Shadows over Sigil - The Deva Spark

"May the gods protect us from the boredom that is Mechanus!"

Factol Karan

Second Guild Day of Savorus, 126 HR

Krystall pushed her feather-adorned hat back and stared in disbelief at the means of transport that Krixxi had organized for them. It could probably be called a flying machine, even if it was hard to imagine this monstrous construct taking to the skies - and, above all, staying there. At the moment, however, it lay still on the ground, not far from the gate town of Xaos, where Krixxi had rented the thing from the Chaos Engineers. Ironically, it looked like a fish. A thirty-step-long fish made of metal plates welded together in a mess, with wings made of wooden poles and canvas whose wingspan was twice its length. On the back of the monster sat a dome-like structure, from which the wings protruded and in the lower floors of which a highly complicated-looking gearbox was mounted. The upper part of the dome was clad with wooden planks and even brickwork and had windows, a door, a small balcony ... This area was probably intended as living space for the crew. And the crew, of course, was supposed to be their group: the goblin mechanic Krixxi and the awakened rooster Figaro, the minotaur Blackhoof, the medusa Rakalla, Zamakis, the vampire and herself, the leader of the Razor Angels.

When she could finally tear her gaze away from the bizarre monstrosity, Krystall turned to the goblin woman. "Seriously? We're supposed to fly through the Outlands in this thing ?"

"Yeah, sure," Krixxi replied enthusiastically. "It'll be great fun! And a thrilling adventure! And a really great and exciting journey! You'll see."

"I don't know," Blackhoof said skeptically, pawing the dusty ground. "That doesn't look very confidence-inspiring. Besides, I don't like flying."

"It's totally confidence-inspiring!" Krixxi objected, throwing her arms up indignantly. "I mean, take a closer look at this beauty!"

"We did," Zamakis replied dryly. "That's exactly where our concerns come from." As dusk had fallen in the meantime, the vampire had ventured out of the shelter of their quarters and accompanied the group to the berth of the monstrous fish. However, she was still leaning against the wall of a nearby shed, in the shadow of the protruding roof.

The goblin woman waved her little index finger around in the air. "No offense, but you all don't know much about mechanics. But Figaro and I do. And we say: the fish will fly very well."

"Indeed," the rooster agreed, adjusting his welding goggles with his mechanical leg. "By the way, the vessel is called a storm barracuda."

"That's all well and good," said Krystall. "But I understand the reservations of Zamakis and Blackhoof. I also find the thing a bit ... suspicious."

"I think it's pretty fancy," Rakalla said as she looked at the huge construct over the rim of her dark-tinted glasses. "And I trust in the expertise of Krixxi and Figaro. It'll be fine."

"Have you joined the Ravagers after all?" Zamakis asked with a slightly sarcastic undertone. "I mean, because you obviously want to hasten your own demise with that thing."

The medusa briefly grimaced at her, but then turned her attention back to the barracuda. "No, seriously, why not? It's ideal for you, my dear undead friend. Under the dome up there, we can darken everything perfectly during the day. I mean, the Outlands have a sun. That doesn't exactly make traveling easy for you."

Krystall shook her head with a sigh. There was something to the alchemist's words. Without such a means of transportation, they would be forced to rest constantly during the day and, above all, to find suitable shelter in good time. And traveling only at night was not a very uplifting prospect for everyone else in the group.