Hyperion Evergrowing

Chapter 68: Skimmers

The dawn broke, the sun lighting up the underside of a blanket of wispy clouds, causing the sky to burn as if aflame. Then turbulence asserted itself, and smoke began to rise up from the layer of white and grey.

The condensed water vapour hanging above the world burned like the warmth of a hearth. The awe inspiring sight did little to revitalise the defenders of Far-Reach. The soldiers were weary, their exhaustion bone deep from what Leif had learnt was days of near continuous fighting.

Small droplets of soot fell from the sky, rendering the already dour and suffocating atmosphere of Far-reach even more so. Leif could practically taste the emotions hanging in the air, odorous and pungent. He pulled back [Amber Sympathy], reeling in the skill along with his aura.

As morning began to pass an argument rose near the curved arch of natural stone, the bridge linking the two bluffs that housed the newly founded imperial outpost together. The voices were crisp and sharp. The shouting quickly attracted a crowd, several academy students watched from their position on the southern edge of the main bluff.

The belligerents of the verbal conflict were a contingent of crafters and other noncombatants who hadn’t been evacuated during the first round. The others a contingent of officers not so subtly ordering a portion of the next evacuation to be the army’s wounded.

Leif still wasn’t certain how the evacuation would be handled. From what he had both overheard, and had been told, the expedition had utilised a fleet of vehicles capable of flight. According to Marcus, who had professed he found the whole subject fascinating, the ‘sky skimmers’ weren’t flying, not truely.

Instead they rode currents of mana along predetermined paths, the skimmers were incapable of veering from their chosen paths more than a dozen or so metres. The thaumatic theory and engineering aspects of the technology went so far over Leif’s head they may as well have disappeared into the burning clouds above.

Leif felt at the depleted pool of vitality that nested within him. He had drained much of it during his stop to the healers tent before the sun had risen. Fortunately, the casualties during the night had been lax, the undead’s numbers perhaps having begun to thin.

At his side a misty presence manifested. Ever since Leif had upgraded his aura skill the scout had become easier and easier to notice. But with his aura retracted Darius had managed to get the drop on him.

Leif didn’t give the young man the satisfaction of startling him. He was fairly certain Darius found the process of sneaking up to someone as close as possible highly entertaining. Leif turned and saw the man staring out towards the horizon.

“Worried?” The spriggan asked.

“Yeah… Ahle-ho is on the coast, almost directly south of us. My family, friends, home…”

Home. Leif thought, the concept fleeting in his mind. Wouldn’t that be nice.

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He reached into an inner pocket of this cloak, retrieving the metallic badge with a serpentine dragon biting onto its own tail. “Here, I’ve flashed this around enough. I doubt there’s anyone in this camp who doesn’t know I’m with the Academy.”

“Keep it. At least until this,” He waved vaguely at their surroundings, “Is over. I had Hera write an official statement about the expedition and my involvement. For me to bring back to the guild, it’s… it’s a pain in the ass. Even if this isn’t the beginning of an apocalypse for the northern kingdoms, territories and provinces, the political blowback is going to suck massively.”

“I can’t imagine.” Leif said. And it was true, he simply lacked any and all frames of reference to understand the ramifications of the events they were experiencing. It left him feeling adrift, and not for the first time he questioned whether remaining with the expedition had been the correct choice.

But no. It had been. Leif knew that his biggest weakness was his ignorance, that if he continued to blindly surge forward he would almost certainly trip and fall.

Almost unconsciously he stretched out his aura to seek out his animals. But they were gone, he had sent them away. He recalled Bam and Lani, their chaotic antics, the sense of comfort and connection they granted him.

“What do you think of the Academy?” He asked Darius, the question was half out of curiosity and half out of a need for validation of his decision.

“Hmm? It’s… I dunno.” The man shrugged. “I’ve never been. I- I’m not good with people. And at the Academy that’s what you have to deal with. Sure, the resources and opportunities are great…”

“But it isn’t for you?” Leif finished.

“Y-Yeah. I just want to fight monsters and hone my skills. Uh, no offence. Bad monsters, not like you, I didn’t-”

Leif grunted, amused as the man spluttered. He once again studied the horizon, hoping to see a sign of change. Darius fell silent before perking up. “Hey! Look, over there.” He called, pointing eagerly.

The spriggan followed Darius’s directions and strained his eyes, the golden glow flickering behind his ivory mask. He couldn’t see anything. But the scout yelled again, this time attracting attention.

“Skimmers! They’re coming!”

Immediately a dam of tension broke, more people started pointing and calling. Some laughed, a few soldiers cheered. A few seconds later Leif finally saw what Darius had spotted. Over the horizon came the distant outline of triangular sails, as they drew closer Leif made out the wooden ship-like structures each was attached to.

But they weren’t boats. They were flat, more like a raft. They quite literally skimmed across the sky, valleys and forests being left behind as the crafts bobbed up and down, ploughing forward with tremendous speed.

Then the murmurs started once again. Leif could sense a growing tingling of anticipation and fear building. There were three skimmers, but as Leif studied what he now recognised as wooden jetties jutting out of the smaller bluffs side, he noticed something strange.

There was room for more than three skimmers, five at least.

“Gods.” Darius hissed. “This-”

Then an alarm began to ring from near to the walls, a screech split the morning air. The feeling of malevolence, ever present yet diminished, suddenly flared beneath his feet. Horns blared and officers began barking orders.

Leif tensed, then let the building nervous energy go. He would be more than capable in the upcoming fight. It was callous to think of what may turn into a slaughter as an opportunity, but for him it likely would be.

Then he turned, and followed the rushing soldiers to the wall.