[All hands, flow stations. Repeat, all hands, flow stations. We are entering the Phlogiston.]
Damian Josh sat on the helm of the Eternal Wanderer, as the great ship passed through the newly-created portal in Spiralspace's crystal shell. As it did, the great ship's color slowly began to change. The cool midnight blues and blacks began to fade, and were replaced by swirling reds, blues and yellows, similar to the Phlogiston that surrounded them.
Damian 'felt' the ship; he sensed that all flames were extinguished within, and all was ready to delve deep into the rainbow oceans. Omnispace was far from Spiralspace. The trip would have to take them through many different spheres. True, there was a direct route, but that would take them through the heart of the Radiant Triangle, and there were no oceans in that part of the Phlogiston. It would take the Wanderer three times as long if it tried a direct route.
Blaise Pascal was sitting in the captain's chair on the command deck, with Tabatha Cherna next to him correlating all the stations reports. Below, Meridian was double checking the route they would be taking. Iesia stood across from Meridian, confirming what Damian 'felt', that the ship was ready to enter the Phlogiston. Kath, Taraq, Beloque, Eloelia, Phantom and Illeria were also on the bridge, doing what was necessary to keep the great ship going.
The rose crystal, resting on its pedestal behind the bardic helm, held an inner glow, projecting an image of the closing spherewall behind them. The Wanderer, completely through the opening, was quickly gaining momentum. Taraq watched as the shell closed, fascinated with what he saw. Kath saw the tall man stare into the image, emotionless.
"Quite an amazing sight, hun?" Kath commented.
"In all my years, I have never seen anything so amazing," Taraq said, not taking his eyes off the now-closed sphere. The projected image changed to the space in front of them, their path clear of debris.
"Damian, please take us into the flow," Blaise commanded.
[Aye, sir.] The Wanderer then began to almost sink for a few seconds, then lurch forward as it picked up even more speed. The path Meridian laid out was by far the quickest river any had ever travelled. The Kenku was excellent at finding such rivers. How he knew, he would never tell, yet somehow he did.
"Any idea where the captain is, or Hall or Belieth?" Tabatha asked.
"Excellent question," Blaise replied. The Arcane leaned forward in his chair. "Damian? Where are they?"
The bard closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating his thoughts within the ship. Damian was lost in his thoughts, checking each deck of the ship thoroughly. While he would not look in personal quarters (standard procedure, unless it was an emergency), he could check anywhere else.
[Hall and Belieth must be in their quarters, because I don't see them anywhere else, and...Onestar is...]
"Onestar is right here!" Stepping out from the muster deck, the ramp where landing parties can leave the ship, stood Onestar, but it was a different look for him. His armor, known for it's ability to alter its shape, was no longer banded mail. Now, the samurai's armor appeared to be pure, silver-and-golden glimmering full plate, ornate and shining. Also, the samurai wore a helm, covering most of his face. On his chest was an image of a dark hawk, swooping down. He stood there, hands on his hips, looking over the crew, waiting for some reaction.
"Well?" Onestar commented in a light voice, "no comments?"
"It is...different, captain," Blaise said, standing to get a better look. Tabatha stood at the command deck's rail, looking down. All gathered were speechless. Tabatha's whiskers twitched, as she narrowed her gaze at the samurai.
"Of course its different, Blaise!" Onestar yelled back. Meridian left his maps and walked over toward Onestar. "Life is change, and I've changed as well. Personally, I think this is a positive step in my life. Things are going well, I've got a great girl, a great ship, what else could I ask for."
Meridian looked Onestar over. "Too flashy," the Kenku replied. As Blaise stood near the rail, Tabatha sat down in the captain's chair and pressed a green- colored gem. It was a direct, magical communication stone Blaise had installed in the chair that would let the person sitting there talk directly to the helmsman, and no one else.
"Damian. It's Cherney. Are Hall and Belieth in their quarters?"
"What do you mean, too flashy?" Onestar commented, twirling around on the muster deck like a model. A cloak attached to the shoulders whirled around his ankles as he spun.
[No, ma'am,] Damian replied, his voice coming from behind the chair.
"Find Normakon and Sir Fairland," Tabatha added. "When you do, quietly send Phantom down there to get them."
[Yes, ma'am.] That was the beauty of the helm. You could hold a conversation and no one else would be able to hear what the helmsman said, if he didn't want you to hear.
"Meridian, you've got to lighten up!" Onestar placed his hand on the Kenku's shoulders. "Life is just too short to go around being dull."
"Why the helm?" Meridian asked. "Not you."
"Actually, it was Sir Fairland's idea. Good man, you know. Even inspired me to put the hawk on my armor. I think it's a nice touch, don't you?"
[I can't find Normakon, ma'am,] Damian told Tabatha. [However, Sir Fairland appears to be asleep in the cargo hold.] Below her, Tabatha could see Phantom quietly excuse himself and make his way below deck. Tabatha stood and moved next to Blaise.
"Something is wrong," Tabatha whispered to Blaise. "Damian can't find Hall, Belieth or Normakon. And Onestar is acting too strange."
"I agree," Blaise replied, not taking his eyes off of Onestar and Meridian's conversation below. "Ideas?"
"I think we should head back to Spiralspace. They might be trapped within the repository."
"Very well," Blaise replied, taking the captain's chair once again. He replied the instruction to Damian, who slowly turned the ship. At the motion, Onestar looked up.
"What's going on?" the captain yelled. "Why are we turning back?"
"There is a possibility Hall and Belieth are in the repository, Captain," Blaise replied. "We're headed back into the sphere to re-access interdimensional space." Tabatha began to make her way down to the main deck.
"Belay that order, helm," Onestar countermanded, looking straight at Damian. "Keep us on this course."
"Why?" Meridian asked.
"It's obvious they're not in...where you think they are," Onestar replied. "I left them before I came up here. They're relaxing in their quarters."
[No, they are not, captain.]
"Are you calling me a liar, helmsman?" Onestar barked, leaning over Damian as he did so. All the attention of the bridge staff was focused on Onestar.
[No, sir.]
"Then continue on this course, now!" Onestar turned, planning to make his way back to the muster deck, when he found Meridian standing right behind him.
"Take off the helm," the Kenku said.
"Get out of my way!" Onestar shoved Meridian to the ground hard. From above, Li T'sing leapt onto Onestar's back, dagger in hand trying to find a weakness in the armor. Onestar turned his head to see his opponent.
"Wrong move, little man." Suddenly, Onestar's Armor glowed white, and Li fell to the floor screaming. His skin began to bubble and become liquid. Within moments is was flowing from his body, revealing muscle and bone. As Li's screams continued, Kath and Taraq attacked Onestar from both sides. Steel blades sparked as they hit the metal, and the phlogiston made each spark a minor fireball, one searing Taraq's fighting arm. Kath was knocked to the deck by a metal fist, slamming into Taraq, knocking both men unconscious.
"NO!" Eloelia cried out, and cast the first spell the bard could think of. She was on the next shift to handle the helm, she had studied her spells not long back. Magical bolts of energy flowed from her fingertips toward the samurai, who turned to see them. Raising his arms in the air, the bolts stopped in midflight, and changed direction right back to the caster.
[All hands, to the bridge! Intruder alert! All hands!] Damian tried his best to get help, but Onestar lifted the drow by the throat and tossed him off them helm in one fell swoop.
"No fair calling for help, drow!" Kath lunged at the samurai barehanded, but Onestar just knocked him down like paper. The samurai ran toward the muster deck, but Tabatha met him there. Nunchuks in hand, she hit Onestar square in the head, knocking the helm flying.
"Not fair!" Under the helm was the head of what could be best described as a planar worm, purple and bulbous. Two large eyes rested their gaze on Tabatha, who dropped her weapon.
"You see, the samurai wore this armor for so long, it copied his abilities!" The worm looked on as Tabatha began to rise to the top of the shell. She hovered there for a few moments, before falling. Meridian leapt into the air and caught her right before she hit the ground.
As they landed, more of the crew came onto the deck. 'Onestar' looked toward them for a second, but then made his way to the muster deck.
"I'd stay and play, but I don't think you know any games I do." A new helm began to form over his head, covering the worm's features. "Besides, you play far too rough. I think it's time I take my leave from you. It's been fun! Just to let you know I'm not a sore loser, here's a going away present."
The worm looked over at the starcharts spread out, and suddenly they burst into flames. The Phlogiston-laden air caused an explosion, and made the flames spread out of control. As crew members tried to smother the expanding fire, Onestar leapt through the opening, into the flow. Blaise, from his vantage point, saw the armored worm reach the end of gravity plane, then float away.
Below, the fires were quickly extinguished. Father Armas was looking at Damian, tending to the drow's wounds. The bridge was in utter chaos: papers were lying around, debris being swept up. As Blaise reached the main deck, he surveyed the scene: near the helm (which thankfully hadn't received any damage), two bodies were covered with cloth. Tabatha shook her head as Meridian covered Eloelia's face.
"Both of them?" Blaise asked.
"Eloelia died from the magic missiles, Li just died from the trauma of having his skin melted off his bones. It's too late for both of them."
"WHAT'S GOING ON UP HERE!" Phantom came running up to the main deck, screaming. He fell silent when he saw what the bodies. Blaise walked quickly over to the chief of security.
"Report!" Blaise ordered.
"I've been trying to get in touch with Damian..." Phantom's voice just drifted off. "Who..."
"Li and Eloelia," Tabatha replied. "What did you find, Phantom?"
"I checked the door to the Repository in Hall's office," Phantom answered, still looking at the sheets covering the fallen crew. "The door is sealed: There is a good possibility they're still in there. I can't hear a thing, tho."
"What about Sir Fairland?" Blaise asked.
"I found his armor, in the cargo hold. What happened up here?"
"I don't know." Blaise turned to face Damian. "Are you well enough to handle the helm?"
The drow was leaning on Father Armas, still trying to catch his breath. He nodded.
"The boy's been shaken a good bit, but I think he'll be fine," Father Armas replied.
"Damian, take the helm," Blaise ordered. "Get us back into Spiralspace. Have all crew conduct a shipwide search for the captain!"
Some time later, the Eternal Wanderer was at rest about one hundred miles within Spiralspace. Hall, Belieth, Normakon and Estress had been recovered, and all available crew were looking for Onestar. Hall and Belieth were joined by Meridian, Crystal, Tabatha and Normakon in Hall's library, trying to piece together what had happened.
"...Sounds to me like a 'Steel Shadow'," Normakon commented. "They are rare, powerful creatures who look something like planar worms. They merge with metal and use it as their homes. If the metal is empowered, then they also gain it's abilities."
"But I thought Onestar's armor was bonded to him," Belieth said. "It couldn't be removed."
"Alive," Meridian added quietly. One word spoke volumes. Crystal buried her face in her hands, and began to cry. Hall tried to comfort her.
"Now, we don't know he's dead, Crystal."
"Why now?" Crystal sobbed. "We just found each other, why did this have to happen now?"
"Crystal..." Hall was interrupted by Damian's voice coming from the wall.
[Hall, you'd better get down to the hold. They found the captain.]
Crystal stood and started for the door. Hall tried to stop her.
"You'd better let me..." Hall tried.
"I am an elven warrior, Hall-ee-mor Dargass," Crystal replied, pushing him out of her way. "I have seen death before. Do not treat me like a child." Belieth stepped around and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We'll go together."
