Alkimiya - A Fantasy Mystery Series

THIRTY~EIGHT - The Return (Part 1)

Scarlett jammed the rounded plug of the headset into the radio. She had been tinkering with its parts for the better part of the day. A table in the mess hall had been dedicated entirely to the disassembly of Sunray's only mode of communication, and for a while, the radio box lay in pieces until Scarlett outfitted it with new, undamaged wires.

The orange sails that managed to make it through the first pass of the Ring of Rage had not made it the second. With the airship rendered remote and unable to catch the breeze, they were stuck floating near the Island of Kimiya. 

Scarlett had convinced James that setting down in the Ghost Sea was the best chance they had at getting rescued. Though they were left to the whims of the waves, they were moving.

Without the flakes of the last alchemists creating a magnetic zone, the readerboard gave clear numbers. If to be trusted, Sunray floated somewhere near the southern island marker of the Triad. That made everyone unhappy. The sea had taken them south, far from their original search zone, where no one would consider looking for them.

Frustrated and restless, James gave Scarlett complete control of Sunray. She was, according to him, far more experienced at being stranded. The panel of wall Renavolena's residual spirit had ripped away in James and Zenetra's room was covered with Tilde and Mimi's blankets, which Inspector Hatwig then transmuted into steel. Neither Zenetra nor James returned to the room.

Zenetra moved back into the room she had once shared with Tilde, this time bunking with Scarlett, who was eager to get out of the line of insults Healer Pilluck and Onnan threw at each other. James moved into what had once been Lothar and Delwyn's room, taking his little can of firestones and nothing else. They hadn't said much to each other after that. Zenetra felt something had changed after their embrace, with both of them uncomfortable with their actions now that they stood a better chance of getting home alive.

As Scarlett rolled the dial back and forth, biting her lip as she searched for a signal, Zenetra watched on in amusement. There was a quiet confidence to Scarlett, one only a person who had lived a full and lengthy life exuded. Mr. Tedman was also one such individual.

"Any luck?"

Scarlett removed one of the earmuffs. "Not so much luck with this."

"Keep trying."

"Just so—Oh! Hello?" Scarlett fitted the earmuff back in place and held down a button on the radio box. "This is Scarlett Burn flying Sunray. Can you hear me?"

Zenetra leaned close. Scarlett was listening to someone.

"Scarlett Burn," repeated Scarlett, more loudly. "Scar—Yes! I am she!" She gave Zenetra a toothy grin and an upward-facing thumb.

"Yes! Flying Sunray! SUN-RAY!" A breath of a moment passed as Scarlett listened. "Yes, I found them! They are here. We are stranded in sea. Bearing—Ah—" Scarlett peered at the readerboard. "Bearing—you know, I'm not so sure about this reader—"

"Let me." Zenetra pressed the button and spoke into the radio. "This is Zenetra Noire. We are approaching the southern island marker of the Triad. Please send Reapers to tug us home. Our airship is badly damaged."

She unclicked the button and waited.

Scarlett, rapt with attention at something the dispatcher said, nodded along. "Yes!" she said, holding down the button. "Zenetra Noire! NO-ARE!" Scarlett turned to Zenetra with another toothy grin. "UDF Radio Tower is sending Reapers to find us."

Zenetra was already moving to the door with the porthole in it before Scarlett finished. "I'll inform Inspector Hatwig. Don't say anything about the island or what happened to us."