329 Comparison (2/2)
”Isn't there some way we can avoid it?” Gary yelped.
”It's coming in too fast! Just five minutes and we'll be caught in it!” Isabella could calculate it easily. ”We need at least twenty to steer clear of that mess!”
”Everyone, make sure you have your Feather Fall Scrolls handy!”
They checked. ”Got it!”
Alani nodded. ”Take out the ropes and tie yourself to the airship. This is going to be rough!”
They rushed to do it. Alani, Jamie and Gary secured themselves to the railings. Isabella and Siti darted into the cabin to secure their cargo. Juni tied his rope around the Tier 4 ballista they'd borrowed from Mindy.
”Not that!” Alani gasped. ”Juni, tie yours to the railing, like ours!”
”But it'll be too heavy! The railing might break!” Juni protested.
Alani didn't have time to explain the structure of the airship's skeleton versus a weapon stuck onto the deck. ”It's less likely to break than the ballista!”
Juni didn't argue. He just trusted her. ”Right!”
But it was too late. Juni had barely taken two steps towards the railing when a powerful gust hit them.
”Uwaah!” Juni was knocked clean off his feet, three inches into the air and came down stumbling.
POW! Another strong gust hit them like a punch. Juni went reeling…
”Juni!” Alani leapt out to block him.
BAM! He crashed into her. Both of them stumbled around flailing.
”Grab my rope!” Alani put hers into his hands.
Juni grabbed on as another blast of wind knocked the airship sideways.
”WHOA!” Juni almost flew straight off the deck. Alani still had both arms around him, but her meagre weight was no hindrance to his much greater bulk.
FWOOP! Both of them went sailing into the open sky.
CRASH! The railing broke. Under the strain of Juni's and Alani's combined weight compounded by their momentum, the particular segment Alani's rope had been tied to finally snapped.
”I told you it would be too heavy!” Juni groaned. ”OOF!”
While the railing broke, the ballista did not. Juni still hadn't untied his rope from it yet, and thus was caught and left dangling from it while Alani dropped straight down.
”Alani!” her friends screamed, but there was nothing they could do.
”Feather Fall!” Alani triggered her scroll. Magic surged, slowing her fall to resemble a light, drifting feather. She turned back to the airship, just some ten feet above her, so close in terms of flight, but so very far in terms of a wingless human. ”Toss me my pack!”
”What?” Gary stared, blinking.
”You'll have to leave me behind!” Alani said, her throat suddenly dry. ”There's no time to look for me and pick me up! Get the job done and pick me up on the way back! I'll camp out on an island and light a signal fire on Monday evening!”
It wouldn't be too bad, right? A weekend camping out on an island, fishing for her dinner… it would be just like back home! Only this time, she would be alone. All alone, in unfamiliar seas, and strange islands.
”Yip!” suddenly, a furry bundle leapt out of the airship.
”Lunar?!” Alani gasped, securely catching the wolfcat cub. ”What…?”
”Yip!” Lunar wagged her tail. [You won't be alone!]
Alani suddenly felt a lot better. Having Lunar around would change everything. Even if she was just a cub, just having an extra pair of eyes to watch her back was a great deal. Also, it would be great to have a soft, furry pillow at night.
Meanwhile, Gary was letting out a heartfelt protest. ”We can't leave you behind!”
Siti, on the other hand, threw Alani's pack at her. ”Here! Get dry as soon as you can and stay warm! We'll come get you once the storm clears!”
”Don't worry about me, get the job done! I'll be fine!” Alani put on her bravest face.
Nevertheless, a tremor of fear could be heard running through her voice.
”Yiyiyip!” And then another bundle of fur leapt off the deck. [Wait for me!]
”F-flare?!” Alani gaped, as a second wolfcat landed on her.
[I'm coming too!] Flare grinned at her.
Alani finally smiled, no longer afraid to face being marooned on an island for a weekend.
***
Meanwhile, the other ten year old refused to go out any more.
She pouted at Mandy. ”I got left behind at the mall last time!”
”Don't be afraid…” Mandy tried to coax her.
”NO!” she ran away, jumped into her blanket and refused to get out of bed.