A summary of "Fortune Hunters" by Alexey Pekhov Automatic translate

Created in 2011, this steampunk adventure novel blends classic fantasy with the aesthetics of air pirates, where flying machines powered by captured demons conquer the skies. Elven pilot Lacerelond leaves his homeland forever, refusing to lead his subordinates into fratricidal slaughter for the sake of the commander-in-chief’s ambitions.

The novel opens the author’s "World on the Edge of the Upside Down" series. The second book in the series, "Special Postal," serves as a direct continuation of the story.

Escape and the Coastal City

Elven Guard officer Lacerelond escapes pursuit by ruthless Quetzalle killers. Having expended all his ammunition, he destroys enemy strekolyots in a fierce air battle over the river. The hero lands the damaged Silver Spring on the outskirts of the human city of Coastal. Las breaks the ship’s locks, removes the demon from its magical chains, and heads for the port.

Trying to confuse his pursuers, the elf buys a ticket on a long-haul passenger flight. By chance, he rescues a peach-colored beast from death in a locked crate. The creature is named Three-Legs and becomes the hero’s faithful companion. Selling the ceremonial blade to dwarven weaponsmiths for four hundred and forty louis d’or, Las acquires combat artifacts. On the passenger ship, the fugitive is caught by the Quetzalle. The hero smashes his demon’s prison, destroying the vessel with an explosion, and escapes.

Wandering the streets at night, the fugitive stumbles upon the wounded human flyer Romashka. Dying, the girl hands him a plain bronze medallion. The elf is immediately attacked by Margudians — scaly sorcerers from the Southern Continent. Three-legged blinds one of the mages, Las finishes off the enemy with a dagger and flees.

The Road to Turtle Island

Elf is hired as helmsman on the merchant vessel "The Beanstalk." Captain Julia, navigator Glaufor, cook Miguel, and sailor Rui are heading for Turtle Island, lost in the Peacock Ridge. En route, the boat is attacked by a pirate sloop. Glaufor pushes the ship’s demon to its limits. Las feigns surrender, lures the enemy into boarding range, and then shoots out the pirates’ rudders.

Soon, the traders encounter the white clipper "Thunder," commanded by the famous Captain Sever. The mighty ship protects them and escorts them to their anchorage. Arriving in the city of San Vincente, Lacerelond rents a room in the boarding house of the old ogre Krivonos. A local flyer, Javies, publicly insults the hero. The elf accepts the challenge and, in a borrowed old ship, the "Enchantress," completely outshines his opponent in aerial maneuvers. Enraged, Javies opens fire with live ammunition, but is immediately destroyed by a military patrol.

Work as a courier

The leprechaun Tull, the owner of the airstrip, hires Las and the orc navigator Og to deliver government diplomatic mail. The heroes lease an orcish Rhino strecholet and set off on their first mission to La Plata Island. En route, the companions are caught in a monstrous hurricane. Taking refuge in the cyclone’s wall, they notice the clipper Grom engaging in an artillery battle with a barbed frigate of Margud sorcerers. A magical projectile strikes the Rhino’s hull, and the elf and orc leap into the ocean moments before the explosion.

The heroes are rescued by the Krashshi — sea creatures who patrol the depths on giant glowing fish. The underwater people drop the couriers off on a deserted shore. The governor’s letter dissolves in the water, revealing the contraband hidden within. Tull was smuggling the artifacts under the guise of courier status. Returning to Turtle Island, Las and Og blackmail the leprechaun, demanding five percent of the illegal profits for themselves.

Six-hour race

Having lost their official firebird, the couriers need a new vehicle. Lilliputian Bouvallon registers his partners for the Six-Hour Race. Piloting a rented "Enchantress," they navigate a series of deadly obstacles. The heroes hit targets over Bird Island, evade anti-aircraft fire from military platforms, maneuver through a winding canyon, and fly through the ashes of the active Thunderer volcano. In the line of fire, the elf engages in a duel with the firebird of Shaggy, a mercenary seeking revenge for the death of Javies. A volley of firebees tears apart the enemy vehicle.

The couriers finish second, behind only Naiva, a dark elf from the Thunder team. The louis d’ors they won were enough to buy a fast, well-armed Hornet, but without the demon in its engine. That night, Margudian mages break into Las’s home. Three-legged and the animated plants of Riolk’s draegai brutally deal with the guests. Las sets out in pursuit of the only surviving sorcerer. He catches up with the enemy in the night sky, destroys their ship, and takes the demon for his Hornet.

Secrets of the past

The Margud squadron raids San Vincente. Las, Og, and the crew of the clipper Thunder repel the attack, shooting down enemy attack aircraft with anti-aircraft guns. Captain Sever invites the heroes to dinner and explains the value of Romashka’s medallion. The bronze trinket turns out to be half a key to a powerful mechanism. This artifact is capable of manipulating the parallel dimension of the Upside Down.

Many years ago, the orc captain Wu attempted to use the device to mine demons. The experiment turned disastrous, and the boundary of worlds swallowed the frigate "Foxtail," along with its entire crew and Sever’s beloved, Alisa. Now the skipper of the "Thunder" hopes to piece together the key and bring back the missing. First mate Rokh turns out to be an informant for the Margudians. He steals the medallion and murders loyal sailors in the clipper’s hold. Las and Naiva attempt to stop the traitor, but in the ensuing fight, they fall overboard. The elf saves himself and his companion with a magical dandelion pillow.

The flyers land on the forgotten continent of Cornevis. Navigating through ancient ruins, Las and Naiva discover an abandoned cemetery and the half-sunken hull of the Stone Stump, the ship of the mad Wu. Soon, the Upside Down appears through the fog, and within its gray border, the Foxtail, frozen forever, remains intact.

Battle over the swamps of Cornevis

A Margud frigate appears over the Kornevis swamps. The lizardmen land and take Las and Og captive. Rokh hands over the artifact and both halves of the key to the sorcerers. The Margudians prepare to activate the device for the mass extraction of demons into reality. Naiva, who managed to hide, suddenly attacks the enemy camp in a combat strekolet. Her fire raid sows panic and gives Las and Og a chance to free themselves from their bonds.

The damaged Thunder appears in the sky. The White Clipper fearlessly intercepts the Margud flagship, engaging in an artillery duel. Las and Naiva break through to the artifact. They deploy a heavy installation, directing a resonating beam precisely at the dimensional boundary. The device pierces the barrier, ejecting the Fox Tail, lost for many years, into the real world.

Alisa’s liberated ship instantly assesses the situation and joins forces with the Thunder. A double crossfire of heavy cannon fire destroys the Margud flagship’s powder magazine. The giant, spiked frigate transforms into a fiery cloud, destroying all the scaly mages. Las raises his strekolet into the air and shoots the traitor Rokh as he attempts to escape. Captain Sever generously pays the couriers for their invaluable assistance. Og and Las return to Turtle Island, ready to take on new orders on the yellow-and-black Hornet.