Chapter 83: Changing the Rules
…
~~Day 66 (Command, Day 29)
~~This morning, we reached Might Island. This afternoon, we set sail for Tabletop Island. Captain North, in his mission to get me, took Lilly, our first passenger, from Sagacity Island while I was in the technoworks. I don't know how he found her, but now he's using her to force us to surrender. What's worse, I can't see any means of getting out of this without someone getting killed. Gold said that North has to be bluffing, and he might let her go if we refuse to answer his demands. Dholit wants us to sacrifice her so that we can keep going on with our "mission". But I can't do either of those things, knowing that someone else is about to die because of me. I lost Albert to Cunimincus because I was too late to warn the Horizon's Eye. I watched Airman Jared die because the fake princess commanded it. She wouldn't have been able to if I had just reached Captain Koroul. I had to witness Airman Kaheel's final message left from before he starved himself to death just to end his suffering. Part of the crew of the Horizon's Eye and the entire crew of the Cloud Moon all died because of me. I wish I had stopped it all. If I had just taken a step back and thought things through a little better—There were so many times I could have said no. I could have asked the princess to wait so we could take her home. I could have told the princess that we don't sail into the Undying Storm for a reason. I could have exposed her before we left Castle Island. I could have gone back and asked Lore to give the letter to someone else. I could have even turned down my promotion to lieutenant. That should have been where I started. Who promotes a fourteen-year-old to a ship's commander? Through that, I've lost my first ship, I've caused the deaths of probably almost fifty people, I've opened the door for a homicidal airship crew to invade the kingdom, and I may have even lost my best friend. Everything's just gone straight to hell!
~~No more. I can't have anyone else die because of me. If I have to take Lilly's place just to stop it, I will. If I had to lose another crewman, I would sooner have it be me. No more. This is how far the killing goes. Not my crew. Not North's crew. Not Lilly. No one else.
~~It ends with me.
…
With the Island Symphony stocked with supplies again, the only things to think about besides duty were the events about to unfold upon the crew's encounter with the Moon's Shadow, her battle-scarred captain, and her seasoned crew. Link held no illusions that he could best North in anything, and he understood that was how North had defeated him. For over a day, he and his crew sailed out to Tabletop Island with their spirits crushed. No one spoke about it, but they all knew that Link was on his way to his own execution. The question was if the crew of the Island Symphony would be the next in line for the noose. Link promised himself that, if anything, he would plead for his crew's lives. After all, the Skyriders traditionally placed the criminal actions of a ship and its crew on its commander. Twisted as it was now, Link still held himself to the standards of a Skyrider.
No discussion was had at all concerning Link's invitation to death. Barely more than a word was spoken at one time on the deck. The entire airship suffered the despair together; even the ever-lively Dholit and ever-jolly Sello had lost the will to be themselves. Sello even appeared to take on a more appropriate drunken persona. Link's visit to the engine room the morning following their departure revealed Sello to be passed out in a pile of empty bottles in the corner of the room, leaving Harley and Lidago to tend to the engine. Leynne, Gold, Harley, and Lawrence looked nothing but angry, and Link had the feeling that his acceptance of the need to surrender was the source. The Gelto tried not to get caught looking at him. The only one who did was Layna, who spent the afternoon of their departure and the start of her shift the next day staring at him. He had gotten used to her shy demeanor when not in "emotionless killer" mode, so it felt quite disturbing to him when she would stare at him with a sad expression, like a pet being abandoned by its master. It bothered him so much that, for the better part of the following afternoon, he remained in his cabin.
Irleen was also in a silent mood, even going as far as to pretend that she had been sleeping since their departure. For the afternoon of the following day, Link laid out a number of papers and detailed events in the sky kingdom as he understood them as well as his part in all of it. He made a few copies, although some of them featured fine points that he had forgotten from some of the others, and placed them into hand-made envelopes. The most detailed of these letters, he placed in the bottom of his footlocker with his gear in the hopes that, even if the Island Symphony was sunk, someone might find it while raiding his belongings. Then he settled down and tried to write out a letter to be given to Captain Alfonzo when he inevitably died. He only got as far as "Dear Captain Alfonzo", finding that he could not put together the words he needed to describe the extent of his mistakes.
A knock came at the door, jarring him out of his thoughts. "Link?" Leynne spoke from beyond. "We'h heh."
Link felt like he was coming out of a daze. He set his pen down and stood up from his chair. "I'll be right out," he called to the door. He picked up his journal and the letters to his crew and placed them in one pocket while he dug into his other pocket for the gems he usually kept on him.
"There has to be another way." Link paused with his hand nearly about to set the gems on the desk. "We could tell them you died already. Or-or that you're not the Link they were looking for, that the dockmaster made a mistake. Or—"
"Irleen," he spoke up, finding the calm in his own voice a little troubling. "We're already here." He glanced over to find her still lying in her bed. "And it wouldn't stop them from taking the rest of the crew."
Irleen gave a pause before saying, "It's not fair."
"I know," Link replied. Then he set the gems on the desk. He picked up his flare gun from atop the footlocker and prepared to open the door.
"Katàh kacánih," Irleen said. Link froze in place and listened to her. "Kōnwi hì kòħanōtan kacánih. Kaħác. Cokwi. Kòntáh. Ka… Kacánih…"
The first words were calm. Then she was angry until she broke down in tears. Even without the translator gem, Link knew what she was talking about. Even through all this, he had not forgotten the promise that he had made to her. He could not justify breaking it in this way. And no words he could say would make him feel less guilty about it. So before he pushed open the door, he bowed his head and told her, "I'm sorry." After he stepped outside, he tried to close the door as quietly as possible.
Outside, the sun was still peering over the starboard bulwark, throwing the ship's long shadows across the fragment of landscape that was Tabletop Island. Link felt his stomach turn at the sight of the island. Where he had once seen bright streetlights and tents and shops galore, charred-black remains sat in their place. Most of the buildings appeared to have collapsed at least partially, littering the surface with jagged blades of brick. The island's natural breeze kicked up swirls of ash and dust through the empty streets. Almost all color was gone. Probably the only comfort for him was the lack of bodies.
Leynne was standing at the base of the stairs on the port side, his gaze cast out at the mangled shadow of an abandoned island. He heard Link step up beside him and turned his face to that Link could see his shocked expression. "Of all that which is great and good," he said to Link, "what the hell happened heh?"
Link shook his head. "I don't know," he answered, his voice sounding a little hollow. "It's been half a year since I was last here. This used to be the place Captain Alfonzo would let us take shore leave." He bowed his head and struggled to keep his urge to cry in check. When he was stable, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter. "Leynne."
Leynne glanced down to find Link handing the letter over to him. He took it and asked, "What's this?"
"Just in case I can't reason with North," Link said. "It's an account of everything that's happened since I lost the Sonata. I… I don't know how, but it might help."
"You want me to cahry this in case something happens to you," he reasoned.
"I made five. One for you, Dholit, Gold, and Layna. The fifth is hidden in my cabin."
"The most likely of us to suhvive," Leynne said, nodding.
"I… don't want to think if it like that, but yeah. You have the brains around here. Gold's an experienced sailor. Layna is—"
"Is a living weapon likely to suhvive," Leynne finished. "And Dholit has the sex appeal." He took in a deep breath. "It's a good plan. I just wish it hadn't come to it."
"We all do." Link and Leynne turned around to find that most of the deck crew, as well as Lidago, Lawrence, and Sello, had gathered behind them. Dholit stood at the front of the group. "Theah's still time to tahn this around," she said.
Link shook his head. "No there isn't." He removed the other letters from his pocket and handed them to Dholit. "One to Layna, one to Gold. Keep the other for yourself. If anything happens, probably the best thing to do is get at least one of these letters to Captain Alfonzo."
"Youh fohmah commandah," Dholit said.
"Shore to ship, ahoy!" someone on the docks hollered. Leynne and Link turned back to find three black-clad airmen standing on the docks closer to the bow, one of them with his hands cupped around his mouth. "State your purpose!"
Link turned back to his crew. "Dholit, have Twali and Lwamm handle the moorings. Lawrence, go forward and tell Gold to stop the ship. Cale, Leynne, with me. Oh, and Dholit?" Dholit, having turned to relay his orders to Twali and Lwamm, paused mid-sentence to glance back at him. "Layna stays here. Don't send her with us. It'll just cause trouble."
Dholit scowled and glanced at Layna, whom Link had noticed was already dressed in her usual black attire. "Fine," she replied in an annoyed tone.
"The rest of you, go back to your duties," Link finished. He waited to watch them disperse. Then he turned and looked down at the airmen on shore, finding that all three had drawn pistols due to the lack of response. So Link hollered down, "Ship to shore, ahoy. This is the Island Symphony. I'm Captain Link. We're here to discuss surrender with Captain North."
"Captain Link," the first airman hollered back after exchanging surprised looks with his fellows. "Toss down your mooring lines, and we'll tie them off. But no tricks. You have ten men with muskets aimed at your crew. They've got orders to shoot if anyone tries something."
"Muskets?" Leynne whispered into Link's ear.
Link, upon hearing the word from the airman, located at least two men who already had their muskets trained on them from cover. He pointed to the left, toward the stern, at a skeleton of a brick wall where one of the armed airmen had settled on a knee and aimed at them from a second-story window. "A gun with a long barrel," Link said. "The Grand Sails only had five at a time. The longer barrel is supposed to let the weapon fire farther."
Leynne nodded. "I'm intrigued by the concept, though I can't say I'm happy about having it pointed at me."
"Is theah any way to end this all?" Cale asked.
"Reason," Link said. "Our best bet is to convince Captain North that Princess Zelda is a phony."
"That's going to be hahd considering ouh lack of evidence," Leynne pointed out.
"I know," Link said as he watched the airmen on the shore bring out a plank. "It's our only hope, though." Lwamm opened the door in the bulwark, and the airmen lowered the plank into the opening. Link turned for a moment until he found Dholit and Dubbl standing nearby. "Dubbl, you have the ship."
Dubbl nodded. "Yes, Kyabtin."
Link took a moment to put his gun belt on. Then he descended with Leynne and Cale behind him. All three airmen on the shore stood away from the plank with their pistols trained on him. "Stop," one airman, standing directly in front of the plank, demanded once Cale, at the end of the line, set foot on the ground. He nodded at Link's belt. "Gun on your back."
Link held up a hand and slowly moved his other hand behind his back. "It's unloaded," he told them as he drew the gun using his thumb and forefinger. "It's not even made for shooting; it's made for signaling."
"Signaling?" the airman asked.
"Just—" Link stopped talking as he fit the gun into his hand properly and opened the breech, cautious to keep the barrel pointed at the ground so they would not feel compelled to shot him during his demonstration. He removed a shell from the belt next and held the short, fat cylinder of brass colored by a green band at one end for them to see. As he loaded the gun, he noted how interested they looked. It was not much of a surprise; they had never seen a break-action pistol or a shell before. He had had the same reaction when Dholit had demonstrated the pistol before she had given it to him. He kept the gun pointed at the ground as he turned and called to the ship, "Shore to ship, ahoy! I'm firing a flare; ignore it!"
Dubbl appeared at the end of the plank and called back, "Yes, Kyabtin!"
Link then carefully aimed the gun into the air and fired it nearly overhead. FZZZZZZZzzzzzzz! The sound startled the airmen around him, and they looked up at the trail of smoke which burst into a brilliant green light. Although the airmen around them had their attention ensnared by the display, Link, Leynne, and Cale did not chance moving in case one of the musketeers around them decided it was a threat. Instead, Link just dumped the empty shell out of the gun and put the gun back on his belt.
The tink of the shell against the ground snapped the airmen's attention back to Link's trio, and they quickly brought their pistols back up. "Just keep that pistol stashed," the airman in front of him said. "It probably doesn't feel very good to get shot with it anyway."
"I would imagine not…" Leynne remarked under his breath.
"Let's get moving," another airman said. "The captain's gonna get impatient."
One airman led the trio through the streets while the other two followed the group. Link tried his best to recognize some of the nearby buildings, but he found the whole landscape to be far too alien. Either they were walking through a part of the town that Link had never been to before, or whatever fire that had broken out had seriously demolished everything that he could recognize. He heard things shifting around them, and he eventually realized that there were more airmen moving around in the ruins. He guessed that they were the musketeers moving into better positions and keeping an eye out for any of Link's crew following them. Twice, an airman holding a musket stepped out of a side street and exchanged a greeting gesture with the men escorting them. He could see that North was not tempting any sort of mishaps. He began hoping that his crew was as cautious.
Their destination was a burned out husk of a mansion, and that, being the largest building on the island for years which Link had seen on quite a few occasions, was completely unrecognizable. What had once been three floors of town offices and personal living quarters for the rich island governor had been reduced to a two-story monument to combustion. Once white walls had been burned black. As they approached from the front, he saw that the left wing had completely collapsed while the main hall and the right wing were barely still standing. They were led into the main hall through the large gap in the front wall where a door had once been. With this, the group was surrounded by bare walls on either side. Behind the mangled remains of a large staircase at the back of the hall, there were the remains of the interior walls that divided the individual rooms behind the mansion.
And in front of them, just as Link and Leynne remembered seeing him on East Iron Island, was Captain North. He stood directly in front of the staircase with two men flanking him on either side. A fifth man, standing directly next to him, held Lilly from behind by her wrists. All but North had a flintlock pistol drawn, but no one had them raised.
The airmen escorting them came to a stop in the middle of the hall. Leynne stepped up on Link's right while Cale stood at Link's left. "Mark," Captain North called to the airman leading them, his voice grizzled from his advanced age. "Go see to their ship."
"Aye aye, Captain," the man at the front replied with a salute. He turned and walked around the trio and signaled the other two to follow him out.
"Captain Link," North said as he started limping toward them. "Shall we discuss your surrender?"
"He doesn't waste time," Leynne observed in a low voice.
"Just stay here," Link said.
Link started forward and walked until he met North halfway. When they stopped, North took a long moment to contemplate the young man scowling at him. Link was still quite unhappy with the situation, and unhappiness was all he intended to show North. While he only knew the man by reputation, that reputation told Link that his depression at the situation would only make North look down on him further. Link needed whatever strength he could manage to manipulate this negotiation to his advantage.
"I'll give you this, Captain," North finally told him. "You certainly carry yourself like a Skyrider. Even if all you have to show for it is a dirty tunic." He paused as he seemed to realize something. "Much rather like another captain I know. But that's an entirely different matter. As I'm sure you're loath to admit, you're mine. The question is how you would like this to proceed."
Link could not find a smoother way to begin his argument, so he just said, "Captain North. The princess is a fake."
The eyebrow over North's good right eye rose. "Is that so?" he asked, intrigue tinting his voice.
"The real princess is a captive onboard an airship hiding in the Undying Storm," Link explained. "I don't know how, but the crew was able to send this fake princess to take her place."
"Have you any proof of this?"
Link glanced down at the ground in frustration. "No."
North crossed his arms. "Then you'll understand if I don't take your word for it."
"Captain, this has to stop. She and her crewmates are responsible for the Sky Lines disappearing. If you would ju—"
"The subject of the princess's right to you is no longer the subject of discussion, Captain. If I knew you better, then I might entertain the possibility. As you stand now, you have no prerogative to the subject of conversation." Link found himself a little shocked. He did not think his only means of convincing North to release them would have been dismissed so quickly. "And since you're unwilling to begin this negotiation with any sort of initiative, I'll make a proposal. Your entire crew will be taken into custody and transported to Castle Island to stand trial beside you. Your show of good faith will see that young Lilly here will be taken back to Sagacity Island with my apologies."
Link could already feel his strength failing against desperation, but he managed to keep a scowl on his face. "You'd put my crew on trial, too?"
"They deserve their defense just as you."
Link shook his head. "You-you can't!"
"Can't I?"
"Link!" Leynne hollered. Link spun around in surprise. He found that both Leynne and Cale were looking up at something behind them.
To the trio's horror, they saw that someone had fired a red flare into the air.
Link immediately turned back to North. "You're attacking my crew!?" he cried out.
"My men have orders to take control of your ship," North replied, his expression unchanged from the emotionless rock he used for a face. "After all, they're just as guilty as you."
"They're not!" Link shouted at him. "They're not even from up here! They came from the surface!"
"The surface? No one's come up from the surface for decades."
Link glared at North. "Look, it doesn't matter where they come from," he said in a more controlled tone. "You can't pin all this on my crew. They wouldn't even be here if I hadn't gotten them involved."
"Then you shouldn't have involved them." North made to turn.
"I'm responsible!" Link shouted at him.
North glanced back at Link. "Indeed you are. What do you intend to do about it?"
"It's always been Skyrider tradition that the responsibility of the crew's actions has always been placed on the captain." Link turned and indicated Leynne and Cale. "Just look at them! Do they even look like proper airmen? I had to show them their duties in just a matter of days. They don't know any better. They were just following my orders."
"Are you willing to relinquish command to save them?"
Link bowed his head for a moment. Then he put on a determined scowl and looked North in the eye as he replied, "I am."
North turned back to Link and pondered Leynne and Cale for a moment. "I'll give you this, Captain. What you lack in experience, you seem to make up for in passion and loyalty. Call your second forward."
Link turned and gestured. "Leynne."
Both waited until Leynne stepped up beside Link. Then North said, "I'd ask why you'd allow yourself to be commanded by a younger person, but that would only be on a day when I'd be interested in an answer. Despite this fact, I expect you to be reasonable since the lives of your crew are in the balance."
"I can be reasonable," Leynne replied with hate coloring his voice. "I just question if you can be trusted."
North allowed himself a half-grin for a brief moment as he told Link, "Well, he certainly sounds like a second-in-command."
"I was told paranoia was on page one of the manual."
"Aye, that it is. Mister…?"
"Leynne."
"Mister Leynne. Your captain has made a valid argument for your case. I'm not in the habit of punishing crews for following the captain's orders. Nor do I really pleasure myself in taking the lives of women, which, as your friend Lilly has explained, comprises a good bit of your crew."
"I'd keep the sentiment to myself weh I you, Captain," Leynne told him. "They tend to take offense to misogyny."
"Who wouldn't?" North said with a shrug. "Here's a new proposal to you and your crew. We trade this young woman for your captain. Then you, Mister Leynne, take command, and my ship escorts you back to Might Island. There, you and your crew disembark, and we will scuttle your ship."
Leynne's scowl took on another depth. "You'd leave us stranded on Might Island?"
"If you prefer, you can remain on the ship as we scuttle it. Knowing, of course, it's against your captain's wishes."
Leynne directed his scowl to Link as Link glanced up at him. "'Friend to the crew'," he told Link with a different understanding to turn the statement into one of dislike.
"The very same page, Mister Leynne," North told him. "Sometimes, a crew even needs to be saved from their captain."
"I'd like a copy of this manual," Leynne said. "Just so I can read up on the hypocrisy of the position befoh I find the need to buhn it."
North's expression remained unchanged at Leynne's contempt as he asked, "Do you agree?"
"I don't agree with it," Leynne said. He glanced at Link before adding, "But if that's what it's come to, I might as well save you the guilt of killing all of us."
"Then return to your crewman," North told him. "And see if you can make him stop fidgeting; it's getting on my nerves."
"All the moh reason foh him to continue," Leynne said just before turning and walking back to Cale's side.
"Captain, I suggest you stand right here," North then told Link. Link turned back to find North returning to his men. He watched North draw the Captain's Saber, and he was surprised to realize that it was a signal for his men to take aim at him. North then spun around and called out, "Captain Link. Since you've decided to relinquish command of your vessel to spare your crew, I require a show of faith. Remove your tunic."
"What!?" Link cried out in shock.
"Remove your tunic," North repeated. "Now."
Link thought it was an unreasonable request until he remembered the significance behind the tunic. For a moment, he stood in place with his hands on his gun belt. Then he slowly undid the gun belt and carefully set it on the ground. Next was his regular belt, which he removed and dropped on top of the gun belt. Then he placed his hands on the collar of his tunic.
"Link…"
He froze in place at the sound of his name so clearly in his ear. This time, there was no doubt who he was hearing. Her voice sounded sad. Was she watching him?
"Captain Link!" North shouted at him, his voice revealing anger.
Link knew what he wanted. But he realized that he could not do it. As desperate as he was to save Lilly and keep his crew from being executed beside him, he just could not do it. He needed the Island Symphony. He needed his crew. While there were people he could save from the fake princess now, there were still people in danger. Princess Zelda was one of them. What was going to happen to her? What would happen to the kingdom if Cunimincus and his crew were not stopped?
"Captain Link!" North snapped. "Take off the tunic, or my men will execute you now."
"Link!" Leynne shouted. "Now would be a good time to tell us what's going on!"
What was going on? What was Link doing!? He was perfectly willing to give up his life to his crew. Why was he hesitating? With four pistols pointed at him, no less!? This was not a time to grow desperate! He had to get out of this! He had to do something!
"Have it your way." Link's eyes grew wide as he saw North raise his saber into the air. Even without recognizing the gesture, Link knew what he was about to do. His heart started pulsing throughout his body. His limbs grew numb. He had to act or be killed. But his weapons were on the ship. His only chance, his flare gun, was on the ground next to him. In the time it would take for him to grab and load it, lead balls would already be flying at him. Even if he could fire the flare gun, he knew he should not; Lilly was still standing next to him. He needed another option, and he needed it in the next split-second it would take for North to signal his men to shoot him.
Then North let out a bark of anger as his back was bent backwards by an arm hooking around his neck. This sound caused his airmen to start and turn to see what was happening. Link stared in bewilderment when he realized that Layna, seeming to have popped up out of nowhere, was holding North's neck to her shoulder while she held one of her small blades to his throat. "Captain!" one of the airmen shouted. All three spun to turn their guns on Layna. The remaining one, standing to Link's far right, however—
"You sonova—" Fiup! "Agh!"
—abandoned his attempt to shoot Link and dropped to the ground with an arrow in his right shoulder. Cussing under his breath, he writhed on the ground as pain from the arrow took his full attention.
"Jason, don't pull it out!" the airman nearest to him shouted.
"Hold your fire, you idiots!" North shouted at his men. "You're gonna hit me!"
"But Cap—"
"That's an order!" Then he shifted his head so he could look at Link. "So you set a trap, too?" Link stammered, unsure how he should react.
"This isn't a trap!" Link, Leynne, and Cale spun toward the entrance of the burned-out hall to find Dholit slowly strolling toward them. She had switched to what looked like one of Leynne's shirts, a button-down blue shirt with the sleeves torn off, and a pair of black trousers which only seemed to be held up by her waist. Link's whip was clipped to one of the belt loops, and her right hand was petting the head of the dead Rope as if anticipating using it. Her bright red hair had been tied into a single ponytail which sat high at the back of her head. As she stopped next to Leynne and Cale, she called out at him, "This is payback. Your men invaded the Island Symphony, and we ah not pleased by this."
"Something tells me you're the one not to show misogyny to," North called back.
"I wish you would," she replied. "My sistahs had to convince me to not have you killed on sight."
"And my crew?"
"Injuahed, but not dead. A broken ahm heah, a gash across the neck theah. They won't bleed to death, not if you abide by my conditions."
"Let me guess," North said as she approached. "Your captain, your crew, and the girl go free, and we leave you to sail away."
At this, Link saw Dholit break into a smile. It was not her usual show of delight. It was a venomous smile which caused a shiver to climb Link's spine. "You captains ah well-educated," she said as she stood by Link. "It almost makes me want to engage you in combat."
"You know we won't stop chasing you," North told her. "Once you try to leave, my men will be after you."
"Oh, I know. But you'll have to stop foh a while. You see, those of youh men who ah injuahed ah hidden in the ruins around ouh ship. In addition, Layna, the lovely little killah holding youh throat, had to put the men you had guahding this place to sleep. And she doesn't like to leave them just lying around. And foh fuhtheh assurance…" She held a finger up to the left side of the mansion's interior. All available eyes looked up to find Biluf and Lwamm sitting atop the wall with a small crate between them.
And in Biluf's hand, an incredible length of fuse already burning its life away, was what looked suspiciously like a stick of explosive wrapped in a discarded ration pack.
"You're gonna blow us up!?" one of North's airmen shouted. As if confirmation was needed, Link, Leynne, and Cale all took the shout as a cue to take two steps backwards. Link even took a third step, knowing that he needed much more running distance if Biluf threw it right on top of North's men.
Dholit gave a delighted giggle, again causing Link to shiver. "Oh, only if I don't get what I demand," she told the airman. "Seeing as how I've made it explicit that you'll all die in that eventuality, I question why you'h still holding Lilly."
Link heard North grumble something, and the airman holding Lilly released her. Lilly glanced at the airman for a moment. Then she ran toward Dholit. Link stepped forward to see Dholit draw a knife. "Hold up, Lilly," Dholit told her. Then she stepped behind Lilly and cut the ropes holding her wrists together. "You should probably show some gratitude to young Aihman Cale. While we considahed calling the captain on his bluff, he declahed that he would have no paht of it." Lilly looked over her shoulder at Dholit, who was wearing her whimsical smile again. Then she looked at Link, and he nodded his agreement. Both Dholit and Link watched as Lilly charged across the hall and wrapped her arms around Cale, whose response was a surprised cry.
"Ah, love," Dholit sighed. "How come you nevah show me that soht of affection, Link?"
"Because you're insane?" Link replied, his surprise having faded into annoyance (as well as a lack of tact) because her usual demeanor had returned. He bent over and retrieved his belts from the ground.
"Oh, is that so much of a deal-killah?" she asked as he started putting the belts back on.
"Are you satisfied yet?" an airman shouted at them.
Link and Dholit turned around. "Not foh some time, really," she replied. "But let's make suah Twali ovah heah—" She pointed at the area of the wall immediately to Link's left, and he looked over to find Twali perched on top with an arrow nocked and ready to release. "—doesn't have to shoot anyone else. All of you, put youh weapons on the ground." Hesitation floated among the airmen until Captain North threw his sword on the ground. Then, to avoid setting off their pistols, his airmen followed suit by crouching and placing their firearms down. "It's by My Captain's ohdahs that we don't kill you, but don't push us. A lot of youh men ah huht, Captain. You'd do best to have them seen to by a doctah."
"Any more unwelcome advice you'd like to give?" North asked.
"Yeah," Link replied, taking a step forward. "Go back to Castle Island. Ask the princess about the Smiling Gunner. Watch how she reacts."
"From one Skyrider to another?"
Link glared for a moment. "Didn't anyone ever wonder what happened to the Island Sonata after it set off from Skyrider Port two months ago?"
"Lost in the Undying Storm from what I heard."
"That vessel was shot down over two months ago. I was its commander." North contemplated Link for a moment. So Link continued, "I took on a job delivering Princess Zelda to Forelight Island. I was formerly a general airman on the Grand Sails under Captain Alfonzo. I served under him for four years."
"Yo—… You're one of Alfonzo's boys?"
"He's the one who put me in for promotion. Ask him if you need to."
"I just might do that."
Link looked to Dholit. "Don't wohry," she told him. "The other three will keep us covered. Layna!"
"Did you plan this?" Link whispered as he watched Layna release Captain North.
"Actually, we just put it togethah afteh Nohth's men tried to take the Symphony," she whispered back. She paused to watch Layna cautiously move toward them, Layna's eyes focused on North's airmen. "It wohked out quite well when we took a few things from youh footlockah."
"You're putting that stuff back," he told her.
"Aw, too bad," she said as they started walking back to where Leynne, Cale, and Lilly stood. "I rathah like the whip."
"All of it." Link then looked forward to find Leynne staring at Cale and Lilly in clear irritation. Link had to angle his head to look past Lilly, and he found that she and Cale were locked in a very passionate kiss. Link began blushing madly, and he glanced over at Dholit when she made an odd clicking sound with her tongue. Dholit cast him her usual, mischievous grin. "Stop it."
"Ah we free?" Leynne asked.
"Only once we get back to the Symphony," Link said. "Cale, Lilly, we need to go."
They waited for a response. Then Leynne, upon noticing Cale's hand slowly sliding down Lilly's back, said in a louder voice, "Cale."
Cale and Lilly immediately separated from each other in surprise. "Y-yes, Leynne?" Cale asked.
"Save it foh when we ah not in mohtal dangeh."
"Go, go," Link urged.
The group hustled toward the entrance, although Layna was gone from sight the last time Link turned to find her. They continued down the main road toward the Island Symphony at a quick pace. Just out of sight of the mansion, they heard jogging and turned to find Lwamm and Biluf approaching. No words were exchanged between them and Dholit, so Link took this to mean that things were still going to plan, although he noticed that they were not carrying the crate or even the stick of explosive.
About a minute later, Twali was charging up the road at them. "Zhayf yiynwo'otak! 'Ak Xili'anu yiynwo'otak!" she cried as she approached. "Tabbuwun! Cayloxwan!"
"Uh oh…" Dholit uttered. She turned to Link and said, "They'h coming. With theih guns."
"What's the plan now?" Leynne asked.
"Run," Dholit said.
"W-what?" Cale asked.
Link could hear more footsteps approaching quickly just as Twali dashed past the group. Alarmed, he shouted, "RUN!"
The entire group responded with a mad dash down the road. Almost at the same time, a few sharp cracks sounded from behind them. Link saw a small tuft of dust or two blow out from the nearby walls. Men were also calling out from behind. North's airmen were definitely after them.
Link's need to keep with the group kept his boots from accelerating him. As much as he wanted to get away, he was not going to abandon them. Cale and Lilly were running hand in hand with Lilly actually leading the way. Further on, Link realized that he himself, Lilly, and Twali were the only ones who were not slowing down, both Lilly and Twali having a significant lead on the group while Link actually had to slow so he would not run into Lwamm.
"Link!" Dholit managed between her ragged breathing. "Flah! Huhry!"
Link understood her meaning and pulled his flare gun. The sky had darkened enough that colors were difficult to make out, although their surroundings were still visible against the last remains of twilight. So he chose at random, loaded a shell into the gun, pulled back the hammer, and took aim behind him. Although he could not tell how close North's airmen were, he knew how blinding the flare would be and fired it back down the street. FZZZZZZzzzzzz! Link immediately looked forward and picked up his pace a bit.
"No!" Dholit snapped at him. She had to pause for a moment. "Up! Signal!"
So he had not understood, and he tried not to be too annoyed with himself as he ejected the spent shell. But he figured out that she had intended for him to signal the Island Symphony, probably meant to warn whoever was left that they were coming with bad company behind them. Link had caught a glimpse of the flare and seen that it was red, so he chose another flare from the same area of his belt where that one had come from. It would be a fifty-fifty chance it was red or purple, either one meant to express a bad situation with only a difference in the degree of panic. He put the flare in and tried to fire it into the air, but his haste made him overlook pulling the hammer back. He corrected this and aimed above his head again. FZZZZZzzzzzz! They were bathed in red light a second later, making the surroundings all the more visible.
Including them. Two more cracks sounded from behind as well as from somewhere in the ruins nearby. More of North's men were converging on their group, probably men that the Gelto had not found earlier. They must have seen Link's crew, although their shots appeared to have been wasted. Now they would have to either stop and reload and then try to catch up or join the other airmen already in the chase.
A green flare fired into the air from the Island Symphony. A signal, hopefully meaning that the ship was still under their control and not that more of North's airmen just happen to get lucky with the safe signal. Twali picked up her speed (which amazed Link considering most of their group was now huffing until their throats started turning raw) and gained a significant lead on them.
When the ship came into view, Link saw that the moorings had been untied and the boarding plank cast aside. Instead, the Island Symphony had been raised so that one of the cargo doors could be opened and set on the edge of the dock. Through the green light of the overhead flare, Link saw Lawrence and Harley suddenly duck against the bulwark with a pair of muskets aimed into the ruins. Bak! Bak! Both muskets fired, eliciting surprised shouting from behind the fleeing crew. Actually hitting anyone would be a surprise in this low light, but Lawrence and Harley, without any shooting practice to begin with, were only trying to startle their pursuers.
Twali was the first to jump onto the ship and spun with an arrow at the ready. She loosed it into the darkness just as Lilly and Cale hopped aboard. Layna flew out of the side and dove into the door behind them. Dubbl appeared from one side of the hull and started hollering something in Geltoan, although the sound of Link's heart pounding in his ears drowned her out. Leynne and Biluf were the next aboard, and Leynne tripped over his own feet and experienced a tumble deep into the hold.
Lwamm, Dholit, and Link were the last ones on. Link grabbed onto one of the support ropes at one end of the door and hollered up at Lawrence and Harley as loud as he could manage, "Raise the ship! Raise it!"
"Gold!" Harley shouted. "Up! Up!"
Both Link and Twali staggered when they felt the ship jerk as it rose, and Lwamm quickly grabbed one of Twali's biceps to keep her from falling overboard. Link turned back and looked over the edge. "Back! Back!" he suddenly declared as two more gunshots rang out. Fortunately, most ship hulls were too thick for pistol rounds. Still, Lwamm, Twali, and he moved off the door, and Dubbl began to close it.
Link then immediately ducked through his crew and ran up the steps as fast as possible. When he reached the weather deck, he found Lawrence and Harley jogging toward him. He turned and jogged over to the forecastle. "Gold!" Link hollered up at him.
"A'oy, Cap'n!" Gold greeted him with a large grin. "Good tae see yeh still livin'!"
Link nodded and gave himself a moment to remember directions. "Turn us due west!" he ordered. "We need to get away from this island!"
"Due west, aye!" Gold replied as he double-checked the control panel. Then he engaged the propeller and turned the wheel to angle the ship to starboard when the propeller began to drive them.
Link sighed as he felt the ship began to move in the desired direction, relief flooding him. Then, remembering his crew below, he ran back to the stairs and descended back into the hold.
He found his crew in various states of relief. Leynne was collapsed on the deck with his arms and legs sprawled out, his rising and falling chest indicating that he still lived. Cale and Lilly were back to making out, although Lilly had let Cale settle against the hull before they started kissing again. Layna sat cross-legged on the deck with her eyes closed, her face a frustrated visage as she tried to control her breathing. Biluf looked like she was trying to fall asleep on the deck, lying on her stomach and her arms folded under her chin as a pillow. Link was concerned about her until she rolled over and stared at the deckhead. Lwamm and Twali were sitting against the door, holding each other's hand while they both tried to calm themselves. Dholit had dropped to her knees near them, clutching her chest as she tried to catch her breath. Dubbl stood behind her, giving her back a sympathetic rub. Lawrence and Harley, having looked in on them, decided to return up to the weather deck. Link himself was leaning on the bulkhead surrounding the stairs, still breathing a little hard but much more recovered compared to most of his crew.
He sighed and addressed them all. "Just so you know, it was against my orders that you came and rescued us," he said. His words caught everyone's attention, although Leynne could not raise his head to look at him. "While no captain likes his crew defying orders… thanks. Thanks for turning a bad situation around for us all."
"If My Captain wants to protect us," Dholit said, although her voice was a little hoarse, "we will protect My Captain."
"All the same," Cale spoke up, having finally caught his breath, "let's nevah do that again." This drew a tired giggle from Lilly.
"Whew!" Twali declared. "Nwaki 'ak 'igazh 'inu 'axalokwya."
"Kowi," Lwamm said, "'inan nayx midhujak sazayxwiyk sunway."
"'Aydhom," Dubbl told her.
"Kowi, 'inan nayx midhujak saza'dhiym sunway," Lwamm corrected herself.
Twali gave a weak laugh. "'Inu thasofak," she told Lwamm, using their entwined fingers to bump Lwamm's thigh. "'Inu sokwaylya'ak xiban dha' iddaf."
"Nwaki xunwlya'ak," Biluf said. "'Itab 'inu sacanilak. 'Inax, Layna?" Layna did not reply, still sitting with now a calm look on her face. "Layna?" Biluf held up one hand and tapped Layna on the shoulder. Layna fell to one side and remained on the deck. Link jerked with alarm at the sight, but he could still see her chest moving as she breathed. Biluf, having come to the same conclusion as him, said in a surprised tone, "So-soymafolwak!"
Link gave Layna a soft smile. Then he told them, "All of you, get some sleep. I'll see if the engine room crew will fill in for you for tonight."
No one seemed to be in the mood to argue as, one by one, they picked themselves off the deck and wandered either down the stairs (Leynne and Dubbl) or into the berth deck to Link's left (which was the rest of the crew, including Lilly). After everyone was asleep, Link found Lawrence and Harley and asked them if they would mind keeping watch with Link so that everyone else could get some decent rest. They agreed, if only because they were too wide awake from the excitement they had faced that night.
…
~~I've got the best crew ever!