Free Rise of the Seventh Moon: Heirs of Ash, Book 3 by Rich Wulf

sparks of magic winding through the damaged structure. “Just hold on.”
    Omax nodded and lay back. The light in his eyes faded to almost nothing.
    “You needed my help, Tristam?” Ijaac Bruenhail said. The dwarf looked around the inside of the tent. He gripped his morningstar in one hand, as if expecting a fight.
    “Get his legs,” Tristam said. “Help me get him back onboard.”
    The dwarf groaned at the idea of carrying Omax but did as requested. With some effort they carried the dense warforged to the stretcher and hauled him back aboard the ship. Once aboard, Tristam and Ijaac carried him out of the hold, laying him on the deck next to the ship’s helm. The rest of the crew had gathered, watching Tristam with varying degrees of confusion. Pherris Gerriman was tending the ship’s controls but spared Tristam a vexed glance.
    “Korth?” the gnome captain asked.
    “Aye,” Tristam said, digging in his bag again. “We need raw materials to repair this much damage.”
    “Gavus Frauk,” Dalan said. “You intend to take him to the golemwright.”
    “To the golemwright’s shop, anyway,” Tristam said. “I wouldn’t let Frauk touch Omax.” The artificer drew a length of thick metal wire out of his satchel. “The Canniths don’t buildwarforged anymore, but they build golems out of the same materials. Frauk will have what we need to fix a warforged—and he owes us.”
    “Can Omax hang on long enough for us to reach Karrnath?” Seren asked, looking at the warforged with a worried expression.
    Tristam fixed one end of the wire into the scar bisecting Omax’s chest. He spoke words of magic, fusing it to the warforged’s body. “That’s where
Karia Naille
’s favor comes in,” Tristam said. He held out the other end of the wire, weighted down with an improvised adamantine hook. He swung it in a few quick circles and hurled it straight up, latching it around the tall strut that embraced the ship’s fiery elemental ring.
    “What are you doing, Tristam?” Aeven asked.
    “The Dragon’s Eye drew upon a raw elemental force,” Tristam said. “I don’t entirely understand what it is—but I know what it does. I want
Karia Naille
to share her elemental energies with Omax. Let the fire we saw in Zul’nadn flow into him. That power was used to preserve the entire world once. We can use it to keep Omax alive.”
    Tristam closed his eyes and concentrated. The ship’s elemental ring burned brilliant blue in reply. That same light extended the length of the thick cable. Omax’s back arched, and a deep groan erupted from him. His eyes shone with searing blue energy. Crackling blue sparks erupted from every joint in his damaged body. Tristam extended his hands, grasping Omax’s shoulders. The light in his eyes receded to its normal hue, though faint sparks of blue electricity still crackled across his body. Omax lay still once more.
    “
Karia Naille
warns that what we attempt is dangerous,” Aeven said. “Such raw power could kill Omax as easily as it preserves him. She does not know how much a fragile form such as his can sustain.”
    “Omax, fragile?” Ijaac scoffed.
    “To an elemental creature such as
Karia Naille
, you are all fragile,” Aeven said.
    “It’s all right,” Tristam said. “I know the ship doesn’t understand how he’s put together, but I do. I’ll stay here to help regulate the flow of power.”
    “Korth is days from here, Tristam,” Dalan said. “You plan to watch him the entire time?”
    “Yes,” Tristam said.
    “I think that will do,” Pherris said gruffly. “I don’t doubt Master Xain has considered all the reasons why not to do this; there is no need to question him further. Omax is our friend. He deserves any chance we can give him. Unless one of you has a better idea how to save his life, I suggest we get on with this.” The gnome took the helm in both hands. “All hands, prepare for takeoff.”

S EVEN
     
    I n all her travels and studies, Norra Cais knew of