Emergency Landing

Wind roared past Darian's ears, slapping her face like stinging hands. It only came harder and faster as the Blue Sky continued to plummet.

Her feet swung uselessly, kicking at open air. There was no mistaking the horrible floating sensation in her stomach – they were falling.

In the near distance, she heard Guntar howl, "My liege!" Closer by, something hard bumped her side – Cay's elbow?

Darian twisted uselessly, trying to see. Her fingers ached from gripping the railing, but she didn't dare let go.

'Quick, think!' It couldn't end like this, not after they'd finally defeated Ulrich Ziegler. 'Think, think!' They had no power, no way to stay in the air, but a skilled pilot might be able to guide them to a relatively safe landing. Not Amaro, though – she'd seen him get shot herself. Then –

"Cay!" she yelled, hoping to be heard over the wind. "Where's Kress?"

"Belowdecks!" Cay shouted back.

Of course. Still, knowing Kress, she was probably fighting her way up to the deck this very instant. But would she arrive quickly enough?

Straining stiff muscles, Darian tried to twist her head. At the very least, she wanted to determine which of the crew on the deck was closest to a hatch. Maybe they could get down there and help Kress out….

Suddenly a white blur streaked past her vision. Blinking, Darian swiveled toward it.

It was Cay, sliding across the deck toward the bow. "What are you doing?" Darian howled after him.

She got her answer when Cay slammed into the steering wheel. Flailing his arms, he seized its spokes and gave it a mighty spin.

No way. Was Cay trying to fly the craft? Insane, completely reckless – but she didn't have time to protest.

Cay clung to the wheel for dear life, kicking his legs as if trying to swim through the air. Finally he managed to swing forward, feet hitting the deck with a thud. As soon as he was upright, he tugged on the wheel.

Once again, the craft lurched beneath Darian. She sucked in her cheeks, fighting the overpowering urge to puke out last night's dinner.

But Cay didn't stop tugging on the wheel, and the craft didn't stop lurching. With every jolt and judder, the bow tilted further upward.

With one last tremendous tug, Cay got the Blue Sky fully level. Darian's heels struck the deck with a bone-shaking impact, driving the breath from her lungs. Still, she'd never been more grateful to have a solid surface beneath her.

The Blue Sky might no longer be tilted bow-first, but it was still free-falling at top speed. And now that she was upright, Darian had a terrifyingly clear view of the ground rushing up to meet them.

The sight twisted her stomach into knots. Bluffs and plateaus stretched as far as the eye could see, stark silhouettes in the moonless night. Jagged peaks jutted like knives between them, along with canyons carving deep gouges.

Hand over hand, Darian inched her way up to the bow. Cay was still clinging to the wheel, hair blowing wildly around his head. This close, Darian could see the sweat slicking his face, the skin stretched taut and bloodless over his straining knuckles.

"Cay!" she yelled. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Cay bit out through gritted teeth. "Flying this damn thing."

"Do you even know how?"

"I've watched Amaro do it countless times. I have some idea."

Needless to say, that didn't inspire much confidence. But no time to protest when one of those enormous peaks loomed out of the darkness only a few hundred meters ahead.

Cay yanked on the wheel, then spun it sharply to the right. Just like that, the entire craft swerved the same direction. If it weren't for her grip on the railing, Darian would've tumbled across the deck.

Her arms ached all the way to her shoulders, but she wasn't about to let go for anything. The craft kept tilting, banking further starboard.

With wide eyes, Darian watched as the peak approached like a leviathan rising from the deep. But – hold on – it didn't seem like they were about to collide with it anymore. Cay had nudged the craft enough to the right to avoid a direct impact.

Just barely. The port side of the Blue Sky scraped solid rock with a shriek of metal and a shower of sparks. The railing vibrated beneath Darian's hands like it was about to shatter. Further down the deck, she heard panicked screams. The only reason she didn't join them was because she couldn't get the air.

One more hard yank starboard, and Cay brought the Blue Sky clear of the peak. Relief flooded Darian when the infernal shrieking stopped, only for the entire craft to shudder as Cay spun the wheel again.

He was trying to pull it level, Darian realized. But they didn't have much time before they hit the tallest of the plateaus. By now, they were so close she could count every single crack across its surface.

Cay pulled back on the wheel, shoulders trembling. "Come on, come on…," he hissed. "Please, Eulyn...Amaro…."

With a rumble, the Blue Sky finally settled into a level position. Just in time. By now, it was only meters away from the plateau.

"Hold on tight!" Cay yelled at the top of his lungs. "And brace for impact!"

Tightening her grip, Darian turned to survey the other crew members. Good; they were all holding fast to the railing or Blue's tentacles. She could only hope the ones belowdecks were also ready for a rough landing.

Soon the solid dark expanse of the plateau filled Darian's vision. Then the keel of the Blue Sky struck the stone with an impact that sent her feet flying into the air. Once again the horrid screech of metal pierced her bones, this time so loud she felt like it was tearing her entire body apart.

Sparks trailed in the Blue Sky's wake, flashing like fireworks. She heard metal crumpling and tearing, smelled something burning. Every bump and jolt quivered through her muscles and rattled her bones.

Through it all, Cay maintained his death grip on the wheel. But now that they had landed, the craft was beyond his control. All they could do was hope the friction would slow them enough to keep them from plummeting over the edge of the plateau.

As the edge loomed before them, Darian's heart rocketed into her throat. Cay yanked back on the wheel as if that would help. The screeching grew louder, wiping all thought from Darian's head.

One final burst of sparks, followed by a plume of smoke. Then the Blue Sky shuddered to a halt. The sudden stop swung Darian forward, banging her nose against the railing. Before she could stop herself, her fingers slipped away.

For a terrified heartbeat, she thought she'd end up flying into the air. Instead, she landed on her rear on cold hard metal.

As her heartbeat hammered, the world swerved and dipped around her. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting down nausea.

All across the deck, she heard people gasping for breath, Guntar muttering a prayer. From in front of her came loud, wheezing pants, as if Cay had barely escaped drowning.

Slowly, Darian cracked her eyelids open. Once she was sure she could stand, she forced strength into her shivering muscles and rose to her feet, clinging to the railing for support. The metal stung beneath her raw, tender palms, but she pushed the pain aside.

She glanced around, checking on her crew. Guntar lay on his back behind her, claws clasped around the railing. Meg and Lodo had collapsed against the railing across the deck. Fia clung to a tentacle, looking dazed.

"Holy shit, holy fucking shit," Ryan groaned and babbled, dangling in Avia's arms. Why he was so shaken Darian had no idea, considering Avia must have been holding him in the air the entire time, sparing him from the worst of the impact.

A thud from ahead caught her attention. She whirled around just in time to see Cay collapse on his knees in front of the wheel.

"Cay!" Darian ran to his side, grabbing his shoulder. The tremors from his body shot through her entire arm. "Cay, are you all right?"

"Ah, I…." Cay wheezed for breath. "We...we did it? We're safe…?"

Darian lifted her head, peering over the bow. The tip jutted over the edge of the plateau, sending the occasional loose rock skittering into the canyon below, but otherwise the Blue Sky rested firmly on solid ground.

What repairs it might need to become skyworthy again, Darian couldn't say. But at the very least, they had made it out alive.

"That's right," Darian said. "We're safe."

Cay let out a shuddering sigh before sagging into Darian's arms. Her heart jolted when she saw the blood smearing the wheel, matching the crimson staining the front of his robes.

"You did great," she said, patting his back. "Rest now, and let's get you patched up."

"I'm fine," Cay muttered. "But Amaro...Amaro still needs…."

In spite of everything, Darian found herself grinning. Now that was the medic she knew.