"What is this?" Cay yelled, glancing wildly back and forth.
A diagram, easily the most massive one Theo had ever seen. There was no way Ulrich could have cast it on his own, which meant he must be drawing on the Star's power.
Was it already too late?
Desperate, Theo swept his eyes across the deck. Some elements of the diagram seemed kind of familiar, reminding him of strengthening spells. But even if he recognized them, what good would it do?
And he didn't have time to think about it before gray light exploded from the ramp, almost blinding him. He landed on his side, elbow banging against the deck. Dimly, he felt armored hands on his shoulders, helping him sit up, but most of him was too busy trying to focus on the fighters.
Horror gripped his throat when he saw the gray light glowing around Ulrich's soldiers, so bright it almost washed out their outlines. The next thing he knew, the soldier nearest Kress punched her in the stomach.
Though she'd previously shaken off their blows without much effort, this one swept her off her feet. She hit the deck with a tremendous crash, and before she could get up the soldier stepped on her stomach. From the way she strained, Theo could tell she was using all her strength to try to rise, but the soldier didn't budge an inch.
"Kress!" Nevy rushed forward, staff raised. But before she could reach Kress, another soldier yanked the staff away from her and snapped it in half with his bare hands.
Chaos erupted around the ramp again, but this time Ulrich's troops decidedly held the upper hand. Lodo and Meg both tumbled down the ramp, the werecat trying to curl his body to shield his wizard. Guntar collapsed in a flurry of feathers, pinned down by a single soldier.
Dangling from one of Blue's tentacles, Fia determinedly fired rocks from a sling. Yet the soldiers didn't even flinch from the blows, and before long one of them took a flying leap straight toward Fia. They tried to swing away, but the soldier caught up and sliced the tentacle in half. Yelping, Fia plummeted to the deck. The instant they landed, more soldiers surrounded them.
Strengthening spells glowed beneath Ryllis and Avia, barely visible beneath the massive diagram's harsh glow. And before long, the spells sputtered into nothing; two soldiers had grabbed Sam and Ryan.
The two familiars raced for their wizards, but the soldiers quickly intercepted. A few swift blows later and they overpowered Ryllis and Avia, driving them both to their knees. When Ryllis kept thrashing, a soldier struck her in the head and she went limp. Sam's scream pierced Theo's heart.
Armor creaked behind him. Zenith, struggling to rise.
"No," Theo began. Too late – the soldiers were already marching their way.
Cay stepped in front of Theo and Zenith, staff outstretched. But Theo saw how his shoulders trembled, and he knew Cay wouldn't be able to hold off the empowered soldiers for even half a minute.
Shaking like a leaf, Zenith picked up his fallen sword. The edge of the blade scraped against the deck as Zenith struggled to lift it, and more lightning crackled around his wounded chest with every pained movement.
Theo felt sick. If – if he didn't do anything –
But what could he do?
It struck him just as the soldiers reached them. One grabbed Cay's staff, wrenching it from his hands, but before the soldier could strike Theo leaped to his feet.
"Wait!" he yelled.
"What is it?" the soldier snapped, though she fell still.
The gray light blazing around her washed out her features, so Theo couldn't make out her expression. Same with the other soldiers. Even so, he forced himself to meet her eyes.
Sweat traced an icy trail down the back of his neck and his heart wouldn't stop pounding, but he gathered all his courage. "I...we….we surrender, okay?"
"What?" Cay threw him a wild look, and he heard Zenith draw in a sharp breath. Trying to ignore them, Theo kept glaring at the soldier.
"Really," the soldier drawled, sounding unconvinced. As her hand crept toward her sword, Theo sweated harder.
"Really," he said. "I can see that we're completely outmatched. There's no point in continuing to fight. So just – don't hurt anybody anymore." In an inspired moment, he added, "I don't think Ulrich would be too happy if you damaged the merchandise, would he?"
The soldier scowled. "So you willingly give yourselves up?"
"Yes. I'll even tell Ulrich all he wants to know about the wizard in black armor, if you bring me straight to him. And – and how to fix my homunculus, too." Theo jerked his shoulder at Zenith behind him. "But, um, you'll have to bring her, the golem. She's the one who knows how to do it."
"What the hell are you thinking?" Cay hissed, only to cut off in a gasp when the soldier holding him twisted his arms.
"Him too," Theo added spur of the moment. "He, um, knows a lot about the Star of Miriel. He can help Ulrich use it."
When Cay opened his mouth, Theo's heart almost stopped. But then Cay's eyes darted toward him, briefly fixing him with a sharp glare, before he pressed his lips together and lowered his head in a slow, careful nod.
It was all Theo could do not to sigh in relief. Cay cast him another sidelong glance, this one very clearly saying, 'I sure hope you have a plan, and it'd better be a good one.'
Well...Theo couldn't say if it was any good, but it was the best he could come up with at the moment.
The soldier tilted her head, still not looking entirely convinced. "Let me get this straight. You want me to bring all of you to him."
"Yeah." Theo swallowed. "You ask me, he doesn't strike me as the type who likes to wait. So the sooner you can get him what he wants, the better. What can we do, anyway?" He swept out his arms, indicating the diagram blazing around them. "Not when you've got this."
The soldier scowled harder, but then gestured at a few others. "Fine. Let's bring them to Master."
Theo didn't resist as a soldier came up behind him and locked his wrists in cuffs. Cay quietly let them do the same to him. When the soldiers approached Zenith, Theo bit his lip and reached for his familiar across their contract, trying to reassure him without words.
He didn't know if it was working; Zenith's light felt faint as a distant star. But to his relief, Zenith seemed to have gotten the message. He didn't protest as the soldiers hauled him upright and cuffed his hands too.
The sword was still lodged in his chest, crackling with lightning. Just looking at it made Theo's heart wrench. Though he tried to offer Zenith a reassuring smile, the soldier roughly spun him around so he was facing the ramp.
As they marched him to the ramp, his thudding heartbeat almost drowned out the soldiers' pounding boots. At least it also kept him from hearing his own thoughts.
At the ramp, the soldiers had already gathered and cuffed the other crew members. One soldier pulled Nevy away from the group, dragging her toward Theo. She gasped as she stumbled. "What – what are you – "
"Sorry, Nevy," Theo whispered, his chest twisting. "Please, Zenith needs you."
"Shut up," snapped the guard behind Theo, shoving him forward.
"Sir Zenith? Ah!" Judging by the shock in Nevy's voice, she must have seen the injured Zenith. "You mustn't – oof!" A dull thud suggested a soldier had struck her.
Next to Theo, Cay threw him a furtive glare. It didn't help Theo's nerves any, but he knew Cay had a right to it. Theo himself didn't have the slightest idea whether this would work out or not.
All he knew was that he needed to take back the Star of Miriel, and that meant facing Ulrich again.
So he didn't say a word as the soldiers, their silhouettes glowing harsh gray, led him into the depths of the Himmelsfestung.