The explosion tore apart the morning sky and Eva was almost swept off the platform. She clung to the railing as debris fell from the air and people scrambled around, screaming. The acrid smell of smoke and burnt wood tickled her nose, and the ground vibrated under her feet from the wave of the detonation. She squinted against the smoke and the glaring light of the rising sun.
The port of Nimbusheim, which was usually filled with hustle and bustle and the calls of traders, had plunged into utter chaos. Heavy merchant ships, moored to their docking points like sluggish cows, swayed dangerously while workers tried to stabilise them. The air was filled with the screeching of metal anchor chains and the creaking of wooden platforms, which shifted against each other due to the movements in the air, making standing on them a precarious undertaking. There was turmoil everywhere, people held on to each other and their goods, desperately sought cover or fled to the adjacent streets. From Evas‘ elevated position, a narrow viewing platform, she had a good overview of the commotion. A large merchant ship, the Stella Australis, was on fire and barely staying aloft. Black clouds of smoke rose from its torn hull, while the fire raged hungrily through the holds. The sails, once immaculately white, glowed at the edges like paper thrown into a fireplace.
Out of the clouds of smoke emerged the cause of the chaos in the form of a slender, black-painted pirate ship with blood-red sails. It turned like a bird of prey over the burning wreck. Now grappling hooks whirred through the air and a crew of heavily armed figures in leather storm boots shimmied over the ropes onto the deck.
‘We have to get out of here!’ A voice tore Eva from her stupor. Next to her, a man was frantically pulling on a young woman who was also watching the spectacle as if frozen. ‘If the flames reach the fuel tanks, the whole harbour will blow up!’ Eva took a deep breath. Her mind told her that he was right, that it was dangerous to stay here. But the spectacle had captivated her and held her in place.
Suddenly, another sound rang out – the dull roar of a warning horn. It was the signal of the harbour guard. Eve saw a small flock of agile Wind Riders, painted in shimmering shades of gold and copper, break out of a hangar and head for the pirate ship. Their elegant vehicles looked like swallows against the massive bird of prey of the attackers. A first whistle – then a fireball broke through the air as one of the Wind Riders fired a rocket that exploded just next to the pirate ship.
Eve’s heart was beating up to her throat. Everything about her wanted to run away from the screams and the heat, but her eyes were transfixed. She watched as the pirates reacted quickly, turning their ship in a smooth motion and firing back. A Wind Rider burst into a shower of sparks, and the wreckage plunged into the cloud-filled waters far below the docks. ‘Why aren’t they sending Leviathans?’ she heard the young woman say in a frightened voice. ‘The Wind Riders can’t do it alone!’ Eva silently agreed with her. This didn’t look good for the harbour watch.
A shot from the pirate ship hit another Wind Rider so accurately that the pilot was torn from his seat and now hung in mid-air on a parachute, waiting for his comrades to rescue him. His abandoned aircraft spiralled downwards until it was exactly level with the docks. Suddenly, a thought flashed through Eva’s mind. Without hesitation, she removed her shoe and one sock, which she stuffed into her pocket. One foot always had to be cold – this way she could think more clearly. Prepared like this, she sprinted to the edge of the harbour. ‘Stop!’ she heard the man call behind her, but she had already taken a big leap and landed in the wheelhouse. She reached for the copper lever and pulled it back with all her might to gain control of the tumbling aircraft. The Wind Rider vibrated violently and the smell of burning oil reached Eva’s nose. But she had no time to worry about the damage. The pirate ship was directly in front of her, a dark, ominous silhouette against the bright blue sky.
The Wind Rider lurched suddenly as the controls stabilised again. Eva’s heart was racing, but she forced herself to keep a clear head. ‘Okay,’ she murmured to herself, while she gripped the control sticks more firmly. The pirate ship had noticed her by now. A bright flash shot out of one of the side cannon barrels and a volley of flickering projectiles whizzed past her. Eva ducked instinctively, although she knew that wouldn’t help. Her flying machine swayed, but she yanked the control stick to the side, bringing the machine into a sharp turn and flying close past the dock platforms. The wind currents tugged at the damaged hull, but the Wind Rider held out.
A shrill warning signal rang out. She had the pirate ship locked in her sights. ‘Just one shot,’ she thought as she aimed the weapon. Her fingers sought the red trigger, but before she could fire, another hit yanked the Wind Rider up. Sparks flew from the cockpit and the display flickered. But Eva wasn’t ready to give up yet. Instead of pulling back, she pushed the control stick forward and plunged in a steep descent directly towards the pirate ship. Her eyes burned from the smoke. The pirates‘ massive vessel was getting closer and closer. The ship’s cannons fired again, but Eva performed a breakneck roll to the right, dodging the projectiles. Her hand trembled as she activated the Wind Rider’s rocket launcher. The displays flashed frantically. “It’s now or never,” she thought, and pressed the trigger.
A dull boom shook the air as the missiles shot out of the launch tubes. They swirled like silver arrows towards the pirate ship. The first hit tore a hole in the side and an enormous explosion followed. Fire and debris shot into the air as the grappling hooks that held the merchant ship came loose, tearing away pieces of the railing. But the pirate ship was not destroyed yet. It swayed, but it still held itself in the air.
Eva gritted her teeth. She had one last arrow left in her quiver. She pulled up the Wind Rider, flew a tight turn and targeted the underside of the pirate ship, where the main engines shimmered. ‘Go now,’ she whispered before pulling the trigger again.
The rocket pierced the engine chamber of the pirate ship, and a deafening explosion followed. The gigantic vehicle broke in the air, its debris plunged like black rain into the cloud floods. Eva barely had time to realise what was happening before she yanked the wind rider’s wheel around again to avoid being caught by the shockwave.
The radio suddenly crackled to life, and a voice boomed through the loudspeakers: ‘This is the Nimbusheim Port Guard. Identify yourself! Land immediately!’ Eva’s heart pounded as she scanned the docks for a suitable landing site. She knew her actions would have consequences. The pirate ship was destroyed, and the Stella’s cargo was saved – at least what was left of it.
When she finally landed the Wind Rider safely on a platform, her legs trembled with exhaustion, but pride and adrenaline blazed inside her. The curious crowd at the docks began to applaud hesitantly, then cheers rang out and Eva breathed a sigh of relief. But her moment of triumph was short-lived: several uniformed figures emerged from the crowd and strode energetically towards her. Now came trouble.