fix: edited thirty-one and thirty-two

chapters/chapter-31.md

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ Brook pulled the Glasscoaster in front of the store. The engine rumbled before s
 
 "Problem?"
 
-"I'm going to need to find a mechanic soon myself. That smoke means some of the joints are cracking again. After we find these guys, I need to get the Glasscoaster into a garage for repairs." Unsaid was that Brook had no intent of relenting until they had caught up with the murderers.
+"I'm going to need to find a mechanic soon myself. That smoke, not steam, which means some of the joints are cracking again. After we find these guys, I need to get the Glasscoaster into a garage for repairs." Unsaid was that Brook had no intent of relenting until they had caught up with the murderers.
 
 Linsan smirked. "I heard there is an unaffiliated mechanic in town."
 
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ A woman scowled.
 
 The furthest man, a balding man with a fringe of white hair in a rim, grunted. "You lost, Girl?"
 
-Linsan's original plans of being affable fled out of the window. Something about their attitude and her gut feeling told her that the people in front of her wouldn't relent. However, she quickly came on a second alternative. Putting on her best distressed face, she gestured to the back. "I'm so sorry, but me and my friend are stuck. She borrowed her daddy's driver and it started smoking really bad."
+Linsan's original plans of being affable fled out of the window. Something about their attitude and her gut feeling told her that the people in front of her wouldn't accept it. However, she quickly came on a second alternative. Putting on her best distressed face, she gestured to the back. "I'm so sorry, but me and my friend are stuck. She borrowed her daddy's driver and it started smoking really bad."
 
 She reached inside like her mother taught her, to find some sad memory to bring up the tears. The vague images of the burning workshop came up, an image that brought almost instantly a pang of sadness.
 
@@ -107,11 +107,11 @@ Two of the other men walked out the front door.
 
 Linsan cringed when the realization she should have told Brook her plan before she walked in. Now, the lack of communication could risk everything. She faltered as she looked at the door and back around.
 
-One of the grandmothers drew her attention. "Come on, my old man is going to see what he could do. Why don't we bring out some treats for your friends, I'm sure you two could use a little sweet after all this."
+One of the grandmothers drew her attention. "Come on, my old man is going to see what he could do. Why don't we bring out some treats for your friend? I'm sure you two could use a little sweet after all this."
 
 Stuck in her role, Linsan could only agree. Together, they gathered some sweets in oiled papers. She noted the price, two crowns each, and then headed outside.
 
-Outside, Brook was bawling as someone had just killed someone in front of her. Unlike Linsan, it appeared that her companion had no trouble bringing up a river of tears.
+Outside, Brook was bawling as someone had just killed someone in front of her. Unlike Linsan, it appeared that her companion had no trouble bringing up a river of tears and drama.
 
 Linsan froze, her body tensing.
 
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ Linsan was guided to the car.
 
 The men circled around it, peering into the foreign machinery as if they had an idea of what they were doing. One of them poked his finger inside and came out with a bloody finger. Another burned his palm on the boiler.
 
-The lady with the sweets set the sweets inside.
+The lady with the sweets set the packet inside.
 
 The original man who spoke grunted. "Do you think this thing will make it a few miles? Old Straw is the only one with a wagon big enough and he won't be in for at least a few hours."
 
@@ -139,9 +139,9 @@ There was a brief moment of silence.
 
 Linsan wiped the tears from her eyes. "Bird tree?"
 
-"You'll know it," said at least three of the old people around them.
+"You'll know it," said three of the old people around them in a chorus.
 
-The woman with the sweets patted Brook's hand. "I left you some sweets. I made them with my own hands. They aren't much but you girls need them." She turned slightly away. "Just twenty crowns."
+The woman with the sweets patted Brook's hand. "I left you something on the seat. I made them with my own hands. They aren't much but you girls need them." She turned slightly away. "Just twenty crowns."
 
 Linsan almost choked on the double of the price.
 

chapters/chapter-32.md

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ summary: >
 
 > Combat magic is shaped by the one manifesting the power. Personality, history, and themes are all shaped by the will that guides the energy. --- *Crystal Spheres Techniques*
 
-As the people in the village said, the bird tree was impossible to miss. Hundreds of birds fluttered on leafless branches that looked more like claws than something from a tree. With the movement, Linsan half expected the roots to lurch out of the ground and the entire tree to sail into the sky.
+As the people in the village said, the bird tree was impossible to miss. Hundreds of birds fluttered on leafless branches that looked more like claws than something from a tree. With all the beating wings, Linsan half expected the roots to lurch out of the ground and the entire tree to sail into the sky.
 
 She clutched her violin case and stared at the tree. She couldn't tell if it was dead or twisted because of some magic spell, but nothing about the tree made her comfortable.
 
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ When they reached a broken-down windmill, Brook turned hard to the right and fol
 
 "Just like we practiced?" asked Brook through clenched teeth.
 
-"Yeah. Just like we practice. Fast songs, work on the beats."
+"Yeah. Just like we practice. Fast songs, work on the beats. Start with the guitar since he's the leader."
 
 "This better work."
 
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ Brook grinned, her eyes scanning back and forth on the road. Her dress ruffles f
 
 "*My Lady of the---*"
 
-"Yes!" Brook rolled her eyes and smacking the steering. "Is the same that important? How can you remember all that?"
+"Yes!" Brook rolled her eyes and smacking the steering. "Is the name that important? How can you remember all that?"
 
 Linsan grinned. "Been living it all my life. A thousands songs are stuck in my head."
 
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ The third of the men, Mayforn, raced out of one barn. He held up his pants with
 
 Linsan's heart skipped a beat. The care Mayforn took implied the item in the bag had worth. "That's Palisis, it has to be."
 
-The three killers quickly slammed lids and hoods down before tumbling into the car. In a matter of seconds, Mayforn was in the driver seat and a cloud of white steam burst out of the back of the car.
+The three killers quickly slammed hoods down and doors closed before tumbling into the car. In a matter of seconds, Mayforn was in the driver seat and a cloud of white steam burst out of the back of the car.
 
 "He's about to release the pressure valves," Brook said. Her lace gloves tightened around her steering wheel. "We aren't going to get fast enough to block them in."
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ A wild smile gave an answer Linsan dreaded.
 
 "Is this going to hurt?" she whimpered.
 
-"Probably." Brook suddenly looked around the cabin and then toward each side of the car. "I'll hit on my side, back of the car. It might knock Daddy's so it charges into the fence or that boulder near the front. Even if it doesn't, it might break things. The Thunder is a lot more fragile than the buggy."
+"Probably." Brook suddenly looked around the cabin and then toward each side of the car. "I'll hit on my side, back of the car. It might knock Daddy's off angle so it charges into the fence or that boulder near the front. Even if it doesn't, it might break something more important. The Thunder is a lot more fragile than this buggy."
 
 Linsan stared at the furious glare that came from the driver's eyes. She whimpered and braced herself the best she could, cradling her naked violin and bow in her hands.
 
@@ -118,15 +118,15 @@ In the briefest of moments, Linsan heard the beat of the song match the throb of
 
 The buggy slammed into a fence surrounding the yard with the Black Thunder. The entire chassis shuddered violently. It bounced hard on the thick tires.
 
-Brook twisted the steering wheel hard to the side.
+Brook twisted the steering wheel hard to the side. Her feet slammed against the pedals in a rapid-fire beat of her heels against the metal.
 
 The pressure of their speed shifted and drove Linsan against the car door. She let out a cry of surprise as she slammed one hand against the frame and the other to the violin. The sound faded.
 
 The buggy twisted to the side, then began to scream as it slid sideways toward the front of the Black Thunder.
 
-Just as the two cars met, an explosion burst out.
+Just as the two cars met, a powerful boom exploded from the back of the Black Thunder.
 
-Glass shattered.
+Glass shattered and metal tore.
 
 Linsan's scream faded underneath the burst of noise that assaulted her. It felt like someone had punched her in the throat, chest, and stomach at the same time.
 
@@ -150,13 +150,13 @@ Linsan whimpered but the tone of Brook's voice and the closeness to the murderer
 
 With the wind plucking at her hair and instrument, she struggled at first but she knew the song. The rapid, sharp tones rose up and the air around her shimmered. She focused on the energies, feeling how they rolled over her skin and warped the air. With a flex of her power, she used part of it to deflect the wind ripping into her and gave her a bit of breathing room.
 
-Tilbin stood up from the back seat of the Black Thunder. His hat was off, revealing a man who would have been handsome if Linsan care for murderers. With his cocky smile, he brought his guitar in front of him and slammed down on the strings.
+Tilbin stood up from the back seat of the Black Thunder. His hat was off, revealing a man who would have been handsome if Linsan could have seen past him being a murderer. With his cocky smile, he brought his guitar in front of him and slammed down on the strings.
 
-The air around him burst into flames. The musical notes hung in the air for a moment before forming into fireballs that launched themselves at the Glasscoaster.
+The air around him ignited into flames. The musical notes hung in the air for a moment before forming into fireballs that launched themselves at the Glasscoaster.
 
 "Linsan!"
 
-"Got it!" Linsan accelerated her own play, twisting the song into force. The wavers of song and magic snapped forward and twisted, directing the fireballs to the side where they exploded into the field. A crescendo came up. Knowing the beat after it, Linsan formed it into a sharp point of pure energies.
+"Got it!" Linsan accelerated her own play, shaping the notes of her own song into tendrils of force. The rippling of song and magic snapped forward and twisted, directing the fireballs to the side where they exploded into the field. A crescendo came up. Knowing the beat after it, Linsan formed it into a sharp point of pure energies.
 
 Right at her moment, Brook released the steering wheel and slammed her hands together. The concussive blast exploded from her palms. It shattered the remains of the front windshield and threw twisted metal and glass along with Linsan's magical attack.
 
@@ -172,15 +172,15 @@ Linsan worried as she tried to catch his song. It sounded familiar, but the inst
 
 "Not much more, your magic is making it hard to see the road."
 
-"Hard to play," Linsan gasped. Her hand guided the bow as she watched more of the fireballs gathering behind him. "Very cramped. Ready?"
+"Hard to play in here," Linsan gasped. Her hand guided the bow as she watched more of the fireballs gathering behind him. "Very cramped. Ready?"
 
 She focused on turning the defensive energies into another attack. "Three. Two."
 
 Tilbin grinned and his teeth shone. He punched down on his strings.
 
-Mayforn stood up from the front of the car. The Black Thunder swayed back and forth. He slapped his hands together and then threw them apart. As he did, bright fires exploded from his fingertips.
+Mayforn surged up from the driver's seat. The Black Thunder swayed back and forth. He slapped his hands together and then threw them apart. As he did, a barely perceptible wave of force slammed into the fireballs.
 
-The fireballs shot out in all directions, blossoming out before streaking toward the Glasscoaster from too many angles for Linsan to redirect.
+Accelerated by Mayforn's magic, the fireballs shot out in all directions, blossoming out before streaking toward the Glasscoaster from too many angles for Linsan to redirect.
 
 Linsan's bow screamed as she redirected as many as she could, but it felt like using a spoon against a flood. Her sonic whips tore out chunks of the ground and scraped both the Glasscoaster and the Black Thunder.
 
@@ -194,21 +194,21 @@ She bore down and switched songs. She didn't know why, but the *Rider in the Sto
 
 "I don't know that song!"
 
-Linsan's brow furrowed into a scowl. It was wrong, the song needed more room. "Damn, I can't play it." She shifted back to a song.
+Linsan's brow furrowed into a scowl. It was wrong, the song needed more room. She needed to hear it, she needed to move to summon the energies. "Damn, I can't play it." She shifted back to a song.
 
 "What was that? That felt like it would work," Brook yelled over the wind.
 
 "The right song, but I can't get it off."
 
-"Why not!"
+"Why not!" Brook's voice had a shrill tone over the win.
 
 "Not enough room. Too cramped." Linsan wasn't entirely sure how to describe the feeling in her gut.
 
-"Brace!" Brook twisted hard on the steering wheel and the vehicle bounced off the road.
+"Brace!" Brook twisted hard on the steering wheel and the vehicle bounded off the road.
 
 A fireball exploded where the buggy had been.
 
-The thick tires of the vehicle took the uneven ground easily but the entire car bounded rapidly as they raced over furrowed ground.
+The thick tires of the vehicle took the uneven ground easily but the entire car bounced rapidly as they raced over furrowed ground.
 
 Linsan tried to keep her bow on the string, but the rattling made it impossible.
 
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ Brook grabbed something between the seats and jerked back. Her seat fall back an
 
 Linsan let out a cry and buried her face into Brook's dress. She clamped her eyes tightly together until tears leaked out from the pressure.
 
-Something punched her from above. A powerful boom picked up the buggy and there was nothing but silence for a single terrible moment before it crashed back into the ground.
+Something punched her from above. A powerful boom drove the buggy into the ground. Linsan could feel the clods of dirt and rocks scraping along the undercarriage. Then it bounced back up and there was nothing but silence for a single terrible moment before it crashed back into the ground.
 
 Brook grabbed the steering wheel and pulled herself up. With her other hand, she grabbed Linsan's hair and pulled her out of her dresses. "Get playing."
 
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ Linsan realized she didn't know how to communicate it. She looked around furious
 
 The measure of the song meshed with the thudding of the engine. She synchronized to engine and felt more power surging through. She channeled it and let the wavering energies gather around her. With the room, they stretched above her in a maelstrom of power.
 
-"Give me a beat, Lin!"
+"Give me a beat, Lin! You need me!"
 
 Linsan tried to speak but the notes faltered. *Rider in the Storm* had always been a more complicated song. Feeling the power behind the rhythm, she could tell why but it made it impossible.
 
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ Remembering how Brook tapped the steering wheel, Linsan got an idea. Turning her
 
 Brook let out a yelp and looked shocked.
 
-Linsan cringed. "One, two, beat!" she managed to belt out while only losing a few notes.
+Linsan cringed. "One, two, beat!" she managed to belt out while only losing a few notes. As she counted, she tapped her foot on the softness of Brook's inner thigh.
 
 Brook squirmed, her legs clamped down on Linsan's, then she nodded.
 
@@ -310,9 +310,9 @@ Gabaw surged out of his seat and jumped up.
 
 Linsan tried to get out the note in time but Tilbin had somehow known the timing; he had heard the song once and knew how to use it.
 
-The flame pillar gathered in Gabaw's hand. When he brought them down in a double-fist punch, it streaked after in a white-hot brilliance. Both Gabaw's hands and the fire formed into a large, hammer-like bullet that punched into the ground right behind the Black Thunder.
+The flame pillar gathered in Gabaw's hand. When he brought them down in a double-fist punch, the fire left a streak that traced his movement in brilliant white. Both Gabaw's hands and the fire formed into a large, hammer-like bullet that punched into the ground right behind the Black Thunder.
 
-The ground in a hundred feet behind them exploded into flames. Heat tore out of the earth and burst up, picking the Glasscoaster completely off the ground and tossing it aside. Trees, bushes, and rocks flew in all directions from the smoking crater that the Black Thunder left behind.
+The ground in a hundred feet behind them shot straight up in a column of flame and earth. Heat tore out of the earth and burst up, picking the Glasscoaster completely off the ground and tossing it aside. Trees, bushes, and rocks flew in all directions from the smoking crater that the Black Thunder left behind.
 
 A sickening feeling caught her as the world stopped, a brutal silence.