Masters of the Sky

Chapter 29 Second Attempt

"That is one big hole," Abner said while they stood on the deck while Percy was moored to the metal platform serving as a jetty.

The Thundering Massive loomed above them, stretching its peaks into the dark sky. The sheer mass of the steep rocky slope was intimidating and made everything else look small in comparison. Still, that did not deter Gabriel and his team from making a massive hole in an attempt to drill a passage through the mountain. The shaft was big enough for Percy to sail into it, and it was hard to say how far inside it stretched as everything was engulfed in darkness.

Celia turned to Gabriel. "How did you make that hole? It's huge."

"A mixture of explosives and drills." Gabriel shrugged. "But it's an excruciatingly slow process. With explosives, we have to be careful not to bring the whole mountain on our heads, and those rocks are so damn hard that our drills break after just a couple of sessions."

"How far in did you get?" Lyra asked, leaning over the railing and trying to see anything in the looming blackness.

"Not far. You could fit three galleons in there."

"At least you have a cool, concealed docking bay," Abner offered, rolling his moustache between his fingers.

"Right, not that I need it. But I wanted to show you this so you know that we're considering different approaches to beat the Thundering Massive. A well-equipped flying ship might be a better solution here."

Celia looked around them. The seemingly unwelcoming place at the foot of the colossal mountain range was brimming with life now. Around the hole, several metal platforms were erected to provide access to demolition crews and their machines. Five ships were docked around the provisional jetty, hosting different teams of scientists, cartographers and engineers working tirelessly on finding the best way to cross the uncrossable barrier.

She turned to Theo. "Are we ready for a trial run?"

"As ready as we can be." He rubbed his chin, admiring giant drilling drones parked at the platform next to the hole. "We've got the sound devices installed and ready to use, harpoon throwers and lightning conductors installed around Percy, which should hopefully seize most of those lightning strikes and render them harmless."

Celia clapped her hands excitedly. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get up to the sky and chase some dragons away!"

***

As Percy slowly ascended to the sky, the air got colder and the winds stronger. Celia's hands held the helm so tightly her knuckles turned white. She knew they were far more prepared than the last time they tried to cross the mountains, but the anxiety was still running rampant through her body.

The crew was also silent. Except for some shouted commands and status updates, everyone watched the clouds warily, waiting for the inevitable. Celia scanned the deck, checking if everyone was in their designated position with the weapons ready. Fear gnawed at her insides at the memory of their last encounter with the dragons, but she steeled herself, forcing the doubts to the back of her mind. Now they were ready.

It was time to challenge the masters of the sky.

"Shadow directly above us!" Lyra called from the crow's nest, her spyglass moving erratically, trying to keep up with fast movements. "Another one above on starboard!"

"Noise generators on ready!" Celia commanded. "Harpoon shooters, load your weapons!"

But before the last words left her mouth, a huge scaly shape descended above them, opening long jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth. Light danced on the blue scales as the lightning shot straight at the crow's nest.