Chapter Six Hundred and Five

Ginger exploded.

The moment the last words were out of her mouth, the facsimile burst apart, roots shooting out in every direction.

I blasted Cleaning magic right back at her, and when it struck the flying bits of facsimile, it melted them apart. The wave of Cleaning magic continued, enveloping the main body of her, turning her to dust even as she laughed. “See you around, cutie!” she said before my Cleaning magic washed over her entirely and melted the rest of the monster away.

Ding! You have cleansed Plant Facsimile, level 3!

I lowered my hand, then spun around to look at the keep. The root monsters were falling out of the sky, even that massive one. I saw some blurs as a pair of Black Avatars leapt off the monster while it slowly fell apart.

The battle was won.

But not in a clean way. The keep was slowly, very slowly, losing altitude. I didn’t think we were rising. Though without a frame of reference, it was hard to tell.

“Clive! Bring us around. We might have to help them evacuate. Prepare some chains and ropes. Maybe we can help the keep stay afloat.”

Amaryllis walked over. “We need to talk about whatever that thing was. And what it, she, said. But that can wait. I don’t think we have the lift capability to even shift something half as heavy as the keep.”

“But can we help, even a little?” I asked.

She tsked. “Maybe?”

“Then we try,” I replied. I needed some time to figure things out as well, but that could wait. The Beaver wheeled around. The crew up above patching our balloon came down, which meant that we now had spare people to take care of the large hole in the deck. I looked down and winced. I could see into my bedroom and Caprica’s room, as well as the corridor down below.

Fortunately, that had hit on the side with bedrooms. The other side of the ship had materials and fuel and all sorts of things that we didn’t want damaged. Not that I wasn’t a little upset at the moment. It’s just that it could have been worse. 

For now... I nodded as Steve and Oda grabbed small hatchets and started to cut up the edges of the hole while others brought planks over to cover the space. 

In the meantime, we finished navigating around. I had a few minutes to check in on Calamity. He was able to move, but I think we’d have to give him some time to heal properly. If that was the worst of the injuries amongst my friends, then maybe I could count myself lucky.

It didn’t feel like a particularly lucky kind of day.

We came around above the keep, and then tossed some ropes down. The Black Avatars below caught on soon enough, and the Beaver was tied down to the keep itself. We were soon being dragged down, though it wasn’t terribly quick. Still, I had Clive kick our gravity engine up to max power. It might be enough to help. At least, I hoped it would.

“Captain, we have someone asking to come aboard,” Bastion said from off to the side.

I jogged over, then looked down. Tristain was below, standing with his head tilted back to see us. He raised an arm and waved. “Ah, come aboard!” I called down.

Tristain folded his legs, then leapt. I was pretty sure he didn’t have a fighter class. He struck me as more of a scholar and maybe a wizard. I supposed after enough levels, it didn’t matter so much, because his leap was enough to have him zip up to the railing.

“Captain Bunch,” he said with a grave nod. 

“Tristain,” I replied. “Is everyone alright?” I asked.

“No injuries that will last,” he said. “I appreciate you asking. That was... a tougher fight than I had expected it to be. I couldn’t help but notice that the enemy were somewhat intelligent, at least until one point in the battle. After which it seemed like whatever was controlling them allowed the monsters free reign.”

“Ah,” I said. “That must have been Ginger.”

“Ginger?” he asked.

I nodded, then gestured to the hole in the deck. “One of the root... things attacked. It created something called a facsimile? It started at level one and by the time I, ah, Cleaned it away, it hit level three. It could talk. I think it was remote-controlled.”

“Remote-controlled?” Tristain asked. “Interesting. I presume from its ability to speak that it was intelligent?”

“Yup!” I said. “Her name was Ginger, and I got the sense that she was having fun? I don’t think she was ever in any real danger. She seemed to know me? She knew that I was one of the people destroying her Evil Roots.”

“Her Evil Roots?” he repeated with emphasis. “So, you believe that this Ginger woman is responsible?”

I nodded. “I think so? I didn’t get much out of her as to why. Sorry? It wasn’t a very long conversation. She did say that she was here to both talk to me and attack you. Two birds with one stone.”

“Two birds with one stone,” he muttered. “An uncommon expression, that. I believe it’s from the Trenten Flats. The Sylph say two harpy.”

I blinked. I loved little tidbits like that, but I wasn’t sure if now was the time for cool language facts. “Are you okay? The keep looks like it’s losing altitude.”

Tristain’s lips thinned. “We had to disconnect the core below. The keep is unable to sustain the spell that’s keeping it afloat. The others are working on it, but at the same time, we’re removing anything we don’t want to lose and loading it onto our ships.”

“You think the keep might crash?” I asked.

He hesitated, then nodded once. “There’s no point in assuming otherwise. If we’re wrong, then that’s for the best, but if it will sink, then we best prepare for it. I... would ask a favour.”

“Sure,” I said.

“I don’t know where you’re heading next, but as long as its towards civilization, then we’d appreciate some transportation. The storm is no longer being fed mana, and it looks like it’s calming already. At the current rate of descent, we have another two hours before things are too far gone.”

“I see. Yeah, I mean! Of course. If you want to come aboard, or any of the other Black Avatars, then you’re free to do so! We have plenty of room. As for where we’re going next. Um... Amaryllis!”

Amaryllis looked up, then walked over. “Yes?” she asked.

“Where are we going next?” I asked. “Some of the Black Avatars might be coming with us, if we have to evacuate.”

“I see,” she said. “I suppose that makes some sense. The nearest city is... Hmm, it actually depends on how far we’ve travelled. I didn’t exactly get time to aim at the stars last night, and the storm is misleading.”

“Southerfell to the south,” Tristain said. “To the east, it would be Elkensteel. North Port Salmon, and to the west Inkborough.”

“Inkborough,” I repeated. “Didn’t we go there once?” I asked.

“No,” Amaryllis said. “You’re thinking of Inkwren, that's quite a ways inland. Which is closest?”

“Elkensteel,” he said. “An independent city.”

“I know of it,” she replied. “It’s not too far north of Rosenbell.”

I perked up at that. Rosenbell was where we went to that little tournament, and where we first met Rhawrexdee, and where I became a bun! “Is there anything we should know about Elkensteel?” I asked.

“It’s the last port along the eastern shore of the Moonstruck Sea,” Amaryllis said. “Goods from Pyrowalk and the Endless Swells often make their way there, eventually. They have barges along the rivers nearby that run all the way to Smoulderglen, then Walker’s Rest. It’s how the Nesting Kingdom receives some rare luxury goods from the west.”

“I meant... other than the economy of the place?” I asked.

“Oh... in that case, I have little to say,” she replied. “I don’t know it that well.”

Tristain chuckled. “I’ve been before. It’s a moderately prosperous little city. Very independent. Mostly humans, but they have an interesting mix of other races living within their walls. A strong adventuring culture, a stronger maritime culture.”

“That sounds nice,” I said.

Amaryllis gave me a look. “You heard ‘adventuring culture’ and stopped listening.”

“I heard the rest!” I protested. “Boats are nice.”

Tristain smiled faintly. “Then Elkensteel should suit you well enough. Assuming, of course, we manage to reach it.”

That sobered me up a little. I glanced over the railing. The keep was still sinking beneath us, so slowly that it was easy to pretend otherwise.

“Right,” I said. “First we keep this place in the air as long as we can. Then we evacuate everyone we need to. Then Elkensteel.”

And somewhere out there, Ginger was waiting.

***