Titan: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 4) by Jez Cajiao (beach books .txt) 📗

the helmsman. “Right, I’ll deal with my ship; for now, you make sure yours stays on this course and heading, same speed, everything; last think I need is an unexpected bath…” she said, nodding towards the grey waves far below.

I nodded and turned, taking a few quick steps, and jumping into the air, soaring across the distance between the ships and landing gracefully. I turned, ready to walk into the wheelhouse and pass the directions across to Tenandra, when Giint ran out from somewhere and straight into me, tripping me and sending me staggering like a complete idiot.

I just heard the sound of Mal’s laughter erupt in the distance, as I managed to catch myself before growling under my breath.

By a massive exertion of will, I managed to not throw Giint over the side, and instead I walked to the wheelhouse, kicked the door open hard enough that it rebounded and nearly broke my nose, and marched inside.

Oracle broke off her conversation with the other wisp and smiled widely at me, shaking her hand free of the little form, and moved quickly to join me, and when I sat down, she plonked herself in my lap and promptly ignored Tenandra.

I passed the details across to Jian and Tenandra, and a few minutes later, Mal’s ship cut across our path, with the four of them leaping from his ship to land on mine. Arrin gave any that needed it a quick heal, and then Soween was marching into the wheelhouse, throwing herself into another chair and glancing around.

“So, you want to fill me in yet?” she asked, and I grinned at her.

“You’ll see everything when we get the gnomes together. Any ideas for getting them across to Mal? And quick, before he comes to his senses?” I asked.

“We just do what I did before; you fly over his ship, close in and they jump. What do you mean, ‘I’ll see soon’?”

“Well, you ever deal with gnomes before?”  I asked, and she nodded.

“They can be a bit crazy, but mostly not too bad, as long as you keep them calm; why?”

“These ones have been locked in the Sunken City and drugged up to the eyeballs for around a century, fighting and fucking in equal measure,” I explained simply.

“Holy… are they crazy?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Well and truly fucking nuts.”

“This I have to see,” she said, a wide smile creasing her face.

“It’s going to be magnificent,” I said, nodding, then grabbed the nearest gnome I could, waving a small stick of their favorite substance under his nose to make sure I got his attention, then I put it away. “Get the rest of your people and line them up on the deck, all of them. I’ve got an emergency job for you, and if you can get everyone in the next five minutes, I’ll give you a stick.”

His eyes nearly bugged out of his head and he set off at a full sprint, screaming for the other gnomes.

We went out onto the deck, and I stood with Soween and the others, all grinning at Mal as he cruised along at a distance of about forty meters.

It took less than three minutes to get all the gnomes together, and I held my hands up, getting their attention.

“Okay, everyone, thank you for your help so far, Frederikk, is this ship safe now, with the mana that’s coming into recharge it? Can we fly for a few days with no issues?”

“Should be… ship’s fine now, needs a full rebuild and upgrade, a clean down, and more, but she’s safe…” he said, nodding and watching me carefully.

“That’s great news, because unfortunately, my friend’s ship isn’t so much. It’s new, but its slow and really needs a lot of upgrades, so I’m offering you all a deal. You know there’s a lot of work to come, and I’m going to make your new home into the best place I can, but if you all want a day to relax with a stick of your own when we land…” I said and I held up one of the short, compressed sticks of catnip where they could all see it. The sudden intake of breath, followed by their laser-like focus, told me they’d certainly seen it. “…Then I want you to show me what you can do. Go to his ship, fix anything you want, upgrade anything you want to play with, just prove yourself to me, okay? All I ask is that you don’t risk the ship. Beyond that, go for it, follow your hearts’ direction and make a thing of beauty!” I said, grinning at them. “We’re about to fly over their deck, and they’ve set up bedding on it. All you have to do is jump and land there, then you’ve got until we land at the Great Tower to do your best.”

“We won’t fail you!” Frederikk cried. “You know what we can do, but with that time? You won’t recognize her when we’re done!” he said adamantly.

“That’s what I’m counting on.” I said with an evil grin. I pulled out a handful of sticks and started snapping them into short lengths, passing them to Frederikk, whose eyes grew more and more frenzied by the second. “Give these out to those who impress you the most, and don’t worry about the ship’s captain Mal, he’s always grumpy, but he’s promised that he’ll let you do all you want to his ship….” I said, trying to suppress the giggles.

Frederikk took the sticks and started shoving back the gnomes that crowded in around him, even as I gestured to the other ship, and Jian nodded to me from the wheelhouse door, before slipping from sight.

A few minutes later, we were passing over Mal’s ‘Falcon,’ and the gnomes were dropping like the mad little bastards they were.

“Got any more of those sticks?” Soween asked me as we watched, and I nodded, passing her two, which she snapped into short lengths… then threw into the middle of the milling gnomes