Nevy had stared death in the face many, many times. When you traveled the wasteland, it was impossible to avoid. But she couldn't remember a time when it had ever come so close, to the point where she could almost feel its rotten breath brushing her skin.
Or maybe that was just the stench of the zombies. They outnumbered the demon soldiers on the hill, at least three to every captured crew member. Rather than focus on them, Nevy made herself watch as General Grave led Theo and the others up the invisible ramp, their silhouettes growing steadily smaller.
When they vanished completely, Nevy's heart thumped against her ribcage. Next to her, Kress growled and strained against the two burly demons holding her in place.
Perhaps in better circumstances, Nevy would have wondered about this strange skycraft, what sort of mechanism it used to turn invisible. Indeed, she couldn't deny the part of her mind that loved tinkering with machines more than anything was contemplating this very issue.
But she didn't have time to focus on it. More important matters were on hand – most notably, the fact that the Grand General had left the scene.
Which meant this might be the best opening the crew would ever get.
Nevy had no illusions it would last long. Sooner or later, Grave was going to return. So she had to act fast – act now.
As her mind raced, her heart pounded harder and harder. Straining with all her might, she tried to glance at Kress out of the corner of her eye, but Kress wasn't looking her way. If only they had something like a wizard-familiar bond, Nevy couldn't help thinking. Then at least she'd be able to send her thoughts to Kress, and they could come up with a plan together.
As it was, Nevy had no choice but to depend on herself. Her own wits, her own plan.
She hated herself for the doubt that clenched deep in her guts. Coming up with plans, taking the initiative – she'd never been that kind of person. Even back at the golem village, she had always kept her head down and gone through her days without making a stir.
Which was the way golems were supposed to be. They were people of the earth, born out of solid rock and never straying far from their homes. Let other folk dream of what might lie in the sky above.
But at the same time, Nevy had never been quite like the rest. While she busied herself repairing the few simple machines the village kept – pumps and mining drills, mostly – she found herself longing for more. Something more complex, something that would challenge her to assemble and maintain. Something like a skycraft engine, perhaps....
Eventually, she could stay no longer. And not only had she finally gotten to join a skycraft crew, she had met so many new people. Kress. They had all taught her so much, things she could never have imagined existed.
Now for their sake....
Nevy dropped her gaze, scanning her coat. Though she couldn't see inside the pockets, she could guess at their contents from their pressure and weight. The guards might have disarmed everyone, but they hadn't stripped her or checked her pockets yet – though she knew it was only a matter of time.
She wouldn't give them a chance. She lifted her hip, jostling one of her waist pouches. Something heavy and oblong rolled around inside – a smoke bomb.
Right now, everybody was out in the open on the hilltop. Completely exposed. But maybe with some cover....
But how to reach it? With a guard holding her arms behind her back, she couldn't well grab it with her hands.
The old Nevy, the Nevy from the village, the Nevy who considered herself a mechanic and not a fighter, might have given up right then and there. But not here and now, not with her crew depending on her.
Kress had taught her to take advantage of her unique strengths, so she'd do just that. Thanks to her small stature, people tended to underestimate her. Indeed, she only had a single guard restraining her, a demon man of average build.
But as a golem, she had a lot more weight and solidity to her than it might seem from her appearance. And she'd use it as far as she could take it.
Her mind made up, Nevy drove her knees deep into the snow, trying to anchor herself as firmly as possible. The guard noticed, of course. Tightening his grip, he snapped, "Stop that."
Nevy didn't listen. Instead, she gave her arms a sharp tug. Before she could escape his grip, he clamped down tight and yanked her back. "That's enough, you – "
Driving her knees even deeper, she thrust her arms upward while leaning sharply forward. The guard yelped as the momentum sent his feet flying into the air, and with all her strength she flung him forward and over her shoulders, vaulting him into the snow in front of her.
The guard landed with an indignant sputter. Now!
The world narrowed into just her hand and her waist pouch. She grabbed the smoke bomb just as two zombies rushed toward her, skeletal arms extended. Jerking back the pin, she tossed the bomb at them.
Smoke flooded her vision, thick and dark and bitter. It made her chest tighten, but she ignored her discomfort and leaped to her feet. Voices were shouting, footsteps shuffling, but she barely heard it beneath her violently pounding heart.
When a huge, heavy hand closed around her wrist, Nevy screamed aloud. "Nevs, it's me!" a familiar voice shouted.
"Kress!" Relief stole Nevy's breath.
Kress tugged on her arm, sending her stumbling to her left. That was when a silhouette burst out of the smoke and lunged toward them.
Kress met it head-on, grabbing the soldier by the arm and slamming her forehead against his. He collapsed with a shuddering groan, and Kress wasted no time yanking the sword out of his hand. When she let go of Nevy, Nevy almost protested, only to gasp in surprise when Kress crouched down and worked the knife out of the guard's belt. She pressed it into Nevy's hand, and Nevy gratefully closed her fingers around the hilt.
Now armed, the two of them raced through the smoke. Bodies flailed and thrashed amidst the billowing clouds, sometimes almost colliding with Nevy and Kress. In their disoriented state, the soldiers and zombies in their way were easy enough to cut down. Soon the smoke began thinning and clearing, until it died into a few fading wisps that drifted past Nevy and Kress as they ran.
Nevy gasped in relief when they finally escaped the smoke. She found herself at the edge of the hilltop, looking down at the burnt village and the skycraft grounded beyond it. Surprise coursed through her when she saw the thin pale band at the edge of the horizon. So it was almost sunrise?
The sound of rhythmic thumping from behind made her whirl around, knife raised – and she only relaxed a little when she saw Captain Gryseld heading their way, wielding a bloodstained sword.
"Was that your smoke bomb, little golem?" the captain asked, smirking. "Congratulations are in order, I suppose."
Her condescending tone rankled, but Nevy knew now was not the time or place to argue. Indeed, at that moment a zombie broke free from the smoke. Its bones creaked as it slowly turned their way, then it shuffled through the snow toward them, shedding scraps of rotting flesh with every lurching step.
A single swipe of Kress's sword sent its head tumbling. Nevy waited with bated breath for it to get back up, but it stayed as still and silent as a corpse ought to.
Her heart leaped. Without Grave around, it seemed the zombies were much weaker.
More and more fighters – soldiers and zombies and crew members alike – were spilling out of the smoke, their shouts and clashing weapons ringing through the freezing air. Nevy wondered if she and Kress should join them, but that was when she saw Gryseld squelching her way down the hill.
"Hey, Captain!" Kress yelled. "Where are you going?"
"To my craft, of course," Gryseld said without looking back. "We'll have the advantage once we take to the air."
Nevy couldn't argue with that logic. She exchanged glances with Kress, then both of them hurried after Gryseld.