Over the next two weeks, Jeal and Sadoul trained the other wizards in the uses of the Baron mecha. Solon proved to be unusually adept, Ghaleon competent, and Kazyr wavering. Sadoul felt Kazyr's stubbornness, or perhaps anger at Sadoul, held him to hold to his previous remark about his difficulty at learning at his age. Ghaleon wondered if it was simply that Kazyr was never meant to fly in a steel can.
Jeal, on the other hand, understood that two weeks left little time for improvement, no matter how often training was used to pass the time. Perhaps if given a couple months rather than a couple weeks, the white-haired mage would get the hang of it, but with Lucia's tower and knowledge of the Maker looming on the horizon, time could not be spared.
The skies darkened as the five sailed towards the tower, and angry black clouds milled overhead long before the hurricane around the rocky island came into view. Solon remained on deck to calm the ocean as best he could, even when the rain began to fall. Kazyr, Ghaleon, and Sadoul had taken refuge below deck while Jeal stayed at the helm.
"What I wouldn't give for some of good old Krager's wind spells right now," Solon sighed to himself. He suddenly made a sharp intake of breath and peered intently at the hurricane before him. The Magician of Water frowned and turned back to the stern.
"Jeal!" he yelled, feeling the wind rip the words from his mouth. He waved his arm, making sure he flagged down the emperor's attention. "I think we've got company! I'm gonna get the others back on deck! Do you think you can manage without me until then?"
Despite the storm, Solon could make out Jeal's affirmative reply, if only barely. The magician wasted no time popping open the hatch and hurrying down the steps to the dining room, where he figured the trio would likely stay.
"Hey, there's some flying shapes heading towards us!" he announced as he jogged in.
Sadoul looked up from from the game of solitaire he had spread out over the table. "Shapes?"
"That can fly in this sort of weather?" Ghaleon added.
Solon nodded, also noticing Kazyr wasn't with them. "There looks to be over a dozen of them. They were still distant when I noticed them, and I'm guessing that they're pretty huge."
"They'd have to be to avoid being blown away," Ghaleon said, absorbing the news without changing expressions.
"Well, looks like the Maker just doesn't give up. He really doesn't want us to reach that tower." Sadoul chuckled. "I guess we'll have to defeat them just like everything else."
Ghaleon stood up to go outside. "Fighting in this weather isn't going to be easy though. And your fire magic isn't going to be as effective." He paused as he passed by Solon. "Be careful with your lightning magic as well. We'll all be soaking wet up there, and the moisture is so thick around here we shouldn't chance hurting each other or ourselves."
Sadoul seemed about to pout, although in a mocking fashion. "You just x-ed out both of my major spell groups."
"Then use your sword," Ghaleon called from down the hallway. "I'll go get Kazyr."
"I'd wager they're some kind of demon," said Solon as the four assembled near Jeal at the helm.
"So it would appear from their bulk and wings," Ghaleon murmured.
"If they're demons, let's hope they're warm to fight next to. I'm freezing out here." Sadoul shivered as he griped. "Getting sopping wet while waiting for them to get their mangy hides over here isn't going to make our health any better."
"Afraid of catching a cold?" Jeal asked with a smirk.
Sadoul glared at him in return. "No. But neither can I expect to be at my best while I'm soaked through and through."
"You'll have excuse enough to warm up soon," said Ghaleon, drawing his sword. "They'll be here any minute now." The silver-haired mage took a step towards the bow. "It's best we spread out and give ourselves room to fight. Someone should stay here and protect Jeal so he can manage the ship. We're still too far from the island."
"I'll do that," said Kazyr, changing to his werewolf form.
Ghaleon nodded. "Okay, then let's get going. I'll stake out the bow, Kazyr will be at the stern."
"I'll take the port side of the ship," said Solon. "Ardor can take starboard."
Sadoul seemed slightly annoyed, but agreed nonetheless. He drew his sword, eying the water droplets that began to run down the long thin blade. "Those demons are gonna pay for making me come out in this kind of weather," he growled as he sprinted off towards his appointed station.
Ghaleon's form blurred and he reappeared at the bow, sword raised in a cautious stance.
Solon prayed silently for a moment before walking towards the port rail.
"And here they come," murmured Ghaleon.
The winged forms dove from the sky just as the hurricane reached out with full force to grip the small steel ship.
Sadoul uttered a wordless yell as he made the first attack, leaping into the air to sever one of the tree trunk legs of the nearest gargoyle-like demon. He landed neatly on the deck as the creature howled. Sadoul smirked with a sudden satisfaction.
"That's what you get for making me come out here!" he shouted as he whirled around to finish the monster.
"Gotta love a man who enjoys his work," muttered Kazyr. He tossed a rubber ball from his pouch towards a demon still lurking above the water. With a word the ball changed form into a stone boulder, sending the beast careening into the ocean.
"With Sadoul it's a fine line between love and utter hatred," said Jeal, unslinging his crossbow. He hefted it to pierce a flying demon through its wing membrane before turning back to the wheel. "Makes it tough to be one of those opposed to him."
"At least he's on our side." Kazyr backed up a bit as a demon lurked on to the deck near him.
"He had better be," Jeal replied. "He had better be."
An inhuman wail ceased as Solon froze one of the monsters in a block of ice. With a gesture he sent it sailing overboard where it rapidly floated away in the tumultuous waters.
"How's everyone doing?" Ghaleon shouted as he beheaded his third demon. He glowered as the sky seemed to fill with yet more of the winged creatures.
"A couple scratches, but I'm okay!" said Solon.
"Better than you!" came Sadoul's reply. "Five kills to your three!"
Kazyr and Jeal's replies, if they heard him at all, were lost in the roar of the wind.
Ghaleon wished Sadoul would think of something less competitive, although any frenzy he came up with that got rid of more of these things would be more than welcome.
The former Magic Emperor concentrated, the words to a spell forming within his mind. He lifted back a hand as if to throw something and murmured a short series of sibilant words. Shards of ice appeared around him and with a forward gesture, he hurled them at the newest flock of demons.
"You know, this really isn't working," Kazyr said to Jeal. He ducked a blow and shoved the monster away from him with a sudden body check. Kazyr then hurled a fireball at the gray-skinned beast. The flame sent up a barrage of steam as it passed through the heavy rain, although most of its strength still remained by the time of impact.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Jeal replied. The Danek emperor had given up all hope of safely managing the ship and simply leveled his crossbow at any demon that Kazyr was too occupied to handle.
The Gull suddenly lurched to one side, throwing the five men and even some of the demons off balance. Kazyr opened his mouth to ask Jeal if it was the ocean when Solon shouted, "They're tearing open the hull!"
Sadoul cursed.
The ship dipped again, rocking both from the wild sea and the demons ripping it open. Ghaleon grabbed hold of the railing to keep from pitching over the side of the boat.
"How far are we from the island?" Sadoul bellowed. "Jeal wants to know. He can't see from where he is!"
Ghaleon brushed back the silver hair plastered against his face. The Gull crested a wave and the blue stone tower was outlined by a flash of white lightning. Thunder rumbled with such force that Ghaleon could feel it reverberating in his chest.
"We're still several hundred yards away!" he shouted back.
He heard Sadoul echo his words more faintly. Then the ship listed, and this time it did not recover.
Shouts rang out from around the ship and dark shapes blurred as they tried to regain their bearing. Two figures emerged from the aft of the ship near the hatch leading below deck.
"To the hold!" Jeal yelled from middeck. "Get in the mecha! The Gull is sinking! We'll have to fly the rest of the way!"
Kazyr, now back in human form, opened the hatch and followed Jeal inside. Solon and Sadoul came quickly after them, and then in a few moments, Ghaleon reached it as well. The five charged into the hold, relieved to see that the walls around it still held.
At Jeal's suggestion, Kazyr swiftly cast a spell that dried the lot of them in a sudden burst of heat, so that they could be certain not to damage the insides of their machines. That taken careful of, they each climbed into the pilot's seat of a Baron mecha. Kazyr didn't even complain about his lack of flying talent.
Jeal's thirteen foot tall suit of armor moved first. It lifted its right arm and a laser beam appeared from a tube in its hand. He slashed the ceiling in a large V-shape with his laser sword and reached up and grabbed the point, peeling the steel flooring down. "Follow me. Now be careful about your movements. We should be able to beat the demons in these, but flying in a hurricane is gonna test you more than anything." The jetpack on the back of Jeal's mecha rumbled, and the Danek emperor plowed through the opening he made.
Sadoul likewise rocketed up, leading the remaining three wizards. Jeal already engaged the demons, who shrieked at the armored giant slashing through their ranks. Kazyr gulped as the Gull disappeared into the murky waters below them and clicked on the power to his mecha's sword.
"Should we try making a break for the island?" asked Solon over the comlink as he whirled to dodge a demon's blow.
Sadoul cleaved a cluster of demons into several parts and then unleashed a volley of missiles.
"I think we're a little tied up right now," Jeal replied. "I don't think we can outdistance them in this kind of weather."
"We won't be tied up much longer though." Sadoul chuckled, mecha darting madly through the flying creatures.
"Whether we are or not, just try to make some kind of progress," said Ghaleon.
Kazyr mainly tried to stay out of everyone's way, going up when the demons dove and dropping altitude when the battle headed back towards the firmament. Finally an idea occurred to him and he bolted towards the clouds. The hurricane couldn't go on forever. There ought to be a limit above the cloud barrier, and then maybe he could lower himself back down to safety once he found the eye.
"Kazyr! What do you think you're doing?" Ghaleon demanded.
"Trying to get out of the way. You know I'm not good at flying," replied the white-haired mage.
"But there's a-"
Kazyr didn't hear the rest of Ghaleon's words. The crunch of metal echoed around him and he became aware of a wild crackling outside of his mecha. He panicked and his mecha careened end over end, flinging the demon off of him. Kazyr's heart raced and he pounded on the footpedals, trying to figure out how to right himself. The altitude meter dropped rapidly, and his thrusters refused to respond.
"How am I supposed to get this stupid thing working!" he screamed as he tumbled back through the storm.
"Kazyr, your jetpack is damaged, you're gonna have to bail out," Jeal said calmly over the comlink.
"Bail out?" Kazyr's voice held a note of hysterical incomprehension in it.
The white-haired mage caught a glimpse of something rocky and gray revolving in and out of his view.
"Yes! Eject! There's a parachute on the back of your seat, remember? Try to recall what I told you during training!"
Kazyr clawed beneath his seat, catching hold of something. But it wouldn't come free. He fumbled to remove the safety harness holding him in his seat and in the process banged his head against the hatch to the outside.
"What's taking you so long!" Ghaleon demanded.
Kazyr didn't answer. He willed himself to teleport, but nothing happened. His mind flashed to recall the barrier Jeal said was around the tower. Transfer magic would not work.
"Kazyr!"
The white-haired wizard ignored the call, not caring who's voice it was. He closed his eyes, trying to shut the dizzying feeling from his mind as well as his stomach. He reached for his pouch and unhooked it from his belt. Kazyr uttered a spell over it, and sensed from the warmth in his hand that he was successful. He smiled slightly.
"Spirit of the phoenix," he murmured, "hearken to my call from beyond the stars."
Sadoul tried breaking away from the demons. "I'm gonna pull that squirt's butt to safety!"
Kazyr's mecha continued to plummet, now only thousands of feet above the island.
"Accept me as your humble host and lend me your strength..."
Kazyr opened his mouth and clamped his teeth down on his pouch, holding it as tightly between his jaws as he could. He needed to make sure he didn't loose it. He could already feel the flames burning from within. The white-haired mage crossed his arms before him and prepared to spread his wings.
Sadoul's mecha plowed through the demons, racing at a low angle to try catching Kazyr before he hit. But he knew he would not make it.
The fiery shape of a phoenix exploded around Kazyr's mecha just before it impacted against the rocky shore of the island.