decree stated that a hefty reward would be supplied by the Darnthian Regent when the supplies arrived. Lark hadn't expected that Parth would take the cargo to Darnth without checking to see that it was crates of sand. Lark's stomach sank as he resented making the decision that now put the ire of Parth Sinder and the entire crew of Parth's aero against him. Lark knew that he couldn't talk his way out of this one. He sighed waiting for the inevitable pistol crack that would end his miserable existence and splatter his brain pulp all over the ale stained bar.
"Well look at how much I brought you and your crew together Parth." Lark said with a dry grin as he contemplated whether he would hear the pistol crack or if he'd die before the sound of the pistol ever reached his ears.
"I've waited a long time for this." Parth said with a smile that almost split the ragged cheeks of the aero captain. A smile that spoke of grim satisfaction at having his most hated prey trapped like a bug beneath his heavy boot. Parth's frostbitten finger crept slowly to the trigger as Lark's vision blurred to focus on the muzzle again. Lark refused to close his eyes for he was going to take this like man. He stared Parth in the eyes to take away the satisfaction of allowing the deceived aero to watch him cowering in fear.
A shot rang out. Lark blinked and when he opened his eyes he expected to see the nothingness of death, but instead he saw the flintlock slowly inch from his head to point at the floor. Lark looked at Parth's face to see that it was now turned to face the door of the bar as three figures entered; one holding a smoking pistol. A warning shot, Lark realized but from who? Who would save him? He had more enemies than a rapist serial killing orc pirate.
To Lark and Parth's surprise the figure that came in silhouetted by the sun beyond the bar's doors was wearing the crimson robes of a Mistvald Legislator and flanked by two Black Wardens. The legislator's red flowing robe accentuated his grey bearded face and added to his regal appearance. Surely someone of such stature shouldn't be hanging out in the dregs of Mistvald unless he were looking for something or someone, Lark thought.
"Lark Ornnen?" The legislator asked.
"YEAH." Lark said quickly and loud enough for everyone in the bar to here him.
"Come with me." The Legislator commanded. "You there." The Legislator pointed at Parth. "Follow and you will perish. This man is now under the jurisdiction of the High Governance of Mistvald. You will not lay a finger on Lark Ornnen or my men will have you rotting in a dungeon for eternity ."
Parth's mouth opened to protest and thought better of it when he saw the stone cold look of the Legislator. Instead he turned and spoke to Lark. "I will kill you another day then. Swine."
"Away now." The Legislator gestured to Parth. Parth rose and spat in the direction of Lark and headed to the door; bumping shoulders with one of the Legislator's bodyguards as he departed.
The Legislator beckoned for Lark to follow and without haste Lark turned around grabbed a full tankard chugged it, wiped his drenched chin with his sleeve, and took off across the bar scanning for any other phantom enemies he may have failed to discovered. Outside the bar in the bristling sun drenched busy streets an ornate government carriage awaited. Lark had barely taken a seat inside when the Legislator began to speak.
"Before we begin, I want you to understand that what I am about to say is to never leave this carriage." To this Lark replied. "You have my word."
"As much as I would like to take your word. You must understand that I just witnessed two threats on your life in about as many hours from those who took your word. You will do as I tell you or you will regret ever coming to Mistvald. Do not think because I am a politician that I am a fool or that I am weak. I can put you in the deepest darkest hole in the Five Realms." The Legislator threatened. "I know your past. I know they say you are a war hero, but I also know that you were a pirate. You once bore the death mark of a Pirate that I know now is covered with the legion mark of the Kallic army. You cannot hide from your past forever." The Legislator paused for a moment to gesture to the carriage driver to move out.
"Do you understand? Outlander?" The Legislator asked staring Lark in the eye.
"Yes. Speak Legislator. I understand." Lark said tired of all the obfuscation.
"I have a mission for you and your ship. A mission that only you or your crew are to be privy to." To this Lark nodded intent to discover every detail. "A courier aero arrived yesterday from Keln. It appears an aeroship known as the Vilya has disappeared. You are to find this vessel." The Legislator commanded. "This is a matter of the strictest secrecy. If anything I say is released to anyone, I'll have you hanged."
"What is this Vilya? I've never heard of it." Lark questioned.
"The Vilya is a cargo aeroship sent on a secret mission to deliver aid to the besieged city of Pion." Lark's eyes widened at the mention of Pion. "It is carrying a special cargo of which must not fall into the hands of the attackers."
"Pion? That's at least three weeks travel from here even at full steam. As you said; Pion is besieged. You honestly want me to lead a suicide mission hundreds of miles to a war torn city-state? That is no ordinary army that besieges Pion." Lark shuddered. He had heard the stories filtering in from the north of the Kabalist legions. An army of war painted barbarians who worshiped the moon and prayed to dark gods.
"Yes, but the Vilya has gone missing beyond Keln it has not made its way to Pion. The ship must be found at all costs. You are to find the Vilya and retrieve it's cargo." The aged Legislator demanded.
"How am I supposed to know what this special cargo is when or if I find it?"
"The cargo would be hidden in plain view as a bust of the goddess Orphia. Bring me the bust that is all I require."
"What is in it for me? I mean that is a long voyage into hostile territory and I don't have the coal and stowage to get there. A trip to Pion will be very costly." Lark demanded stroking his goatee. Although he knew that he had little room to negotiate.
"You will be given a sealed decree for the coal and food stores. You will meet with a contact in Keln and refit there. The Vilya is carrying a cargo of bullion gold and weapons meant for the garrison at Pion. The gold is enough to pay the defending mercenary legion at Pion it's worth more than a new aeroship. The cargo and gold is yours. If the captain or crew are alive you are to deliver this decree to them relieving the gold and supplies to your possession." The Legislator handed him a sealed parchment.
"That seems nice but I don't think even with a ship full of gold I'd be able to pay off the debts I've created here." Lark stated trying to squeeze out everything he could; as he felt he honestly wasn't going to survive a mission to Pion and if he did he wanted it to be worth while.
"Ah yes. Your two friends in the bar; I will take care of them, if you get me the cargo." the Legislator assured.
"And so I must ask you, my liege. What if I don't accept this "mission" of yours or find this Vilya. What then? Why shouldn't I just hop on my Aero and fly south to Burdin and forgot all of this?" Lark asked as he crossed his arms over his chest anticipating to see the legislator beg.
"Mr. Ornnen need I remind you that I am a legislator. To fail to accept my offer would force me to do the obvious: To publicly execute you for piracy against the people of the Five Realms." A sinister grin appeared accross the Legislator's face. "As you know Mr. Ornnen being a legislator means that I travel and have a great many political connections. I would make sure that should you not fulfill my offer or if you even think about stealing the bust and making off with it I shall have you hunted down and burned alive."
"Seems like I don't have a choice. Well Legislator with no name I'll do it, but if there isn't any gold or reward I'll do the obvious too and pilfer off your bust to the dirtiest Dwarve trader I find and I'll make sure you spend the rest of your days searching miles of underground Dwarven mines for your darling Orphia."
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Lark was dropped off at a street corner near the eastern docks where the Legislator had arranged a waiting common carraige to take Lark back to the Mistvald Aerodrome. The Legislator made it strongly aware that he was not to ever be see with Lark and that noone beyond his crew were to know about the mission. Lark wasn't sure if he should be glad he now had a paying job or if he should curse his luck. Flying to Pion through barbarian and hostile territory to find an aero that could be anywhere. Let alone the fact that it was on it's way to one of the must brutal warzones in the Realms. It sounded like suicide and yet to Lark it seemed to put him at ease knowing he'd soon feel the excitement of the unknown again. If only he were ten years younger he thought as he stepped out of the carriage and thanked driver, perhaps this might be his last adventure for better or worst.
The Mistvald Aerodrome was a series of long hangers and sheds with a long aerostrip for Aeroplanes and Aeroships to land on. Lark had barely been able to make the weekly payments to rent one of the massive hanger bays. Before he even made it into his allotted bay he could sense something was wrong.
Lark spotted first his wrencher Mcree pulling a cart full of spare parts and sacks of belongings out of hanger with a dapper look upon him. Following Mcree were the last few remnants of his crew all carrying their belongings either pulled in carts like Mcree or slung in torn or shabby sacks over their shoulders.
"WAIT." Lark called to his crew as he began to run knowing he hadn't told any of them they could have a leave of absence. Some of the deckhands on noticing Lark began to either lower their heads or scuttle off faster.
"Where are you going?" Lark questioned as he caught up to Mcree who was hindered by the parts cart which was too heavy allow him to slip away from the hanger fast enough to elude Lark.
Mcree stopped pulling his cart and looked Lark in the eyes, "It's over Lar. We're all done."
"What do you mean your done. I've paid you for atleast another month." Lark's anger starting to build.
"You heard me. Done. We have all had enough. And frankly what you paid us isn't a quarter as much we could get elsewhere and without all the threats and danger involved." Mcree explained. "We were only sticking around because we had no where else to go or were to stupid to realise the truth. That your a failure as an Aero captain and it's not worth the risk to get killed for nothing."
"Mcree, you know I'd get us out of this slump. Stick with me. I have something real big I need you guys for. It's really important you stay." Lark pleaded.
"I'm sorry Lar. It's over. Tellos and Parth stopped by and they've promised to kill any of us who stick with you. I don't intend to stick around to find out if they will." Mcree said as he stared off not trying to see the look of dismay and unbelief Lark now shown.
"Please stay. I promise you this mission will solve all of our problems. We'll be richer than you could imagine." Lark pleaded one last time knowing that if he couldn't persuade Mcree now he never would.
"No Lark. We've stuck around long enough listening to your idle promises. We're done. Good bye and good luck Lar." Mcree turned and walked away without looking back.
Lark stared after Mcree and the others in stark disbelief. How could his crew of years just abandon him when he needed them the most. Lark knew he was dead. It two days he'd probably be lying face down in a gutter with a knife projecting from his back. He finally lowered his head when Mcree and the others disappeared from view. He shook his head still not able to comprehend how in one day his life could go so horribly wrong. Lark stepped into the dusty hanger bay wondering if his trusty companion Grumbald had abandonned him too.
The hanger was filled with the massive flying machine of the
Graceful Gale. Lark's aeroship was a massive contraption of steel sheet and taurpalin that barely filled the huge expanse of the hanger bay.
Topping the aeroship were two smaller yet equally complex sparrow aeroplanes. Each sparrow was a sleek cylinder gun fitted reconaisance aeroplane mounted on flight skids atop the aero. Capable of launching at a moments notice to defend the
Graceful Gale.
Lark admired his ship even if it was grossly technologically out of date compared to newer aeroships. The ship which had been built ten years prior had been one of the first used to transport cargo from city-state to city-state. Ten years was a long service life for a newly developed technology such as aeroflight. Lark who was already crushed by the desertion of his crew felt his heart sink even more knowing that his his ship which he had worked so hard for was going to probably end up in the hands of his enemies. An unwilling bequethment to pay one of his many posthumous debts. Lark knew that even if they sold everything on the
Graceful Gale including the sparrows that Grumbald would never be able to pay off his debts enough to keep the aero and Lark didn't even want to think about the possiblity that Parth may kill Grumbald for his part in his treachery.
"Grum," lark called out to the craft hoping Grumbald would answer him.
"Lar?" Grumbald Aleheart's gruff voice questioned from the craft's pilot house.
"I never thought I'd ever be happy to hear that scruffy voice as much as I do right now. Get out here you short rascal. We have a couple problems to figure out." Lark said trying to be as chipper as he could be.
"I know what you mean Lar. I tried to stop them. I begged Mcree and the others not to leave. They wouldn't listen. I couldn't stop them." Grumbald said with a gruff sad voice.
"Forget them Grum. We have to think about us now. We need to get out of Mistvald and we need to leave as soon as possible." Lark said as he walked past Grumbald to climb up the landing skids of the
Graceful Gale and enter the pilot house. Grumbald followed him continuing the conversation as they both entered the Aero.
"So what do you wanna do Lar? Where are we gonna go?" Grumbald asked.
"We'll gather what we can carry on horseback and we'll burn
Gracie to the ground and head south to Burdin." Lark said without emotion although his lack of emotion was signal enough for Grumbald to know that Lark was masking how much it hurt to say it.
"Burn the Gale to the ground? Lar you can't be serious." Grumbald said aghast.
"We can't pilot an Aero by ourselves. We wouldn't be able to get it off the ground with just me and you. We don't have a wrencher or anyone to man the boiler. We have to face the facts that we need to ditch the ship and get out of Mistvald as quick as we can before one of Parth or Tellos' men trail us."
"So that's it then. We ditch Gracie and everything we've worked on for years." Grumbald bellowed frustration showing across his red bearded face.
"What would you have me do Grum? We don't have a choice." Lark said trying to plot his case.
"I've never known you to give up so easily Lar. We should at least try to get some of the crew members back or find new ones. Anything, We can't give up. Not after everything the Gale has done to save our arses." Grumbald stomped his feet and threw out his arm to take in the cabin of the Aeroship dragging his open hand around for emphasis.
"Do you honestly believe we could find a crew by tomorrow night capible of flying an aero to Pion of all places?" Lark questioned laughingly.
"PION? Who said anything about Pion. Why the hell would we go to Pion?" Grumbald said with a look of utter confusion upon his face as he looked up to Lark with an expression of curiosity.
"Oh. Pion. Yeah, about that. I was approached by a Mistvald legislator about a mission to Pion to retrieve some piece of crap artifact or something. It's of no consequence now. Your right though. We could pay or trick someone into flying us to Burdin." Lark said realising the obvious.
"A mission? To Pion? Why would anyone but soldiers want to go to Pion. It's a warzone there. Why would anyone want you to lead a mission there?" Grumbald questioned inquisitively.
"Well, for a bust of Orphia or something. The legislator really wanted it; was willing so he says to give me a whole mercenary armies worth of gold for it. Why would anyone want a bust that badly?"
"A mercenary armies worth of gold you say?"
"He said an aeroship known as the Vilya was taking a cargo to Pion for the garrison. A cargo of weapons and pay for the mercenary troops and it went missing. He was pretty serious about it too. He wanted us to find some bust of Orphia and he was willing to "take care" of Parth and Tellos if we did."
"Are you serious? Lar we should do it. It'd solve everything. I mean, I know it's suicidal. Pion for orc shat sake. That's four or five weeks of travel but to be rid of your debts and rich. How could you turn that down?" Grumbald said with a sinister grin. A grin Lark had seen on the eave of all of their earlier adventures. A look Lark hadn't seen in years. Grumbald continued. "Think man, where is our sense of adventure? where is the old Lark Ornnen I know?"
"Your right Grum. I guess I only have one question for you then." Lark said with a smile.
"Anything Lar." Grumbald said impatient for the question.
"Will you come with me to Pion?" Lark said with a mischievous grin he hadn't expressed in years.
"To the end of the world, Lar." Grumbald said with a look that only two men with years of comraderie could express between them.
"Then may
Gracie give us one last flight to remember."
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Lark and Grumbald began to prepare immediately. Packing and preparing provisions making mechanical checks, checking provisions, and loading stowage. Grumbald and Lark and Grumbald moved with an eagerness they hadn't experienced in years. The ship was ready although Lark knew they had some serious problems already with the ship.
"So Grum I'm thinking we'd need a pair of pilots for the two sparrows, a wrencher, some deckhands, and if we can get someone who knows how to fire a cyl gun that would be fantastic." Lark listed.
"Well we need more than crew Lar. We're lacking some key supplies. Do you really think we can make it to Pion with out them?"
"Grum I'm gonna need you to go to the dregs and find anyone who'd be stupid enough to go on a suicide mission. I don't care if you have to trick them. I'll take care of the supplies."
"Should I offer them anything? What should I tell them? I don't have anything to give them up front. What can we pay them." Grumbald asked.
"Tell them they'll be richer than they can imagine for a month of service. If they aren't then we'll sell the
Graceful Gale and give them the payment and disappear up north."
"I'll do my best. I guess it's starting to get dark out. I better be off then to the dregs before it gets too dark."
"Good Luck Grum, just tell them to meet here at the aerodrome at sunset tomorrow." Lark said as Grumbald shook his head and walked off into the fading sunset to disappear into the horizon like the rest of Lark's crew did earlier in the day.
