Stormsworn, page 1
STORMSWORN
THE STEAMBORN SERIES, BOOK NINE
By
ERIC R. ASHER
Also by Eric R. Asher
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The Theme Park at the End of the World
The Steamborn Series
Steamborn
Steamforged
Steamsworn
Skyborn
Skyforged
Skysworn
Stormborn
Stormforged
Stormsworn
The Vesik Series
(Recommended for Ages 17+)
Days Gone Bad
Wolves and the River of Stone
Winter’s Demon
This Broken World
Destroyer Rising
Rattle the Bones
Witch Queen’s War
Forgotten Ghosts
The Book of the Ghost
The Book of the Claw
The Book of the Sea
The Book of the Staff
The Book of the Rune
The Book of the Sails
The Book of the Wing
The Book of the Blade
The Book of the Fang
The Book of the Reaper
Dreams of the Forgotten Dead
Garden Gnome Graves
The Vesik Series Box Sets
Box Set One (Books 1-3)
Box Set Two (Books 4-6)
Box Set Three (Books 7-8)
Box Set Four: The Books of the Dead Part 1
Box Set Five: The Books of the Dead Part 2
Mason Dixon: Monster Hunter
Episode One
Episode Two
Episode Three
Episode Four
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Copyright © 2024 by Eric R. Asher
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Smashwords Edition, 2024
Smashwords Edition License Notes: This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Edited by Laura Matheson
Cover design by Murphy Rae
Cover artwork by Enggar Adirasa
~
Through the black, we ride once more
~
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Also by Eric R. Asher
Copyright Page
Epigraph
Map
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Note from Eric R. Asher
Also by Eric R. Asher
About the Author
CHAPTER ONE
Jacob gently pulled back on the reins of his Tree Killer, slowing the mount until she came to a stop beside their Karn guide. “Thank you for inviting us, Mali.”
Mali glanced between him and Alice. “It is good of you to join me. We don’t get many Ancorans in Karn, and that is something of an understatement.”
“It’s nice to be away from Ballern.” Alice patted the head of her mount. “I’m glad we could help with the rescues, but after two weeks …”
“There isn’t anyone else to rescue.” Jacob stared off into the Gray Woods, his quiet words hanging in the air for a time.
“Don’t tell Arun I quoted him, even though I am about to.” Mali gave them both a meaningful look. “But he’s told me a lot of things over the years. Some of them help me in the dark times. You gave what you could, and that is enough. You may feel like it never is, but know that for those who care about you, it is enough.”
Jacob didn’t miss the small smile that crossed Alice’s face when she glanced at him. He knew why. It was close to what she’d been saying to him while he spent hours in the workshop, followed by hours climbing through stones and ruins in his exoskeleton.
He’d complained about changes he could have made that would have been better for a rescue, but he hadn’t made them because he’d been too focused on what would be useful in a fight. And to that, Alice had told him he’d done enough. He was enough, and the simple fact he’d given so much effort was all anyone could ask of him.
But the truth of it was, he could do more. And he would do more. Wise words might be a salve in the moment, but they rarely pulled survivors from the rubble.
Jacob didn’t speak any of those thoughts aloud. Instead, he focused on Mali, meeting her gaze. “Thank you.”
“We have one more ridge.” Mali gestured to the lightening shadows in the woods. Movement spread out around them, creatures large and small either avoiding the Tree Killers or contemplating them for a snack.
Whatever the case was, Jacob trusted Mali to know when danger was nearby. He might have known how to deal with Red Death and Widow Makers, but the creatures of the woods were another world entirely. Jacob patted his Tree Killer between the eyes, the many facets tilting back to study him like a thousand mirrors.
“We cross the ridge and climb the first Forest Giant, just there.” She pointed to an expansive trunk with curls of peeling bark near the tangled roots. “The limbs are wide enough to support far more than the three of us, and the leaves aren’t falling. We’ll be all but invisible to anyone who might be watching.”
Alice gestured to the ridge. “Lead the way.”
“It’s still a bit odd to be riding on a Tree Killer.” Jacob pulled the reins to the side, and his mount followed without protest.
“They’re no more dangerous than a Mantis, if you ask me.” Mali stiffened and glanced back at Jacob. “Sorry, I know your experience with them has been different.”
Jacob waved the thought away. “It’s fine, honestly.”
“Here, the Tree Killers are certainly dangerous, but they rarely attack people outright. And when they do, it’s not for food. If they’re cornered, or threatened, then they are one of the most dangerous creatures in the woods.”
“The Acidwings are rather unsettling,” Alice said, glancing up toward the canopy as they crested the ridge.
Mali nodded. “And they will happily feast on unsuspecting people. Best to be on your guard in the thicker parts of the Gray Woods.”
It wasn’t hard to identify the nearest Forest Giant. Far to the northwest, smoke crept through the scattered openings of the forest canopy, but they were well hidden behind the Forest Giant’s trunk.
“Let me get my camera ready,” Mali said. “I don’t want to be trying to assemble it perched on the Forest Giant’s branches.”
She stopped halfway up the tangle of steep roots before pulling a slim rectangular box from her leather pack. Jacob assumed it was plates for the camera until Mali pulled out another small box, swinging open a door in the back before inserting the second box. She spun a dial on the side and removed the front of the assembly, revealing a round lens.
“What is that?” Jacob asked.
“My camera? I’m quite sure you have these in Ancora, don’t you?”
Alice leaned forward. “Nothing so small. And I’ve really only seen the picture man’s camera in the Wildhorse up close. Not many cameras in Ancora.”
Mali blinked. “Truly?”
“Definitely,” Jacob said. “Not only that, but Ancoran cameras are huge.” He spread his hands to demonstrate that fact. “You need a tripod to keep them stable. How do you hold that one still?”
“It doesn’t take that long, honestly. I usually rest it on a branch.”
“And the smaller box is your plate?”
“The film?” Mali frowned before a broad grin crossed her face. “Oh, you’re going to like this. That smaller box I inserted earlier? That holds the film. Think of it like multiple plates on a long strip. I can take almost fifty pictures on a s
Jacob stared at Mali, remembering the huge plates the picture man had to slide in and out of the camera at the Wildhorse. How could fifty of those possibly be inside that tiny box? “I’d really like to see how that works on the inside.”
Mali narrowed her eyes. “You’re not taking apart my camera. Tinker or not.”
Alice chuckled and grinned at Jacob. “Maybe Archibald will buy you one. You could tell him it’s a necessary item for the new exoskeletons you’ve been working on.”
Jacob started to reply, but trailed off. “That’s … not a bad idea, actually. If you could have something that small mounted in the frame? Think of the reconnaissance someone could gather with that.”
“You’re talking about spies, aren’t you?” Mali asked. “I think spies have enough to work with already.”
“No … I mean yes, but not exactly.”
Alice raised an eyebrow.
“No, no, think about it. The exoskeletons aren’t going to be used by spies. They aren’t quiet or stealthy. Compared to a Titan Mech, maybe, but they’re still loud, especially armored. But if they were on the front lines, they could document what was happening. Send the photos back.”
“They need to be developed.” Mali tapped the side of her camera. “The film stays inside its cube, and that’s all we need to get back to the city.”
Jacob blinked at that. “It doesn’t … I mean, it doesn’t dispense like a plate on the bigger cameras?”
“Not at all.”
He shook his head and let out a small laugh. “I have to know how that works. When this is over, do you think one of your tinkers could show me?”
Mali groaned. “Yes. And while they’re doing that, Alice and I can move back to Ancora so I can try this Cocoa Crunch you two have been talking about these past few days.” She turned to Alice. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll see him again in nine or ten years.”
“He is right, though, isn’t he?” Alice rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s not just the reconnaissance. Think of all the people and places that have been lost to history. Some we might have a few paintings of, but to have photographs would be … I don’t know, more real? Like a book, but different.”
Mali turned the camera over in her hands before securing it to her vest. “I never thought about it like that. Our tinkers are going to need to learn to make film a lot faster if we’re going to start selling these to Ancorans. Now, let’s focus, shall we? As soon as we reach the lowest branches, spread out along them. It won’t be hard to see where the Great Machine is.”
Jacob tapped on the center of his mount’s head, the signal to follow its leader. He took the rear as Alice trailed Mali, guiding them over the rest of the roots before the Tree Killers’ scythes cut into the bark itself. From there, the mounts moved something like the spiders, propping their riders up through training or instinct as they went.
A quick glance at the ground showed the forest floor vanishing below them far faster than it felt they were moving. It was disorienting at best. Jacob focused instead on his grip and the soaring branches of the Forest Giant. Every step of the Tree Killers above him sent small splinters and clouds of sawdust into the air, and for a short time, he wished he had goggles.
Soon enough, they reached the first branches. Calling them branches felt wrong, since Jacob was quite sure their Tree Killers could stand shoulder to shoulder across the width of the first branch.
Mali’s mount scurried out a good distance before she stopped. Alice took the second branch, dismounting and sidestepping around the Forest Giant until her Tree Killer could follow. Jacob trailed behind them, watching each step of his mount before he caught sight of Alice, staring into the distance.
He was about to ask what she was looking at when the gap in the foliage opened before him, and he saw the rolling banks of fog. Heavy nearer the mountains, the thick fog broke as it left the valley, nearing the ocean and plains leading to the Gray Woods.
As much as it obscured, there was a great deal to see. A trapezoidal shadow lurked in the fog, spitting towering columns of smoke into the air, a dark contrast to the mountain fog. It served to frame the surrounding city, and a city it was. It could have been Ancora without the walls, but the lines were sharper, the roofs swept up like a wave, capping every home and structure he could see.
A burst of fire rose from a smokestack, leaving an echo of soot behind as if it were a dark flame in the sky. The ground surged with people and machines and creatures Jacob couldn’t make out. But he’d seen something that looked similar before.
“It looks like a hive of Sky Needles. An impenetrable hive.”
“Mordair is inside that thing,” Alice said as the fog rolled back, revealing more and more of the Great Machine and what waited around it. Airships floated over the water and docked along a short, wide structure well past the Great Machine itself, and distant enough that the destroyers looked like little more than toys.
Warships continued along the shore and out into the bay, and suddenly Jacob understood why the ships Lady Katherine had sent in pursuit of Fel had never returned. Seeing what waited near the Great Machine, she’d been right to focus on the rescues. A direct attack on the forces before them would have been disastrous. They’d need more warships to break those lines, and even then, the Children of the Dark Fire had airships of their own. An attack here would require a fleet like nothing seen since the Deadlands War, and even then …
Jacob tried to shake the darker thoughts away.
Ranks formed to the southeast along the ground. A line of armored Walkers and crawlers.
“Are they marching on Ballern?” Jacob dismounted and walked out on the branch beside Mali.
Her camera clicked before she spun the side wheel and pressed the button for the shutter again. “Those Walkers aren’t meant for a raid on Ballern. They’re coming for Karn.”
CHAPTER TWO
Jacob rubbed his forehead before taking a deep breath and trying to tie the Tree Killer’s bridle on in the proper fashion. They’d only just returned, but Karn liked to keep its Tree Killers ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. The bridle wasn’t anything like the saddles the Spider Knights used, and getting the knots wrong could cut into even the thickest of their chitinous armor.
Alice peered over his shoulder before giving her appraisal. “Looks like it’s not on backward this time.”
“It wasn’t entirely backward last time. I just fed the ties through the wrong side.” He didn’t keep the irritation out of his voice, but it had been a long couple weeks since the Battle of Ballern. “Sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize.” She patted his arm. “But thank you. It’s been hard for all of us.”
“I wish Tatsu and Rin were here. The dragonriders are all better at this than I am.”
“Than we are,” Alice said. “I’ve had quite a bit of trouble, too.”
Jacob glanced at the perfectly flat bridle connected to the saddle of Alice’s Tree Killer. “I can tell.”
She grinned at him and squeezed his shoulder.
A tinker clad in black leather and shiny chitinous pauldrons pushed his way into the stables. “Mali, I have the photos you requested.”
“How many were you able to finish?”
“You have fifteen there. The rest should be done in the next two hours, should you need them.”
“Thank you.” Mali took the offered envelope, tied closed with leather straps, before dismissing the man with a nod.
“How long have we been back?” Jacob asked. “Fifteen photographs already?”
“We have multiple rooms attached to the factory here. All of the rooms can be used to develop these photographs, but the chemicals to do that quickly are harder to come by. Perhaps you’d like to visit sometime? When this is done.”
Jacob nodded, but Mali’s words stuck in his mind. When this is done. What did that mean? When Mordair was dead? When the Children of the Dark Fire were no more? Was that even something that could happen?
“I must speak with Arun.” Mali hesitated. “You two saw what is waiting at the Great Machines. Would you join me?”
“Of course,” Alice said. “Anything we can do, Mali. Just ask.”
“That’s very kind of you. Come, please. He’ll be in the Hall, I have no doubt.”
* * *
