This is a one x one between my self and Briar Rose.

He couldn’t help but smirk as he continued to fight with the stiff stirring of his air-ship, the Siren. Lucius knew the love of his life had taken a hard hit from the pebble bullets that rang against her hard shell in their final flee from the Military fleet that had been chasing since the break of dawn. A few of those minor but completely accurate and overly deadly bullets hitting the main chambers of her engine room.

Lucius knowing full well the string of curses and such coming from his First Mate and Engineer’s mouth as she quickly and effectively went to work on the wounded metal that she calls the ‘Heart’ of the Siren. His casual and nearly mocking twist of his lips only resting in that position due to the success of maneuvers and finally losing the men that would have each and every head on his ship, on a platter with a side dish of reward.

But, now that the men who wished to kill him and his crew were long gone and eating the steam of his dear baby- one of the quickest ships in the sky. He knew it would only be moments before the small but hellish of a woman would storm her way up from the belly of the ship to chew his ear off about getting some parts and scrap metal.

- - -

She had told him plenty of times that aiming for the main ship of a Military fleet, was stupid, reckless and would be more of a head ache then profitable. Even if she did manage to swipe some priceless antique leather back books.

And as usual. Eeri had been correct.

Curses flying from her rosy lips, as she instantly went to work on the core of the air-ship after the coast of bullets was clear. Her pale hands instantly getting stained with oil smudges and grease as she attempted to patch up the holes and mend damage. Taking priority of the stirring fluid line that seemed to have taken a direct hit from the pea-sized bullets the Military seemed to favor lately. Cursing her Caption's driving and stupidity as she banged at the decaying copper pipes.

- - -

He heard the heavy and angry clinging of her hard soled boots clime up the twisting stair case to the operating area. His golden eyes not leaving the scenery of Marivellas, with it’s floating mountains fully of lush greenery where the farmers of the industrial nation make camp. Their own log and coal burning fires small little puffs of smoke, with nothing he was willing to take. Or could take; without giving them the better of the deals.

It was not till Eeri’s screeching of a slurred words dulled down did his keen eyes finally catch a glimpse a possible place to land. It’s blooming trees high and strong, but the tips of a tall scrap tower looming over the tips of the brush. Good for the cover of the Siren and her crew, but also near promising that it would have goods to offer his catty First Mate. Since it wasn’t a common find amongst the farming part of a controlled nation, the last metal war long past and now nothing but treasure and bits of history for people like Eeri.
“ Woman.” He groaned, thick hands resting on the turning wheel of the ship as the turbulence began to try and take hold. “ Shut it.” He demanded his tone betraying the ting of a lingering smirk as he attempted to land his baby in the safest of place on the small island, despite her rocking and unwilling legs.

- - -

She groaned as another problem became obvious. Her legs rushing her down to the lowest level of the scrapped up ship, where the landing gear would naturally be. Knowing instantly when the meter of high pressure started flashing a bright red, that not only did the main engine take some hits but so did the landing system.

Her curses were more audible then before as she shouted over the cranking of gears and wind, instantly catching on that a ricocheted bullet must have been caught some where in the hardware. Her hard soled boots kicking at gears, as she attempted to make their landing a bit smoother and less of crash as possible. Only to hear the small ping of a falling bullet in the nick.

“Gaw’d. Damn blast’d Fuzz.” She fumed. Her short stature only adding fuel to her eternal fire as she instantly made her way from each level of the ship, taking in the less immediate damage to see how much scarp metal she’d actually need. “ Tha’s if Cap’in Lucuis even land’d near a scavenging hole.” She grumbled as she wiped the excess grease from her hands to her shop rag as she stormed her way from inners the ship, only hoping the men of the ship and her bot would have a stroke of brilliance to try and help her.

- - -

Sure. The landing could have been smoother, but he did what he could in the situation they had. Landing his darling in a rather rough manner, which tossed around the people and loose objects that resided in her. His own footing slipping a bit as she landing with a huff of smoke and sand, his old girl creaking as she settled a little deep into the soft foliage of the floating island.

“ Well that was rough.” He sighed threw his nose as he clapped himself on the back for making the landing as painless as possible and as close to the metal tower as he could. Even a bot couldn't have landed any closer then he did, only about 50 meters off of the looming tower of mixed tones and minerals.

Ashilde lounged on her king size bed, surrounded by white fluffy pillows. Her knees were drawn up, with one ankle balancing on her other knee as she read one of the few books she owned. Curled up by her hip on the crimson comforter was her companion, Aya, a sleek fennec fox given to Ashilde on her fifth birthday. Ashilde absent-mindedly stroked Aya's fur as she read, stopping only to turn a page.

Despite having read the five books she owned over a thousand times a piece, she loved this book. It had everything she dreamed of… daring adventures, valiant knights, beautiful princesses in need of saving, violent sword fights, and of course the triumph of good, and love, over evil. Closing the book, Ashilde sighed as she set it down on her lap.


"Well, that one's done. What now Aya?" She asked, her dark sapphire eyes meeting sleepy brown eyes. Aya blinked several times, then yawning widely, stood and stretched, her head bending low to the bed. Sitting back on her haunches, Aya eyed Ashilde, then bolted from the room, a tawny streak.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Ashilde giggled as she also leapt from the bed, chasing after her mischievous friend. They ran around the towers rooms, from Ashilde's room, into the main living area complete with fireplace and furnished sparsely with two couches, a small table, and lots of shelving lining the walls; around into the kitchen where a cake was still baking in the hot oven; through the pantry that connects into a study room, and back out into the living room, Ashilde laughing, and Aya darting in and out, going under furniture and squeezing in between almost shut doors.

As they rounded the corner into the kitchen again, Ashilde spied her timer. "Oh shoot! Aya!" She skidded to a stop, thrusting a slightly burned cream-colored mitt over her hand, then opened the door to the oven, reaching inside and pulling out a golden cake.

"Whew!" Ashilde sighed, sliding a smile over to Aya who sat next to her on the counter now, her little fuzzy brows pulled together in concern over the cake. "Not burned!" Aya licked her lips. "Not yet you minx! It's too hot." Ashilde set the cake down, and just at that moment, a loud crash rocked the tower, making Ashilde stumble and Aya fall off the counter.

"What in the blue blazes…?" She asked as she slowly stepped out of the kitchen towards the only window in the tower, situated in the living room, right over one of the long, deep blue couches.

Peeking over the windowsill, both Aya and Ashildes' eyes widened. A large, very large, sky ship had landed not very far from their tower, and several people were now pouring out of it, nothing more than little ants from this height.

"What, or rather who, do you suppose they are Aya?" She asked, turning her head slightly towards her foxy friend, but not taking her wide eyes off of the activity below. Aya merely shrugged, not caring to take her eyes off of the people below either.

"Well… I'm sure they'll just repair their ship and…" Ashilde's already wide eyes grew larger. "Someone's… they're… Climbing!" Ashilde's heart raced. Her long coppery hair streamed out behind her as she bolted away from the window and up into the rafters of the tower, turning off all of the lights she had lit that morning. Aya scrambled up beside her on a second rafter, both sets of eyes locked on the window as the sounds of at least one person scaling their tower grew louder.