Chapter 266: The endless dunes
"Steady!"
The old captain of the Sky Serpent roared above the howling wind.
Hex operated the lever with all his might. The storm threatened to throw them to the ground. Hex heard the other members of the crew groan.
Sensing the strain on his freshly healed muscles, he cursed. He just finished recuperating and hoped to enjoy the new landscape before him.
But no, the moment he stepped on the top deck, the weather turned. The gentle breeze turned into a turbulent storm. It wasn’t just a storm. It was a sandstorm. The onslaught of fine particles in the air made things harder.
The sand decreased visibility and increased the difficulty of breathing. Already a few people had passed out. He took over to lessen their burden. But it didn’t help a lot. They struggled.
He felt the boat rock from all sides. He didn’t look but his heart trembled at the soft tearing sounds. And he perspired at the fluttering sound afterward. He didn’t warn others though. It would cause people to panic. Not that they weren’t already. The whispered prayers didn’t escape his sharp ears.
It wouldn’t do any good to tell them that they left Heaven behind. So, Hex focused on things closer to him and what he could control.
When he had filled in at the wings, some of the people manning the levers had shouted some instructions and basic information at him.
There were nine levers to operate each wing. In the middle of those nine, stood a tenth – the main lever. This one was far larger. No one manned this one. Usually.
Hex heard the commotion around him. It seemed they were close to the edge of the storm. But pushing through seemed impossible. Even keeping the boat afloat seemed an issue. Looking at the weary and out-of-breath crew, Hex realized if they didn’t do anything drastic, they would lose even more people.