As Team Lilac pursues Corazon, Maria and Tai find a safe spot to hide while the health petals get to work. Tai makes sure Maria is comfortable, then activates the long‑distance radio and contacts HQ. "Rosy to HQ, Rosy to HQ. Reporting mission failure. Please advise."
After a couple of short bursts of static, a voice replies. "Leader Metharom here. I must say I'm disappointed, but not surprised: Corazon is amoral and extremely dangerous."
"Tell me about it," Tai sighs. "Ma'am," she adds as an afterthought.
"We have more important things to worry about than minor formalities," Leader Metharom assures. "How badly were you hurt?"
"One dislocated shoulder with a flesh wound, and one broken nose," Tai reports.
"You got away very lightly," Leader Metharom informs. "Do you need aid?"
"No: Milla Basset gave us a health petal each," Tai answers. "And I can relocate Maria's shoulder myself."
"Excellent, because you're going to try again," Leader Metharom decides.
Maria and Tai exchange worried looks. "Well… We kinda don't know where she is," Tai admits.
"Then you'll have to find out," Leader Metharom replies. "There's no time to waste. Get started."
The radio connection terminates suddenly.
"That was rude," Tai comments.
"If we're gonna find Corazon again, I need my shoulder fixing," Maria reminds.
"Yes, sorry; I'll do it now." Tai shuffles over to Maria, takes hold of the lynx's dislocated arm, and prepares to slot it back into place. "Ready?"
Maria takes a deep breath. "Do it."
With one smooth move, Tai firmly relocates Maria's shoulder, causing the lynx to cry out in pain.
"Sorry," Tai apologises.
"It's OK," Maria assures. "Now it's done, the pain's fading quickly. In fact, it's almost gone already."
"Good." Tai pauses a moment. "What next?"
Maria thinks a moment. "What else did we see in those documents?"
Tai thinks hard. "All I can remember is seeing the name Bakunawa. Oh, and something about the Arctic Wastes."
"I saw that too," Maria recalls. "And there was something about someone called Merga, and‑ Oh poo."
"What?"
"We need to get to the Arctic Wastes ASAP."
Tai returns to the radio and contacts HQ again. "Rosy to HQ, Rosy to HQ. Need shuttle ASAP for journey to the Arctic Wastes."
"Affirmative," the radio operator replies. "We'll dispatch a shuttle as soon as Leader Metharom approves it. ETA seventy minutes. We'll send you the co‑ordinates."
"Thanks." Tai shuts off the radio. "Since we have time to kill, shall we grab some food then find a quiet place to have some fun?"
"Sure," Maria smirks.
Ten minutes after the fight against the tarsier's mech and swarm of insectoid drones, Team Lilac arrives outside Town Hall. Lilac tries the door only to find it locked. "Um… Problem."
Carol strides up to the door and loudly knocks three times. "Team Lilac here: we need to speak to Mayor Zao urgently!"
The door opens to reveal a surly‑looking guard. "The Mayor has requested you be prevented from entering the building," she informs.
"But we need an airship to chase Corazon!" Milla pleads with her cutest look.
"That ain't gonna work on me, kid," the guard dismisses. "Now clear off."
The guard slams the door on Team Lilac.
"That was rude," Milla comments, disappointed her cuteness tactic failed. "What do we do now?"
"Steal an airship," Carol decides.
"We're heroes," Lilac reminds. "We don't steal other people's things."
"Who yelled at the Mayor?" Carol asks.
Before Lilac can answer, Milla grabs both Lilac and Carol by the arm and drags them away from the door. "Let's get to the shipyard and steal a ship. You can argue all you want during the flight."
Thirty minutes later, Team Lilac arrives at the Shang Mu Shipyard. Avoiding the main entrance, they sneak in through a quiet service access, sticking to the shadows as much as they can to avoid detection. Using their Red Scarves training, Lilac and Carol are both able to avoid detection, but Milla's relative inexperience causes her to accidentally expose their presence by knocking over a stack of empty wooden pallets.
"Who's there‽" a gruff voice demands. "Show yourselves!"
Lilac and Carol turn to Milla. "Sorry," the hound blushes.
"At least we'll get off lightly, being heroes," Lilac assures.
"No flirting," Carol instructs, earning an annoyed look from Lilac.
"I said show yourselves!" the gruff voice repeats, closer now.
"OK, OK, we're coming out," Lilac replies as she leads her friends out into the open to find a black hornbill wearing partial red armour over a white‑and‑black bodyglove is the owner of the gruff voice.
The hornbill's expression changes from angry to friendly the instant he sees the lavender dragoness. "My apologies, Miss Lilac!" he greets with a warm and friendly tone, bowing respectfully before offering a hand, his former gruffness completely absent. "Captain Kalaw, at your service! And can I say how much of a fan of you I am? You inspired me to dedicate myself to helping people in need, just like you do!"
"Th‑Thanks," Lilac blushes, taking the offered hand and shaking it. "It's always good to meet people I've inspired. I've seen you in the news several times: you've done a lot of good work, helped a lot of people."
"The press does seem to like me," Kalaw acknowledges. "But my deeds are nothing in comparison to what you've done for our world," he adds, causing Lilac's blush to deepen. "You're not just a hero: you're the personification of Avalician spirit! Not to mention you look far better on the front page than I do," he adds, causing Lilac's blush to deepen so much she's almost glowing.
Tired of Kalaw's charm offensive, Carol clears her throat loudly.
"Ah yes, Miss Tea and Miss Basset, it's great to see you too!" Kalaw greets.
"Please, just Lilac, Carol, and Milla," Carol insists.
"Ah, of course, how silly of me to forget," Kalaw accepts. "Why are you sneaking around anyway?"
"We need a ship," Carol answers before Lilac can speak. "My sister Corazon is back from the dead and looking for a superweapon called the Bakunawa, and we need to stop her before she finds it."
"Is that why there was all that ruckus outside that new museum and the Town Hall earlier?" Kalaw asks. "News travels fast," he adds to explain how he knows of the battles.
"Evidently," Carol replies. "We were going to ask Mayor Zao to loan us one, but someone annoyed him enough that he's ignoring us," she continues, glaring at Lilac, "so we thought we'd help ourselves. Obviously, we'd return it after we're done with it."
"Another end‑of‑the‑world scenario, eh?" Kalaw asks rhetorically. "Well, don't you worry, I have just the craft! Come with me!"
As Kalaw leads Team Lilac to his craft, Lilac whispers to Carol, "I could have explained that easily enough."
"From where I was standing, you were too busy basking in the glory of our achievements," Carol whispers back.
"He's a lot more charming than I expected," Lilac admits. "He caught me off‑guard. Plus, he's kinda hot, don't you think?"
Carol rolls her eyes. "A world in danger, and you want to drop your heropants."
"It's going to be an overnight flight," Lilac offers as an excuse. "We'll need ways to keep ourselves entertained."
"Whatever," Carol shrugs. "I'm in no mood to argue about this anyway."
"Carol‑"
"Not interested."
Lilac falls silent.
A minute later, Kalaw stops in front of a compact craft very different from the main Shang Mu fleet. Where most airships are classic‑style sea ships fitted with jets and stabilising winglets, Kalaw's craft is far more modern. Instead of wood, the hull is constructed from steel and aluminium. Instead of the shape of a galleon, the design resembles a primitive bird of prey, an illusion enhanced by the beak‑like cockpit and long, broad wings swept back in a shallow V. And instead of being unpainted, the livery bears a striking resemblance to Kalaw's outfit, with thick red armour plates over a base of black and white.
"Wow!" Milla breathes, clearly in awe of the advanced aircraft.
"She's a beauty alright!" Kalaw boasts, not without justification. "Fastest flier in all the Origin Kingdoms, she's packed with the latest technology from the leading defence contractors in Shang Mu!"
"It's certainly an impressive vessel," Lilac agrees.
Carol, however, is more pragmatic in her assessment. "It'll do," she states simply, noting the arrangement of the armour plating, working out strong points and weaknesses, and noting the calibre and barrel length of the underwing machine guns. "Why is yours so different to the rest of the fleet?"
"It's a prototype," Kalaw explains. "Since the Brevon Crisis‑" Lilac subconsciously takes hold of a hair whip "‑Mayor Zao has ordered the entire Shang Mu fleet be replaced with something, and I quote, 'not made from old bookshelves'."
Carol doesn't comment, instead simply nodding an acknowledgement.
She's a Tea, alright. "Come on, let's get you girls settled on board."
Kalaw leads the trio onto the craft and gives them a quick tour before leaving them to rest and relax in the common room. Satisfied the girls are settling in nicely, Kalaw heads to the cockpit to prepare for take‑off. A couple of minutes later, once clearance is given, Kalaw launches the craft smoothly before quickly ascending to a cruising altitude of twenty thousand feet. And once level at that altitude, Kalaw inputs the destination into the craft's navigation system, engages the autopilot, then turns to his console and types out a message.
On the bridge of the Sigwada, Corazon's console beeps as it receives the message. A little later than expected, but close enough. Corazon opens the message:
++++++++++++++++++++
Team Lilac safe on board. Following you as planned. Anticipating zero problems compromising the dragon.
++++++++++++++++++++
Corazon closes the message, settles in her chair, and allows herself a wicked smile. Exactly as I planned. Just don't get complacent: Sash Lilac may be naïve, but she's not stupid. This next phase will be crucial: one mistake could bring the whole plan crashing down around me. However, I do have an unexpected advantage in the obvious tension between the dragon and my sister, and I intend to exploit it to its fullest. And once I have the dragon, you'll have everything you want. Pity it won't last very long.
Corazon stands and strolls up to the main viewport. Sash Lilac, today you are a hero. But when I'm done with you, you will be nothing. You will beg for death, and I won't give it to you. But I know who will, and he won't do it quickly.