A.N.: Welcome everyone, to the fifth book! I just finished these first two chapters today (prologue and chapter 1). Hopefully I didn't completely botch it up. Again, this story will go to some dark places, but hopefully we'll still get the occasional moment of relief. Enjoy!


Prologue

"Form up ranks!" The lead clockwork stabbed down into an opposing clockwork's body. "Deacon, scout ahead. I want to know how long we have before Blaze arrives." The elite clockwork saluted and headed off. He's divided our forces and put us on the run. An explosion rang out in the distance. "Get ready!" Ten clockwork dragoons raised their cannons to return fire before being blown up by the first shot.

"Such a shame." Deacon walked back up to the clockwork commander.

"Deacon, why?" He drew his twin swords to defend him and his troops. The traitor drew his signature pistol.

"He is our creator. Why should we obey someone who was created to do one job and refuse to follow orders?" Deacon opened fire. Able slashed the incoming spark bullets in half.

"At least I have enough intelligence to stand for something!" Able charged, scraping his swords along the ground. Sparks surrounded the commander's blades and he sent a burst of electricity toward Deacon. He snatched a shield from a nearby marine, deflecting the sparks. Unfortunately, the marine wasn't so lucky.

"And you will fall." The new voice startled Able momentarily.

"Blaze. Long time, no see." Able changed direction and charged at the Kane-armored inventor. "I see you're still taking orders from Tauros. And you're wearing my brother's body."

"Tauros follows my orders and your brother was just a tool. Armor for my disposal." Blaze drew his sword. "You're all alone now, Able." The clockwork readjusted his blades.

"Then I'll go down remembering what I fight for. The freedom of the entire Spiral!" Blaze pushed a button on his wrist and, just as Able's blades were about to make contact, the clockwork commander became immobile. "What have you done?"

"You're just a tool, like Kane was. I can control you with a simple flick of the wrist. I'm shutting you down and hiding your body. Forever." Blaze motioned for Deacon and a marine to take hold of him. "I hope you enjoy your eternal slumber." Blaze turned to Deacon. "You know where to take him."


"No!" Blaze shot up in his bed. He looked around and was relieved to find he was still on the Golden Archer. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and got up. It was just a dream. He removed his golden arm and viewed the stump. He rubbed it and reattached the artificial appendage. He felt the wires inside attach themselves to his nervous system through the stump. "Still feels weird." The privateer rotated the arm and put on his overcoat. He'd decided that since he was with the people of Skull Island again, he should look the part. His new outfit was reminiscent of his dad's signature outfit, but was gray in appearance with black trim. His black boots matched his short black hair. His faded grey eye still startled him from time to time. Able was a good soldier. He was lucky when he got that strike in before our last meeting. He exited the lower levels and arrived on the main deck. "Hey, Ratbeard. Hey, Jordan." The two pirates nodded to acknowledge his presence. "What did I miss?"

"Our forces are almost up to the strength we want to be at. Lenora said we're going after your clockwork buddy soon."

"Also," Ratbeard continued, "We just got a new shipment of rations and weapons from Nelson."

"Well, hey there, mister inventor." Blaze turned to the voice and was greeted by a familiar dog engineer.

"Hey, Gracie. Good to see you today." The engineer had grease on her gloves and spark powder covering her face. "I see you've been doing maintenance on the ship."

"Yeah, it's been hard work. I could use some help from a fellow engineer, if you don't mind."

"I'll help you, don't worry about that." The privateer had taken an interest in the dog engineer. She's different from anyone else I've met aboard this ship. "By the way, where's Lenora and everyone else?" Jordan leaned on the edge of the ship.

"Morgan, Sirena, and Brave are infiltrating a stronghold in Port Regal. Lenora has a team shadowing them. Mary, Pedro, and Riley are keeping Adam company in Marleybone and everyone else is resting on the lowest deck." Jordan stretched her arms. "If we're lucky, we can take control of Port Regal."

"When's the last time we've been lucky?" Ratbeard scratched his beard. "Every time we've attacked any of the skyways, it's been swing an' a miss." Ratbeard smashed his peg leg into the wood of the floor. "We need them back. Everyone who's left us."

"I gave Adam his prosthetics, but I don't think he's even looked at them." Blaze paced across the deck. "I don't know how to help him. If my mom could reach him like she reached me, I think he'd have a chance to come back, but he's just … broken."

"Not to mention that traitor." Gracie took off her gloves and wiped them on her overalls. "Whoever they are, they're what's preventin' us from getting a foothold in Skull Island skyway." A device on Gracie's wrist started beeping. "Conrad here."

"Gracie," Lenora's voice sounded over the communications device. "Mission failed. We're heading back. Some of our gear got damaged. Do you think you and Blaze will be able to run repairs?"

"You've got it, captain."

"Good. Noble out." The voice clicked off.

"Well, I guess we'll be spending more time together anyway," Gracie chuckled. Blaze laughed and rubbed his neck with his flesh arm. "Anyway, this traitor has caused too many problems."

"Ryan could figure it out in no time. He discovered Pedro after one talk with him," Ratbeard stated.

"Him and Adam," Gracie said, "We need them both back."