text: You decide to remain on deck and see what help you can lend to the crew members. Mother Ghared disappears down below, and from here you watch as the helmsmen frantically try to turn the airship around as quickly as possible. Before long, the ship is so close to the storm that pieces of wood are being shredded away from the outside of the hull. You grip the railing tightly, fearing the worst…
  
  “Brbcf ypvrsflf!” the captain yells.
  
  There is a horrendous tearing of wood and metal as the storm makes impact. Fearfully, you throw yourself clear from the balcony – and just in time, too. A bolt of lightning flashes down onto the crystal lens where you were standing, shattering it into a million pieces. The crewmen cry out as a violent gust of wind slams into the ship, powerful enough to tear the railings apart. Rain and sleet pours down to accompany it.
  
  Desperately, you search for somewhere to take cover from the storm. This was a bad idea. You shouldn’t have stayed up on deck in this kind of climate. There’s nothing you can do here –
  
  Another bolt of lightning flashes down and rips straight through the mast.
  
  You turn to see the entire weight of the mast fall towards the deck. To your horror, you see that the captain is right in its path, just seconds away from being crushed. None of the mercenaries are close enough to help her. No one is close enough to help…but you.
  
  Even if you did help her, it’s unlikely that you would be able to get out of the way in time.
  > You turn away and worry about yourself instead
  You can’t risk saving her. Who knows if you will succeed? Guiltily, you turn your eyes away from the scene. You don’t want to see the results of your inaction. The opportunity has now passed, and may never be seized again. She isn’t going to make it in time –
  
  “Fprcf!”
  
  A shrill cry erupts from the other end of the airship. The mast shudders as an invisible force slams to it, snapping it further at an awkward angle. You watch in amazement as the fractured beam crashes through the deck barely a metre away from the captain. She’s alive.
  
  You turn your head to see Mother Ghared frozen in position, her hands outstretched towards the fallen mast. Your knowledge of her abilities is still limited, but you understand that she has saved the captain’s life. The captain waste no time moving away from the fallen mast and is already on her feet, struggling to defend herself from another group of mutants.
  
  Before you can move, you see Mother Ghared slump to the ground. She seems exhausted by the effort of stopping the heavy mast, and the energy drain is too much for her. You start to force yourself to your feet, knowing that time is of the essence. She needs help, and fast.
  
  That’s when you hear the violent splintering sound below you.
  
  Fearing the worst, you see that the heavy mast has in fact torn straight through the centre of the airship. It is in no condition to fly. The vessel has already been damaged by the attacks of the mutants, and you can only watch in horror as more and more cracks appear, joining together as one…
  
  The airship breaks apart down the middle.
  
  You see the mutants react with surprise as they start to plummet along with their half of the ship. Surprisingly enough, they can no longer fly. You’re not quite sure why, but you have a feeling that their wings from before were only temporary. In addition...part of the airship somehow remains airborne. You’re not in a position to question the laws of aerodynamics right now, but you need to act fast.
  
  Your half of the airship is currently airborne and in no danger of falling – or so you hope. The captain is next to you, slumped in a heap. The other half of the ship is about to plummet downwards, and you realise that Mother Ghared is still on that side. She’s unconscious and has no idea of what has happened.
  
  You have a split second to decide whether to cross over the gap to Mother Ghared, or stay here with the captain. You have no idea what condition either person is in.