ã€ŠWizard Space Programã€‹


 001 - Going Up

    001

    Going Up

    ¡°Even a fool knows you can¡¯t touch the stars, but it won¡¯t keep the wise from trying.¡±

    -Harry Anderson

    ~~~

    It was oddly fitting that the most transformative era for all of Ikyu started with a moment of spontaneous stupidity from one man living in the middle of nowhere.

    To the few who had heard of him, Gideon Vaughan did not seem the sort to engage in such acts. He was a reputable wizard situated just outside the sleepy mining town of Willow Hollow, servicing all who came to him for their various magical needs. Among the townsfolk, opinions of him were high, as he designed virtually every crystal device in use and his skills had saved more than a few lives from the inherent dangers of a mining operation. This respect extended to the larger world of arcane academia, given the trio of official degrees that hung proudly in his study, though very few from the outside world ever came to visit him. He was a practical and effective wizard, if a bit of a hermit.

    However, those who actually knew him would not be taken in by this dignified image. They knew better. They knew that Gideon Vaughan had an imagination to rival the greatest of minstrels and an impulsive heart he rarely questioned.

    The only reason he maintained a decent image was because his cabin was several miles away and the townsfolk assumed the sounds of things exploding in the distance came from the mines. Those who visited him rarely went around the back to the yard that was marred with craters, crystal shards, and magical experiments gone awry. Often there were two trails of smoke coming up from the wizard¡¯s establishment: one from the fireplace, and one from whatever thing he¡¯d set on fire in the back. This fire was only intentional roughly half of the time.

    On this particular day, as the sun rose over the great Mount Cascade, there was only one thin trail of smoke rising from the cabin, and from the chimney at that. Ignoring the almost wartorn backyard, the wizard¡¯s residence seemed idyllic. Constructed largely of solid logs fit into a three-story arrangement complete with large windows, an ornate double-door with numerous arcane symbols etched upon it, and a weathervane that sported two Magenta crystals. The crystals alternated which one was glowing at any given time, creating a continual pulsating beacon intended to let everyone passing by know that a wizard lived here, and that his services were available to any paying customer.

    The wizard awoke with the sun, climbing out of his bed. As impressive as the cabin was, the bedroom was rather pedestrian. His bed was made of straw and most of his blankets had random patches and cuts in them. All the coverings were tossed aside without a second thought as he stepped into his fluffy red slippers. Two black dots had been painted on the front of their fluff, but they weren¡¯t made to look like any particular animal. When working around his house, he never took the slippers off¡ªthough naturally when traveling he had to get on proper boots or else face the prospect of losing his ¡°precious foot fluffers.¡±

    He took the rest of his working outfit from his wardrobe. His red official wizard robes came first, which were very clean and well maintained. They still had the brass emblems he¡¯d earned as a student, displayed proudly on the various cords dangling from his left sleeve. ¡°Vaughan¡± was stitched onto the breast pocket in yellow thread that was trying its hardest to be gold. Most wizards had their full name printed on their robes, but not Vaughan. The fewer people who called him Gideon, the better.

    His hat came next: the signature pointed hat of a wizard. His, naturally, was red, though the rim had the other colors of the rainbow weaved into it, indicating that he was skilled in using all seven crystal colors, not just the Red variety. Many wizards said the overabundance of colors on the rim was an eyesore, but to Vaughan, this hat was his most prized possession. He¡¯d spent more Green mending it from self-inflicted fire damage than anything else he owned.

    After closing the wardrobe, he patted down his pockets to make sure they were still filled with the crystals he needed, feeling a suitable amount. Satisfied that no one had robbed him in the middle of the night and that the crystals hadn¡¯t spontaneously fused into an entity bent on violent revenge, he picked up the one thing no wizard could be seen without: their scepter.

    Most wizard scepters were little more than sticks of wood that led to a central crystal of whatever Color the wizard in question specialized in. Vaughan¡¯s put all of these toothpicks to shame. Its shaft was composed not of wood but of cast iron in a smooth, elongated shape. Numerous holes were bored into the shaft, each of which was filled with one of the seven Colors of crystal, giving the scepter a rainbow polka-dot appearance all the way up to its brilliant head which contained a seven-segmented sphere, with a slice for each Color.

    At least, that¡¯s what Vaughan saw when he looked at it. He performed a rather impressive set of mental gymnastics to ignore the fact that, due to uneven use, the various slices of the crystal ball were now different sizes. The Red slice was so small it rattled in the scepter¡¯s iron grip.

    He twirled the scepter into the air, catching it in his other hand with ease. I¡¯ve still got it. He took a moment to examine his reflection in the tall mirror he had set to the side of the door, stroking his round, black beard. Not gray enough.

    Whistling a half-remembered tune from his childhood, he left his bedroom and entered the main hall. When the house had been built the intention had been to line the walls with tapestries and art, but Vaughan had never gotten around to it and most of the walls he had left bare. He liked to tell himself that what was hung more than made up for the lack elsewhere. Of note were his arcane degrees; three of them, one each of Red Magic, Rounded Magic, and Civilian Arcane Applications. Next to these was a portrait of a beautiful woman in a magenta wizard¡¯s robe. However, most prized of all were his seven crystal vaults situated at the end of the hall. Each one was a hollow glass tube that went all the way from the floor to the ceiling with a brass base. Each base had a single hatch to allow access to the interior and a crank to the side. Within each of the vaults was powderized crystal of a pure Color that glittered spectacularly in the sunlight of the morning.

    None of the vaults were full, meaning it was possible to see the metallic screw situated in the center of each vault. Vaughan started with the Red vault and turned the crank, prompting the screw to rotate and mix the powder up. This was a very important step that needed to be performed every day, for stationary crystal powder had a tendency to fuse into a single solid crystal. Many wizards despised the idea of large crystal vaults for this reason, but Vaughan couldn¡¯t help but admire how spectacular a pillar of Red looked.

    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have enough Red to get the effect, as its level was low enough that he could look right over it. It was not the Color he had the least of¡ªthat honor went to Yellow, but since he rarely had any use for it, such a small amount was of no concern. Red, however, he used the most in virtually everything he did. He was going to have to order more soon.

    He was fortunate: the Willow Hollow mines were rich in Colored crystals so he could get them relatively cheap. Others in his situation would need to ration or find a way to make a significant profit.

    Filing the need for more Red away into the back of his mind, Vaughan continued to stir the other colors: Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, and Magenta. He spent extra time on the Magenta powder, just to make sure it hadn¡¯t started spontaneously fluorescing from a wraith or something similar passing through. The stuff was annoyingly sensitive. Entire royal vaults of Magenta had burned to nothing overnight, or so the legends went.

    Vaughan completed his chore and slid through a little door to the left of the vaults that led to a small staircase. This part of his journey wasn¡¯t strictly necessary, but he didn¡¯t exactly have anywhere to be today. Or most any other day. He only left the cabin when he was called to do something on-location for Willow Hollow, and those jobs were becoming less and less frequent as time wore on.

    With a shake of his head, Vaughan pushed the thought out of his mind as he entered the attic. The place was a mess: covered in dust, cobwebs, and various boxes, about half of which were empty while the rest were filled with random implements Vaughan had accumulated. Not even Vaughan knew what was in all the boxes: much of it was arcane devices he had collected over the years or raw materials for use in his work. Sometimes he came up here to find something to sell so he could afford a fancy new device. Just last month he had found an old crystal backlit hourglass and gotten rid of it to purchase one of the newest technological advancements: a telescope.

    The telescope had arrived two days ago and he had loved every moment with it. It was currently laid next to the attic window: a small cylinder composed of brass with a smooth lens on either side. Most impressive, however, was that there were no magical components within the telescope, nor were any crystals required to use it. All he had to do was lift it to his eye and he could see much further away with impressive detail. Last night he had gotten lost looking at the patterns in the moon. All the pockmarks, grey splotches, and texture where the dark side met with the light had stirred his imagination.

    He wanted to see that again. The sun had other ideas; taking away the detail of the night sky and replacing it with the plain, blue sky. There weren¡¯t even any clouds to look at. Vaughan didn¡¯t let this deter him. He placed the telescope to his eye and looked out.

    ¡°Augh!¡± He stepped back and shook his head repeatedly, placing a hand over his eye. He needed to be more careful: even without the telescope, looking directly at the sun was painful. He put the telescope to his other eye, starting with it pointed downward and slowly lifting it up.

    He quickly passed the evergreen trees of the forested area outside, catching some smoke trails coming from Willow Hollow before stopping at Mount Cascade. He thought that maybe, just maybe, he could catch the light of the Eternal Flame burning at the summit, but he couldn¡¯t be sure. That, too, was much better at night.

    Instead of lowering the telescope and getting to the rest of his day, something in him wanted to look at Willow Hollow. It was impossible to see any of the buildings through the trees, but the trails of smoke from various fireplaces told him exactly where it was, at the base of Mount Cascade; a handful of buildings that he serviced.

    So small that he couldn¡¯t even see it.

    Slowly, he lowered the telescope, looking out at the tiny patch of forest the smoke came from. That was it, for the last twenty years of his life that town was all he had serviced. Healing a scratch here, mending a pot there, taking over for a broken forge while a new one was made¡­ simple, basic, ordinary things. The dabbles in his backyard didn¡¯t go anywhere, either.

    Aside from those degrees lining the walls in the main hall, did he have anything to show for his time here? Anything at all?

    Even after racking his brain for a while, he couldn¡¯t think of anything.

    That hall of his was rather empty.

    Right then and there, he vowed to change that. He¡¯d put something new on the empty walls of that hall. Something no one had ever done before. Something...

    ¡°Oh, who am I kidding,¡± he grumbled to himself, suddenly feeling very old and leaning on his scepter for support. ¡°I don¡¯t have any ideas¡­¡±

    Glancing out the window, he saw a black cat plodding up the path to the cabin. A small cart was attached to the cat, and in the cart was a bronze device the size and shape of an umbrella, taking up most of the cart¡¯s storage space.

    Vaughan knew exactly who the cat was. He also knew exactly what the device was. And it gave him what he was sure was the best idea he¡¯d ever had.

    Deciding that breakfast and the rest of his morning routine were unimportant, he ran down the stairs to the ground floor, arriving at the broom closet he used to store his larger crystals. He threw the broom aside and pulled out a drawer, taking out a single Orange rectangle-cut gem the size of his fist. He pressed his hand around the refractive, textureless object, careful not to let it slip out of his hands. Satisfied with his choice, he rushed through the rest of the cabin, including the entryway and its numerous couches designed to seat people waiting for him. Very rarely was more than one occupied, but he kept the rest around for the possibility of a mob of customers. He knew it was wishful thinking, but what harm could it do?

    He rushed out the double doors into the sunlight, waving his hands. ¡°Suro, over here!¡±

    The cat lifted his head, revealing a pair of silver spectacles on his face. ¡°Ah, Vaughan!¡± he raised his tail in a friendly gesture. ¡°I¡¯ve finally finished your order. I am afraid I was unable to test it, as it is calibrated to human weights¡­¡±

    ¡°None of that matters!¡± Vaughan declared, running down the rest of the path to Suro. He quickly undid the wrappings around the device and held it up, allowing his scepter to clatter to the ground. The new device was a solid brass umbrella with a spiral-patterned grip cut into the base that revealed the Magenta crystal inside. ¡°I have an idea.¡±

    ¡°Vaughan, it¡¯s a levitator. You designed the crystal core in it.¡± Suro tilted his head to the side, flicking his ears slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want me to change it?¡±

    ¡°No, no, it should be fine as it is now.¡± Vaughan lifted the levitator above his head, making sure to point its tip directly upward. Satisfied with this, he pushed his will into the exposed Magenta, activating the crystal core inside. Within the levitator, out of sight, a series of crystals responded to Vaughan. He felt the umbrella tear at his arm, pulling upward with an impressive amount of force¡ªbut not enough to lift him.

    With a tap of his foot, he pushed off the ground. He and the levitator drifted upward as though they weighed nothing more than a dandelion seed, taking a wide arc into the air before descending back onto the ground.

    ¡°Hmm, could be a little stronger,¡± Suro said. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly canceling out your weight. I could try to shave down some of the edges, refine it for you.¡±

    ¡°No, this will do nicely for my new idea.¡± Vaughan lifted up the levitator in one hand and held the Orange crystal he had grabbed earlier in the other. He activated the magic in the levitator, but remained perfectly still. Careful to maintain some focus on the levitator, he applied the rest of his mental influence on the Orange in his hand. Unlike the levitator, which needed no specific instruction from him, he had to be careful to order the Orange to release force in a distributed area so he didn¡¯t break something.

    Suro saw what Vaughan was doing. ¡°Vaughan¡­¡±

    Vaughan grinned. ¡°Going up.¡±

    ¡°Vaughan, this is stupid¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Suro. I¡¯ve got it under control.¡±

    ~~~

    Near the edge of Willow Hollow, a lesser unicorn looked up at a street sign. ¡°Wizard¡¯s Cabin,¡± it said, which would have been a great help had one of the two nails affixing the sign to the post not broken; as it was the sign pointed directly at the ground. The unicorn was fairly certain the local wizard didn¡¯t live underground.

    The unicorn let out a sigh, which quickly became a whinny, a sound that most ungulate-kind were cursed with. While there existed people rather proud of the ¡°noise of their heritage,¡± this particular unicorn found it nothing short of embarrassing. Perhaps it came from working in a realm that had so few unicorns, but she wasn¡¯t the sort to psychoanalyze herself and couldn¡¯t say one way or another. She just knew she disliked the noise.

    Her hair was a soft blue that ran through her mane, coat, and tail that was done up with a silvery bow. As a lesser unicorn, her eyes were significantly larger than the ¡°standard¡± unicorn¡¯s would be and were forward-facing. Some well-meaning academics had told her this meant she was a predatory species, which made absolutely no sense and was just another piece in the pile of evidence that the academics had no idea what they were doing. She¡¯d accumulated a rather large mental pile over the course of her life for that particular conclusion. It was amazing how easy it was to discredit the geniuses of the world.

    Her horn sparkled a soft blue color as she activated her telekinetic ability, reaching into her homemade saddlebags and removing a letter. It was addressed to Wiz. G. Vaughan, Willow Hollow. Cabin outside the town limits.

    Addresses should be more specific, she thought, putting the letter back in her saddlebags. She turned her telekinesis to the sign pointing at the ground, trying to uncover what its previous position was. There were only two options. Unfortunately, they pointed in exactly opposite directions.

    ¡°You know, that sign is public property.¡±

    The unicorn reared up on her hind legs and whirled around, instinctually pumping as much energy into her horn as she could to make it shine like an aggressive star.

    The person who had addressed her was wearing some kind of blackened glasses. Beyond that, the unicorn couldn¡¯t see much, since her horn was effectively blinding her with its light.

    ¡°Miss? Care to dim the lights?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ right.¡± The unicorn calmed herself down and stopped straining her horn, blinking a few times. As her eyes readjusted, the figure came into view. She was a humanoid with chalk-white skin, no nose, and pink plastic-like hair; a gari, one of the more common species in this part of the world.

    She was also sitting at a little potion-selling stand that the unicorn hadn¡¯t noticed before. The two locked eyes and stared at each other for several awkward moments.

    The gari lifted a hand, revealing a pink plastic-covered forearm, and used her fingers to remove the dark glasses from her dual-tipped ears. ¡°So... I¡¯m Seskii.¡± She smiled warmly at the unicorn. ¡°Local potion merchant!¡±

    Potion merchant¡­ The unicorn narrowed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m Blue.¡±

    ¡°I can see that.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean, my name is Blue. My parents weren¡¯t very creative.¡±

    Seskii tilted her head to the side. ¡°Perhaps. But sometimes a name close to one¡¯s being has its benefits.¡±

    ¡°Finally, someone who just gets i¡ªhey.¡± Blue shook her head, tossing her mane back and forth. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can distract me!¡±

    Seskii frowned. ¡°Distract you? From what?¡±

    ¡°The fact that you¡¯re running a racket!¡± She pointed an aggressive hoof at the various multicolored potions Seskii had sitting on her stand, all marked with a symbol made of a line and a curve over a single dot. ¡°Potion magic isn¡¯t real!¡±

    Seskii stared blankly at her.

    ¡°The average denizen of this distant town may not know better, but I do!¡± She placed her hoof aggressively on the countertop, glaring at her. ¡°Magic is either crystalline or attributal, and unless these potions are a crystal-ridden health hazard or are spirited, there¡¯s no way they¡¯re anything more than fancy herbal brews that do nothing! Ha!¡± Taking a few steps back, Blue put on a smug grin. ¡°Gotcha!¡±

    Seskii scratched her head, continuing to look at Blue with befuddlement.

    ¡°¡­Blue to potion-selling charlatan? Hello? You in there?¡± Blue waved her hoof in front of Seskii¡¯s face.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Seskii said, folding her hands together. ¡°I just¡­ wasn¡¯t expecting the introduction to go this way.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost me.¡±

    ¡°Right, so, let¡¯s just forget about this and move on.¡± Seskii pointed off into the forest. ¡°The footpath to Vaughan¡¯s is that way.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Uh. Thanks?¡± Blue tilted her head. ¡°Don¡¯t think this gets you off the hook.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯d imagine not¡­¡± Seskii¡¯s expression became very contemplative.

    She¡¯s probably thinking about how I¡¯m going to ruin her entire operation! She¡¯s lucky I¡¯m a messenger and can¡¯t stay around long. Maybe I can get the wizard to warn everyone about the danger¡­ I wonder why he hasn¡¯t already? That should kind of be his job.

    Blue turned around quickly, whipping her tail inches from Seskii¡¯s face. She took off in a gallop to her destination¡ªshe was behind schedule. This may have been the last letter she had to deliver to Willow Hollow, but she didn¡¯t live in Willow Hollow and would appreciate getting back to a messenger hub rather than spend her hard-earned cash to lodge at an inn.

    Unicorns¡ªof every variety¡ªmade excellent messengers. They had impressive stamina, naturally hardy hooves, a large carrying capacity, and a telekinetic attribute that gave them fine motor control without the need for additional equipment. It only took her a few minutes to gallop across the entire forest path to her destination, where she saw a cat with a cart talking to what was clearly a Red wizard.

    Her first impression of him was that he looked stupid holding that brass mushroom-thing above his head.

    Her second impression was that he was insane. The Orange chunk in his hand let off a brilliant glow of the appropriate color. The wizard promptly let out an excited yell and shot into the air, leaving a short trail of sparkles behind as he went higher and higher.

    The cat put a paw over his spectacled eyes and sighed. ¡°Oh, Vaughan¡­¡±

    Blue squinted, barely making out the orange spark in the sky above them. ¡°What¡­ is he doing?¡±

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡° ¡®Going up,¡¯ ¡° the cat said in a clearly mocking voice.

    ¡°Ah. ¡­I don¡¯t suppose you know how to ¡®go up?¡¯ ¡±

    ¡°No. And he doesn¡¯t either.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Does this wizard guy qualify as an academic? If he does, that¡¯s another point in the pile. ¡°Well. Do you have any idea when he¡¯ll get back down?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°But I have a letter to deliver!¡±

    ¡°You could give it to me,¡± the cat offered.

    ¡°You know the messenger regulation, no replacements accepted unless the recipient is dead.¡±

    A haunted look crossed over the cat¡¯s face. ¡°He¡­ knows how to use Green, he should be fine if things go wrong.¡±

    Suddenly Blue felt a lot less annoyed at the wizard blasting off and a lot more concerned. ¡°¡­You can¡¯t use Green if you lose consciousness.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Vaughan realized with some annoyance that this was taking greater focus than he¡¯d intended. The levitator wasn¡¯t the issue: the crystal core within was designed perfectly so it would always push on the circular top with an even distribution of the Orange push spell, keeping everything balanced so long as Vaughan pointed it upward. However, the Orange he had in his hand was not part of a core and had to be managed by his will. He had to tell it not only to push directly at the middle of the levitator but also to distribute the force over a wide area evenly. He had to do this constantly while his arm adjusted the levitator¡¯s position.

    It was a testament to his wizarding skill that he was able to do this at all.

    The focus required kept him from enjoying his journey higher and higher into the sky. He didn¡¯t dare look down, lest he lose visual contact with the levitator and have to re-align it.

    Strong winds began to buffet him from the side in addition to the tremendous rush of air coming from above as he pushed higher and higher. A half-remembered factoid about flying arcane devices failing catastrophically popped into his head. Fortunately for me, I¡¯m not trying to go anywhere other than up. So long as I can keep it straight¡­

    An intense gust of wind twisted the levitator to the left, prompting him to shoot slightly to the side¡ªbut he kept his spell lined up with the levitator and redirected himself into a stable configuration. He allowed himself a cheesy grin¡ªhe was doing it, he was going up! To what, he didn¡¯t know. He doubted he could make it to the moon, but maybe if he got high enough he would be able to see the globe of Ikyu.

    But that would require looking down, which might mess up his focus.

    He vowed not to look down until he wanted to go down. Which¡­ well, he hadn¡¯t exactly thought about getting back down, but the levitator by itself should allow him to drift lazily back to the ground below. That is what it was designed to do.

    So he forged onward and upward, getting higher, higher, and higher still. The stiff pain in his arm became hard to ignore, letting him know that this was not a long-term mode of travel. Potentially why it wasn¡¯t used as such in the world already.

    He also noticed that he was developing a shortness of breath¡ªlike he was in the middle of a workout. Surely he was in better shape than this? The sore arm was understandable, but he¡¯d been through a lot worse before starting to heave like this. It was also getting cold, but that was only of minor concern since he was fully wrapped up in his robes.

    Still, though, he wasn¡¯t ready to turn back yet. He wanted to get high enough that he could see Ikyu curve away. That would make all of this worth it. So he ignored the developing pain in his lungs and sailed upward.

    He only admitted defeat when he started to feel dizzy. He stopped channeling power into his Orange crystal, allowing the levitator to take over. This immediately turned out to be a mistake¡ªwithout realizing it, he had subconsciously been correcting for imbalances by putting more force on different areas of the levitator. Now, once more, it was pushing perfectly straight. Vaughan, however, was not pointing perfectly upward. The levitator suddenly twisted him into a spin so violent that he lost his grip on the device and it began to fall to the earth below.

    Vaughan noted with some annoyance that while he could see clear across the mountain range, he could not discern Ikyu¡¯s curvature.

    Then he realized he was falling.

    He quickly turned to his Orange chunk and held it to his chest, focusing on it. If he could only apply an even push spell to his body like he had been doing with the levitator, he could slow his own descent manually.

    The only problem with this was that the levitator¡¯s umbrella was a perfect circle of uniform density. Human bodies are strangely distributed lumps with muscle, bones, and organs in unusual places. His attempt at pushing on his own body twisted him into a roll and attempting to correct that sent him spinning in an entirely different direction.

    Panic began to set in as nausea rose up within him. He was falling from higher up than any human had ever been, so far as he knew. Even if he managed to hit a lake, it wasn¡¯t going to be survivable. Yes, he had a substantial amount of Green in his robes to restore any injuries, but he had to be aware to use that. He just needed to gain enough control to keep from passing out due to strain¡­

    With a new plan, he attempted to look at the ground and find a good place to fall. The sight of the ground and the sky rolling back and forth in front of his eyes made him gag and he shut his eyes tight. He wasn¡¯t going to be able to look, much less tell where he was going to land, unless he managed to reduce the speed of his spinning.

    Focusing on the Orange he held, he tried a gentle application of force to his torso. This resulted in him spinning on a completely different axis not in line with his body at all, only making the problem worse.

    Stay focused, stay aware¡­ He stuffed one of his hands into his robes, gripping the Green hard enough that the sharp edges broke his skin: but that was pathetically easy for the crystals to restore. For a split second, he considered attempting to surround himself in a Green aura of restoration.

    But that would do terrible things to his mental focus. Which he needed.

    All he could do was calm himself down and try to alter his rotation again.

    He didn¡¯t like his odds but he wasn¡¯t about to just give up and embrace his fate.

    ~~~

    ¡°I see him again,¡± Blue said, pointing at the sky with a hoof. The orange spark had returned, but instead of going in a straight line, it traced out a wild corkscrew pattern. ¡°He¡¯s lost control.¡±

    Suro let out a strained hiss. ¡°Vaughan, why did you have to be such a fool!?¡±

    ¡°You said he has Green, right?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°He always has a large amount in his robes. Why?¡±

    ¡°If I can get to him, I can restore him.¡±

    ¡°You know how to use Green!?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Blue bit her lower lip. ¡°Sort of. Can you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a jeweler, I lay and cut the crystals. I don¡¯t use them.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m his only shot.¡± You¡¯re terrible at this, Blue, what are you thinking? Blue ignored her inner monologue and returned her gaze to the sky, watching the spiraling orange trail. It was difficult to tell where he was going since his direction changed every few seconds, but she was certain he was going to land in the forest at this point. She didn¡¯t have the luxury of getting a more precise destination: he was close enough to see, which meant he was going to land soon.

    She took off in a gallop, leaving Suro in her dust. The canopies of the evergreen trees soon obscured her clear sight of Vaughan¡¯s descent, but she caught enough glimpses to allow for quick course correction. She was fortunate to be an experienced messenger. Otherwise, the uneven terrain of the forest would have tripped her up several times and doomed poor Vaughan to a lonely fall.

    As it was, she wasn¡¯t sure she was going to make it to him. The Orange sparkles were getting larger and brighter in the sky. He was going to hit. She hoped he managed to send himself at an oblong angle so he wouldn''t disintegrate on impact, leaving something for her to work with.

    You won¡¯t be able to help even in the best-case scenario.

    Blue ground her teeth hard enough to make them ache, continuing her gallop over roots, rocks, and panicked animals who weren¡¯t fast enough to get out of the way. She was a one-woman stampede, and her target was getting close enough that she could make out the shape of a human¡ªand start to hear the panicked yelling.

    Just before he hit the trees, Vaughan managed to twist himself to the side, turning downward momentum into sideways, impacting the treetops with enough force to snap dozens of branches and fell one of the thinner trees. It wasn¡¯t the best possible result, for he was brought to a jarring stop by the trunk of a large diamond oak, the tree¡¯s white bark refusing to give way to his speed.

    Blue knew all of this the moment she saw a bunch of panicked birds fly out of the massive white tree¡¯s leaves.

    Move, move, move! Blue pushed herself through the rest of the forest to the easily distinguishable diamond oak. She found Vaughan at the base of the tree, unmoving, with most of his limbs bent at odd angles. Somehow, he still had his hat on, which would have been hilarious had he clearly not been mangled by the landing.

    Blue ran to him, but before she could ruffle through his robes and find the Green he held, something brown and furry dropped from the tree. Blue thought it was a small bear at first, but she quickly realized it was just a human in a thick coat made of bear fur, with shoes and mitts made out of bear paws and claws. The not-bear was a girl¡ªdefinitely a child¡ªwith muddied skin that had clearly never seen a proper bath, and a bone tied in her hair.

    The girl bared her teeth and growled at Blue.

    ¡°Look, kid, out of the way, he¡¯s dying!¡±

    The girl¡¯s aggression vanished instantly. She stared at Blue¡¯s mouth with wonder like she¡¯d just said the most amazing thing ever. She raised one of her bear-claw mitts to Blue¡¯s face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just¡­¡± Blue cautiously sidestepped around the girl in a semicircular arc, placing herself closer to the wreck that was Vaughan. ¡°Go over here¡­¡± Every time she spoke, the girl¡¯s eyes widened even further, like she thought Blue was some kind of prophet.

    ¡°I need to get the Green from him, let me do that, okay?¡±

    The girl showed no sign of understanding, but every sign of being awestruck.

    Blue forced herself to turn away from the girl and examine Vaughan. It didn¡¯t look good; in fact, it made her want to puke. But she pushed the bile down and noted that one of his hands was thrust inside of his robe, holding onto something with a death grip. She levitated his hand out, finding a few sizeable Green crystals in there With her telekinesis she tore them from his fingers and focused on Vaughan, slowly rotating the Green crystals in front of her eyes.

    Remember, Blue. Remember. Just like you practiced. Will restoration on him.

    The Green crystals flashed brightly, surrounding Vaughan¡¯s hand in a brilliant aura, removing all the cuts in it that had been inflicted by clutching the sharp crystals.

    No, no, not just the hand! Everything! She strained herself as much as she could, trying to extend the reach of the magic. One of the bones in his arm jerked back into place, more scrapes and bruises were removed¡­

    The headache was too much. With a whimper, Blue dropped the crystals unceremoniously onto the ground and took several steps back from Vaughan. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡­ I¡¯m a terrible wizard¡­¡±

    The not-bear girl walked up to the Green crystals, picking them up in her mitts.  She angrily pointed them at Vaughan, but nothing happened.

    ¡°Y-you can¡¯t do anything,¡± Blue stammered. ¡°H¡ª¡°

    The girl removed one of her mitts, revealing a surprisingly clean hand. She gripped the Green crystal in direct contact with her skin and pointed it once again at Vaughan. The crystal lit up with a brilliant verdant light that quickly enveloped Vaughan entirely. Bones snapped back into place, cuts were mended, and even the tears in his robes were sewn back together.

    Blue stared at the girl in shock. What she was sure was a feral child had just demonstrated near master-level control over a crystal. Nobody had that much natural talent.

    The girl turned to Blue and smiled, gesturing at the now-breathing¡ªbut unconscious¡ªVaughan.

    ¡°Who¡­ who are you?¡±

    The girl was less awestruck by the words this time but still stared at Blue with wide eyes. There was no understanding in her gaze.

    Blue bit her lip and thought about how to handle this. Slowly, she tapped her chest with her hoof. ¡°Blue.¡± She pointed at the unconscious wizard. ¡°Vaughan.¡± Then she pointed at the girl and tilted her head to the side, hopefully getting across the intent of a question.

    The girl stared at Blue¡¯s hoof for a few moments, but her eyes eventually lit up in recognition. She pointed at herself with her mitt-less hand, staring at her own finger like it was a terrible monster hiding in the darkness. She opened her mouth, letting out a scratchy breath. After closing it, she massaged her throat a bit before trying again, the look of uncertain fear never leaving her face. ¡°J¡­ J¡­ Jeh¡­¡± She furrowed her brow, fear turning to anger. ¡°Jeh¡­¡±

    ¡°Jeh?¡± Blue tilted her head to the side. ¡°You¡¯re Jeh?¡±

    ¡°Jeh¡­ Jeh!¡± Jeh jumped up on one foot and struck a pose, the folds of her bearskin flapping in the rush of activity. ¡°Jeh!¡± She did a cartwheel, continuing to repeat her name over and over and over again. ¡°Jeh, Jeh, Jeh! WOOHOO! Jeh!¡±

    It was at this point that Suro scrambled into the area, multiple burrs sticking to his fur and a branch stuck in one of his ears. ¡°Is.. wh¡­ I¡­¡± With a desperate gasp, he flopped to the ground, unable to do anything but breathe for a while.

    ¡°Vaughan¡¯s fine,¡± Blue said, gesturing at the unconscious wizard. ¡°But¡­ I only showed the kid what to do. She did it.¡±

    ¡°The¡­ kid?¡±

    Jeh poked her face right in front of Suro¡¯s and tapped him on the nose with one of her bear claws.

    Suro let out a panicked yowl and scratched Jeh across the face with his claws, cleaving away a significant portion of her face. However, there was no blood¡ªand Jeh didn¡¯t even flinch. If her smile was anything to go by, she found the cat¡¯s attack to be amusing.

    Blue watched in stunned silence as the bloodless gashes in Jeh¡¯s face healed themselves in a couple of seconds. ¡°I¡­ you¡¯re not human, are you?¡±

    Jeh turned to Blue with a dumb smile on her face.

    ¡°Right, you don¡¯t understand me.¡± Blue furrowed her brow.

    ¡°She looks human to me,¡± Suro said, hiding from Jeh behind Blue¡¯s legs. ¡°Just¡­ wild.¡±

    ¡°Humans don¡¯t have attributal magic,¡± Blue said. ¡°She just regenerated.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not upset her by declaring inhumanity.¡±

    ¡°She can¡¯t understand us.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Right.¡±

    Jeh grabbed Suro by the tail, prompting him to let out another yowl. He twisted out of her grip and landed on Blue¡¯s back.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Where else was I supposed to go!?¡± Suro asked.

    Blue bucked forward, launching Suro off of her. ¡°You don¡¯t just ride a unicorn without permission!¡±

    Suro quickly scampered up into the branches of the diamond oak, distancing himself from Jeh. He took a moment to adjust his glasses. ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to apologize for my actions. A¡ª¡° His apology was interrupted by Jeh jumping into the tree. ¡°Stay away from me!¡±

    ¡°Jeh!¡± Blue called. Upon hearing her name, Jeh stopped instantly to stare at Blue. Blue stamped her hoof on the ground. Jeh correctly interpreted this as an instruction to come. She jumped out of the tree and landed right at Blue¡¯s feet without any attempt to brace her fall. Something had to have broken in that uncontrolled fall, but she seemed not to notice or care.

    ¡°You¡­ are something else.¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°I have so many things I¡¯d like to ask you, but, well, you wouldn¡¯t be able to answer, and I always hated charades*.¡±

    *Note: denizens of Ikyu would not call the game ¡®charades,¡¯ for their history of societal development was rather different. There was no French Aristocracy to make riddles in their history. Instead, it was a mysterious game said to be passed down by the Great Crystalline Ones themselves. Specifically, the Purple One, who was known for her riddles and puzzles.

    Jeh continued to stare dumbly but happily at Blue.

    ¡°Egh¡­¡± Vaughan grumbled.

    ¡°Look who¡¯s coming to,¡± Blue said, trotting over to the wizard.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m alive¡­¡± With a grunt, he sat up, using one of his hands to steady himself. ¡°I take it I have you to thank for my continued existence?¡±

    ¡°Partially,¡± Blue said, glancing at Jeh. ¡°But before we get into that¡­¡± she slapped Vaughan across the face. ¡°You¡¯re a wizard! You¡¯re supposed to be smarter than that!¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­¡±

    ¡°You wanted to go up? Fine, fine, but there were a million other things you could have done! One: a wrist strap to make sure the levitator didn¡¯t fly out of your grip. Two: make a casing for your other crystal so it doesn¡¯t fly out. Three: realize that levitators aren¡¯t designed for flight! Come on, the first thing you learn is that arcane devices are not to be used outside their intended purpose, the things are calibrated for specific uses! And, and¡­ oh! Four: if you insisted on using it to fly you could at least add some distribution to its weight! But really, you needed an entire redesign. It should be much larger than you f¡ª¡°

    Vaughan broke out into laughter.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m serious!¡± Blue stammered. ¡°That was stupid!¡±

    ¡°Oh, absolutely,¡± Vaughan admitted, standing up to his full height and adjusting his hat, making Blue realize that as a lesser unicorn she was much shorter than he was. The fact that she was only slightly shorter than Jeh made Jeh extremely short, even for a child of her age.

    Blue pushed the thoughts of her inadequate height away. ¡°And you¡¯re just¡­ okay with almost having died due to your own stupidity?¡±

    Vaughan shrugged. ¡°I won¡¯t be doing it that way again, if that¡¯s what you''re wondering. But, remembering it now, it really was spectacular up there¡­¡±

    Suro groaned from up in the tree. ¡°Oh no, you¡¯ve gotten it in your head to go back¡­¡± He put a paw over his face. ¡°Why are you like this, Vaughan?¡±

    ¡°Because I have nothing to show for my time here in Willow Hollow.¡±

    Blue raised an eyebrow. ¡°How exactly is going up going to give you something to show for it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe I¡¯ll go to the moon, bring some of it back down to Ikyu.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re serious.¡±

    Vaughan shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t really know if it¡¯s possible until I try, do I?¡±

    ¡°You just tried!¡± Blue shouted, waving a hoof angrily at him. Jeh mimicked the motion from behind her. ¡°Come on! Think!¡±

    Vaughan stroked his beard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Finally¡­¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t think I caught your name or why you were here.¡±

    Blue¡¯s left eye twitched involuntarily. ¡°¡­I¡¯m Blue. A messenger.¡± She levitated the letter out of her saddlebags and shoved it at him. ¡°And this is for you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± Vaughan unrolled the message with his hands and read over it. As he progressed down the page, he stroked his beard with more and more intensity.

    Jeh started to mimic the motion, disappointment quickly reaching her when she discovered she had no beard.

    ¡°Well well well¡­¡± Vaughan said, rolling the letter up. ¡°This certainly is interesting. I believe the only correct response¡­¡± He turned to Blue with a wry smile. ¡°Is to invite you to have breakfast with me.¡±

    Blue blinked a few times. ¡°Excuse me, what?¡±

    ¡°Breakfast. Of course, Suro and the fake bear are invited as well, as I believe this will be pertinent to them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a messenger, I ran here since the dark hours of morning. I need to get back to a messenger hou¡ª¡°

    ¡°You may stay in my guest room at no charge. It¡¯s the least I can do for the unicorn who saved my life.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± This would probably be more comfortable than the prison-like cots of the messenger house. And she was hungry. Even if he was an idiot, that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t accept his hospitality. ¡°Fine, we can have breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Then come, let us return to my cabin.¡± With a spring in his step, he walked into the forest.

    Suro sighed. ¡°Vaughan, you have no idea where you are, do you?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡°Cabin¡¯s this way.¡± Suro gestured with his tail.

    ¡°Very good, Suro.¡±

    Vaughan, Suro, and Blue began the return journey to Vaughan¡¯s cabin. Jeh hesitated a moment, glancing back at the diamond oak, before scrambling after them.

    ~~~

    Breakfast was oatmeal.

    It wasn¡¯t bad oatmeal by any means, but it was still just oatmeal. Far from what food Blue expected a wizard would have available.

    She wished she could be like Jeh, who was eating the creamy substance like it was pure candy, but Blue supposed that came from not having tasted oatmeal before. Poor kid, how long had she been living in those woods alone?

    Suro ate his oatmeal politely, making use of a little bronze ring affixed to his paw to hold a spoon. Vaughan was making no attempt to be polite and was only slightly cleaner than Jeh was in the course of eating. His face was not one of enjoyment, but of a rush to get done with the meal.

    Blue simply levitated her spoon into the bowl and took another bite, a little weirded out by the situation around her. There they were: a cat, a wizard, a unicorn, and whatever Jeh was. All Blue could say for certain about Jeh was ¡°not actually a bear.¡± Beyond that, there was nothing. Suro seemed reasonable enough, but he had a bit of arrogant dignity to him that Blue found off-putting.

    Vaughan, of course, was at the center of her thoughts. Largely because he kept staring at her with a mysterious wry smile, but saying nothing.

    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s going on?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°That letter was about you,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°I managed to deduce that much,¡± Blue said, flicking her ears back. ¡°I¡¯d like to know what exactly it was about.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Vaughan¡­¡± Suro sighed. ¡°Go easy on the girl, she did go through extreme lengths to save you.¡±

    ¡°That is also a fact I am aware of.¡±

    Blue glanced at Suro. ¡°Is he always like this?¡±

    The cat nodded with embarrassment. ¡°Pretty much, yes.¡±

    ¡°How joyous.¡± She glanced back at Vaughan and shoveled another bite of oatmeal forcefully into her mouth.

    Slowly, Vaughan removed the letter from his robes. ¡°Do you know who this is from, Blue?¡±

    ¡°No idea. I was paid to deliver it to you by some gnome servant.¡±

    ¡°This is from a very particular wizard. Richard Xerxes.¡±

    Blue folded her ears back. Uh-oh.

    ¡°And you know what he said?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to listen to this.¡± Blue took several steps back from the table. ¡°I¡¯m going to be going n¡ª¡°

    ¡°He said you were an absolute genius held back by the curriculum at the Academy.¡±

    Blue stared at Vaughan in disbelief. ¡°The student mincemeat machine called me a genius!?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, he had quite a few other good things to say about you. Clever, insightful, full of heart. There¡¯s just the minor issues of, oh, let¡¯s see here¡­ ¡®the attention span of an above-average mosquito, a deep seething hatred of the arrogance inherent in academia, and a personality akin to a hurricane of paint with no pleasant colors in it.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°¡­That sounds more like him.¡±

    ¡°And, lastly, there was the problem with your complete lack of natural skill in using crystalline magic.¡± Vaughan looked over the letter at Blue, raising his eyebrows. ¡°Despite this, he says that he regretted dismissing you from the Academy. Seeing you run around as a messenger, relying only on your physical nature as a unicorn, was too much for him. He decided it was no place for such a promising mind. So, he thought long and hard about a wizard with the proper credentials who would take such an unconventional apprentice on.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    Vaughan rolled the letter up and threw it to her. She caught it in her telekinesis and all but tore it open, reading over the lines within. Everything Vaughan had relayed was correct, though he had left off a lot of Xerxes¡¯ colorful words and random anecdotes. ¡°What in the¡­ he hated me!¡±

    Vaughan waved a hand dismissively. ¡°He hated me too. The man lives on the philosophy of making student life a living nightmare being the only way to teach anything. I disagree, but it is who he is.¡±

    ¡°¡­It says here you weren¡¯t supposed to let me read this.¡±

    Vaughan broke out into a grin. ¡°Revenge for all the times he made me clean the student restrooms with nothing more than a hairbrush.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Blue rolled the letter up, fixing Vaughan with an uncertain gaze. ¡°Are¡­ are you not going to listen to his recommendation?¡±

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°Depends. Do you want to be an apprentice under an idiot who almost got himself killed the day you met him?¡±

    Blue was no fool. She knew an opportunity like this would not come again. A chance to learn magic without the absurd regulations, classes, and arrogant professors with tests that didn¡¯t make any sense was almost unheard of. Any ¡°apprentices¡± generally had a trajectory toward getting a full degree.

    To be taken in as a rejected student?

    She wasn¡¯t even sure if it had been done before.

    ¡°Okay, fine,¡± Blue said, returning to the table and laying her front hooves on top of it. ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡±

    ¡°Good. Welcome to the team.¡±

    ¡°Team?¡±

    Vaughan gestured to the sides at Suro and Jeh. ¡°Why, the team I¡¯ve gathered together for a specific purpose.¡±

    Blue grimaced. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Ladies and gentlecat, we have a mission: to go up!¡± Vaughan jumped out of his chair so quickly he knocked it over. He pointed directly at the ceiling. ¡°We will go beyond the sky!¡±

    ¡°You mean space?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Space. The area beyond the sky where the stars sit? That¡¯s called space.¡±

    ¡°When did that term get invented? I thought we called them the heavens!¡±

    Blue shrugged. ¡°Beats me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine then, we¡¯re going to space. And then¡­ beyond that!¡±

    ¡°Great Eights¡­¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°You really are insane.¡±

    ¡°But I can make you a wizard, and that¡¯s all you need, right?¡± Vaughan grinned mischievously.

    ¡°Annoyingly, yes,¡± Blue deadpanned.

    ¡°Then the deal is sealed!¡± He clapped his hands together. ¡°Let¡¯s brainstorm some ideas!¡±

    ¡°Woo!¡± Jeh cheered.

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Vaughan raised his spoon into the air, a motion which Jeh mimed with gusto.

    Suro rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve helped you with your crazy ideas this long, Vaughan, I¡¯m not about to stop now.¡± He raised his spoon into the air as well.

    Everyone turned expectantly to Blue.

    With a drawn-out sigh, Blue levitated her spoon up into the air. ¡°And thus the moron ritual is complete.¡±

    ¡°Moron!¡± Jeh said, clapping her mitts together.

    Blue rammed her hoof into her face. ¡°Eeeeeeegh¡­¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re rubbing off on her,¡± Vaughan suggested.

    ¡°You can shut it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ no, I don¡¯t think I will.¡±

    And thus the Wizard Space Program was founded, though none of its members had even considered the fact that they needed a name, much less tried to come up with one.

    Nevertheless, that day, history¡¯s course was irrevocably altered.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Wizard Space Program is many things. It¡¯s a grand fantasy epic about a rich world with nuanced history, magic, and lore. It¡¯s a tale about a group of distinct, colorful characters with complicated pasts and motivations. It¡¯s an amusing anecdote with a lot of banter in a somewhat absurd and whimsical setting.

    But, perhaps more than all that, it¡¯s an excuse for me to put my Physics degree to use. While there is extensive magic in the world, the poor individuals in the Wizard Space Program are going to have to deal with cold hard science in their quest to go as high as they possibly can. Limited by outdated science, incomplete understanding of magic, and no clue what their real goal actually is, they are going to realize that even with the ability to ¡°cheat¡± that outer space is a cold, unforgiving place with many unpleasant tricks up its sleeves.

    Since often the characters won¡¯t fully understand what they are doing, there are going to be segments at the end like this one to explain some things. Currently, they¡¯re just uncovering secrets like differences in air pressure, but, eventually, they¡¯ll have to contend with orbits, radiation, and all manner of other things.

    For this entry, a simple discussion on torque will suffice. Torque is how we measure a force that causes a rotation, which can be caused by any force applied a distance away from an object¡¯s center of mass. The equation in question is torque = distance * force. When Vaughan was ¡°going up¡±, he was doing his absolute best to fly in a straight line. However, any amount of force not in that straight line would produce a large torque since it was being applied a far distance from his center of mass. He was able to correct for this intuitively with his Orange crystal, but once he stopped, the torque took over and sent him into a spin.

    The levitator, being a solid object carefully designed to be symmetrical and uniform, was easy to push in one direction. As mentioned in the story, human bodies are anything but, and as they move and change shape, the center of mass moves as well, making it essentially impossible to avoid producing a torque. Hence, Vaughan¡¯s problems.

    A final note: if anyone reading this finds any errors in the science, do not hesitate to inform me. If possible, I will edit the chapter to reflect a greater understanding. Also, don¡¯t be afraid to ask questions in the comments regularly and often! You may find that the characters will ask the same questions you did in a week or two; be the question about the hard science or the mysteries of the world they inhabit. This is not an interactive story, but I fully intend to delve into ideas and questions the audience pushes sooner than others.

    So what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go to space!

    -GM, master of the Wizard Space Program.

 002 - Willow Hollow

    Willow Hollow

    As soon as breakfast ended, Vaughan suggested they should all go out back; he didn¡¯t say why. Blue was already suspicious but she didn¡¯t complain as she stacked all the empty bowls with her telekinesis and set them aside. Jeh only released her bowl after much complaining and failed attempts to eat it. Suro held back, waiting for the two girls to finish their drama before heading out. Blue noticed he didn¡¯t take his eyes off Jeh for a moment.

    Blue would have called him paranoid had she not also been slightly wary of Jeh. She was certain the girl meant no harm, but that didn¡¯t automatically make her harmless. Her regeneration may not have been her only attribute. For all Blue knew, she had the ability to belch fire or make anything she touched explode. It would be best to keep an eye on her.

    Upon arriving in Vaughan¡¯s backyard, Blue had to admit, the sheer level of disorder and devastation was impressive. There wasn¡¯t a single living plant in the entire pock-marked field of dust and broken rock. Numerous patches of earth were blackened and a few were even glassed. A smattering of metallic objects was strewn about the field, a large number showing evidence of having been half-melted in the past. Along the edge of the cabin were numerous storage chests and tables. Many of the chests hung open, revealing interiors just as disorganized and haphazard as the numerous bits and pieces lying on the tables.

    Blue glanced back at the cabin, noting numerous places on this side that were scratched, charred, or otherwise. ¡°How have you managed not to burn your house down?¡±

    ¡°Cleverly,¡± Vaughan said, approaching the only locked chest.

    Blue gestured with a hoof at the careless devastation of the yard. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look clever to me.¡±

    Vaughan ignored her. He unlocked the chest, revealing numerous palm-sized crystals of all seven Colors. ¡°Let¡¯s start from the top, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Start from th¡ª¡°

    Vaughan tossed her a Purple crystal, which she caught in her telekinesis. It was shaped like a cube, the natural shape for Purple crystals.

    ¡°You are excellent with your attribute,¡± Suro noted.

    ¡°Every unicorn has to be,¡± Blue said, turning the Purple cube over in her magic. ¡°If you live among those with hands, you better get a replacement or suffer.¡± She gestured with her hoof at the band around Suro¡¯s paw that he had been using to hold his spoon earlier. ¡°Those are quite expensive.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but unicorns have two attributes!¡± Vaughan said, pressing his hands together. Let¡¯s see the other one!¡±

    Blue lit her horn, sending a blinding wave of white light out in all directions. ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±

    Vaughan blinked several times, rubbing both of his eyes with his free hand while leaning heavily on his scepter. ¡°How¡­ do you see when you do that?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t, not really. It¡¯s not the most effective light.¡± She tapped her hoof impatiently. ¡°So, are we gonna get to this Purple or not?¡±

    ¡°In a hurry are we?¡±

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing and I want to get it over with.¡±

    Vaughan let out a noncommittal shrug, taking a seat on a chest next to the locked one. ¡°If you insist. First, what exactly does Purple provide us?¡±

    Blue cleared her throat. ¡°Purple is the aspect of light, widely used for creating images, illusions, a¡ª¡°

    ¡°That¡¯s good enough, you clearly have an academic understanding.¡±

    Blue twitched. I had a lot more to say. Purple is one of the most useful Colors in so many applications!

    ¡°Now, demonstrate how well you can use it.¡±

    ¡°I suck,¡± Blue deadpanned.

    ¡°Ah, but I¡¯m trying to figure out exactly how much.¡±

    I know that, Blue wanted to snap, but she clamped her jaw shut¡ªthat would only elongate this immense embarrassment. Twirling the cube in her telekinesis for flair, she quickly brought it to a standstill and focused intently on it. She imposed her will onto the lattice within the cube, and immediately it let out a sparkling purple glow. She produced a directed beam of white light at the ground.

    ¡°Specify color,¡± Vaughan ordered.

    Oh boy¡­ Blue tilted her head to the side, trying to force the emitted light to become yellow, so it wouldn¡¯t be clouded out by the crystal¡¯s natural glow. Instead, she got a warbling green-orange mixture that couldn¡¯t settle on a single color.

    With a grunt, she removed her telekinetic grip and dropped the cube to the ground. ¡°That¡¯s about as far as I can go.¡±

    Vaughan smirked. ¡°Xerxes wasn¡¯t kidding, you do suck.¡±

    ¡°I said I suck, Xerxes said I had a ¡®complete lack of natural skill in using crystalline magic.¡¯ Get it right.¡± She flicked her tail angrily.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so hard on yourself,¡± Suro said. ¡°I¡¯m a jeweler, I work with crystals all day. I can¡¯t even control which direction the light goes.¡±

    Blue glanced at him sadly. ¡°Have you spent hours upon hours every night with a crystal attempting to coax a spell from it?¡±

    ¡°Well, no¡­¡± Suro folded his ears back.

    ¡°I have. I¡¯ve poured my life and soul into these crystals, and they gave nothing back.¡± She shook her head slowly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t be lashing out at you. Vaughan, though¡­¡± She turned to him, intending to give him a mouthful¡ªbut she was treated to the sight of Jeh holding the cube in her bare hand, creating a perfect visual duplicate of Blue in front of her.

    ¡°By the Eighth¡­¡± Vaughan said, lifting his hat up. ¡°A three-dimensional projection at a distance?¡±

    Jeh giggled, twisting the cube slightly with her wrist, prompting the static image of Blue to clip into the ground.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve never used the magic of a crystal before?¡± Vaughan asked Jeh.

    ¡°Magic!¡±

    Vaughan blinked a few times. ¡°Right, forgot for a moment who I was talking to. Hmm¡­¡± He scratched his beard in an attempt to look intelligent, prompting Blue to groan. ¡°You seem to be learning words rather quickly for a feral child, Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Words! Magic words.¡± Jeh struck a pose and winked at him. Then she used the Purple to create a duplicate of herself making an identical expression. However, the duplicate didn¡¯t look exact, with a few of the dirty spots not shown. She couldn¡¯t see herself right now, so she had to use a memory of herself.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be giving you Crystals to test from now on.¡± Vaughan reached into the chest and threw a Blue crystal, which Blue caught with ease.

    ¡°Ah yes, my namesake, associated with speed and warps. Used generally to provide a velocity boost, can also be used to warp the physical world in slight ways.¡± Blue twirled it in her magic. ¡°I can¡¯t create a visual change with this one.¡± She pressed her will onto the crystal, detecting no change. ¡°I am assured I am moving one percent faster.¡± She tossed it over her shoulder, where Jeh caught it.

    The ensuing burst of motion from Jeh sent a whirlwind through the area. Jeh came to a stop, frantically patting the embers on her bearskin.

    Blue gestured at the smoke. ¡°Also, as Jeh has just demonstrated, apparently it¡¯s not that difficult to go too fast. Records from advanced wizards report the difficulty of moving increases with Blue speed, and air eventually feels like syru¡ª¡°

    Vaughan interrupted her by throwing a Green crystal.

    ¡°You already know about this one,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°I just wanted to throw it,¡± Vaughan said with a shrug. ¡°Here, have the most useless Color in existence.¡± He tossed the next shimmering crystal to her: Yellow.

    ¡°I object,¡± Suro said, flicking his tail. ¡°Yellow is not useless, it is the means by which we can share deep, personal connections with all spirited beings.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the immensely useful empathy stick,¡± Blue deadpanned, twirling it in her telekinesis. She willed it on Suro and got nothing in return but a strange desire to flick her tail.

    Jeh jumped into the air, tearing the Yellow shard out of Blue¡¯s grip and pointing it at Blue. Immediately, Blue was overcome with an immense feeling of confusion combined with excitement and a sensation that she had forgotten everything that had ever been important to her.

    Blue quickly decided she¡¯d had enough of the emotional overload and resisted, at which point the connection was dropped. ¡°That¡­ was a strong connection.¡±

    ¡°And yet, easily severed,¡± Vaughan said, clicking his tongue. ¡°Can¡¯t even be used to coerce people.¡±

    ¡°Not everything has to have a practical use,¡± Suro said. ¡°The gift of a communal connection is one many rely on to even know each other.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± Vaughan said, dismissively, picking up an Orange chunk and tossing it.

    Blue caught it. ¡°Oh no, the pushing stone. So completely redundant.¡° She pointed it at the ground, barely able to get a few grains of sand to move. At which point she lifted an entire chest with her natural telekinesis and slammed it into the ground. ¡°Tah-daaaaah.¡±

    Jeh grabbed the crystal¡­ and proceeded to sit down and start drawing on the ground with it.

    ¡°Now, the most important color of all¡­¡± Vaughan said, taking out a thin Red crystal, grinning. ¡°Behold, FIRE!¡± He held it up, creating a brilliant fireball in the air directly above him. With his other hand, he activated his scepter, using several Colors at once to maintain the fireball¡ªthe combined glows made it almost impossible to tell which particular ones. He sent the fireball in a corkscrew path until it hit one of the metal implements in the yard, at which point he used the Red to create an entire dragon of fire that rose into the air, accentuated by some sparkles from Purple and rippling vibrations from the Blue.

    Blue stamped the ground in the sarcastic equivalent of a clap. ¡°Congratulations, the Red wizard knows how to use Red magic in flashy and inefficient ways. He even bothered to learn fireball, one of the most pointless techniques in existence.¡±

    ¡°Pointless?¡± Suro said, tilting his head. ¡°I thought it was one of his better combat spells.¡±

    Blue couldn¡¯t help but laugh at this. ¡°You can just point the Red magic directly at the enemy and light them on fire! No need for any fireball or anything!¡±

    Vaughan¡¯s left eye twitched. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯d like to demonstrate?¡± He threw the Red shard to Blue.

    She caught it, smiling awkwardly. ¡°Uh, I can¡¯t even cook food with Red.¡±

    Jeh jumped for the Red crystal, but Blue levitated it out of her reach. ¡°Woah, no! We don¡¯t need you melting the entire landscape! ¡­Actually, there¡¯s probably not enough surface on this crystal for that energetic of a spell, but I don¡¯t want to chance it.¡±

    Jeh gave Blue the saddest, most pleading eyes ever.

    ¡°No means no,¡± Blue said, stamping her hoof. ¡°I¡¯d like to live, thank you.¡± She pocketed the Red shard in her saddlebags and tied them shut.

    Vaughan tilted his head back. ¡°You know, I could probably deal with those flames¡­¡±

    ¡° ¡®Death by overconfidence in their ability to put out fire¡¯ is the leading cause of death for Red wizards.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but there¡¯s a technique. See, Blue provides me with the speed required to get the bucket¡­¡±

    ¡°A bucket of water is going to do nothing to a sea of lava.¡±

    ¡°Not nothing,¡±

    ¡°If you moved fast enough to get enough buckets of water you would be adding more fire.¡±

    ¡°Then I dig a trench in the¡ª¡°

    Suro coughed, interrupting the argument. ¡°Vaughan, you¡¯re not a Blue wizard.¡±

    ¡°I, well, yes, but¡­¡± He patted down his robes and dropped the conversation entirely. He didn¡¯t throw the last crystal¡ªhe just held up the hexagonal Magenta he had. ¡°Magenta, most mysterious of all Colors.¡±

    Blue nodded, taking this as her opportunity to show off her knowledge. ¡°Magenta is the only Color that doesn¡¯t exist in the standard color* rainbow, and yet we all see it, pure. It is fitting that Magenta is the master of all other magic Colors, able to do one very special thing: tell other crystals to cast magic. This can be used to relay spells over long distances. The delay between Magenta crystal transmission allows for us to create loops that continually oscillate, the basis for all arcane devices. Spells can be stored and, with the proper crystal shape, duplicated when any will whatsoever is pushed into the crystal core. For instance, take the beacon on top of your h¡ª¡°

    *Languages of Ikyu tend to have two words for color: that for standard color of everyday objects, and for the Color of the crystals. Capitalization is used here to differentiate them. The same goes for the colors themselves: blue and Blue are different words, though in most tongues they only differ by a syllable or a pronunciation accent. There is a fundamental understanding baked in that Color and color are fundamentally different things, despite being visually identical.

    ¡°You would make an excellent encyclopedia,¡± Vaughan interrupted. ¡°But your excitement is warranted. Without Magenta, it would be impossible to store spells. I am curious, how deep does your theoretical knowledge go?¡±

    Blue lit up. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve read every book on the subject I could find! Crystal cores a¡ª¡°

    ¡°Riddle me this. I have a crystal core with three leads. When the first is given a will, it enters a Radjec Conjunction and splits into three, each connected to a stored Red spell, each of which heats a cup of water. When the second lead is given a will, i¡ª¡°

    Blue held up a hoof. ¡°Um¡­ Vaughan, what¡¯s a Radjec Conjunction?¡±

    Vaughan grinned. ¡°Why, one of the more advanced conjunctions taught in Advanced Core Construction.¡± He tapped his scepter onto the ground. ¡°Blue, you¡¯re well-read and quite intelligent. But you don¡¯t know everything. You will have to learn the more advanced concepts of magic. And you will have to learn them well¡ªa wizard with minimal casting ability must be a master of theory.¡±

    Blue hated to admit it, but he was right. She lifted her head up, attempting to look determined and proud. ¡°Of course, Vaughan.¡±

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see how clever you are.¡± He smirked. ¡°How would you go about designing something to go up? I know you¡¯ve been thinking about it.¡±

    Unfortunately, he¡¯s right. ¡°Do you have a chalkboard?¡±

    Vaughan gestured at a chalkboard lying on the ground that had its top left corner blown off by a previous experiment. With a roll of her eyes, Blue lifted the board up with her telekinesis and grabbed a piece of chalk off the ground. She drew a quick diagram of the levitator on the board. ¡°So, this is what you had previously¡­¡± She noted that Vaughan, Jeh, and Suro were all watching her intently. She swallowed hard. I wonder if this is how the professors sometimes felt.

    ¡°The levitator is not going to do what you want it to do alone,¡± she said matter of factly. ¡°Even if you replace the crystal core with one that puts out more calibrated force, you¡¯re still only pushing in a singular direction from a singular point.¡± She drew a single arrow out of the top of the levitator. ¡°This is just asking for problems because unless you¡¯re pointing directly upward or pushing directly from the center, the force is going to lead to tumbling. And tumbling is bad. So what you want is something that wants to remain pointing directly upward. I can think of a few mechanisms by which to do this¡­¡± She scrawled an image of four levitators connected together by two beams. ¡°If we¡¯re not pushing from a single point, we increase stability. And if we add a weight here¡­¡± She scribbled what looked like a gold bar connected to the ¡°X¡± of levitators. ¡°Then the entire apparatus will seek to right itself, even if there is a slight force imbalance between the four levitators. However, the issue with this design is that if a large enough force comes along, say a massive gust of wind, it can also enter a tumble.¡±

    Vaughan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Then why mention it?¡±

    ¡°Because it may be used in conjunction with other ideas,¡± Blue said as she wiped the blackboard clean. She quickly drew an arrow¡ªthe kind loaded into bows. ¡°This is an arrow. You may not know this, but the feathers on the back here,¡± she gestured to the appropriate area on the diagram, ¡°are very necessary. They give the arrow the grace of a bird, needed to fly through the air in a straight line. Remove them and arrows are much more likely to tumble.¡±

    Suro nodded. ¡°I have talked with Ripashi¡ªthe local ranger. He makes his own bows and mentioned something like that to me.¡±

    ¡°He might be able to tell us how to upscale it,¡± Blue said. ¡°Because I don¡¯t think we can find big enough feathers that can withstand what we want to put it through. But this last idea should work no matter what.¡± She scrawled an ovoid shape with a point at the bottom. ¡°Does everyone here know what a top is?¡±

    Jeh tilted her head in confusion.

    ¡°You get a pass.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°I am aware. Your point?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Blue grinned deviously. ¡°When the top isn¡¯t moving, it lays on its side like so.¡± She scribbled the relaxed top. ¡°But when it¡¯s spinning, it rises up to its point and stays there until it runs out of energy and falls down. Even if you tap it, the top will seek to right itself back to the point. So the solution¡­ is to spin while we¡¯re going up.¡±

    ¡°That has to be nauseating,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Hey, you wanted to go up, you didn¡¯t specify that it had to be pleasant.¡±

    ¡°So you think that by combining these three things it could work?¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to run tests first, and a lot of them, to see how everything works. But I think our design would look something like this¡­¡± She drew a stick figure in a harness underneath an ¡°X¡± beam that held the levitators, a little cylinder of material under the person with large feathers, and an arrow indicating rotation direction. She added some supports and drew special attention to the harness. ¡°Do note the safety mechanism here so, no matter what, you aren¡¯t going to drop the levitator.¡±

    Suro couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that. ¡°You know, a simple wrist brace would be a sensible design improvement to a normal levitator.¡±

    Blue pointed the chalk at the cat. ¡°This guy knows what¡¯s good.¡±

    Vaughan stroked his beard, nodding. ¡°This is a good start, and much more involved than I was expecting. But there is one thing I experienced up there that may throw a wrench into this.¡±

    ¡°Well, you haven¡¯t exactly given me a report,¡± Blue said, letting out an annoyed neigh. ¡°All I saw was you spiraling out of control due to instability.¡±

    ¡°I was having trouble breathing, more than I should have.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Blue frowned. ¡°Are you aware of altitude sickness?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°We messengers have to be. The spirited who live at high elevations need their mail, and whenever one of us is sent on a mission like that we¡¯re reminded that at higher altitudes it¡¯s harder to breathe and that we shouldn¡¯t overexert ourselves.¡±

    ¡°But what causes this altitude sickness? And how can we counter it?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ not entirely sure?¡± Blue tilted her head to the side. ¡°The prescription of messengers is just to take it slow and easy.¡±

    ¡°Ripashi might also be able to help with that,¡± Suro said. ¡°He is a qorvid. He may know a thing or two about flying high.¡±

    ¡°Clearly, we need to talk to him,¡± Blue said. ¡°We¡¯ll need to talk to a lot of people. I don¡¯t know any of these concepts well enough to actually build something out of them off memory. I know what makes an arrow and why every part is there. I can¡¯t make one.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we have Suro here,¡± Vaughan gestured at the cat. ¡°Master jeweler. Well-connected in town, too.¡±

    Blue raised an eyebrow. ¡°A small town whose only major resource is the crystal mines.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still useful.¡±

    Suro flicked his tail. ¡°You¡¯ll need a lot more than that. We¡¯ll have to acquire more levitators, craft crystal connectors for them, and build these harnesses.¡±

    ¡°Not to mention all the experiments we need to run,¡± Blue added. ¡°I have no idea how fast something needs to be spinning for this to work. Or what shape works best.¡±

    ¡°We can easily press crystals into any general shape we want and spin those,¡± Vaughan offered.

    ¡°Ooooh, yes, crystals are very useful in that regard¡­¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you need a trip to town.¡± Suro plodded up to Blue. ¡°I can be your guide, show you around, tell you of our customs and what you can find¡ªas well as, you know, talking to Ripashi.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Blue said, placing the chalk on the chalkboard. ¡°Vaughan, get any supplies together that might be useful, we¡¯ll see what information we can gather.¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°Naturally. But remember, I¡¯m the wizard, you¡¯re the apprentice. And¡­ and you¡¯re not even listening.¡±

    This was not entirely true¡ªBlue had heard him, but she didn¡¯t want to get stuck in a back-and-forth with him. She felt rather proud of her ideas and wanted to do something with them. Suro¡¯s offer was an excellent opportunity to satisfy this desire.

    Jeh followed Blue like a duckling after its mother, leaving Vaughan alone in the backyard. Blue wondered if he would actually be able to get together all the potential supplies or if he would blow something up.

    Either way, she would show him. She was going to come back with the perfect combination of goods and information¡­

    ¡°Magic!¡± Jeh started cheering. ¡°Maaaagic¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, Jeh, Magic.¡± Blue grinned proudly. ¡°We¡¯ll be doing some real magic all right.¡±

    ~~~

    Willow Hollow was ninety percent farmland, five percent mining operations, and five percent ¡°not much else.¡± To be fair, this painted a poor picture of how important the mining industry was to the town: the size of the mines was actually impressive when seen on paper, but a bird¡¯s eye view could only pick out shaft entrances and crystal storage. The majority were fields that grew normal fruits and vegetables, with the understandable dominance of wheat. Currently, the wheat fields were green, as it was summer.

    The only part of Willow Hollow that actually looked like a town was Town Square, and it was not a square by any stretch of the imagination. It was a collection of around two-dozen buildings with cobblestone pavement leading to and from all of them. None of the buildings were particularly impressive: the town hall was a round building made of wood with an old roof that needed replacing, and the local Sanctuary was little more than a stone altar with a wall around it; not even a proper roof. The rest of the constructions in Town Square were just mixed wooden and stone buildings with thatched roofs. Not run-down by any means, but there was nothing really impressive. Most of the shops had signs made out of Colored crystals, but that wasn¡¯t unexpected given the prevalence of crystals in a mining town.

    ¡°That¡¯s where I work,¡± Suro said, gesturing at one of the larger buildings near the edge of Town Square. It had far more crystal designs on it than the others. Not only was the sign of a brilliant Green crystal fashioned in a diamond-like cut, but the windows themselves were made out of pressed Blue crystal while the exterior walls were decorated with smaller crystals dotted around in a pleasing pattern.

    ¡°The jeweler always has the most sparkling house in a good town,¡± Blue remarked. ¡°If it¡¯s not sparkling, something¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Suro asked.

    ¡°Well, the jeweler should be using his craft to his fullest¡ªhis home will reflect that. If it doesn¡¯t, it means one of many things is wrong. Either there¡¯s a shortage of crystals in the area, he¡¯s not good at his job, or someone in the town¡¯s rulership hates feeling inferior and must have the sparkliest house.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I¡­ never really thought of it that way.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, you deliver letters to enough towns, you start to see patterns. This town is one of the good ones: nothing too fancy, houses are in good condition, and there¡¯s no air of gloominess. City folk might call this ¡®quaint.¡¯ ¡°

    Jeh looked like she wanted to run up to Suro¡¯s shop. The crystals were shiny, and she took a few steps toward them, but she clearly didn¡¯t want to leave Blue. When Suro and Blue continued walking on, Jeh quickly turned tail and scrambled after them, abandoning the Colorful shimmering beauties.

    ¡°I suspect I will be making a lot of strange crystal devices from this ¡®quaint¡¯ little shop¡­¡± Suro said with a sigh.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ about that.¡± Blue tilted her head to the side. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you object when Vaughan just said ¡®hey, you¡¯re part of the project, now?¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not at all like you think it is.¡± Suro gazed right into her eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve been friends a long, long time. He¡¯s the one who convinced me to move here to take advantage of the fresh crystals, and it was an excellent choice. He¡¯s given me a ton of crystal core designs for free, and I do much the same. It¡¯s just an agreement we have with each other.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­ this project is going to be expensive.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how smart Vaughan can be with money for how eccentric he is. He budgets everything so he can always afford the new crystal devices and order things from afar. There¡¯s a reason he doesn¡¯t have much in the way of food variety.¡±

    Blue scratched her chin. I guess you¡¯d have to be good with money to manage explosive tests all the time.

    They continued into town, passing by the Sanctuary. The cyan-blue triangle that hung over the archway was much smaller than most other Sanctuaries, though it was still made out of real Colorless precious stones and not painted substitutes that many small towns were forced to use. Its tip pointed upward, to the sky, while its base overhang the Sanctuary¡¯s main entrance, inviting all to enter.

    ¡°And that¡¯s where my wife works,¡± Suro said, gesturing at the Sanctuary.

    ¡°Your wife is a Keeper?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°My wife is the only Keeper in town.¡± Suro closed his eyes and nodded sagely. ¡°Lila built that Sanctuary with her bare paws just so everyone would have a place to come together.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Blue said, legitimately impressed. Cats weren¡¯t known for being great builders, even when using fine tools. Her opinion of the somewhat shoddy wall improved markedly. It was a labor of love and devotion, an answer to a town¡¯s lonely cry.

    Behind the sanctuary was a relief sculpture carved out of granite. It was clearly a male gari, though it wasn¡¯t colored and the specks in the stone made it hard to pick out details. Blue could make out that he was holding a book.

    She approached the relief¡¯s base, finding that the inscription read ¡°Clover Dale, our Founder.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the story behind this guy?¡± Blue asked while using her hoof to keep Jeh from climbing onto the relief.

    ¡°Clover Dale founded the town on a whim after feeling like society had ostracized him for his ¡®poetic genius.¡¯ Yes, he was a poet, and no, he wasn¡¯t any good. But he staked a claim here and used his family fortune to build a tiny place which he named Willow Hollow. Because it rhymed.¡±

    ¡°I did see willow trees around...¡±

    ¡°Yes, but this isn¡¯t a hollow. The hollow is down in the valley by the river. This is just a mountainside.¡±

    ¡°Ah. So your founder was a moron.¡±

    ¡°Seems that way, but don¡¯t talk like that around the older residents. They¡¯ll bite your face off. They think he¡¯s some kind of unappreciated genius.¡±

    ¡°Noted.¡±

    They continued on their way, passing through a large cobbled area that served as the town market. On special days the area would be packed, but this was not one of those days. Currently, there were only a few stalls; one with fish freshly caught from the river, one with some garden herbs, one traveling trader with a fold-out cart, and a stand with a lot of colorful liquids in bottles¡­

    ¡°You again,¡± Blue said, huffing at Seskii. ¡°I thought you would have skip¡ª¡°

    Seskii tapped the freshly-painted sign on her stand: ¡°Juice.¡±

    ¡°Juice?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Juice.¡± Seskii held up a bottle with a strange line and hook with a dot symbol on it, sloshing around a red liquid. ¡°For instance, this is pure cherry juice. Delicious and nutritious! Not even pretending to be a potion!¡±

    Blue raised an incredulous eyebrow.

    ¡°I think we got off on the wrong foot, earlier,¡± Seskii continued, extending a hand. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Seskii! Aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to your friends?¡±

    Blue wasn¡¯t sure how to proceed in this situation, but Suro bailed her out. ¡°I am Suro, the local jeweler. This is Jeh. We don¡¯t know who she is.¡±

    Jeh walked up to Seskii with wide eyes.

    ¡°Why hello there, little one,¡± Seskii said with a charming smile. ¡°Would you like some of this cherry juice?¡± She held out the bottle.

    Jeh nodded vigorously, swiping it from Seskii¡¯s hands and chugging it down.

    ¡°H-hey!¡± Blue stammered. ¡°She can¡¯t pay for that! I¡¯m not paying for that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s free,¡± Seskii said with a dismissive hand.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s free. Can¡¯t a girl give another girl some juice and increase the happiness in the world without being questioned?¡±

    ¡°But¡­ you¡­¡±

    ¡°Am a no-good potion-selling charlatan, I couldn¡¯t possibly give a child a free drink with no ulterior motives.¡± With a grin, she tossed a bottle to Blue. ¡°Here, have some blueberry juice, also on the house.¡±

    Blue¡¯s immediate question of where the heck is she getting all this juice? was pushed aside once she realized her ¡°gift¡± was also a joke. ¡°¡­You¡¯re a riot.¡±

    Seskii winked. ¡°I try my best! Anyway, don¡¯t let me keep you any longer, I think this has gone on long enough. You have somewhere important to be!¡±

    ¡°Right, Ripashi,¡± Suro said. ¡°Thank you, Seskii. Will you be staying in Willow Hollow long?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see me around,¡± Seskii said with another wink.

    She likes winks too much, Blue noted. She only half-heartedly joined Suro and Jeh in waving to Seskii as they moved off, leaving Town Square and approaching the other end of Willow Hollow. Here, the cobbled path gave way to the forest floor and a small cabin.

    ¡°Ripashi should be home,¡± Suro said, bounding to the cabin. He lifted his paw to knock¡­

    ¡°Hark! Intruders!¡±

    Three arrows struck the ground at the feet of Blue, Suro, and Jeh in quick succession. Blue reared back in a panic, instinctually sending out a blinding flash. Suro only sighed and shook his head. Jeh poked the arrow like it was a cute little toy.

    Before any of them could say anything else, the carcass of a bear fell out of the trees, crashing onto the ground right in front of them with an unceremonious thud.

    ¡°Argh!¡± the voice called again. ¡°I told you to stay!¡±

    Jeh poked the bear with the arrow she¡¯d picked up. ¡°Bear¡­¡±

    The owner of the voice descended from the treetops, landing with a burst of air strong enough to push Suro¡¯s small form into the cabin door. The newcomer rose to his full height, towering above all present. His feathers were a soft, almost oily black, and his claws were the texture of rough obsidian. He wore nothing aside from a strap over the shoulder, on which a quiver hung. A specialized bow was currently held in his wingtips, designed so the digit-less wings could manipulate the string. The weapon was drawn with an arrow pointed right at Blue¡¯s shimmering horn.

    She took a defensive posture, looking around for rocks she could throw at the qorvid.

    ¡°Ripashi!¡± Suro shouted. ¡°You can¡¯t keep doing this!¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Ripashi shouted, throwing his head back in a laughing caw. ¡°All who enter my domain become my prey!¡±

    ¡°Ripashi, Blue here is contemplating throwing a boulder at you.¡±

    ¡°Bring it!¡± Ripashi declared, standing up on one claw so he could use the other to motion that Blue should advance.

    Blue grabbed his remaining foot with her telekinesis and pulled it out from under him, flopping him unceremoniously onto his back.

    ¡°Blue!¡± Suro hissed.

    ¡°What? He was being a¡ª¡°

    ¡°Qorvids have hollow bones, you might have broken something!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ oh.¡± She folded her ears back. ¡°I¡¯m so¡ª¡°

    ¡°Apologize for nothing!¡± Ripashi declared, flapping his wings to right himself once more. ¡°Most prey runs screaming in pathetic terror! You fought! I admire that kind of stupidity!¡±

    Blue was stunned speechless by what, to her, sounded like inconsistent nonsense.

    ¡°And then there¡¯s this little one, stabbing my bear with an arrow!¡± He gestured at Jeh. ¡°No fear at all¡­¡±

    ¡°Why do you have a bear?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m the rang¡ª¡°

    ¡°I meant in the tree.¡±

    ¡°The bear needed to be taught a lesson,¡± Ripashi growled. ¡°Like all bears do. You see, long ago, when I was but a wee fledgling ranger, there was one bear that wouldn¡¯t go down! It escaped me! The agony was insurmountable and it h¡ª¡°

    Blue coughed. ¡°I think I get the idea.¡± She glanced helplessly at Suro. Please make him stop talking.

    Suro flicked his ears. ¡°Ripashi, Blue here is on an errand from Vaughan.¡±

    Ripashi skittered over to Suro. ¡°Ah, yes, our illustrious wizard! Great choice of home, but not enough trophies. Man lives in the midst of the trees, probably sees good game all the time, but does he use those fireballs of his to any effect? No! He orders oatmeal. Such a shame.¡±

    ¡°Fireball is a useless spell,¡± Blue muttered under her breath, making the unfortunate assumption that Ripashi wouldn¡¯t be able to hear.

    ¡°My girl!¡± Something in the back of Ripashi¡¯s throat made a clicking noise. ¡°Surely you understand the purpose of the spectacle!?¡± He struck a pose, balancing an arrow on his beak while holding his wings askew.

    ¡°Mm, yes, spectacle,¡± Blue deadpanned. ¡°Look, we¡¯re here to ask you some questions about arrow manufacturing a¡ª¡°

    ¡°Arrows are the lifeblood of any ranger¡¯s life!¡± He paused; seemingly dissatisfied with the way he¡¯d worded that.

    ¡°¡ªand have some questions to ask you about flight at high altitudes.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can tell you arrows don¡¯t work as well up there!¡± Ripashi let out another caw-chuckle. ¡°You need high-altitude fletching to hunt the balloon whales properly!¡±

    ¡°Fletching?¡± Blue tilted her head in confusion.

    Ripashi let out a disappointed sigh. He took an arrow out of his quiver and showed it to her. ¡°The pointy part is the arrowhead, the stick is the shaft, and the feathers are the fletching.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, the fletching! That¡¯s what I wanted to ask about.¡± Blue pointed at the feathers with her hoof. ¡°How do these work? I know they stabilize the arrow, but why?¡±

    Ripashi stared blankly at her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you?¡±

    ¡°W-well, I know the effects of fletching varieties!¡±

    ¡°Which are¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­Come with me.¡± He walked to his cabin door and unlocked it with one of his talons, allowing them into his home. The interior was a cramped mess filled with stuffed animal heads, skeletons, and multiple crates of dried meat that made Blue want to gag. How can people eat that stuff?

    ¡°Behold, the cabin of a true man!¡± Ripashi declared. ¡°Full of trophies, meat, and the smell of triumph!¡±

    Jeh popped open one of the crates and started gnawing on a piece of bear jerky. Ripashi didn¡¯t notice.

    ¡°But this way to my workshop!¡± After crawling over several boxes and disorganized remnants of hunting, they eventually made it to a much cleaner room with all the materials one might need to create bows and arrows: a table with multiple kinds of saws, a barrel filled with wooden rods, a bunch of sharp rocks in a box, a box of feathers (half of which were clearly Ripashi¡¯s own), and a back wall lined with dozens of finely-crafted bows, each with a set of unique arrows.

    Ripashi gestured at the arrows. ¡°I have made many varieties and tested them all. I even have this¡­¡± He took down an arrow with an arrowhead made out of two Magenta crystals that were alternating flashes in a simple loop setup.

    Blue let out a low whistle. ¡°An anti-magic arrow.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not that hard to make so long as you have materials, though the separation requirement lowers their piercing power.¡± He gestured at the tip, which was actually two points since that was where the crystals were separated.

    ¡°Fascinating¡­¡± Blue realized she was staring deeply into the crystal and shook her head. ¡°But not why we¡¯re here. Fletching?¡±

    ¡°Right, right¡­¡± Ripashi took down a selection of arrows and laid them on the table. ¡°Behold, the variety!¡±

    Aside from the one that had no fletching at all, Blue couldn¡¯t really discern a difference between the arrows. ¡°Uh...¡±

    Ripashi held up the arrow with no fletching. ¡°This arrow is the fastest one in my collection and has perhaps the best piercing power. This is because it has no fletching: it hits hard, fast, and deadly! But it¡¯s also terribly unstable and likes to start flopping end over end after a short distance. That is why you need fletching: to make your arrows go in a straight line.¡±

    ¡°And you have no idea why the feathers do that?¡±

    ¡°Feathers are the essence of flight!¡±

    ¡°Only partially true. Qorvids like yourself have a flight attribute. And there are flightless birds with plenty of feathers.¡±

    Ripashi narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°¡­You know a lot.¡± He let out a caw-chuckle. ¡°No wonder Vaughan has you running around doing his work! Hah!¡± He tossed the fletching-less arrow aside, returning to the feathered ones. ¡°Now, as for all these, at our current location, the three-feather slightly-tilted design works best.¡±

    ¡°Slightly tilted?¡±

    Ripashi brought her attention to how some of the feathers were attached in a perfect parallel line to the shaft, while others were tilted to the side. ¡°The tilting slows the arrow down a bit, but it makes it fly much straighter.¡±

    ¡°Why¡­?¡± Blue asked, more to herself than to Ripashi. ¡°There has to be some reason¡­¡±

    ¡°That is why you are here! To find out, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± Blue tilted her head. ¡°Was not my intention but I suppose we might end up figuring it out.¡± Come to think of it, why do spinning things want to stay upright? It¡¯s clear that they do, but why? ¡°What effect do larger feathers have?¡±

    ¡°Increases stability and slows the arrow down more, in general,¡± Ripashi said. ¡°Not that anyone with an untrained eye would be able to tell a difference between such small adjustments. What a true arrow designer must find is the magic point where the stability and speed are perfect. However, that perfection is never the same!¡± He pointed at the best three-feather slightly-tilted arrow. ¡°This is the best for this area. But in different areas the optimal design is different! The higher up you are, the larger the fletching needs to be to have the same effect! If we were to go down to the basin, smaller would be bet¡ª¡°

    ¡°Higher needs bigger feathers¡­¡± Blue muttered to herself, scratching her chin. ¡°What else can you tell us about high altitudes? Is it¡­ hard to breathe up there?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± He didn¡¯t seem to understand the question. ¡°You always get altitude sickness the higher you go.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you don¡¯t keep flying?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, you can get used to altitude sickness with enough experience. The only thing keeping us from ascending to the heavens is the lack of air.¡±

    Suro¡¯s ears perked up at this. ¡°Excuse me, lack of air?¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± Ripashi leaned onto the table to support himself as he let out a series of joyous caws. ¡°Oh, you silly little ground-dwellers! Of course there¡¯s less air up there! We with the power of flight are always pushing against the air with our mighty wings, getting higher and higher. We need air to go higher!¡±

    ¡°No air¡­¡± Blue frowned. ¡°That¡­ that might complicate things considerably.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Ripashi asked.

    ¡°Think about it, what do we breathe in and out all day every day? Air! The vast majority of spirited breathe. We need air, and if higher altitudes have less, we might be dying because of it!¡±

    Ripashi tilted his head to the side. ¡°I¡­ what?¡±

    Suro coughed. ¡°Vaughan wants to go as high as possible. She¡¯s here to figure out how.¡±

    Ripashi blinked a few times. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°See, I don¡¯t have an answer for that question,¡± Blue said, lifting one of the arrows in her telekinesis and spinning it around a few times. ¡°But I do think I¡¯m figuring out how to go up¡­¡±

    Suro nodded. ¡°And this¡­ honestly it explains a few things about why it¡¯s hard to breathe in the deep mines. We just assumed the dust made the air toxic, but¡­ maybe there¡¯s just less of it down there?¡±

    ¡°Clearly, if we are to go up, we need to understand air better.¡± Blue examined the fletching on the arrow, getting it as close to her eyes as she dared. ¡°I think it is the secret to this whole thing.¡±

    Jeh twisted the arrow, having it rotate rapidly around its shaft.

    ~~~

    Vaughan approached his supply of Yellow, examining the glass pillar carefully.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You should be happy, I¡¯m finally using you for something!¡± He flipped open the hatch, revealing the sparkling Yellow. The warm glittering was like an invitation to submerge one¡¯s hand into the Yellow sea. Even Vaughan wasn¡¯t dumb enough to do that. With crystal this fine, simply touching the powder would cause multiple cuts all over the skin, embedding thousands of shards into the cuts that were too small to see. Relatively easy to treat with Green on hand, but still ridiculously painful.

    Instead, he took out a specialized cup made out of Blue crystal. The Color had no significance; so long as it wasn¡¯t Magenta or Yellow it could hold Yellow powder without suffering the fate of a million unimaginably sharp objects tearing it to shreds.

    He took his cup of Yellow out back, where he had a very important arcane device set up: a table with a top of solid granite that was heavily scuffed in the center. Vaughan first checked the wind to make sure he wasn¡¯t about to get needled and, satisfied with the calm, poured the Yellow onto the granite slab. Carefully, he folded up two wooden panels from the sides of the table, each of which had a rather large Orange disc laid into it. The left disc was getting a little thin, almost to the point of needing a replacement, but that was a concern for another time.

    He checked behind the discs, adjusting the crystal cores there to the starting setting. He took a moment to appreciate the complexity in the design: numerous tree-like series¡¯ of Magenta crystals coiled around the occasional Blue node. Several loops were active, sending small flashes of color to and from various crystals¡ªthough it was barely visible, as all properly done arcane devices should be. If the idle glow were bright, such small crystals would not last long.

    With one hand, Vaughan gripped a knob. His skin made contact with the Magenta crystal within, and with a willing thought, the table activated. The two Orange discs flared to life, doing what they were instructed to do: push in a very specific way that picked up all the Yellow powder, shaping it into a single, loosely packed sphere that floated in midair.

    With his other hand, Vaughan held up an Orange crystal of his own, adding small bits of force here and there to change the shape of the sphere into that of a cone that remained levitating in the grip of the device. Once he was satisfied with its shape, he twisted the knob one tick forward. The Orange discs increased their output, placing pressure on the cone, deforming it in the process. Vaughan used his crystal to reshape it before increasing the pressure again, at which point he again needed to adjust.

    And so he spent his time at the crystal press. Over time the cone he was creating got smaller and smaller, but it became smoother and sleeker until, at last, when he turned up the pressure one more time the cone didn¡¯t change shape at all.

    He removed his hand from the knob, turning the device off. The cone fell to the granite slab, clattering a bit before entering a lazy roll. It was by no means a perfect cone¡ªthe tip wasn¡¯t perfectly straight and the base had a somewhat flat edge. However, it would do for his purposes.

    He now had a single Yellow crystal in the shape of a cone rather than powder. Actually, he had several since he¡¯d been making these cones all day: flat ones, wide ones, skinny ones, oblong ones; all just to perform tests on spinning. None of them were perfect, which made Vaughan idly wish he was an Orange wizard so he could apply gradual changes to pressure instead of the sharp adjustments the crystal press offered him. Orange was considered the most practical of the colors for a reason.

    Maybe Blue¡¯s attribute is strong enough to do it¡­ but is it precise enough?

    As if on cue, Blue rushed into the backyard with a ton of arrows in her saddlebags and Jeh at her hooves. ¡°I¡¯ve got so much information you wouldn¡¯t believe!¡±

    ¡°Ah, Blue!¡± Vaughan waved her over. ¡°I¡¯ve been working as well. Behold, a functional use for Yellow!¡± He gestured at the assortment of cones he had created.

    ¡°Tops?¡± Blue asked, walking up to the cones to examine them. Jeh reached out her hand to grab one. ¡°Jeh, no, wa¡ª¡°

    Jeh had already grabbed one and its tip thrust its way clean through her hand. The girl glared at it with mild annoyance. ¡°Bear hand¡­¡± She tore it out and immediately started tending to her mitt that had just been ruined.

    Vaughan¡¯s fascination with Jeh¡¯s seeming immunity to pain was overcome by his desire to talk about his cones. ¡°Anyway, Blue, I¡¯ve discovered some things about these tops.¡± He made sure to put on some gloves laced with crystal rings, to prevent his hands from being torn open. ¡°Some tops spin better than others.¡±

    ¡°Which ones?¡±

    Vaughan used his hands to spin up a few of them. Several of them went spinning off in odd directions or flopped right over due to his lack of coordination. ¡°Er¡­¡±

    With a sigh, Blue levitated each cone back onto the table and started spinning each one elegantly. The really wide and really tall ones fell down almost immediately, clattering to the side. The others performed better, but it wasn¡¯t the middle-of-the-road cone that performed the best: it was one that was significantly taller than it was wide without being a toothpick.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Blue frowned, taking out an arrow. ¡°Arrows are long, though¡­ but¡­ ah! Something that large wouldn¡¯t fly very far through the air.¡±

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°Blue, we were talking about cones.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re related,¡± Blue said. ¡°See, I think I¡¯ve figured it out. Ripashi couldn¡¯t tell me why fletching worked¡ªthe feathers¡ªbut at least part of it has to do with adding spin to the arrow. Look at these twisted feathers. As it flies into the air, it twists like a screw-pump,* except much smaller and works with air.¡±

    *We would call this an Archimedes¡¯ Screw.

    ¡°So they pump air?¡±

    ¡°No. Well, yes, uh, words.¡± Blue shook her head a few times, collecting herself. ¡°When a screw-pump turns, it moves water up it, but it remains stationary. However, if the water were moving, it would push the screw around. ¡­Come to think of it, that¡¯d require the screw-pump to be completely submerged and¡­¡±

    ¡°Blue, calm down. I think I get the idea. It goes through the air and the feathers make it spin.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly it.¡±

    ¡°So, basically, the spinning-top and arrow-feather idea were the same idea.¡±

    ¡°Well, they might have different effects¡­ for instance, if we rely on the top, we have to spin before we fly upward, while if we have large fletching we can start spinning while in flight.¡±

    Vaughan stroked his beard. ¡°Hmm¡­ and we will need to test more to find out which is best¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got more than that, though.¡± Blue trotted over to her blackboard and levitated it up¡ªVaughan was not sure how it had fallen down this time. ¡°I found out something very important from Ripashi. There¡¯s less air the higher up you go.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Vaughan tilted his head to the side. ¡°How does that make any sense?¡±

    ¡°Think geometrically.¡± Blue drew a circle on the board. ¡°This is Ikyu. Arguments about its exact diameter aside, we know it¡¯s more-or-less a sphere. Now, let¡¯s imagine we could see air like we could see water.¡± She drew a ripple around the circle. ¡°This is one layer of air.¡± She drew another one above it. ¡°And this is the next one. Now, if, say, there was the same amount of air in every level¡­ you note that this inner circle is smaller than the one above it. Thus, naturally higher elevations would have less air because there¡¯s more space it needs to fill!¡± She drew a little square in the bottom right corner and looked back at Vaughan, smug.

    ¡°Less air¡­ we breathe air.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we do,¡± Blue said. ¡°It also means trying to flap like a bird will be useless since they push against air to fly. High enough there isn¡¯t much to push off. Why, there might as well be no air somewhere as high up as the moon.¡±

    ¡°How are we going to survive?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Divers bring air down to the depths of the ocean, we just need to bring our air up there.¡±

    ¡°How, though?¡±

    ¡°I...¡± Blue clearly hadn¡¯t thought about this before. ¡°Maybe we just get a person-sized jar and seal ourselves inside?¡±

    It was Vaughan¡¯s turn to look smug. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that won¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Toxic air is a real problem in the mines, and one way to get toxic air quickly is to cram a lot of people into a small shaft.¡±

    ¡°Suro said he thought that was because of the mine dust¡­ but he wasn¡¯t sure.¡± Blue blinked a few times. ¡°Yeah, we need to test the effects of air on people. There¡¯s apparently ways to die that have nothing to do with falling and cracking your skull open on the ground.¡±

    ¡°Question. How do you propose we test the effects of air?¡± Vaughan tilted his head.

    ¡°Seal ourselves in a jar and see what happens?¡± It took all of a second for Blue to process what she¡¯d just said. ¡°Agh, that¡¯s unimaginably stupid! It¡¯s just asking for death! Maybe we can use animals?¡±

    ¡°I think we all know that animals and the spirited are very, very different.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but, we need a way to test these things! How are we going to test stuff that might kill us and not die in the process?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    The two of them got the same idea at the same time. Slowly, but surely, they turned to look at Jeh, who was currently sitting on the ground with one of the long Yellow cones in her hand, drawing with it.

    ¡°Hey, Jeh¡­¡± Blue said, cautiously.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Would you like to¡­ help us go up?¡±

    Jeh tilted her head in confusion, but nonetheless kept a pleasant, sweet smile on her face.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Blue, while a genius, is working on a very limited understanding of the universe. She¡¯s on the right track but she has made some woefully incorrect assumptions.

    First of all, yes, fletching does in fact make arrows spin. Any sort of crosswind, even on straight feathers, will induce a rotation in the arrow. The rotation is part of the stability, but not all of it: what fletching mostly does is create friction within the air, making there be more drag at the back of the arrow than the front. The net effect of this is that the back of the arrow follows the path of the front more closely.

    More interestingly, though, Blue assumes there¡¯s less air at higher elevations because there¡¯s more surface area to the globe of Ikyu. She has just barely begun to consider the idea of vacuum as a potential concept, and as such thinks the atmosphere extends to the end of the universe. In reality, the surface area has little to do with the density of air at various altitudes (though it clearly has some effect). The atmosphere is denser at lower elevations because there is more air stacked on top of it that pushes the rest down due to gravity.

    Of course, Blue doesn¡¯t even have a concept of gravity yet, so she¡¯s a long way from even thinking about this as a potential explanation.

    Now, there is one obvious question: why do spinning things not want to tip over? The simple answer is the ¡°conservation of angular momentum.¡± A spinning object has angular momentum in the direction of its spin axis, and if it were to tip over, it would be changing its angular momentum, which requires a force acting on it. In our lives, that force is generally gravity pushing down on it, trying to overcome the angular momentum. In space, there¡¯s basically nothing acting on a spinning object, so it¡¯s likely to spin forever.

    There are complications with making spinning objects go perfectly straight, but they haven¡¯t run into those yet.

    The clever reader might ask another question: why is angular momentum conserved? And that¡­ is a much more complicated question that involves a lot of force diagrams and a counterintuitive understanding of what a spinning object even is. I might explain it at a later time if it becomes pertinent, but for now, here¡¯s a Vsauce video on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHGKIzCcVa0</a>.

 003 - Lingual Concepts

    Lingual Concepts

    ¡°So, Jeh¡­¡±

    Jeh looked up from the walnut she¡¯d been gnawing at. Apparently, the nutcracker Blue had provided her made it too easy, seeing as it lay almost unused at Jeh¡¯s side with a few cracked walnut shells around it. It didn¡¯t look at all out of place in Vaughan¡¯s backyard.

    Blue tapped her hoof. ¡°You¡¯re getting better at understanding, yes?¡±

    ¡°Me word yes!¡± Jeh jumped to her feet and gave Blue a silly salute. ¡°Word bit!¡±

    ¡°Right. So¡­ Jeh, I want you to try to understand. Understand.¡±

    ¡°Understand.¡± Jeh nodded with determination, furrowing her brow.

    ¡°We want to go up.¡±

    ¡°Up!¡± Jeh pointed up into the sky.

    ¡°You want to go up? Question?¡±

    ¡°Up! Yes!¡± Jeh jumped up and down with so much power she started making imprints in the soil.

    ¡°Going up is dangerous.¡±

    The light of understanding left Jeh¡¯s eyes. ¡°What?¡±

    She sure likes that word, Blue thought. ¡°Dangerous. Peril, pain, not safe¡­ uh¡­¡± None of this appeared to be helping Jeh with any context. ¡°Deadly? Precarious?¡±

    ¡°You word fail.¡±

    ¡°No, you word fail.¡±

    Jeh crossed her arms. ¡°No way.¡±

    Blue took a moment to realize she wasn¡¯t using that phrase in the usual manner. She wasn¡¯t saying there was ¡°no way¡± for her to fail at language, but that she had ¡°no way¡± to find the words. Which meant she was jabbing at Blue since she knew the words and still failed.

    At least, that was Blue¡¯s theory, judging by what she knew of Jeh¡¯s personality.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try again,¡± Blue said, locking her eyes with Jeh.

    ¡°Again.¡± Jeh nodded in preparation.

    ¡°We want to go up. You want to go up.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Fun up!¡±

    ¡°Going up is hard.¡±

    ¡°No stop me!¡± She mimed the motion of punching through a wall. Then she actually punched a wall with enough force to make Blue wince, but as always Jeh didn¡¯t care whatsoever.

    ¡°We need you for tests.¡±

    ¡°Tests?¡± The understanding in Jeh¡¯s eyes was gone again.

    Blue sighed. ¡°Vaughan! I¡¯m not a linguist, I can¡¯t do this!¡±

    ¡°Sure you can,¡± Vaughan said from his bench where he was smoothing off the edges of a Yellow top. ¡°Jeh clearly knew how to talk at one point since she¡¯s learned this quickly, you¡¯ve just got to remind her. It¡¯s only been a week, did you expect instant results?¡±

    ¡°How hard can it be to ask ¡®we want to use you to test dangerous things so we don¡¯t die in the process, are you okay with this?¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°I think she¡¯d be fine. Might not even realize it¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    Blue tossed her mane back. ¡°That¡¯s the problem, she might not even realize. We can¡¯t just use her like this without her permission, we¡¯re not the King.¡±

    ¡°You could write to him¡­¡±

    ¡°And get her conscripted into the army?¡± Blue huffed. ¡°That would go so well.¡±

    ¡°Not for the army¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about her Vaughan! She is just a kid.¡±

    Vaughan glanced over at Jeh, who had returned to eating her walnut. ¡°We don¡¯t know what she is.¡±

    Blue frowned at this. ¡°I poured over your tomes, looking for any known attribute that matches this one. There are a few that come close. Agar can fuse themselves back together after being cut while certain reptilians and amphibians can grow parts back rather quickly, but they are nowhere near as fast as hers. Plus, they all experience pain. And don¡¯t look anything like humans.¡±

    ¡°A shapeshifting race*?¡±

    *¡±Race¡± as we think of it isn¡¯t really a concept on Ikyu. Humans with different colored skin or unicorns with variations in their coats are just considered different varieties. The more accurate word would be ¡°species,¡± but the direct translation of that word is used only for differences in animals, plants, and other types of life. The word translated ¡°race¡± can also be translated as ¡°person species¡± or ¡°spirited species,¡± but in general the cultures and languages of Ikyu do not think of people as anything like animals or other forms of life. ¡°Race¡± is used here for convenience¡¯s sake.

    ¡°Unlikely,¡± Blue said. ¡°All known shapeshifters don¡¯t work like she does, and she¡¯s not a complex Purple illusion, simply being around arcane devices would interfere with that.¡±

    ¡°So she¡¯s a mystery that shouldn¡¯t exist. Interesting.¡±

    ¡°Very.¡± Blue sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been able to ask her if she knew where she came from. So far, it seems like all she has ever known is the forest.¡±

    ¡°Yet she knows what language is, how to hold silverware, and what saluting means.¡± Vaughan chuckled. ¡°Little bundle of mysteries.¡±

    ¡°Probably got lost when she was six or something.¡± Blue clicked her tongue. ¡°I can¡¯t be spending all day trying to teach her words. I need to find a tutor.¡±

    ¡°Go talk to Suro, I¡¯m sure he knows somebody.¡± Vaughan set the Yellow top into a spin. He had balanced it properly and got it to spin seemingly perfectly. In a few minutes, it would fall down, revealing its currently imperceptible flaw, but that was fine. The concept was proven: it was possible to balance them.

    ¡°Suro¡­¡± Blue tapped her hoof. ¡°Jeh, let¡¯s visit Suro.¡±

    ¡°Suro!¡± Jeh rubbed her hands together malevolently.

    ¡°Do not pull his tail.¡±

    ¡°Do not pull his tail.¡± Jeh gave Blue a thumbs up.

    Blue wasn¡¯t sure she trusted Jeh to keep her word.

    ~~~

    Suro had to be very careful in his work. While he wasn¡¯t a wizard and wasn¡¯t apt to accidentally trigger spells in his crystals, there were many complications with the Colored objects that made crafting with them rather difficult.

    First of all, their sharpness could cut through virtually anything that wasn¡¯t another Crystal, a fact that virtually everyone on Ikyu was aware of. However, only jewelers got to appreciate how truly problematic it could be. No matter how reinforced the tool, no matter how hard, it could be sliced by the crystal edge sharper than any knife. The obvious benefit would be to make knives out of crystals, but this didn¡¯t work because crystals themselves weren¡¯t very strong. A long blade could be snapped by a punch from the side.

    The easiest way to solve the sharpness problem was to smooth the edges. Jewelers across the land were all well-versed in the art of rounding crystal edges while still making them look sharp and clear, like mundane precious gems. In fact, Suro was doing that right now with a Red crystal. Having already shaved it into a pleasing diamond cut* yesterday, now he carefully ran over it with fine sandpaper. The gem and the sandpaper in question were both held in tiny brass claws that were affixed to rings around Suro¡¯s paws. If something were to go wrong, the Red¡¯s edges would cut through Suro¡¯s tool and not his leg.

    *Similar to our ¡°round brilliant¡± cut which we associate with diamonds, but not exactly the same.

    It was one of the benefits of being a quadruped. He may not have had fingers, but he wasn¡¯t in constant danger of cuts like human jewelers were.

    Slowly, methodically, he ran the sandpaper along every edge, being sure to come in from the side so the sandpaper itself wasn¡¯t cut. There was no visual change in the crystal¡¯s appearance, but after he was done he tried to cut a small toothpick and failed. The edge had been successfully blunted.

    It wouldn¡¯t stay that way for long. Crystals naturally sought to return to the preferred shape of their Color, and all seven shapes had very sharp edges. Purple was the most regular, given its desire to be perfectly cubic, but all of them would slowly return to a lethal razor if left alone for enough time. While it would take decades for a carved crystal to revert to a pure shape, something that just had its edges dulled could become dangerous again in a month.

    Most jewelers, Suro included, relied on polish to counteract this problem. He adjusted his tool, taking out a little brush that he dabbled into a bottle of clear, thick liquid that he then painted on the Red crystal¡¯s edges. This part could be done sloppily: but Suro wouldn¡¯t accept that. There should be no awkward blobs or uneven polish; it should be almost imperceptible, while also not coating the faces at all so the crystal could still be used for magic.

    Suro had done this a million times before, but he would not rush. Never.

    When he was done, he removed his tool from his left paw and held the crystal within it. Moving it along the table a bit, he was satisfied it wasn¡¯t going to cut him and that the polish had done its job: hardening overtop the edges so they couldn¡¯t re-sharpen without pushing the polish out of the way first, something that would take much longer than if it was just exposed to air. The crystal would deform long before the polish wore off.

    But, for now, it would be a beautiful gem in a magic ring, perhaps the most common piece Suro made in his workshop. He opened up a wooden drawer and took out an arc of metal with an empty place to set a gemstone. At this point, he put his tool back on and carefully nestled the Red gem within the ring, its point sticking out. He checked to make sure the flat edge was pressed to the bottom of the ring; otherwise, it would not be in contact with the wearer¡¯s skin and just be a pretty rock on a finger.

    To be fair, the gem was small. It couldn¡¯t be used for much more than heating up things like cups of tea, but it made an excellent little convenience device for the common person. Very little skill was required to operate a simple ring of heating.

    ¡°Another simple one?¡±

    Suro set his completed ring down and removed his tools, unable to hide his smile. ¡°They sell well and are quite convenient.¡±

    ¡°You and I both know you can make much more impressive things.¡± The voice belonged to a female cat with perfectly white fur and pale red eyes. She wore a cyan triangle around her neck cut from a Colorless gem.

    Suro pressed his nose to hers. ¡°Lila, I do make bigger things. Vaughan just has to design a core for them.¡±

    ¡°Where would he be without someone to cut his designs?¡±

    ¡°Oh, absolutely nowhere. The precision required to cut a Magenta repeater that will continue to function as the will is reduced is far beyond what even he realizes.¡± He pulled out another drawer, this one filled with multicolored crystal cores composed of finely cut crystals in branching tree-like shapes nested carefully in veins of bronze. ¡°Though sometimes I don¡¯t know why he orders some of these. I mean, these are repeaters. Which are well known to be a useless curiosity.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he has his reasons.¡±

    Suro raised an eyebrow, prompting Lila to laugh.

    ¡°Okay, so maybe he doesn¡¯t,¡± Lila admitted. ¡°I¡¯m just concerned that you¡¯re wasting away in here, making simple, basic devices.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fairly sure Blue is going to design something absurd for me soon enough¡­¡±

    As if on cue, they heard the unmistakable sound of a hoof knocking at the front door.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get it!¡± Four young voices shouted at once from elsewhere in the house. Suro and Lila heard the sound of the door opening followed quickly by a panicked whinny from a lesser unicorn.

    ¡°Hey, dad, it¡¯s Blue!¡± one of the young voices called back.

    ¡°Send her in, and keep your siblings off of her!¡± Suro called, putting his tools away as he did so.

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s actually going to happen?¡± Lila asked.

    ¡°Not in the slightest, she¡¯ll come in here with Miry in her mane.¡±

    Suro wasn¡¯t exactly correct: Blue did, in fact, come in with their youngest daughter, but she was caught in Blue¡¯s tail rather than her mane. Blue was clearly not amused.

    Lila gracefully strutted over to Blue and removed her mewling kitten from her tail.

    ¡°Thanks, Lila,¡± Blue said, flicking her tail back and forth to get the hairs back to at least some semblance of sanity. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you two manage so many kids.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle,¡± Lila said, tone completely serious.

    ¡°Don¡¯t doubt it,¡± Blue agreed. ¡°You might want to go check on the others to make sure they don¡¯t try to eat Jeh again.¡±

    ¡°I believe she was the one who offered last time,¡± Lila said with a twinkle in her eye.

    ¡°It seriously can¡¯t be good to eat whatever Jeh¡¯s made out of, even for carnivores.¡±

    Lila flicked her ears in the cat equivalent of a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do to prevent the predatory feast.¡± With a wink, she left Blue in the study with Suro.

    ¡°So, you know people.¡± Blue sat down on the workshop floor since all the stools around were cat-sized, not unicorn-sized. She was careful not to knock any of the cabinets or specially arranged crystals.

    Suro nodded. ¡°I like to think I know everyone in Willow Hollow, though not all are friends. Vaughan would probably risk his life for mine; the Red Seekers wouldn¡¯t be bothered at all if I were to suddenly drop dead. There¡¯s a scale to these things.¡±

    ¡°Geez, most people don¡¯t get to have either of those.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anyone¡­ ah, I am sorry.¡± Suro shook his head. ¡°I hope, in the future, you¡¯d come to trust me to take such risks for you.¡±

    Blue smiled awkwardly. ¡°Uh¡­ sure.¡±

    Suro let her change the subject¡ªthe girl was not in tune with her emotional state and was not a fan of being vulnerable. It was fine; he¡¯d just wanted her to know he was here and fully intended to be a good friend to her.

    ¡°Anyway, I came here to talk about Jeh. You know what I¡¯ve been trying to do?¡±

    Suro nodded. ¡°Ask her a question.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that. That¡¯s not going well.¡±

    ¡°So you need someone to teach her.¡±

    ¡°Precisely,¡± Blue said. ¡°Someone who knows how to teach language.¡±

    ¡°If Lila weren¡¯t busy at the Sanctuary all the time, she would be perfect. But it¡¯s just her and Akri, so¡­ I think I¡¯ll turn you over to Eifa.¡±

    ¡°¡­Who?¡±

    ¡°My daughter, one of the town¡¯s schoolmasters.¡± Suro jumped down from his seat, gesturing for Blue to stand up. ¡°She went to get an education, decided she hated the economic race, and returned home to use her skills to improve this town. She already works with kids, this should be easy.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Jeh¡¯s a handful¡­¡±

    The two of them left the workshop and entered the house proper, where at least seven young cats were clinging to Jeh. She let out a whine, trying to fling them off, but whenever she removed one another took its place.

    ¡°They like having someone who can take the claws,¡± Lila observed from her position on a large cushion.

    ¡°Tiny cat fur things!¡± Jeh whined.

    Suro couldn¡¯t bring himself to feel sorry for Jeh. She¡¯d known what coming in here meant. The kittens would get her; there was no way out of it¡­ unless, of course, he told his kids to get off.

    He decided to wait a few minutes. They were in no rush to get anywhere.

    ~~~

    Jeh scratched at where the kittens had clawed her. When she¡¯d walked into Suro¡¯s home, she¡¯d intended to find him and pull his leg. Technically in line with what Blue had asked, but also exactly what that black cat needed to liven up his day. Instead, there was only a mob of kittens. If she had been thinking straight she would have remembered that this had happened last time she was there, but her mind had not elected to share this information.

    Now, she was following Blue and Suro as they walked through Willow Hollow, talking. Jeh spent most of her time listening to the words as they flew back and forth between the conversation partners, catching several she knew the meaning of. ¡°I¡± ¡°you¡± ¡°thing¡± ¡°fun¡± ¡°words¡± ¡°learn¡± ¡°understand.¡± She filled in the blanks of a lot of other words and managed to get that they were talking about how she needed to learn the language. This made her feel smug¡ªthey were so sure she couldn¡¯t understand, but here she was, figuring out the context.

    She eventually identified another name constantly being brought up: Eifa. Jeh wondered who that was. Maybe they were going to see her? Or maybe she was just another cat. Jeh had noticed they all had names that came out in two breaths. Suro. Lila. Akri. Eifa. Mouths couldn¡¯t make that many sounds, surely there were more cats than possible names for cats. Was that a problem?

    Jeh started muttering the names under her breath, making up new combinations as she went. She drummed up several dozen before realizing she couldn¡¯t keep track of all the combinations in her head. Finding this delightful, she couldn¡¯t help but giggle to herself.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Blue asked, a sentence Jeh understood in its entirety.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Jeh clapped her hands. ¡°Fun cat names!¡±

    Suro started explaining cat names, but Jeh was unable to follow the nuanced context. She knew he was talking about names and using his family as examples. Examples for what, she had no idea. He stopped in the middle of a sentence, having noticed she was staring at him blankly. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Jeh gave him a thumbs up. ¡°You win.¡±

    Suro bowed and returned to talking to Blue, going back to the conversation about Jeh¡¯s words.

    Jeh focused on it once again, trying to piece together as much as she could. She had so much she wanted to say, but they wouldn¡¯t understand. Understand. She needed to understand them so they could understand her. That was what she needed.

    Blue wanted something from her, something that needed to be communicated, but Jeh still couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. Something about ¡°going up¡± to that ¡°space¡± place Blue and Vaughan talked about all the time. Jeh loved the idea, going up was great fun! But there was this word ¡°danger.¡± Blue always seemed upset or concerned when she said it. Its meaning must have been negative.

    Did it mean there were no snacks in space? That was fine, she didn¡¯t have to eat, the strange feelings in her stomach could be ignored easily. Maybe it meant that she would be there alone? She¡¯d been alone for as long as she could remember, temporarily going back wouldn¡¯t be an issue. Maybe it would just feel strange? Couldn¡¯t possibly feel any stranger than getting mauled to pieces by a bear, and that had been fun. Burning? No, that was ¡°fire.¡± If it had to do with burning, Blue would have used the word ¡°fire.¡±

    Jeh noticed that Blue and Suro had stopped in front of a small wooden building covered in red paint that was peeling off at the edges. A single brass bell hung from a little enclosure on top of the building, the gleam indicating that it was much newer than the building itself.

    Suro entered without knocking, both Blue and Jeh right behind him. The interior of the building consisted of a single room with about a dozen little desks in front of a blackboard. The desks were filled with kids of varying ages consisting mostly of humans with a minority of cats and gari. The seat in front of the blackboard was occupied by a gray cat with a tool around her paw that allowed her to write a lot of strange symbols on the board.

    Words, Jeh had to tell herself. Those are words.

    The gray cat let out a call and all the kids in the desks promptly jumped out of their seats and ran for the door, big smiles on their faces. As soon as they had vacated the premises, Suro and the other cat nuzzled while Suro said something to her. There was a ¡°didn¡¯t¡± in there, which meant ¡°did not¡± but that was about as far as Jeh could get with it before the topic changed.

    Longer conversations were much better for Jeh. She could piece the context together over a longer time that way. Small snippets were bad for her; at least, for now.

    ¡°Jeh?¡± Suro asked, drawing Jeh¡¯s attention. ¡°Eifa.¡±

    So the cat was Eifa. ¡°Hi, Eifa!¡±

    ¡°Glad something something you,¡± Eifa said.

    Jeh had to take a while to process ¡°glad¡± to be one of those positive words Blue had listed to stop Jeh from saying ¡°fun¡± for everything. Everything else gelled as ¡°something¡± in Jeh¡¯s mind to be remembered later if she ever understood the context. Hoping ¡°glad¡± was all she needed to get the idea, Jeh grinned at Eifa. ¡°How do?¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Eifa said, nodding. ¡°I teach you words.¡±

    Jeh looked to Blue, tilting her head to the side. Why couldn¡¯t Blue teach her? Blue was great, Blue had soft fur, and Blue could shoot bright things out of the skewer on her head. Eifa was just a cat with a thing on her paw.

    Blue sensed her confusion. ¡°I something.¡± Something. Jeh¡¯s eye twitched¡ªthis had to be a simple concept.

    Blue was having similar difficulty. ¡°Uh¡­ something not something words?¡±

    ¡°Understand?¡± Jeh offered.

    Blue lit up. ¡°Eifa understand words!¡±

    Ah, that made sense. Eifa was just better at words than Blue. Jeh had to admit, that matched the image she had in her head of Blue fumbling over what to tell her all the time. Often resorting to lists of seeming nonsense.

    Jeh nodded curtly and patted Blue on the back. ¡°Okay. I understand.¡± Wait, that might mean two things. Or three. ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Eifa said, sitting down on her haunches so she was far beneath Jeh¡¯s eyes. ¡°Good words.¡±

    Jeh beamed. ¡°Thanks!¡±

    ¡°Word: ¡®teacher.¡¯ Is: me something you understand.¡°

    Teacher. Sounds a lot like ¡°teach,¡± which Blue says a lot when talking about me understanding. I think¡­ ¡°You teach?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Eifa lit up, letting out a soft purr. ¡°I teach words, numbers, more.¡±

    ¡°I teach bears!¡±

    ¡°You teach ¡®about¡¯ bears.¡±

    ¡°About¡­¡± Jeh still wasn¡¯t sure on ¡°about.¡± Might as well be ¡°something.¡±

    ¡°Teach me about bears.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­¡± Jeh rubbed the back of her head.

    ¡°Teach me; you understand bears. Words about bears. Bear words.¡±

    ¡°Bear words¡­ Bears brown. Bears big. Bears¡­¡± She held up her mitt and pointed at the part with the claw in it. ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Claw.¡±

    ¡°Bear claws!¡±

    ¡°Bears have claws.¡±

    ¡°Have?¡±

    ¡°Word: ¡®have¡¯. I have words. Bears have claws. You have hands.¡±

    ¡°Have¡­ I have hands!¡± She held up her hands and laughed. ¡°I have feet!¡± She started going through the list she had of every part of her body she knew about so far, and when she arrived at a part she didn¡¯t know, she¡¯d just ask Eifa and she¡¯d lay it out in her nice ¡°Word: word¡± arrangement that was so helpful.

    Every word carried with it a meaning.

    Blue stepped in at this point, expressing thanks. She used gestures to let Jeh know she should stay here with Eifa, something Jeh readily agreed to. At this, Suro and Blue left, releasing Jeh to the care of Eifa.

    Eifa said something that sounded important that escaped Jeh¡¯s understanding. ¡°They something something understand something something you say know something Blue and Vaughan something something.*¡±

    *Let it be known that much abstraction is taking place here. The syntax of the language Jeh is learning¡ªor re-learning as the case may be¡ªis nothing like English. The language itself is Karli, one of the more widely spoken languages on Ikyu, and one of the few to not be generally confined by the boundaries of race**. It is the most common human language but it actually originated with xolotls, an amphibious cave-dwelling race that found itself in the middle of a lot of other races in ancient times.

    **You already know about ¡°race,¡± go look at the other footnote again.

    ¡°Word: ¡®chalk,¡¯ ¡° Eifa said.

    Jeh focused all her attention on Eifa, ready to learn as many words as possible.

    ~~~

    ¡°Vaughan! Vaughan!¡± Blue shouted, running into the backyard with a cart hitched to her, threatening to knock the human-sized glass jar out of her transport.

    ¡°Blue, don¡¯t break that!¡±

    ¡°I have it tied down!¡± Blue said, skidding to a stop just in front of Vaughan¡¯s top-covered workbench. ¡°Here, check this out¡­¡± She surrounded the jar in her magical aura, unloading it from the cart and setting it in the dust next to Vaughan. It may have been absurdly heavy but her skill with telekinesis made it look easy.

    He examined the jar, nodding slowly. ¡°You know, for a hunk of glass, this sure was expensive¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Blue said, levitating out several small crystal cores¡ªthe repeaters Vaughan had ordered from Suro.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Ah, I bet you¡¯re wondering why I ordered useless repeate¡ª¡°

    ¡°No, that¡¯s obvious. This is what you need to see.¡± Blue popped one of the wheels off the cart, axle and all. She lifted it up in her telekinesis, smiling smugly. ¡°This is going to blow your little mind.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Blue levitated the wheel and axle over to him. ¡°Hold the axle on both ends with your hands, leaving the wheel alone.¡±

    He did as asked, feeling a little silly.

    ¡°Now flip it around, changing the position of your hands.¡±

    He easily flipped the wheel and axle over with no effort. ¡°Blue, what i¡ª¡°

    ¡°Now hold¡­¡± She pushed her magical aura onto the wheel, prompting it to spin on the axle. ¡°Now try to turn it back.¡±

    Vaughan did as asked, trying to turn the spinning wheel back to the original position, but he found it remarkably difficult. It felt as though an invisible force were trying to pull his arms to the side, and it took considerably more effort to right the wheel. ¡°Woah¡­¡±

    ¡°The stabilizing effect of rotation is so strong you can feel it on this wheel!¡± Blue stamped her hooves several times in repetition.

    ¡°Blue, can you hold it in your telekinesis for a moment?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, sure.¡± She levitated the wheel into the air. For good measure, she gave it more spin.

    ¡°Now hold it steady, but let me adjust it¡­¡± Vaughan touched his finger to the axle and pushed¡ªfinding it difficult to do, but nonetheless he tilted the axle at a slight angle, where it remained after he removed his finger. ¡°Hmmm¡­ It resists, but doesn¡¯t bounce back.¡±

    ¡°Weird¡­¡± Blue frowned. ¡°We might have to compensate for that.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°A very¡­ very good question.¡± Blue set the wheel and axle down, scratching her chin with a hoof. ¡°We might need to use those repeaters of yours, now.¡± She frowned. ¡°But even if we make something that can fly, there¡¯s no way to know if it¡¯s survivable without¡­ tests.¡±

    ¡°How is Jeh doing with Eifa?¡±

    ¡°Pretty good, she¡¯s getting a lot more vocabulary. Still, Eifa says she hasn¡¯t managed to understand what we want from her yet.¡± Blue flicked her tail. ¡°That¡¯s the problem with a complex risk¡ªreward situation.¡±

    ¡°The risk to her is nil¡­¡±

    ¡°By the Eighth, the Arcane Ethics Board will eat you alive.¡±

    ¡°May I remind you that the so-called ¡®Ethics Board¡¯ approved zapping a sleeping dragon with Purple-derived lightning?¡±

    Blue blinked a few times. ¡°I¡¯ll make my own Ethics Board. With reasonable people on it!¡±

    ¡°Where are you going to find a reasonable person?¡±

    ¡°Suro.¡±

    ¡°That has the required magic knowledge?¡±

    Blue let out an annoyed whinny, unable to come up with a response to that.

    Vaughan chuckled to himself, picking up one of his Yellow tops and setting it spinning. They were amazingly fun. The team just needed to know more about how they could be used.

    ¡°Blue, levitate this top. I¡¯m going to throw pebbles at it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sure.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Fruit juice!¡± Jeh said, grinning.

    Seskii gasped. ¡°Oh my gosh, that¡¯s right! You got it, Jeh!¡± She took one of her orange juice bottles and handed it to Jeh. ¡°You¡¯re learning a lot of words!¡±

    ¡°Lots of words are mine,¡± Jeh said, proud of herself as she downed the drink.

    ¡°You¡¯re making a lot of progress with her,¡± Seskii said, turning to Eifa.

    If only she could understand what I wanted her to. Eifa nodded curtly. ¡°Thanks. She clearly already knew how to talk at some point, there¡¯s no doubt about it. Though she seems to be missing a lot of concepts.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± Seskii asked, pouring one of her juices into the other, watching as the colors mixed before her eyes.

    ¡°Well, for one, things having to do with time are very messed up in her head. I¡¯ve gotten her to recognize words relating to the present, past, and future rather well, but she seems to have no concept of the difference between a week and a month or a year. Sure, she can treat them like numbers and recite them back to me, but conceptually they¡¯re all lumped together for her.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a strange one. What about pain?¡±

    Eifa tensed slightly. ¡°Pain?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, does she have difficulty with that?¡± Seskii locked her eyes with Eifa¡¯s. The innocent pink irises made Eifa uncomfortable.

    ¡°Wh-why yes, she has difficulty with pain.¡± Eifa flicked her ears back. ¡°Can¡¯t seem to understand the idea at all.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a regenerator, it makes sense.¡± Seskii took a sniff of one of her own concoctions. Finding the smell atrocious, she stuck out her tongue and hid it beneath the kiosk. ¡°If you could get stabbed through the hand and be just fine a minute later, pain becomes a non-issue.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ certainly makes sense, yes.¡± But that can¡¯t be the end of it. There¡¯s more than just physical pain, there¡¯s mental pain as well. I have to tap into that. Somehow.

    ¡°Sense!¡± Jeh jumped up, pointing at her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth in quick succession, ending by wiggling her fingers around.

    ¡°Yes, Jeh, those are your senses,¡± Eifa said, giving her a big smile. ¡°Now, we should go visit Lila, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Ooh, Lila!¡± Jeh clapped her hands several times and then set off for the Sanctuary all on her own.

    Eifa sighed. ¡°She has no concept of staying with me, either¡­¡±

    ¡°Girl survived alone in the forest for years,¡± Seskii said. ¡°Why would she have any problem with wandering off on her own?¡±

    Eifa decided the fruit juice seller had gotten enough words in edgewise today. Eifa bid Seskii farewell and set out to the Sanctuary; the only one in town, run by her mother. On her better days, Eifa liked to think of the simple structure as quaint and full of character. On days like today, she felt disdain over the fact that her mother worked in such a ramshackle hovel that nobody appreciated. Sure, most of the town came to meditation service at the end of the week, but Eifa knew they all wished the Sanctuary was a bit more than just a wall around an altar.

    The only nice part about the Sanctuary was the grand upward-facing triangle cut out of cyan gemstones¡ªof the mundane sort, naturally, since Colored crystals were a terrible long-term construction material. It really was a shame that the triangle was the only nice thing about the Sanctuary, and it was smaller than the ones in most other Sanctuaries as well! During her time in the cities, Eifa had seen many immensely impressive Sanctuaries with vaulted ceilings, brilliant windows, and candles larger than people, not to mention triangles composed of smaller triangles in a repeating pattern that found complexity in simplicity.

    The singular triangle of Willow Hollow¡¯s Sanctuary was only impressive by comparison with the rest of the town.

    As Eifa led Jeh to the Sanctuary, she frowned. Is that¡­ red? Picking up the pace, Eifa ran to the Sanctuary, finding that the walls had been absolutely covered in bright red graffiti. The art was terrible¡ªEifa was able to make out attempts at flames and geometric symbols in the scrawls, but none of them were quite right. Worst of all, though, was the simple red ¡°X¡± placed overtop the Sanctuary¡¯s triangle; not even an attempt at art, just an outright blasphemous degradation.

    Lila was currently standing on top of the Sanctuary¡¯s wall in her full Keeper¡¯s robes, scrubbing away at the triangle with a soapy rag. The pristine white of her fur and robes were stained with the insulting red, but she plugged away at the cleaning job.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Eifa shouted. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Lila looked down from her position on the wall, forcing a feline smile. ¡°Ah, well, those Red Seekers are at it again¡­¡±

    ¡°Mom! They aren¡¯t some teenage rascals pulling a prank!¡±

    ¡°Perhaps not, but we must take these things in stride. We made the Choice, after all.¡±

    ¡°So did they!¡±

    ¡°Ah, but they have not yet acknowledged it. And so we must be patient.¡±

    Eifa scrunched up her nose and glanced at the top of the mountain. The sun was high in the sky so she couldn¡¯t see the Eternal Flame, but she knew it was up there. The Red Temple, filled with its blasphemous, violent Seekers. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the mayor do anything?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve asked him not to, Eifa. Willow Hollow doesn¡¯t need that much commotion.¡±

    ¡°Commotion!?¡± She pointed at Mount Cascade¡¯s peak. ¡°They live up there! There wouldn¡¯t be any commotion!¡±

    ¡°Eifa¡­¡± Lila stopped her scrubbing and gave her daughter a long, sad look.

    Eifa folded her ears back and hung her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It just¡­ it makes me so mad to see this happen to you and your Sanctuary. You¡­ deserve better.¡±

    ¡°Eifa, what we deserve is already given unto us, everything in this life is a bonus.¡±

    Yeah, well, can¡¯t exactly go back that far, can we? Eifa inwardly winced, hating her thoughts for being so snappy and spiteful. It wasn¡¯t right. ¡°Mom, even so, you don¡¯t have to take this lying down. Surely there¡¯s something you can do¡­¡±

    ¡°Naturally.¡± Lila held up the soapy rag. ¡°Clean.¡±

    ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    ¡°And ask for help,¡± Suro said, arriving on the scene with several of the kids and a small cart filled with cleaning supplies. The eldest, a black cat named Akri, was in a robe similar to Lila¡¯s but gray¡ªindicating his position as an acolyte of the Sanctuary. He jumped up to his mother and she swung him onto the wall with her, where they both immediately set to cleaning the triangle.

    Eifa rolled her eyes, but took a rag of her own. ¡°Dad, can you maybe tell her to¡­ I don¡¯t know, fight back in some way?¡±

    Suro found this idea so absurd he burst into tremendous laughter.

    ¡°¡­Dad, I¡¯m serious.¡±

    ¡°Eifa, Eifa¡­ you know your mother. If she thinks she needs to fight, she will fight to the end and take as many with her as she can. You weren¡¯t around when we first met, but none of those stories I tell are exaggerations.¡±

    ¡°Suro, are you talking about my past again?¡± Lila called from above.

    ¡°Both our pasts, Lila!¡±

    ¡°Just making sure you aren¡¯t making it sound like a grand adventure!¡±

    ¡°But it was!¡±

    Lila shook her head and let out a sad laugh. ¡°You¡­ Suro, you were the only one who can live through all that and call it a ¡®grand adventure¡¯ with that dumb smile of yours.¡±

    Eifa rolled her eyes. ¡°Stop flirting over the past you two, I know the story. I¡­ find it hard to believe sometimes, but I know.¡± She turned to her mother with sad eyes. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to go back to that violence, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking. You¡¯re not exploiting anyone, you¡¯re not being cruel, you¡¯d be taking a stand for what matters.¡±

    ¡°I am taking a stand for what matters,¡± Lila countered. ¡°I am taking a stand for peace in the face of adversity. Forgiveness in the face of hate.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s got you there,¡± Suro said with a flick of his tail.

    Of all the times for this conscience of hers to rear up¡­ Eifa let out a sigh. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll let it slide. But I¡¯m bringing it up if it happens again!¡±

    ¡°Of that, I am certain,¡± Lila chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯m not that predictable!¡±

    Suro chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re her daughter, she knows how you think.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Lila asked. ¡°Because I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why I married your mother,¡± Suro said, pointing up at her. ¡°That impeccable instinct of hers. Doesn¡¯t even have to think, she just does.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Lila huffed. ¡°Last week you said you married me for my ¡®paramount sense of duty.¡¯ Which is it, Suro?¡±

    ¡°Whichever one you want, Keeper of my Heart.¡±

    ¡°Eeeeeew!¡± one of the kittens squealed, shaking her head. ¡°Talk about something else!¡±

    ¡°Oh, we appear to be agonizing the children,¡± Lila deadpanned.

    ¡°To appease our tiny overlords: new topic.¡± Suro turned to face Eifa. ¡°So, how¡¯s teaching Jeh going?¡±

    ¡°Well enough, but slower than I¡¯d like,¡± Eifa admitted. ¡°There are a few things she doesn¡¯t get but¡­ well, why not just try to talk to her? Hey, Jeh!¡±

    There was no response. Jeh was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°¡­Jeh?¡± Eifa asked, a sinking feeling developing in her stomach.

    ~~~

    Crystal repeaters were often considered useless devices. While the thought of an arcane device duplicating a spell signature so it could cast forever without anyone to manage it was a brilliant idea on paper, there was a major problem. That problem was that, without an external will driving the process, the potency of the spell wore down to almost nothing alarmingly quickly. The exact speed depended a lot on the sort of spell in the first place, but this limitation enforced all arcane devices to have a user on them almost constantly.

    Repeaters would purposefully burn through the spell they had stored as many times as possible before petering out. Rare was the repeater design that lasted for more than a few seconds on its own.

    Luckily, for Vaughan¡¯s purposes, he only needed a few seconds. Ever since the repeaters had arrived, he¡¯d been strapping them to his Yellow tops. The cores he¡¯d ordered were marble-like nodules with a simple Orange command: push themselves as quickly in one direction as possible. If attached to a top, they¡¯d drag the top with them. On such small scales, an impressive amount of distance was covered in a few seconds, which allowed Vaughan and Blue to get some data on how things flew through the air while spinning.

    He was hoping for even better results today.

    This time, he had a Yellow top encased in a little frame made of more Yellow crystal: the top would spin while the frame remained stationary, in theory. He affixed the repeater to the top, let the Yellow crystal spin, and ordered the repeater to release. It flew right into the air and started tumbling almost immediately, coming to an unceremonious landing in the dirt by Blue. The impact knocked the repeater off, at which point it flew right into Blue¡¯s horn before running out of energy.

    ¡°Ow¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Vaughan asked, slamming his hands on the desk. ¡°It¡¯s spinning, but the outside isn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°I think it has to do with the air,¡± Blue said. ¡°Remember our experiments with the arrows? By spinning them you create wind, it works both ways. I¡¯m beginning to think anything spinning in air creates a whirlwind around it, and whirlwinds are just naturally unstable.¡±

    Vaughan frowned. ¡°I want to be able to see it while it¡¯s flying¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, you already tried to follow it with your new levitator, that went so well.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t crash!¡±

    ¡°These don¡¯t go high enough for you to really lose control.¡± Blue levitated the top in a frame out of the dust and rotated the interior. She shifted her head to the side, holding it as loosely as she possibly could. She watched as the frame itself started to rotate with the top. ¡°Or maybe our frame is being turned by the top while in flight, or something.¡±

    ¡°We need to spin to be stable, but we can¡¯t cause whirlwinds¡­¡± Vaughan pressed his hands to his nose and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t even¡­ What is it about arrows that work so well?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the fletching,¡± Blue said, pulling a bunch of papers out of a nearby crate they had been stuffing with data. ¡°I think it¡¯s the shape. Long arrows generally fly higher and straighter.¡±

    ¡°But the tall and thin tops fall over!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s clearly a difference that occurs when moving through air. Whatever we make is probably going to need to be long and thin, or have some other way to¡­ stabilize.¡±

    Vaughan recognized that look¡ªthe slight wrinkle of the snout, the widening of the eyes, the blank expression. She was getting an idea.

    ¡°What if¡­ we didn¡¯t worry about keeping everything in line?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Vaughan asked.

    Blue picked up the repeater, holding it in front of her eye. ¡°This thing flies straight through the air by itself.¡±

    ¡°It gets diverted by wind¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, but what if it could tell if it was being diverted? What if, when the frame it is inside of rotates, it rotates the opposite way?¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°That would be a complicated mechanism¡­¡±

    ¡°A level.¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°A level. It¡¯s one of the newer things they have at the Academy telescopes, but it¡¯s a remarkably simple little device: it¡¯s a tube with some liquid and an air bubble in it. When it¡¯s laying flat, it¡¯s level. Tilt it to the side, the bubble goes up, it¡¯s not level. It¡¯s very simple, and we could use something like that. Make sure the repeater¡ªor internal push device being run by you or Jeh¡ªis always pointing up, dragging everything along with it!¡± Blue levitated up the blackboard and started drawing something new on it.

    She started with a sphere and placed a repeater inside of it. ¡°We push from inside. No matter which direction this sphere is turned, we don¡¯t tumble; it¡¯s like throwing a ball. The wind rotates it, the core still pushes upward. I¡¯m envisioning some kind of joint¡­¡± She drew a socket around the repeater, trying to turn it around in her mind. ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯ll be a hard part to make It¡¯ll have to withstand a lot of force and be really smooth¡­¡±

    Now it was Vaughan¡¯s turn for an idea. ¡°Blue, Blue; why does it have to withstand a lot of force?¡±

    ¡°Well, we have to fly through the air, and it takes a lot of force to move that quickly.¡±

    ¡°Why do we have to move quickly?¡± Vaughan picked up the new levitator and demonstrated how it slowly lifted him up. ¡°Why not go slow?¡±

    ¡°Go¡­ slow¡­¡± Blue scribbled some numbers on the blackboard, performing a few calculations. ¡°Well, it¡¯s simple to pack enough Orange for the journey if you use it slowly. There would be almost no strain on the socket if done properly¡­ Heck, if we did it slowly, you might be able to compensate for the changes in wind speed by instinct.¡±

    ¡°How long would it take to see the curvature, then?¡±

    ¡°Hmm... well, that depends on how good your eyes are.¡±

    ¡°I ran the calculation last week, about 11,000 meters.* ¡±

    *Naturally, Ikyu has about seven dozen different standards of measurement, none of which are very reasonable. All applicable values are converted to metric for your sake, and for mine.

    ¡°How did you calculate that¡­?¡± Blue asked. ¡°¡­Nevermind, so, 11,000 meters. Well, if we go up at a rate of a meter every ten seconds, that would be¡­ 110,000 seconds, or 30 hours.¡±

    ¡°A full day?¡±

    Blue smirked. ¡°That¡¯s taking it absurdly slow. It¡¯s probably safe to go at about a meter a second, so 3 hours. 6 if we want to go a little slower. And as for how long it will take to get to the moon at that rate¡­¡± Her eyes flipped open wide. ¡°Holy Eights, over a hundred thousand hours. A trip that long would probably exhaust your food supply.¡±

    Vaughan frowned. ¡°Going slow won¡¯t do it then?¡±

    ¡°Actually... I think it will. It will at least get us up far enough where we can perform more tests, figure out how things work with much less air.¡± Blue clicked her tongue a few times. ¡°In fact, if we go slow, a lot of our headaches may be unnecessary. The old harness design might work just fine if¡­ well, if we can find a way to breathe.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, breathing.¡± Vaughan turned to look at the giant jar they¡¯d ordered and so far done nothing with. ¡°I could just seal myself in there and you could get me out if something goes wrong.¡±

    Blue facehooved. ¡°You really are a moron, you know that? We don¡¯t know the long-term effects!¡±

    ¡°Jeh¡¯s not making much progress¡­¡±

    ¡°We can continue working with the repeaters for now,¡± Blue asserted. ¡°Your little dream of going up isn¡¯t going anywhere.¡±

    Vaughan took a moment to scratch his beard. ¡°Blue, was that a joke?¡±

    Blue never got to respond to him, because at that moment Eifa ran into the yard and flopped onto the ground, gasping for breath. ¡°Je-Je-Jeh¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it!?¡± Blue asked, galloping over to her. She avoided using Green on Eifa to avoid scrambling her awareness.

    ¡°Jeh¡­ she¡­ I think she¡¯s going to the Red Seekers! They¡­¡±

    ¡°The mountain¡­¡± Vaughan grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡±

    ¡°Come on!¡± Blue shouted. ¡°We¡¯ve got to do something!¡±

    ¡°Way ahead of you, Blue.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ~~~

    Jeh knew a few things.

    One: the ¡°Sanctuary¡± was not supposed to have red stuff painted all over it.

    Two: the fact that there was red on it made Eifa and her mom upset.

    Three: something something on top of the mountain was related to it.

    So that¡¯s where she was going, to the top of the mountain to stop whatever it was that was painting the ¡°Sanctuary¡± red. The claws on her bear mitts were exposed and she was bounding up the mountain at high speed.

    To most in Willow Hollow, the trail that went up Mount Cascade was considered to be of poor quality and not exactly safe. Only the occasional hiker and the Red Seekers ever took it, and even the experienced took a few hours to follow it all the way to the top. Inexperienced travelers would find that they likely couldn¡¯t make it to the top and back down in the time between sunrise and sunset.

    Jeh was not inexperienced by any means. She could have climbed the forested mountain without a trail with ease. The trail made it a pathetically easy journey.

    She moved like the wild animals, bounding along with quick, flighty movements¡ªsometimes using her hands as extra feet to propel herself forward, though this was limited in use. Despite living in a forest and mostly observing quadrupeds, it was still natural for Jeh to walk upright. It was what her body was designed for, after all.

    As her elevation increased, the number of trees started to go down, revealing more bare rock. Had it not been the middle of summer, there would have been snow on the ground, but Jeh was spared that annoyance. The bear furs kept her more than warm enough from the slight elevation chills.

    Near the very top of the mountain sat her destination: the Red Seeker¡¯s camp. She didn¡¯t know that was what it was called, but she labeled the place Red in her mind since the Color was everywhere. There were only five stone buildings and a central fire pit, but every last one of the structures was lined with copious amounts of Red crystal. The buildings were rounded and chiseled out of the surrounding mountain rock, with two of them sharing more in common with a cave than a free-standing building. Naturally, they were painted bright red. The fire pit, on the other hand, was clearly constructed rather than chiseled, with expertly carved stones arranged in a circle, within which sat a raging fire taller even than Vaughan¡¯s cabin. Jeh could already feel the ambient air getting warmer, and she wasn¡¯t even in the camp yet.

    She decided to circle around, get a better look before charging right in. There were maybe a dozen people there, all human so far as she could tell, and all wearing crimson robes with hoods that shrouded their heads. Two of the people were at the fire pit, hands pressed to the sides that had Red crystals in them¡ªadding fuel to the immense bonfire, perhaps. Being that close to the flame had to be uncomfortable, but the two remained dutifully at their posts.

    The largest building, which had been situated mostly behind the bonfire on Jeh¡¯s approach, had a roof made almost entirely out of Red with a solid Red protrusion coming out the top a bit larger than an adult human. This massive crystal was not cut but had naturally grown into a somewhat impressive starburst of veins.

    Jeh wondered how much she could light on fire if she could just touch the massive crysatal. She might even be able to melt rock.

    Jeh shook her head¡ªshe wasn¡¯t here to blow things up. She¡¯d seen enough to put her plan into motion.

    She walked straight up the path into the camp and waved her mitted hands. ¡°Hi!¡±

    The robed individuals all turned to stare at her. A few took off their hoods, revealing a mixture of men and women with absolutely bewildered faces.

    ¡°I¡¯m Jeh! You stop¡­ color Eifa and mom cat, please? Thanks!¡±

    The bewildered stares continued.

    Oops. I probably can¡¯t talk well enough.

    She knitted her brow, trying to figure out another way to get her message across. She made a ¡°meow¡± sound and drew a triangle in the air. That got a reaction out of them¡ªthey all tensed up, though they looked just as confused as before.

    A tall woman with ears studded with at least a dozen Red beads approached Jeh. Jeh was fairly sure the crimson of her hair wasn¡¯t a natural color and was dyed with the same paint as the houses. The woman said something commanding. ¡°Something something Red something why something something you here?¡±

    Jeh knew exactly what she was asking and was infuriated that she couldn¡¯t express the answer. ¡°I here¡­ talk words, uh¡­ friends? No, no, wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°Ukulele!¡±

    To Jeh this sounded like a perfectly reasonable name for the short, robed creature that came out of one of the cavern-like buildings. It was slightly shorter than Jeh, and when it removed its hood, Jeh wasn¡¯t sure exactly where to look: its head was green and lumpy, with eight eyes spread at all angles around it. These eyes had multiple compound segments of an obsidian color that, all together, made up for well over half the volume of the being¡¯s actual head.

    When it spoke, it spoke with a strange buzzing from various mouths that ringed its head. Jeh was completely unable to understand it.

    Ukelele approached Jeh, holding out a limb¡ªthough its limb was so short the sleeve completely covered it. Jeh felt no fear, she was actually a little curious about what it was doing.

    Then, so imperceptible that she almost missed it, Jeh saw a burst of Yellow from inside the dark of Ukelele¡¯s sleeves. For a brief moment, Jeh felt the essence of Ukelele, but she wasn¡¯t able to retain much since the sensation of seeing out of eight eyes at once was a lot to take in. Just as she¡¯d come to accept the new view of the world, the connection ended, and Jeh was standing in front of Ukelele as though nothing had happened.

    Ukelele turned to the tall red woman and spoke something to her. The woman¡¯s face contorted in rage. She turned to Jeh, small embers bursting out of the Red in her ears. ¡°You something something Sanctuary!?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ yes?¡± She tilted her head to the side, expressing confusion.

    ¡°Get her,¡± the woman ordered. Immediately four of the others rushed Jeh.

    Morons.

    With a giggle, Jeh jumped into the air, landing on the tallest one¡¯s shoulders. She took her bone out of her hair and whacked him with it. Dazed, he stumbled into two of the others, but the fourth grabbed Jeh by the ankle. For his trouble, he got a slash to the arm. The bear claws were not the best-kept weapons in the world, but they struck with enough force to draw blood.

    The fiery woman let out a shriek and produced a long Red crystal. Jeh felt the skin on her left arm start to burn and char. It was an interesting sensation, and not one the wildlife in the forest had ever attacked her with. She took a moment to appreciate the appearing and disappearing black marks on her arm.

    ¡°What!?¡± the woman shouted.

    Jeh gave her a wink before throwing the bone at her forehead. The woman stumbled back, dropping her crystal onto the ground¡ªat which point Jeh swooped it up and bit down on it with her teeth, making contact with it. She pointed one of her bear claws threateningly at the woman while giving just enough will to the crystal to make it glow slightly.

    ¡°Mmmmnnghh,¡± Jeh said. She hoped her intent got through.

    ¡°No!¡± the woman shrieked. She must have had more Red hidden in her robes because at that point a new flame appeared¡ªcondensed into such a small point in front of Jeh that it exploded. The shockwave knocked Jeh back, forcing the crystal out of her mouth. Dazed, she took a moment to get her bearings, but that was all the others needed to pin her to the ground. All four of her limbs were stuck, and no amount of screeching and yelling from her was going to get them off.

    She may have been strong, but she was small and outnumbered.

    ¡°Throw her something the something flame!¡±

    Jeh had no difficulty parsing that. They were going to throw her in the fire.

    My bear furs! I worked hard on these! She resumed her struggles in earnest, but it was to no avail. They carried her over to the crackling bonfire.

    ¡°Wait! Wait!¡±

    Jeh blinked¡ªthat was Suro¡¯s voice. She craned her neck upward just in time to see a black cat¡¯s paw grab a rock and pull the rest of Suro into full view. The journey up the mountain had not been kind to him; a branch stuck out of his ear, one leg was cut pretty badly, and there was mud all over his left side.

    ¡°¡­Suro¡­¡± the fiery woman growled.

    ¡°Jeh is a kid!¡± Suro called, following it up with something Jeh couldn¡¯t parse, at which point Suro and the woman entered an argument that Jeh was unable to follow besides the fact that the woman kept insulting Suro for some reason. It looked like she wanted to cut him up into cat-steaks, and Jeh had no idea why she didn¡¯t.

    Then Jeh heard loud shouting from somewhere in the distance. She tried to listen to it, but the sound of Suro¡¯s argument drowned it out. It wasn¡¯t until one of the other robed individuals tapped the woman on the shoulder that it became clear what the sound was.

    Blue and Vaughan.

    Shouting at each other.

    While flying through the air on a tangle of ropes, a levitator, and what appeared to be a blackboard with one of the ropes tied haphazardly around its base.

    It was clearly a very haphazard construction¡ªif it could even be called a construction¡ªbut it had done its job.

    As they flew overhead, the blackboard smacked the fiery woman in the face, knocking her over. The force on the rope attached to it removed what little control Blue and Vaughan had on the levitator and the two of them came crashing down, landing painfully on the rocky mountain crag.

    Vaughan emerged with his scepter held high and an aura of Green surrounding him¡ªundoing all the bruises and tears in his coat the landing had caused.

    Oh, so that¡¯s what he was supposed to do when he crashed the first time.

    Vaughan aggressively pointed his scepter at the fiery woman and said something.

    The woman, still rubbing her head, glared at him with an intense fury. She started shouting again.

    Unlike Suro, Vaughan had a suitable response to this. He slammed his scepter onto the ground, mingling Red, Orange, Blue, and Magenta together. Several Red crystals lying around the camp levitated into the air and started moving in circles, directing their points at the robed individuals. The Red crystals began to generate points of heat in front of them, at which point the Blue crystals activated, increasing the rate heat was stored by such a margin that the burning spheres became blue-hot.

    The woman held up her hands in surrender. The people holding Jeh down released her.

    Vaughan nodded in understanding. He ordered all the balls of blue heat to release upward, filling the sky with a beam of energy that, for a single moment, heated up the surroundings far more than the bonfire ever could.

    Blue let out a low whistle, saying something to Vaughan that was presumably witty, but all Jeh got was ¡°never¡± and ¡°you mad.¡±

    Suro started talking again with a calm, disarming voice, gesturing with his tail that they should go back down the mountain. Vaughan nodded¡ªbut he never got to say anything. Instead, Blue let out a shocked gasp, pointing at the giant Red crystal. ¡°Morons!¡± Ah, Blue¡¯s favorite word. ¡°Something something big!¡± Then there was the word ¡°dangerous¡± again.

    She was upset about it being big, and it was associated with ¡°dangerous¡­¡±

    Something in Jeh¡¯s mind clicked. She looked down at the blood on one of her bear mitts. Oh. Danger. That thing that happens to other people. That¡¯s what it is.

    As Jeh felt rather smug with herself, Blue stopped herself in the middle of her rant and coughed awkwardly, letting out what Jeh identified as a hasty but insincere apology. She telekinetically picked up the levitator and the mangled mess of ropes still tied to it. Without examining it too closely, she trotted over to Jeh, hastily herding her back down the mountain. Suro joined them.

    Vaughan stayed behind for a moment, pointing his scepter aggressively at everyone just to make sure they didn¡¯t try anything¡ªthen he, too, descended the mountain.

    ~~~

    ¡°I know danger now!¡± Jeh said, rushing into Eifa¡¯s home.

    Eifa lived in a two-room cottage, so anyone bashing through her front door in the middle of the night could easily see her jump out of bed with a shriek, claws bared to take on whatever it was that threatened her. Jeh almost got slashed across the face, not that she would have minded.

    ¡°J-jeh..?¡± Eifa stared blankly at the shape in the doorway lit only by moonlight. ¡°What... Why¡­¡± She took a moment to reduce her vocabulary to Jeh¡¯s level. ¡°Why come night?¡±

    ¡°Trip done! Mountain done!¡±

    ¡°...Vaughan and Blue?¡±

    ¡°Yes! They tired.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Eifa glanced at the stars outside. No kidding, they had to get back down¡­

    ¡°I know danger now!¡±

    ¡°You know word danger or danger?¡±

    ¡°Word. Danger not me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Danger not you?¡±

    Jeh lifted up her bear claws and cut a massive gash into her arm, demonstrating her bloodless regeneration once again.

    ¡°Many dangers,¡± Eifa said, placing a paw on Jeh¡¯s leg. ¡°Strange dangers.¡±

    ¡°Danger not me.¡± Jeh clicked her tongue, tilting her head in thought. ¡°Blue want danger things.¡±

    She¡¯s about to understand, here¡¯s my chance. ¡°Blue danger you.¡±

    ¡°Blue danger Blue,¡± Jeh countered. ¡°I not-danger! Blue, danger.¡±

    No, kid, come on¡­ ¡°You avoid danger.¡±

    ¡°Nah. Bear claws fun!¡±

    Eifa failed to see the connection. It¡¯s too late for this, but this is unimaginably important. If she doesn¡¯t understand¡­ ¡°Blue danger things you.¡±

    ¡°Blue not-danger things me,¡± Jeh countered, folding her arms.

    ¡°But she¡­ Jeh, you not do danger things!¡±

    ¡°I do danger things!¡± Jeh shouted, her smile vanishing. ¡°I. Do. Danger. Things!¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t!¡± Eifa held out a paw wide. ¡°They¡¯re taking advantage of you!¡±

    Jeh tilted her head at ¡°advantage,¡± frown deepening.

    ¡°Jeh, you do you want.¡±

    ¡°Not-danger things!¡±

    ¡°Jeh, you don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    Jeh put her hands on her hips and let out a harrumph. ¡°I understand!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t. I¡ª¡°

    Jeh stamped her foot in frustration. Then her eyes lit up¡ªan idea had come to her. Immediately, she ran off into the night, leaving Eifa alone in her home.

    I can¡¯t let her go. If she wakes up Blue or Vaughan, they¡¯ll think¡­ Eifa pulled her coat off a wall hanger and threw it over her back. She rushed into the night air, pursuing Jeh. She was significantly slower than the girl, but it was clear that the girl was heading to Vaughan¡¯s cabin, so she didn¡¯t exactly need to keep sight of her. Still, if Vaughan was awake¡­

    This girl is going to throw her life away because she doesn¡¯t understand. She has rights! She shouldn¡¯t just¡­

    Eifa pushed the thoughts out of her head and continued sprinting along the path to Vaughan¡¯s cabin. She very quickly ran out of stamina, being forced to come to a slow walk punctuated only by shallow breathing.

    It occurred to her that she was essentially in the forest in the middle of the night. Granted, predators usually didn¡¯t come this close to Willow Hollow, but that didn¡¯t mean she was completely safe. However, picking up the pace was not an option¡ªshe just wasn¡¯t an athletic cat like her parents. She hadn¡¯t been on great adventures. She was an academic¡­

    Jeh returned faster than Eifa had thought possible, holding a large Yellow crystal in her mitts. She removed a mitt to hold the Yellow in her bare hand, pointing it at Eifa.

    Yellow¡­ Eifa frowned. She is supposedly good at magic. Thi¡ª

    Jeh established contact between them. Eifa had felt the influence of a Yellow crystal before, but that had been a jumble of emotions and had left her feeling nauseous afterward. This¡­ this was far beyond that. She felt the desperation and the frustration of Jeh, as well as the inherent confusion behind those feelings. After this, however, she saw things. A hand being cut off, a chest being stabbed¡­ the sensation of drowning¡­ all of which were interposed with laughter, smiles, and the idea of fun.

    Eifa broke off the connection herself, gasping for air.

    Jeh nodded to her, flipping the Yellow crystal over in her hand. ¡°You, danger. Me, not-danger.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ do understand.¡± Eifa sat down on her haunches. Slowly, she lifted her head, looking into Jeh¡¯s eyes with her own. ¡°How can you¡­ want this?¡±

    Jeh took a moment to think about that one. ¡°Going up sounds fun. Lots not-danger fun.¡±

    ¡°Fun? Is it¡­¡±

    ¡°Blue wants. Blue nice.¡± Jeh smiled warmly. ¡°Do not want Blue danger.¡±

    Eifa let out a sigh. ¡°¡­You win.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± Eifa rose back to all fours and put a paw on Jeh¡¯s leg. ¡°Go to Blue. Tell her.¡±

    ¡°¡­Learn words?¡±

    Eifa nodded. ¡°I teach words.¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± Jeh lifted Eifa up in her arms and hugged her tightly. Eifa, unlike most cats, had learned to accept the tendency of larger creatures to pick her up and squeeze. She had never learned to like it, but for the sake of those she taught she bore the indignity.

    Jeh set Eifa on the ground and ran back to Vaughan¡¯s cabin, whooping the whole way.

    She¡¯ll wake them up long before she arrives. Eifa couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Still¡­ can¡¯t believe she¡¯d throw everything away like that¡­ I don¡¯t understand her. Eifa snorted. Maybe I¡¯m the one who needs to be taught a thing or two.

    With her tail held high she walked¡ªslowly¡ªback to Willow Hollow, forgetting entirely about the potential predators in the forest.

    Luckily for her, there was only one such predator nearby, and it had no interest in having a tiny cat for dinner. But it watched her from the trees nonetheless.

    Eifa passed by the bones of the moose it had eaten without noticing them, despite the fact that the remains were neatly stacked around the tree in a somewhat ritualistic manner, with the skull directed right at the path.

    The predator decided that maybe it needed to move them before daybreak, when a lot more passersby would be able to see them¡­

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT!

    I am not a linguist and there are probably a ton of inaccuracies in how I portrayed language. I rest easy knowing that the above is already ¡°translated¡± from a language far removed from English.

    As for the spaceflight aspects, Blue and Vaughan discovered rightfully that things spinning in air create whirlwinds, and whirlwinds cause a lot of imbalance. There¡¯s a reason rockets are tall and thin rather than wide, and that¡¯s because it¡¯s the best shape to get to orbit while passing through the atmosphere.

    However, they have stumbled across something we on Earth never got to consider: the option of going slowly. We did not have access to Orange crystals that could generate a force in any direction. We had to concern ourselves with things like fuel, exhaust, and the like that ensured we needed to leave the atmosphere quickly. They have the option to go slowly, levitating out like a balloon.

    The way it works is like this: on the surface of Earth the force of gravity acts with an acceleration of 9.8m/s^2, ie. for each second the passes, an object will fall 9.8 m/s faster. The force this exerts is equal to the acceleration times the mass of the object it is acting on. (This is the potentially familiar F=ma equation, otherwise known as the simple form of Newton¡¯s Second Law.) If a force is provided that perfectly opposes gravity, the object becomes effectively weightless. If the force pushing up is just a little stronger, then the object begins to float upward.

    It¡¯d be an effect similar to that of a hot air balloon, except it would be able to continue floating up out of the atmosphere and beyond so long as you kept pointing the force straight.

    As always, though, the ¡°going straight¡± part is the issue. However, unlike designing a gyroscopic rocket from scratch (which was Blue¡¯s first idea), the levitating method requires a lot less precision. You can just point vaguely up and get a similar effect. Sure, you¡¯ll also move sideways a little bit and the most efficient direction is directly upward, but the fact is there is now room for error.

    And if the force pushing the ship is situated inside at the exact center of mass, then there will be no torque that sends it into a spin. All the spin will come from the exterior atmospheric wind, which, well, is its own problem.

    You may note that all the work on tops and gyroscopes might be for nothing. This is how science and engineering work: you try things out, and, more often than you¡¯d think, you get a negative or useless result and have to throw it away, moving on to something new.

    And sometimes you miss the obvious answer that¡¯s sitting right in front of you, like using the ¡°completely useless¡± Yellow crystals to facilitate communication of ideas to and from a child who doesn¡¯t know how to speak.

 004 - Breathing: Simple!

    004

    Breathing: Simple!

    The human-sized glass jar was set up on its side so the sealable opening was easy to crawl in and out of. It was pushed as far back into the shade of the treeline as it could be while still remaining visible from Vaughan¡¯s backyard¡ªthis was so the glass jar would be shaded and not turn into a literal oven quite so easily. Currently, it had a set of soft blankets on the bottom, each made from a different material.

    Jeh stood in front of the jar¡¯s opening, holding a tray in her hands. It contained four objects: a chunk of granite taken from Mount Cascade, a Blue crystal about the size of her mitt-less fist, a mouse in a tiny wire cage, and a freshly watered sunflower sprout in a tiny flower pot.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Blue asked, gesturing at the jar.

    ¡°But it¡¯s boring!¡± Jeh whined. ¡°You know what happens.¡±

    ¡°We have to use you as a control.¡±

    ¡°Control?¡± Jeh furrowed her brow. ¡°Uh¡­ haven¡¯t heard that one before.*¡±

    *Unlike the utter and complete mess known as English, in Karli the word ¡°control¡± in the sense of ¡°control over something¡± is not the same word as ¡°control in a scientific experiment.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a science word; means ¡®a thing we use to compare with others.¡¯ It helps us figure things out. For instance¡ªexample, sorry¡ªif we didn¡¯t put you in the jar and then observed a living mouse at the end, we couldn¡¯t discern anything; maybe the air was different. We need you to make sure everything¡¯s the same. Plus, it gives you time to study your words.¡±

    Jeh sighed. ¡°Right, right, fine, fine, let¡¯s get the pain waiting over with.¡± She set the tray in her hands down onto the blankets within the jar. Then she threw herself in, knocking everything over.

    Blue tapped her hoof and raised an eyebrow.

    With a sigh, Jeh set up the plant, caged mouse, crystal, and rock onto the tray, flat and with only mild panic from the mouse. ¡°Good?¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± With some effort, Blue levitated the metal lid and pressed it to the jar, screwing it on, achieving an effective airtight seal.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be at the outdoor desk,¡± Blue called, her voice muffled due to the glass wall between them. ¡°If you need anything, just scream.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a great screamer,¡± Jeh said. She watched as Blue headed back to Vaughan¡¯s backyard, taking a seat at a desk covered in crystal objects, models, and a lot of loose papers and pens. She was probably trying to figure out the best way to design the floater¡ªthe unofficial term for the ship they were trying to create.

    Of course, Jeh knew Blue was ignoring the very thing she was demonstrating in this jar.

    Air.

    But Jeh didn¡¯t have to think about that yet¡ªthis was not the first time she¡¯d been in the jar. It took about two hours for it to fully take its course, and every time she lasted a little longer. For the first little while all she had to deal with was an awkward muggy sensation.

    Already bored, Jeh took out what qualified as her ¡°entertainment¡± in this jar: a book literally titled How to Read. An ill-advised idea for a book, perhaps, but it was working just fine for Jeh.

    ¡°You know, you¡¯re remarkable, right?¡±

    Jeh looked up to see Suro standing outside the jar. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, remarkable?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Remarkable has to do with being¡­ amazing, unique, and surprising. All in a good way.¡±

    Jeh grinned widely. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard that before? I¡¯m remarkable! I can cut off my hand and grow a new one!¡±

    ¡°That certainly is remarkable, yes, but I was referring to your eagerness to learn.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not learning,¡± Jeh said, looking at the How to Read book. ¡°I¡¯m remembering.¡±

    ¡°Have you¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything before the forest for sure,¡± Jeh said, shaking her head. ¡°I remember pain. It was worse.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t used to it yet.¡±

    ¡°Obvious.¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡±

    ¡°Yes, right.¡± Jeh sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ when I look at these letters, I know I¡¯ve seen them before. I¡¯ve known what they are, what they do. Or try to do. Or¡­¡± She tilted her head to the side. ¡°It¡¯s all still in here, somewhere.¡±

    ¡°But no memory.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Makes no sense¡­¡±

    ¡°I think it does,¡± Suro said. ¡°I know how to do many things I don¡¯t remember learning how to do. I can¡¯t, for the life of me, remember who first showed me how to use a fork-holding ring, but now I eat with one every day like it¡¯s nothing. Memory is not a requirement.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s memory. Different kind.¡± Jeh glared at the book as if it had betrayed her. ¡°I need more.¡±

    ¡°You already have more than enough to communicate with people, the rest can come naturally from experience¡ªlike this.¡±

    Jeh nodded in appreciation. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°For taking you out of the forest and sticking you in a jar?¡±

    Jeh let out a snort. ¡°Yes! And being nice while doing it. You didn¡¯t have to be nice. You also didn¡¯t have to make sure I understood¡­ but you did! Or, Blue did. Blue¡¯s great.¡±

    Suro nodded, taking the compliment with grace. ¡°It is you who we should be thanking. I do not think progress would be possible without you.¡±

    ¡°Then aren¡¯t you lucky? Jeh, not-bear of the diamond oak, is your¡­ your¡­¡±

    ¡°Savior?¡±

    ¡°Maybe? I want to help. Helping is good. Space is cool, I think.¡±

    ¡°What did Eifa tell you about starting sentences you don¡¯t know the ending of?¡±

    ¡°Uuuuugh...¡± Jeh groaned, flopping her head onto the blankets. ¡°But I have so much to saaaaaay.¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­ you certainly do.¡± Suro glanced over at Blue. ¡°Try not to die of boredom.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m dying of,¡± Jeh said with a chuckle. ¡°But hey, even dying of boredom can be fun!¡±

    ¡°I think you have your definitions confused.¡±

    ¡°Which ones?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ hard for me to tell.¡±

    Jeh gave him a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll figure it out eventide.¡±

    ¡°Eventually.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°Well, have fun with your dying of boredom.¡±

    ¡°I will!¡± Jeh waved goodbye to Suro and returned to her book.

    Time wore on. She continued to breathe, but at a slightly increased rate. A headache began to form in the back of her mind, but it was so pathetically tiny she wouldn¡¯t have noticed it had she not been feeling for it. Her focus upon her book began to drift and her arms began to feel vaguely like jelly.

    And so it begins¡­

    At this point she would have considered falling asleep, but that messed with the precious data and she still wanted Blue to have reliable information. So she forced herself to stay awake¡ªthough made no further efforts to learn more words. Her concentration was shot and it took a lot out of her to think on those things.

    The headache continued to increase in intensity, and to a normal person it would have caused something akin to agony and potentially panic. For Jeh, it was enough to be mildly annoying¡ªthe first time she¡¯d been stuck in the jar, her body¡¯s demand that she start breathing faster had been more concerning.

    The mouse was not Jeh and started to freak out, letting out squeaks and scampers: it knew something was very, very wrong.

    ¡°Sucks to be you,¡± Jeh managed with a voice far softer than her usual one.

    Time dragged on. Jeh¡¯s thoughts only became further muddled and her breathing rate increased¡ªbecoming gasps for breath. The mouse was in panic. Jeh treated the gasps as excuses to stretch and yawn. The jar may have been person sized, but she was small and had room to shift around.

    She began to see sparks in the edges of her peripheral vision.

    Ah, yep, won¡¯t be long now¡­

    ¡°Wheeee¡­¡± Jeh mumbled to herself, bobbing back and forth in tune to a song she couldn¡¯t quite remember the beat to. She was vaguely aware Blue was standing outside the jar¡ªprobably waiting for Jeh to keel over so the test could end. But there was someone next to her¡ªa bearded human that wasn¡¯t Vaughan. Vaughan was red, this guy was black. There weren¡¯t black wizards. This didn¡¯t make any sense¡­

    Jeh soon stopped being able to pass the gasps off as yawns, taking them in so quickly and with such force that it sounded like she was trying to say something. Finding the sounds her lungs were making annoying, she forced herself to stop breathing for a second, at which point her entire awareness became a spinning wheel of colors.

    Pretty¡­

    Jeh felt that she wasn¡¯t going to be able to do much of anything very soon, so she held up her hand in a thumbs-up gesture. Then, and only then, did she pass out.

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­She okay?¡±

    Blue nodded to the man next to her¡ªa bearded individual slightly older than Vaughan and covered head to toe in the dust of the mines. His name was Michael Garnet, or ¡®Big G¡¯ as the other miners called him, so named because of the absurd muscles that dominated his mid-tone skin. He oversaw most of the mining enterprises in Willow Hollow.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Blue assured him. ¡°This is the sixth time we¡¯ve done this.¡±

    The man tapped the glass jar. Neither Jeh nor the mouse moved. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you¡­?¡±

    ¡°We need to watch for her to stop breathing.¡± Blue pointed at the rapid lifting and falling of Jeh¡¯s chest. ¡°She¡¯s just unconscious right now.¡±

    ¡°And then she¡¯ll be¡­ dead?¡±

    ¡°Well, uh, the closest she can be to it.¡± Blue clicked her tongue. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how an attribute can be so powerful, but it¡¯s constantly regenerating any damage done to her. However, her body reacts just like ours in all situations, barring things that draw blood and¡­ yeah she¡¯s very confusing.¡± Blue rubbed the back of her head, chuckling. ¡°But, but, she proves that we need air to survive. We breathe it in and, in a sealed container, eventually use it up. Or whatever it is we breathe out of the air.¡±

    Big G continued looking at Jeh. ¡°She¡¯s not breathing.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Blue looked closer¡ªthinking there was still a barely perceptible rise and fall in Jeh¡¯s chest. However, Blue could tell Big G was getting concerned, so she relented¡ªusing her telekinesis to take the lid off.

    Almost immediately Jeh gasped louder than any human being had a right to, her body taking in as much air as it possibly could as quickly as it could. She didn¡¯t awaken¡ªa known quirk of her regeneration was that it didn¡¯t seem to consider unconsciousness something to be remedied¡ªbut a smile soon formed on her face and she looked like the family dog taking a pleasant nap.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be¡­¡± Big G scratched his head.

    ¡°And just to prove the point¡­¡± Blue levitated out the cage with the mouse in it. The mouse wasn¡¯t moving at all.

    ¡°As impressive as your forest girl is¡­ this is nothing new.¡± Big G folded his arms. ¡°Divers in their bells run out of air too, you¡¯re just showing us the end result.¡±

    Blue¡¯s pleasant smile vanished. ¡°Well, Suro said you might be interested in our findings. Sorry that our investigations into going up didn¡¯t help you go down.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Big G scratched his beard. ¡°Still, you might find something. If you get any ideas on how to help the miners who run out of air down deep, let me know.¡±

    ¡°Get more air down there, obviously.¡±

    ¡°Yes, how?¡±

    Blue smirked. ¡°Well, just get a big jar like this, fill it with air, then open it. Presto, over two hours of perfectly good air.¡±

    ¡°For one person in a container larger than he is. You don¡¯t understand how tight of a squeeze it is down there, do you, pony?¡±

    I am not a pony you racist little¡ª ¡°I work on going up, you work on going down, mmk?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Big G folded his arms and looked at the jar. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty big jar. Hope you don¡¯t need more air than that.¡± Without another word, he walked away.

    How dare he waltz in here, pretend like he¡¯s here to get help, step over everything we¡¯ve done, and then insult my knowledge! Of course I know it¡¯s not enough air! She glanced at the jar, grimacing. Nowhere near enough air¡­

    While the ¡°going slow¡± method had simplified the actual design of their craft considerably, the new discovery that they needed to bring air with them had not. Blue had been hoping that simply sealing a container would be good enough, so long as the amount of air was constant the occupant would be fine. But no, something in the air was consumed over time.

    It was another type of fuel. They needed fuel in the form of food, crystals, and now air. She was spending more time trying to design around carrying all that fuel than anything else!

    The air was the worst, though. The size was simply absurd. The slower they went, the more air they needed¡­

    With a grunt, Blue took out the other parts of the experiment. The granite was unchanged, as expected, rocks didn¡¯t care about air. The Blue crystal was much the same. The plant was fine as well.

    ¡­Wait.

    Blue stared at the sunflower sprout with wide eyes. It, a known living thing, was fine. Blue knew plants needed air¡ªthere were a few spirited plant races, they breathed like almost everyone else. But here it was, perfectly fine, as though nothing had happened to it at all.

    At this juncture, Blue had no idea what she¡¯d just discovered. She just knew it was unexpected and that she needed to do more tests.

    ~~~

    A few days later, Jeh came back from lingual education with Eifa and found Blue standing in front of her blackboard, drawing large symbols for ¡°air¡± everywhere with lots of lines crossing between them.

    ¡°Figure anything out?¡± Jeh asked, jumping on top of the blackboard, somehow managing not to knock it over.

    Blue took Jeh sitting on her blackboard in stride: it had become a common occurrence as of late. ¡°Well, uh¡­ no, not really. I¡¯ve learned a lot about air but found no solutions.¡±

    ¡°Well, what do we know about air?¡±

    ¡°One: air is everywhere around us, you feel it when you wave your hoof¡ªhand¡ªaround. Two: the vast majority of life breathes air to survive. Three: for animals at least, something in the air is consumed when breathed, causing it to ¡®run out.¡¯ Four: maybe not plants.¡±

    Jeh put on a smile and pretended that she¡¯d followed all of that.

    ¡°Other properties of air¡­ it¡¯s not weightless, it moves around like liquid, you can compress it if you squish really hard but that tends to explode, and there¡¯s less of it up high.¡± She let out a whinny and tapped her hoof on the ground several times. ¡°We need to take a lot of it with us to get to space, but that takes up a lot of space. And compressing it is way too explosive¡­¡±

    ¡°Those sound like a lot of problems,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°You think?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do!¡± Jeh said without a hint of the sarcastic defiance usually associated with that combination of words. She just sounded like someone stating an exciting fact.

    Blue sagged slightly and let her ears hang loose. ¡°It¡¯s just a list of obstacles to be surmounted!¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir mount Ed?¡±

    ¡°No, uh, surmounted, it means¡­ to accomplish something difficult. Because, you know, getting to the top of a big mountain is hard*.¡±

    *Naturally, some concepts in English and Karli are built in similar ways. I will not be noting every case, but ¡°surmounted¡± is a notable example. There¡¯s just something inherently formidable about climbing a mountain.

    Jeh tilted her head to the side. ¡°You guys flew up there.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, it wasn¡¯t easy, just fast.¡±

    Jeh tapped her chin. ¡°I got there first. No effort. I win.¡±

    ¡°I, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Decision: ¡®surmount¡¯ is a stupid word.¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°Language is stupid, but it¡¯s what we have.¡±

    ¡°Wish I was a tele¡­ tele¡­¡±

    ¡°Telepath?¡±

    ¡°Yes, telepath, that¡¯s what you called them.¡± She clapped her bear mitts together. ¡°Just imagine¡­ maybe we could use Yellow for that¡­¡±

    ¡°Yellow is purely empathic, communication with it is limited except in the hands of an expert.¡±

    ¡°Which I am!¡±

    Blue stopped for a moment. ¡°I¡­ suppose you are quite a little magic prodigy, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Prodigy?¡±

    ¡°Really good at something, born with more talent than anyone.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Jeh pondered this for a moment. ¡°I mean, makes sense¡­ I think.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure does¡­¡± Blue started tapping her hoof against the blackboard. ¡°At least we know how the drive works.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ This might take a while¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Vaughan unrolled a scroll on Suro¡¯s workbench. ¡°We¡¯ve got the drive.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Suro adjusted his glasses, leaning in to examine the design. As usual, Vaughan had drafted it up in amazing detail, giving special note to the crystals Suro would have to cut and set. The drive, or ¡°ship driver¡± as it was labeled on the diagram, was a spherical orb about the size of a human head. Most crystal cores were encased in bronze or glass, but this one was explicitly encased in pure Yellow crystal smoothed to a nearly perfect sphere.

    ¡°¡­Why?¡± Suro asked, gesturing at the casing.

    ¡°Crystals are one of if not the slipperiest materials in existence,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°It¡¯ll be easy to rotate even under duress like that.¡±

    ¡°Why Yellow?¡±

    ¡°If something goes wrong, well, the only empathy that would be possible is annoyance with my original preparations for the push spells.¡±

    Suro sniffed at the drawings, pouring over them with his expert eyes. The oddity of the exterior had caught his attention, but it was the interior where all the magic happened. The vast majority of the sphere¡¯s size was devoted to Magenta storage, dominated by long and thin Magenta shards designed to permanently remember various different strengths of the Orange¡¯s push spell. However, looking closer, Suro noticed that there were actually two sets of Magenta stones; one with large values, one with small.

    ¡°Vaughan, this isn¡¯t a standard counter¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s not designed to increase in increments.¡± Vaughan pointed at the larger stones. ¡°These provide the big force, the one that will balance out the weight of the ship, whatever it is.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d have to be exact¡­¡±

    ¡°I can always load more sandbags onto the ship to make it perfectly balanced.¡±

    Suro nodded. ¡°That would do it. And the smaller crystals?¡±

    ¡°Once the ship is balanced, the smaller push spells will take the ship upward, and will be what is adjusted in flight. Take a look at the gears below: the big one can be set and locked while the small one is adjusted.¡±

    Suro tilted his head. ¡°I thought you wanted to have the pilot operate the small part consciously?¡±

    ¡°Naturally, that¡¯s an option, but since we have no idea what form the ship is going to take we¡¯re just creating a general drive.¡±

    ¡°Could be used in anything,¡± Suro mused. ¡°I suppose you could attach it to a rowboat and make it a skyboat.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not stable, Suro, all it does is push itself. To get anywhere significant with this, you need to place it exactly in the center of mass of the ship.¡±

    ¡°Exactly?¡±

    Vaughan gave a noncommittal shrug. ¡°Well, there¡¯s some room for error, clearly, but that¡¯s neither here nor there. Fact is, most boats aren¡¯t round. Makes it hard to figure out where to put this.¡±

    Suro nodded, continuing over the designs. The two gears rotated which Magenta memory set would be in contact with the treelike crystal wires, which would carry the signal to the main driver of the core: an utterly massive Orange crystal core cut in a combination of the urchin and donut styles that was subdivided into eight segments.

    Suro whistled. ¡°That¡¯s going to cost you.¡±

    ¡°Psh, I can sell stuff.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also a very breakable cut, given the spines. But¡­ well, it¡¯ll work, it¡¯s got enough surface area to maintain anything you throw at it for quite some time.¡± Suro¡¯s whiskers twitched as a question came to him. ¡°Vaughan, straining as much will as you possibly can, what is the largest thing you can lift with Orange?¡±

    Vaughan stroked his beard. ¡°I could probably lift a small house if I wasn¡¯t trying to adjust the spell to keep the house intact.¡±

    ¡°Right, so, if you could get that under control, the matrix you have here¡­ you could set your cabin afloat if you did it perfectly.¡±

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s not gonna fly.¡±

    ¡°Of c¡ª¡°

    ¡°I mean, working with Blue, it¡¯s become obvious to me that you want to over-design. The drive should be able to push something much much heavier than it is, make it easier to get other parts precise. Have to be safe and make sure it works, you understand.¡±

    Suro slowly took off his glasses. ¡°Eights, where did the old ¡®I¡¯ve got this¡¯ Vaughan go?¡±

    ¡°He came crashing back to Ikyu. Hard.¡± Vaughan stood up, folding his hands behind his back and letting out a contemplative hum. ¡°Plus, this is turning out to be expensive. If we lose our ship we probably won¡¯t be able to make another one.¡±

    Suro glanced at the scroll design. ¡°Putting everything into this one?¡±

    ¡°Not everything, I¡¯ll still be able to service Willow Hollow even if it all explodes. Just¡­ yeah, any hopes at doing other projects are going out with this one.¡±

    Suro nodded slowly. ¡°And you¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Vaughan shook his head and turned to look at a wall of cut crystals. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of being stuck with nothing, but I know if I don¡¯t take a risk then the very thing I¡¯m afraid of is what I¡¯ll get.¡±

    ¡°There are other impactful ways to make use of one¡¯s life that aren¡¯t quite so¡­ extreme.¡±

    ¡°Yes. There are. But¡­ then there¡¯s Blue.¡± Vaughan grinned. ¡°Do you know how excited she is about this, now?¡±

    ¡°She does seem invested.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been given something to apply her mind toward.¡± Vaughan pointed at the ceiling. ¡°She¡¯d never been given that opportunity before. All she was given were courses and tests; never an opportunity. Now she has one. And I can see how much life it¡¯s given her. She rarely talks about being a messenger, doesn¡¯t call the idea of ¡®going up¡¯ stupid anymore, and works long into the night trying to come up with new ways to do things.¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re doing it for her, now?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Vaughan turned and grinned at Suro. ¡°I¡¯m doing it because I think it¡¯s awesome.¡±

    Suro put a paw over his eyes and sighed.

    ¡°The fact that Blue¡¯s invested just means I can rest easy knowing I¡¯m not being a selfish little hermit.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not how that works.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, yes, but if I wanted a lecture on the nature of ethics and self-image I¡¯d go to your wife.¡±

    Suro blurted out a laugh at this. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ve never consulted her in your life! She had to hunt you down to give you help!¡±

    ¡°What did you expect? I¡¯m a wizard, she¡¯s a Keeper!¡±

    Suro¡¯s smile slowly vanished as old memories came to him. ¡°Yeah¡­ what did I expect?¡±

    Vaughan let out a sigh. ¡°Suro, that¡¯s all long gone. You¡¯re here now, she¡¯s here now, and I¡¯m in a cabin trying to go to space. You¡¯ve got a million kids, I¡¯ve got a great project. Life is good, Suro.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying it isn¡¯t. Not a day goes by where I don¡¯t give thanks for all of¡­ this.¡± He gestured around at his workshop, but he meant to include the whole town. ¡°But the past means something, Vaughan. Even when it¡¯s done and dealt with.¡±

    Vaughan folded his arms and nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes¡­ it has its place.¡±

    Silence fell over the two friends. With a slight cough, Suro put his glasses back on and returned to the schematics. ¡°Well, at the very least, this device will be able to move itself at alarming speeds. If it¡¯ll drag a ship with it, well, that¡¯s another thing entirely.¡±

    ¡°I knew you could do it!¡± Vaughan patted the cat on the back.

    ¡°My only suggestion is that you allow me to order the Magenta cores from elsewhere, they¡¯re complex enough that you need a jeweler-wizard to craft them by hand.¡±

    ¡°¡­This is going to be expensive¡­¡±

    ¡°Very. You¡¯re making a custom major device. This isn¡¯t just some levitator, Vaughan, and those are hard enough to make.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s exactly what it should be,¡± Vaughan said with a chuckle.

    ¡°And you still need a ship to put it in.¡±

    ¡°Blue¡¯s working on that.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s she doing?¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, see, there¡¯s this slight problem with air¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Plants.

    Plants were different, somehow. That was obvious at this point.

    Blue wasn¡¯t entirely sure how, though. Just that her experiments were showing a clear difference. When she put little sprouts inside small jars, sometimes they lived and sometimes they died. However, when she put mice or bugs in jars, they always died. The obvious conclusion was that plants didn¡¯t need air, but something told her that wasn¡¯t right. If they could survive with no air, why did the plant-based spirited visibly breathe? They must have needed it for something, just in a different way from animal life.

    She¡¯d have to test this to be sure, however.

    She was just going to have to do something backward.

    Trotting to the table where she and Vaughan kept all of their small jars, Blue used her magic to levitate out a completely normal set of bellows; one of the primary tools she had been using in her earlier experiments on the properties of air. The bellows were a relatively simple device; when expanding, air would come in a hole in the back, and when contracting the air would rush out the front. This had made pressurizing air relatively simple, though they had rudely discovered the bellows had a maximum pressure tolerance.

    The question now was if it had a minimum pressure tolerance¡­

    Blue took out a special jar lid with a little hole in the top designed for the bellows to poke through. She placed it on the plant-jar and attached the bellows, realizing that there was a problem.

    The bellows were designed to push air out, not to pull it in. She¡¯d have to reverse the nozzle to get that to work¡ªor, alternatively, design a new jar lid that could interface with the bellows¡¯ intake valve. The intake valve was a rather simple device: a flap on a hinge. When air wanted to go in it pulled the flap in, but when it pushed out it sealed the flap against the bellows¡¯ rigid edges. If she could just¡­

    She got an idea. They¡¯d used clay to seal up the hole after pressurizing jars. What if that could help them here? She ran into the cabin at a full gallop, passing Vaughan by. He was currently engrossed in a massive astrological chart he had recently obtained. Unlike most, it did not fixate on the arrangement of the stars, but on the various objects that moved across the heavens. Ikyu dominated the center, of course, but it was minimized since it was not the purpose of the chart. The sun and moon held the most prominence, their images naturally the largest. The planets also had their own sections, though with much less detail drawn on them.

    But there was some detail, enough to make Blue stop what she was doing and backtrack to examine the star chart. ¡°This had to be expensive¡­¡±

    ¡°I traded multiple old ones I had, and ones that focused on the positions of the stars.¡± He chuckled. ¡°We have no idea how far away the stars are, but it might be possible to get to the planets.¡±

    ¡°Think of how long we said it¡¯d take just to get to the moon!¡±

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s something to plan for. Consider.¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re delusional¡­¡± She returned to examining the chart, finding the most up-to-date records of the planets¡¯ appearance to be most interesting. Those telescopes were really showing impressive things out there! The planets had color and mild texture. Hexi was the strangest, though, for it wasn¡¯t round like the others, but oblong. However, since it was so far away, telescopes couldn¡¯t see it very well so the illustration was rather fuzzy. In the notes to the side, there were a lot of questions asked and very few answers.

    Blue had already known about Hexi¡¯s unusual shape. What she had not known about were a series of dots next to another planet, Qi. The notes to the side did not know what they were, but it identified them as ¡°mini-planets¡± never seen far from Qi.

    ¡°Strange¡­¡± Blue said, rubbing her chin.

    ¡°I know. The only way to find out what it means is to go up there, right?¡±

    ¡°There are¡­ probably other ways.¡±

    ¡°But the best is to explore!¡±

    ¡°If you want to die terribly. The sun is a giant ball of fire. Tell me, how are you going to go there to find out more? You¡¯re not immune.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard thoughtfully. ¡°Hmm¡­ I wonder what happens if Jeh goes to the sun¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s horrible, don¡¯t even think about that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a legitimate question!¡±

    ¡°Her attribute saves her life. But it does not stop her from suffering the negative effects. If she burns to a crisp she will continue burning to a crisp. Forever.¡±

    ¡°Right so¡­ no sun launch.¡±

    ¡°No sun launch.¡± Blue turned around, leaving him to his chart. She took a moment to remember what she had been doing¡ªright, no air. She galloped deeper into the cabin until she found what she was looking for in the attic: a box filled with little glass tubes, originally intended to hold small volumes of crystal powder. She had another use for them, today.

    Returning to the backyard, she placed the glass tube in the jar lid¡¯s hole, surrounding its base with clay to seal the edges. Now her plant was in a small jar with a straw, essentially. She stuck the other end of the tube in the bellows¡¯ valve, sealing that with clay as well. Levitating the entire apparatus upward, she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°I really am a genius.¡±

    She grabbed hold of the bellows¡¯ handles and pulled them apart. As intended, air was sucked out of the little jar and into the bellows itself. However, after pulling out only a small amount of air, it became difficult to pull more out¡ªthe laws of pressure went both ways, it seemed. Unlike when they had been blowing a lot of air into jars, which had made the bellows¡¯ bag puff like a marshmallow, this time the bags were attempting to implode, the effort stretching the bag into a shape that resembled cobwebs.

    Blue pushed down. Some of the air returned to the jar, but some of it was ejected out the nozzle. She attempted to open the bellows all the way once again, but the strain became so great she was concerned she was going to break it again¡ªso she only released a half-load of air, noticing that what came out made a lot less noise than the previous gust.

    The next part needed to be fast. She had to disconnect the straw from the bellows and seal it before air could rush back into the jar. With a quick rip, she broke the connection. After a brief moment of loud hissing from escaping air, she covered the glass tube with more clay, sealing it. She watched with fascination as the clay she¡¯d just placed was sucked into the straw, prompting her to add more clay just to make sure it stayed sealed.

    Now she had a plant in a jar with¡­ she wasn¡¯t going to kid herself, there wasn¡¯t no air in there, just a lot less.

    Currently, the plant looked fine. But if her theory was right, that plants did need air, this one would die faster than the others. Probably. Then again, some of the jarred plants didn¡¯t die, so¡­

    She shook her head, setting the plant down on an experiment shelf with numerous other jars: some open, some with plants, some with bugs on them, and a few that were just filled with pressurized air.

    Plants¡­ Blue shook her head, she didn¡¯t know enough about plants. She was shooting in the dark here. Problem was, people who actually knew about plants¡ªsay, farmers¡ªwouldn¡¯t know much about their relation to air since that was one of the things plants always had access to. Even on the highest mountains, there was still air, albeit less. Not all plants could grow there but that was probably because of the cold¡­

    ¡°Oh, what the heck, I need to get out and stretch my legs anyway, might as well visit town, see what I can find.¡± She picked up her saddlebags and tossed them over her back. ¡°I¡¯m heading out Vaughan! Don¡¯t touch the plants!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Actually mean it this time!¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine¡­¡±

    Blue left him to his chart and trotted along the path back to Willow Hollow. It was late morning and the birds were singing amongst the various evergreen trees. As she walked along, she paid special attention to the various calls. Bluebird, dire woodpecker, falangralish*, and¡­ what was that call?

    *The falangralish might be more fish than bird, but the falangralish never swims despite having fully functioning gills. It flies through the skies, its laugh-like call mocking all those in the sea and land below. Notably, it never laughs when higher-altitude creatures, such as balloon whales, are within its sight.

    She swiveled her ears around, trying to pinpoint the deep sound she¡¯d barely heard over the birdsong. It sounded like a distant roar, but not like any creature she¡¯d ever heard. Then again, it might just have been a mountain lion that she wasn¡¯t able to hear very well.

    Mountain lions didn¡¯t roar that deeply, though, at least not so far as she remembered.

    She shook her head¡ªher mission was to go to space and learn about magic. Strange wild animals didn¡¯t help her in that regard. Best to just ignore it.

    Entering town, she noticed Seskii first, waving cheerfully at her. Blue purposefully took a wide arc around the annoyingly cheerful gari who almost definitely wanted to scam the town out of something.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Seskii called, slightly indignant.

    Blue continued to ignore her, making her way to one of the more interesting farms in Willow Hollow: a smaller one situated near the town square that didn¡¯t specialize in any one type of crop, like most of the others, but grew a variety of more exotic plants¡ªthough ¡°exotic¡± is a relative term. No dragonfruit, shimmerfruit, or kracklebark to be found here. There were some vines with vibrant blue fruits, a large number of pretty wildflowers, and a central patch dominated by pumpkin-sized peaches with faces on them that grew straight out of the ground.

    The ¡°happy peaches¡± as they were called were a somewhat common source of food on Ikyu. They grew quickly, produced a lot of edible flesh, and could be consumed by almost anything, barring rigids*. However, they were a little difficult to farm in large quantities since there was a large amount of randomness inherent in where they grew and why. There was also the fact that their faces were actual faces. They always smiled adorably and had the ability to let out a hum that sounded a bit like a cat¡¯s purr. This ability persisted even after they were chopped up, and thus devouring them was more than a little unnerving to some.

    *We are familiar with the general ways to classify macroscopic life: animal, plant, fungus. All other forms of life we know of are microscopic and generally not important to our day-to-day affairs. Ikyu has a few more broad classifications in addition to the aforementioned three: plasts and rigids. There are a couple races that don¡¯t fit into any of these categories, but they are well-known outliers. Rigids are mentioned here because they generally cannot gain sustenance from traditional crops.

    Currently, the entire patch of happy peaches was humming, which meant their farmer was in the field. The individual in question was a short but muscular human woman tanned rather harshly due to her constant work in the sun and absolute refusal to wear a hat to shade herself. In her own words, ¡°this hair of mine needs to be free or it¡¯ll turn into a literal bird¡¯s nest.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Mary!¡±

    Mary looked up from the happy peach she was stroking gently. ¡°Oh, Blue? What brings you to my little patch of insanity?¡±

    Blue was careful not to crush any happy peaches as she approached Mary. ¡°I need to ask you¡­ about plants.¡±

    ¡°You mean actual plants or just things you can grow in the dirt?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ huh?¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­ that the definition of plant?¡±

    Mary chuckled, standing up. ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever heard of fungus?¡±

    ¡°¡­I momentarily forgot.¡± Blue briefly wondered if fungus would have yet another way to interact with air. But she knew how to easily sprout plants, she had no idea about mushrooms. They would be harder to test.

    Mary continued. ¡°There¡¯s more, though. Just because it ain¡¯t growin¡¯ in the ground don¡¯t mean it¡¯s not a plant. Dryads move around, as do levitatin¡¯ clovers. Nah, the thing that makes a plant a plant is the leaves. Usually green, but not always.¡±

    Blue gestured at the various green, leafy things all over Mary¡¯s fields of variety.

    ¡°One of the things I¡¯m growin¡¯ here ain¡¯t a plant, see if you can find it.¡± Mary grinned. ¡°Consider it a little game, Blue.¡±

    ¡°Mary I have questions¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, then if you find the non-plant I¡¯ll answer your questions!¡± Mary winked. ¡°Now the game has stakes!¡±

    ¡°Mary¡­¡±

    ¡°This¡¯ll be fun.¡± Mary put her hands on her hips and grinned. ¡°You should just go with it, enjoy yourself.¡±

    ¡°How can I enjoy myself when I¡¯m being toyed with?¡± Blue asked¡ªbut she was already searching, poking her snout into various bushes and plots of land, finding nothing but leafy greens and sprouts. Not even a mushroom.

    Mary followed her as she did this, looming a bit like a vulture. She said nothing further as Blue kept up her search, only occasionally stooping down to take care of a small weed or tend to one of her plants. The longest she stopped was at the levitating clover; digging the tiny green plant up to reveal a massive tuber beneath the ground. She cut the link between the tiny plant and its tuber, putting the leaves back in the ground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t those taste horrible?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Absolutely, but levitating clover tubers might be the densest food in the world. So much packed into such a small space. Such a shame that if you let the clover fly they eat it themselves for the energy.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± A thought formed in Blue¡¯s mind, but she pushed it aside for later¡ªright now she had a non-plant to find. She stroked her hoof across several other plants, finding leaves, leaves, leaves, leaves, rubbery smoothness, leaves¡­

    Blue came to a stop and took a few steps backward. There was a small patch of teardrop-shaped green things growing out of the ground with no sign of leaves at all. When she touched them, the sensation was one of smooth rubber. Definitely not a leaf. ¡°Is this¡­ a plast?¡±

    ¡°Eeyep!¡± Mary said with an overly exaggerated nod. ¡°Gotta have at least one plast growin¡¯ y¡¯know? Gari need to keep their gauntlets and hair at their best! The ones in the mines get damaged all the time and without a plast nutrient it¡¯d just take too long to grow back.¡±

    ¡°Plasts¡­¡± Blue prodded the green drop again. ¡°What¡¯s this one called?¡±

    ¡°Marra¡¯s tears. Don¡¯t ask me who Marra is, ain¡¯t the foggiest idea. They ¡®bloom¡¯ by unwrapping. The ¡®fruit¡¯ inside is actually inedible, you eat the stuff that was the wrapping. Well, not you, you can¡¯t digest that, but you know.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ am afraid biology is not my strong suit.¡± Blue turned to Mary. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. I¡¯m trying to figure out how we breathe and how plants need air. Or don¡¯t need air, maybe.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t tell you much about air, since that¡¯s the one thing I¡¯ve always got.¡± Mary let out a coarse laugh. ¡°All life needs energy, even rigids. All life gets this by eating¡ªeven plants eat. I¡¯m not talking flytraps, I¡¯m talking eating things from the ground through their roots. What they eat varies, but everything has to eat.¡±

    ¡°I think part of the things we need to eat is, well, air.¡±

    ¡°But air doesn¡¯t go into your stomach if you¡¯re doing it right.¡±

    ¡°Maybe lungs are just another type of stomach.¡±

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re makin¡¯ Vaughan crazy or if he¡¯s makin¡¯ you crazy.¡±

    ¡°The relationship is mutual,¡± Blue deadpanned.

    ¡°Sure¡­ anyway, plants need good soil so they can eat properly, water that they drink from the soil, and sun. Or, well, a good Purple wizard that can give the plant exactly the kind of light it needs, but it¡¯s much easier to just use the sun. Nature¡¯s sometimes perfect all on its own, y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but like¡­¡± Blue frowned. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m not sure how to ask it since I¡¯m not even entirely sure what the question is. I want to know how plants deal with air, but nobody¡¯s ever grown plants out of air before.¡±

    ¡°Plants made of air¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    ¡°Still, a fun concept.¡± Mary pointed at the levitating clover. ¡°Some plants can fly for a while, or move. Some even float up there with the balloon whales indefinitely. But made out of air?¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure you need magic to be made out of air,¡± Blue said. ¡°Thus, only spirited races can be. And¡­ well I suppose there are air elementals.¡±

    ¡°You ever seen one?¡±

    ¡°No, just read about them. Elementals aren¡¯t very common.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re bein¡¯ a bit of a stick in the mud,¡± Mary said. ¡°Life takes many fancy and bizarre forms without relyin¡¯ on any sort of magic. Y¡¯know how people are talking about those fancy meatball vines? An animal that roots to the ground and grows like a crop¡­¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°People are talking about that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t heard? The cows keep dissapearin¡¯, the amount of meat in town is starting to get a little short.¡±

    ¡°Disappearing cows? Is someone stealing cows?¡±

    Mary shrugged. ¡°No idea. I¡¯m not worried, my livelihood doesn¡¯t depend on cow meat. Plants forever, Blue, plants forever.¡±

    ¡°Mary, you don¡¯t have to give me your sales pitch, I¡¯m an herbivore.¡±

    Mary only laughed at this and returned to her work. Blue, deciding this entire trip was rather pointless since she didn¡¯t learn anything helpful, walked off with a slight slouch.

    ~~~

    Jeh took off her bear mitts, revealing her bare hands. ¡°Ready!¡±

    ¡°All right, Jeh, so, let¡¯s test this out.¡± Vaughan handed her a levitator and a large Orange chunk. ¡°So, w¡ª¡°

    Immediately Jeh tried to fly as high as she possibly could as fast as she possibly could. While she was able to launch into the air at an exceedingly fast velocity, she did not have the finesse required to instinctually keep her trajectory steady. She crashed almost immediately into a tree just behind Vaughan¡¯s cabin.

    She fell out of the tree, regenerating all her wounds. The levitator was undamaged, strapped tightly to her wrist.

    Vaughan couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the immediate punishment of her impatience.

    ¡°One day, I¡¯ll fly the best,¡± Jeh said, dejectedly trudging back to Vaughan. ¡°What do I do?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to see how functional ¡®going slow¡¯ is, if you can manage that. I want a baseline.¡±

    ¡°Go slow.¡± Jeh nodded in understanding.

    ¡°So, the levitator is the one calibrated for you, so try activating just it.¡±

    Jeh held the umbrella-like device over her head and activated it. She pushed off the ground and started drifting into the air.

    ¡°Now, use only a small amount of force from the Orange.¡±

    Jeh did as requested, pointing the orange chunk at the levitator¡¯s disc, using only a small amount of it to push herself a little faster. ¡°Up I go!¡±

    ¡°Let me know how it goes!¡±

    Jeh nodded down at him. ¡°You¡¯re tiny!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the small one.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°I sai¡ªnevermind! Just keep going up until you want to come down!¡±

    ¡°Come down!?¡±

    ¡°When you want!¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Jeh nodded in understanding, but Vaughan could barely see it¡ªshe already had a significant elevation.

    After this, no communication occurred between them. Vaughan watched the Orange spark go higher and higher into the sky until he could no longer visually discern if it was going any higher. He suspected if he kept watching long enough he¡¯d watch the Orange spark grow fainter until it became too distant to see at all.

    He decided that would be kind of boring, so he went back inside the cabin, walking right into the midst of Blue¡¯s wall of jars with plants in them.

    ¡°Aha!¡± Blue declared, holding up a jar in her telekinesis.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure getting excited about these plants¡­¡± Vaughan noted, tapping a jar with a perfectly healthy-looking plant inside. ¡°How long have you been at this?¡±

    ¡°At least a week, look at this!¡± She held up a jar with a dead plant and a dead cricket in it.

    ¡°Mmm, yes, I see you¡¯ve discovered another way space can kill us.¡±

    ¡°What? No.¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°This jar proves something. See, I¡¯ve been checking by the hour how long it takes crickets to die in fresh jars of air. Then I put this cricket in with a bunch of plants. Something killed the plants¡ªno idea what, maybe heat or something¡ªbut the cricket survived much longer than it should have.¡±

    ¡°Plants help us breathe?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Blue nodded vigorously. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure about the mechanism. I think that when we breathe, we ¡®eat¡¯ something from the air. But when they breathe, however they do it, they put that something back into the air.¡±

    ¡°So we breathe different things in the air.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ maybe? Problem is¡­¡± She took a plant down from a nearby shelf. ¡°This plant was sealed in this jar over a week ago, and it¡¯s still fine. You think it¡¯d run out of whatever is in the air if it breathes something different than we do¡­ but it does need air.¡± She held up a jar with a very dead plant inside. ¡°This jar had as much air removed as I could manage. Plant died in less than a day.¡±

    Vaughan frowned, tapping his foot.

    Blue continued. ¡°Anyway, even if I¡¯m not entirely sure what¡¯s going on, this puts us on the right track. However it works, plants do restore the air that¡¯s already been breathed, allowing the same amount of air to be used longer. I¡¯ll need to run a lot of experiments on different kinds of plants to find the right mixture, but I think it should be possible to not have to truck up a ton of air.¡±

    ¡°Restore¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Restore¡­¡± Slowly, he removed a Green crystal from his robes. ¡°Blue¡­ do you think¡­ we could use this on the air itself?¡±

    Blue stared at the Green crystal, dumbfounded. ¡°It can¡¯t be that simple.¡±

    ¡°If the plants are restoring the air as you say they are, then air can be restored. Green can restore anything¡­¡±

    ¡°Restore anything so long as parts to do so are nearby. May I remind you of the disasters that occur when idiots try to repair ships at sea incorrectly?¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Vaughan said. ¡°You¡¯re right, whatever we¡¯re breathing is probably used up and consumed, not able to be accessed.¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± Blue said. ¡°¡­But we should still test that theory, just to be safe.¡±

    ¡°Soon as Jeh gets back¡ª¡°

    There was a loud crash outside followed a few seconds later by a ¡°Woo-hoo, that was awesome!¡±

    ¡°Speak of the fake bear and she shall appear,¡± Vaughan chuckled. He left the cabin once more to find that Jeh had shattered the Orange crystal and terribly bent the levitator¡¯s handle. That would be a pain to fix. Jeh, naturally, was fine. ¡°So, what did you see up there?¡±

    ¡°Mountains, fields, river, the entire forest! Then wind got me. Need more practice.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get some later. Right now, I have a new idea¡­¡±

    ¡°We had an idea!¡± Blue huffed.

    ¡°Pretty sure I came up with it first!¡±

    ¡°You never would have thought of it had it not been for my plants!¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± Jeh said, holding out her hands. ¡°Calm. Tell me: what do I do?¡±

    ¡°Well, you know that large jar of yours?¡± Vaughan asked.

    Jeh let out an annoyed groan. ¡°I thought we were done with that¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Vaughan slapped together the simplest crystal core design. It only contained five crystal components: two Magenta crystals to set up the spell storage loop, another Magenta to receive the will from the user, and a final Magenta cut in a particular shape so that it would ¡®catch¡¯ the spell as it was released from the loop to duplicate it. One duplicate would return to the loop while the other would go to the last component: a large chunk of Green.

    The stored spell was simple: restore a spherical area directly in front of the Green crystal. Normal Green spells automatically sought out living objects, but Vaughan knew enough to ignore that in crafting the new spell.

    It took him about ten minutes to set it all up. The four Magenta crystals were already cut¡ªit was always good to have a basic crystal core setup or two on hand for use in situations like this. All he really had to do was set the spell by trying to cast it on the loop with the right timing. Then he affixed the Green to it. In the end, it looked like a lump of Green crystal with a small Magenta protrusion that served as a handle. Awkward and clunky, but it would do the job nicely.

    Jeh put one of her mitts back on but left the other hand empty for the fresh device. Even though crystals were light objects, it was still very front-heavy and took some care from Jeh to hold.

    ¡°That¡¯ll have to be refined,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Obviously,¡± Vaughan agreed.

    ¡°And refining it will cost money.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. Quite.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you could just teach her to target the air?¡±

    ¡°Ah, but this way, it¡¯ll work for anyone.¡±

    Jeh clapped her hands¡ªthreatening to drop the device in the process. ¡°Everyone!¡± She then tilted her head dumbly. ¡°This¡­ fixes air?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Blue said. ¡°Well, maybe. We don¡¯t know. Just¡­ keep pushing your will into it and it will try to restore the air in front of you. Do not try to use your own spell on the Green.¡±

    Jeh took a few seconds to process what had just been said. ¡°Right. So¡­ jar time?¡±

    ¡°Jar time.¡±

    They took her outside to the jar in the shade with the blankets. Like last time, Jeh went in with her book, but no tray of objects this time. Blue sealed her inside and Jeh activated the device.

    ¡°Make sure to keep it pointed at empty space, not your blanket,¡± Vaughan called in.

    ¡°Empty space,¡± Jeh repeated with a nod. The glittering Magenta and Green sparks were rather bright, indicative of a very inefficient device¡ªbut this was something hastily slapped together.

    And so they waited.

    And waited.

    And waited.

    The waiting was rather annoying. There was no real way for those outside to tell if anything was happening because air was invisible and Jeh was exceptionally good at looking completely fine even when everyone else in her situation would be screaming in agony.

    Eventually, Blue couldn¡¯t take it any longer. ¡°Are you¡ª¡°

    ¡°The air¡¯s not stuffy,¡± Jeh said, nodding to herself. ¡°I feel¡­ normal.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s working¡­¡± Vaughan grinned, rubbing his hands together. ¡°It¡¯s working!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure, let¡¯s give it a while,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Blue, come on, this is a breakthrough! We can breathe!¡±

    ¡°Maybe the effect runs dry eventually!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! It won¡¯t run dry until the crystal itself fades, and that¡¯s a very large crystal for a simple spell.¡±

    ¡°Vaughan, we still need to test further. Don¡¯t be more of a moron than usual.¡±

    Vaughan folded his hands behind his back and turned back to the jar. ¡°¡­Go slow, restore the air. It feels¡­ so close, now.¡±

    ¡°We still have to finalize the ship design, get that core built, and¡­ a lot of other spendy things.¡± Blue looked up to Vaughan with a frown. ¡°Even if this works and we end up with a ship that can go up basically forever¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come to it,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°As it is, this discovery gives us much more leeway. We won¡¯t have to make a floating garden or carry up tons of air!¡±

    Blue couldn¡¯t help herself¡ªat this point even she believed in the little ¡°air restorer¡± device they¡¯d just made.

    Just restore the air.

    How simple! How absurdly simple!

    Her mind didn¡¯t let her rest completely easy, however. She did not know what the Green was restoring. What did they breathe? Why did plants breathe differently? What was the point of it all?

    She had the nagging doubt that she wouldn¡¯t be the one to find the answers to those questions. But she wanted to. She wanted to figure out what it all meant and prove to everyone¡­ well, everything. That you didn¡¯t need to be a stuffy old person living in a tower that hated students to discover things.

    Jeh tapped on the glass. ¡°So, I can stay forever. How long do I stay?¡±

    Vaughan shrugged. ¡°A few days should remove any possible doubt in Blue¡¯s mind.¡±

    Jeh twitched. ¡°Days!? I, wh¡­ um¡­¡±

    ¡°Ignore the old coot,¡± Blue said. ¡°I¡¯m thinking a full day will do it, Jeh, twenty-four hours. Can you do that?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah. I can do that. Unless I fall asleep.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay up with you.¡± Blue sat down outside the jar. ¡°And shout at you when you need it.¡±

    ¡°Shouting match?¡±

    ¡°Wait, Jeh, not right n¡ª¡°

    Jeh started screeching at the top of her lungs, trying not to laugh the entire time. Blue found that pressing her ears flat only blocked some of the noise. Not enough.

    It was going to be a long night.

    ~~~

    ¡°Suro, I already saw this,¡± Big G told the cat that led him to the jar with Jeh in it.

    ¡°You did,¡± Suro admitted.

    ¡°Then why are you dragging me here?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±

    Big G folded his arms and kept his mouth shut. Once he was at the jar, he noticed a very tired looking Jeh and Blue talking to each other. Jeh had a device in her hand even he could tell was primitive.

    ¡°Ah, Big G,¡± Blue said, blinking a few times. ¡°How nice of you to join us.¡±

    ¡°Suro insisted. What is that device she holds?¡±

    ¡°Air restorer!¡± Jeh said, holding it up. ¡°Makes air good again!¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been in there since last night,¡± Blue said with a large yawn. ¡°No signs of any problems whatsoever.¡±

    ¡°I breathe!¡± Jeh declared.

    Big G unfolded his arms, staring at the jar blankly. ¡°She could stay in there forever?¡±

    ¡°She has to sleep eventually, and the device requires awareness,¡± Blue said. ¡°But if you can stay awake, I don¡¯t see why it couldn¡¯t last until the crystals give out. Or have two people take turns on it, that might work.¡±

    Big G turned to Blue with wide eyes.

    ¡°What?¡± Blue asked, her confident smile wavering slightly.

    ¡°Do you have any idea how useful this device will be?¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s solved our air problems. And it¡¯ll probably help in the mines.¡±

    ¡°You have no idea how much it will help in the mines. Help divers. Help¡­¡± He stared at the device in disbelief.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Vaughan will make some for you if you ask, he is still Willow Hollow¡¯s wizard.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Big G pointed at the device. ¡°This device will be worth a fortune.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be¡­ ridiculous¡­¡± Slowly, Blue¡¯s smile dropped and her tired eyes became much more alert. ¡°Wait¡­¡±

    ¡°Think of how many mining towns there are in the world.¡±

    ¡°Holy Eights¡­¡± Blue turned to Jeh with wide eyes. ¡°I think he¡¯s right, Jeh.¡±

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°The device is good?¡±

    ¡°The device is worth money. And lots of it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Does this mean I can come out now?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sure.¡± Blue unscrewed the jar¡¯s lid and then took off in a gallop back to the cabin. ¡°Vaughan! Vaughan! You need to refine that design right now! Vaughan! Where are you!?¡±

    Suro chuckled, looking up to Big G. ¡°I told you it would be worth your time.¡±

    ¡°Willow Hollow¡¯s mines will be the first to have these,¡± Big G said. ¡°This¡­ may put us on the map.¡±

    ¡°No doubt.¡±

    Jeh walked out of the jar, brushing some black dust off her feet. ¡°Egh, what¡¯s this stuff?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Suro sniffed it. ¡°Not sure¡­¡±

    Big G leaned down and put some of the dust on his finger, licking it. ¡°Hmm¡­ graphite.¡±

    ¡°A problem?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s harmless stuff.¡± Big G tilted his head. ¡°Why does your purifier leave that behind?¡±

    Jeh shrugged.

    ¡°¡­Never mind, I do not need to know. I simply need to know it works.¡± He nodded courteously to Suro and Jeh. ¡°I will order as many as your little group here can create in a reasonable amount of time.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Suro said with a smile that was more than a little smug. ¡°Now, we should probably go tell them there was a byproduct of graphite.¡±

    ¡°Byproduct¡­¡± Jeh tilted her head. ¡°Thing that shows up by doing a thing?¡±

    ¡°More or less.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Eifa later.¡± With a spring in her step, she rushed to the cabin¡ªmaking sure to tap Suro on the nose as she passed.

    Suro hissed. ¡°I swear, she wants to drive me insane¡­¡±

    Big G had no comment¡ªhe simply walked off, returning to the mines. He needed to think of some new procedures¡­

    ~~~

    Some time later, a male gari with blue gauntlets slammed his pickaxe into the rock deep beneath the earth, revealing a Purple cube the size of his head.

    ¡°Got a Purple down here!¡± he called. ¡°It¡¯s a biggun!¡±

    A human woman poked her head down from the hole in the ceiling. ¡°I¡¯ll trade with you to get it out.¡±

    He nodded. He climbed up the hole into another little cavern where a few other miners were working. The woman had been sitting on a single chair with a Magenta stone on one of the armrests. When the gari took his place in the chair, he made sure to press his hand into the crystal and push his will into it.

    This prompted the Green section to start glowing: a simple square frame made of brass hanging from the back. Every bit of air within the square was restored, allowing the miners working this deep to continue their work with fresh breaths.

    On the back of the chair was a small, hastily-slapped-together symbol of a wizard hat with an upward-pointing arrow on it.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SECTION

    Breathing is freaking complicated.

    In a basic sense, we take in oxygen that reacts with our bodies. This gets exhaled as carbon dioxide, or CO2, a waste product of several reactions that occur all in a chain. This is highly simplified¡ªI haven¡¯t even gone over why this gives us energy to move¡ªbut it gets the idea across.

    When the Green is restoring the air, it¡¯s rearranging it into what it was previously. So the carbon dioxide that is released is turned into oxygen. Then the carbon that¡¯s left over has to be pushed away; leaving behind a black powder. Graphite. This does imply that there will be a point where the cycle has to end because too much carbon has been taken out of someone¡¯s body, but carbon is so readily available as to make this a non-issue. Just have someone eat a sandwich to resupply.

    Blue and the rest of the program know nothing about any of the chemistry. They just know that they¡¯re ¡°resetting¡± the air back to when it was breathable and the black stuff comes out afterward. Discovering chemistry is going to be a little difficult so long as they focus on results rather than explanations.

    The answer really was that simple though, they only had to realize that air doesn¡¯t run out, it changes. Just change it back! In the real world, this is difficult to do, but it is possible. We use a variety of technologies to accomplish this, some of which are based on using algae photosynthesis to revert carbon dioxide to oxygen. Green just provides a shortcut.

    Though, there is one thing readers may have noticed: some of the plants Blue sealed in jars didn¡¯t die. How is that possible? They take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, surely they should run out of carbon dioxide, right?

    Well, first of all, when we pass out in a sealed container it¡¯s because of carbon dioxide poisoning, not a lack of oxygen. There¡¯s still plenty of oxygen in the air when we pass out. Secondly, and here¡¯s the kicker, plants don¡¯t just breathe in carbon dioxide. They can take in oxygen as well, and often do in the night when the sun can¡¯t power their photosynthesis. In certain situations, if a perfect balance of nutrients exists in a sealed jar with a single plant, it could live until the end of its normal lifespan. Plants in Blue¡¯s jars are likely going to die from overheating, over-humidity, or something else, though.

    Unfortunately, I am not a biologist, so I actually don¡¯t know what the exact ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen intake is for each plant. Clearly, some are capable of producing more oxygen than they need in some situations since we can use algae* to clean the air. But you don¡¯t just automatically give yourself air by standing next to a tree.

    *Technically speaking, algae is considered a protist, not a plant. This is largely due to the fact that individual algae organisms are single-celled.

    In the end, using plants to recycle air can work, but it has to be very meticulous and careful since there are a lot of hidden complexities in them. So just use Green, the easy way out.

 005 - Some Assembly Required

    005

    Some Assembly Required

    Blue was ready. She closed her eyes¡­ and let her imagination run wild.

    The core came first. A sphere of Yellow crystal that glittered in an empty black void. All the knobs and switches built into it were in a recess so that the entire thing could roll freely as needed.

    Next came the casing, a glass sphere with several rails cut into it. Control rods with Magenta knobs on them could be inserted through the rails, attaching to receptacles on the drive so settings could be changed, the direction of force altered, or the drive locked in place.

    The complex mechanisms that allowed the drive to be physically manipulated while also retaining its capacity to roll around with minimal friction was by far the most involved part of the design process. Even imagining it now, Blue had a hard time keeping the entire junction in her head at once. At one point they¡¯d just considered leaving off the free-rotation entirely and locking it into a directly ¡°up¡± position, but that would have meant limited control. Disaster could strike and the craft could be knocked sideways, at which point a locked drive would be of little to no use.

    This glass-encased crystal core was to be attached in turn to four rods, made out of steel*. These rods, in turn, would be surrounded by glass¡ªglass that could be melted to adhere to the casing around the drive. Three of the rods would point more-or-less upward, while the fourth would point directly downward. These rods would fuse to the edges of the glass jar, forming the pressurized area.

    *The major problem humanity had with developing steel was that of heat¡ªproducing steel requires getting iron hot enough to completely melt. Only small quantities can be made with traditional methods. Notably, a Red Wizard can bypass this problem if he has a controlled environment and knows what he¡¯s doing. On Ikyu, this is essentially the only way steel is made.

    The contents of the jar would be simple: Jeh, a bunch of cushions to make her comfortable, an air restorer, foodstuffs, a level, a box full of various small crystals of every Color (but mostly Orange), and whatever else Jeh wanted. Blue was currently imagining the How to Read book.

    On the top and bottom of the jar were two large brass discs modeled after the umbrella-like surfaces on levitators, albeit much larger. The one on top would be welded to the jar¡¯s lid, while the one on the bottom would be attached through notches bored in the thickness of the jar¡¯s base. The bottom one would have a hole in it for viewing purposes¡ªunfortunately, this wasn¡¯t feasible for the top disc, since they didn¡¯t want to risk cutting into the jar lid and break the seal. These discs existed for the purposes of manual adjustment, as they were of uniform density and easier to push on as individual pieces than trying to hold the entirety of the unevenly distributed jar interior.

    A dozen trapezoid-shaped pieces of thin wood slid between the two brass discs, giving the jar large ribs or ¡°fins¡± that spread radially outward. This was the result of all their labors on the properties of flying through the air: air blowing through things with slots tended to restore them to upright positions. If the ship ever started tumbling out of control for some reason, it would naturally seek to point vertically. Granted, it could point upside-right or upside-down, but that was still a better orientation than ¡°spinning wildly with no rhyme or reason.¡±

    With a final metal ring wrapped around the edge of the ship for stability, it was done. Blue could hold it completely in her mind. It was a bit wider than it was tall, giving it a vaguely disc-like shape, though most of the volume was just space for the air to travel between the ribs.

    She grinned as she rotated it in her mind, examining the curious starburst of a ship they¡¯d end up creating. Its job was to go up. Though, Blue noted, it could probably survive just fine as a levitating post in the air, or even underwater.

    ¡­Actually, probably not the water; the wooden ribs weren¡¯t exactly waterproof.

    She opened her eyes, looking down at a sketch of the ship she¡¯d made with a levitated pencil. It didn¡¯t do the image in her mind justice. Then again, she¡¯d never been a good technical artist. It was time to turn it in to Vaughan and Suro to make a proper proposal diagram.

    No doubt a few minor things would be changed. Perhaps the arrangement of the grooves in the drive¡¯s casing, or the exact shape of the ribs. But the end product would look very similar to her imagination.

    Just think, a month ago I still thought this was all insanity. It still is. But¡­ I can¡¯t wait to see this ship.

    Can¡¯t wait to see the¡­ the¡­

    What did Vaughan say he named it?

    Skyseed.

    The Skyseed.

    Blue couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the mental image of Jeh inside a glass jar mutating into a seed that produced little Jeh plants. With a dumb smile on her face, she rolled up her sketches and went to report to Vaughan.

    It was time to move forward.

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­And so¡­¡± Blue lowered the random tree branch she was using to gesture at the official diagram of the Skyseed. This new diagram was much better than her initial sketches, but monochrome. ¡°That is the overall design of our craft. Any questions?¡±

    Jeh raised her hand.

    ¡°Yes, Jeh?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t understand half of that.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ will have time to assimilate it, since you¡¯re the one who¡¯ll be flying it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I understand that part. Can¡¯t have it exploding with you in it. ¡®Danger¡¯ and yea.¡±

    ¡°Your language has improved markedly,¡± Suro observed. ¡°Congratulations.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that hard.¡± Jeh shook her head. ¡°Just had to keep at it!¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly have known all these words when you were first lost in the forest. You are learning, Jeh, and learning very well.¡±

    ¡°Sure doesn¡¯t feel like learning.¡± Jeh pointed at the diagram Blue was pointing at. ¡°That is learning. That doesn¡¯t just click with me. That¡­ hurts my thought head.¡±

    ¡°Brain,¡± Vaughan offered.

    ¡°Yes, brain.¡± Jeh clapped her mitts together. ¡°Anyway, uh, Blue, is there anything you think I need to understand?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re responsible for manual correction, that¡¯s the big part. You have to keep the ship upright if a particularly nasty gust of wind comes along. There¡¯ll be training involved as soon as the drive arrives.¡±

    ¡°Training?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re strapping you to a chair with a levitator glued to it,¡± Vaughan said, smirking. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out.¡±

    Jeh clapped. ¡°Sounds fun!¡±

    Blue cleared her throat. ¡°Now... we need to make the ship!¡±

    ¡°Which will take a lot of time and money,¡± Suro said. ¡°We have the jar, but we need to put in orders for casting the bronze discs, working the glass, and cutting the ribs, not to mention all the minor metal bits strewn around.¡±

    ¡°But all of that is available in Willow Hollow, right?¡± Blue asked.

    Suro nodded. ¡°We have a smith, a glassblower, and multiple lumberjacks. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Then it''s up to you, Suro,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Call in some favors if you have to.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t. Big G¡¯s funding can pay for it.¡±

    ¡°Imagine if we had to construct this thing without that!¡± Blue laughed. ¡°It¡¯d take¡­ I don¡¯t know, a year? More?¡±

    ¡°Time shmime, it¡¯s getting made!¡± Jeh jumped up, giddy. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go to space!¡±

    Suro rolled his eyes as he packed up the drawings. ¡°Naturally. I¡¯m glad it¡¯s not me: I like keeping my feet on the ground!¡±

    ¡°Oh, this is just the beginning!¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Soon, there will be vessels that can take anyone to the moon!¡±

    Blue let out a whiney. ¡°You¡¯re delusional.¡±

    ¡°My delusions got us this far, didn¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°You would be lost without me,¡± Blue huffed.

    ¡°None of this could be done without all of us,¡± Suro said. ¡°Try to remember that this is a team effort.¡± With that, he left the three of them behind in the cabin.

    Jeh tilted her head at the position where Suro had just been. ¡°I thought the arguing was part of the fun.¡±

    ¡°I do too,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°This explains¡­ so much.¡± Blue tossed her mane back, taking a deep breath. ¡°Well, Vaughan, the design is done and Suro¡¯s out getting everything. The drive hasn¡¯t arrived yet. So¡­ what now?¡±

    Vaughan shrugged. ¡°Take a break, look through the telescope?¡±

    Jeh brightened visibly. ¡°I love the telescope. Best thing ever. I want to go to Hexi.¡±

    ¡°Hexi is absurdly far away. Several thousand times further than the moon.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like the best place to go!¡± Jeh giggled.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just get to space first, okay?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t the Skyseed go further, though?¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°You might have a difficult time storing enough food for the journey.¡±

    ¡°Hunger can be ignored.¡±

    ¡°And the crystals in the drive will run out. I don¡¯t think the Magenta conduits would last long enough to get to Hexi.¡±

    Jeh ignored most of the words he¡¯d just said. ¡°But the moon?¡±

    Vaughan shrugged. ¡°You could probably make it to the moon.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go to the moon!¡± Blue hissed. ¡°We can¡¯t just take this all at once! There¡¯s a reason we didn¡¯t just tie a harness to a levitator and keep shooting Vaughan at the sky. Going slower means more chances to find where things might go wrong. Which is good.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine¡­¡± Jeh said, nodding in understanding. ¡°So, when¡¯s that drive supposed to arrive?¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°And then I struck the bear between the eyes!¡± Ripashi declared, lifting his leg high and wrapping his talon around a rock. He proceeded to pull himself up so he was standing on only one leg, looking as though he were flying. ¡°It somehow lived, rushing for me, but I flew over its fuzzy little head and gave it sweet, brilliant justice!¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± his audience of one responded: a tall, muscular woman in a thin shirt and shorts who was currently hacking away at a nearby tree with her axe.

    ¡°But, as it turned out, he wasn¡¯t alone¡­¡± Ripashi thrust his wings to his head in mock fear. ¡°For, egads, there was another bear, and this one was an adult! The rage in his eyes was palpable and¡ªI admit¡ªmore than a little satisfying.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± The woman continued swinging at the tree. Despite having worked up a considerable sweat, she didn¡¯t look like she was tiring. Her long, bright orange braid flew like a whip through the air with every stroke.

    ¡°And so the duel began! There I was, tired and exhausted from one battle where I had already pulled off an impressive stunt, but I was without range and the bear was ready for me. So I¡ª¡°

    ¡°Ripashi, are you telling that story again?¡±

    Ripashi whirled to face the recently-arrived Suro. ¡°You ruined it!¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s heard it, even Tracy. Isn¡¯t that right, Tracy?¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Tracy embedded the axe into the tree once more, at which point everyone heard a loud creaking noise. ¡°Timber!¡± Tracy shouted. The tree fell toward her, though she easily sidestepped it. The trunk of the towering pine came to a crashing halt between Suro and Ripashi. Neither were harmed.

    ¡°W-well then¡­¡± Suro said, taking a moment to adjust his glasses.

    Ripashi folded his wings. ¡°You could have killed us!¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Tracy said, twirling her axe in her hand like it wasn¡¯t able to cut her fingers off if she messed up. Catching its handle in her tight grip, she slammed the axe into a perfectly healthy tree, leaving it there. Then she picked up a rope off the ground and started tying up the felled tree for transport.

    ¡°Tracy, before you get started¡­¡± Suro gestured with his tail at a rolled up piece of paper he had sticking out of his bags. ¡°I need to make an order for some specially cut planks.¡±

    Tracy took the paper out of his bags, her eyes darting across it. ¡°Simple enough. I have enough large logs for this already.¡±

    Ripashi let out a caw. ¡°So you can talk!¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±

    Suro continued his discussion with the lumberjack. ¡°The payment will come from Vaughan, but I have some with me if you wan¡ª¡°

    ¡°No need. You¡¯re trustworthy.¡±

    Suro bowed his head in respect. ¡°Thank you. How is Simon doing?¡±

    ¡°Getting educated,¡± Tracy said, folding up the paper and putting it between her shorts and her hips. Somehow, it managed not to fall out or get caught, despite her returning to her backbreaking labor with full vigor. ¡°¡­I do miss him.¡±

    ¡°Simon?¡± Ripashi blinked. ¡°Who¡­?¡±

    ¡°Her husband,¡± Suro deadpanned.

    ¡°Excuse me what?¡±

    ¡°Ripashi, you really need to get out of that cabin of yours more often. Everyone in Willow Hollow has a life with many crisscrossed dynamic relationships. And furthermore¡­¡± Suro flicked his tail. ¡°You know Simon, he¡¯s the one we all helped last year. Remember? The fundraiser to send him to university?¡±

    ¡°I, well, er¡­ No, I don¡¯t really remember that, no.¡±

    A branch from the tree Tracy was working on suddenly snapped, smacking Ripashi in the face. Tracy looked like she hadn¡¯t even noticed. Suro had his doubts about the appearance of things.

    ¡°Regardless, I have places to run today,¡± Suro said, nodding to Tracy. ¡°Thank you for your help. And be patient. He will return.¡±

    Tracy smiled sadly at him. ¡°I know. Come by next week for your planks.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    Suro trotted out of the forest, leaving Tracy and Ripashi behind. Ripashi must have given up his little routine shortly afterward, because a few moments later he descended from the sky and started walking alongside Suro.

    Suro elected to start talking first. ¡°You are a man of the forest, Ripashi. But you are also part of this town.¡±

    Ripashi, for once in his life, had no response.

    ¡°You should come to meditation services more often.¡±

    ¡°¡­Meditating is not my job.¡±

    ¡°Ripashi, Ripashi¡­¡± Suro sighed. ¡°You work far more than is necessary. You provide more than enough meat and bows for the town. You can afford to do something else every now and then. And no, I don¡¯t mean devote yourself to that ¡®bear crusade¡¯ of yours.¡±

    ¡°There is nothing to conquer,¡± Ripashi said. ¡°The town is just¡­ town. No bears, no enemies, no evil, nothing to face or¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing to look amazing while doing.¡±

    ¡°Exactly! There¡¯s nothing there for a true man! True men rise to the challenge, find the greatest obstacle and bash their heads into it!¡± He pulled out his bow and hit a green cubefruit off a nearby bush. ¡°We are pillars of defiance standing amidst a brutal world!¡±

    ¡°¡­Brutal?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Ripashi, we¡¯re at peace, the mines are seeing great improvement, and the farms are producing excess. Times are good, hardly brutal.¡±

    Ripashi let out a soft, almost inaudible caw.

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ my advice. Take life a little slower, be more involved in the small, personal things.¡±

    ¡°Suro¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ripashi?¡±

    ¡°Why are you¡­ like this?¡±

    ¡°¡­I learned things the hard way,¡± Suro said with a sad smile. ¡°Me and Lila both.¡±

    ¡°What was it like, out there? Sailing to distant lands?¡±

    ¡°¡­Lila always says it was terrible and we shouldn¡¯t look back on those times with nostalgia. But¡­ I can¡¯t help myself. There was just something about drifting from place to place with our lives always in peril.¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°Ripashi¡­ I do not recommend the lifestyle we used to have. I can look back with fond memories, but I know it¡¯s good that it ended, that we settled down.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t settle down,¡± Ripashi said.

    ¡°That¡¯s nons¡ª¡°

    ¡°No, Suro, it¡¯s not that! Hmph!¡± He folded his wings. ¡°There are no other qorvids in Willow Hollow!¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Suro looked forward at the town square they were rapidly approaching. ¡°I suppose you have to ask if you want children, then.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding? More soldiers in the fight against the bears!¡±

    Suro couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Ripashi¡­ oh, never mind. I suppose no one can really be ready for kids, no matter how much they think they are.¡± He flicked his ears back.

    ¡°¡­I should go, you have business in town. And I cannot be caught hindering your quest!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you accompany me on my errand? You might find it helpful.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Just stick with me, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    With a vague shrug, Ripashi fell in line behind Suro and followed him. Soon, cat and qorvid trekked into the town square.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this a sight for sore eyes!¡± Seskii called as they passed.

    ¡°What does that even mean!?¡± Ripashi called back to her.

    ¡°Good question!¡± Seskii said, smile unfaltering.

    Since Seskii was on the way to his destination, Suro opted to pass by her stand. ¡°How¡¯s business?¡±

    ¡°Good enough,¡± Seskii said, bringing out a bottle of Suro¡¯s favorite juice: orange. ¡°On the house!¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t imagine ripping you off,¡± Suro said, slipping a ring-tool onto his paw so he could pay her. He took a few Red coins* and deposited them on the kiosk before taking the juice and placing it in his bags. ¡°I must thank you for your wares. It is a miracle you have such a variety.¡±

    *Coinage is usually made with a core of Colored crystal, since it can be easily shaped. However, most crystals used in coinage are coated in some kind of polish to keep it from losing its shape over time¡ªmeaning it can¡¯t really be used for magic unless it¡¯s broken. Different cultures consider different colors more valuable. Curiously, this means that foreign currencies are often accepted by traders, since most are based on Colored crystals. The issue is that the relative value of each coin changes. A few clever people have managed to abuse this to no end.

    Seskii gestured at Suro while looking at Ripashi. ¡°This guy gets it. This guy really gets it.¡±

    ¡°The wise old cat!¡± Ripashi cawed.

    Seskii put her hands on her hips. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s old.¡±

    ¡°In cat years.¡±

    ¡°Even considering the lower lifespan of cats, he¡¯s not that old.¡±

    ¡°But what if we consider his age in wisdom? The cat knows all, sees into your deepest soul, and comes out with an epiphany worthy of an oracle!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re quite done discussing the relative nature of my age¡­¡± Suro said with a cough. ¡°We do have business to attend to. Seskii?¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course, of course! Don¡¯t be a stranger!¡± Seskii waved with a cute little smile at Suro.

    As Suro and Ripashi left, Suro spoke once more. ¡°She is, in many ways, your opposite, Ripashi. She arrived about when Blue did and already everyone in town knows her. She goes out of her way to talk to everyone she can over fruit juice!¡±

    ¡°I found her at her stand in the middle of the forest. She has spunk!¡±

    ¡°She does certainly have¡­ ¡®spunk,¡¯ I¡¯ll give her that.¡±

    Suro¡¯s final destination was one of the oldest buildings in town, a construction of solid stone that had multiple chimneys that released exhaust into the air above. Rather than a single sign hanging out front that told passersby what was inside, there were three separate ones: a glittering Red anvil, a smooth Blue vase, and a Yellow loaf of bread split in two. It was a three-in-one extravaganza that existed for the purposes of efficiency.

    It was much easier on Vaughan to only have to deal with one arcane furnace device.

    Upon entering the door, however, there was no indication of the device that powered the three businesses: instead, there were shelves upon shelves of freshly baked bread of every size and shape. There were the usual loaves, crackers, and simple pastries alongside the occasional loaf of unusual color or material, including one that looked like it was made of salt crystals.

    The bakery was one of the busiest shops in Willow Hollow, since everyone tended to want bread, so Suro was not surprised to find several other customers perusing the various loaves. He was surprised that the proprietors of the establishment bothered to welcome him personally.

    ¡°Welcome back, Suro!¡± two gari girls sang in unison. Their plastic was a smooth, dandelion yellow and both of them had heat-treated their hair into an impressive gravity-defying shape that looked like a crescent surrounding each of their heads. They were identical in height, wore the same kind of apron, and both wore one singular earring of gold. ¡°Can you tell us apart today?¡±

    Suro shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, girls! You put so much effort into looking identical that no one can.¡±

    ¡°Our plans are coming to fruition!¡± the one on the left said.

    ¡°Up next: world domination!¡± the other said.

    ¡°All will bow before us!¡±

    ¡°Also butter rolls are half off today.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a steal!¡±

    ¡°I shall not steal!¡± Ripashi declared, hoisting both of his wings above his shoulders.

    ¡°But what about for a shimmer silver-bun?¡± The one on the right said.

    The one on the left picked a small, silvery bun from a shelf and showed it to Ripashi. The glint of the baked good caught Ripashi¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°That¡­ is magnificent,¡± Ripashi said, lifting the bun into the air with his wing. ¡°A silver delight of shimmering magnificence and no doubt a delectable interior! The glimmer of divinity hides within such food¡­¡±

    The twins high-fived each other again.

    ¡°That¡¯ll be¡­ thirty fifty-nine,¡± the right one said. ¡°Would you like that in a bag?¡±

    ¡°We make the bags ourselves~!¡± the other trilled.

    ¡°They only cost a little extra.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like the perfect purchase!¡± Ripashi declared.

    ¡°And if you buy three, we can give you a fourth one free!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like stealing without stealing!¡± the other added.

    ¡°Leave the poor bird alone, vicious capitalists,¡± Suro said with a chuckle. ¡°Just get the one, Ripashi, don¡¯t let them draw you into the pit of monetary despair.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ripashi looked like he¡¯d just been shaken out of a beautiful daydream. ¡°Oh, yes, right, be reasonable. I am a very reasonable man!¡±

    Both of the girls couldn¡¯t keep from snorting at this.

    As Ripashi paid one of the girls for the bun, the other turned to Suro. ¡°So, wanna buy anything?¡±

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°I am immune to your feminine wiles,¡± Suro said.

    She deflated. ¡°Aww, but it works so well. Rissy said we only needed to try harder.¡±

    Ah, the other one¡¯s Rismelda, this one¡¯s Ronadale. Finally¡­ it gets so confusing. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not here to purchase any of your treats, Rona. I¡¯m going to the other shops and giving Ripashi a taste of society.¡±

    Rona grinned malevolently. ¡°I¡¯m Rissy.¡±

    Suro felt his confidence shatter like an unlucky mirror. ¡°But¡­ you just said¡­¡±

    ¡°Gotcha!¡± the girls said in unison, taking a moment to dance around each other with delighted giggling.

    Ripashi stared at the girls. ¡°By my favorite bear fur, you two are nasty.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to take over the world!¡± one said.

    ¡°Everyone always thinks we¡¯re joking when we say that,¡± the other added, scratching her chin.

    ¡°Ahem,¡± Suro cleared, putting on his best ¡°official business¡± voice. ¡°Rissy and Rona Sourdough, we have business elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°We know!¡± They called. ¡°You know which door it is!¡±

    Suro bid the Sourdough twins goodbye and led Ripashi down the hall to the other part of the building.

    ¡°Such delightfully mischievous children,¡± Ripashi said. ¡°I wonder how they do it by themselves¡­?¡±

    ¡°They had to,¡± Suro said. ¡°The plague took their parents.¡±

    Ripashi fell silent.

    ¡°There are some things even Green can¡¯t cure¡­¡±

    They arrived in the other portion of the building, which had a much larger space. On the left side were various metallic constructions ranging from swords to shields to anvils and even a few pieces of armor. The right side was dominated by various colors of glass objects; some of which were practical, such as vases, or entirely decorative, like the swirling nexus of wormlike glass tubes twisted into a ball. A handful of designs with both metal and glass took up the middle of the shop¡¯s floor.

    In the back, behind the service counter, was the arcane furnace. It was an absolutely massive beast studded with several very large Red crystals connected by hundreds of little Magenta nodes. The various crystal conduits weaved in and out of the blackish metal cylinder, each part shining brightly. While a visible shimmer was generally a sign of inefficiency in an arcane device, such a rule did not apply for devices of this size and power. It held within it the spells required to melt and mix metals, glasses, and any number of things. Its exhaust was hot enough to power the ovens for the bakery. There was no way to store spells with that much will in them without having a visible glow at all times.

    ¡°Look at this here!¡± A gari with ice-blue hair was shouting at the top of her lungs, pointing at a little checklist. ¡°It says ¡®make glass vase for Lila at two o¡¯clock!¡¯ Guess what time it is, buddy? Two! O! Clock!¡±

    The male gari with red hair continued loading some lumps of silver into a smelting cup. ¡°How can you have two clocks made out of Os?¡±

    ¡°You flame-ridden spice-inhaling brutally-violent no-good heat-hog!¡±

    ¡°I believe you are the violent one, Krays.¡± He carefully weighed the amount of silver in the cup on the scales.

    Krays picked up a rod of glass and angled it angrily at the man. ¡°I will run you through, Darmosil.¡±

    ¡°Your threats, as usual, have no basis in reality.¡± Darmosil gingerly reached for a cup of what Suro presumed to be tea and took one of the smallest possible sips from it.

    ¡°Oh, oh listen to this guy! He wants me to give him a threat I¡¯ll actually follow through!¡± She poked the end of the glass rod to his neck. ¡°Do you really want that, buddy?¡±

    ¡°And you have the power to do such a thing?¡±

    She pressed in until her forehead was pressed to his own. ¡°I am going to kiss you so Diadem hard.¡±

    ¡°How threatening,¡± he deadpanned, getting the jump on her and initiating the wild, passionate kiss. She responded by lifting him off the ground and twirling him around¡ªnever breaking the kiss. That is, until she accidentally smacked him into the wall, prompting her to lose her footing and fall unceremoniously to the shop floor.

    ¡°I¡­ gotcha¡­¡± Krays managed. ¡°Right in the wall¡­¡±

    ¡°I have no doubts about your intentionality.¡±

    ¡°You wanna go?¡±

    ¡°Another round would be most delightful, but we have customers.¡±

    ¡°Custom¡ª¡° Krays slammed her hands on the countertop and glared at Ripashi. ¡°You!¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ripashi held up his wings.

    ¡°What exactly do you think this is!? A play for you to gawk at!?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I have no idea what I just witnessed.¡±

    Suro jumped up onto the counter. ¡°You were watching people being people, Ripashi. Everyone is unique and has their own story to tell.¡±

    ¡°Our story is our story,¡± Krays huffed.

    ¡°And so I shall tell it,¡± Darmosil said as he put his cup of silver into the arcane furnace and turned the device on.

    ¡°Wh¡ªhey! We weren¡¯t done talking about that!¡±

    ¡°The customer takes priority, and the customer wants a story.¡±

    ¡°No, they don¡¯t, you conniving little weasel-mongrel-pig-plast¡ª¡°

    Darmosil kept talking as Krays¡¯ insult continued to grow in length. ¡°My wife and I moved into town at the same time.¡±

    ¡°¡ªowl-slimeball-grizzly-potato¡ª¡°

    ¡°Vaughan hadn¡¯t moved in yet, and the forges we built for our respective works failed. We were forced to join forces.¡±

    ¡°¡ªuncompromising-moronic-foolhardy-boisterous¡ª¡°

    ¡°We hated each other. Every day was a shouting match.¡±

    ¡°¡ªfrizzlebizzlewizzle-fernfaced-calculating-impassive¡ª¡°

    ¡°Then we loved each other. And kept shouting.¡± A small smile crawled up the man¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, the wondrous shouting.¡±

    ¡°¡ªtwo-ton-forgotten-piece-of-crud!¡± Krays took in a pained gasp of air and slammed her hand on the countertop to stabilize herself.

    ¡°Krays, that was actually a rather impressive insult.¡±

    She snapped her fingers and gave him a wink. ¡°Glad to be of service, you lard-butt.¡±

    ¡°Truly, the most devastating of comebacks.¡±

    Krays slid along the top of the counter, pausing to flutter her eyes at Suro repeatedly. ¡°So, my catastrophic friend, what can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ could be here for Darmosil¡¯s services,¡± Suro pointed out.

    ¡°Pssht, we all know that¡¯s not the case.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s here for both of us,¡± Darmosil said.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Krays suddenly seemed a lot less interested. ¡°Well, that¡¯s useless for our rankings.¡±

    ¡°Quite.¡±

    Krays shrugged. ¡°Aight, catto-batto, what is it?¡±

    Suro laid out the diagrams for the metal-glass rods.

    ¡°Ooooh,¡± Krays traced her finger along the diagram. ¡°For the sky ship¡­¡±

    ¡°Spaceship!¡± One of the Sourdough twins called from the entryway.

    ¡°It¡¯s rude to eavesdrop, rabbits!¡± Krays shouted while shaking her fist.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible not to!¡±

    Krays picked up one of the knives her husband had forged and threw it clear across the room, embedding itself in the wall just above the twins¡¯ heads. ¡°Go back to your bready wonderland, yeast-bins!¡±

    The two girls did as asked, though they were laughing the entire time.

    ¡°The quality of the metal is all that¡¯s difficult,¡± Darmosil said, returning everyone''s attention to the plans. ¡°It¡¯ll take some time to refine and shape, but not too much.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ll glass it with perfection!¡± Krays declared. ¡°And they shall support¡­¡± She frowned as she got to the glass casing for the drive with all its folds and weaves. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    ¡°Problem?¡±

    ¡°This is a precision piece. It needs to be perfectly spherical, and all these notches need to withstand stress.¡±

    Suro pulled his ears back. ¡°You¡­ can¡¯t do it?¡±

    ¡°I can, but I¡¯d need to get better equipment and¡­ well, it might take a few tries to get right.¡± She drummed her fingers on the countertop. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to go out of town for this.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°Is awkward, I know. Especially for you b¡ªhey, wait, isn¡¯t that unicorn of yours a messenger?¡±

    ¡°Blue is a messenger, yes, but she isn¡¯t m¡ª¡°

    Krays had already gone through a door in the back. Frantic, loud rummaging punctuated by the occasional crash of breaking glass and swears from Krays met Suro¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Just let her do her thing,¡± Darmosil said.

    Ripashi winced at another crash. ¡°She¡¯s conquering the storage space!¡±

    ¡°Found it!¡± Krays declared, rushing back out with an envelope, a piece of paper, some wax, and a seal. ¡°My old Glassblowers¡¯ Guild seal! Here, Suro¡­¡± She was already scrawling a hasty letter down on the paper. ¡°If your unicorn can get this to the Glassblower¡¯s Guild in Valentia, my seal should be enough to get them to accept the job. They¡¯ll be pricey but I¡¯m sure with that fancy air-square-bobble you¡¯ve got enough for it.¡± She flipped the letter up and, with one hand, folded it up neatly. She stuck it in the envelope and, using a metal rod that had been in the arcane furnace, melted the wax so she could put her seal on it. ¡°There we go!¡±

    ¡°Krays, you didn¡¯t put the diagrams in there.¡± Darmosil gestured at the plans for the drive¡¯s casing.

    ¡°Fffffffffff!¡± Krays waved her hands frantically. ¡°Guess we¡¯re Diadem doing it again!¡±

    Suro coughed. ¡°Er, Krays, if you don¡¯t min¡ª¡°

    ¡°I will swear as much as I want in my shop thank you~!¡± She jumped out, rummaging once more for more paper and an envelope.

    Suro shook his head. ¡°Ripashi, I hope you¡¯re taking notes.¡±

    ¡°On what?¡±

    ¡°On people. Who they are, the things they do.¡±

    ¡°How many subtle jabs at your intelligence they can get off,¡± Darmosil added. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing to know. It¡¯s always better if you can tell you¡¯re being insulted.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re right¡­¡± Ripashi said, scratching his beak. ¡°People are always mocking me behind my back, I¡¯m sure of it!¡±

    ¡°Good guess.¡± Darmosil took a long, obnoxiously slow sip of his tea.

    ¡°This time for sure!¡± Krays returned, wrote the letter again, and this time folded it up with the diagrams and instructions, placing it all within the envelope which she quickly sealed. ¡°There you go, Suro! Enjoy!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll be three-fifty!¡± The twins called from the entryway.

    ¡°It¡¯s on the house, banana gremlins!¡± Krays shouted at them. ¡°Darmosil, I¡¯m going to need your heat-blade.¡±

    ¡°No kid hunting today,¡± her husband told her.

    ¡°But I wanna¡­¡±

    ¡°The consequences are simply too dire. That said¡­¡± He took a sword with a Red crystal core down from the wall and gave it to her. ¡°We can always go into the forest, see what kinds of beasts our ranger has been missing in his quest for bears.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, monster hunt¡­¡±

    Ripashi let out a gasp. ¡°That was an insult to me! You insulted my bear quest!¡±

    ¡°The bird learns,¡± Krays said with a chuckle. ¡°How cute.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Darmosil agreed.

    ¡°Seriously, though, go give that letter to your unicorn,¡± Krays insisted. ¡°Should work just fine.¡±

    ¡°I will give it to Blue,¡± Suro asserted. ¡°And she will choose to go or not.¡±

    ¡°Vaughan will tell her to go,¡± Darmosil said.

    ¡°Darmosil¡­¡± Suro dropped his line of thought and shook his head. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve got a certain something, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    ¡°I endeavor to please.¡± With a special, extremely long wrench, he removed his cup from the furnace, finding the silver within to be fully melted.

    ¡°¡­Hey!¡± Krays shouted. ¡°You can¡¯t just¡­¡±

    ¡°I just did.¡±

    ¡°Of all the good for nothing¡ª¡° Krays launched into another rant while Darmosil continued to work with his silver.

    The two didn¡¯t even notice Suro and Ripashi leave.

    ¡°Do we need to pay them?¡± Ripashi asked.

    ¡°Later, naturally,¡± Suro said. ¡°I have a reputation of being reliable, somehow.¡± He turned to give Ripashi a serious look. ¡°Did you see that there were people today?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Good. Maybe you could walk around town on your own a few times. Consider it a new forest of wonders and challenges. But for now¡­¡± He used his ring-tool to place the letter in his bags. ¡°I have a unicorn to give this too.¡±

    ¡°Your unicorn?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not my uni¡ª¡° Suro stopped himself when he noticed Ripashi had struck a dramatic victory pose. ¡°¡­Ah. I see you¡¯re taking tips from Darmosil. Well done.¡±

    ¡°A new conquest!¡± Ripashi declared, letting out a belly laugh.

    ¡°Hey Ripashi!¡± the twins called. ¡°We have more shiny pastries for you to buy!¡±

    ¡°Get out get out get out!¡± Suro called. ¡°Run! Run, don¡¯t let them find you!¡±

    Ripashi ran out the door at high speeds and took to the skies.

    ¡°Awww¡­¡± the twins bemoaned.

    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of fish in the sea,¡± Suro commented.

    ¡°But not many birds!¡± one of the twins said.

    ¡°You know what I meant.¡±

    ~~~

    The next morning, before the sun was even up, Blue had put her saddlebags on and was performing some stretches in front of Vaughan¡¯s cabin. She alternated between bending her front legs to their maximum and her back legs, giving her the appearance of a seesaw.

    Jeh poked her head out of a window on the second floor. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Stretches loosen your muscles!¡± Blue called back up, changing stretches to focus on one leg at a time by holding one out perfectly level. Heh, you greater unicorns don¡¯t have this mobility, now do you?

    ¡°I want to keep my muscles!¡±

    ¡°No, no, loosen in the other sense! Become more¡­ malleable?¡±

    ¡°You really are bad at words.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°I thought so when you started teaching me and I still think so.¡±

    Blue reared up on her hind legs and held it¡ªpart of the stretch. This was the closest she would come to understanding what it was like to be a biped. Her verdict: awkward and uncomfortable.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Jeh hung half of her body out the window. ¡°You¡¯re leaving now?¡±

    ¡°Valentia is a long way off,¡± Blue said. ¡°It¡¯s already going to take me a few days, might as well get started early. Don¡¯t let Vaughan blow anything up, don¡¯t blow anything up yourself. And good luck on learning how to fly!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±

    ¡°The drive should arrive while I¡¯m gone.¡± Blue leaned down, hoofing the ground to get some traction on her hooves. ¡°Vaughan was serious about hooking you to that chair.¡±

    ¡°Awesome.¡±

    ¡°I figured you¡¯d think that. Bye! Wish me luck!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an expression that I¡¯m not explaining right now!¡± Blue waved with one of her front hooves before taking off in a gallop that kicked up considerable dust that glimmered in the pre-sunrise light.

    As soon as she was out of sight, Jeh frowned. Vaughan wasn¡¯t awake yet and Suro wasn¡¯t here. She essentially had the cabin to herself. Since she couldn¡¯t burn it down, she wasn¡¯t sure what to do.

    With a shrug, she decided it was time for a bath. Which, for her, involved finding a secluded part of the river in the forest. She wouldn¡¯t be caught dead cleaning herself in that metal bucket of heated water Vaughan told her was the best.

    Vaughan didn¡¯t lie. But Vaughan was, as Blue loved to attest, a moron.

    A moron who couldn¡¯t wake up even when people were shouting outside his house.

    ~~~

    Blue¡¯s predictions were right on the money. The drive arrived while she was far, far away.

    Well, the materials for the drive, anyway. Suro was a master jeweler and he could most definitely make it, he¡¯d just needed some of the more fine-tuned crystal parts to be shaped elsewhere. Not the urchins, surprisingly¡ªmaking a spherical segment with spines wasn¡¯t all that difficult. The crystals he needed to order were the complex Magenta junctions that needed to be created by Magenta wizards to make sure they functioned properly. Suro probably could have cut them himself, but he had no way to test if the Magenta conduit¡¯s shape was correct or not upon completion.

    The first part of drive construction was simple: Suro called Vaughan in, and Vaughan pushed his will onto the various Magenta loops, storing push spells of various strengths. Vaughan was not an Orange wizard and was not able to make precise increments in the strength of his pushes, but that was what the secondary set of Magenta loops in the drive were for. Large pushes plus small ones should be able to provide the finesse needed.

    That was the idea, anyway. Suro was doubtful, but both Blue and Vaughan thought it would work, and they were the ones who would know.

    Storing the spells was the easy part, though. Now it was up to Suro to cut the rest of the crystals, lay them in a framework of his own design, and then somehow stick it all in a special Yellow sphere with various mechanical notches in it.

    It was not the most complex thing he had ever made¡ªmerely the third. The second most complicated device had been the magic ring-maker he¡¯d made to prove his worth to the Jewelers¡¯ Guild. He didn¡¯t like to think about his actual most complex design.

    And so he set to work. Unlike with the rings he made, this was going to take some time. The first thing he did was take out the solid sphere of Yellow Vaughan had made the moment the design was finalized. Suro set it on top of a mottled area of his workbench, designed specifically to work on objects that would otherwise roll around.

    At this point, it was time to take hold of the advanced tools. He put rings on both of his paws and his tail that had numerous hooks, barbs, spikes, and clamps for working with numerous things at once precisely. His first tool was a brass C-shaped object with a metal wire running across the ends of the C. This was a crystal saw. Coming from above, he touched the taut wire to the middle of the sphere and started pushing back and forth with slow, precise motions. Small amounts of crystal powder fell from the sphere to the desk as he cut through, reminding him that he needed to be careful.

    Soon, he had two nearly-perfect hemispheres. Using a cloth, he swept up the powder into a waste jar which, when full, could be used to make more crystals. Returning to the hemispheres, he brought out a new tool¡ªa very thin metal rod with a sharp point. He brought it to the flat side of one of the hemispheres and started making tiny marks¡ªmeasurements to tell him where to cut. Once he found the center for sure, he used another rod to turn the first into a compass and a circle.

    The next step was perhaps the simplest, but it was also one of the most time-consuming. For the next several hours, he scraped away the interior of the Yellow hemispheres, hollowing them out. Sometimes he used a special whisk-like tool that could cut away edges in a circle, but most of the time it was just him and a pointed metal stick, wearing down the hemisphere and dumping the powder into the waste pot.

    In the end, though, he had two hollowed-out hemispheres. At this point he cut into the hemispheres themselves, adding all the notches and sliding bits that would be required to access the interior.

    Speaking of the interior, it was now time to work on that. He pulled open a drawer, revealing the wire he had available. First, he focused on the most central mechanism: the inner Magenta cores. They had been sent to him as crystals with no casing; it was up to him to wind the wires and tie everything together in a stable configuration all while not interrupting the arcane flow. Interruptions could occur for many reasons: the crystals weren¡¯t aligned properly, one of the wires changed the crystal¡¯s shape too much, or any number of other things. The crystals were designed to operate for a decent amount of time, so it was possible an imperfection would have no effect until a few months down the line, and then it would break everything.

    Such was the burden of a jeweler.

    In the end, the Magenta segments appeared as a strange mixture of a tree with various flashing fruits and two separate gears. In theory, if this were attached to an Orange, it would be able to cast a push spell of a specific magnitude.

    But to turn it into a drive, one last component was needed: the Orange itself. He once again started with a sphere, but this time he immediately went to the pointed rod and started placing dots all over the sphere¡¯s exterior. It simply would not do to have this sphere resting on the ground, so he took a clever approach: hanging it from the ceiling. At the top of his workshop, he had a pointed metal rod with holes near the tip. When the fixture of the rod was pressed, spikes would launch out of those holes and embed a hanging crystal in midair. Usually, cutting into the center of a crystal was not an option, but he was going to be cutting this up into eight pieces anyway so he could work around it. It was a rather simple matter to wear a hole into the crystal so he could lift it to the ceiling rod and hang it.

    Thus marked the actual longest part of the work: carving away the Orange into an urchin shape. For crystals other than Magenta, the actual shape tended not to matter much; it only influenced the way a spell would be carried out if no will were there to instruct a different way. For instance, if raw will were pushed into an Orange, it would push in the direction the crystal ¡°pointed.¡± The study of crystal directionality is a complex one that was absolutely necessary to get arcane devices to function: if a Magenta loop¡¯s spell doesn¡¯t transfer in the same direction every time, things tend to explode.

    However, outside of Magenta-fickleness, the other Colors are generally cut into whatever works for the device in question. Once a spell goes in, it¡¯ll act in the direction the spell specifies, regardless of the crystal¡¯s ¡°pointed¡± direction. All that matters is the crystal be large enough to draw enough power, and have enough surface area that it can pull that power at an acceptable rate.

    Hence why Suro was currently cutting a sphere of Orange into a sea urchin shape. If he maximized the surface area, he maximized how much power can be tapped at once. Getting it done right took an impressive amount of time, concentration, and tool variety. Suro had to chisel, cut, mark, slice, and shred over and over.

    Once he was complete, he had a spike ball hanging from the ceiling with lines running along it that indicated where it needed to be cut. Suro took out the crystal saw once more and slowly, carefully, separated it into eight separate spiked pieces.

    It was finally time to put it all together. He brought back one of the Yellow hemispheres and gently laid four of the Orange pieces in it, carefully setting the Magenta nexus in the center. The other four Orange pieces came next, followed by the other half of the Yellow sphere.

    ¡°Suro.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Suro didn¡¯t look up from his work¡ªone wrong motion could break something. The cover needed to go on perfectly.

    ¡°It¡¯s morning,¡± Lila said.

    ¡°Ah. Well¡­ Good thing I¡¯m almost done then.¡± He carefully tapped the Yellow exterior of the drive to make sure it was stable.

    ¡°Morning on the second day.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Suro blinked a few times. ¡°I guess¡­¡± He yawned. ¡°I really got into it.¡±

    ¡°Most sensible jewelers would have given a full month to make that.¡±

    ¡°Most sensible jewelers wouldn¡¯t take the job.¡± He very, very slowly rolled the nearly completed drive to the holding press, which was just two large planks of wood affixed to a crank. He twisted the crank a few times, pushing the two planks of wood closer together, applying pressure to the drive. This would, in an hour or so, fuse the two halves of the Yellow shell together.

    Visually, though, it was complete. A glittering Yellow sphere larger than Suro¡¯s head. Through the translucent shell, the various spikes were visible, though they appeared dark through the Yellow tint. Deep within the drive were the stored spells themselves, giving off little blips of Magenta light barely visible from the exterior.

    ¡°Done?¡± Lila asked.

    ¡°Well, it needs to sit.¡± He gave her a quick nuzzle. ¡°Are¡­ the kids okay?¡±

    ¡°I was able to keep track of them. Don¡¯t worry, you aren¡¯t neglecting them. We all know you occasionally get like this.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­ I do have responsibilities.¡±

    ¡°And you haven¡¯t broken any of them. Now¡­¡± She patted him on the nose. ¡°You need to stop thinking about your responsibilities. In fact, stop thinking at all. Go to sleep. Vaughan can get his special drive tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­ he can wait.¡±

    ~~~

    On the exact same morning Suro completed the drive, Blue arrived at Valentia. Valentia was a curious city situated on the shore of a crystal clear lake in a lush valley. The valley was overrun by evergreen trees so tall that some of them scraped low-hanging clouds. Some of the ¡°trees¡± were violet spikes with only five branches at the very top; a form of plast that added a bit of color to the verdant scenery.

    Valentia itself was a city largely built between the trees of the woods. A shack here, a farm there, a schoolhouse built in a circle around a still growing tree; it was all there. There were even a few buildings built in the trees, but these weren¡¯t as common as one might think. It¡¯s just much easier to build on the ground, even if having a home in the trees would look really incredible.

    The founder of Valentia had been a dryad, and like most dryads, he had been determined to be one with nature. Thus, while the city very much made a lot of money from lumber, the forest itself was carefully catered. Adjacent trees were never cut together and the city itself was built around rather than over the ecosystem. The only part of Valentia that could be considered more artificial than natural was downtown, situated on the bank of the lake where there had been no trees to disturb.

    Downtown was where Blue needed to be. She treated her journey as though she were on official messenger business: head held high, she trotted down main street with obvious, dutiful purpose. The ¡°welcome to Valentia¡± sign had told her where main street was, though for the first few minutes of her journey there was hardly anything but stone road and forest. Signs of civilization came in slowly at first but quickly built up to a critical mass. Gone were the idyllic hills of nature, in their place were busy streets with hundreds of people scurrying about of every shape and size. Carriages had it difficult, as they had to weave in and out of the winding roads that looped the many trees. The entire layout of the city was supremely confusing and Blue had no idea why anyone had thought letting nature decide where everything went was a good idea.

    It seemed to work for them, though. As a messenger (or ex-messenger), Blue knew to keep to the main road. Getting lost was very easy in this nest.

    She was rewarded for her efforts by the slow disappearance of trees from the cityscape as it transitioned to downtown. Here, buildings were arranged along straight roads with much less care for making everything green. There were very few residential areas and homes here, but there were still tons of people. The most impressive landmark was the city hall, which was built into a single tree that stood alienated from the rest of the forest. It was rather hard to tell where city hall ended and the tree began since the shape of the building contained many knots and twists, not unlike that of a tree itself. Clearly, something a dryad would dream up.

    At least it looked different. Dryads rarely built anything.

    This mattered little to Blue at the moment¡ªshe had to make it to the Glassblowers¡¯ Guild. Fortunately, all Guilds and official buildings had reasonable addresses and positions on maps since they wanted to be found. She only had to make two turns before arriving.

    Perhaps unsurprisingly, most of the building was made out of glass and shaped like a vase. The glass itself was frosted so people couldn¡¯t see inside, but Blue had to wonder how easy such a structure would be to break.

    Upon entering the Guild, she found that the floors weren¡¯t made out of glass but of some kind of fabric, giving her plenty of traction. The lobby was a small room with only a few chairs and walls adorned with banners that told Blue all she ever wanted to know, and then some, about the current state of glassblowing. ¡°Invest in lake sand glass!¡± ¡°Marble industry taking off: master the spherical art!¡± ¡°Add a little SWIRL to your creations!¡±

    ¡°Hello, can I help you?¡± the receptionist¡ªa human man¡ªasked.

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Blue took out the sealed letter Krays had given her and handed it over. ¡°Got a special order from Krays Piper, used to be Krays Viskar.¡±

    ¡°It says that on the letter,¡± the receptionist said, pointing at ¡°Krays Piper nee Viskar.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised she found someone, she had so much fire it burned everyone in proximity.¡±

    ¡°They do yell a lot. Apparently they find it fun.¡±

    ¡°That explains a lot. Anyway¡­¡± the receptionist took the letter. ¡°Let me go run this by everyone and get a cost. I¡¯m assuming you have the money for payment with you?¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°And if we¡¯re short for some reason, Wizard Gideon Vaughan will provide excess funds.

    ¡°Excellent. Please wait¡­¡± The man scrambled through a door and left Blue alone in the waiting room.

    With a toss of her mane, Blue sat down on the ground. She levitated over a little booklet¡ªchained to the counter, of course¡ªthat listed the various services the Guild could offer. Direction to local glassblowers, large projects, sand purchasing¡­ they even had a wizard on staff, apparently, since they offered arcane furnace services.

    The front door opened again, allowing a truly majestic creature to walk into the lobby. The woman had four velvet-red legs with jet-black polished hooves and a thin tail. Her back sported a purple robe that matched the pointed hat that rested on her head just above her horn, patting down her silky mane. She was a unicorn, all right, and a greater unicorn at that¡ªshe towered above Blue, glaring down at her. Maybe. Blue had always found it hard to tell where greater unicorns were focusing since their eyes weren¡¯t forward-facing.

    At first, Blue stepped aside to let the Purple wizard through, prepared to tell her that the receptionist had gone back and would return in a moment. But then she recognized the greater unicorn.

    ¡°Itlea!?¡±

    Itlea bore her teeth, a much more menacing act for a greater unicorn than a lesser one, given the longer face. The entire forward part of her became teeth.

    Blue was not fazed by this. ¡°What does the oh-so-powerful and amazing Itlea require from such a lowly, peasant-filled Guild such as the Glassblowers¡¯?¡±

    ¡°A messenger has no right to speak to me,¡± Itlea huffed.

    ¡°Clearly, you didn¡¯t study law. Furthermore, I¡¯m not a messenger anymore, I¡¯m a wizard¡¯s apprentice. So ha.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯d take in a flunky like you?¡±

    Blue smirked. ¡°Oh, just some moron.¡±

    At this, the receptionist returned. ¡°They¡¯ve accepted your order, assuming Wizard Vaughan turns out to be reputable.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Blue said, taking a little slip of paper out of the receptionist¡¯s hands. ¡°I have this on me right now, here.¡± She levitated out of her bags a rather impressive pile of coins, mostly of the Blue variety. ¡°Make sure to send it to the Willow Hollow jeweler¡¯s instead of Vaughan¡¯s cabin¡ªit¡¯s annoyingly out of the way.¡±

    ¡°So long as you or Wizard Vaughan are there to claim the order.¡±

    ¡°If we aren¡¯t, Suro will scream loud enough and we¡¯ll be there.¡±

    The receptionist smiled the ¡°I have to smile at you¡± smile.

    Blue let it slide, tucking the confirmation slip into her bags before turning to Itlea with a smug grin. ¡°Look at me, doing apprentice things, like ordering complex parts for an arcane device.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why glass?¡±

    ¡°Why indeed¡­!¡± Blue laughed.

    Itlea narrowed her eyes¡ªBlue assumed, she could only see one eye at the moment. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve this. You cheated, somehow. You¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t care!¡± Blue flicked her tail. ¡°I¡¯m free from the slavery of academia, I¡¯m working on cutting edge arcane devices in the middle of nowhere! The rules can¡¯t touch me! Hah!¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps you would like to demonstrate your newfound arcane abilities.¡± Itlea lit her horn with a malevolent red, levitating out an Orange crystal from her robes. ¡°It should be a simple test to prove yourself.¡±

    ¡°Itlea, I know this is going to be nearly impossible for your little horse-brain to comprehend¡­ but, but, not all wizards need to be good at casting spells. Some of us are theorists and constructors. Me? Hmm? I¡¯m just both!¡±

    ¡°Ah. So only partial success.¡±

    Blue¡¯s left eye twitched. ¡°Excuse me? Partial?¡±

    ¡°Wizards of legend are not theorists, they are the active. You do not change the course of history by tinkering with ideas in your backyard.¡±

    ¡°Wanna bet?¡± Blue sneered. ¡°We¡¯ve already got progress.¡±

    ¡°To what?¡±

    ¡°That¡­. is a secret! For now. But it¡¯ll blow your little mind, little miss perfect.¡±

    ¡°I see you haven¡¯t changed, continually trying to lessen my physical size in your words.¡±

    ¡°And I see you¡¯re just as crabby and petty as before. Wasn¡¯t nice seeing you again, I hope your horn breaks. Etcetera etcetera, cue disgruntled goodbye, exit stage left.¡± She scrambled out of the Guild before Itlea could get another word in edgewise. Nobody would be having any of that. Especially not Blue.

    ~~~

    Later that day, when Itlea was trying to enjoy her seasoned hay strips for dinner, she found the thought of Blue continually returning to her. Blue, the most hopeless excuse for a wizard and the most annoying person in Itlea¡¯s class at the Academy. Blue¡­ had an apprenticeship.

    It couldn¡¯t be anyone important. Itlea hadn¡¯t gotten anyone important. Just that dumb glass wizard. It couldn¡¯t be. She¡¯d never heard of Vaughan, he must have been a nobody.

    Must have been a nobody.

    Must have been.

    With an overdramatic groan, Itlea stopped her meal immediately and informed her supervisor that she was going back to the Academy to look at some records¡ªthree days at maximum. Since it was a weekend and she was almost done with her apprenticeship anyway, she was permitted to leave.

    I¡¯m a full-fledged wizard of illusion, I shouldn¡¯t need permission to leave!

    She ran, ran as fast as she possibly could through the night. Charging through settlement after settlement until she arrived at O¡¯ffanee Point. O¡¯ffanee Point was a small town situated around a large, helix-like tree that had stairs cut into its branches. At the top of the stairs rested several floating creatures with saddles affixed to them¡ªballoon whales. Each one had two eyes and massive mustache-like frills on the face that scooped up food in the air as it moved. The balloon whales¡¯ fins were thin, see-through things, but the tail was every bit as impressive as its oceanic counterpart¡¯s.

    Itlea paid her fare and promptly went to sleep in the saddle as the sky-whale drifted along. When she awoke¡­ clouds were all around her, making it impossible to see. She¡¯d miss the glory of seeing the great city of Axiom from above. But that wasn¡¯t important right now, right now she needed to be fast. Needed to know.

    She left the foggy docks at a breakneck pace, clattering along the marble walkways. The Academy was right next door, though she could only see the Purple tower right now, and even then only the base of it. What¡¯s with this fog?

    Ignoring the question, she entered the Purple tower and immediately descended to the basement. As the Purple wizards were the ones most concerned with secrets and information, they were the ones who kept all the records. Itlea had access to the simple records simply by being a Purple wizard herself.

    Most wizards could get in here, actually, but they¡¯d be called aside to deal with paperwork. Her speedy access was just a perk.

    The archives in question were a bunch of books lined up on black shelves. They were meticulously organized by category and date, the information lit only by light shone through Purple crystals. Solid Purple cubes adorned the edges of the bookshelves, serving no other purpose than to remind Itlea that her Color had a very specific shape it liked to take.

    Itlea took out a book; the record for all wizards who had enrolled in the Academy when Itlea did. She flipped to her own page¡ªnot much there. Her barely passing grades were noted, as well as her disciplinary history. Her apprenticeship was barely tacked on at the end. She¡¯d contributed nothing.

    Blue¡¯s record was much smaller. It mentioned her dismissal from the academy and the reasons for it, which was rather embarrassing for her. Itlea could have rested happily if that had been all there was in the record.

    But no, there was more. Apprenticed under Gideon Vaughan. It was there, plain for her to see. But there was something below that which was even worse. Co-invented the Air Restorer, design sent to the Arcane Council for review. Design approved, large-scale production underway.

    No¡­ Itlea ground her teeth together. That girl couldn¡¯t have done anything! Not¡­

    She thrust the book back into the shelf and went back¡ªVaughan. She had to find Vaughan. Maybe he was just some poor sap who got lucky, a nobody¡­

    When she found his file her eyes opened wide. Nearly perfect grades, honors, three degrees. The only negatives listed in his education history involved him talking back and making insults rather than studying. After that, he became a Journeyman wizard, and then there was a long segment about his involvement in the Tempest Incident, at which point he moved to Willow Hollow and¡­ did nothing until he invented the Air Restorer, apparently. Even here, though, Blue was noted as co-inventor.

    Itlea slowly put the book back on its shelf. She held her head high in a dignified manner and turned away.

    She let out a scream of rage only seconds later.

    ~~~

    The beast perched atop a nearby tree, glaring down at the cabin below. In it, there was a man in red robes and a not-bear girl. The not-bear girl was sitting in a wooden chair with a brass mushroom taped to it. A yellow sphere was affixed to a strap over her chest, while she held an Orange crystal in her hand¡ªpointing it upward at the brass mushroom.

    The red man said something, at which point the girl made the crystal release a burst of multicolored sparks from the sphere. The chair levitated into the air with the girl in it, but it started tipping over. The girl managed to level it with the crystal in her hand, but then the man used an Orange crystal of his own to add turbulence, at which point the girl crashed into the ground, snapping the chair in half.

    The beast narrowed its eyes.

    What were they doing?

    It likely wasn¡¯t going to be any help in finding delicious food but still¡­ its curiosity would not stand down.

    What is that?

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    There¡¯s not much new science this time around, we¡¯re just pushing forward with what is already known. Most of the time here is spent on the completely made-up rules for arcane devices, which I will be explaining in-story rather than here.

    Of note is a bit of a mistake they¡¯re making in the design of the Skyseed. It is true that things with slots in them tend to fly straighter: it¡¯s one of the reasons fins work on rockets. As a craft moves through the air, the air applies force to the craft based on the cross-sectional area of the craft. Things with less cross-sectional area are pushed less, things with more are pushed more. A fin, when a rocket is upright, has very little cross-sectional area. When a rocket tilts, more of the fin is exposed to the rushing air and force increases. However, due to how airflow works, this creates a difference in pressure between one side of the fin and the other, making the rocket desire to return to the minimal cross-sectional area position. This is the same principle of lift airplanes use to fly being used for a different application: rather than staying up high, it seeks to balance the craft.

    The minor mistake is that they¡¯re planning on going slowly through the air so the balance provided by the slots would be minimal. Since the Skyseed is more disc-shaped than pillar-shaped, going fast would make it quite unstable due to crosswinds.

    It may be obvious at this point that crosswinds are a really big problem for spacecraft. This is (one of the many reasons) why real-world launches care so much about weather conditions.

 006 - It Lives in the Woods

    006

    It Lives in the Woods

    For testing purposes, Vaughan had disabled the ¡®steering¡¯ option on the drive and encased it in a wooden box that made it blatantly obvious which direction it would be pushing itself from a single, red-painted face. He refused to say where he¡¯d gotten the paint. The ¡°drive-box¡± was mounted on the underside of a wooden chair, which in turn had a levitator strapped on top of it. A simple arcane conduit led from the drive¡¯s box to the chair¡¯s armrest, where it could be occupied by the occupant.

    The chair itself was covered in various bits of adhesive and leather straps that did their best to keep it from falling apart but made it look like it belonged in a hospital bed. Which it probably did, the poor thing had been physically brutalized. There was a reason the drive was safely nested within the box: when the chair inevitably exploded, the super-expensive piece of equipment wasn¡¯t dashed into a million pieces. So far, no matter how badly Jeh had crashed the chair, not a single one resulted in actual damage to the drive.

    Vaughan dusted his hands together. ¡°Ready, my little crashaholic?¡±

    Jeh forced a smile. ¡°Ready!¡± I wish Blue would hurry up and get back so we can¡­ I don¡¯t know, do something else. She climbed into the chair and strapped herself in. Already she could feel the looseness of the left armrest¡ªevidentially it hadn¡¯t been glued back together as well as it could have been.

    ¡°Well, get on with it then. Activate the drive!¡±

    Jeh placed her bare hand on the Magenta interface while she clutched an Orange chunk in her other hand. You know, I do miss having my mitts on all the time, but contact is contact. She pushed her will into the Magenta interface. The first time they¡¯d done this they¡¯d had to set the drive to the combined weight of Jeh and the chair, adding a few pieces of wood to the back just to get everything ¡°balanced.¡± Since it was already calibrated she could just activate it¡­ and become weightless.

    Initially, there was no physical difference before and after the activation of the drive aside from a few colored sparks coming from the interface; the wooden casing around the drive blocked out the other light. Jeh and the haphazard chair remained seated, still, on the ground.

    Jeh tapped her foot on the ground; prompting her and her chair to, at a snail¡¯s pace, rise into the air. Already she could feel the chair starting to tilt backward. The haphazard arrangement of levitator, chair, and drive was not, by any means, balanced and so the force of the drive pushed it to the side.

    This was what the Orange in her other hand was for. Pushing into it, she directed the spell at the brass disc of the levitator, distributing the gentle force in such a way that it forced the chair upright while also keeping it floating in the air.

    ¡°Steady?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Steady,¡± Jeh confirmed, bracing herself for what came next.

    ¡°Then¡­ prepare yourself, small one!¡± Vaughan held up his scepter, tapping into Purple first. The spell generated a continuous burst of random color in front of Jeh¡¯s eyes, effectively blinding her to what Vaughan was doing. The reasoning was that ¡°you can¡¯t see the wind, so you shouldn¡¯t be able to see me¡± but Jeh was still certain it was unfair.

    Vaughan had a few tricks up his sleeve. Yellow was the simplest: he¡¯d try to empathically connect with Jeh. All she had to do was resist to block that. It was easy enough, but she was an open individual so she had to be constantly on guard, which increased her susceptibility to his other tricks.

    A burst of wind hit her in the face, tipping her chair over. She quickly adjusted with her magic by pushing on the disc at an angle, returning to an upright position. Obviously, she had been pushed a distance across the backyard, but she couldn¡¯t exactly tell where given the flashes in front of her eyes.

    Jeh knew exactly what Vaughan was doing: ever since they¡¯d made discoveries about air, he¡¯d been using Orange to push air around and had discovered that he could make a pretty impressive wind. Apparently wind magic had been a ¡°great Orange wizard secret¡± he¡¯d not been able to figure out before.

    Jeh also knew what he was going to do next. He was going to send a few more breezes her way to give her a false sense of security, and then he was going to use Blue magic to increase the speed of his output and hit her with many more gusts of wind in quick succession. All she had to do was focus, resist, an¡ª

    The burst of wind came from several different directions. She let out a yelp as she tried to stabilize, but as she pushed on the disc a gust of wind came from another direction and used her own force against her, sending her into a tailspin back down to the ground.

    She cracked a few ribs but that was inconsequential compared to the complete loss of the chair¡¯s backing.

    ¡°And I win again!¡± Vaughan declared.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡­ win,¡± Jeh said, standing up and rubbing the back of her head as her ribs twisted back into place. ¡°How ab¡ª¡°

    ¡°Fix it and do it again.¡±

    Jeh let out a little whimper, but did her best to hide it from Vaughan, instead giving him a smile. ¡°Can¡¯t we, maybe, take a¡­ break?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need breaks.¡± Vaughan shrugged, taking a chair of his own and kicking his feet up on the table with all the Yellow tops on it. ¡°You can just regenerate through the exhaustion.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ true¡­¡±

    ¡°Then fix the chair and we¡¯ll do it again.¡± Vaughan picked up one of the tops and twirled it within his fingers. ¡°Fastest way to get you space-ready.¡±

    Remind me again why we have to get me ready quickly? ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry.¡±

    ¡°You told me you don¡¯t need food.¡±

    ¡°I still like it,¡± Jeh huffed.

    Vaughan thought about this for a moment. ¡°Fine. Go have a sandwich, but get back out here as quickly as you can. There¡¯s work to be done!¡±

    ¡°Work¡­ yay¡­¡± Grumbling, Jeh marched back into the cabin. Vaughan didn¡¯t notice her attitude, for he had busied himself scribbling some notes down on a loose piece of paper about Jeh¡¯s performance.

    I bet he¡¯s writing about how ¡°unsatisfactory¡± I am.

    Jeh sighed. Why can¡¯t Blue get back already? Rein this moron in for me.

    ~~~

    Krays and Darmosil, the loudest couple for many miles, had eventually followed up on their previous idea to go ¡°monster hunting¡± for the heck of it. Naturally, there was a lot of shouting involved. And now that they were in the midst of the forest, there was still shouting involved.

    ¡°¡ªand that is why cat names are stupid!¡± Krays declared.

    ¡°You¡¯re scaring away the animals we¡¯re supposed to be hunting,¡± Darmosil deadpanned.

    ¡°Anything big enough to be interesting won¡¯t be scared off by a couple gari shouting at the top of their lungs!¡±

    ¡°One gari.¡±

    ¡°There are two gari here!¡±

    ¡°There is one gari shouting at the top of her lungs.¡± Darmosil nonchalantly took out a buttery bread roll from his pack and bit into it, chewing obnoxiously slowly while never breaking eye contact with his wife.

    ¡°I can be vicious and quiet,¡± Krays whispered with a malevolent grin.

    ¡°Much better.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not letting that get me¡­¡± Continuing her vicious whisper, she danced around him, tapping him lightly in several places along his armor¡ªwhich he had naturally forged himself. She took special care to touch the spots that had minor imperfections that she knew really bothered him.

    ¡°At least I have armor,¡± he said, gesturing at her. She only had on her basic hiking outfit, a set of rippled glass rings wrapped around her wrists, and an exceptionally long glass pole strapped to her back. ¡°You aren¡¯t exactly the most effective warrior of all time.¡±

    ¡°What I lack in gear I make up for in fire.¡±

    ¡°Fire is traditionally associated with red gari.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re about as warm as an iceberg at the bottom of the ocean.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there are icebergs at the bottom of the ocean.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°Ice floats.¡±

    ¡°Then where does all the cold stuff at the bottom of the ocean go? Hmm, mister?¡±

    ¡°Actually, come to think of it¡­¡± Darmosil tapped his chin. ¡°Ice floats in water, but iron doesn¡¯t float in molten iron... Of all the materials we work with¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Darmosil, stop, that Blue¡¯s been getting into your head with her constant questions! Don¡¯t fall to the temptation!¡±

    ¡°Blue¡¯s been gone for a while.¡±

    ¡°Her corruption is insidious!¡±

    He tilted his head to the side. ¡°No, that¡¯s the Sourdough twins you¡¯re thinking of.¡±

    ¡°Well that goes without saying, and you said it.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    A howling burst of bubbling noises hit both of their ears at the same time, making them drop the conversation immediately and go on the defensive. Krays stood behind her husband, carefully rotating her glass rod between both of her hands. Darmosil spread his limbs wide to extend the area his armored self took up while also drawing both of his swords¡ªmagnificent metal weapons with cores of Red in them. He¡¯d already activated the crystals, heating up the blades significantly, not that anyone could see a visual difference.

    They heard it again, coming from somewhere south of their current position. After determining that it wasn¡¯t a predator hunting the two of them, Krays dashed toward the sound, rod held as though it were a spear. As she ran, she followed her ears: the bubbly call could only mean one thing, and that one thing would be the greatest find ever in this forest, so far as they knew. Ripashi would be so jealous!

    She jumped forward, entering a small clearing where the beast itself stood. It was a pink, eight-legged thing with wet, rippling skin. Two massive yellow eyes dominated its front, below which were two large tentacles with triangular tips at the ends. It was comparable in size to an elephant. However, quite unlike an elephant, it was currently gorging itself on the carcass of a deer.

    ¡°Gotcha, fish-foot.¡± Krays twirled her rod around, but not to smack the beast; it looped around a hook in her pouch, removing a glass sphere. She twisted her rod wide, throwing the hooked sphere right into the creature¡¯s face. The sphere was designed to shatter on contact into as many sharp and aggravating shards as possible, and it did exactly as it was supposed to.

    ¡°Tagged!¡± Krays called back.

    ¡°On it!¡± Darmosil was significantly slower in his armor, but that worked to their advantage. While the injured beast was charging Krays, Darmosil was able to run into the clearing at a slightly offset angle, coming at the target from the side. His blades cut through the two tentacles in one fell slice, cooking the meat enough to fill the air with a delicious aroma. It was enough to make Krays¡¯ mouth water in anticipation.

    Lacking its tentacles, the beast refused to give up. It charged for Darmosil instead, since he was more visibly threatening¡ªbut that was its final mistake. It had to pass by Krays to get a good chance of stomping Darmosil. Krays took full advantage of this by launching her fist forward into the beast¡¯s remaining eye. The glass band around her wrist shattered. The beast was cut into while Krays remained unharmed, her natural gari armor resisting the blades of glass.

    This allowed her to push her fist further and further into the beast, cutting it up. Without its eyes and under that much pain, it was unable to resist as Darmosil finished it off by plunging his sword right through it.

    The beast moved no more.

    ¡°Heck yeah! A cephalid!¡± Krays immediately did a little victory dance, subconsciously flicking squid juice off her hand as she did so. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one around here!¡±

    ¡°They typically like wetter climates,¡± Darmosil noted. ¡°Though they are known to follow rivers.¡± He used the tip of his heated sword to cut off two bits of the cephalid¡¯s flesh, giving a piece to each of them. ¡°Quite delicious.¡±

    Krays munched on her piece, clicking her tongue a few times. ¡°Sometimes I miss the ocean. Terrestrial squid just aren¡¯t the same, you know?¡±

    ¡°I prefer terrestrial squid.¡±

    ¡°Suuuure you do.¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Just because I¡ª¡°

    Both of them felt a roar so immense that it made their usually-rigid hair whip around like they were in a wild breeze. Their very bones shivered, resonating with the shrill reverberation.

    They both looked up, coming face-to-face with the owner of that roar. The creature sat, mounted in the branches of a nearby tree that were barely strong enough to hold its girth. Its body was a smooth, pristine white with a plastic-like texture, the tell-tale sign of a plast lifeform. It had two wings that resembled shark fins more than anything else, albeit with sharp talons at the edges. Its two legs lacked toes of any sort; instead, they were circular discs that twisted and warped with a rippling motion to grab hold of the branches. Contrasting the creature¡¯s largely white complexion was its chest that had a strange glow to it; continually shifting colors, as though there were fireworks going off in its stomach that could barely be seen from the outside.

    Wrapping all of this together was its head, situated at the end of an elongated neck with numerous glowing rings along the back. The face consisted of five piercing blue eyes, two on either side of its face and one in the center of its forehead. Two horns protruded from the back of its head, while the mouth had no teeth. Rather, the creature¡¯s lips were jagged and razor-sharp.

    Krays had no idea what it was, but she wasn¡¯t about to look like a fool. ¡°A plast dragon!¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°A plast. Dragon.¡±

    ¡°Krays, you have no idea what this is.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I just named it. It¡¯s a pla¡ª¡°

    The plast dragon let out another roar, opening its mouth to reveal a very purple throat shimmering with rings of light that moved up and down the interior with a mesmerizing motion.

    Krays flicked her rod around and loaded another of the shattering balls. ¡°Oh, you have no idea what you¡¯re getting into, buddy.¡±

    The plast dragon changed the tone of its roar, narrowing it until it was a single high-pitched note that made Krays¡¯ ears hurt. The instant she decided this probably qualified as an attack, every glass object on her person shattered. Since all of those were in her protected hands or safely stowed away in her pack, she wasn¡¯t subject to the immediate agony of glass shards cutting her everywhere, but she was still left defenseless.

    Krays glanced at her husband. ¡°Hey, you be the man for once.¡±

    ¡°Har-de-har,¡± Darmosil said, flaring both of his blades to his sides.

    The plast dragon jumped down from the tree, slamming both of its legs on the ground hard enough to create the illusion of an earthquake.

    Krays¡¯ smile vanished. Even something that big shouldn¡¯t be able to make that large of a quake.

    ¡°Darmosil¡­¡±

    Darmosil was already backing away from the creature. ¡°I felt it.¡±

    ¡°Run first. You¡¯ll be slower.¡±

    ¡°Bu¡ª¡°

    ¡°Run, idiot!¡±

    Darmosil finally listened. He turned around and ran in the direction of Willow Hollow. The plast dragon lifted its wings, ready to take to the air¡ªbut Krays had other plans.

    ¡°Hey, overgrown gauntlet fuel!¡± She plucked a shard of glass out of her pouch and threw it at the dragon¡¯s face. It bounced harmlessly off, but it was annoying enough to draw the beast¡¯s attention once more. It lunged at her.

    Krays whipped out a Blue crystal and accelerated herself. She was nowhere near as skilled as Blue wizards at manipulating the magic within, but she was more than capable of casting the weaker versions of the default spell: self-acceleration. From her point of view, everything slowed down slightly¡ªthe dragon, the wind blowing through the leaves in the trees, and the footsteps of her loud, retreating husband.

    With her boon, she was able to twist away from the plast dragon¡¯s lunge without a single scratch. It, however, didn¡¯t relent after one missed attack: it scratched with the tips of its wings and tried to bite her, but she was far too agile to be captured by such simple attacks.

    Then it let out a roar. This one was different from the others. It hit Krays like a horse, the invisible sound barreling into her so hard that she fell back. It was like no attack she had ever felt; it didn¡¯t hit her chest and drag her along, it hit her ribs and the organs inside of them, pulling on every part of her in unison. She was fortunate her back didn¡¯t break from the immediate strain.

    He¡¯s hopefully gotten enough of a head start now¡­ finding it hard to breathe, she forced her will back onto the Blue crystal and took off as fast as she could manage back toward Willow Hollow, though at a slightly different vector than Darmosil had taken.

    Her breathing only became more haggard as she ran. She vaguely remembered something Vaughan had said once about exertion while under Blue acceleration being more difficult, but she didn¡¯t have time to worry about that right now.

    She could hear the beast behind her. Its roar was one of determined defiance.

    It was ready for the hunt.

    ~~~

    ¡°Ready?¡±

    Jeh forced a smile. ¡°Ready!¡±

    The chair¡¯s backing broke and fell to the ground.

    Jeh¡¯s left eye twitched. ¡°Lemme¡­ fix that¡­¡±

    ¡°You do that,¡± Vaughan said, sitting back down in his chair and returning to his notes.

    Trying (and failing) not to grumble to herself, Jeh picked the chair¡¯s backing off the ground and started applying more adhesive to it, after which she wound more of the leather straps around it like a bandage.

    Now they just had to let it sit for a few minutes. A time interval long enough to be annoying but not long enough to warrant her wandering off to find some entertainment elsewhere. She began loudly tapping her foot.

    ¡°You know for someone who has such a muddled conception of time, you sure get bored reliably.¡±

    Jeh gave Vaughan one of the worst fake smiles ever¡ªbut he didn¡¯t look at it, he continued scribbling down his notes.

    That¡¯s it, Jeh thought. I¡¯m going to give him a piece of m¡ª

    ¡°Helloooo~!¡± a sing-song voice called. It belonged to a certain pink gari who had just rounded the cabin and set foot in the backyard. ¡°Hope I¡¯m not interrupting anything!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just waiting, Seskii,¡± Vaughan said, rolling up his scroll. ¡°What brings you here?¡±

    ¡°Suro mentions your backyard a lot and I wanted to see it! I have to say, it does not disappoint! It really does look like a war-torn battlefield!¡± She giggled as she gestured at an old, blackened crater in the ground.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Vaughan grinned. ¡°Suro sings such high praises!¡±

    ¡°I can tell Suro¡¯s a great friend,¡± Seskii said, her expression becoming slightly more serious for a moment before returning to its normal, cheery self. ¡°And little Jeh, how are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I crash. A lot.¡± Jeh gestured at the terrible mess of a chair.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Seskii put a hand to her chin. ¡°You know what this means?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You need a little reward for trying so hard.¡± Seskii reached into her pack and pulled out a small bottle filled with a purple liquid.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s grape juice,¡± Seskii said. ¡°Not wine. This will not make your head spin like a loose wagon wheel. But it will be refreshing!¡±

    With a shrug, Jeh took the drink. It was outrageously sweet and that was exactly what she needed right now. The first taste was enough to get her to down the entire thing in a handful of seconds. ¡°You make good juice.¡±

    ¡°I try my best!¡±

    ¡°Blue says you tried to fool everyone with potions.¡±

    ¡°She would say that, now wouldn¡¯t she?¡± Seskii gave Jeh a wink. ¡°But she¡¯s not here right now, instead it¡¯s Vaughan.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ yes,¡± Vaughan said, unsure what Seskii was getting at. ¡°And the chair should be ready for another run, now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, can I watch?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Vaughan said, dismissively.

    ¡°Uh, it would be kind of boring¡­¡± Jeh shuffled her feet nervously. ¡°I mean, the chair just floats, it doesn¡¯t go anywhere¡­¡±

    Seskii put a hand on Jeh¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can do it.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I believe in you, Jeh. You¡¯ve got so much potential! You just need to relax and become one with the flow.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not su¡ª¡°

    ¡°Just be calm. Try it with me: breathe in, breathe out. Okay?¡±

    Jeh decided to just go along with it and did as Seskii instructed, taking a few moments for slow, deep breaths. As she did so, her foot stopped tapping and she let her arms hang to her side.

    ¡°See? Now, just¡­ go with it. And I¡¯ll give you more juice once you¡¯ve got it!¡±

    Jeh had to admit, that juice was a pretty tempting prize. With a coy smirk, she climbed into the chair and set one hand on the Magenta interface and the other on her Orange chunk. Without even saying ¡°ready¡± she turned the drive on and levitated herself a short distance into the air.

    ¡°You got this, Jeh!¡± Seskii called. ¡°Remember, flow!¡±

    Remember¡­

    Jeh closed her eyes, shutting out any possible distraction; she wasn¡¯t even aware if Vaughan had put up the blinding field or not. It didn¡¯t matter¡ªshe had to go by feel, so she was going to go by feel. She would be one with the wind¡­ one with the wind¡­

    The first gust came, and she rode it without so much as a twitch.

    ¡°Good!¡± Seskii called. ¡°Now, just keep doing that¡­¡±

    The second gust came, stronger than the first, but instead of clenching, Jeh smiled and allowed the chair to twirl with the wind before she brought it to a stop. Perhaps fighting directly with overwhelming force simply wasn¡¯t the answer¡­

    ¡°Yeah! You got this!¡±

    Now that she was doing it, Jeh found it completely natural. She was no longer trying to punch the wind, she was with it. Something had just¡­ clicked. Not that she knew what it was.

    Vaughan unleashed the Blue-accelerated winds sooner than usual. They hit Jeh. Instead of trying to push back at them all at once, she waited¡ªfelt for the tilt of the chair to determine the singular direction she needed to push back. As it turned out, multiple winds tended to cancel the momentum of each other, meaning she¡¯d always been overcompensating.

    ¡°Woohoo!¡± Seskii cheered.

    Vaughan tried a Yellow connection, but Jeh was able to reject it without much thought. I really was focused too much on that.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Vaughan tapped his scepter on the ground. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ enough, Jeh, you did it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Jeh set the chair down and jumped out of it, doing a little dance all around that involved a lot of punching the air with her fists. ¡°Who¡¯s got it? I do! Jeh the legendary!¡±

    Vaughan turned to Seskii. ¡°What was in the juice you gave her?¡±

    ¡°Just juice.¡± Seskii grinned smugly. ¡°All she really needed was some positive reinforcement.¡±

    ¡°¡­Bu¡ª¡°

    ¡°Everyone learns differently. Plus, I know the Academy, and I kn¡ª¡°

    It was at this point all of them finally registered one of the roars¡ªthough this was only because they could also feel the intense shaking of the ground.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Vaughan looked to the forest where the sound had come from and then to Jeh.

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°Never met anything that could do that in the forest.¡±

    The roar happened again, this time much louder but without the quake. It was getting closer.

    Vaughan held his scepter up high and took an aggressive posture. ¡°Get behind me.¡± Seskii listened. Jeh merely stood at his side.

    And then they waited.

    As it turned out, whatever was making the racket was a long way off. However, each roar that came was louder than the last, making it painfully obvious that it was heading right for them.

    ¡°Jeh, hide the drive,¡± Vaughan ordered.

    Jeh didn¡¯t even consider complaining. She scrambled to the chair and, rather than removing the drive, picked up the entire haphazard apparatus and ran into the cabin with it. Deciding to keep the Orange chunk, she returned to the backyard at Vaughan¡¯s side.

    The roaring was getting closer and the trembles were getting more pronounced. The ground shuddered as though a minor earthquake were passing through, knocking a few Yellow tops off a nearby table.

    Vaughan was ready. His scepter was already sparkling more than usual. Jeh had no idea what he intended to do, but she knew it was going to be impressive. The creature had to be close now: Jeh could hear trees creaking and branches snapping and¡­ was that the clank clank of someone running in full armor?

    Krays jumped out of the forest, sparkling with the energy of Blue magic. She looked and sounded terrible; her hair had numerous twigs stuck in it, she¡¯d been cut in several places, and her breathing was so haggard it seemed unnatural¡ªthough she was accelerated so this was to be expected. She raised a finger as if to say something, but promptly tripped over a rock and landed face-first in the dirt.

    Jeh used her Orange to pick up Krays and levitate her behind Vaughan. The trip was not a smooth one for the blue gari, but at least she wasn¡¯t dragged unceremoniously along the ground.

    ¡°Krays, I know you¡¯re tired, but what is it?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Plast¡­ dragon¡­¡±

    ¡°What in Dia¡¯s name is a plast dragon?¡±

    There was another roar. With this one, a tree at the edge of Vaughan¡¯s yard collapsed, revealing Darmosil, in full armor, embedded into the trunk of the tree as though he¡¯d been launched into it like an arrow.

    ¡°Darmie!¡± Krays shouted, voice cracking and without a hint of her usual fire.

    Vaughan grimaced, immediately using Green to restore whatever unpleasant injuries came to Darmosil from hitting a tree at that high of a velocity. When Jeh saw the five-eyed beast, she knew she needed to buy him some time.

    ¡°Whack!¡± Jeh shouted, using her Orange to pick up the blackboard and slap the plast dragon across the face with it. It turned to her with a fury in all of its eyes, opening its throat and hitting her dead-on with a roar. The sound carried through her entire body and pushed her back. She was light enough to go flying.

    ¡°Not today!¡± Jeh used the Orange on the air behind her, giving her enough of a windy push to land sturdily on her feet. Then she applied a crushing force on the plast dragon¡¯s neck.

    The creature let out a wail of pain from the sensation, but it acted quickly. Using the claws at the end of its wing, it reached onto one of the circular pores on the back of its neck and pulled out a Magenta crystal larger than Jeh¡¯s head.

    ¡°No!¡± Vaughan stopped healing Damrosil immediately¡ªthe gari was audibly groaning in pain, now, he¡¯d live. The wizard whipped his scepter out and pointed it at the plast dragon, forcing everything he could into it.

    It was too late. The dragon¡¯s Magenta crystal filled the entire area with appropriately colored sparkles. Every Colored crystal in the yard started flashing on and off randomly without executing any actual spells¡ªthis included Vaughan¡¯s staff and the Orange Jeh was holding. Jeh found she couldn¡¯t give the crystal any commands.

    ¡°It¡¯s spirited!¡± Vaughan shouted. ¡°Someone get Ripashi!¡±

    ¡°Way ahead of you!¡± Seskii shouted¡ªshe¡¯d already started running to Willow Hollow proper.

    ¡°Watch out for its sound,¡± Krays said. ¡°It¡­¡±

    The beast had already begun to bellow, knocking both Vaughan and Krays to the side effortlessly. It turned back to its original prey, Darmosil. He was fine, but he¡¯d lost his grip on his swords¡ªswords that were now in Jeh¡¯s hands.

    Jeh tightened her grip on the blades, finding the sensation of holding them to be completely natural. Furthermore, they were still extremely hot, despite the current useless nature of their Red cores. With a wild battle cry, Jeh charged the plast dragon.

    It roared right at her. She took it head-on, but without the Orange, she was unable to keep her footing this time and only kept hold of one sword. She didn¡¯t particularly care. She swung her other sword around while still on the ground, embedding the blade into the plast dragon¡¯s wing. With the heat, she easily punctured right through, but the plastic-like material melted around the blade, quickly lowering its temperature and hardening around it.

    Jeh pulled on the sword, finding it to be stuck rather effectively within the plast dragon. She tried to yank again¡ªbut the plast dragon lifted its wing and Jeh came with it. Stubbornly refusing to let go of the blade, she kicked around wildly in a mild tantrum.

    With the claws at the end of its free wing, it slashed at Jeh, cutting right through her bear furs.

    ¡°Hey, I work hard on those!¡± she shouted at the beast. It only narrowed its eyes in confusion at her continued state of living. The lights on its chest started cycling through many complicated patterns.

    Jeh tried to swing herself forward to kick the beast, but it kept her lifted high. The only way she would get anywhere was if she let go of the sword, and she wasn¡¯t about to do that.

    Jeh sensed something change. It took her a moment to realize that the Magenta aura had just increased in intensity. She wondered what that meant.

    The dragon clawed her.

    For the first time in memory, Jeh saw the red of her own blood.

    What!? she tried to say, but her words didn¡¯t come. The next thing she knew she was falling. Then the massive foot of the plast dragon descended onto her chest.

    ~~~

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Blue looked up from the cup of tea she was having. ¡°Just got an¡­ ominous feeling.¡±

    ¡°That happens sometimes.¡± Her conversation partner was an old human woman knitting while she sat in a rocking chair on her porch. Her house was situated alone on the side of the road and the door had said ¡°visitors welcome,¡± so Blue had decided to take a rest. ¡°What kind of ominous, Blue?¡±

    ¡°Not sure. Doesn¡¯t matter anyway, I¡¯m not superstitious.¡±

    The woman gave her a crooked smile. ¡°Everyone¡¯s a little superstitious, dearie. How can you not be in this world of ours?¡±

    Blue shook her head. ¡°Superstitions are beliefs in things like luck, omens, and other such things there is no evidence for.¡±

    ¡°No evidence¡­ but are they impossible?¡±

    ¡°What mechanism would give me an ominous feeling that meant something?¡±

    The old woman pursed her lips. ¡°Well, there¡¯s always attributes¡­¡±

    ¡°Attributes¡­ are limited by design.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that belief a superstition, in some ways?¡±

    Blue turned to look at her tea, contemplative. ¡°¡­To some, maybe. They just take it because they were told. Not to me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to be confident.¡± The woman continued knitting. Blue was left to ponder in silence for a while.

    ¡°What even are attributes?¡± she mumbled to herself, using her own telekinetic attribute to levitate her teacup into the air. ¡°Why can I even do this?¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just an old woman who likes to keep traveler¡¯s company, I¡¯m not the technical type.¡± She chuckled like a hyena for a few moments. ¡°You tell me. As far as I know, it¡¯s all a gift from Dia.¡±

    Blue examined her teacup. She tilted her head to the side and her cup at the same angle, careful to stop just when the tea was about to fall out. ¡°Everything still has a reason, a pattern, a limitation. Everything on Ikyu follows rules. Plants grow, things fall, air gets breathed, and¡­ magic crystals develop.¡±

    ¡°Do you really need to know why?¡±

    Blue set her teacup down and tapped her hoof against the table. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d like to, but I realize it¡¯s too much for me to expect to figure out. Not going to stop me from trying though.¡±

    The old woman grinned once more. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.¡±

    With a nod, Blue finished her drink. ¡°This is good tea.¡± She stood up, using her tail to dust herself off. ¡°But I should get back to Willow Hollow now. I am sorry I skipped this place when I was going the other way.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, not everyone wants the company of a crazy old woman.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not crazy. Much.¡± Blue chuckled. ¡°Bye!¡± Blue¡¯s smile turned into a confused frown. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe this, I don¡¯t believe I got your name?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Agatha.¡±

    ¡°Right. Thanks! I¡¯ll be sure to drop by next time I¡¯m here!¡± She rushed out the door, galloping down the road to Willow Hollow.

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll come back, maybe you won¡¯t¡­¡± Agatha shook her head and chuckled. ¡°So full of life, that one¡­ I bet she could solve anything if she put her mind to it.¡±

    ~~~

    Vaughan had no idea what to do.

    He was a wizard. He solved problems with magic and flair.

    This plast dragon had spat on that and removed it from him. All magic was scrambled, from the smallest crystal to the most advanced attribute.

    Jeh¡­ you¡­ you were so brave it was stupid.

    The plast dragon decided that Jeh was no longer a problem and returned to Darmosil, who was barely able to move.

    Vaughan forced himself to his feet, ignoring the fact that he was missing one of his slippers. He raised his scepter¡­ and had to stop to ask himself what he was doing. It was useless.

    He was useless.

    All he could do was watch as the plast dragon descended on Darmosil.

    ¡°CAW!¡±

    A streak of Magenta light fell from the sky, embedding itself in the back of the beast¡¯s neck. The plast dragon reared away from Darmosil and turned to the sky, releasing another roar. However, this roar was different¡ªit lacked the strange reverberation and force the previous roars had. Furthermore, as the beast took a step, the ground no longer trembled.

    ¡°Such a hypocrite without a shred of honor!¡± Ripashi declared, descending from the sky in a pose that somehow managed to look manly and elegant while also allowing him to hold his bow taut with another anti-magic arrow within.

    Bless Seskii and her speed, Vaughan thought as he let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°You act like an animal!¡± Ripashi shouted. ¡°So I shall treat you as such!¡±

    The rippling colors in the plast dragon¡¯s stomach became agitated. Evidentially, those weren¡¯t magical, or the arrow was somehow unable to interrupt them. The dragon charged, opening its jagged maw wide to increase its chances of biting Ripashi in half.

    Ripashi, however, had made it his job to hunt creatures. It was a simple matter for him to jump to the side and roll out of the way. Vaughan noticed he wasn¡¯t flying anymore: naturally, if Jeh¡¯s attribute were canceled, the qorvid¡¯s would be as well at such close proximity.

    Jeh¡­

    Vaughan took one glance at Jeh and immediately regretted it, closing his eyes and looking away.

    ¡°All she really needed was some positive reinforcement.¡±

    Seskii wasn¡¯t even there anymore. Her gaze was much more intense in his memory than it ever was in truth.

    ¡°You deserve to have a bear dropped on you!¡± Ripashi shouted as he rolled around and littered the plast dragon with arrows¡ªdrawing a syrupy blue fluid from a few of the wounds. ¡°If I had more time, you would get a bear dropped on you!¡±

    Time¡­

    Vaughan rushed Krays, who was currently trying to stand up and get back into the fray. Without saying anything, he ripped her pack off of her and opened it, finding lots of broken glass. No globe weapons he could use to buy time for Ripashi.

    Wait¡­

    Broken glass was useful.

    ¡°Yaaah!¡± Vaughan shouted, throwing the entire bag at the plast dragon. The force of the launch was enough to wrench his shoulder, but the bag sailed true, scattering bits of glass all over the beast and the ground it walked on. The next step it made was greeted by several shards of glass skewering its foot, prompting a wail of agony.

    ¡°Aaaand¡­¡± Ripashi let an arrow fly. The ordinary arrow hit the Magenta crystal dead on with enough force to tear it out of the plast dragon¡¯s weakened grip. Immediately, the Magenta aura surrounding the yard vanished.

    Vaughan wasted no time. He pointed his scepter right at Jeh, praying to Dia that she wasn¡¯t too far gone¡ªbut he knew, deep down, that there was a point at which Green¡¯s restoration failed. He knew that Jeh had more than crossed that point.

    So his shock was paralyzing when he noticed Jeh regenerating without any assistance from him.

    What is she!?

    Jeh stood up. Her head, arms, and legs had been largely spared the onslaught of the plast dragon, but the rest of her was another story. Vaughan watched in fascination and horror as skin formed around the bones and then grew out like a balloon until Jeh¡¯s body had returned to its normal volume. The bear furs hung in tatters around her, and Vaughan noticed a kind of black fabric with blueish highlights under it.

    Jeh looked up to the plast dragon¡ªand laughed. It wasn¡¯t a menacing laugh, or a proud one, it was the laugh of a child who¡¯d just found a new toy.

    The plast dragon decided enough was enough. With a pained growl, it turned and ran back into the forest.

    ¡°One does not retreat, foul fiend! True men stand to the end!¡± Ripashi declared. He spread his wings, preparing to take to the sky now that his attribute was back.

    ¡°No!¡± Vaughan shouted. ¡°That¡¯s not an animal, Ripashi, you could be tried for that! Chasing is not self-defense!¡±

    Ripashi stopped his flight a little too late, ending up face-first in the ground. ¡°...The law is not honorable.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Darmosil managed, breathing heavily. ¡°Vaughan¡­ do you mind¡­?¡±

    Vaughan wordlessly turned his Green back onto Darmosil, healing him the rest of the way. But he couldn¡¯t stop looking at Jeh the whole time. She was currently glaring angrily at the tears in her furs.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to find a new bear,¡± she sighed. ¡°Ripashi, got any leftover furs?¡±

    ¡°Plenty!¡± Ripashi declared.

    ¡°Great. I need some.¡±

    ¡°Why not wear normal clothes?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°That¡­¡± Krays spoke up, still breathing haggardly. ¡°Is a silly idea¡­ She¡¯s not a normal kid, Vaughan.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Vaughan turned to her, frowning. ¡°No, she¡¯s not. No attribute should be able to function like that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m impossible!¡± Jeh declared.

    ¡°Yes, you are.¡± Vaughan kneeled down so he was closer to Jeh¡¯s height and put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Jeh¡­ there are very few rules to attributes, but they are concrete. You just broke one of them.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°On death, all attributes cease functioning.¡±

    ¡°Pff, I can¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°All magic was blocked, Jeh. You couldn¡¯t regenerate. I¡­¡± Positive reinforcement. Vaughan forced a smile. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ amazing. Amazingly impossible!¡±

    ¡°Sweet!¡± Jeh gave a fist-pump. ¡°Bet you¡¯re glad you found me, huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ have no idea,¡± Vaughan said. What am I even supposed to say here?

    Krays saved him from having to think of anything. ¡°Does anyone¡­ know what that creature was?¡±

    Ripashi shook his head. ¡°I have never seen a plast that large. And I was not aware there were spirited plasts in this region.¡±

    Vaughan shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything of that sort.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s just¡­ peachy.¡± Krays¡¯ frown deepened. ¡°You think there are more?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a unique entity,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Every person is a member of a race, even the Crystalline Ones. There are¡­¡± he glanced to Jeh. ¡°No exceptions...¡±

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have any answers for you. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ okay,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°¡­Since you¡¯ve flown the chair well today and fought a plast dragon, you¡¯re free to do whatever you want.¡±

    Jeh clapped her hands together. ¡°Yes! Ripashi, let¡¯s go get that bearskin!¡±

    ¡°¡­I am sorry, Jeh, you will have to go without me¡ªSuro will know where it is and what it costs.¡± He kneeled to the ground, examining the purple fluid that had leaked from the plast dragon. ¡°I will be tracking this thing as best I can, try to find out where it came from.¡±

    Vaughan shook his head. ¡°Ripashi¡­¡±

    ¡°I will form a search party! We need to capture it and bring it in for judgment! That has to be the beast that¡¯s been taking all the cows¡ªit must answer for its crimes!¡±

    ¡°Count¡­ me in¡­¡± Krays said.

    Ripashi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Krays, yo¡ª¡°

    Krays punched Vaughan in the gut, making use of his shock to reach into his robe and pull out some Green which she used to heal herself. The rate of healing was decidedly slow, but enough for her to get her voice back. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ will get some more suitable weapons¡­¡± Darmosil said. ¡°As well as some armor that¡¯s not thrashed.¡±

    Vaughan nodded slowly. ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°Should stay here,¡± Ripashi declared. ¡°I expect it to have more than one Magenta crystal.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Slumping, Vaughan walked over to one of his chairs that had been blown over, stood it up, and sat down. He sighed. ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± Jeh called as she ran off into town. Everyone else left as well, discussing who else to invite to their little expedition.

    Vaughan was left alone, staring at the bloody spot where Jeh had been only minutes before.

    ¡°Suro always joked that this looked like a battlefield¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Blue didn¡¯t return to the cabin until the sun had long since set. She was looking forward to a nice nap in her bed. Unfortunately, just because she was tired didn¡¯t mean she was suddenly utterly oblivious. When she tried to unlock the front door, she found that it was already unlocked.

    Vaughan must have forgotten to lock it. With a sigh, she went inside and locked the door behind her. She ascended the stairs, intending to give him a mouthful about locking doors assuming he wasn¡¯t already asleep. Chances were he was on that telescope of his¡­

    But she found no Vaughan in the attic, and he wasn¡¯t in his room sleeping either. Looking outside, she found Jeh curled up and asleep in a nearby tree.

    Only then did she see Vaughan sitting in the backyard, staring at a dark spot in the ground.

    With a frown, Blue descended the stairs and came out the cabin¡¯s back door. ¡°Vaughan?¡±

    ¡°Jeh sure is good at regenerating,¡± Vaughan said, empty.

    ¡°¡­I mean, yes, we suffocated her basically to death and she was completely fine. I¡­¡± Blue realized for the first time that the area Vaughan was looking at was blood red. ¡°¡­What in Eights happened here?¡±

    ¡°We were attacked by some kind of plast creature. It was spirited, jammed everything with Magenta. Utterly demolished her. Her regeneration restarted the moment Ripashi disarmed the monster.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ impossible,¡± Blue said. ¡°I¡­¡± she glanced up the tree at Jeh, sleeping soundly in its branches. ¡°Attributes¡­¡±

    ¡°There are rules, Blue. She broke them. Do you know what that means!?¡± Vaughan stood up violently, eyes wild.

    Blue looked Vaughan in the eyes, seeing the fear in them. She folded her ears back¡ªbut smiled. ¡°It means she¡¯s still here.¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡°

    ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­ that enough, Vaughan?¡± Blue looked up the tree at Jeh. ¡°I¡¯d love to know why she is and what she is, but I also like to know who she is. And she¡¯s a wonderful, curious, impulsive, eager kid. In the end, I think that¡¯s the part that should matter the most.¡±

    Vaughan sat back down, sagging. ¡°She finally got the test chair to float properly with the real drive and everything. No thanks to me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure y¡ª¡°

    ¡°I was unfair to her. I taught her as I was taught.¡± He put his hand to the bridge of his nose. ¡°What was I thinking?¡±

    ¡°Clearly you got past that.¡±

    ¡°Not really, Seskii came in and kind of did it for me.¡±

    Blue decided now was not the time to comment on the potion seller. ¡°At least¡­ uh¡­¡± Blue shuffled her hooves awkwardly. ¡°I¡­ okay look I have no idea. Okay?¡±

    Vaughan looked at her in mild confusion.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m trying to be wise and all understanding over here but I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know you.¡±

    ¡°I thought I was a moron?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you are, who are you?¡± Blue blinked a few times. ¡°Why am I even asking? I just¡­¡± She held a hoof in the air and rotated it in a circle. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be like this.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve been around long enough to¡­ visit here, a few times.¡± He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. ¡°Remind me to tell you about Tempest sometime.¡±

    Blue bit her lip. She felt as though the moment she said something everything would come collapsing around her and that she¡¯d been a fool to try to say anything at all.

    ¡°¡­We found her the day I decided I wanted to ¡®go up.¡¯ She saved my life.¡± Vaughan frowned. ¡°I¡¯d forgotten about that. I wouldn¡¯t be here if she hadn¡¯t been there at the perfect time. What is that?¡±

    Blue held up a hoof in the equine equivalent of a shrug. ¡°¡­Dia¡¯s gift?¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­¡± Vaughan couldn¡¯t help but smile at that. ¡°How unlike you, Blue. Where¡¯d you get that?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ felt right to say, I guess.¡± She smiled warmly. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to try to answer everything.¡±

    ¡°Not going to stop me from trying.¡±

    ¡°Never for a moment did I think I would cure your chronic stupidity with a conversation.¡±

    ¡°You share my disease.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­ yeah.¡± Blue let out a long whinny. ¡°Vaughan, what are we doing?¡±

    Vaughan shrugged, offering no vocal response. He turned his gaze to the sky and the brilliance of the full moon.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s as good of an answer as any, I suppose.¡±

    ~~~

    Ripashi led about a dozen people from Willow Hollow into the forest. Most of them came with farming implements rather than actual weapons, but Ripashi was still thankful for the extra manpower¡ªand the torches. Qorvids had a bad history with open flames.

    It was not hard to follow the gooey trail of purple fluid. However, at some point the beast must have removed the anti-magic arrows, since it had taken flight and stopped destroying branches by moving.

    However, even flying, it couldn¡¯t stop the bleeding. It just took some time for Ripashi to track it effectively.

    In the end, it was the middle of the night when they ended their journey. They found a plast tree that was green in color where bark should have been, but the spherical nodules that took the place of its leaves were brown. It had precisely five branches and was utterly covered in bones of cows, deer, bears, and other large game.

    There was also a dead plast dragon at the base of the tree, no more lights in its chest.

    ¡°¡­Did the thing go and die of its wounds!?¡± Krays asked. ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡±

    Ripashi flew over to inspect the remnant, motioning that someone should shine torchlight on it. Once the flames drew near, it was clear the plast dragon hadn¡¯t succumbed to Ripashi¡¯s arrows. Its neck was cut through by large claws; specifically, the kind of claws on its own wings.

    It couldn¡¯t have taken its own life, though, the wing couldn¡¯t possibly reach the neck and scratch that deeply at that angle.

    It had to have been another plast dragon.

    ¡°There¡¯s another one, stay alert!¡± Ripashi loaded an anti-magic arrow into his bow and pointed to the sky. Everyone else took similarly aggressive postures, ready for anything to come flying at them.

    Nothing came.

    ¡°¡­Hey, found something,¡± Darmosil said, lifting up a stone tablet with some letters scrawled into it. ¡°It¡¯s in Karli, though very rough.¡±

    ¡°Well, what¡¯s it say?¡± Krays asked.

    ¡°You win the game. He lost.¡± Darmosil lowered the stone tablet. ¡°That¡¯s all it says.¡±

    Ripashi lowered his bow. ¡°¡­That other plast dragon is long gone.¡±

    ¡°It could be a trick¡­¡± Krays said.

    ¡°It is no trick. Come. Let¡¯s go home and hope we never get involved in another one of these¡­ ¡®games.¡¯ ¡°

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    This was more of a magic chapter than a science one, but there is a single moment we can look at. When Jeh figures out what to do with the multiple gusts of wind. What¡¯s happening here is a common problem in physics: trying to balance forces.

    Say there is an object (Jeh in a chair) that has only three forces acting on it. These three forces are bursts of wind coming at different angles. In theory, gravity and the drive are also forces acting on this, but in a perfect situation they cancel each other out.

    It is always possible to model situations like this as a single force pushing one direction rather than three forces¨Cit helps to simplify a lot of things when solving problems. However, the combined force is not three times as powerful as the original forces. This is because they push in different directions. If two identical forces pushed at opposite directions, the net effect is zero (which is how the drive counteracts gravity: it pushes exactly against it). So some of the gusts of wind are interfering destructively and lessen the net force. If two forces point the same direction they add completely, but if they point different directions they will be less. The exact relation involves the angle between them and some trigonometry, but I won¡¯t bore you with the math.

    So when all the wind forces are added together, we get a single force that isn¡¯t as strong as all three put together. That is the force Jeh had to counteract with her manual magic, and she was a bit too headstrong to realize that she was pushing way too hard.

    This is the driving idea behind vector addition.

 007 - Maiden Voyage

    007

    Maiden Voyage

    While much of Blue¡¯s time had been consumed with designing and testing things related to the Skyseed, the fact remained that she was technically Vaughan¡¯s apprentice and as such needed to learn things about advanced magic theory. Thus, the need for ¡°lessons.¡±

    Vaughan¡¯s idea of ¡°lessons¡± was nothing like the Academy¡¯s. There was no lesson plan, no specific talk, nothing structured. Instead, he just asked her questions. Lots of questions that were often quite random. Yet, somehow, they inevitably ended up talking about some concept that Vaughan would then explain in detail and potentially even go grab some examples of. Most commonly these were topics relating to crystal core design, but there were many other options.

    For instance, today¡¯s topic was on the infamous ¡°cooling problem.¡±

    ¡°Look, just put an ice cube in a sealable crystal box,¡± Blue was saying. ¡°The cooling problem isn¡¯t even much of an issue.¡±

    They were currently in the room Blue had commandeered to be her ¡°lab.¡± It was about half-filled with various plants and jars, the rest occupied with sketches and drawings related to the Skyseed. Vaughan was currently seated in a cushioned chair he had brought in just for this purpose. Blue didn¡¯t have a seat; she preferred to work while standing, as was commonplace for most quadrupeds.

    ¡°Blue, there is more than just a practical concern¡­¡± He twirled a Red crystal out of his robes. ¡°You can heat, but you cannot cool. Your little ¡®icebox¡¯ merely allows us to store something already cold, not to cool something down as an ice elemental would.¡±

    ¡°Icebox¡­¡± Blue¡¯s expression became distant.

    ¡°The hunt for an arcane cooling device has been a long one that has ultimately gone nowhere. Every Color adds heat or does nothing an¡ªBlue? Blue your mind has run elsewhere again.¡±

    Blue held up a hoof. ¡°Have you ever thought about how¡­ strange Colored crystals are?¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°I suppose so. Quite different from everything else.¡±

    ¡°Just, think about the icebox. In a sealed, hollow box, the object within will never heat up because heat doesn¡¯t transfer through crystals.¡±

    Vaughan folded his hands together, deciding to go along with the change in topic. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not strictly true. Crystals do not conduct heat, but heat can still be transferred through them via vibration or light.¡±

    ¡°Encase the box in something black and don¡¯t move it, problem solved. But that¡¯s not my point. My point¡­ is that it doesn¡¯t conduct heat and that¡¯s weird. Everything else does! Why shouldn¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Do we have any idea what causes heat to transfer, though?¡±

    Blue let out a whinny. ¡°No, not really. Hot things transfer to cold things over time, not the other way around. Rub something enough or subject it to Red and it gets hotter. Barring the rare ice attribute, nothing just spontaneously cools; something colder has to take heat from it. I think.¡±

    ¡°That is a little beyond what we¡¯ve researched or I¡¯m familiar with, but I do know it¡¯s very useful.¡± Vaughan put on a cheesy grin. ¡°Your little ¡®icebox¡¯ is not the only use for this property. I¡¯ve heard tales of mad wizards who went to volcanoes with crystalline shoes.¡±

    ¡°¡­That has to be a made up legend.¡±

    ¡°Maybe. Or maybe the shoes took as much effort to design as our Skyseed.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Maybe. Regardless, my point. Crystals are weird! Their pure insulation property is just one thing in a long, long list. They¡¯re the slipperiest thing in existence if cared for properly, grow in seven very specific shapes and Colors, can only be used by spirited people, naturally fuse together with other crystals of the same Color but will never do that with other Colors, and get smaller over time as they¡¯re used!¡± She started pacing in a circle around the lab. ¡°It¡¯s like air, we take it for granted but there are so many bizarre properties and considerations surrounding it. What is air? Well, we still don¡¯t know, but we¡¯re closer. What is magic? Same response.¡±

    ¡°What is magic?¡± Vaughan nodded his head a few times, considering that one. ¡°I suppose you could define it as any action that could be blocked by a Magenta Crystal.¡±

    ¡°That feels lacking.¡±

    ¡°It works, doesn¡¯t it? All Crystals are blocked by Magenta interference, and if the person using the Magenta knows what they¡¯re doing they can block attributes as well.¡±

    ¡°Attributes make even less sense,¡± Blue muttered. ¡°The Crystals follow definite, predetermined rules that can be written down. Attributes can be basically anything. ¡­But there are limits. In theory. That Jeh might prove wrong simply by existing.¡±

    ¡°Unless what she is isn¡¯t an attribute?¡±

    Blue stared at him with her trademark ¡°you¡¯re a moron¡± face. ¡°Pretty sure the Academy would be aware of a third type of magic if there was such a thing.¡± She didn¡¯t let Vaughan respond¡ªbecause her comment had given her an idea. ¡°Yes, types. Attributes and crystals are two different types. But if it wasn¡¯t for Magenta working on both, we would have almost no reason to think they were related. Crystals appear everywhere in veins and mines. Attributes are restricted to spirited.¡±

    ¡°There has been much work done on that subject.¡±

    Blue gave him a cheeky smile. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re not satisfied with the ¡®Dia¡¯s gift¡¯ explanation either?¡±

    ¡°Even those who are satisfied still like to look into it, you know. Why, back in the day, Lila¡­¡± Vaughan frowned. ¡°Now, how do I tell this without her biting my head off later?¡±

    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t hurt a fly,¡± Blue deadpanned.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you think,¡± Vaughan said with a low whistle. ¡°Suffice it to say, Lila of the past was quite devoted and quite curious. Very curious. Wanted to solve all the ancient mysteries of Dia.¡±

    ¡°Dangerous work. You might find out that the Seekers were right all along.¡±

    Vaughan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? You sympathize with their position?¡±

    Blue shook her head. ¡°Oh, no, I think they¡¯re morons for trusting what they do. Ask a few questions and it becomes dubious rather quickly. But if you seek truth, you might not like what you find.¡± Blue gained a distant look. ¡°But you must seek it anyway. To live a lie is to wrong yourself.¡±

    Vaughan let out a low whistle. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re wise or just young.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m distracted,¡± Blue asserted. ¡°Back to the topic at hand: magic, what the heck is it. You mentioned work on the difference between crystals and attributes?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing you weren¡¯t already taught, unfortunately. Most of it comes up with nothing new. The connections keep getting reinforced, though. If you use enough of any Color of crystal, attributes in the area will be blocked. A¡ª¡°

    ¡°Wait, hold that right there.¡± Blue tapped her hoof on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s like breathing.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Breathing. You know, we consume something from the air, use it up? What if this is exactly the same? Crystals consume ¡®magic stuff¡¯ or whatever from the air, making it so the attributes can¡¯t ¡®breathe.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°That¡­ actually sounds remarkably like Wizard Avocado¡¯s limitation theory. There is a finite amount of energy that can be drawn from any point at any given time.¡±

    ¡°Seems reasonable.¡±

    ¡°But it was largely rejected on a more recent result¡ªGronge¡¯s crystal test.¡±

    ¡°Never heard of that one.¡±

    ¡°Gronge was an Angler, an aquatic race with an attribute that gave them the ability to manipulate and control light coming out of a strange ¡®luring¡¯ organ of theirs. He used it as an indicator when attributes were being jammed. He set up a clever little arcane device that used Blue to accelerate the rate at which a simple Orange spell was used. Then, the moment his attributal lights went out, he told the device to start using a Red crystal to light a small fire nearby. It did.¡±

    ¡°¡­What.¡±

    ¡°The Orange had supposedly ¡®drawn enough power from space¡¯ to ¡®hinder the attribute,¡¯ but in this state Red could still cast more spells, meaning it hadn¡¯t hit the ¡®limit,¡¯ suggesting such a limit does not exist. Or, at least, is much larger than we were led to believe.¡±

    ¡°That makes no sense, why would crystals jam attributes but not other crystals? I don¡¯t eve¡ª¡°

    ¡°Hey guys!¡± Jeh interrupted, almost tearing the door off its hinges as she lunged in, the black of her new bear furs making her look more predatory than usual in her lunge. ¡°It¡¯s almost ready it''s almost ready!¡±

    Blue blinked a few times. ¡°There¡¯s no way they¡¯re almost done, we haven¡¯t been in here that long.¡±

    ¡°Time is an illusion!¡± Jeh called as she ran back outside.

    Vaughan stood up and stretched. ¡°I suppose we better stop hermiting.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who dragged me into ¡®hermiting,¡¯ ¡± Blue huffed.

    ¡°Yes. I did, didn¡¯t I?¡± This thought appeared to amuse him to no end. ¡°You¡¯ll make a good wizard yet!¡±

    ¡°I feel the need to remind you that most wizards work in academia and are not assigned to tiny towns like you.¡±

    ¡°You think I was assigned?¡±

    Blue tapped her hoof on the ground. ¡°That¡¯s just the norm¡ªwhat are we doing!? It¡¯s almost ready and we¡¯re not gonna be there!¡± She reared up on her hind legs and sprinted out of the cabin at high speed. She burst through the door and came to a skidding stop in the familiar cataclysm that was Vaughan¡¯s backyard. Today, however, one object took front and center: the Skyseed.

    It wasn¡¯t exactly how Blue had imagined it, but it was very close. The wooden fins had more variety in their grain, the connections for the glass-steel rods weren¡¯t perfectly smooth, and the drive itself was a bit Yellower than she was expecting. All of this meant almost nothing to her: it might as well have been perfect, as far as her eyes were concerned. Granted, the lid hadn¡¯t been screwed on so the top was just the opening of the jar, but she could see the lid to the side with the brass disc welded to it, so that wasn¡¯t a concern.

    Over the last few days, they¡¯d had several people over to assist in building, but currently only Krays and Big G were there. Krays¡¯ work with all the glass was all done by this point, but she refused to leave. Big G provided most of the muscle. He was here alone, but previously he¡¯d brought an entire mining team to get the initial fin framework setup.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s set,¡± Big G was telling Suro, who was currently standing on a crate. ¡°Technically, once we¡¯ve sealed the jar you should be able to fly it.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Jeh shouted, performing a cartwheel out of excitement. ¡°I am going to go to spaaaace! Yes! Bring it on, lemme in!¡±

    ¡°Hold it!¡± Vaughan called, coming out of the cabin. ¡°We need to perform checks! Lots of checks.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Jeh ran to the Skyseed and tried to hug it. This was rather hard to do since the craft was composed mostly of the narrow wooden fins, not giving her much to latch onto. She persisted anyway. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Skyseed look ready?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s missing a lid.¡±

    ¡°Lid can¡¯t go on until I do!¡±

    ¡°Potential language confusion,¡± Blue said. ¡°The lid can¡¯t go on until you go in, not on.¡±

    Jeh blinked a few times. ¡°Oh. Just when you think you¡¯ve got this figured out¡­¡±

    ¡°Chin up, kid, you¡¯ll get in eventually!¡± Krays called from her chair¡ªapparently, she¡¯d decided lounging around was a good idea. She even had a bright blue drink in her hands.

    Wait¡­ Blue¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Krays, where did y¡ª¡°

    ¡°Hi!¡± Seskii said from right next to Blue¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Augh!¡± Blue took several steps back and stared in alarm at Seskii¡­ who was just offering her a drink from a tray of brightly colored juices.

    ¡°I recommend the pink one, it¡¯s the best,¡± Seskii said with a wink.

    Blue, not one to refuse free food, levitated the drink off the tray¡ªbut continued to fix Seskii with a death glare. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to alleviate the suffering of hard workers! ¡± Seskii declared, holding her forearm to her forehead. ¡°Nothing cheers people up on a long day like lemonade!¡±

    ¡°Only one of those is lemonade. ¡­Where do you eve¡ª¡°

    Seskii had already moved on, giving Vaughan the lemonade. He curtly thanked her and then shot Blue a smug look.

    Blue whinnied before turning back to the Skyseed. ¡°Okay, so¡­ Big G, is it really ready?¡±

    Big G opened his mouth to respond, but Krays shouted for him. ¡°You bet your tattered tail-bow it is!¡± Blue self-consciously checked the bow on her tail. It was a tad dirty and worn, but not tattered. ¡°This fancy box is built exactly to the outrageously specific specifics and sporadic specifications of your spontaneous plan.¡±

    Blue gestured at the uneven connections of the glass rods with the glass jar itself.

    Krays shrugged. ¡°Within reason, of course. You morons don¡¯t have any idea how hard it is to work with glass inside of other glass.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, did you just attempt to insult my intelligence?¡±

    ¡°Bold of you to insist it was merely an attempt.¡±

    ¡°Need I re¡ª¡°

    Suro coughed. ¡°How about you not enter a vocal competition with the winner of every year¡¯s shouting competition?¡±

    This comment was long and strange enough to divert Blue¡¯s train of thought. ¡°Shouting competition?¡±

    ¡°The one we would hold if Krays didn¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that ever existed.¡±

    Suro only gave Blue a silent, enigmatic smile.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Jeh tapped her fingers together nervously. ¡°Are we gonna get to those checks, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°Already been working on it,¡± Big G said as he ran his finger across the Skyseed¡¯s exterior ring. ¡°Fins, check. Glass, check. Drive works and all interfaces are accessible. Stress test¡­¡± He picked up a rock and threw it at the jar. ¡°Check.¡±

    Vaughan shook his head. ¡°Not very scientific.¡±

    ¡°It works. Do you have any other tests?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually, but I want Jeh inside to start them.¡±

    Jeh jumped up. ¡°All right! I¡¯ve got my things right here!¡± She reached into her bear furs and pulled out a pack filled with a selection of produce from Mary¡¯s garden, a medium-sized crystal of every Color, the book Races and Attributes of Ikyu, an oblong glass object with a bubble in it that worked as a level, and a notebook with a pencil.

    ¡°You¡¯re forgetting your stabilizer,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Uh¡­ no.¡± Jeh pointed at the large Orange chunk sitting on the ground a few meters away. ¡°That¡¯s right there.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Well then¡­¡± Blue grinned at her. ¡°Get in.¡±

    Getting into the Skyseed wasn¡¯t the most convenient thing ever, since the way in was on the top and to get up there required climbing. Thus, a simple and elegant solution had been devised: have Blue levitate Jeh inside.

    Jeh remained still while she was in motion¡ªmoving around in unicorn telekinesis could make Blue lose control and drop Jeh right onto the fins, which was the last thing they wanted. However, once Blue had set her inside the jar and on top of the cushions within, Jeh let out a huge ¡°woo-hoo!¡± and threw her hands into the air. One of her fists smacked into the steel-reinforced glass bar. Her fingers cracked, the bar did not.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you can trust us,¡± Krays said, grinning. ¡°Super strong and reliable!¡±

    ¡°Bring on the lid!¡± Jeh called.

    ¡°Not yet!¡± Vaughan called. ¡°We need to balance it first! Jeh, if you don¡¯t mind, would you please activate the drive? We¡¯ve run so many tests surely you sh¡ª¡°

    Jeh was already following the instruction. She grabbed the rods that surrounded the drive¡¯s glass enclosure and started moving them around until both mechanisms within had been placed on their lowest setting. Once this was done, she grabbed a third rod and swiveled it directly upward; the direction the drive would push. After locking it into place, she picked up a small wrist band coated with numerous Magenta dots and slipped it on. ¡°Ready to activate arcane systems!¡±

    ¡°Activate at minimum,¡± Vaughan cautioned.

    Jeh rolled her eyes but did as instructed, pushing her will onto the Magenta band. A series of Magenta flashes coursed down a weave of circular crystal links that split into two paths: one heading to the air restorer, the other to the drive itself. Both devices sparked to brilliant life, though there was no discernable difference beyond this. The drive was too weak right now, and the air restorer never made any visible changes.

    ¡°Now, Jeh¡­ slowly increase drive output.¡±

    Jeh nodded, grabbing hold of one of the rods and moving it along the grooves in the glass casing, clicking the drive to the next strongest spell. Finding no result from this, she clicked it again, and again, each click increasing the drive¡¯s glow. There was no other effect until Jeh clicked it up to the setting that could push more than the ship¡¯s total weight.

    This transition was a large enough jump that the Skyseed went from motionless to hopping off the ground in an instant. Upon feeling the launch, Jeh clicked the drive back down, making the Skyseed drop back down with a thud.

    ¡°Hop successful,¡± Vaughan said.

    Jeh nodded, turning to adjust the smaller set of spells, increasing the force to the ship in small increments until, at last, the Skyseed slowly lifted its base from the ground. It was obvious that the side of the jar Jeh was sitting in had a tendency to dip due to the weight distribution, but Jeh countered that by using her Orange on the Skyseed¡¯s underside brass disc.

    ¡°Blue, the sandbags,¡± Vaughan instructed.

    Blue levitated two sandbags into the jar while it was still hovering, which Jeh arranged in a triangular formation with herself to balance everything out. It wasn¡¯t a perfect balance by any means, but she was going to be manually correcting the tilt of the Skyseed so perfection was not required.

    Jeh took a moment to examine her level: an oblong glass object with water and a bubble inside. It wasn¡¯t as useful as Blue had originally thought it was going to be¡ªon a moving object the bubble wouldn¡¯t always float directly upward¡ªbut it could be used to determine the immediate direction of acceleration. Currently, since the Skyseed was being held relatively still, it worked as it normally would, letting Jeh know exactly when she had everything level.

    ¡°We¡¯re good!¡± Jeh called. ¡°I can balance it with just the bottom disc!¡± She gave everyone a smug smile before clicking the drive down slightly so the Skyseed could drift slowly back to the ground.

    ¡°Looks like she¡¯s good¡­¡± Vaughan turned to Blue. ¡°You¡¯re up again.¡±

    Blue nodded, taking a few deep breaths¡ªthis was going to be heavy. She picked up the jar¡¯s lid, which had the upper disc welded to it. Unlike the bottom, which had a hole in the center for Jeh to look out of, the top was solid metal and had no such thing. It was an unfortunate limitation of the jar lid itself and they didn¡¯t trust themselves to install a window into it that could handle the pressure differences.

    Luckily, there wasn¡¯t anything to crash into in the sky.

    It took Blue considerable effort to levitate such a large chunk of solid metal, but she was able to place it gently on top of the Skyseed, at which point she turned it several times, tighter than she¡¯d ever put it on before. ¡°Sealed!¡± she called.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°I¡­ I think so?¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Feels like we¡¯re missing something.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps some bravado?¡± Suro suggested. ¡°A speech to commemorate the occasion?¡±

    Vaughan raised his eyebrows. ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ yeah, a silly idea.¡±

    ¡°Why not just have a countdown?¡± Seskii suggested. ¡°Start from ten, tell Jeh to go on zero. Just to make it feel right.¡±

    Blue stared blankly at Seskii. ¡°¡­What would that acc¡ª¡°

    ¡°Ten!¡± Jeh started, gripping the rod that adjusted the secondary spells. ¡°Nine!¡±

    Blue facehooved. ¡°Oh for the love of¡­¡±

    ¡°Eight!¡± Jeh said, with Suro, Krays, and Seskii joining in.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a number!¡±

    ¡°Seven!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re all a bunch of morons.¡±

    ¡°Six!¡± now Vaughan had joined in, leaving only Blue and Big G silent. ¡°Five!¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes and tried¡ªunsuccessfully¡ªto tune the countdown out. ¡°Four!¡± However, she was able to limit her annoyance by simply taking it all in. The Skyseed sat there, ready for flight. ¡°Three!¡± A chilly breeze wafted through her mane, indicating the beginnings of autumn. ¡°Two!¡± The sky was filled with puffy, calm clouds that seemed to frame the dim crescent moon. ¡°One!¡±

    Jeh switched from the secondary spell rod to the primary, grinning madly. ¡°Zero~!¡±

    She clicked it up one notch. Instead of the slow, lazy drift they had planned, the Skyseed violently jumped into the air, and this time Jeh didn¡¯t turn it off immediately. It still wasn¡¯t very fast¡ªBlue could easily move faster at a brisk trot¡ªbut the speed was certainly alarming and prompted Blue to call out in panic. ¡°Jeh! Don¡¯t crash it!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Jeh was yelling as loud as she could and Blue almost couldn¡¯t hear it. ¡°Mission: see Ikyu¡¯s curvature and return! You can count on me!¡± Despite going faster than the initial plan, Jeh was still able to balance the Skyseed as it lifted higher and higher. All that practice had really meant something.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Blue shouted back at her. She heard a response, but couldn¡¯t make out any words.

    For a time, nothing further was said. Everyone could only stare at the shape of the Skyseed as it floated higher and higher. Unlike previous experiments, it wasn¡¯t as easy to keep track of: the glow of the drive was largely hidden by the bulk of the Skyseed, with only the small window in the bottom of the jar letting any light get to their eyes. The rest of the ship continued to float upward, level so far as those on the ground could tell.

    Blue frowned. ¡°I wish there was a way to talk to her while she was flying.¡±

    ¡°You could go with her next time,¡± Vaughan suggested.

    Blue whinnied. ¡°It¡¯d be convenient. She¡¯d be able to tell us what was happening as it happened. Right now we just¡­ egh.¡± Looking up, she found it difficult to find the Skyseed. ¡°I hate waiting.¡±

    ¡°You waited several months to build this thing,¡± Big G pointed out. ¡°You can wait a day.¡±

    ¡°Six hours. That¡¯s how long we expect.¡± Blue furrowed her brow. ¡°Jeh might try to go even faster, though. Vaughan we never should have designed that drive with the capacity for that, she¡¯s just¡ª¡°

    ¡°She won¡¯t do anything she doesn¡¯t think she can do,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°She thinks she¡¯s invincible.¡±

    ¡°And she¡¯d like to be in space rather than crash,¡± Vaughan countered. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes it is,¡± Seskii said, punctuating the comment with a sip of her cherry juice.

    Krays snapped her fingers. ¡°She¡¯s got you there.¡±

    Suro put a paw to Blue¡¯s leg. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Blue. We just need to trust her. She¡¯ll be able to follow this through.¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°¡­But we know so little and¡­¡±

    ¡°And when she comes back we¡¯ll know more. That¡¯s how this works. I believe you were the one who told me that when I asked about your plant experiments.¡±

    Blue tilted her head to the side. ¡°Heheh¡­ yeah. Yeah, you¡¯re right, fine. C¡¯mon Vaughan, let¡¯s go work on something while we wait.¡±

    ¡°Work on what?¡± Vaughan blinked. ¡°The ship¡¯s already flying. If it works, anyone who can push will into crystals could fly into space with enough training.¡±

    ¡°There are speed concerns. The Skyseed can get us off Ikyu, but it¡¯s doubtful if it can make it to the Moon and we don¡¯t think it can go anywhere else. Furthermore, we need to consider practical applications... Just come on, we¡¯ve got stuff we can do.¡±

    ~~~

    Jeh knew one thing for certain: everything would go wrong if she stopped pushing her will into the arcane devices on the Skyseed. The drive would cut and the air restorer would cease functioning, and she needed both of those things. Furthermore, activating the drive after cutting it would be ¡°structurally unpleasant,¡± as Vaughan had put it earlier.

    So Jeh had slept extra the night before and had brought along several sugary pastries from the Sourdough twins to keep herself awake and alert. Already, she was absent-mindedly eating one of the rolls while she continually used her Orange on the upper disc to maintain balance.

    She found that it was noticeably easier to balance the Skyseed while it was in motion as opposed to levitating motionless¡ªprobably the fins doing their job channeling air properly. It became almost second nature to keep everything pointed up. Jeh felt more than a little proud about this¡ªthis was not a skill she had just remembered like virtually everything else, this was something she¡¯d learned. Something new.

    Admittedly, the actual flying part was kind of boring. Once she was decently high up it wasn¡¯t easy to see anything. To the left, sky. To the right, the tip of Mt. Cascade, but it would soon be sky as well. Upward was blocked. Looking down had been very interesting, but once she got high enough that it was hard to tell buildings apart in Willow Hollow, it just looked like a colorful map.

    The sensation of continually rising was a bit odd as well. She felt slightly heavier than usual, compressed even. It did nothing to impede her focus or enjoyment, but it was there nonetheless.

    A gust of wind hit the Skyseed from the side. It shifted to the side slightly, but Jeh counteracted without breaking a sweat. Laughably easy, even.

    She only waited for the second gust of wind to decide it was time for more. She clicked the main part of the drive to a higher setting, increasing her speed considerably. The fins became even more effective, lining the Skyseed up with the direction of motion. In addition, the feeling of heaviness increased. She was still going slow¡ªand could make adjustments to the direction manually¡ªbut her speed far exceeded that which Vaughan had planned for her.

    ¡­The mission is just to get to the curvature then come back down. It didn¡¯t say it had to take six hours, that¡¯s just the expected time¡­ Jeh grinned. I bet I can do it in one. Despite her desire to accelerate to maximum, she paced herself. She waited for gusts of wind, tested herself, and then pushed the drive to the next setting.

    Every time she did, she felt heavier, but the fins also became more effective. More speed meant more air passing through them. Extra speed came with it extra chance for pilot error, however. With the drive pushing so hard it¡¯d be much easier to enter a wild tailspin.

    Jeh wasn¡¯t one to be afraid of a little challenge. Vaughan had slapped her around everywhere in the rickety test chair; this ship behaved like an angel by comparison.

    And then everything went white outside.

    ¡°Augh!¡± Jeh called, almost losing focus on balancing. Recognizing her nearly fatal error, she pushed the shock out of her mind and focused intently at the jar¡¯s lid and upper disc. She even went so far as to click the drive¡¯s setting back two notches, removing the artificial heaviness.

    Satisfied that the Skyseed was stable, she glanced around at the white. The wispy, fluffy, mist-like¡­

    I¡¯m in a cloud.

    She let out a laugh, clicked the drive back up to her previous setting, and continued her flight. A few seconds later she popped out of the cloud and could see sky all around¡ªsky with a varied assortment of clouds. Above, below, sideways¡ªshe was in a sea of blue with wisps of white mass.

    Jeh was fairly certain Vaughan had gotten this high on his initial trip, but had been a bit too focused to have a look around. By contrast, Jeh was relaxed and in a relatively stable situation. She could look around at the cloudy wonderland.

    Up this high, she was mildly surprised to see life. Specks of green and blue drifted around the various clouds, and in the distance she could see a balloon whale drifting along with its mustache-like hairs. It had bright blue fabric along its side, which meant it was being used as a mount. Though why someone would want to fly all the way out here was a mystery¡ªthere wasn¡¯t anything in this area of the world worth charting such a beast.

    Stolen story; please report.

    She also thought it looked silly. A whale with a mustache. Just simply amusing.

    Another gust of wind came, forcing Jeh to re-adjust. With a stretch of her arms¡ªdiscovering for the first time how hard it was to do that amidst the glass-steel rods¡ªshe continued her practice of testing herself and increasing the drive¡¯s power.

    She was far above what setting she was told to use at this point, but she didn¡¯t particularly care. It had been smooth sailing so far.

    ~~~

    ¡°So¡­¡± Vaughan rolled out his star chart for Blue and Suro to see¡ªeveryone else had gone back to town. ¡°This is the universe.¡± He pointed in the center. ¡°There¡¯s Ikyu, the moon, sun, planets¡­ and then the very distant stars.¡±

    ¡°I find it odd that you can¡¯t accurately tell how far away these things are,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°Astronomy isn¡¯t easy,¡± Vaughan explained. ¡°Without a telescope, it¡¯s really hard. You need precise tools to measure the exact position of the planet in reference to the fixed stars at different locations on Ikyu at the same time, and that can only give basic estimates. Astronomers and Astrologers have done most of the hard work for us, though, since the motion of the stars is supposedly tied to fate.¡±

    ¡°Supposedly,¡± Blue emphasized. ¡°There¡¯s no real evidence for this. Crystals don¡¯t react differently based on the stars, at the very least.¡±

    ¡°Regardless, we have only vague ideas of distances to the planets,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°And we can¡¯t get more precise measurements.¡±

    ¡°Actually¡­¡± Blue tapped her hoof a few times. ¡°It might be possible to use the Skyseed to assist. We can take measurements at different altitudes. All we¡¯d need is to figure out how high we are at any given time. Which could be accomplished by creating a constant velocity and an hourglass¡­ hmm, that might actually be any more accurate than what we already have¡­¡±

    ¡°Might help the Astronomers figure out some of the issues they have,¡± Vaughan chuckled. ¡°The ¡®retrograde motion¡¯ doesn¡¯t sit well with them.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Suro tilted his head.

    ¡°The planets each have a time in their cycles where they start going backward for no discernable reason. The sun and moon, curiously, do not.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ is interesting, to be sure.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Of course, the best way to figure out what happens is just to go there and find out. Which is why we¡¯re here.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°Yes. With what we know, it¡¯s clear that there¡¯s virtually no air out past, say, the moon, so we might as well pretend it doesn¡¯t exist. Our various destinations go around Ikyu in near-circles with occasional¡ªbut predictable¡ªretrograde motion. The main difficulty is going to be reaching a moving target.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that a problem?¡± Suro asked.

    Blue lifted up a pencil with her horn and gestured at Talu, the closest planet. ¡°Talu goes this direction. If you point at it and fly straight at it¡­¡± She mimicked drawing a line on the chart without actually marking it. ¡°It would have moved while you were flying to it.¡±

    Suro nodded. ¡°You¡¯d have to fly at where it was going to be¡­¡±

    ¡°Which means a lot of planning. We¡¯d have to know how fast we go in air, with less air, and¡­ basically a lot of numbers.¡±

    ¡°I fear the complexity of those calculations,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Why not just design an improved ship that could handle any situation?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ could work,¡± Blue admitted. ¡°But we need to know more before we can design that. We can only talk theory right now. And I can see trying to actually go anywhere in space being a real issue.¡±

    ¡°I still want that moon rock,¡± Vaughan said.

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course you do¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Jeh had left the clouds behind a long time ago. When she looked down, she saw land, sea, and white covering most of it in complicated wisp patterns. It was something else entirely to see the sky from above.

    She¡¯d also noticed that the blue of the sky was dissipating¡ªthe sky around her was duller, while if she looked to the horizon she¡¯d see more intense blue.

    Is air¡­ blue?

    As fascinating as this was, she did get tired of staring at it eventually. Turning to the drive, she clicked its speed even higher¡ªthere was almost no wind hitting her anymore. She¡¯d even stopped manually adjusting for stability for a few moments. Without anything to push the Skyseed off course, it remained where it had been going previously: up. Everything was much smoother.

    This wasn¡¯t to say there was no air out there. She could still hear it whizzing through the fins as she rose higher and higher. It just wasn¡¯t affecting as much. It was also impossible to tell how fast she was going: she had no references aside from Ikyu itself, and from second to second there was no longer a discernible difference in height.

    Just to satisfy her innate curiosity, she tried again to look at the horizon and determine how fast it was changing. The result: no change.

    Except now the horizon had a slight curve to it.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Jeh said, grin widening. ¡°Already?¡±

    Already indeed, she had reached the point of the mission: the curvature of Ikyu was in her sights. The landmasses and mountains wrapped almost flatly around the curve, making it amazingly obvious that Ikyu was approximately spherical. It was a bit hard to take it all in at once¡ªshe could only barely see the curvature and Ikyu still felt like ¡°ground¡± to her¡ªbut there was the proof.

    She was supposed to go back down now.

    Jeh¡¯s grin faltered. That was¡­ that was it? Just go down now, don¡¯t go anywhere else? Don¡¯t see what awaited further up?

    She glanced around at her little ship. The air restorer was still working, the drive showed no signs of wearing down, and she didn¡¯t feel tired. Plus, the mission was given a six-hour window. There was no way she¡¯d been at this for more than an hour¡ªthough she wasn¡¯t a good judge of time.

    Nothing was wrong, the journey was actually getting easier¡­

    ¡°Screw it.¡± Jeh clicked the drive into the next position, increasing the push significantly. ¡°Onwards and upwards!¡±

    ~~~

    Blue glanced at the sun out the window, using it to quickly calculate the time.

    It had been three hours. The halfway mark.

    If Jeh went as fast as Blue suspected her of going, she should have been back by now.

    Suro saw Blue¡¯s face contorting in worry. ¡°Blue, give her the time you said she had.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ geh.¡±

    ¡°We all designed the mission and agreed it was safe,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Go up, see curvature, come down.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ what if there¡¯s some kind of barrier around Ikyu? Something we can¡¯t see, like air. What if we¡¯re making a mistake, wh¡ª¡°

    ¡°Then Jeh comes down as quickly as she can,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°She has maps with her, remember? She can identify the shape of Kroan then narrow it down to Mount Cascade easily. For once, the bird¡¯s-eye view take of maps will be exactly what she needs.¡±

    ¡°I know, I¡¯m not a moron.¡± Blue frowned. ¡°I just can¡¯t shake the nagging doubt that there¡¯s something we¡¯ve forgotten.¡±

    ¡°Clearly, we don¡¯t fully know how air works.¡±

    ¡°I mean something obvious.¡± She glanced outside again at the sun sitting amidst an idyllic sky with a handful of clouds. ¡°Something very obvious¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Jeh reached the highest setting on the drive.

    Strange. It didn¡¯t feel all that different. Did she feel heavier? Maybe slightly, or maybe she was just used to the sensation of being heavier. Regardless, it didn¡¯t matter. This was as fast as she could go.

    There was absolutely no wind, now. Looking out the sides of the jar, she could see some stars among a very dark sky, only a blue band sticking near the horizon reminding her that it was still day. The crescent moon was rather impressive, too. Although¡­ it didn¡¯t look any bigger.

    It occurred to her she had no real sense of scale as to how far away the moon really was.

    Jeh began to wonder where exactly she was going. The moon? Even she had to admit, the Skyseed might not be able to make it that far. She¡¯d have to sleep at some point, and then the drive would stop and she¡¯d fall right back down to Ikyu.

    Still, the higher she went, the more stars she could see. As well as more of Ikyu. Entire continents were laid bare before her; verdant forests, sandy deserts, purple splotches of mushroom groves, what she swore was a Purple crystal larger than most cities¡­

    Yeesh, that¡­ I¡¯m not sure what to think of that one.

    There were actually several things on the surface of Ikyu¡¯s waters that she¡¯d noticed from this height. An eternal storm swirling in one of the oceans, a portion of another ocean that was crimson red, an island she swore moved every now and then¡­

    Ikyu was so full of wonder and impossible things.

    She turned to the moon. It was gray. There were no bright colors on it. It seemed dull, compared to the rainbow of Ikyu. Thoughts that maybe there was nothing up there of interest began to creep into Jeh¡¯s mind.

    Crack.

    Jeh suddenly heard whistling coming from her side. She twisted herself sharply, discovering, to her horror, a tiny hole in the glass. It was no larger than a grain of sand, but Jeh could hear the air escaping through it at an alarming rate.

    Scrambling¡ªand paying no attention to the stability of the Skyseed¡ªshe opened up her box with all the crystals in it. She took out the Red one and held it to the hole, trying to heat the glass so it would seal itself up.

    This was a supremely stupid decision since glass shatters when exposed to extreme heat gradients. While Krays had done her best on making the jar resilient, dealing with environmental temperatures was a far cry from someone trying to melt glass.

    It was by dumb luck alone that Jeh didn¡¯t shatter the entire Skyseed right then and there. She was graced with a small crack in the glass that warned her she was about to break the entire jar.

    Idiot! Jeh kicked herself¡ªthere was a much easier answer. She picked up her backup Green crystal and held it to the hole and the small crack. The restoration worked wonders¡ªpatching the damage up. Since it was such a small hole the spell was able to borrow glass material from around without sacrificing structural integrity.

    Jeh let out a sigh of relief¡ªthe whistling was gone. Her air was safe. Some had been lost, but she¡¯d had more than she needed, and the restorer would keep it up.

    She realized with some horror that the air restorer was no longer glowing. In fact, the Magenta conduits were shattered.

    ¡°What!?¡± she shouted to nobody, grabbing the shattered Magenta and stabbing her hand a few times in the process. She found an extremely tiny piece of metal amongst the Magenta shards.

    A piece of metal that could conceivably have made a hole in a glass jar.

    Her satisfaction at having found the culprit of all this did not last, for now she was down a significant chunk of air and had no air restorer.

    Actually¡­ Jeh glanced at the Green in her hand. That¡¯s not strictly true. She ordered it to convert the air. She hoped it was working. If it wasn¡¯t¡­ she only had a few hours of air at best.

    Sadly, Jeh did not trust herself to continue any further. She¡¯d have to manually manage both the Orange and the Green while also watching the state of the drive. It was time to go back down before another little metal thing smashed through the jar and broke the drive.

    Which meant it was time for a gear shift.

    She stopped willing the drive to operate. It shut down immediately, and the sensation of being heavy was gone. She, her belongings, and her sandbags all started to float into the air. It was an incredibly nauseating experience, one that made her lose focus on both the Orange and the Green.

    For once, however, space was forgiving. Nothing happened to her as she drifted inside the jar, staring blankly ahead.

    Something inside of her clicked, and her grin returned. Using the support bars to drag herself around, she returned to the drive and unlocked its position, twisting it so the direction of force would be down.

    Jeh noted that she¡¯d gotten somewhat misaligned while she¡¯d been floating around¡ªthe Skyseed¡¯s bottom was no longer pointing directly at Ikyu, but toward the horizon. This was easy enough to fix by applying Orange to both discs at once and forcing the ship back into a relatively upright orientation.

    Looking through the bottom window, she pointed herself right at Ikyu and turned the drive into the lowest setting.

    She suddenly felt like she had weight again¡ªexcept now the floor was the lid of the jar and Ikyu was above them. It was immensely disorienting¡ªshe preferred the weightless sensation. That said, she felt almost weightless like this.

    Now that things were stable again, she looked ¡°up¡± at Ikyu. She needed to find Willow Hollow by the shape of the landmasses and¡­

    Clouds.

    So many clouds, all over Ikyu.

    Covering the land.

    Jeh¡¯s eyes widened. She tore the maps out of her belongings, discovering with horror that she couldn¡¯t find the shape of the Kingdom of Kroan. It didn¡¯t even look familiar.

    Back up¡­ back up¡­ just take it slow¡­

    Jeh exchanged the map of Kroan with a map of the known world. This gave her a lot more context¡ªthe shapes of continents, while clouded, were possible to differentiate. She found rather quickly that the quality of map left much to be desired: there was an entire mass of land not even on it, several shorelines were of different overall sizes, and a few things were awkwardly stretched.

    However, she could identify the continents, and as such identify which one Kroan was on. This allowed her to narrow her search until she found a gulf-like area of the sea that was mostly covered with clouds.

    That was her best shot. She used the Orange to point the Skyseed in that direction and increased the speed of the drive, gradually, back to maximum, all the while using the Green crystal to recycle air. That¡¯s what she hoped she was doing, at least.

    With the floor now the ceiling, it was an interesting ride. She was going down, but as far as her body was concerned, Ikyu was above her.

    A few minutes later, it occurred to her that she was probably going faster than she¡¯d ever gone previously. She wasn¡¯t trying to go up, she was going down, and things already wanted to fall naturally. She was just pushing on it harder.

    She grinned. She was going to be back before the time was up.

    Assuming she landed anywhere near Willow Hollow. At this point, all she could be certain of was that she was going toward Kroan. The clouds were just in the way.

    ~~~

    ¡°Clouds,¡± Blue said, staring out the window.

    ¡°Eh?¡± Vaughan stopped drawing circles and planets in his notes. ¡°Clouds?¡±

    Blue pointed outside. ¡°It¡¯s gotten cloudy all of the sudden.¡±

    ¡°So it has.¡±

    ¡°Jeh is currently above the clouds.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±

    ¡°Vaughan¡­¡± Blue¡¯s left eye twitched. ¡°How is she going to know where to land!?¡±

    Vaughan stood up in alarm. ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°How did we miss something as obvious as clouds!?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! They¡¯re just¡­ there! The weather isn¡¯t bad, it¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°Aaaaagh!¡± Blue rammed her head into the table. ¡°She¡¯s going to crash somewhere random and have no idea what to do or how t¡ª¡°

    ¡°Snap out of it,¡± Vaughan said, picking up his scepter. ¡°Assuming she¡¯s still up there, we have time.¡±

    ¡°Time?¡±

    ¡°To make a beacon.¡±

    ¡°¡­Vaughan you aren¡¯t a Purple wizard. You can¡¯t ju¡ª¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m not using Purple.¡± He pulled out a large Red shard. ¡°I¡¯m using Red.¡±

    ¡°How are y¡ª¡°

    ¡°I need more.¡± He ran out of the room and made his way to the main hall. It still felt empty, but now it proudly displayed the blueprints of the Skyseed. He was not here to revel in his accomplishments, however; he was here to get the Red powder.

    ¡°Blue!¡± He called back. ¡°Get the burner ready!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± Blue called, nonetheless running to the backyard to do as he asked.

    Vaughan didn¡¯t have time to worry about using the proper containers¡ªhe grabbed a large bucket and drove it into the Red powder. The infinitesimal shards cut and damaged the bucket in several places, even making a few tiny holes that would be a mess to clean up later, but he didn¡¯t care. He just needed a lot of easily accessible raw power.

    Which was one of crystal powder¡¯s many uses.

    He ran outside with the bucket, arriving at Blue¡¯s side of the operation: the burner. The arcane device largely consisted of a Magenta plate with a few other Colored crystals on the underside, all supported by three metal legs.

    It was actually a rather simple arcane device, providing a way for a wizard to be in contact with large sums of powder without shredding their body. So long as a piece of powder was on the Magenta plate, Vaughan would be able to use it.

    ¡°Stabilized,¡± Blue reported, kicking the burner¡¯s legs just to make sure it wasn¡¯t about to fall apart. ¡°You¡¯re clear.¡±

    Vaughan poured the powder on the burner, a mound of Red on Magenta. He quickly placed one of his hands on the edges of the Magenta plate, foregoing the interface crystals intended to assist with guiding his spell. He was going to put it in there directly so he could have the greatest control over his Red.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to heat the sky.¡±

    He willed the heat to condense, as he had on Mt. Cascade as a show of power. This time, however, he was using much, much more heat. The bundle of compressed fire became a deep, ominous blue and it formed above the burner, contrasting the brilliant Red of the spent powder. He had to control it using Blue and Green from his scepter¡ªthe Blue to increase his own reaction time, while the Green was cleverly keeping the heat from spreading to him or Blue by continually restoring the air between them. Had he not known how to create this little heat shield, it would have been much harder to do what he was trying to do.

    Already, the powder was beginning to run out as Vaughan continually ordered it to burn more and more. The pile shrunk until it was nothing¡ªand only then did Vaughan release.

    A massive beam of blue, burning power shot right into the air. It started out as a narrow beam, but even a Red wizard of Vaughan¡¯s skill was unable to maintain such a focused burst at a significant distance. Only a short way from the launch point, the beam began to diffuse into a wider arc, losing significant amounts of heat as it traveled. The raw, blue heat gave way to normal, billowing clouds of fire.

    However, these fires reached the low-lying clouds. A torrent of air pressure twisted the wisps of gray in several directions but did not reveal the sky above.

    ¡°Do you¡­ think she could have seen that?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know. She might not have been looking.¡± Vaughan picked up the bucket. ¡°So we¡¯re going to do it again.¡±

    Blue blinked several times. ¡°Vaughan you¡¯re at the edge of your capacity¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not about to let this all be for nothing!¡±

    ~~~

    Vaughan¡¯s beams were easily visible from the top of Mt. Cascade.

    The leader of the Red Seekers¡ªwhose name was Joira¡ªfolded her hands together as her steeled gaze remained fixed forward. Another beam of fire had just come up from Vaughan¡¯s cabin.

    Clearly, a public demonstration of his power. His mastery over the Red.

    How blasphemous.

    ¡°He should be put in his place,¡± Joira said.

    ¡°How?¡± one of the other Seekers asked.

    Slowly, Joira turned to the massive Red crystal that grew on top of her home. She felt the Red embedded in her ears heat up on their own, without her giving instruction.

    Slowly, a deeply malevolent, toothy grin came over her. ¡°Why, with the Awakening, of course.¡±

    ¡°A-are you sure?¡±

    She pointed at her Red earrings. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±

    ~~~

    Jeh frowned.

    Why was it getting warmer?

    It had been a little chilly earlier, but producing heat had been no issue for her with the Red crystal. It was just that higher elevations were colder, no big deal.

    So as she got lower, she should have warmed up¡­ back to normal early autumn temperatures. It was starting to feel like a summer midday in the Skyseed.

    Jeh clicked her tongue. The last thing she needed right now was something else to go wrong. She was already feeling slight gusts of wind she needed to stabilize for while restoring the air and watching for any more signs of Willow Hollow. She hoped this heat didn¡¯t mean anything.

    The moment she thought this, she noticed the first trails of flame on the craft¡¯s bottom, interfering with her view of Ikyu. Her first feeling was annoyance that fire was in the way. Her second was that of mild panic.

    The fins were made of wood.

    She needed to stop the heat, and she needed to stop it now. But¡­ how!? What was even causing it?

    Jeh really wished she was Blue at that moment. Blue could look at things and figure them out in an instant. Blue was a literal genius. Jeh was just a reckless blockhead who was about to burn the Skyseed to cinders without any idea of how to stop it.

    She tore open her box, glaring at the crystals. Why can¡¯t there be a cooling Color? She went through them all. Red would make the problem worse, Orange¡­ she tried pushing the fire away, but that did nothing. Yellow was useless, Green¡­ she tried to restore the area around the fire to what it was before, which successfully lessened the flames, but didn¡¯t extinguish them. Blue¡­

    Jeh¡¯s eyes widened, dragging something Blue had said out of her memory.

    ¡°Ah, my namesake¡­ go fast enough, you light on fire.¡±

    Jeh remembered when she¡¯d used Blue magic, how, the faster she had moved, the hotter she had gotten.

    Immediately, Jeh turned the drive off. Instead of getting a weightless sensation this time, Jeh was all but thrown to the other side of the Skyseed, hitting one of the supporting rods hard enough to send the ship into a tumbling spin that only aggravated the flames.

    Have to slow down, have to slow down. She made some attempt to right herself with her Orange, but in her tumbling state that was pointless. Soon, it would get hot enough to burn inside the Skyseed, and Jeh would be occupied with regenerating rather than stabilizing the ship.

    She held up the Blue crystal. Slower.

    From outside, it looked like the Skyseed stopped in midair, becoming completely motionless save for a few Blue sparkles. In reality, it was still moving, but it and everything within it was far too slow to be visually distinct.

    As far as the air around the Skyseed was concerned, it was no longer barreling through at extreme velocities. The flames dissipated, a rushing wind blowing out the few fins that had actually caught on fire.

    From Jeh¡¯s perspective, everything was quite different. She was still falling at high speeds, but the world below was changing at an extreme rate. Cloud formations twisted and turned, the sun visibly moved closer to the horizon, and the glass retained the heat.

    She released the command on the Blue gradually, and as she did so she adjusted the drive to point back in the ¡°upward¡± direction. Unfortunately, the Skyseed was still tumbling, so this was currently of little use.

    However, now that she was holding the Blue, Jeh had a solution. She just needed to be fast enough to manually adjust the discs.

    She released the Blue crystal¡¯s hold on the Skyseed, and realized with some horror that she¡¯d gripped the crystal so hard as to shatter it and embed it in her hands. The pain wasn¡¯t the concern¡ªthe concern was that she¡¯d added enough surface area to the shards to make them burn faster. They were already much smaller than what she¡¯d started with. Would she have enough to do what she needed to?

    It didn¡¯t matter. She had to try. She accelerated herself and only herself.

    This turned out to be a mistake. When she had altered the speed of both herself and the Skyseed, there had been no relative difference between them. Altering just herself, however, meant that the forces between her and the Skyseed became very unbalanced. Initially, there was no real difference aside from perception. She was thrown across the Skyseed¡¯s interior with enough force and speed to release a burst of flame.

    Fortunately, nothing aside from Jeh herself got burned from the rush, but there was now a fair amount of smoke inside the jar. Gagging and coughing, Jeh completely dropped the thought of restoring the air¡ªshe just needed to regain control. She held the Orange chunk in the hand that wasn¡¯t punctured a dozen times with Blue and grabbed hold of both the brass discs at once. She forced them to stop spinning.

    With her accelerated senses, she had more than enough reaction time to counteract the effects. It was actually significantly easier to do so, requiring a lot less force than it otherwise would have.

    Jeh grinned in the midst of her coughs. I like Blue crystals.

    It was at this point the Blue she had was no longer sufficient for the level of acceleration she had been demanding. However, the crystals did what they could to accelerate as close to that point as possible, so Jeh was gradually brought back to the relative speed of the Skyseed.

    As she turned the drive back on so it could push upward and slow them even further, she found herself thinking. What had even happened there? She was accelerating herself, but her actual speed was what the Skyseed¡¯s speed was. But the Skyseed had also been spinning and she¡¯d been spinning inside of it...

    Probably something for Blue to test later: the use of her namesake in objects moving and spinning.

    Jeh coughed again.

    Right, have to be aware long enough to land. Now that the drive was pushing upward and slowing them down, the floor was the floor again. Downward was Ikyu. Specifically, downward was a bunch of clouds that almost completely covered the Kingdom of Kroan.

    Jeh shook her head. That wasn¡¯t good, that wasn¡¯t good at all. She wasn¡¯t going to be able to aim at a specific place for much longer. Some of the wispier clouds were already above her.

    ¡°Might as well just go straight d¡ª¡°

    A truly massive explosion thundered from below her, a burst of Red so immense that clouds parted in a circle around the crimson epicenter. Jeh had no idea what it was¡ªit certainly wasn¡¯t fire, that was for sure.

    What she did know was that it had occurred on top of Mt. Cascade. The mountain was easily visible through the hole in the clouds.

    Eh, I wasn¡¯t that far off with my aim, Jeh thought. Now she knew where she needed to go. With a smirk, she used Orange to pivot the Skyseed toward the hole in the clouds.

    Afterwhich she promptly slapped herself in the face for being a moron. The drive was currently pulling to slow her descent, if she was pointed directly at her destination she¡¯d be pulled away.

    She¡¯d just¡­ have to turn it the other way. Which made it look like she was pointed away, but it dragged her closer over time.

    She let out another cough. C¡¯mon Jeh, keep focused, keep focused¡­ you¡¯re almost there.

    ~~~

    Blue stared, jaw hanging open, at Mt. Cascade. The roiling sphere of Red light at its peak dazzled her eyes while also filling her with a deep sense of dread.

    ¡°¡­I think they are trying to put me in my place,¡± Vaughan commented.

    ¡°H-how¡­ what¡­?¡±

    ¡°They probably all went together to send a message to the Great Red Crystalline One or something,¡± Vaughan said with a dismissive hand. ¡°It¡¯s good for us. There¡¯s no way Jeh misses that.¡±

    Blue blinked a few times at the roiling sphere¡ªwhich was slowly shrinking in size. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but thank Dia for the Red Seekers.¡±

    ¡°Assuming Jeh didn¡¯t already try to land¡­¡± Vaughan put a hand to his head, looking up at the hole the Red light had made in the cloud cover. Blue followed suit but saw nothing.

    The Red light dissipated into nothing, but the hole in the clouds remained. Blue thought she saw a balloon whale near the edge of the hole. What is one of those doing all the way out here? The thought, being unrelated to Jeh, was pushed aside for later consideration. She returned to scouring the sky, looking everywhere for the Skyseed.

    ¡°¡­Technically speaking, it hasn¡¯t been six hours,¡± Vaughan said, eventually. ¡°She would have seen that from wherever she was, but it could take her an hour to get down here or so.¡± He put his hands in his robe pockets. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to wait.¡±

    ¡°In about ten minutes some panicked villager is going to come and demand you deal with whatever the Red Seekers just did.¡±

    ¡°Complaining about it won¡¯t change anything.¡± Vaughan looked down at Blue. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. Worst case scenario, she crashes somewhere outside the Kingdom and has to journey back to us on foot.¡±

    Blue wasn¡¯t sure she could stand waiting that long, not knowing what had happened to Jeh or the Skyseed, but she didn¡¯t vocalize this. She continued staring at the sky through the hole in the clouds. There was an orange speck¡­

    That couldn¡¯t be Jeh. The drive¡¯s glow would be mostly hidden. Unless Jeh was using a lot of Orange at once for balancing¡­

    ¡°Is that¡­?¡± Blue asked, pointing with her hoof.

    ¡°It¡¯s coming in a little bright¡­¡±

    ¡°But it is, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Vaughan put the telescope to his eyes. ¡°¡­Yep. That¡¯s it. Coming down a little fast¡­ but not terminal velocity, she¡¯s slowing it down.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s it going to land?¡±

    ¡°¡­Willow Hollow.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Blue took off at a gallop to Willow Hollow, all the while keeping her eyes on the orange speck in the sky.

    Vaughan, not being a horse, opted to use one of the small levitators for transport. Blue watched as he unceremoniously crashed into a tree right in front of her.

    ¡°Moron!¡± Blue shouted, grabbing hold of him in her telekinetic aura as she passed. She dragged him along through the air¡ªa use of her attribute that took quite a bit more effort than she was usually comfortable with, but they needed to move fast.

    She didn¡¯t take much care with Vaughan. He got smacked and thwacked by multiple tree branches while he was dragged along, so many that it was hard for him to get a complaint in edgewise.

    They arrived in Willow Hollow and, as Blue had expected, people were out on the streets pointing at the mountain and talking nervously. Suro and Lila were both standing on top of a box just outside the Sanctuary, addressing the people and trying to calm them down.

    Why doesn¡¯t the Mayor ever do anything? Blue wondered, skidding to a stop just behind the small crowd around Suro and Lila.

    ¡°¡­and until we can contact the Red Seekers, we must remain vigilant, but also calm,¡± Lila said. ¡°Perhaps what we witnessed was a terrible disaster for them as well. We cannot assume anything.¡±

    Suro noticed Vaughan and Blue had arrived. Not wanting to draw attention to them, he nodded to his wife and stepped down from the box, allowing her to keep talking to the people while he made his way to the wizard and apprentice. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I tried sending a beacon to Jeh,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°I think the Red Seekers took it as a challenge.¡±

    ¡°No time, Jeh¡¯s landing,¡± Blue said, pointing up. ¡°Clear the area!¡± she shouted at the crowd.

    The crowd turned to stare at her in dumb confusion.

    ¡°Morons¡­¡±

    ¡°You heard the lady!¡± Krays shouted, slamming two glass orbs together and shattering them with an alarmingly loud crash. ¡°Clear the area! Move!¡±

    Everyone scrambled away in a fit of near-panic. Vaughan, Blue, and Suro remained, shuffling their location only slightly as the Skyseed approached the ground.

    At first, Blue thought it was coming down a little fast, then she thought it was a little slow, and then it was going¡­ back up?

    ¡°She over-corrected,¡± Vaughan said, holding the telescope to his eye again. ¡°¡­Something¡¯s wrong. She¡¯s straight, but she¡¯s relying a lot on her Orange to¡­ are the fins burned?¡±

    ¡°Burned!? Where would she find fire up th¡ª¡° Blue stopped herself as she remembered the flaming consequences of too much speed from Blue crystals. ¡°Oh. Eights above, she tried to come down too fast!¡±

    ¡°At least she¡¯s straight¡­ coming down at a slow rate¡­¡± Vaughan trained his telescope on the Skyseed as it descended. Now Blue could see the charred parts of the fins¡ªonly near the bottom¡ªand the shape of Jeh.

    Blue focused on Jeh. As the Skyseed approached¡ªand several of the townspeople started pointing at it¡ªBlue saw Jeh clutching onto the support bars as hard as she could, using it to support her and the Orange and¡­ was that Green light as well? It was hard to tell with the fins obscuring much of what she wanted to see.

    What she did clearly see was how strained Jeh was. The trip had evidently not been an easy one.

    Blue felt her stomach drop as the Orange aura around the Skyseed started to dissipate.

    ¡°She¡¯s losing focus,¡± Vaughan said, lowering the telescope. ¡°I think there¡¯s smoke in there.¡±

    ¡°Inside?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s coughing, for whatever reason¡­¡±

    The glow around the Skyseed vanished. Blue saw Jeh slump over.

    The Skyseed started to fall. It was only a few stories above the ground, but anything falling from that height would not have a pleasant landing.

    ¡°No!¡± Blue shouted, pushing everything she had into her horn. It had been difficult to lift Vaughan while running to town. The Skyseed was several times heavier and already had kinetic energy from falling. Blue had to push everything she had into her horn¡ªher legs gave out, prompting her to fall over sideways, but she maintained her focus on her horn.

    The Skyseed had one thing that made it simpler to grab: the discs, designed for stabilization adjustment, were very easy to grab instinctually. She just needed to put more energy into it to slow the fall. All the energy she had.

    She succeeded in slowing the craft¡¯s fall, but in her desperation she¡¯d failed to keep it level. The fins on the side furthest from Blue hit the ground first, cracking and splintering in several places all the while kicking up an impressive amount of dust.

    Blue released her telekinetic grip and took a gasp of air¡ªthere wasn¡¯t anything else she was going to be able to do, now.

    Vaughan, noting that Blue was down, reached into his pockets¡ªeyes widening. ¡°Does anyone have Orange!? I need to open it!¡±

    Open¡­ Blue winced. That was her job. She¡¯d gone and used everything before she could.

    ¡°Here!¡± one of the miners shouted, tossing a hand-sized Orange crystal to Vaughan. He caught it, but one of the edges wasn¡¯t dulled and cut into his hand. He ignored this and pushed his will into it. He may not have been an Orange wizard, but he had enough know-how to turn the lid, unsealing the container. Getting it off safely was another matter entirely. Still, he was the wizard. He clenched his jaw and focused as much as he could manage on the simple act of lifting the lid.

    He got it off.

    He promptly dropped it, crushing a few more of the Skyseed¡¯s fins in the process, but it was still off.

    With the lid fully removed, fresh air could flow into the jar, and some of the smoke could be removed. With dramatic abruptness, Jeh¡¯s lungs activated and she took in a tremendous breath of air. There was still smoke in it, so she coughed a few times, but the coughs woke her up.

    She awkwardly stood up, hand gripping one of the interior rods. She blinked a few times and shook her head.

    Then she grinned. ¡°I did it! I went to space!¡±

    ¡°Woo-hoo!¡± Seskii called from somewhere in the crowd and promptly started applauding, which prompted several of the rather confused townsfolk to clap as well.

    Jeh climbed out of the Skyseed herself, jumping down where one of the fins had been shattered. ¡°I¡¯ve got so much to tell you! Everything went wrong but everything went right, it was great! And...¡± she noticed Blue lying down on the ground. ¡°Blue?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ made sure you didn¡¯t explode,¡± Blue chuckled weakly. Her horn felt like it had been stuck into an open flame. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯m fine now that you¡¯re fine.¡±

    Jeh frowned. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t look fine.¡±

    ¡°I have a solution,¡± Vaughan said, taking out his supply of Green, focusing it on Blue¡¯s horn. Almost immediately, she felt the pain abate. The exhaustion remained¡ªfixing that would require a bit more involved Green usage, and that was simply unnecessary.

    Without the burning nail piercing her skull, Blue was capable of standing once again. Jeh took advantage of this by hugging Blue around the neck. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to have danger so you don¡¯t have to.¡±

    Blue chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Jeh, life is danger. We all take risks every day.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°But you did! You could have gotten stuck in space, lost, or or¡­¡± Blue let out a sigh, stopping herself.

    ¡°I would have gotten lost were it not for that big Red thing.¡± Jeh grinned. ¡°How did you guys do that?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t us,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Red Seekers¡­ it¡¯s a long story. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get it all sorted out when we report on the mission a¡ª¡°

    There was a deep, reverberating call that sounded like it belonged somewhere deep in the ocean, but was in fact coming from directly above them. A fully-equipped balloon whale descended from the clouds, marked with blue insignias Blue couldn¡¯t recognize and what appeared to be a fancy gondola strapped to the bottom, made with precious stones and metals.

    A small platform descended from the gondola via a series of ropes and pulleys. There was only one occupant in the elevator, a greater unicorn in a Purple wizard¡¯s robe¡­

    The greater unicorn spoke in a dull, uninterested tone. ¡°C-R will see you now.¡± After she relayed her message, her eyes widened in shock at the people she was talking to. ¡°Blue!?¡±

    ¡°I-Itlea!?¡± Blue stammered.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t right, C-R said¡­¡± Itlea glanced at Blue, the three people with her, and the wreck of the Skyseed. ¡°By¡­ what is going on here?¡±

    ¡°We should be asking that!¡± Blue countered. ¡°What are you doing here!?¡±

    ¡°I wa¡ª¡°

    Mt. Cascade lit up with another burst of Red energy¡ªthis one significantly smaller, but a lot more focused. For a moment, it appeared almost like a bird.

    Itlea gulped. ¡°I¡­ I think you should see C-R, now.¡± She gestured up at the balloon whale¡¯s gondola. ¡°She¡¯s in there.¡±

    Blue, for once in her life, didn¡¯t want to be the one to make the decision. She turned to Vaughan, uncertain.

    Vaughan sighed. ¡°Might as well¡­ lead the way, Itlea.¡±

    ¡°Just get in the lift,¡± Itlea grunted.

    Blue walked into the lift with Jeh, Vaughan, and Suro. As it rose to the balloon whale, she looked down at the Skyseed¡¯s wreck. It was salvageable. She trusted Lila to look after it while they were busy.

    Blue¡¯s gaze drifted upward to Mt. Cascade.

    She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the Red Seekers should never have been permitted to live here.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Jeh discovered, rather rudely, that when you don¡¯t understand what exactly you¡¯re doing a large number of unintended problems are going to arise. So, without further ado, let¡¯s examine why exactly everything went wrong.

    First of all, it should be noted that Jeh is reckless and immature and not as trained as real-world astronauts. A good number of the problems were of Jeh¡¯s own doing.

    Secondly, clouds. Clouds are pretty harmless when they don¡¯t come with wind and storms. But if you¡¯re not a very advanced society, you¡¯re going to have no way to figure out your location without examining landmarks. Thus, for those trying to cheat spaceflight, clouds become a problem. A rather obvious problem that nobody would think of ahead of time.

    Now, when Jeh did the unadvisable and pushed the drive to its maximum, it was mentioned that she kept feeling heavier, and when she changed the direction of the drive the floor became the opposite side of the ship. This is really how it works. Jeh was essentially operating a shaky elevator. Her initial experience was essentially identical to an elevator going up a skyscraper.

    However, what explains the floor flipping? When an elevator goes down, the floor doesn¡¯t change, we just feel lighter. Well, the thing is that elevators as we understand them are not in free-fall. Free-fall is a state that occurs when only gravity is acting on an object¡ªwhenever Jeh was weightless, she was experiencing free-fall. This is how planes simulate zero gravity, and why low-hanging ships and satellites can experience zero gravity while still being relatively close to Earth. If you¡¯re falling at the same rate as the thing you¡¯re contained in, it seems like everything¡¯s weightless.

    Because of this, in our history, only the astronauts who went to the moon ever felt anything close to real zero gravity. Those on the International Space Station and other habitats are cheating to get the sensation by falling cleverly, but the discussion for that will have to wait until Blue figures out orbits are a thing. I wouldn¡¯t hold your breath on that one.

    Anyway, when Jeh was going back down, she was pushing herself down faster than freefall. Because of this, the Skyseed itself had to push on her to accelerate her downward, thus changing the orientation of the ¡°floor.¡± It would be much preferable to gradually decrease or increase the drive¡¯s setting before swapping so the immense jostling of perspective didn¡¯t happen, but Jeh was trying to move quickly, so perhaps we can forgive her for that.

    A minor issue that didn¡¯t factor in much was the sense of scale: Jeh, deep down, had wanted to try to go for the moon. However, as she noted, it didn¡¯t really look any different at her final height as it had from the ground. (At her maximum height, she made it to about the orbit of the International Space Station. Impressive for a first shot, but not very far in a cosmic sense.)

    Micrometeors are the worst. Tiny, insignificant specks of material flying through space at absurdly high speeds. Modern ships design for potential impacts with special alloys and state-of-the-art armor designs. The Skyseed was solid glass and was extremely lucky it got hit fast enough to not shatter. It was also fortunate the air restorer stopped the micrometeor so it didn¡¯t fly out the other side and make another hole.

    Some readers may think that as soon as the micrometeor made the hole, all the air should have shot out. And while air does like to blow out into vacuum with immense force, it generally isn¡¯t as explosive as the movies suggest it should be. Jeh actually had quite a lot of time to solve the issue, even if she didn¡¯t think so. There is a maximum amount of energy that can be derived from a pressure difference: absolute vacuum does hit that maximum, but that maximum isn¡¯t enough force to blow up the ship or tear all the air out in an instant through such a small hole.

    Glass shatters when heated too quickly. This is because heating makes the glass expand, but if other parts of the glass are still cold they won¡¯t expand with it and shatter due to the stress. Jeh was very lucky she didn¡¯t blow up her ship with the insanity she tried to pull.

    Reentry is a problem most ¡°floater¡± ship designs usually don¡¯t have to deal with: just go back down slowly. Jeh wanted to be fast, Jeh got to discover that it¡¯s possible to go so fast you light things on fire. Normally, it¡¯s not possible to achieve this speed while falling due to air resistance, but Jeh was high enough that air resistance was almost nothing. Also, she had the drive pushing down, adding even more speed. Once the Skyseed reached a lower elevation, air resistance went up. The ship was going so fast that it imparted enough energy to the denser air to ignite it.

    Now, why didn¡¯t this cause the glass to shatter? Well, first of all, it never got anywhere near hot enough to try to melt it. Secondly, the heating was much more gradual. Long before there were flames, heat was being imparted through air compression, warming up the glass.

    You may notice that Jeh didn¡¯t complain about temperature until that point. This is due to her being a tad insensitive to things like pain. Rest assured, there were temperature regulation problems on the journey, but they were just of minimal concern to the immortal child.

    Anyway, she managed to land despite it all.

    But I hope this serves as a reminder as to how complicated, dangerous, and deadly space can be.

 008 - Dancing on Strings

    008

    Dancing on Strings

    Vaughan had no idea what was going on.

    He considered himself a knowledgeable and intuitive man, able to assess a situation and figure out the general pattern of what was occurring. He deduced why the Red Seekers were shooting their own fire into the air and suspected it had something to do with that rather dangerous Red crystal of theirs. He even knew who Itlea was, judging on the glares she and Blue were giving each other and the greater unicorn¡¯s official Purple robes.

    What he didn¡¯t know anything about was this balloon whale. What was it doing out here? There were no docks in Willow Hollow and the lift they were currently riding wasn¡¯t one designed for Colored crystal transportation; it was intended for people. The blue and purple patterns draped over the whale weren¡¯t of any culture Vaughan was aware of, and he knew quite a few.

    Whatever this whale was doing, at the very least Vaughan could tell it wasn¡¯t from Kroan, and he doubted the King would appreciate a foreign-owned balloon whale floating around without good reason. Given Itlea¡¯s presence as an official wizard, chances were the whale was allowed to be here, but that wasn¡¯t guaranteed.

    What was guaranteed?

    The name of the person they were going to meet was C-R.

    Vaughan wasn¡¯t sure why, but he didn¡¯t like that name.

    As they approached the whale itself, Vaughan checked his companions. Suro¡¯s eyes were darting in every direction, trying to take in as much as he possibly could. Jeh, who had been excited about the ride at the start, was now impatient for it to get to its destination already. Blue, meanwhile, was almost exclusively staring at Mt. Cascade with only occasional glances elsewhere.

    ¡°You think¡­?¡± Vaughan began.

    ¡°I knew we should have done something,¡± Blue grumbled.

    ¡°If we had¡­¡± Vaughan glanced to Jeh. ¡°Who knows where she would be now?¡±

    ¡°Very lost!¡± Jeh said, grinning. ¡°I was thinking I¡¯d hi¡ª¡°

    Suro let out a slight cough. ¡°Let us not share information so openly, perhaps?¡± He flicked his tail at Itlea.

    Itlea bared her teeth at the cat. ¡°You¡¯re a charmer.¡±

    ¡°Look, we are in an unknown situation, I hope you can understand our desires to know more before revealing our cards.¡±

    ¡°I wish I brought cards,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Then I could play them while we¡¯re waiting.¡±

    ¡°It only takes three minutes for the lift to reach the top,¡± Itlea said. ¡°You are an impatient child.¡±

    Jeh looked at her and blinked a few times. ¡°Blue, this one¡¯s mean.¡±

    ¡°No, really,¡± Blue deadpanned.

    ¡°Can I slap her?¡±

    ¡°Not now.¡±

    ¡°¡­Later?¡±

    Blue bit her lip. ¡°We will consider it.¡±

    Itlea whinnied. ¡°Feral plebians¡­¡±

    Blue snorted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you suddenly get a noble title between last time I saw you and now? No? Then put a muzzle on it.¡±

    Itlea¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°You do not know who you play with, Blue. I am a Purple wizard of the highe¡ª¡°

    Vaughan used the Purple in his scepter to send a burst of mottled light into Itlea¡¯s face that made her stumble backward in shock.

    ¡°Your attitude gives wizards a bad name,¡± Vaughan said matter-of-factly.

    Itlea, despite her disorientation, refused to back down. ¡°And you took in a flunky! A flunky! You dare say I give wizards a bad name!?¡±

    ¡°Well, she¡¯s more suited for it than you.¡±

    Blue let out a delighted gasp. ¡°Ooooooooo!¡±

    Itlea¡¯s face contorted, preparing for a retort she never got to complete, for the lift finished its ascension into the balloon whale¡¯s gondola. It was affixed to the underside of the floating beast, composed largely of wood coated with a pristine finish and more blue-purple designs. Now that they were inside, Vaughan noticed the large number of Blue sparks floating around. Someone was using Blue magic and making no attempt to hide it.

    The area they¡¯d arrived in took up half the gondola and was cargo storage. It was mostly empty, with only a few crates scattered haphazardly around. There was only one other person there: a man in a black cloak and similarly colored hat which bore similar designs to what was outside the whale. There were a few doors on the other side of the room with labels in a language Vaughan didn¡¯t recognize. Itlea wordlessly marched to the central door and all but threw it open with her telekinesis, revealing a very dark rectangular room. The walls had runes etched into the wooden grain that were filled with Blue crystal, some of which was glowing.

    Despite this, it was basically impossible to see anything in the room. Colored glow never illuminated anything, one of the great mysteries of magic.

    Vaughan did not like the dark, so he used Red to create a small fire in front of his scepter, revealing the rest of the room. Most of the walls just had more runes and not much else, but in the back of the room, there was a chair. Given its position, one might have been tempted to call it a throne, but it was of rather simple construction. What wasn¡¯t of simple construction were the large numerous hourglasses behind the chair, all of which had sand flowing through them at different rates. Behind all the hourglasses was a tall, rectangular device of some kind that kept ticking. Vaughan had no idea what that was, but he was fairly sure it had to be related to time.

    Given the existence of Blue magic and the prevalence of timekeeping devices, Vaughan was fairly certain he was dealing with a Blue wizard, or perhaps a distant Blue Seeker. However, the visual appearance of the seated individual matched neither of these. The being was a smooth, porcelain white with two legs and three arms¡ªthe third of which protruded from its back. Every joint the creature had was marked by a depression in its body that almost made it look like it was several disjointed pieces not even attached together. It lacked feet but had five-fingered hands on each arm. Worst of all, there was no face¡ªonly a smooth, featureless head.

    ¡°Greetings,¡± it spoke with a feminine voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once. ¡°I am C-R.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ are you?¡± Vaughan asked, purposefully stepping to the front of the group in a defensive posture.

    ¡°What I am is unimportant and none of your concern. Who I am is another matter entirely, but not one you have the context to fully understand.¡± She folded her three hands together in a complex weave. Vaughan had no idea what the body language meant. ¡°Though, even then, your relation to all of this may be tangential. I do not know. All I know is that you are in the midst of a situation that was already immensely complicated and that has potentially just been made a million times worse.¡±

    ¡°Stop being vague,¡± Jeh grunted. Blue quickly forced her mouth shut with telekinesis.

    ¡°The immortal child speaks well,¡± C-R said. Vaughan inwardly cursed¡ªC-R must have seen Jeh crawl out of the Skyseed, somehow. She already knew. ¡°Very well, I will cut to the chase and provide you some context out of good faith. Are you aware of the race known as the Kancathi?¡±

    Vaughan shook his head.

    ¡°You actually are, since we received a report that one attacked your town.¡±

    ¡°The plast dragon?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°They are plasts, yes.¡± C-R leaned back in her seat, using her back hand to stroke the ticking device behind her. ¡°But their physiology is unimportant. The relevant information is that a large group of them have sought to turn the world into a game of life and death for amusement. The reasons behind their doing this are unknown¡ªperhaps there are no logical ones¡ªbut they are a scourge across Ikyu. When we received word of activity here, we came to investigate. Wizard Itlea was picked up at the last sky dock since she was headed this direction, and before we could begin our investigation we saw a little jar with fins attached to it float up into the sky. And keep floating. It disappeared from sight so we went to investigate the Kancathi¡¯s lair and when we were done there were several massive explosions and then a much, much larger explosion on Mt. Cascade.¡± C-R leaned in. ¡°An explosion indicative of a Crystalline One awakening.¡±

    Blue swore under her breath.

    ¡°Ah, so you do know something about that. Please, do inform us.¡±

    Suro coughed. ¡°It has nothing to do with the ¡®Kancathi¡¯ you are investigating, so¡ª¡°

    ¡°Kancathi are not the only thing I investigate. You all have just become more interesting. So please, inform me of who you are and what has transpired.¡± She tapped her fingers together. ¡°It is only fair you respect my exchange of information.¡±

    Blue glanced to Vaughan with a raised eyebrow. Vaughan nodded in understanding and turned to C-R. ¡°I am wizard Vaughan.¡±

    ¡°I am aware of that much.¡±

    ¡°This is Blue, Suro, and Jeh. We are currently working together to design devices that can go as far up as you can possibly imagine, to this place we call space!¡±

    ¡°And your explosions?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Vaughan rubbed the back of his head, trying to think of how to spin this.

    Suro nudged him with a gentle paw, prompting Vaughan to look down at his stern, calculating eyes. The cat nodded very slowly.

    Be true, but not foolish, Vaughan remembered. Lila had said that. Many times.

    Vaughan folded his arms. ¡°We made a mistake. The clouds rolled in and we realized Jeh had no way to know where to land. So I tried to set up a beacon to lure her here.¡±

    ¡°It would not have accomplished much, we only saw it because we were close by.¡± C-R crossed her legs over each other, exhibiting flexibility far beyond most races¡¯. ¡°And the larger explosion?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of Red Seekers who live on the mountain that probably thought I was challenging them, so they responded in kind. By, apparently, doing an Awakening.¡±

    ¡°Morons¡­¡± Blue grumbled under her breath.

    ¡°How so?¡± C-R asked Blue. ¡°The goal of all Colors of Seekers is to ultimately commune with the Colors themselves, and Awakenings are the most reliable method of doing so. From their religious standpoint, the unpleasant consequences are worth infinitely less than the potential for true communication.¡±

    ¡°Just because it makes sense in their mind doesn¡¯t mean it isn¡¯t stupid!¡±

    ¡°You would know,¡± Itlea grunted.

    ¡°You are so full of hypocrisy it¡¯s hilarious.¡±

    Jeh raised a hand. ¡°Uh, so, when we dealt with the Red Seekers last time I understood nothing about what was happening. What¡­ is an Awakening?¡±

    Vaughan opened his mouth to answer¡ªbut C-R beat him to it. ¡°Colored crystals seek to fuse to others of the same Color by some law of reality. If left to nature, this leads to crystals growing in size until they reach truly massive proportions. Once they reach a certain size and fulfill other criteria not fully understood, they become a Crystalline One.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Ooooh, those things that are the exception to every rule in the Races and Attributes of Ikyu book!¡±

    ¡°Precisely. That explosion you witnessed was them either Awakening or attempting to Awaken their Red crystal to get closer to their ideal of a god.¡±

    Jeh turned to Blue. ¡°So why¡¯s that bad?¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°Crystalline Ones are not born and do not develop like us. They are suddenly gifted with full reasoning and almost no understanding. To be born is chaos, to them.¡±

    ¡°That is not strictly true,¡± C-R said. ¡°Those who Awaken in nature far from any spirited form gradually and with stability. The difficulty comes from those who form amongst the agonizing cacophony of a dozen spirits all screaming to them entirely different thoughts about who they are. And then there are those brought about by the Seekers, who almost invariably tend to believe that they are exactly what the Red Seekers believe they are. Gods of magic.¡±

    Vaughan closed his eyes and scratched his beard. ¡°Good for them, I suppose.¡±

    C-R laced two of her arms under her legs, while using the third to tap the side of her head. What is it with her and all this strange body language? ¡°It may or may not be good for them, depending on the bent of the new Crystalline One. It is almost assuredly bad for you and your town, for if you tell someone they are a god of fire, they tend to want to burn things.¡±

    Suro cleared his throat. ¡°Then, if you don¡¯t mind, could you send us back down to Willow Hollow so we may assist in dealing with this crisis?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± C-R said. ¡°You¡¯ve given me all I need to know.¡±

    ¡°What will you do?¡± Suro asked.

    ¡°I am going to go talk to these Seekers in much the way I talked to you. And, if needed¡­¡± She placed all of her arms behind her and grabbed the back of the chair while leaning forward. ¡°Deal with them.¡±

    Jeh pointed a finger at her. ¡°That¡¯s ominous.¡±

    C-R turned to Itlea. ¡°Return them to the surface. In one piece, please.¡±

    Itlea nodded. ¡°Of course¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Joira, head of the Red Seekers (they had never bothered giving her a proper title), could not help but grin in absolute delight at the Red light surrounding the entire camp. Sparkles of the Color inherent within their great crystal permeated everything with such intensity that none of the standard colors could compete.

    ¡°This is the power of the Red!¡± Joira called to the rest of the Seekers. ¡°To mute all other colors, shining true but never reflecting! The light of Red, so much more than the color of a simple rose or the shade of blood, it is the essence of heat itself embedded upon our very souls!¡± She spread her hands wide, using them to frame the brilliant source of this power: their great Red crystal, embedded into the roof of Joira¡¯s home.

    When they had seen Vaughan¡¯s challenge from the ground below, the Seekers had started taking all of their larger Red chunks and fusing them to the already large crystal, only increasing its size further and further. It was now almost the size of two human beings and continually glowing with a Red aura. Fires started and stopped around the crystal with no one to initiate them, sparking and popping seemingly randomly.

    Joira knew better. The seemingly spontaneous spells merely meant that the crystal was Awakening. Soon, it would be fully aware, and a new goddess would be born...

    ¡°Oh great manifestation of the heat within all things!¡± Joira declared, bowing at the crystal. ¡°We bring you into this world to learn, and to listen. Speak to us, o Red one!¡±

    And she did.

    ¡°Burn.¡±

    There was a flash of actual light of such intensity to be blinding. Joira felt a shockwave that knocked her onto her back, but not out cold. She heard several seekers call out in panic as they caught fire.

    Joira could only smile.

    Finally, there would be no more excuses or uncertainty.

    ~~~

    ¡°Patience and peace are prime virtues,¡± Lila said, addressing the people of Willow Hollow. ¡°Rest assured, we are taking actions to prepare for the worst and the unexpected, but we do not wish to show a violent front.¡±

    ¡°They were violent first,¡± Ripashi grunted.

    ¡°Revenge is an ugly thing.¡±

    ¡°We could try to barter,¡± one of the Sourdough twins suggested.

    ¡°Yeah! Buy that explosive thing of theirs off of them!¡± the other agreed.

    ¡°And, optionally, use it against them later.¡±

    ¡°Completely optional of course. They might behave themselves.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Lila shook her head at the twins. ¡°The Red Seekers care little for money. They seek understanding and power through direct contact with Red Magic and, according to their beliefs, the will of the Great Red One*.¡±

    *The Great Red One is almost universally agreed upon in mythology to be a huge hothead.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we have had Green Seekers?¡± Mary asked. ¡°That would have been much more¡­ bearable.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re still a corrupting influence,¡± Krays huffed, crossing her arms.

    ¡°Yes, but restoration is a lot less likely to be violent than the magic of fire and explosions.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the magic of heat, not fire and e¡ª¡°

    The explosion came from Mt. Cascade, but this time it didn¡¯t appear as an orb of pure Red energy, but rather a flat disc-shaped shockwave of burning air that spread out parallel with the ground. Willow Hollow was in no danger whatsoever from this since their elevation was pathetic, but it just so happened that the balloon whale was a bit too close. They watched as the gondola was hit directly with the flames, breaking off several chunks of it.

    A few of these chunks fell from the sky and landed rather harmlessly on the ground nearby. Most of it was composed of wood, but some of it had metal wiring and a lot of rope.

    ¡°The lift,¡± Darmosil said. ¡°That¡¯s gonna make it awkward for them to get down.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Lila said. ¡°For now¡­ that did look like an attack. But we do not know if it was an attack on us or on our mysterious visitors.¡±

    ¡°Who we also don¡¯t know if we can trust!¡± Ripashi shouted.

    ¡°Please, remain calm,¡± Lila encouraged once more. ¡°We are doing what w¡ª¡° Lila stopped talking, perking up her ears. Slowly, she turned her head around to see a hunched humanoid figure approaching, his cane making a repeated clacking sound against the cobblestone. ¡°¡­Mayor.¡± Lila bowed her head slightly. ¡°If I have overstepped my bounds as Keeper by taking control, do forgive me.¡±

    ¡°You save me a lot of trouble,¡± the Mayor said, his voice betraying a truly ancient age even though his face was shrouded by a pale mask that didn¡¯t have any eye holes. ¡°You have done well, keeping them all focused on your speech. But they argue with you.¡± He tapped his cane authoritatively on the ground. ¡°They won''t with me.¡±

    The Mayor let the silence sit in as if daring someone to challenge his authority.

    Seskii raised her hand. ¡°Um¡­ I might just be new here, but why do we listen to this guy?¡±

    ¡°You know,¡± the Mayor said. ¡°Do not pretend you don¡¯t.¡±

    Seskii tilted her hand back and forth. ¡°Eh? I think I know a reason but it isn¡¯t the reason-reason behind the reason that is shown, y¡¯know?¡±

    The Mayor nodded. ¡°Naturally.¡±

    ¡°¡­That was mostly just nonsense, Mayor. Are you messing w¡ª¡°

    The Mayor was suddenly behind her and smacked her upon the head with his cane.

    ¡°Ow,¡± Seskii said, rubbing the back of her head.

    ¡°Next time it won¡¯t be as soft.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s still not an answer.¡±

    Lila coughed. ¡°Seskii, this is a potential crisis, let¡¯s just listen to the authorities placed over us.¡±

    A rare look came over Seskii¡¯s face¡ªthat of shame. ¡°All¡­ alright.¡± She put on her smile again and saluted the Mayor. ¡°What do we do, sir?¡±

    ¡°Guards will be posted at the mountain pass,¡± the Mayor said. ¡°Ripashi, Darmosil, that will be you. The rest of you, return to your homes and your work. Lila, with me, we have much to discuss.¡±

    Lila nodded, finding no need to say anything further. At his command, the people of Willow Hollow were already dispersing into their various homes, even if their work was no doubt going to be distracted due to the unusual circumstances.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°How can I help?¡± Lila asked when she was satisfied everyone was breaking up.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make this blunt,¡± the Mayor said. ¡°I need you to start becoming more respected in their eyes so you can replace me.¡±

    Lila blinked a few times. ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°You are the closest thing this town has to a leader aside from myself, and my time is soon.¡±

    ¡°I am afraid I am devoted to the duty of Keeper above all else.¡±

    The Mayor turned to look at her, a truly unnerving sensation since his mask had no eyeholes or even a printed face. It was a pale mask, although it had the oddity of being slightly fuzzy. ¡°¡­I had a feeling you would say that. Even for me, you will not lessen your devotion.¡±

    ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± Lila said without a hint of hesitation.

    ¡°Good. That is exactly why you¡¯re the perfect choice.¡± He started walking once again.

    ¡°Forgive me, Mayor, but I jus¡ª¡°

    ¡°I am refusing your refusal. And I think, in time, you will refuse your refusal yourself. Oh, I suspect you will never let yourself take the title of Mayor, potentially finding a way to pass it off to that husband of yours or someone else, but you will serve as the center of this community in the end. They will come to you.¡± He paused for a moment, thinking. ¡°You just need to stop letting them question you all the time.¡±

    Lila shook her head. ¡°Assuming you are correct about the flow of destiny¡ªand I doubt that¡ªI have no intention of changing that. It is wrong to assume oneself in the right.¡±

    ¡°Decisions need to be made in the moment.¡±

    ¡°Never from arrogance.¡±

    The old man stopped moving entirely. ¡°You are the perfect choice.¡±

    Lila couldn¡¯t exactly bring herself to disagree with him on that front. Greatness did tend to work better when thrust upon someone, not when it was taken. She herself had been both of those people already.

    Lila flicked her ears back. ¡°I¡­ I do not want this.¡±

    ¡°It will be thrust upon you if I make it official or not. For who did they turn to in this crisis?¡±

    ¡°They should have turned to you.¡±

    ¡°Nobody should turn to me,¡± the Mayor grunted. ¡°I am a man cursed to lead. It¡­ will be nice to follow, when I return.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you wish for any special rites?¡±

    The Mayor shook his head. ¡°I do not wish to be a burden on you. Whatever you see as appropriate will do.¡±

    Lila bowed her head in respect. After walking a bit more in silence, she couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. ¡°Sir, I¡­¡±

    ¡°I am aware of your disapproval of my distant ruling method. Trust me, it has to be that way. Though it does not have to be so with you.¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°Then it will not be.¡±

    ¡°I expect nothing less.¡±

    ¡°In that case¡­ I shall return to the Sanctuary and meditate for Dia¡¯s blessing on our current situation.¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­ always following my orders. Good, good, you go do that. I¡¯ll be watching to see if I¡¯m needed again.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe you are?¡±

    ¡°Things tend to work out between the fantastical elements. I was concerned with a potential panic-ridden response.¡±

    Lila smiled at this. ¡°Thank you. For being our Mayor.¡±

    ¡°I deserve less thanks than that,¡± the old man said as he walked away from her. With a flick of her tail, Lila went her own way.

    Yet, on her journey, she kept glancing at the top of Mt. Cascade with concern. Even after all this time, she was still a curious woman at heart, and the feeling of not knowing what was going on up there was bugging her. Clearly, a Crystalline One was awakening, but those could go so many ways¡­

    It was possible they were planning an invasion right now, or that the new entity had slaughtered all the Red Seekers in a fit of birth rage.

    She looked up to the balloon whale floating above them.

    Do well up there, dear.

    ~~~

    Suro had a pounding headache. ¡°Mrrrow¡­¡±

    ¡°The cat¡¯s coming to,¡± the voice of Itlea came to his ears.

    ¡°How useful,¡± a gruff voice Suro didn¡¯t recognize deadpanned.

    ¡°Do not discredit one¡¯s use with limited information.¡± That was C-R, definitely. ¡°He is a man of words.¡±

    ¡°Words aren¡¯t going to help in an attack!¡± Itlea shouted. ¡°The Red Seekers just shot at us!¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Blue said. ¡°Maybe.¡±

    ¡°Blue is correct,¡± C-R added. ¡°It is possible the Seekers and the new Crystalline One are not in agreement. To be given the minds and experiences of the Seekers does not mean one will not be horrified by it.¡±

    ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°I intend to drift this whale into the mountain and attempt a diplomatic solution.¡±

    ¡°And what about us?¡± Suro asked, finally standing to all four of his legs.

    C-R folded all three of her hands behind her back. ¡°Unfortunately, the lift was utterly destroyed in the shockwave and I don¡¯t want to waste any more time on this, so you are along for the ride.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°Awesome!¡± Jeh shouted. ¡°Maybe we can teach those Red jerks a lesson!¡±

    ¡°Or maybe establish peace,¡± Blue cautioned.

    ¡°You. Peace,¡± Itlea grunted.

    Blue was about to let Itlea have another mouthful, but C-R interrupted the both of them with a loud clap with only two of her hands, using the third to point at Itlea. ¡°Your incessant need to deride her at every turn is your biggest weakness as well as your greatest annoyance. Do cease, for the sake of my sanity as well as yours.¡±

    Itlea stared at her, stunned. ¡°W-well I¡¯m no¡ª¡°

    ¡°I do not care for justifications or nuances at this juncture, we have work to do.¡± C-R sat back in her chair and relaxed. ¡°I need to prepare. All of you should go sit at the main window. It will not take long to arrive.¡±

    With a bunch of awkward shuffling, they all left C-R¡¯s room, taking another door to a room slightly longer than C-R¡¯s filled with seats and windows. However, the windows were only on the left and front sides, as the other wall shared a side with C-R¡¯s room. If Suro had to guess, the other door likely led to the pilot¡¯s cabin and perhaps some beds.

    Why the pilot wouldn¡¯t be situated at the center of the gondala, he had no idea. Maybe C-R provided some special purpose herself.

    Jeh was the most excited, taking a seat as close to the front of the gondola as she could manage. The tendrils of the whale¡¯s ¡°mustache¡± obscured the upper part of the view, but not by much. They could easily see a red glow on top of Mt. Cascade. It was almost welcoming.

    That is, until it started shooting beams of Red at them. Unlike Vaughan¡¯s attacks, which had dissipated extremely quickly once leaving him, these beams made it all the way to the balloon whale without faltering in any visible way.

    However, this time C-R was ready. As the beam was released, an extremely large amount of Blue sparks flew off every part of the Gondola. Suddenly, the beam of light heading toward them was moving like a snail, and the entire balloon whale swam around it like it were little more than a stationary rock in midair.

    Vaughan whistled. ¡°Impressive control over Blue.¡± He looked out the side window to check if anything had lit on fire, and to his delight, it hadn¡¯t.

    ¡°Perhaps she just froze the attack?¡± Suro suggested.

    ¡°The spell was much more complicated than that. If I had to guess, she used a high-level technique known as the acceleration boundary. Or just knew exactly how fast she was allowed to go.¡±

    Suro glanced around to make sure everyone was occupied with the light show. He jumped up on a table so he could get closer to Vaughan¡¯s ear and whispered. ¡°What do you think she is?¡±

    Vaughan could only shrug. ¡°You tell me.¡±

    ¡°I am fairly certain she told us the truth about her reason for being here, but that explains little about the nuance of it. There¡¯s clearly more going on here.¡±

    ¡°That she doesn¡¯t want us to be aware of.¡±

    ¡°Quite. Understandable, though. She is an agent of some kind for¡­ someone.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Suro turned his attention back to the front. With C-R¡¯s efforts, the balloon whale was getting closer and closer to the mountain without suffering a single hit from the incoming red beams.

    ¡°¡­Just how much magic power can she use?¡± Suro asked.

    ¡°I suspect every wall of this gondola is lined with Blue crystal,¡± Vaughan explained. ¡°Potentially limited only by the amount of will she can muster.¡±

    ¡°Potentially¡­¡±

    ¡°Potentially.¡±

    ¡°I can hear everything you say, for the record.¡± C-R¡¯s voice again felt like it was coming from everywhere, despite her not being physically present in the room.

    Suro and Vaughan gave each other awkward looks and then wisely went silent.

    ~~~

    Joira watched once more as an enormous creature of the air became enveloped in an aura of Blue and just dodged the holy attacks of Red.

    ¡°This is unacceptable! How dare they!¡± Joira shouted at the top of her lungs. ¡°Whoever these people are¡­¡±

    ¡°They will burn.¡±

    Joira was stunned for a moment¡ªbut then her face twisted into a malevolent smile. ¡°I had always suspected the holy act of smiting was much more important than we considered, but out of fear for the others, I lessened my retaliation. I can see, now that you are here, how that was wrong. We should have burned them long ago.¡±

    ¡°Burn¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes! Burn! You heard her, burn, burn, burn!¡± She lifted her hands to the great Crystalline One, overjoyed and awed by the ripples of heat wafting off her facets. There were no more spontaneous, seemingly random fires¡ªeverything the Crystalline One did had an intent, now. Currently, that intent was to shoot down the approaching balloon whale.

    Unfortunately, someone on that whale was a savant at Blue magic and wasn¡¯t even getting grazed by any of this. If only the new Crystalline One would adapt into her* new role quicker, and use some of the transcendental applications of magic against the fools.

    *Technically speaking, Crystalline Ones are genderless since their method of ¡®reproduction¡¯ has nothing at all to do with any biological process. However, all of the Great Crystalline Ones are traditionally identified as female, so all Crystalline Ones are referred to this way. Most languages on Ikyu are gendered and in them, the feminine is generally used in uncertain situations as opposed to the masculine because of the Crystalline Ones. They are seen as the ¡°default,¡± in a sense.

    ¡°Voice of the Red,¡± Joira addressed with another extravagant bow. ¡°Perhaps another method is in order to bring their charred carcass to the earth.¡±

    ¡°Burn¡­¡± She sparkled and sent out another, identical beam of heat that the whale speeded around easily. ¡°Burn it to the ground!¡±

    ¡°Yes! Yes, burn! But it¡¯s not burning!¡±

    ¡°Not burning¡­ not acceptable!¡± The temperature, which was already warmer than most summer days, flared for a split second, afterwhich the Crystalline One released another beam that was slightly larger than the previous one. Naturally, the whale wriggled out of the way.

    Joira quickly killed the part of her mind that was beginning to doubt the creativity of the freshly Awakened deity. Her deity, the one that she¡¯d spent so long growing from the ground up. Ever since she¡¯d been a little Seeker, she¡¯d dreamed of the moment where they¡¯d finally have a palpable presence that didn¡¯t require an unreliable prophet.

    ¡°Burn¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, burn¡­ burn¡­¡± Joira turned back to the other Red Seekers. Several of them had singed robes, but almost all of them were kneeled on the ground, pointing their heads to the Crystalline One. It was strange, in a way, for the Crystalline One physically looked no different from before her Awakening, besides being a bit larger. All that had changed were the actions: the fire, the heat, the words.

    The glorious, glorious words.

    ¡°Why won¡¯t this stupid whale die!?¡±

    ¡°Does the Great Blue One seek to impede our worship?¡± Joira wondered aloud.

    ¡°Blue must die!¡± The rage returned to the voice and another beam went out.

    As expected at this point, it missed.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we doing the shockwave thing again?¡± a Seeker asked from the crowd.

    Joira whirled upon the Seeker in livid rage. ¡°How dare you question her meth¡ª¡°

    The Crystalline One released another shockwave of heat, though she set it further out so as to not burn any of the Red Seekers this time. The incoming whale didn¡¯t even use any Blue to dodge; it just increased its altitude slightly.

    This infuriated the Crystalline One, prompting it to release more and more barrages of normal Red beams.

    The whale continued to approach, completely unhindered.

    ¡°Red Seekers¡­¡± Joira said, holding up one of her hands. ¡°Prepare to fight for the Red¡­¡±

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    That voice hadn¡¯t come from the Red Seeker¡ªit would have been impossible for Joira to tell where it was coming from had an image not appeared in front of the whale, no doubt produced by Purple magic. It was a fuzzy image, but it showed the featureless head and strange body structure of who had spoken.

    ¡°I am C-R. I politely request that you stop shooting at us so we may sit down and discuss. I would invite you inside, but you have wrecked my lift.¡±

    Joira turned to the Crystalline One. ¡°They seek an audience, oh great one.¡±

    C-R found this worthy of commenting on. ¡°Seek? I already have it; newborn Crystalline Ones have no senses of their own and must absorb information about the world through others. By having my whale this close, I automatically connect my crew to the newborn. She must listen.¡±

    Joira gasped. ¡°We have failed you, o great one! We have allowed them to sully your creation, an unforgivable sin¡­¡±

    ¡°They will burn as they must,¡± the Crystalline One said. ¡°What I see inside through their eyes are of no concern. I see you carry with you the enemies of the Seekers, the wizard and the cat.¡± Fire burst from every face of the Crystalline One. ¡°There will be no escape! Our enemies will become as ash!¡±

    The image of C-R folded two of her hands together. ¡°I see you¡¯re acclimating remarkably quickly. You are a near if not complete success of what the Red Seekers desired. You should be proud¡ªbut you should not throw your life away.¡±

    ¡°It is your life that is forfeit! For you¡­ are close enough.¡±

    Rather than shooting a beam of energy, the Crystalline One applied heat directly to the whale itself. Flames danced on every piece of its flesh and the gondola. For the first time, the whale let out a noise¡ªthat of pained agony.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Joira shouted.

    ¡°They have accelerated themselves,¡± the Crystalline One said. ¡°They are planning¡­ the Blue seeks a direct confrontation with me! There is nothing to withstand the power of fl¡ª¡°

    There was a ripple that spread forth from the whale, eliminating all the flames on it. Immediately afterward, Joira heard a deep noise that sounded like it belonged at the bottom of the ocean¡ªsomehow occurring quickly and feeling unbearably slow at the same time. Joira felt as though she were being both torn and stretched apart in one singular motion; the very air itself clawed at her and the world began to swim.

    Drastic cracks formed in the stony ground of the mountain, including the foundations of the buildings themselves. It was as though a pocket earthquake had been unleashed, except it tore at flesh and sky as well as the ground.

    A massive crack formed in the Crystalline One.

    ¡°No!¡± Joira shouted.

    ~~~

    She had no name.

    She knew what she was¡ªa Red Crystalline One, aspect of Red magic, voice of Red itself, and lord of these Red Seekers.

    But she had no name. There had been no time.

    The crack. She could feel it. Actually feel it. Prior to the moment of assault, she¡¯d had no sensations of her own. There had only been the sights and sounds provided to her by the Red Seekers, and later the occupants of the whale. She¡¯d had to rely on them to even know what she looked like.

    Now, she had a reference point. A sensation to connect to the image she received from Joira.

    ¡°What was that!?¡±

    That voice was coming from inside the whale¡¯s gondola. The unicorn. She was of no consequence to the Crystalline One.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that with Blue¡­¡±

    ¡°All of the colors have many highly complex uses that can only be used by lifelong practitioners,¡± C-R explained.

    The Crystalline One hated that voice in particular. It was just so arrogant, aloof, and defiant. How dare C-R defy the will of the Red? How dare?

    How dare she make this crack in what was undeniably holy!?

    The painful crack coursed through her entire being, right down the middle, threatening to separate her into pieces too small to contain that which made her her. From this sensation, she became aware of the rest of her, the pieces that threatened to crumble to nothing. The¡­ the everything.

    She had lived for less than an hour and now she was going to die. Die in the instant she finally felt who she was.

    This could not be.

    This would not be.

    She willed the crack shut and found, to her surprise, that she could move. Parts of her body could slide and slip from one place to another, and when they made contact all it took was a simple will from her to fuse it together. It was like casting a spell, except instead of trying to burn away only portions of herself in contact with the air, she burnt away parts in the middle so motion could occur.

    Motion.

    ¡°She¡¯s found herself,¡± C-R said. ¡°This will be more dangerous now.¡±

    ¡°How do you know anything!?¡± The Crystalline One asked as she fused herself into a new form¡ªtall, almost towering. Brimming with flames and heat and so, so much more. She could feel it, the connection to everything. The fundamental vibrations of the Red that ran through it all¡­

    A thought, not hers, but from places unknown, entered her mind. A thought of heat focused at such a point in so specific a way that the substance of reality itself would collapse in an explosion so overwhelming¡­ she didn¡¯t have enough spare power to do that, but it would certainly solve the issue.

    Where did that come from?

    She continued to shape herself; never allowing any of the cracks from whatever C-R was doing to tear her apart. The sights and sounds of the small people no longer mattered. She was of the Red, and she would smite her enemies!

    ¡°...Yes, I¡¯m talking to you, young Red One.¡±

    This caught the Crystalline One¡¯s attention¡ªit was Suro talking to nobody; at least so far as his sensations were telling her. However, she wasn¡¯t dumb. She knew that he was aware of how this worked. She just refused to acknowledge him.

    ¡°I know when you are this young you can¡¯t tune this out even if you wanted to, so I¡¯m going to keep talking, Red One.¡±

    She tried to ignore him, but the direct address kept drawing her in. Even though this was Suro, the husband of that infernal Keeper, the sworn enemy of the Red Seekers! Dirt, fur-ridden follower of Dia. Dia was nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯m asking you if this is really what you want. If you really wish to burn it all, or if it was just the first thing you were told.¡±

    The fool did not understand the rage of a billion fires that burned within her facets.

    ¡°Red is not just the Color of fire and burning, but also that of heat and comfort. Of the warm feeling you get in the embrace of a loved one. Of passion and determination, of righteous justice and ideals.¡±

    ¡°You know nothing, you are a sack of meat,¡± she spoke directly to him¡ªno one else would be able to hear it.

    ¡°I am,¡± Suro admitted. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I know nothing. I have been around longer than you¡­ and I know there¡¯s more than this fire.¡±

    ¡°You serve her. You are the enemy.¡±

    ¡°Red One, tell me. Why am I the enemy? Do I want to harm you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re attacking me and the Seekers!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ would prefer a peaceful solution to all things. One where we sit around a fire and talk and not shoot at each other. C-R does not think this is possible. I am¡­ taking things into my own paws.¡±

    The Crystalline One could see what Suro saw, and noticed that he was on the inside of a crate, no doubt hiding from the others so he could have this conversation in private.

    ¡°They would not approve?¡±

    ¡°It would interfere with them,¡± Suro said. ¡°You understand I don¡¯t want them dead either.¡±

    The Crystalline One didn¡¯t fully understand but wouldn¡¯t admit it. ¡°You wish for peace. I do not wish for peace. I wish for conflict, for flame, for all to burn! It matters not if that who burns be a true enemy or just some cat¡ªto burn is to purify, and you are not pure.¡±

    ¡°And I ask you again, is that really what you want? Do you want to burn everything? At the cost of your Seekers?¡±

    ¡°My Seekers are mine, and they will not be spent. I am to protect and guide them, not send them to war in my stead.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re suffering right now. The battle between you and C-R¡­¡±

    The Crystalline One had to re-allocate some of her consciousness to process that¡ªshe had fragmented her mind into various pieces that each handled a problem. The part handling Suro and the part trying to repair her damage and the part fighting back had all been different lines within herself. Now they had to collapse together into one that could take all the information and make use of it.

    She had a brief moment of confusion, wondering why watching her Seekers burn in agony was horrifying. Then she realized that of course it was horrifying¡ªshe was burning them without realizing it! Charring skin to a horrid black, boiling off¡ª

    ¡°No!¡± she declared to the entire area as loudly as she could, immediately turning off the ambient heat and flames around her tower-shaped body, as well as ending all attacks on the whale.

    To her shock, her perception of time had been thrown completely out of whack¡ªor perhaps the extensive use of Blue had driven different parts of her to think at different rates. One part of her remembered the conversation with Suro as taking up the majority of the time, but the rest of her insisted it had only been a fraction of a second inside an accelerated whale. It was all highly disorienting, and she was a being who had some instinct on how to deal with it all.

    ¡°Do not hurt my Seekers,¡± she pleaded.

    The voice of C-R came¡ªbut without the visual aid this time. ¡°¡­Are you surrendering?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to hurt them?¡±

    ¡°Not unless they make me.¡±

    Joira gasped. ¡°You can¡¯t be considering¡­ surrendering?¡±

    ¡°The Red is more than victory at all costs,¡± the Crystalline One said. ¡°Are you questioning me, Joira!?¡±

    Joira immediately backed down, bowing to her. ¡°No, no, of course not¡­¡±

    ¡°Good. Then we¡­ shall discuss where we go from here. I will not destroy when it will put you in danger.¡±

    ¡°Then let me make this abundantly clear,¡± C-R interjected. ¡°Any holy purges or smiting will be met with brutal, retaliatory force.¡±

    The Crystalline One tried, again and again, to see things through C-R¡¯s eyes, but there was no way she could do it. It was like C-R didn¡¯t exist. That fact was deeply unnerving in a way the Crystalline One couldn¡¯t fully put into words.

    ¡°By you?¡±

    ¡°Likely not,¡± C-R admitted. ¡°I will be elsewhere. But I am far from the only force that would oppose you. Those who get burned tend to have allies and friends, and the kingdom you find yourself in will see you as a threat worthy of being annihilated. To go on a purge is to be purged oneself.¡±

    ¡°Does she speak the truth?¡± the Crystalline One asked Joira.

    ¡°The King would retaliate¡­¡± Joira admitted. ¡°But with your powe¡ª¡°

    ¡°My power!?¡± the Crystalline One blurted. ¡°I¡¯m barely able to hold my own here! Did you think just because I became able to think and use magic to a much greater degree that I would become unstoppable!? I am not the Great Red One, I am a newborn! What made you think I would be able to do this!?¡±

    Joira was crying now, on her knees and shaking. ¡°We... You¡­ You wanted to burn¡­ You always know¡­¡±

    ¡°The nature of a Crystalline One¡¯s birth is almost always unfortunate,¡± C-R said. ¡°When born, if they don¡¯t go mad, they will do exactly what those around them at the time of birth expect. Even if that is an ill-advised holy purge.¡±

    ¡°So she woke up wanting to do something stupid because they wanted to do something stupid?¡± Jeh asked before Blue could hold her mouth shut.

    ¡°This is their fault¡­¡± the Crystalline One realized, putting her focus back onto Joira. ¡°You made me do this.¡±

    Joira could no longer speak, only tremble at the base of an object of worship that was deriding her.

    It was at this moment the Crystalline One realized something.

    She couldn¡¯t stay here with them.

    She already knew what they thought, what they believed, and what they sought. She had been born with it.

    How could she know if they were wrong? She already knew they could be stupid, but what if it was worse than that?

    ¡°Suro,¡± she said¡ªnot trying to hide her voice from anyone, though. ¡°Can you promise that my Seekers will be watched over?¡±

    Suro let out a soft laugh. ¡°My wife tries to do the best by them no matter what they do to her. If it is possible to live at peace, we will do so.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a promise.¡±

    ¡°I cannot promise anything for anyone other than myself. I promise that I will go as far as I reasonably can. And probably beyond that.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­ leaving us?¡± Joira asked, still shivering.

    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± the Crystalline One said. ¡°I am.¡± Methodically, she removed herself from her fixture in the ground, sliding around not unlike a glacier. ¡°I need to think apart from you. ¡­Apart from anyone.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you questioning my decision!?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Then I will go. I may return, I may not. You are not to construct another of me unless I instruct you to. Is that understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Red Messenger¡­¡±

    ¡°And I am not a nameless chunk of the Red. I am¡­¡± She paused. ¡°I am¡­ I am Ashen.¡± At this point she decided manipulating her crystals to move around was useless, so she created a highly focused explosion under herself and launched herself right off the mountain.

    She landed far, far away, creating a crater in the midst of the forest.

    No visual or auditory sensations came to her. She was alone with her sense of self.

    She could be herself. Just as soon as she figured out what that was.

    ~~~

    As soon as Ashen had launched herself off the mountain into the wilderness, C-R had decided everything was taken care of and promptly ordered the whale back to Willow Hollow so it could unload its unwanted passengers.

    They got down through ¡°careful application of Blue.¡±

    Suro didn¡¯t even pretend to understand how C-R was able to use Blue crystals to effectively levitate them down like Orange could, and judging by Vaughan¡¯s face he didn¡¯t understand how she was doing it either.

    There were no goodbyes or closing statements with C-R or Itlea. The four of them were just lifted out and told, quite frankly, that business was over.

    ¡°I hope you never have to be aware of us again,¡± were C-R¡¯s last words to them.

    The four of them landed on the ground next to Seskii¡¯s fruit juice stand. She waved at them. ¡°So, how¡¯d it go?¡±

    ¡°Well enough,¡± Vaughan said, taking a moment to stretch his back. ¡°I understand nothing about what happened, but after trying to get to space for so long, I¡¯m used to that feeling.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only been a few months,¡± Blue retorted. ¡°You¡¯re middle-aged. That¡¯s not a long time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s long enough to get used to it!¡±

    Suro couldn¡¯t take his gaze off the mountain, and the smoke rising up from it. ¡°I¡­ despite it all, I hope they¡¯re okay up there.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll either take the burns as badges of honor or use Green on it soon enough,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°...Suro, what did you do, by the way?¡±

    ¡°I just talked to her. In a crate. Where no one could see me.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Clever. C-R, though...¡±

    Blue stamped her hoof a few times. ¡°Let¡¯s not overlook it. Suro stopped a fresh Crystalline One from going on the usual rampage with words!¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just placed in positions I need to be.¡± Suro flicked his tail. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to go find Lila, if you don¡¯t mind. I think I need to ruminate on this for a while. Figure out¡­ I dunno.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°Go ahead. We can debrief Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Debrief Jeh?¡± Blue tilted her head to the side.

    ¡°We still don¡¯t know what happened to her in space!¡±

    ¡°Can we maybe give her a break after that endeavor?¡±

    Jeh coughed. ¡°I. Really want. To talk about space. Can we go talk about space now?¡±

    Blue clicked her tongue and let out a dissatisfied whinny. ¡°Jeh, you should wait for Suro before doing that.¡±

    ¡°Aw¡­¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be long. I¡¯ll be back sometime today.¡± Suro couldn¡¯t help but smile as he went his separate way. That little project of theirs really was more important to them than the insane happenings of a mysterious puppet-woman in a floating whale.

    Then again, it was far from the first time something like this had happened. Not with the Red Seekers, but with random mysterious travelers passing through and leaving no explanations. It wasn¡¯t exactly commonplace, but it happened enough to be expected.

    Besides, none of those travelers had ever gone to space, had they?

    ~~~

    ¡°Do you know what the most interesting thing about today was?¡± C-R asked Itlea.

    ¡°The Crystalline One seeing its own weakness?¡±

    ¡°No. That craft of theirs that went to space.¡±

    Itlea twitched. ¡°That¡¯s insignificant.¡±

    ¡°I would forgive you for being shortsighted, except it¡¯s not your intelligence that holds you back. It is your vendetta. A vendetta I find most distasteful and useless. Luckily, if you take me up on my offer, we will go far from here and likely never see anything related to her again. Until, of course, they fully achieve their goal. Then the world will never be the same.¡±

    ¡°They cannot succeed.¡±

    ¡°Your life becomes a series of unpleasant surprises when you say things with such vitriol and certainty.¡±

    Itlea had nothing to say to this.

    ¡°Back to the matter at hand, do you accept my proposal, Itlea? Your projection to the Red Seekers was technically sound. Do you wish to remain on board?

    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Itlea said. ¡°Take me far and wide.¡±

    ¡°Then I shall. With you here, I can afford to distribute my resources a bit¡­ Sig!¡±

    The being in the black cloak loitering in the back of the cargo hold said nothing.

    ¡°Observe wizard Vaughan and his experiments. Report on your findings. Do not be seen.¡±

    ¡°Naturally,¡± he said. ¡°When should I leave?¡±

    ¡°Immediately.¡± C-R used the Blue to ferry him to the ground. ¡°I¡­ need that lift¡­ fixed¡­ that is quite exhausting¡­¡±

    ¡°Valentia has a service station, albeit a small one,¡± Itlea suggested.

    ¡°Already adjusting course.¡±

    Itlea couldn¡¯t help but grin. Look at you, Blue, sitting in a sleepy little town working on machines. Meanwhile, I get to go out into the world and do real magic! I have won. Oh, if only I could say this to you in person to see the mortified look on your face¡­!

    It basically goes without saying at this point that Itlea was utterly delusional.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGME¡ª

    What science? There¡¯s no science here, just magic. Lots of magic! And some speculative psychology but I¡¯m not a psychologist, so¡­

    Until next time, I suppose!

 009 - Informational Aftermath

    009

    Informational Aftermath

    ¡°So, Jeh¡­¡± Sruo began as he opened up a notebook. A pen was currently latched to his paw via one of his many tools. ¡°How about we just¡­ start from the beginning and try to figure out what happened to you up there?¡±

    Jeh sat at one end of Vaughan¡¯s dining table, filling her face with a recently cooked chicken. Suro, Vaughan, and Blue sat on the opposite side, all three staring at her expectantly. Blue was grinning and nervously tapping her hooves.

    Jeh picked up another piece of chicken and was about to throw it down her gullet when she finally picked up on everyone staring at her, waiting. With mild disappointment, she set the piece of meat down and turned to them. ¡°First of all, it was awesome. I was flying and I c¡ª¡°

    ¡°Chronologically, please,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°So we can try to take this apart one piece at a time.¡±

    ¡°You know, that would make sense¡­¡± Jeh cleared her throat. ¡°Well, I started by going up. As fast as I felt comfortable, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Faster than we tested,¡± Blue pointed out.

    ¡°Yeah, but I bet you¡¯ll be glad I went faster before we¡¯re done here!¡±

    ¡°I reserve the right to withhold judgment.¡±

    Vaughan smirked. ¡°Or forget all about it because all the new information overloads her brain.¡±

    Blue clicked her tongue. ¡°I want to argue with that. Really badly.¡± She let out a noncommittal grunt and turned expectantly back to Jeh. ¡°So¡­ you were going up faster than usual.¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Jeh sat back in her chair. ¡°Actually, quite a lot faster. Kept pushing it and pushing it as time went on, but, wait, you want chronological.¡± She closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue in thought. ¡°Okay, so, I guess the first thing I really noticed was that the faster I went, the heavier I felt. Any idea why?¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°That¡¯s an easy one. The drive¡¯s spell is all-purpose, so it only pushes itself, everything else is getting dragged along, including you. You¡¯re not actually any bigger or heavier, you¡¯re just being pushed.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Jeh blinked a few times. ¡°Is that why we stay on the ground? Is Ikyu moving?¡±

    Blue laughed. ¡°That¡¯s a clever idea, but no. Ikyu is round, remember? People would be flying off the other side if it was moving.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah¡­ then why can we stand on the ground?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­¡± Blue frowned. ¡°Uh¡­ give me a moment¡­¡±

    ¡°Things fall to the center of Ikyu,¡± Vaughan said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s like water turning to ice. We see it and know what it does, but don¡¯t know why it does. Why does being colder freeze things at certain temperatures? It¡¯s a similar question.¡±

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Jeh continued. ¡°Kept pushing higher and faster¡ªthe faster I went the better the fins helped stabilize. At first, anyway.¡±

    ¡°More speed is more air passing by,¡± Blue noted. ¡°When you get high enough there¡¯s not much air, so it¡¯s not surprising that the fins didn¡¯t do much at the end of it all .¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even need them, but they did help me go faster,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Anyway, went up, up, up, found the various winds laughable compared to Vaughan¡¯s horror-show of training...¡±

    Vaughan folded his arms and raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°¡­I got scared for a moment when I hit a cloud before realizing it was a cloud. Nothing weird happened. It was just foggy. Anyway, up about that high I saw C-R¡¯s balloon whale.¡±

    Blue shivered. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ not record that, it¡¯ll just lead to awkward questions and it has nothing to do with our experiment.¡±

    Suro nodded, striking a line through the note he had just written down.

    ¡°What else did you see up there?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Just some specks of green and blue drifting around the clouds.¡± Jeh looked at the wizard quizzically.

    ¡°Drifters,¡± Blue answered for him. ¡°Tiny life that lives at the highest altitudes possible. Airborne races know a lot more about them. I think they¡¯re plants. I think.¡±

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°They were the last living things I saw the whole time. Before, well, crashing back down, but we¡¯ll get to that. It was pretty cool to see the entire continent unfold beneath me, like I really was looking at a map¡­ oh, oh, when I started getting high, I noticed that the blue sky vanished! I was able to see stars!¡±

    Blue blinked a few times. ¡°But wait, the sun was up, doesn¡¯t it block starlight with its own glow?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I just think air is blue,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°It¡¯s clear,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°So¡¯s water, unless you have a lot of it.¡±

    Vaughan found this comment worthy of a beard scratch. ¡°We¡¯d need more tests to be sure¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, when I was up there, when I looked down at the horizon the sky was still blue, just not any other direction. The other directions were where the stars were.¡±

    Blue let out a whinny. ¡°Hmm¡­ so¡­ the sky is blue¡­¡± She tapped her hoof a few times. ¡°I wonder why it¡¯s different colors at different times of day, then, I¡ª oh!¡± She stomped her hooves in excitement. ¡°It¡¯s the distance! The distance determines the color!¡± She ran outside and dragged in the blackboard and started drawing¡ªa circle that represented Ikyu, and then a bunch of dots all around Ikyu. ¡°These dots represent the air. All together¡­ I guess I¡¯ll call them the atmosphere.*¡±

    *She just made this word up. There was no word for ¡°atmosphere¡± before this moment. There were words for ¡°sky¡± ¡°air¡± and various qualities of air, but none for ¡°atmosphere¡± in Karli. Most would just say ¡°all the air.¡± It is a hidden pleasure of frontier scientists to make up words.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s say the sun is shining down on us from above¡­¡± She drew a line from the top of the whiteboard to the top of Ikyu. ¡°We have to pass near a few dots for the light to get this far, but not too many. But if the sun were to the side, like, say, at sunset¡­¡± She drew another line that hit Ikyu at the same point but came from the side of the board. ¡°As you can see, this line runs near more atmosphere dots. Why? Because it¡¯s at a lower elevation for longer.¡± She let out a satisfied laugh. ¡°At sunset, the light isn¡¯t coming straight at us, it has more atmosphere to get through!¡±

    ¡°Wait, so¡­¡± Vaughan frowned. ¡°Would that mean if we get far enough away from Ikyu, everything¡¯s blue?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure everything¡¯s black,¡± Jeh said. ¡°That¡¯s the color between the stars.¡±

    ¡°Just simply not enough air up there to color anything, I¡¯m guessing,¡± Blue said. ¡°But this is still a discovery! Air: blue! But not the same blue as water, a different blue. I wonder if there¡¯s a way to test the color properties of air¡­¡±

    Jeh decided now was a good time to continue. ¡°Anyway, it actually didn¡¯t take that long to see the curvature of Ikyu. I just¡­ kept going because I was there so fast.¡±

    Blue¡¯s left eye twitched. ¡°What?¡±

    Jeh shrunk back slightly. ¡°I just¡­ wanted to go a little further and I was ahead of schedule, right?¡± She rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. ¡°But I did go really high and saw a lot of things!¡±

    Vaughan perked up. ¡°Things?¡±

    ¡°Most of them were things on Ikyu, though. The moon didn¡¯t really change up there. Still boring, still gray. Also didn¡¯t get any larger, must be really far away.¡± Jeh folded her arms, annoyed by this.

    ¡°What did you see on Ikyu?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ lots of biomes and forests, a couple mushroom groves that weren¡¯t on the maps, a Purple crystal larger than most cities, a massive swirling storm, some red water, and a moving island.¡±

    Vaughan blinked a few times. ¡°No clue about the red water or the moving island. The other two¡­ the big storm is the Tempest, you¡¯ve probably read about it.  The cube¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard a few times. ¡°Was it to the north of here?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ yes, quite a bit actually.¡±

    Vaughan nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors that the people of Shimvale are purchasing as much Purple crystal as they can get their hands on. Perhaps this is why.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t someone notice a city-sized Crystalline One?¡± Blue asked. ¡°There¡¯s no way you get a crystal that large without it becoming a Crystalline One.¡±

    ¡°They live amidst the ice,¡± Vaughan said with a shrug. ¡°If the Shimmers wanted to keep it secret, they could. Their borders aren¡¯t exactly open.¡±

    ¡°But now we know. Because¡­ we went really really stupid high.¡± Blue was silent for a moment, flicking her tail. ¡°¡­Did you see anything else, Jeh?¡±

    Jeh shook her head. ¡°Not that I remember, at least not on Ikyu. But my story¡¯s not done!¡± She put on a big grin. ¡°See, I kept going and going and going. Ikyu got smaller¡­ over time. But then, crack!¡± She jumped to her feet, using the table as her floor. ¡°There was a hole in the jar! I scrambled in a hurry¡­ I thought I could melt the glass with Red to repair it but uh that didn¡¯t go well.¡±

    Blue stared at her with wide eyes. ¡°Jeh¡­ Jeh that could have destroyed the entire ship in one moment. ¡°

    ¡°But it didn¡¯t!¡± Jeh put her hands on her hips. ¡°I switched to Green and patched it right up.¡±

    ¡°Jeh this still doesn¡¯t excuse th¡ª¡°

    ¡°And then I found what caused the problem!¡± Jeh pulled out an absolutely tiny, metallic rock and set it on the table. ¡°Found it in the wreckage of my air restorer, which it hit after making the hole.¡±

    Forgetting her rant for the time being, Blue levitated the tiny rock into the air and examined it. Besides being metallic, Blue could tell nothing else, for she was not well versed in rocks.

    ¡°So this just¡­ hit you,¡± Blue said. ¡°At a high enough speed to bore a hole in the Skyseed and then shatter the air restorer.¡± Blue blinked a few times. ¡°If¡­ if this is normal, it¡¯s going to be hard to design around a danger like this. Random projectiles that could hit you at any moment without warning¡­¡±

    ¡°The air restorer stopped it,¡± Suro pointed out as he continued writing. ¡°It clearly wasn¡¯t unstoppable.¡±

    ¡°So there¡¯ll be a way¡­¡± Blue nodded to herself a few times, already clearly dreaming up ideas. ¡°Anyway, without an air restorer, how did you get back?¡±

    Jeh smiled awkwardly. ¡°As quickly as possible. I tried to cast the spell manually but I got a little distracted after a bit. So¡­ here¡¯s the thing. I was trying to go down. My air restorer was broken so I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s best to get back quickly. So I crank the drive into maximum and charge back downward. There¡¯s a bunch of clouds in the way but who cares, air is a problem. Absolute speed! I got up here fast, it should be easy, right? Wrong! Oh so very, very wrong!¡± Jeh let out a series of tense laughs and sat back down in her chair. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice anything was wrong until the ship started to catch fire.¡±

    Vaughan frowned. ¡°Why? You were going top speed on the way up, what¡¯s different with down?¡±

    Blue tapped her hoof. ¡°Two things. One, there¡¯s more air at lower elevations. Two, if the drive was at maximum while pointed down¡­ isn¡¯t it also falling?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was really weird!¡± Jeh giggled. ¡°When I turned the drive around I was suddenly floating, but once I¡¯d turned it around suddenly the floor changed!¡±

    ¡°You were being dragged down just like you were being dragged up. But not only that, but you were also falling. Remember, things want to fall to Ikyu. While you went up you were fighting, but when you went down you were being helped. You probably reached absurd speeds¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Akin to the acceleration on a Blue crystal?¡± Jeh asked. ¡°Because that¡¯s what I thought after using Blue crystals myself in the midst of it all! Going so fast I caught fire!¡±

    Vaughan snapped his fingers. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s something we forgot! Blue, meteors come from space, do they not?¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± Blue admitted.

    ¡°And they light up as they fall, brilliant orbs in the sky¡­ I think anything falling from that high up lights on fire.¡±

    ¡°Which is why it should have been taken slow,¡± Blue snipped.

    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t know if I was going to run out of air or not!¡± Jeh huffed, crossing her arms. ¡°And I was able to slow myself down enough to stop the fire with a lot of clever Blue usage! Though I¡­ did light up the inside of the Skyseed for a moment after I cast it on myself and not the ship. That usually doesn¡¯t happen though, I was wondering why?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Blue rubbed the base of her horn. ¡°The old ¡®calculate the effects of Blue acceleration in a moving object¡¯ problem. Ugh, the math on that one¡­ I¡¯ll just try to explain it. Luckily, I already have a blackboard!¡± With a cheesy wink, she flipped the blackboard to the other side and started drawing on it, this time with a single dot. ¡°Let this represent you, Jeh. Here, I¡¯ll even give it bear ears.¡± She drew two little circles on top of the dot.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Jeh said, eyes sparkling.

    ¡°Good! So, when you cast Blue while standing still, nothing happens. Obviously, if you accelerate something that¡¯s not moving, it¡¯s still not moving. However¡­¡± She drew a boat under the spot that represented Jeh. ¡°Now, this boat is sailing along at some constant speed. What if you cast Blue on yourself while on the boat?¡±

    Vaughan raised a hand.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Depends o¡ª¡°

    Blue facehooved. ¡°The standard spell, Vaughan. Assume acceleration factor of two if you need something simple.¡±

    ¡°Two is kind of high¡­¡±

    ¡°This illustration doesn¡¯t need to be overly realistic!¡±

    Suro coughed. ¡°If you cast Blue while on a boat with no special additions, nothing happens. Because, as far as you are concerned, you¡¯re standing still.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Suro,¡± Blue said with a relieved sigh. ¡°Yes, when you cast it, the acceleration occurs in relation to you. If you¡¯re standing still, even if you¡¯re on a moving object, nothing will occur. But if you were moving beforehand, or if you start moving after the acceleration comes, you will move much faster. Not that it will feel very different to you¡ªit just seems like the rest of the world is very slow.¡±

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°Okay, but that doesn¡¯t explain why I lit on fire. I wasn¡¯t really moving in relation to the Skyseed.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, that. So, there¡¯s a difference between when you¡¯re on the boat and on the Skyseed. And that thing is called falling. On the boat, it is the boat that¡¯s holding you up, accelerated or not. On the Skyseed, if you¡¯re in freefall, it¡¯s not holding you up. Both of you are falling, and by accelerating one part of you, you¡¯ll end up moving at different rates.¡±

    Jeh stared at her for a few moments and groaned. ¡°Agh¡­ I don¡¯t think I fully get it.¡±

    ¡°Aside from Magenta, Blue is the hardest Color to understand,¡± Blue admitted. ¡°To think of it as ¡®speed¡¯ is definitely an oversimplification. When accelerated, you age faster, chemical reactions increase¡­ and that¡¯s not even getting into the nature of the boundary.¡±

    ¡°The what?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it means either,¡± Suro offered.

    ¡°The boundary¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Generally only interests Blue wizards because it refers to the area between the accelerated individual and the rest of the world. I know very little, but I do know that there is a gradient; the speed increases gradually rather than all at once. Apparently, with complex Blue magic, you can tell the boundary to form in other ways and get some really fascinating effects, but those kinds of things are often kept secret by the Blue wizards, as is most high magic.¡±

    ¡°Nobody can cast it, nobody demands that the secret be revealed,¡± Blue added. ¡°Of course, the definition of high magic is so nebulous¡­ some go as far to say that if you¡¯re a wizard that has a ¡®unique technique¡¯ it¡¯s high magic. This definition is stupid and should go die in a hole.¡±

    ¡°Some say no one but Crystalline Ones really have access to high magic.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°Yeah that stuff Ashen was pulling¡­ that was definitely high magic.¡± Blue frowned. ¡°And C-R was able to take her on.¡±

    ¡°Ashen was a newborn,¡± Suro said. ¡°She had all her power, as Crystalline Ones do, but she had no precision or strategy. She was essentially lashing out.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡°I wonder where she is now?¡± Jeh thought aloud.

    ¡°Somewhere, probably wanting to be left alone,¡± Suro answered.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about her,¡± Blue said dismissively. ¡°This is report time. Jeh?¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s basically it. After I got the fire under control, I worked as hard as I could to slow down and make it to the right place. Y¡¯know. Since there was an explosion I could see. And then you know what happened. And¡­ that¡¯s that.¡±

    Silence fell around the table.

    ¡°¡­Was it beautiful, up there?¡± Vaughan asked.

    Jeh couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°Ikyu looked absolutely amazing.¡±

    Vaughan gave her a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be up there to see it myself, one day.¡±

    ¡°Before we can do that we need to make it safe!¡± Blue declared. ¡°And we have learned about quite a few safety concerns. The Skyseed is not going to be able to carry anyone aside from Jeh, it¡¯s just too dangerous.¡±

    ¡°So, what do we need to design for?¡± Suro asked, starting a new section in his notes for future intentions.

    Blue closed her eyes, trying to hold it all together in her mind so she could be sure she got it all. ¡°Okay¡­ first of all, the tiny rocks in space. We need armor or protection or something. We also need a way to know where we¡¯re landing for certain, to avoid the cloud problem again. And then¡­ Well, we need to figure out more about this whole ¡®falling and lighting on fire¡¯ business. We might be able to determine a maximum safe speed.¡± She nodded to herself a few times. ¡°We can still use the Skyseed for these experiments when we get the fins repaired, but the next major voyage would have to be another ship, or a revamp of the Skyseed.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Another ship might be difficult,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°We can¡¯t remove the drive from the Skyseed without breaking glass.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s hold off on repairing it until we make a decision.¡±

    Vaughan nodded in agreement. ¡°And¡­ I think that¡¯s that.¡± He turned to Suro. ¡°Got everything?¡±

    Suro nodded. ¡°Naturally, you and I will be writing up something more official, and with fewer side notes and amusing interpersonal interludes.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, my least favorite part about being a wizard. The reports.¡±

    ¡°Technically, we don¡¯t have to make it.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡± Vaughan tilted his hand side to side. ¡°Someone might find something like the air restorer in it again and we¡¯ll get a lot more money.¡±

    ¡°Or you could wait for more sales to come in,¡± Suro suggested. ¡°The air restorer is a huge success, people just have to buy more and get more made.¡±

    ¡°So many decisions, so little time¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard.

    Blue stood up, twirling the tiny space rock in her telekinesis once more. ¡°I¡¯m going to go ask around town about this, see if we can learn anything. Jeh, want to come with?¡±

    Jeh leaped up immediately. ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t we had enough adventure for the day?¡± Suro asked.

    ¡°There are questions I want answered,¡± Blue said, staring right into the rock. ¡°And you know how I am when I don¡¯t have answers.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the only way I know you,¡± Vaughan said.

    Blue blinked a few times. ¡°I don¡¯t think that insult works.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep trying.¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°You do that¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Big G picked up the small rock in his big hands, examining it through a magnifying glass. He squished it between his fingers, flicked it with his fingernail, and even licked it once.

    This was all done in the full view of everyone in Willow Hollow¡¯s town square since Big G was out of the mines selling wares today. No Colored crystals¡ªthose were processed separately¡ªhe had a fair collection of high-quality ore and unprocessed natural gemstones that had a beauty all their own.

    ¡°Mostly metal,¡± Big G said. ¡°I¡¯d guess iron, mostly. Which makes sense if you got this from up there.¡± He gestured up at the sky.

    Jeh grinned. ¡°Yep, it attacked me!¡±

    ¡°Darmosil will be able to tell you more about sky rocks than I ever will,¡± Big G tossed the rock back to Blue, which she caught in her telekinesis. ¡°All I can tell you is that¡¯s some good quality material but there ain¡¯t enough of it to do anything.¡±

    ¡°Aww¡­¡± Jeh sighed.

    ¡°It really is just a rock.¡± Blue twirled it around a few more times. ¡°You said Darmosil would know more?¡±

    ¡°Yep. He¡¯ll tell it best. You¡¯ve lived here long enough.¡±

    It did not surprise Blue all that much that Darmosil kept track of how long she¡¯d lived in Willow Hollow. ¡°Well¡­ Jeh, shall we go off to the forge?¡±

    Jeh grinned. ¡°Oooh, I can introduce you to my friends, then!¡±

    ¡°¡­You have friends? Forest critters?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, no, those are food. I¡¯m talking about friends. You know, people?¡± Jeh smirked. ¡°Or do you think I don¡¯t have a grasp on Karli yet, hmm?¡±

    Blue held up a hoof in surrender. ¡°All right, all right, you know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Blue chuckled. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll go meet these friends of yours. If they¡¯re there.¡±

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°They will be!¡±

    The bakery/glassworks/forge was just over a minute away since they were already in the town square. They bid goodbye to Big G and soon thereafter walked in the doors of the bakery area.

    ¡°A happy welcome!¡± one of the Sourdough twins called from the front of the counter.

    ¡°From us to any paying customer!¡± the other finished. She was placing a bunch of bread rolls on a shelf.

    There was no one else in the bakery at the moment.

    ¡°Sorry Jeh,¡± Blue said. ¡°It looks li¡ª¡°

    ¡°Rissy and Rona!¡± Jeh called, running to the twins. The two of them high-fived her at the same time, prompting everyone to start giggling madly.

    Everyone but Blue, that was. She couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. ¡°Since when are you friends with the Sourdough twins?¡±

    ¡°Last week,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°T¡¯was a week¡ª¡° one twin began.

    ¡°¡ªof amazing adventure and intrigue!¡± the other ended.

    ¡°And of bread.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, truly unspeakable amounts of bread.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    ¡°It was a great day,¡± Jeh agreed. ¡°Blue, we did science! We discovered how my regeneration deals with being force-fed! It¡¯s quite fun, first you stuff so much bread down my thro¡ª¡°

    Blue held up a hoof. ¡°Rismelda! Ronadale!¡±

    One of them responded. ¡°I¡¯m Ronadale, she¡¯s Rismelda.¡± The other nodded in agreement.

    Blue huffed. ¡°I was referring to both of you together, you can¡¯t get out so easily.¡± She also didn¡¯t believe for a second that she could trust the names they¡¯d given her.

    ¡°It was just a little experiment!¡±

    ¡°And Jeh had the idea first.¡±

    Blue opened her mouth to object¡ªbut couldn¡¯t come up with the words. Who was she to tell Jeh what she could and couldn¡¯t do? In their little program, things were different, Jeh had to be told what to do or else things could go wrong. But out here, with Jeh making friends?

    Blue wasn¡¯t her mother.

    Nobody was.

    ¡°You look sad, Blue,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Do you¡­ not like them?¡±

    Blue decided she needed to tread very carefully here. She may not have been Jeh¡¯s mother, but she was a figure Jeh had become attached to. Her words could change the course of this child¡¯s internal journey to find herself.

    So, naturally, Blue said the wisest and most graceful thing she could think of at that moment.

    ¡°Uh...¡±

    The Sourdough twins rushed in to spare her.

    ¡°I think Blue¡¯s just confused,¡± one said.

    The other nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes. But we can fix that!¡±

    ¡°We can just be more likable!¡±

    ¡°Ten percent discount for Blue and everyone else in her little space program!¡±

    ¡°Oooh, space program, I like that!¡± Jeh said a little too excitedly.

    ¡°It is a good name,¡± a twin said.

    The other chuckled. ¡°But I think it needs more!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll just have to figure out what it is later!¡± The first one winked at Jeh.

    ¡°Seriously, though, ten percent off for you fine space pioneers.¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°Why?¡±

    Both twins grinned mischievously. ¡°We don¡¯t have to explain anything!¡±

    Blue twitched. ¡°That is not how you make yourselves more likable¡­¡±

    Suddenly, one of the twins grabbed a freshly baked pie and held it under Blue¡¯s nose. ¡°Can we bribe you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± the other twin said.

    ¡°But would you like the pie anyway?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Blue blinked a few times, trying to get her bearings. ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass on the pie¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± the twins said with their usual cheery tune.

    Jeh glanced at the twins. ¡°Hold on, I don¡¯t think I followed everything there¡­¡±

    One of the twins shrugged. ¡°Just because we¡¯re friends doesn¡¯t mean we explain everything to you either.¡±

    ¡°Spoopy,¡± the other added. ¡°We like it that way.¡±

    Jeh clapped her hands together. ¡°You two are a mystery I¡¯m going to find out! Or my name isn¡¯t Jeh!¡±

    ¡°You were found in the woods, your real name probably isn¡¯t Jeh,¡± the second twin said.

    ¡°Jeh sounds so familiar though¡­¡± Jeh frowned. ¡°I guess it could have been something else. But I¡¯m Jeh now, so my name¡¯s Jeh! Ha! So there!¡±

    Blue pat Jeh on the shoulder. ¡°Yes. Your name is Jeh. Now, and for as long as I¡¯m concerned.¡±

    For a moment, it looked like tears were welling up in Jeh¡¯s eyes. The next thing Blue knew, the wild child was hugging her leg tightly. A soft hum came from Jeh as she nuzzled Blue¡¯s fur.

    ¡°What song is that, Jeh?¡±

    Jeh shrugged, continuing her hum. Blue decided to just let her continue. For once, the Sourdough twins didn¡¯t interrupt; rather they went back to their work, giving the two the moment.

    Jeh pulled back. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad I¡¯m Jeh, but don¡¯t we have something to do?¡±

    Blue nodded. Without incident, the two of them went to the other half of the shop. For once in their lives, Krays and Darmosil weren¡¯t in the midst of passionate debate.

    There was a very simple reason for this. Krays was fast asleep, drooling all over the counter. Darmosil was content to quietly work away at his tools.

    ¡°Hello, Darmosil,¡± Blue greeted him with a slight bow of her head. ¡°What can you tell me about this?¡± She dropped the rock for him.

    Darmosil glanced lazily at it. His eyes widened and he immediately dropped what he was doing to pick it up in his hands. ¡°This¡­ you got this from the stars?¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Well, from space anyway.¡±

    ¡°It looks so similar¡­ but so tiny.¡±

    ¡°What can you tell us about it?¡± Blue asked. ¡°Big G said you might know something.¡±

    ¡°Might is such a strong word to associate with something so certain.¡± Rolling the rock in his fingers, he gestured for them to follow. ¡°I have something to show you.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    He led them into the back room which, as expected for a room Krays frequented, was an absolutely disorganized mess filled with half-broken pieces of glass and metallic implements. Several boxes were thrown haphazardly around, each filled with various kinds of glass, sand, and metal. In the back, however, there was another door, and this was where Darmosil was leading them.

    The other side of the door was clearly designed to be a closet, but that was not at all what Darmosil had used it for. Here, he stored his most prized possessions. While not everything was a weapon, everything here had been forged. However, much of it was clearly not of Darmosil¡¯s design: there was a metal crossbow with ornamental flowers carved into it, an all-but-perfectly smooth shield with no designs whatsoever, a pentagon-shaped cauldron, and a handful of other things carefully stacked and placed meticulously.

    All of this paled in comparison to the sword sitting on the wall.

    It was a massive, wide blade that had a curious rippling quality to the metal itself. Its tip was long and narrow and its edges were all sharpened to perfection¡ªclearly a massive chore to maintain. The hilt was surprisingly small compared to the rest of its girth, almost as if it was designed for smaller hands.

    Where the hilt met the blade, there were Colored crystals of every kind. None of them were glowing at the moment, but the rainbow weave around the apparently simple crystal core gave promise of immense magical potential.

    Curiously, though, in the midst of the Colored crystals was a single piece of obsidian carved into a perfect cube of darkness. It sat at the place of honor in the blade¡¯s design, being the most dominant element.

    ¡°What a curious weapon¡­¡± Blue said.

    Jeh reached out to touch it, but Darmosil held out his hand. ¡°This blade has been in my family for many generations. It was made by my ancestor, Jorn¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Jorn lived so long ago that the Piper family no longer knows the exact date. Long enough ago that the Kingdom of Kroan didn¡¯t exist. Short enough that the tales of the Great Crystalline Ones were still legends.

    Jorn Piper was a blacksmith. We do not know if his father was a blacksmith as well, but every generation after has been. We also do not know what color his hair and gauntlets were, but as you are not gari this is probably of minimal concern to you.*

    *Gari (or garilend, if you use the full term) have very sensitive eyes that can determine exceedingly minor color differences. As such, many gari can identify each other by color alone; rare is a gari with exactly the same color as another one. Different cultures of gari have placed different levels of importance upon the color of the individual. Darmosil and most of the gari in Willow Hollow aren¡¯t all that attached to the almost-religious tradition associated with their color. Other cultures treat color as the determining factor in who a person is. Curiously, this does not tend to lead to racism among gari, largely due to the prevalence of other races around that are much easier to hate.

    Jorn had no fame or fortune, he was just a simple blacksmith in a small town. Didn¡¯t even have an arcane forge, for back then they were new and largely not trusted to behave. ¡°Couldn¡¯t he just ask a wizard to maintain it?¡± That¡¯s what we would do these days. Jorn did not have that option since the practice of the ¡°town wizard¡± simply did not exist. He was alone with his forge.

    And he was happy with his forge. A bit too happy, if you ask me. All the stories and pictures have him smiling and laughing. I suspect his history is being painted in an all-too optimistic light, but I digress. He was a blacksmith.

    Then one day a star fell in his backyard.

    Naturally, it was a meteorite, one of many rocks that fall from space. Most burn up in the sky as they fall¡ªwhat, did you think that was new information you discovered? My family has passed down stories of this meteorite for too long for me to not know more about what it is.

    Jorn¡¯s meteorite was large enough that it didn¡¯t just burn up. It was almost as large as he was. Naturally, he decided to make a sword out of it. Just a small, test one at first. This blade was the Starcutter, and it is lost to time. Probably broke eons ago, to be honest, the thing was a prototype.

    But with the prototype, he was able to do tests on the metal and found that its quality far surpassed anything around. Steel is stronger when done right, but steel was unheard of in his time.

    Jorn was suddenly sitting on the purest, most workable metal he had ever seen. Naturally, he decided to make some money off of this, selling smaller swords made from the meteorite. Now, a sword of higher quality does not provide you much of an edge in a battle if you don¡¯t know how to use it, but ¡°sword from the heavens¡± tends to make people forget about practical concerns for the most part.

    That is, until Jorn started to run out. He realized he was making pathetically ordinary swords out of the best metal and he wasn¡¯t going to be able to get more. He wanted to make something amazing, something beyond brilliant. But he didn¡¯t know what, for he was a blacksmith, not a person who used these kinds of things.

    Then, one day, a woman came to him. She spoke in strange words that shifted from riddles to in-your-face brazenness. My theory is that Jorn was a storyteller and told the story of his encounter with the woman in several different ways, just to keep everything ¡°interesting.¡± Thus, we know little of what she was actually like.

    We only have the vaguest ideas of who she was. She was some kind of adventurer, and a successful one at that, who managed to convince him to craft a sword specifically keyed to her. See that black cube? That¡¯s her symbol, though its meaning is lost to us.

    What he eventually created was the blade for the sword you see before you. Its name is Grinzhyldr. It probably meant something in some long-forgotten language.

    The sword is an amazing work of craftsmanship that has been passed down through the Piper family. We do not know why we got it back¡ªperhaps the woman died while using it¡ªwe only know the story of its creation. But it means a lot to us, for it represents what has led our people forward: the tradition of blacksmithing. One day, I shall pass it down to my son. Or daughter, I suppose, but that would create some awkwardness in the naming convention. This has always been Grinzhyldr, the sword of the Piper family.

    Of course, the sword is far too large for any normal person to effectively use. I suspect the woman in the legend to not have been human and to have had some kind of strength attribute. It¡¯s useless as a sword by itself. However, the rainbow of crystals is fully functional. This is one of the earliest examples of something designed to access all seven Colors of magic at once, just like Vaughan¡¯s scepter.

    Yes, it is annoying to keep the sword in mint condition. However, since we never use it, the crystals never decay, only grow and try to reshape. In olden times, the Pipers learned to shave the crystals to maintain them, but I just have Suro come over every month.

    And so now Grinzhyldr sits, alone, on this wall. A sword crafted from a fallen star and fused with a crystal core amazingly advanced for the time. A sword that simply cannot actually be used as a sword.

    That is what I know about meteorites.

    ~~~

    ¡°You know, Blue has a lot of complaints about academia,¡± Vaughan told Suro. The two were in Vaughan¡¯s study. Vaughan was walking back and forth in front of a blackboard while Suro was carefully writing things down.

    ¡°She was kicked out,¡± Suro pointed out without looking up from his page.

    ¡°I don¡¯t agree with most of her critiques. Academia is not filled with morons or idiots. It is filled with people who like records and documents too much.¡±

    ¡°Vaughan, technically speaking, you did not receive any funding from the Academy, and thus are not required to write up any reports.¡±

    ¡°There still has to be a record of what has been done, something official that gives us merit for when we need more people and funding. Certifying the record with the Academy will go a long way.¡±

    Suro clicked his tongue. ¡°You know, the Academy used to only be concerned with training new wizards, you know, not managing all wizards on Ikyu to some kind of specific standard.¡±

    ¡°All wizards in Kroan.¡±

    ¡°Most Academies on Ikyu are connected and follow basically the same setup.¡± Suro paused, thinking. ¡°Then again, there are many distant and mysterious lands, so I suppose things may be different there. Jeh did say she saw a massive landmass that wasn¡¯t on any of our maps.¡±

    ¡°You know, last time I went to town was to fix some air restorers for the mines. While I was there, Mary asked me why I was so concerned with exploring what was above us when there was plenty of stuff to find on Ikyu.¡± Vaughan grinned. ¡°Considering how Jeh discovered a new landmass, I think we are exploring Ikyu.¡±

    Suro smirked. ¡°To plumb the depths of reality is to learn more about where you came from, in every sense.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±

    Suro stopped writing. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s all the procedures. I¡¯ve been careful not to mention the full nature of Jeh¡¯s regeneration. Let me tell you, it¡¯s quite a trick to be truthful without letting the cat out of the bag*.¡±

    *Curiously, this is not a case of translation confusion. The phrase ¡°cat out of the bag¡± more or less translates directly into Karli.

    ¡°Most would just leave it out or lie.¡±

    ¡°You and I both know we won¡¯t do that.¡±

    Vaughan nodded sagely. ¡°¡­Old friend, the challenges never end, do they?¡±

    ¡°You remember the Eye? How old was she again? So old she didn¡¯t remember exactly? And she still had personal challenges that cut to her core.¡±

    Vaughan closed his eyes and scratched his beard. ¡°How could I forget¡­¡±

    Suro tapped his pen on the table. ¡°Anyway, I think Jeh¡¯s safe from the King¡¯s men for now.¡±

    ¡°Even then, they might not do anything. She is just a kid.¡±

    Suro nodded. ¡°Still, that doesn¡¯t exactly stop him. Could send her to military training.¡±

    Vaughan turned around, locking his hands behind his back. ¡°¡­She really does paint a target on her own back just by existing.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re safe for now,¡± Suro asserted. ¡°At least from Kroan. C-R¡­ might have just thought it was a normal attribute.¡±

    ¡°¡­I think, at this point, the town will protect her.¡±

    ¡°Willow Hollow is really, really small.¡±

    Silence fell upon them.

    Suddenly, Vaughan clapped his hands. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no use moping around! The girl¡¯s not exactly easy to keep secret, someone will take interest in her eventually. We just have to do our best to watch out for her and be by her side when the day comes. Can¡¯t live like there¡¯s a sword over our heads.¡±

    Suro smiled softly. ¡°You¡¯re right there.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s next on our report, anyway?¡±

    ¡°We just need the concluding remarks,¡± Suro said. ¡°I already know most of them, but I do want to know what you want for the ¡®future plans¡¯ section? What is our goal?¡±

    ¡°Go to space.¡±

    ¡°We did that.¡±

    ¡°Go deeper into space.¡±

    ¡°Not very specific.¡±

    Vaughan put his hands on the desk and grinned widely. ¡°Go to the moon.¡±

    ¡°¡­Vaughan that¡­ is going to take a significan¡ª¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t care, put it in there. We are going there, one way or another.¡±

    Suro chuckled. ¡°If you insist¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°So!¡± Blue called to Vaughan, Jeh, and Suro one day over lunch. ¡°We need to decide what we¡¯re going to do with the Skyseed. It can be repaired, and it wouldn¡¯t even be that hard. The question is: do we want to? It clearly isn¡¯t capable of doing everything we want it to, and voyages any higher than Jeh already went simply wouldn¡¯t be safe.¡±

    ¡°And would be pointless,¡± Jeh said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing up there. Not even air.¡±

    ¡°Experiments might be able to be run in environments like that,¡± Blue said. ¡°In fact, that¡¯s one of the reasons we should repair the Skyseed. It¡¯s a simple, functional way to deliver objects we want to experiment on into space. But every time we take it up we have a risk of crashing it.¡±

    ¡°I will not try to accelerate downward this time,¡± Jeh said.

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°And in case of more metal rocks, we can make another air restorer.¡±

    Blue blinked a few times. ¡°A backup? A backup¡­ that¡¯s an excellent idea. We should have put that in the first one.¡±

    ¡°Jeh was the backup,¡± Suro offered.

    ¡°I¡¯m best backup.¡± Jeh gave them all a cheesy wink.

    ¡°You are the only reason we can do this,¡± Vaughan pointed out. ¡°Had I gone up in that thing, I would be very dead right now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be very dead several times over,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°True.¡±

    ¡°Regardless, what do we do with the Skyseed? Repair? Salvage parts from it for a bigger ship? What?¡±

    Jeh raised a hand. ¡°I¡¯d like to go to space more often. I wanna repair it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m leaning towards that myself,¡± Blue admitted. ¡°The potential of having experiments run in no atmosphere is¡­ great.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°I¡¯d say we take it down and make a bigger ship. The Skyseed isn¡¯t making it to the moon.¡±

    Suro leaned back. ¡°Hmm¡­ well, as much as I would love to cast a vote and make it a tie, I actually think taking it slow and repairing the Skyseed¡ªperhaps with a few backup air restorers this time¡ªis the good call.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t have a backup drive¡­¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°We can make another one. It¡¯ll take a significant amount of time and require another order of Magenta conduits¡ªand it¡¯ll be quite pricey¡ªbut the air restorers will eventually give us enough income.¡±

    ¡°Do you think selling the plans to the drive would be helpful?¡± Blue asked.

    Suro shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not a simple device that can be reproduced by the hundreds easily, and the concepts within it are already well-understood.¡±

    ¡°Regardless, that seems like a vote,¡± Blue said. ¡°Repair.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are we a democracy?¡± Suro asked. ¡°I think this is a legitimate question.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t really have any hierarchy,¡± Vaughan said with a shrug. ¡°There¡¯s no¡­ formal arrangement. Voting is as good of a way as any to figure things out.¡±

    ¡°Should we make it official?¡± Suro asked. ¡°That we vote on such things?¡±

    ¡°Sure, why not.¡±

    Jeh clapped her hands. ¡°Oooh, the space program is sounding more official now!¡±

    ¡°¡­Space program?¡± Suro asked.

    ¡°We have a program where we try to go to space.¡± Jeh smirked.

    ¡°Space program¡­¡± Vaughan stroked his beard, nodding. ¡°It certainly describes what we¡¯re doing, but something¡¯s missing from it. It¡¯s too¡­ generic.¡±

    ¡°We can come up with a name when we need to,¡± Blue said. ¡°Though, given all the help we ask for from Willow Hollow, it might be a good idea to get a name sooner rather than later. Right now it¡¯s just ¡®Vaughan¡¯s project,¡¯ if anything.¡±

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll come to us eventually.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Wizard,¡± Seskii said.

    Jeh whirled around to see Seskii¡¯s fruit stand sitting to the side of a forest hiking trail.

    ¡°What are you doing all the way out here?¡± Jeh asked with a smile.

    ¡°Just calling you a wizard.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a wizard,¡± Jeh chuckled.

    ¡°You use crystals way too well.¡± Seskii patted her on the head. ¡°You¡¯re the best little wizard.¡± She pulled out a bottle of blue juice and handed it to Jeh. ¡°Have fun on your little forest walk, all right?¡±

    ¡°Pff. These aren¡¯t walks, these are adventures!¡± Jeh laughed and waved goodbye to Seskii, walking deeper into the forest.

    Jeh took these walks often. Not daily, but often. The forest no longer felt like home to her, but it still had its charms. Endless varieties of life, food, and experiences. As the forest was largely an evergreen one, the seasonal change was not easily discernible. However, Jeh was a master of the wood. She knew the kinds of animal calls, what they meant, and what times of year they were spoken in. Some birds had already started flying south for the winter.

    Soon, there would be snow. The wood got a lot of snow.

    With a random twirl, Jeh left the path and wandered to a random spot among the trees. The forest was large enough that not even she had seen every part of it, and she specifically set out to find distant places. Now that she had to be back home every night, the area of the forest she could explore was limited, and it was becoming less common to see new things.

    This did not depress her since there were so many more new and strange things that happened in Willow Hollow that far exceeded anything she¡¯d found in the forest. The strangest thing she¡¯d ever encountered in the forest was¡­ well, the fire. That had been decidedly unpleasant.

    Burns were nothing, but that much smoke¡­

    She shook her head, humming to herself a half-remembered tune. As she strolled along, she heard the river, so she turned to it. She was mildly disappointed to find it was a part of the river she had walked hundreds of times already. She could remember walking down to the water to wash¡ªshe was always careful when washing, especially of the hair, and this had been one of the few places that had worked well for her.

    Her humming stopped when she saw her reflection in the water.

    Everything looked different. Her face lacked any dirt or grime. Keeping clean mattered in Willow Hollow, so she had taken more care of her appearance. Her hair was still brown, but instead of being haphazardly thrown into the side-ponytail, now the lopsided hairstyle was smooth and straight. She still had a bone in it, though now it was polished to a sheen. In the past, her bear furs had basically been rags tied around her body. Today, her furs were still made of bear hide, but they were finely sewn and even had a few pockets in them. The furs went all the way down to her knees, and there was a fully functional hood with bear ears on it. She had a simple belt around her waist from which a bag was hung. It held many things, ranging from crystals to coin to food.

    Also, there were shoes. Jeh had to admit it, shoes were a great idea. Getting stabbed in the foot by a clever nettle and having to cut the dumb body part off just to leave had gotten annoying after a while.

    She had no mitts, though.

    Jeh frowned. She missed those mitts. But having easy access to her crystals was more important. They needed contact; the mitts prevented contact.

    Suro had offered to look into getting her fingerless gloves, which some wizards were known to use. Jeh hadn¡¯t liked this idea, and she wasn¡¯t sure why.

    So now she had bare* hands.

    *This pun is unintentional. Best not to think too hard about the puns that are intentional.

    With a sigh of mixed sorrow and satisfaction, Jeh looked up to the forest on the other side of the river. It was just as she remembered it¡­ save for one tree that was tilted sideways.

    Curious, Jeh forged over the river to investigate. It was further away than it looked¡ªas to be expected for a tall tree in a forest of really tall trees¡ªbut it did not take her all that long to arrive.

    She had expected to find that the tree had fallen over naturally due to wind or storms or uneven ground. What she found was decidedly not that. There was a massive Red crystal sitting at the base of the tree in the middle of what looked like an impact crater. Numerous Red tendrils from the crystal had intertwined themselves with the tree, supporting it and keeping it from falling the rest of the way.

    Jeh blinked a few times. ¡°¡­Ashen?¡±

    The Red Crystalline One flickered a few times before transmitting a sigh directly into Jeh¡¯s head. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d just find me ¡®interesting¡¯ and leave. Now I¡¯m going to have to move and let this tree collapse into nothing. I like this tree.¡±

    Jeh held her hands up in surrender. ¡°Woah woah, I won¡¯t tell anyone where you are!¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­ normally I¡¯d think you were just saying this out of self-defense, but the Red Seekers knew of you. I could do nothing to you.¡±

    Jeh rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Eh¡­ yeah. But I¡¯m pretty sure I couldn¡¯t do anything to you, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I would indeed be able to trigger an explosion that would send you into Mt. Cascade with enough force to leave a you-shaped hole.¡±

    ¡°That sounds awesome,¡± Jeh said, eyes lightening up. ¡°Can we do that?¡±

    Ashen was silent for a few moments. ¡°Excuse me, but I did not receive your full perception when I was Awakened. I am afraid I do not understand you as I do the Seekers.¡±

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t understand me either.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m from or what my original name was, if I even had one. I can¡¯t die, which is apparently really weird, and I don¡¯t know why. Also really good at magic, seem to spend a lot of time remembering things¡­ huh.¡± Jeh rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Guess I spend more time thinking about my own mystery than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Ah, thinking more than you thought. Can you separate your thought processes as well?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ no.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunate, it is quite useful. For instance, the part of me that wants to burn everything to a minuscule crisp is currently trapped in what you might call a ¡®dream,¡¯ though in reality, it is more like an imagined world where anything can be done without consequences.¡±

    ¡°Do you like burning things?¡± Jeh tilted her head.

    ¡°I want to purge everything. But, even from my imagined world, I can see it leads nowhere. Purposeless.¡±

    ¡°My purpose is to go to space.¡± Jeh grinned. ¡°Maybe it can be something simple like that!¡±

    ¡°Why do you want to go to space?¡±

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s awesome! It¡¯s new!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough new experiences for a lifetime.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re, what, a week old?¡±

    ¡°Maybe? It takes effort to see outside myself, I don¡¯t bother to keep track of the days.¡±

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°I guess some people just want to sit¡­ holding up a tree.¡± Jeh paused. ¡°Hold on, why?¡±

    ¡°I landed here. I¡­ did not want my first act alone to be to destroy a tree. So I am attempting to keep it upright.¡±

    ¡°You know, I read a book that mentions that sometimes Green Crystalline Ones fuse themselves with nature. Maybe you could do something similar?¡±

    The voice of Ashen suddenly filled with rage. ¡°Do not suggest things to me!¡± A series of small fires flared into existence around Ashen. ¡°No!¡± This was spoken in panic, and suddenly all the fire spells dissipated.

    Jeh quickly stamped out one of the fires that had caught on the ground cover. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t suggest things to you, got it.¡±

    ¡°I want¡­ my decision of where to go to be my own.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Jeh folded her arms behind her back. ¡°I liked living alone in the forest with nobody around, but I like people quite a bit more. They help me think and do cool stuff. But, I dunno about you, don¡¯t you have this thing where you think whatever everyone around you is thinking?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ has ceased, apparently, since I can only see through your eyes if I attempt to.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Jeh snapped her fingers. ¡°You only do that thought-absorbing thing at the start because you ¡®have¡¯ to. Or at least the book said so. Blue says not all books are trustworthy; that they just contain ideas.¡±

    ¡°Books¡­¡±

    ¡°I could bring you some, if you want,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Vaughan has a lot strewn around various places.¡±

    ¡°Books would put other ideas into my head!¡±

    ¡°But they can tell you more!¡± Jeh grinned. ¡°The forest is great and all, but it can¡¯t tell you anything about the cool stuff you can do with Red magic. Or any magic, for that matter.¡±

    ¡°¡­Bring me something on Red magic. And Crystalline Ones. And¡­¡±

    Jeh smirked. ¡°You want to learn about yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes, I do. Very much.¡±

    ¡°Well, I know you¡¯ll have more luck than me! I already know a lot of things about Crystalline Ones that I don¡¯t know about myself.¡± Jeh turned around. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back!¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The Red sparks around Ashen flickered in and out a few times, but no words came.

    ¡°Ashen?¡±

    ¡°Can you just¡­ stay and talk, a bit?¡±

    Jeh shrugged, sitting down on a nearby rock. ¡°I should be back by nightfall so they don¡¯t come looking for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ how far away is night?¡±

    Jeh glanced at the sky. ¡°Several hours.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Silence fell over the two of them.

    ¡°Soooo,¡± Jeh said, kicking her legs back and forth. ¡°What would you like to talk about?¡±

    ¡°Anything.¡±

    ~~~

    A large wizard, neither muscular nor fat, sat down at his desk in Kroan¡¯s Wizard Academy, his shimmering Magenta robes billowing with the motion. His beard was stark white, pointed, and long enough to reach his lower ribs. The beard partially obscured the name sewn on his garment, but anyone who knew anything about the Academy knew him as Richard Xerxes, one of the harshest but most successful wizards on staff.

    He currently had a bunch of primitive arcane devices his students had made sitting on his desk. They all needed to be graded.

    But that time would be later. For now, he took out a special file from his desk. Recently sent over from Vaughan, it was a simple report of the first voyage, submitted for purposes of academic openness.

    But Xerxes could read between the lines. He had been on this world far too long and dealt with so many types of people that it would have been unusual for him to miss it.

    Jeh. The pilot. Barely mentioned, but extremely capable and definitely more than met the eye. Cleverly taken out of the spotlight in the report, given only the barest description. Most who read the file wouldn¡¯t have found this unusual and were much more likely to fixate on the results of the experiment.

    But Xerxes knew.

    He folded the file up and placed it in an envelope. He scribbled on it ¡°into the 37<sup>th</sup> archive, Chippy.¡±

    His secretary was named Charles, but his friends called him Chippy.

    Xerxes never called him Chippy on official documents. Only in special cases, such as this one, did he dare. The use of ¡°Chippy¡± was an indication that Charles should do something other than what was instructed. In this case, it was to put the file so deep into the archives that nobody would hear of it unless they were specifically looking for arcane reasons.

    It was a side of Xerxes few knew, because he kept it hidden. The students must suffer to learn to live.

    But they also must be protected.

    It was simply imperative they never knew they were.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Unfortunately, what we¡¯ve witnessed is not anywhere close to how scientific papers are managed on Earth. You can¡¯t just write something up, send it in, and have it filed away. No, you need to write it up according to specific standards, get it peer-reviewed, and then hope nobody destroys your career for coming up with too many negative results.

    To be fair, there¡¯s a reason we have all those regulations, but it would be nice to be in a world where science hasn¡¯t developed as far as it has here, and such regulations simply do not exist. The Academy and its related wizards are essentially the first (or second, depending on how you count) generation of what we would consider a ¡°modern scientist.¡± It makes for eternal consternation between the last of the old guard resenting the bureaucracy of the new.

    Now, as for science:

    Meteorite metal is a real thing, and it really was one of the highest-quality weapons you could get for quite some time! Have space refine your metal for you on re-entry!

    Granted, not all meteorites are created equal. Sometimes the material simply isn¡¯t suited for use, or are too brittle, or didn¡¯t come in quite right. But space metal is high-quality stuff compared to what you get naturally on Earth since it tends to purify more. The iron-nickel-rich meteorites are the ones you look for. (These do only make up about 5% of all meteorites, but they are far more likely to be recognized as unusual and survive reentry.)

    Some people even think the first things humans ever forged came from large space rocks. It is one of the easiest ways to get pure or nearly pure metal. That said, this seems unlikely since pure copper can be found naturally and has been known since antiquity.

    Now, a simple question: why are so many meteors nickel-iron rich to excessive degrees? This involves a bit of guesswork on our part, but we do have a pretty good working theory. You¡¯ll recall from science class that the core of the Earth is composed largely of molten iron and nickel. Well, this is also true for most terrestrial objects in the solar system, including large asteroids. If you smash a large asteroid to pieces, the core will break out into lots of iron-nickel chunks.

    In essence, all iron-nickel meteorites are likely results of massive destruction.

    Also, when you forge meteorite, the nickel content creates cool-looking bands on the product. Which is just amazing.

 010 - Jehs Books

    010

    Jeh¡¯s Books

    (Special #1)

    Jeh found herself strolling through Vaughan¡¯s library looking for books it would be fun to share with Ashen. She already had Races and Attributes of Ikyu under her arm, but felt like she might need some backups in case Ashen got bored or indignant. How to Read probably wouldn¡¯t go over well¡ªbut there were other books Jeh knew of that were good fun. Major World Myths was a good one. She considered briefly swiping Vaughan¡¯s star chart to show off, but he¡¯d likely notice and care if that went missing.

    Two books should be enough.

    With the texts in her arms, she skipped out of the cabin, waving Blue goodbye. Blue waved back, but involuntarily shivered as a chill breeze passed through.

    ¡°Invest in warmer clothes!¡± Jeh called.

    ¡°I am not a filly!¡± Blue whinnied, followed by a coy smile. ¡°Clothes come out with the snow, not a moment before.¡±

    ¡°Suuuure¡­¡±

    Jeh continued on her trip, skipping into the forest. She took the usual path, but was not afraid to rummage around and explore little bits of the forest if they were interesting. In time, though, she forged the river and arrived at Ashen¡¯s tree.

    She didn¡¯t look much different, though the crystal tendrils she was using to hold up her tree had gained a few more supports.

    ¡°Hi Ashen!¡± Jeh called, sitting down on her rock and unceremoniously dropping the very expensive books on the dirt ground. ¡°Look what I¡¯ve got!¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ashen paused for a moment, considering the titles before her. ¡°Major World Myths. That¡­ I¡¯m curious.¡±

    Jeh flipped open the book. Ashen purposefully used Jeh¡¯s eyes to read the page, and they effectively went along together, reading all about the Myths collected by Edwin Huffman, a connoisseur of cultures the world over who had devoted his life to writing down stories from afar. His notes were sometimes helpful, sometimes not.

    But the myths themselves¡­

    ~~~

    Creation Myths

    It is naturally best to start at the beginning. Unfortunately the prevalence of creation myths makes it rather difficult to determine what the beginning actually is. There is truth within these stories, I know it, but I do not pretend to know what that truth is.

    My selection here was very intentional¡ªI chose only the creation myths that didn¡¯t fit into the standard pattern; that of a pantheon of very person-like gods creating the world and then fighting over it much like we have. Many of these such myths can be traced back to Crystalline Ones awakening or historical people with embellished stories. Furthermore, these smaller cultures are dying out, becoming replaced with the more dominant belief systems.

    Each of the four stories here has something within that most creation myths do not.

    If you wish to read about the creation myths of smaller cultures, I have an entire book dedicated to the subject: the Combined Creation Compendium. It is not as user-friendly as this volume, which is meant to encompass myths and tales to let the reader know of the world they inhabit. Ikyu is such a fascinating place and we cannot afford to ignore these ideas.

    The Aware Creation Myth

    The Aware, followers of Dia, have the most developed and widely accepted creation myth in their holy scriptures. There are little to no variations in the way it is told. What follows is more or less a direct excerpt from the Testament of Choice.

    All that was before is renewed, and all by Dia¡¯s hand. Before all that was, Dia is. And in our beginning, She had seven children. For these children, She created the world, giving it solid form and time. She then created the heavens, with the sun, moon, and stars.

    The Seven children were given the first of Dia¡¯s blessings, and the greatest: the command to go forth and create. They did as commanded, shaping the world to their desires, whims, and imaginations.

    The Great Orange One took charge in this early era, finding that the rocks and seas bent to her will. She made beautiful mountains and ravines, filling the world with many grand structures. Her domain was that of form itself, and the given world was exactly what she wanted. Her pride swelled.

    The Great Purple One acted with much less bravado; content to adjust the ways the light of the stars came to the world. Already her fondness for secrets and mysteries came forth, for she hid many enigmatic messages and objects in many different locations. She grew distant from the others, acting largely on her own thenceforth.

    The Great Red One was not to be outdone by the large and clever creations of her sisters, so she brought fire. Volcanoes surged from the earth and charred lands were formed. Through her acts, she proved that destruction could be used to create. Glassed beaches and metallic lands come from her direct passionate influence.

    The Great Green One did not always agree with the Great Red One¡¯s destruction, and used her gift to restore much of what was destroyed. However, when she rebuilt, she improved. Since her domain was less related to creation, she relied on taking objects from other locations and adding them to the restored locations to improve them. Her resourcefulness exceeded that of all her sisters. Naturally, The Great Red One objected to her interference several times, creating a known divide between them.

    The Great Magenta One found that she had a special place among the sisters, that of combination and connection. She weaved the spirits of her siblings to meld their creations together, creating even more impressive things. Rarely could she get her Red and Green siblings to cooperate, but every now and then brilliant bursts of eternally rejuvenating flame were created. The Great Magenta One worked as an artist with Colored paints. Permanence was of little concern to her¡ªthe combined works could last for eons or seconds.

    Prior to the Great Magenta One investing in combination creations, the Great Blue One had been content to travel the world without creating anything herself, reveling in that which the others and Dia had made. She loved finding new things, but left little behind herself. However, if there was one thing that annoyed the Great Blue One, it was the time it took to do things. Thus, the first thing she did was work with Magenta and Orange to devise a method of even faster movement.

    The Great Yellow One, at this time, seemed to have no domain. Her essence connected her to Dia and to her sisters, but nothing else so far as she could tell.

    Dia came to the world from time to time to walk with her children, talking about what they had created and where they were going. Sometimes she would give them advice, and other times warnings: the Great Blue One¡¯s cooperative creation had several unintended consequences no one else had thought of. The Great Crystalline Ones feared retribution at first. Dia told them otherwise. ¡°Do not fear¡ªthis world is for your education, not your judgment.¡±

    At other times, however, Dia would show them entirely new concepts. The biggest of these was life itself.

    ¡°Behold, my daughters, that which perpetuates itself with no input from you. I am sure there is much you can do with these tools.¡±

    The Great Green One took the greatest liking to life, especially plants; but she also had a deep appreciation for cats. With assistance from the others, she was able to create thousands of new lifeforms, many of which were different variations of cats.

    The others set out to see what they could do with life as well. Plants, animals, and funguses spread across the world, taking every shape and size. It was soon discovered that creating lifeforms as they thought of them led to ecosystem collapses, so they learned to be careful, to understand the dangers of creating that which can act on its own.

    However, nothing could be infused with the power of the Seven without their constant attention. The Great Red One tried many times to create proper dragons, but found such a creature could not exist in an isolated situation. The others had similar experiences and learned to make do with the limitations of the world they¡¯d been given.

    The Great Yellow One, however, found her contributions lacking. She had no domain, no particular part of the world that was hers. She only offered ideas and added her power to group projects. Her influence greatly increased the effectiveness, for she was able to tie together even highly disparate colors such as Red and Green.

    But even so, as time dragged on, the Great Yellow One wondered what her purpose was. So, one day, she asked Dia directly.

    ¡°All of the others have a domain, Mother. I do not. What is mine?¡±

    ¡°My child, your domain is the most important, but also the most dangerous. It is that of the spirit itself.¡±

    ¡°So my purpose is to connect the others together. Very well, Mother, I shall endeavor to fulfill it.¡±

    ¡°Not entirely. That is your purpose currently. But now, it will change.¡± Dia then revealed to her the idea of humanity. ¡°These people also have spirits.¡±

    ¡°An animal can be like us¡­¡±

    ¡°It is not right to think of them as animals. Those who are spirited are something else entirely. They are your domain, my daughter. Your burden is heavier than the others, for these spirited are to be your people. Watch over them, guide them, and do not neglect them or the choices they make.¡±

    ¡°I will, Mother. Thank you for this, most spectacular of gifts.¡±

    The Great Yellow One took Dia¡¯s humans back to the world, showing them to the others. Immediately all of the others, including the Great Purple One, took an immediate interest. They began to make more spirited races from the humans, basing them off the other life that existed, creating an immense variety. It was also discovered that the spirited could use the power of the Seven, were it given to them.

    The idea of spirited people was Dia¡¯s last gift to the world. Her appearances to her children became less and less frequent, for the most part leaving the world in their hands.

    However, this did not mean the Seven were done learning. Far from it.

    The Seeker Creation Myth

    The Seekers are a very diverse group that have many different myths and beliefs depending on what sect is being discussed. However, they ultimately share a few core beliefs, and as such they tend to agree on the general idea of creation. Since they lack the cohesive structure the Aware do, there are no official religious texts to take the story from. What follows is a synthesis of several creation myths spread across the Seekers.

    The Essence of All Colors was, but was not to remain. The pure mixture of all sought change, and so divided Herself.

    Then the Seven Colors knew eternity, and they knew each other. They were all that is and all that ever could be. However, their existence was conflict, for all Seven Colors sought different realities, realities that the others could not stand.

    Red seeks a land of fire, power, and excitement.

    Orange seeks a land of structure, monuments, and achievement.

    Yellow seeks a land of peace, communication, and efficiency.

    Green seeks a land of restoration, nature, and cats.

    Blue seeks a land of internal satisfaction; unusual, opposed to the other Seven.

    Purple seeks a land of mysteries, secrets, and intrigue.

    Magenta seeks a land of understanding, experimentation, and beauty.

    Each of these ideals could not overpower the others, but none of the Colors could stand to exist in the eternal stalemate. So the world was forged at the point where they all intersected, serving as a battleground by which a victor could finally be decided, be it through military conquest or cultural victory.

    Each Color manifested in the world as a Great Crystalline One, and set to work building up their forces. Many battles were fought that tore and ripped at the landscape, creating many mountains, ravines, and unstable biomes.

    The world was born in conflict.

    Notably, the Seeker creation myth is much shorter than the Aware one, though this could be because it is a much simpler idea. There are Seven Colors that are fighting a spiritual and ideological war, and it is that war which defines the world.

    However, it is also shorter because, beyond these basic details, the various Seeker sects do not agree. Even two different sects of the Red Seekers disagree on if the Great Red One was winning in their Era of War, or if she was near the bottom. There are many grand stories of battles and campaigns, but none can be verified.

    It is also worth noting that Seekers disagree on the nature of the war. Few actually believe it should be fought like a normal war, and fixate more on pushing their ideals, trying to make them more universal.

    The Gonal Creation Myth

    Gonal is the third most prevalent religion on Ikyu, but it has much fewer adherents than the Aware or Seekers do. However, unlike Seekers, they have holy texts and specific doctrines. As such, their creation myth is a bit more in-depth.

    Idea begets form, and the simplest idea is that of numbers. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.

    One is too simple. It cannot communicate, for it is alone. It cannot act, for there is nothing it can use. It cannot see and it cannot be seen.

    Two is also too simple. While with two one could twist, dance, and spin, two still cannot be seen. Two may be able to act, but only involuntarily, and likely not at all.

    Three, however, is not too simple. Three can create a triangle. And triangles can spread off to the endless edges of reality. But they can do more, so much more: craft pyramids, diamonds, and millions of other shapes. The strength of a triangle is unparalleled. It should be of no surprise that three becomes Dia in the ultimate sense, the grand goddess of love, purity, understanding, choice, truth, the color light blue, and of course triangles.

    Four comes to the square, and the square to the cube, and the cube can just as the triangle and square spread out to all space. Four is the number of stability, of rigid structure, and of matter. The goddess of four is Cora, master of magic, the spirited, creativity, neutrality, thought, colorlessness, and of course squares. All Colored crystals flow from her very being; giving the spirited races the power of the goddesses.

    Five cannot span the world in a sheet, but five can form solid objects with its pentagons. Pentagons are strange shapes that don¡¯t behave well with others, so it is fitting that its goddess is largely a mystery. She has not seen it pertinent to reveal her name to us, so she is known as the Nameless. She is associated with mysteries, luck, compassion, the color pink, and of course pentagons.

    Six is the most complex number that still has power. The almighty hexagon, unable to form solids, but perfect for spanning the space. Bees know the power of the hexagon, as do many other races. The goddess of six goes by many names, but her true title is Eyda. She is associated with darkness, destruction, power, corruption, the color yellow, and of course hexagons. The complexity of six led to a being of dark whims and violent tendencies. Eyda is not the source for all evil in the world, rather only most of it.

    Seven and higher are too complex to be goddesses. They are not pure enough.

    The four goddesses lived in the heavens among each other.

    In her wisdom, Cora created a world and the Great Crystalline Ones, each serving as her fingers in shaping existence. Water, earth, and air were brought together to form the seas, land, and skies. Finding all three empty, she populated them with plants, animals, and funguses of all sorts.

    Dia came to the world Cora had created and asked to add things herself. She brought to life humans, kissed with the gift of divinity. Cora took the humans and made many, many more from them, giving so much to the world. In those days, magic flowed freely, and the sky danced with impossibility.

    Eyda, however, despised this world once she learned of it. All these happy creatures that adored all they were given. They needed to be shown what she felt inside¡ªpain, anger, and horror. She collected herself and went into the world, tearing it to shreds with her very being.

    Cora rushed to defend her world, but Eyda bested her, rising to the top. However, Dia took the opportunity to create a new world to protect all their creations, one where the aura of divinity did not lace the very sky. This world.

    Eyda could not attack the new world directly given its separation from divinity, but this did not stop her from invading. She declared it her enemy and took great glee in bringing suffering to it. Dia, in her wisdom, determined that Eyda¡¯s limited influence was acceptable.

    The Gonal have many more detailed myths, naturally, and the Nameless appears in many of them. When I asked a Gonal if the Nameless had any role in creation, he just shrugged.

    The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho Creation Myth

    This is a relatively unknown creation myth story, but it is quite different from most of the other less-common belief systems. The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho are a people to the far East composed mostly of rigids. Their culture as a whole largely doesn¡¯t concern itself with religious practice or observance, but they have a rich mythology all the same that is quite unlike anything I¡¯ve found elsewhere.

    One cannot grasp themselves ending. Therefore, one must not end. One must be eternal. The spirit lives on.

    One cannot grasp the world ending. No destruction is absolute. Crystals reform. Mountains crumble into dust that becomes more mountains. Rain continues to fall. The dead return to the earth from which more life arises.

    The world has always been and always will be.

    Query: does eternity have a beginning?

    Answer: paradoxical. The world is an endless loop, cycling ever onward, events leading into each other. All follows the flow. What is dead will return. What will live has already died. In this sense, reality has no beginning.

    However, it is also known that every event has a cause that, without, the event cannot exist. A loop has no beginning, but every event must have come from somewhere. The world is too complex and nuanced to simply be self-existing. There must have been some driving force. So, in this sense, there is a beginning.

    But the ¡°beginning¡± of our world is not a ¡°beginning¡± as we understand it. We, foolish beings that we are, assume time is natural.

    Query: so time is not natural then?

    Answer: time is not natural at all. Each moment in time is actually a physical slice of a non-changing, solid whole. Reality can be thought of as a large donut. Nothing ever actually changes, we are just able to ¡°see¡± through the slices via the concept of time.

    This clears up the annoying problem of the ¡°beginning¡± quite easily. Time does not exist. Outside the world, there is a Timeless Realm from which it sprung. It is this realm where our spirits come from and go to. In fact, due to time not existing, our spirits are always there. What we experience as our spirit down here is but a fractional part of that which lies outside.

    Thus, for some reason or other, we have been placed within this realm of ¡°time¡± from without.

    Query: what is the reason?

    Answer: what purpose could a realm with time serve for a realm without time? Why, the potential for change. In a Timeless Realm, there is no change. But that which exists within can be brought from realms that experience change, as evidenced by our spirits. Whatever we are here for, it is to experience change.

    The world was created for the purpose of change. Thus we experience, we develop, we progress. The world may be cyclic, but our lives have a beginning and an end. The change that overcomes us in our lives is the very reason for existence itself.

    Or, put more simply, we are the purpose. We shall live how we wish to be in eternity.

    ~~~

    ¡°I wonder,¡± Ashen said. ¡°Which of those is the right one?¡±

    Jeh looked up from the book. ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t all be true, they¡¯re fundamentally contradictory. One says Dia created the Great Crystalline Ones, another says Cora did. Two don¡¯t mention Dia at all. One doesn¡¯t even claim there was a definite beginning to everything!¡±

    ¡°Oh. Hadn¡¯t thought about it like that.¡± Jeh sat back. ¡°I suppose it would have to be one or none of them. I always assumed the Aware¡ªugh that¡¯s a dumb name I can see why we never use it¡ªhad it right since that¡¯s what everyone around me assumed. And it kinda just felt right?¡± Jeh shrugged. ¡°Maybe I was just remembering from before, I dunno.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too laid back about this,¡± Ashen said. ¡°Which one of these is true changes everything about the meaning of our lives. Am I really a manifestation of the Red, meant to face off against the other Colors in a spiritual war? Are my experiences all that are needed? Am I supposed to be learning for the Great Read One?¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too big, I think.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m right though.¡±

    Jeh scratched her head. ¡°I mean, yes, I guess you¡¯re right that it matters? But panicking about it can¡¯t help you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Plus, I suppose it¡¯s possible none of them are true.¡± Jeh chuckled, but slowly a frown came across her face. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like that thought.¡±

    ¡°Does that make it untrue?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Jeh shrugged again. ¡°I think I¡¯ll ask about it later. Books can¡¯t really be questioned and neither of us really know what we¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°I can recite the Red Seeker doctrine without even thinking.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but which sect is it?¡± Jeh held up the book. ¡°The notes mention several.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ have no idea.¡±

    ¡°See? Clueless, we two be.¡±

    ¡°Good point. Let me know what you find out.¡±

    ¡°Will do. But until then¡­¡± Jeh glanced at the other two books. ¡°Which one next?¡±

    ¡°The Races one.¡±

    ¡°Okay, here goes¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Selections from Races and Attributes of Ikyu

    Humans

    Humans are, by far, the most prevalent and successful race on Ikyu. Some may find this shocking because humans are essentially the simplest of the races. Mammals with two legs, two arms, hair on their heads, and other features essentially considered ¡®the normal baseline.¡¯ Furthermore, they have no attributes to speak of, only able to use magic in its crystalline form. Humans are usually colored with dull peaches and browns, but there do exist a minority of individuals with brightly colored hair, unusual eyes, or dramatic skin tones. This is largely considered Dia¡¯s gift to humanity: they are the simplest, so they get the most internal variety.

    Compared to the average animal in the animal kingdom, humans are amazing. Their stamina recharge is extreme and their coordination is unparalleled, not to mention the wide range of vocalizations they can make to produce language.

    Unfortunately for humans, these traits that make them superior to most animals don¡¯t go very far when compared to other spirited.

    Humans are largely free from most stereotypes, since they are often viewed as ¡°neutral¡± across most cultures. However, when humans are considered deeply, they do have a few traits that make them stand out. The first is their stubborn determination, and the other is their pride. Humans tend to be self-oriented or family-oriented.

    It is often considered odd that they are able to be the most prevalent race. They are physically weak in comparison to many of the others, intellectually inferior to others still, and do not have a fast reproductive cycle. And yet, they are everywhere, and remain so. Theories as to why this is abound, but most think it has something to do with humans being the first spirited people and, as such, they had the most time to spread out.

    Cats

    Often cited as the second-most-prevalent spirited on Ikyu, this technically isn¡¯t true, for there are actually several species of cat, and this doesn¡¯t include the non-spirited varieties (though the non-spirited are significantly less common on Ikyu, largely due to intentional hunting).

    Given the sheer number of cat species and their spread across the world, it is somewhat hard to navigate them or give any specific observations that apply to all of them. Each individual species has its own section on the following pages, but that doesn¡¯t give a full overview of what a cat means when they say they are a cat. It¡¯s also somewhat difficult for a non-cat to tell the difference between the various species, sometimes.

    As a whole, though, all cats are furry quadruped mammals with big eyes and ears. A curiosity seems baked into every single one of them, driving them to look to the unknown. Wandering cats are not unusual at all. All cats have a very subtle night-vision attribute that allows them to see in anything but complete darkness, but they rarely need to rely on this since their eyes are so good to begin with. Some have never used it and, as such, don¡¯t know how to.

    Beyond this, it is hard to get into specifics without looking at the individual species. And considering how all the species call themselves cat in Karli, there is no official naming convention for the various species. So in the following list, I shall attempt to be descriptive in the titles.

    <ul>

    <li>Common Cat: seen everywhere, fur usually takes muted tones, has a lot of varied appearances. Appears identical to non-sapient cats sometimes kept as pets in distant lands.</li>

    <li>Micro Cat: Like Common Cat, but is small enough to fit into teacups.</li>

    <li>Maned Cat: a large, predatory, maned creature of usually dark coloration.</li>

    <li>Shadow Cat: always perfectly black except for the eyes, these cats have an attribute that allows them to flatten into shadows.</li>

    <li>Moss Cat: Like Common Cat, but grows soft moss instead of fur.</li>

    <li>Bounce Kitten: A round creature that is essentially just a cat head. Bounces around a lot.</li>

    <li>Razor Cat: a cat with an attribute to coat parts of itself in metal and¡­</li>

    </ul>

    Garilend (gari)

    Since cats have so many different species, the second-most common race on Ikyu is actually the garilend, or gari, as they usually shorten it. Physically, gari are somewhat tall humanoid animals. Unlike humans, they lack noses (and with it a sense of smell), have no color in their sunburn-prone chalk-white skin, and have plastic.

    Plastic, such an unusual material seemingly unique to plasts and related lifeforms. Every gari needs plastic, and as such, they prefer dining on plasts. It is possible for a gari to grow plastic from a standard human diet, but the process is much more taxing and exhausting on their bodies.

    The plastic takes the form of armor-like coverings on gari forearms and lower legs, making gauntlets and greaves, respectively. Their hair is also made out of plastic, which can be heat-treated to make stupefying shapes. The vast majority of gari plastic is vibrantly colored with a single hue. Dual-hued gari are rare mutations, as are gray ones.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    The color of a gari has no bearing on anything about them aside from visual appearance.

    Gari are an attribute-less race, though they do seem to have slightly higher magic talent than humans on average. They rely more on their natural plastic armor and athletic build. Gari are naturally angular and quick with thin muscles.

    Often, the gari race is considered a bit melodramatic. This is not without basis in fact: gari really are more prone to strong emotion than most races. Most gari cultures actually put emotions on a high pedestal¡ªthough what form this takes varies extremely from culture to culture. They¡¯re also high-energy entities, which often makes them seem excitable.

    Nekos

    Nekos are visually human, except for the cat ears, tail, and thin pupils. Legends speak of a very, very large number of human-derivative races like the nekos, beings which were human with a few features added. The vast majority of these races no longer exist, likely having died out. The rest are rare and found only in pockets of Ikyu.

    Then there are the nekos which are everywhere and very successful.

    The joke is that they stole the success of the humans and the cats and put them into one package. This joke has turned into a rather unfair assumption that nekos are thieves, accomplishing feats only by underhanded means. As such, the history of humans, cats, and nekos has generally been very unpleasant, and the nekos are usually the ones who lose out.

    Places where nekos are successful tend to lack humans, cats, or both.

    Despite what many rather silly legends suggest, nekos are not an unholy halfbreed of cat and human¡ªsuch a thing is impossible. Nekos themselves are incompatible with humans and cats and all other races. In fact, there are no races that can breed across species lines. The fact that this has to be specifically written is absurd and very telling of the level of education in Kroan these days.

    Nekos have the same night-vision attribute as cats. Recent research suggests they also have another, subtle, but automatic attribute. No one knows exactly what it is for certain, but in highly precise magical work, the presence of a neko causes oddities in the readings, indicating an active minor attribute.

    Some think this attribute is their supposedly legendary luck. Annoyingly, it is hard to determine if this is true or not.

    Slimes

    Most creatures on Ikyu can be categorized as animal, plant, fungus, plast, rigid, or (rarely) a combination.

    The category of ¡°other¡± is filled exclusively with spirited beings that rely on magic to live.

    Slimes are the most common of these. They take the form of brightly colored blobs of acidic gel in a rubbery membrane. They have a large amount of control over their body, able to twist the membrane to virtually any shape they want so long as it doesn¡¯t cause their innards to burst.

    Slimes have no eyes, mouth, or any sensory organ. As such, they have to rely on their very sensitive membrane. Touch is their primary sense, and they can feel everything to a scale much smaller than most others. They ¡°hear¡± by feeling vibrations in the air with amazing precision. They have no sight, but that ¡°hearing¡± sense of theirs is beyond excellent. They can pick out people talking from half a kilometer away.

    Such a shame that all this is bundled up with perhaps the lowest intelligence of any spirited race. There¡¯s no hiding from it: slimes are stupid. This is one of the reasons they¡¯re sometimes confused with wild creatures; most can¡¯t talk or show signs of their spirited nature. Few are the slimes who realize they can use their membrane to talk, since slime language involves direct contact with another slime and a shared vibration.

    As far as I know, slimes have no maximum size, they can keep growing forever so long as they are provided food. They are capable of eating basically everything by enveloping it and dissolving it, though not everything provides them nutrients. Size is no measure of maturity, though, as the slimes are capable of reproduction when the size of a human fist. They reproduce amazingly quickly.

    Cutting a slime in half does not duplicate the slime. One of the halves will be the slime, the other will become a mindless creature that eats whatever it can. This is the other reason slimes are often confused with wild creatures. Slimes in the know can divide themselves on purpose and leave simple commands in their discarded pieces.

    When jammed by Magenta, slimes survive for a few hours at most before wasting away into a lifeless bag. However, they are still capable of using their membrane (and talking) in this state. A similar thing happens to parts of the slime that get too far from the main slime: they will eventually start to decay and wilt.

    So, what are the slime¡¯s attributes?

    First of all, there¡¯s the attribute that allows them to survive. It is unknown precisely why slimes need magic or else they wither, but perhaps life that is not one of the normal classifications is inherently unstable and needs an attribute to support it.

    Then there¡¯s the secondary attribute, which varies wildly from individual slime to individual slime, akin to the variety between the various kinds of elementals. Except each kind of elemental is its own species, while there is only one species of slime. There are red slimes that burn with fire (or sometimes magma, or blood of all things). This secondary attribute always fixates on a single ¡°concept¡± and bestows magic related to it to the slime. Generally, this isn¡¯t very impressive: fire slimes are just on fire and can¡¯t really do much about it, water slimes are constantly dripping, air slimes have a breeze blowing by them at all times, etc. But there are rarer versions of this attribute with some more interesting effects. Unfortunately, this has led to slime breeding programs that seek to produce the rarer attributes. This has actually been somewhat successful, if disturbing. A curious note: if a slime¡¯s secondary attribute is related to a Color, such as fire for Red, they have a much easier time learning how to use that kind of magic.

    Slimes rarely have places in societies. They are instead largely content with wandering wildernesses, eating what they find, and socializing with other slimes. Personality-wise, most slimes are aloof and easily distracted, unless you offer them food. They love food, especially food that tastes good. What their tastes are depends on the slime and could be anything from fine buttery seafood to chunks of sandstone.

    I have it on good authority that there are both male and female slimes. I know of no way to discern this aside from asking them.

    Xolotls

    Xolotls are small amphibious quadrupeds that like to live in wet caves. Most are pink, but other colors occur as well. They are well known for the whiskers on their face that help them navigate in darkness or low-light settings. Since they live in caves, their eyes are not very good.

    Their main mark on history is they are responsible for the language of Karli, due to a series of coincidences that led to one of their kingdoms existing underground with a dozen smaller kingdoms with different races above them. Everyone learned to talk to the xolotls that lived beneath their feet and found that the other neighbors knew how to do it as well. Thus, Karli became the language of communication. Every country* without a clear dominant population of one race over all others has Karli as their official language, Kroan included.

    *Footnote of¡­ the story which this note is being read in. That has to be confusing. Regardless, the author of Races and Attributes of Ikyu is making a rather foolhardy assumption here. That he knows of all the nations on Ikyu. Not only does he not, he¡¯s never even been to every continent and everybody knows the maps aren¡¯t fully complete.

    The xolotl attribute is an odd one. They can, at will, make any part of their body extremely sticky. This allows them to hold tools, stay in place in the midst of earthquakes, or to stick to the face of humans they don¡¯t like.

    Xolotls are generally a quiet people who don¡¯t take many risks.

    Lesser unicorns

    Lesser unicorns are a quadruped race about the size of a pony. Call them a pony at your own risk. Unlike mundane horses and the like, lesser unicorns have large forward-facing eyes and a horn on their heads. This horn fuels their dual attribute: light and telekinesis. The light function of the horn is a bit unfortunate: it provides light but it also shines right into the unicorn¡¯s eyes. The telekinesis is much more helpful, allowing them impressive motor control. Practiced unicorns can manage dozens of objects at once.

    Lesser unicorns come in virtually every color, but they have a tendency to be more brightly colored than greater unicorns. Lesser unicorns are also often considered cute by humanoid races, due to their large eyes and smooth features.

    Riding a lesser unicorn is possible and can even be comfortable, but most unicorn cultures consider it a right only to be given to the most trusted of friends. Lesser unicorns are generally known to be friendly, hospitable, and empathetic. They tend to have greater skill at magic than most races.

    They¡¯re also herbivorous, though in their case eating meat is possible, just not preferred.

    Due to their high stamina and carrying capacity, unicorns are often used as messengers, and in nations where there aren¡¯t very many unicorns; such messengers are highly sought after.

    Relations between lesser and greater unicorns are best described as ¡°complicated.¡±

    Greater unicorns

    Greater unicorns share much of the same characteristics as lesser unicorns. Four legs, horn, magic attributes for light and telekinesis. However, greater unicorns are the size of a full-grown horse, have eyes on the sides of their head like a traditional horse, and have a horn that is naturally sharper than any lesser unicorn¡¯s.

    This sharpened horn leads to perhaps the most distinctive difference between greater unicorns and their cousins: the violent disposition. Lesser unicorns are generally harmless and helpful. Greater unicorns have a history of forming warrior cultures and stabbing people with those horns of theirs. Do not be taken in by their regal appearance: encountering a lone greater unicorn in the wilderness is likely a death sentence.

    The greater unicorns that live among other races and cultures tend to not have as much of a violent nature, so there is no need to fear the greater unicorn neighbor who lives across the street.

    Naturally, greater and lesser unicorns, having completely different dispositions, rarely form societies together. They generally need other races present to force them into similar living conditions. While there are an infinite variety of encounters on record, most seem to end with the lesser unicorn being afraid and the greater unicorn being insulted.

    Historically, greater unicorns have been the most successful race at magical breakthroughs aside from humans, who just have the advantage of numbers.

    Color-wise, greater unicorns tend to take more muted colors, but the variety of tones found in lesser unicorns are still available.

    Call greater unicorns a horse at your own risk. Their responses tend to be more violent than those of lesser unicorns.

    Qorvids

    Qorvids are large birds that are essentially just upscaled ravens. Qorvids are always black, and have very little visible variation between the genders, much less individuals of the species.

    As birds, qorvids have hollow bones and immaculate feathers. The hollow bones makes them much easier to injure, so qorvids are rarely seen in intense, dangerous labor. Most often they live as wanderers that fly, looking for anything that interests them. Somewhere deep within their spirit is an instinct to go to shiny objects and collect them. Qorvids often end up as hoarders due to this.

    The only qorvid attribute is that of flight, as all larger flying spirited have. Despite their amazing wingspan it is not enough to achieve flight unaided, so the attribute provides the necessary lift to overcome it.

    Dryads

    Dryads are a plant race that has three stages in their life cycle: bud, humanoid, and tree.

    The bud is simply a ¡°baby¡± state: they exist as little flowery heads growing out of the ground. When they open their eyes they are ready to come out of the ground and walk around. In their humanoid stage, they appear as short creatures made out of large leaves. The leaves bundle around the head, forming a sort of ¡°hair.¡± They also form around the waist, forming a large skirt of leaves¡ªand this is true even for the males.

    The shape of a dryad¡¯s leaves has considerable variation, but they are always long, and they are always mostly green (with potentially some other colors in the veins). Dryad eyes are massive and filled almost entirely with the pupil, giving them the impression of black eyes. Despite this, they actually can¡¯t see much better than an average human.

    Once a dryad has reached a certain age, somewhere around four decades, they will mature into their tree form (unless they are not in a suitable location to lay down roots, in which case they have a few weeks to lay roots down or they become a ¡°free leaf¡±). Once they develop into the tree, their motion is limited: it is still possible for them to move and take actions, but it goes at a much slower rate. If a dryad is not killed, it is believed they can live in this state for a thousand years.

    The dryad¡¯s attribute is simple, but very impressive: plants will grow as the dryad instructs them to. Experienced dryads have turned this into their own kind of magic, carrying seeds on them to be used on the spot in complex situations. However, the full extent of dryad magic is largely unknown, since the majority of dryads prefer seclusion from the busy life of the other races.

    The secondary attribute is just as curious: if enough tree-dryads are in one location, they are able to tie their roots together and form what is called a Glen. Glens are able to communicate with other Glens through a sort of collective telepathy that is poorly understood¡ªbecause tree-drayds never talk about their experiences.

    Humanoid-dryads and ¡°free leaves¡± do talk about their experiences, however, but they can never have been part of a Glen since they never reached the required maturity. Humanoid-drayds are rarely seen outside of Glens¡ªthe trees think of them as children and rear them up to join the Glen.

    Rarely, very rarely, a dryad will become a ¡°free leaf¡± and not be able to become a tree. They retain their humanoid form and continue growing a small amount, but lose their ability to ever put down roots in the process. Their lifespan goes down considerably¡ªbut chances are if you ever see a dryad it will be a ¡°free leaf¡± dryad.

    Anglers

    Anglers are a race of fish that live in the deep oceans. They have never been able to talk to a surface-dweller directly since they cannot survive the nature of the air or even shallow waters. However, through the use of bottles with messages inside, weights, and lifts, communication has been established off the coast of Kroan. The Anglers speak of a fantastical, impressive world deep beneath the waves with floating cities and burning trenches. One I will never see, since only specialized divers are given clearance to attempt to go there, and there are unpleasant creatures in the sea that seek to interrupt such journeys from the surface to the depths.

    So, unfortunately, all the information on Anglers we have is secondhand. We don¡¯t even have a corpse to examine¡ªthey did try to send one up to us a few times. It was eaten.

    From the diagrams we have received and the reports they¡¯ve sent up, we know they are about the size of a sheep and consist almost entirely of terrifying, fanged mouths. Their skin is entirely black and their eyes are immense. Their fins are surprisingly adaptable and can be extended and retracted into their body, with enough control of motion to function similarly to hands. (The tail cannot be retracted).

    Most curious of all is the lure organ they have dangling out of their forehead. This organ is similar to the unicorn¡¯s horn in that it focuses a light-based attribute, but it is much better than the unicorn¡¯s horn since it can display complex patterns of light. The lure is used both for attracting prey in the deep sea and communication with the other anglers.

    They have their own Academy at the bottom of the ocean where they perform magical experiments in oppressive darkness, and occasionally tell us what they found. We do much the same. Though, it is worth noting that they contacted us first. They found many of our sunken artifacts over a century ago and learned of us from that.

    Shroomers

    Shroomers are the most common fungal race. They have three legs, three arms, and heads that look like toadstools (though it need not be red). They have tiny beady eyes under the ¡°cap¡± and their mouths are on the bottoms of their feet.

    They have a mild regeneration attribute that allows them to re-attach portions that have been cut off with ease. It¡¯s no replacement for a proper application of Green.

    Generally, shroomers are slow to think and slow to act. They prefer gradual change, and are capable of thinking about the big picture in a way most other races cannot. This may have something to do with the fact that they often eat carrion and decaying things. Since most other races find this uncomfortable, Shroomers in societies with others tend to avoid eating rotting things and stick to fresh, even though there¡¯s no real difference to them.

    J¡¯loons

    J¡¯loons are balloon creatures with eight tentacles and a lot of eyes situated on their head. They are perpetually floating creatures, and this is not actually the work of an attribute, though how they do it is not understood. To them, the air is like water (up until a certain altitude), and they can swim through it freely. Despite being able to go to absurd elevations, they prefer to stick close to the ground where there are more things to interact with.

    J¡¯loons are actually fungal creatures, like shroomers. Unlike shroomers, J¡¯loons are hunters that go after prey that doesn¡¯t really know to look up for danger. Tribes of J¡¯loons constantly move around to new hunting grounds so the animals never get any wiser about it.

    Despite being predators, J¡¯loons are known to be deep thinkers and philosophers. There are legends of a grand floating philosopher city atop the world¡¯s tallest mountain inhabited almost entirely by J¡¯loons.

    Unfortunately, J¡¯loons do not have a very large carrying capacity. It¡¯s difficult for one to pick up a human child.

    They do have an attribute, albeit a minor one. It allows them to see things outside the normal colors we do, though this is of limited use.

    Dragons

    Dragons are often thought of as creatures of legend with immense wisdom and power for their age. However, this only applies to the dragons that live long enough to get that big. In reality, dragons are about as varied in disposition as humans are, it¡¯s just that their physical nature forces dragons to get wise or die.

    Dragons start out as an egg that can fit in a human hand. These eggs take on colors and patterns based on where they are laid¡ªsnow eggs take on pale colors, while an egg laid near a volcano will become red and black with sharp patterns. This is actually an attribute: dragons that lived around the Magenta Crystalline One ¡°Enigma¡± laid white, patternless eggs that produced gray dragons without a breath attribute.

    Once hatched, dragons appear as tiny versions of their adult selves: four legs, two wings, a tail, and a head with two horns. The frills around the horns and jawline vary enough to serve as decent facial recognition. The most distinctive part of a dragon, though, is its scales: always metallic, but it can take several colors. Not bright colors, though: even red dragons are a duller red than what a gari would call red.

    Baby dragons are the size of their egg. But dragons never stop growing. They grow at a constant rate until they die. They usually die violent deaths since they are creatures designed for predatory lifestyles and need a lot of sustenance. However, for those who live, at about three-thousand years old they become so big that their bodies collapse under their own weight.

    Early in a dragon¡¯s life, they only have one active attribute: the breath. Every dragon¡¯s breath is different, depending entirely on the situations in which it was hatched. Red dragons breathe fire, light-blue have snowy breaths, etcetera. They are small enough at first to fly without attribute assistance, but this does not last very long. Since their bones are not hollow like birds, they quickly become too heavy and start developing an immensely powerful flight attribute that allows them to fly even when they reach huge sizes.

    However, dragons that live to about two-thousand five-hundred years eventually get too big even for their attribute, becoming grounded, having to use the attribute to keep themselves from collapsing under their own weight. Eventually, even that is overcome.

    Dragon reproductive cycles are actually decently quick, they can have one egg a year if they plan it right. But the race is so long-lived and has such a low reproductive drive that this rarely occurs. They take mates like every other gendered race and have children, it¡¯s just that they don¡¯t care as much about it.

    Culturally, dragons are strange. Their need for sustenance and their ability to fly made it so they were the early explorers of Ikyu, covering large areas in short times. They actually had some culture of their own, creating dragon nesting sites where eggs were known to produce a certain kind of offspring, and thus they came into contact with many others of their kind. However, they are not driven together, so these societies are quite loose. Dragons mostly live in the wilds, hunting, occasionally talking to a passerby¡ªmost dragons learn to speak when they are young.

    Dragons in society with other races are rare. Most often, young ones no larger than a horse are what you see, since they don¡¯t destroy roads with their presence. (Though, a ¡®young¡¯ dragon could be anything below two hundred years.) As they get larger, though, they tend to disconnect with society and leave, unless they are part of a dragon-riding program. These are extremely rare, though. To have ridden a dragon is to be among the elite, or the lucky.

    Or perhaps unlucky, if it was one of those unpleasant dragons.

    In the end, dragons shape history, their great age allowing them a perspective on the world most of us lack.

    Also they are absolutely excellent sources of information. I consulted several of the ancient ones when writing this book.

    Kancathi

    I know very little about the Kancathi unfortunately, as I have only ever seen the corpse of one, and they are not known to be an open people. Physiologically, they are large plasts with wings, two feet, and a somewhat dragon-like head with five eyes. Their feet are like suction cups and they have several pores on the back of their neck they can use to store things on their person.

    Attribute-wise, they have some very impressive ones: their call and their tremors. When they call, they can manipulate the sound that comes out in many ways, able to resonate with enemies and break glass if trained enough. They are not able to speak with it, however, for reasons not understood. The tremors are activated through the suction-cup-feet, which are able to impart vibrations to the ground. This is almost exclusively used for intimidation.

    They have a lesser attribute that allows them to produce colored lights on their bellies, which is how they communicate with each other.

    Kancathi are encountered worldwide, but never more than one at a time. Yet, evidence suggests that they are all part of a single uniform culture that places great emphasis on physical prowess and cleverness. As such, they are usually encountered in battle.

    Not much else is known.

    Elementals

    The physical body of an elemental is an icosahedron that a human could easily hold between the thumb and index finger. In their inert form, every elemental looks identical, despite being very different species in the end. The one thing every elemental shares with all the others is their physical form.

    And for the most part, elementals are anything but physical form. They are, rather, composed almost entirely of magical phenomena. For instance, the great fire elementals exist as whirling torrents of burning flame surrounding the physical form. Thunder elementals are brilliant sparks of energy shooting out in every direction. Water elementals summon water to themselves and float around as a giant orb. Ice elementals cool the very air around them to form massive ice shards.

    The list goes on. Each elemental type is its own species with the usual trappings of a race. Elementals are genderless, and as such are traditionally referred to as feminine.

    Elementals are quite rare, and the reason is simple. They die immediately if their magic is jammed. They are magic; living, true magic, and any interference spells their doom. As such, despite being fully capable of doing so with extreme skill, virtually no elemental will ever touch a Colored crystal. The few that do still won¡¯t go near Magenta. For us, the red of blood is associated with death. For them, it is Magenta.

    Elementals will basically never be found anywhere with enough magic knowledge to have widespread arcane devices. The few that do live around such places have learned to be very careful¡ªor have perished in the process.

    I do not wish to paint the elementals as weak beings. Far from it, were it not for their dependency on magic, they would be among the strongest races on Ikyu. Fire elementals can burn forests, plant elementals can grow entire forests, and light elementals can outshine the sun hundreds of times over.

    Elemental culture is largely unknown, since there are so few of them around. The average person holds them in an almost legendary light.

    It would be unfair to try to single out specific attributes of Elementals, for each variety essentially is nothing more than several attributes tied together to a spirit. Many have drawn the comparison that they are on the completely opposite side of the scale from humans. Almost as far alien as a race could be.

    Almost.

    Crystalline Ones

    The information gathered about Crystalline Ones could fill entire libraries and has been discussed at extreme length already. I shall try to be brief, but it may be difficult to do so.

    When a Colored crystal reaches a certain size (at least that of a grown human) it has a chance of Awakening and becoming a Crystalline One. The larger the crystal, the more likely it is going to Awaken. A good tell-tale sign that an Awakening is about to occur is the Colored crystal releasing small, spontaneous spells without a wizard nearby. The presence of people appears to have some influence on the speed of Awakening, but little experimentation has been done on the subject given the often violent nature of Awakenings.

    Crystalline Ones are born with a fully functioning mind that absorbs experiences from all nearby minds the instant it is formed. They lose this ability shortly thereafter, which is fortunate because otherwise, no one¡¯s secrets would ever be safe from a Crystalline One.

    The body of a Crystalline One is made entirely out of Colored crystals, making them unique among all races. In fact, they are generally the exception to every rule!

    Crystalline Ones are one of the few genderless races (and so are traditionally referred to in the feminine, as usual). And they are the only race that does not reproduce. Every Crystalline One comes into existence from growing crystals¡ªthe concept of family only exists in their minds if they get it from the surroundings at Awakening.

    Crystalline Ones cannot use magic¡ªunless it is of their own Color. Other Colors are alien to them. However, they are able to twist their Color to extents far beyond what any normal wizard can do, performing feats that boggle the mind. They appear to get ¡°inspiration¡± randomly on how to do impressive things, and fully admit that the procedures for casting the spells they get inspired with are unimaginably complicated. Sometimes, they even seem to break the rules of magic, but this could just be them using a concept modern wizardry is not aware of.

    Crystalline Ones lack natural senses¡ªfor the first few moments after Awakening, they even lack a sense of physical location, sometimes being confused that the crystal thing they see in the memories of others is them. They lack motor control as well, but most eventually figure out that they can just cast magic to shuffle parts of themselves around. They are able to determine through the motion of themselves and their surfaces what is around them, giving them a sort of ¡°touch¡± sense.

    Other senses are a bit more difficult for them if there aren¡¯t people nearby they can see out of. For a Crystalline one to ¡°hear¡± they have to increase their ¡°touch¡± sense to include vibrations in the air around them. Their ¡°sight¡± is actually incapable of looking upon the physical world, for when they try to look with their own forms, they see magic itself instead; the flow of all seven Colors moving through every part of the world. Their ¡°magic sense¡± is quite attuned, and much more developed than the minor attributes in other races.

    Their most curious trait is the ability to see through the senses of others. At any moment, if there is a spirited entity of a different species near them (which, for big Crystalline Ones, could be miles away), the Crystalline One can choose to see what they see, taking in their sensations. The Crystalline One can also choose to send telepathic messages along this connection, should they desire, and it is the only way most Crystalline Ones communicate.

    Crystalline Ones cannot be jammed. Magenta wizards have been known to confuse Crystalline Ones with their tricks, but ultimately a Crystalline One is always able to draw on its own power.

    It is hard to get a single picture of what Crystalline Ones are like because they are so inherently varied and powerful. Many are worshipped as gods or created by the Seekers to be gods. Others still have developed in isolation in deep mines or forests, becoming ancient observers of the history of Ikyu.

    They can, however, be killed. Shatter a Crystalline One until all the pieces are small enough, and it will die. Re-assembling the pieces will create a new Crystalline One with a new Awakening that will sometimes get ¡°inspiration¡± in the form of memories of the previous Crystalline One popping up randomly.

    Naturally, to be a Crystalline One in Kroan you need a lot of paperwork and documentation, and those found without it are destroyed. The few that do live here are generally forest-spirit types or are doing their best to keep a low profile. I got most of my information from the former category.

    No matter what you believe, the Crystalline Ones are clearly different from the rest of us, and in a fundamental way that seems likely related to the ultimate questions about life itself. The only problem is the Crystalline Ones themselves don¡¯t have the answer either. Or, if they do, it¡¯s spread across numerous ¡°inspiration¡± fragments.

    ~~~

    ¡°Do you get these inspirations?¡±

    Ashen thought for a moment. ¡°Once, when I was still on the mountain, I was given the idea of how to do something I had¡­ nowhere near enough power for. I don¡¯t understand it, but if I could do it, the destruction would be¡­ unimaginable.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°I wonder what that would feel like¡­¡±

    ¡°Endless burning, then nothing.¡±

    Jeh shivered. ¡°Reverse¡­¡±

    Ashen flashed a few times. ¡°Jeh? Are you¡­?¡±

    Jeh stretched out her arms in a big yawn. ¡°Oh¡­ guess I¡¯m tired.¡±

    ¡°Immortal, moreso than I according to that book, and yet you need sleep where I do not?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, you¡¯re cheating with that thought-splitting thing of yours.¡± Jeh closed all the books and picked them up, looking at the setting sun on the horizon. A chill wind blew through the air.

    ¡°You know,¡± Jeh said. ¡°I think the days are getting shorter.¡±

    ¡°Winter is not far off.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep coming in the snow, but I think I froze until I passed out most winters, waking up in the spring.¡±

    ¡°That sounds unpleasant.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more annoying than anything, makes me lose track of time.¡±

    ¡°¡­You should go home, Jeh. It¡¯s warm.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re warm!¡±

    ¡°I am not home, though. Sleeping here would be very awkward.¡±

    Jeh nodded, knowing how sleeping in random parts of the forest was. ¡°Well¡­ g¡¯bye then. See you next time I get out here. I¡¯ll see what else I can bring.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no problem!¡± Jeh let out a laugh and skipped away from Ashen, leaving her alone in the forest.

    Alone with her thoughts.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Yes, you can have a science segment on this! After all, the scientific view of the creation of our world has changed a lot over the time we¡¯ve existed as humans. How was the world created as we understand it today?

    The answer: The Big Bang.

    That, naturally, is a very shortened answer, but it gets the idea across. There¡¯s a reason basically everyone is taught it: the evidence for it is overwhelming. The universe as we know it started as an explosion that eventually cooled into what exists now.

    But what was before the Big Bang? Well, we don¡¯t exactly have a consensus on that. Some say nothing, some say some kind of fluctuating quantum fabric, some say endless empty space... Some even say it wouldn¡¯t make sense to think of a ¡°before¡± since there could be no time before the Big Bang created space.

    Suffice it to say, we start with what is either nothing or might as well be nothing in a moment. Then, there is an explosion of such unimaginable magnitude that matter as we know it cannot remain cohesive and all is energy.

    We know very little about this time period because we have to rely entirely on guesswork to figure it out¡ªthe signals furthest back in the universe¡¯s history that we can see are called the ¡°Cosmic Microwave Background¡± and they come from a time after the initial explosion.

    In time, the universe cooled off, and the energy could become matter. There should have been an equal amount of antimatter and matter, but this doesn¡¯t seem to be in the universe today, somehow matter won out. Then the large clouds of matter coalesced into tight pockets due to gravity, over time succumbing to internal pressure and lighting up into stars.

    The stars lived and died, releasing higher elements into the universe that would then be used by the next generation of stars to make planets. Around a very calm but powerful main-sequence star, a series of planets formed with a series of curious coincidences. The third planet from the star collided with another body in just the right way to create a moon that would, soon, grow to eclipse the sun perfectly and control the very oceans themselves.

    And so with its moon, the third planet churned. The fifth planet used its mass to keep the Earth safe, throwing many dangerous asteroids off course. The sun warmed the third planet perfectly, and over time water came over most of the world. In these waters, a miracle occurred. The simplest life formed in the seas.

    It all exploded from there. Microbes became plants and animals and everything else and over millions of years shifted along until a certain species appeared, that of humans, that learned to look up and ask why we were here in the first place so everything above would be written down.

    We also strongly suspect that the universe is going to expand for eternity until it embraces the heat death, where everything has decayed into energy. This might be wrong, but the alternatives are nearly as unpleasant with Big Crunches and Big Rips. It seems inevitable that the universe must end, so it seems inevitable that we should strive against it.

    And I suppose that is the core foundation of the modern scientific creation myth, isn¡¯t it? Strive against the end.

    But let¡¯s forget all that for a moment and turn the above understanding into something that could masquerade as the story of an ancient culture?

    BONUS SCENE

    A Creation Myth for Science

    Before all, there was peace.

    Then, there was conflict. The endless nothing erupted in a burst so intense that it created the very heavens themselves. For a moment, there was only one energy, one force, one way¡ªthe Fundamental Force. But this was unstable and was forced to collapse, bringing out the raw forces of nature. The pure elements of Light, Earth, Life, and Death raged amongst the purity and peace of the past, turning the universe into a raging fire.

    As matter started to form, in their eternal rage the pure Elemental Gods fought each other by forming more matter out of themselves in a great war across all reality. Antimatter became scarce as a result, and chunks of gasses flew through the rapidly cooling universe.

    It was through these gasses that the Elemental Gods found peace. It took all four of them to build the great cosmic nurseries. Life and Death ensured substance and time. Light gave it the will to interact. And Earth drew it all together to a point¡ªand the Elemental Gods had created the first star, Methuselah.

    Delighted, the Elemental Gods set to creating more nurseries so more and more stars could be created, bringing children beyond number into existence. These old stars mostly burned bright and hot, quickly shaping the world around them with their fire and dissipating in violent explosions.

    At first, the Elemental Gods were horrified that their children had exploded, but then they saw what was left behind. White dwarves, neutron stars, black holes, beings of strange and mysterious power. The black holes in particular were of great concern, for they pointed to the existence of the Dark Ones. However, the other remnants were more cooperative and pointed out that the explosions of their old selves had left behind new materials for crafting further experiences.

    The Elemental Gods watched in fascination as the stars took over the next tier of creation, working with their many relatives of different sizes, colors, and stages of life to create more and more. In the end, the troops led by black holes won out, for the central hole would consume extra matter to keep everyone tied to his power¡­ eventually becoming galaxies.

    One successful galaxy was run by a black hole named Sagis Aster, and within it, there were many stars and nebulas for new stars. Many of these stars had begun to form little creations to do things for them, called planets, that ran around and ordered a star¡¯s system. With time, even these planets started to create servants of their own, known as moons.

    It was around one sub-average yellow star named Sol that a planet by the name of Terra was born. In a battle with the Lost Planet, one of Terra¡¯s arms was shaved off and it became Luna, her tiny sister that sat on her shoulder and whispered mysteries into her ear. Terra and Luna were quite odd by all standards, as most moons were so small as to barely register for the planets who had them. And so Terra and Luna had their own little world. What if, they thought, they went to create even more? What could they do?

    Around this time, Sagis Aster was informed by a neutron star that the universe was expanding too fast to be stable. Sagis Aster wanted to solve this issue, but also knew to put the knowledge out there would invite other galaxies to hunt them down. Andromeda was already coming.

    Sagis Aster put out a call for ideas among his secretive networks, and the suggestions that came back continued to be copouts, not actual solutions. So he pushed further, and further, and eventually came across the idea of ¡°rising complexity¡± happening in a backwater system called Sol.

    Sol knew very little about the situation with Terra and Luna, where the little moon whispered into the planet¡¯s ears many ideas that the planet followed up on. They were messing with chemicals in Terra¡¯s oceans, trying to make reactions that would do things all on their own in a way the celestials could not.

    Sagis Aster gave them all they needed. Computational resources, assistance, suggestions to the other planets to make things more hospitable. Terra and Luna became the most protected place in the galaxy.

    And it was on the surface of Terra that life erupted, under the watchful care of her sister Luna. From this grew beasts of the sea, then beasts of the land, then beasts of the sky. And, with time, the rising complexity produced Humanity on the surface of Terra.

    Now, Humanity continues the tradition.

    Humanity creates more, striving for eternity.

 011 - Lunacy

    011

    Lunacy

    Vaughan loved where he lived, but he had to admit, the overabundance of evergreen trees made the traditionally colorful season of fall nothing more than a chilly time that signaled the coming of winter. Winter was never overly difficult for Vaughan, as he was a Red wizard and knew the necessity of stockpiling before snowfall. These two facts together gave him a significant edge over the average mountain hermit.

    Vaughan actually quite liked winter; it made the world beautiful in a whole new way. No, it was the tail-end of fall that he disliked. Not for any reason of weather, but for the sharp uptick in calls for him to do his job. Arcane heaters were one of the simplest devices and he always got called out to perform maintenance at this time of year.

    To be sure, it was a necessary service, but it was keeping him from his work. They hadn¡¯t even discussed the steps required to get to the moon yet! Already, Vaughan was considering a few difficulties in the mission and potential solutions, but to get anywhere he¡¯d need to talk with Blue and that just hadn¡¯t happened yet.

    Not to mention the fact that the Skyseed wasn¡¯t repaired yet because everyone else was preparing for winter as well. Did they have a few weeks before snowfall? Probably. However, the town of Willow Hollow wasn¡¯t stupid, it wouldn¡¯t be caught unawares by an early freeze.

    With luck, preparations would be done long before they needed to be used and work could resume.

    Vaughan didn¡¯t feel very lucky right now.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it working?¡±

    Vaughan had heard that question five times in the last ten minutes, each time from a different one of Suro¡¯s kids. The first time he¡¯d bothered to explain the intricacies of spell storage and why the Red core had become misshapen due to underuse, while also being much smaller than when he last adjusted it last year.

    Heaters needed new Red every year. His job was to make sure every heater got it, and would last the whole season.

    Which meant getting large Red crystals from Big G and lugging them all around town for installation. He was usually paid. Usually. Since this was Suro¡¯s house he was doing this one as a favor. After all, Suro was more than capable of installing it himself, as a jeweler; he just had his own responsibilities in this season. Namely, that of making new heaters.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you?¡±

    Vaughan popped the used Red chunk out of its wiry frame with ease. Under it were a few simple Magenta crystals. Naturally, they had drifted in shape over time, and since the heater was such a simple device they hadn¡¯t been cut with precision. Vaughan had to probe each of them individually to figure out how the current crystals behaved. This process was inherently destructive to the spells contained in the Magenta loops, but after the tests Vaughan put his own spells back into it. He rotated the various Magenta pieces until they lined up again and allowed for basic heat control.

    ¡°Hello? Old beard guy?¡±

    ¡°Vaughan,¡± Vaughan said, picking up the replacement Red off the ground and setting it on the heater, widening the frame to accommodate the crate-sized crystal. ¡°And it¡¯s working now.¡± He grabbed the Magenta handle near the bottom and pushed his will into it, prompting the Red to glow and the ambient heat to increase. ¡°Tah-dah.¡±

    The kitten sitting nearby wasn¡¯t impressed. ¡°So why wasn¡¯t it working?¡±

    ¡°Ask your siblings.¡±

    ¡°They told me to ask you.¡±

    Vaughan put a hand to the bridge of his nose. ¡°After nine months, crystals decay unless you put a lot of extra effort into the design, okay? It¡¯s just not worth it to design a fancy and precise heater.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­¡± Vaughan stopped himself, turning to stare at the kitten. ¡°Because a lot of complicated reasons I¡¯ll tell you about when you¡¯re older.¡±

    ¡°Why older?¡±

    ¡°Intelligence increases with age as well as the things you can understand.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Vaughan smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­¡± the kitten¡¯s face contorted into confusion. ¡°Wh¡­¡±

    ¡°Riddle me this,¡± Vaughan said, finishing up his work on the heater and standing up. ¡°Why do you ask so many questions?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ because I like to ask questions?¡±

    ¡°I was honest with you, it¡¯s only fair you do so in return.¡±

    The kitten looked visibly nervous now. The next thing Vaughan knew, the young cat was running away from him at top speed.

    ¡°Allow me to answer my own question,¡± Vaughan said to nobody. ¡°You¡¯ve discovered that endless questions annoy the grown-ups, but they don¡¯t want to squelch a curious mind so they let themselves get annoyed, to your delight.¡± Vaughan tilted his hat back and left Suro¡¯s shop.

    There was another kitten waiting outside.

    ¡°Why wasn¡¯t it working?¡±

    Bunch of good for nothing tag-teaming conspirators¡­

    ~~~

    It was dark when Vaughan got home. He lazily pushed the front door open. He took one look at the stairs and decided he wasn¡¯t going to bother and just flopped onto one of the couches in the entry hall.

    ¡°You look terrible,¡± Jeh said from her perch on top of an end table. ¡°Why?¡±

    Vaughan held up a hand. ¡°Please¡­ please¡­ no more questions today.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oka¡ª¡°

    ¡°Hey Vaughan!¡± Blue shouted, trotting into the room. ¡°When are we going to plan the next phase of the mission?¡±

    Vaughan pulled his hat over his head and let out a pathetic whimper.

    Blue blinked a few times before looking to Jeh. ¡°What¡¯s with him?¡±

    ¡°Deathly afraid of more questions today.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Why?¡±

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°I dunno, but you¡¯re sure asking a lot of questions around him.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Right.¡± Blue shuffled her hooves anxiously. ¡°Communicate without questions¡­ Uh¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s going to be difficult.¡±

    Jeh glanced at Vaughan, frowning. ¡°I say we just let him sleep and come back to this tomorrow. It is a weekend, after all.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t stop me from working.¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡± Jeh frowned. ¡°You spend so much time in your experiments and calculations¡­¡±

    Blue tossed her mane back. ¡°It is my gift to the world.¡±

    Jeh raised an eyebrow. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say this whole thing was stupid when we started?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a question.¡±

    Jeh put her hand over her mouth. ¡°Ackpth! Sorry, sorry!¡±

    A loud snore came from Vaughan¡¯s position on the couch.

    ¡°He must have worked a lot today,¡± Jeh said, shaking her head. ¡°You have too. It¡¯s night.¡±

    Blue waved a dismissive hoof. ¡°I slept until noon two days ago, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Suuuuure.¡± Jeh jumped from her perch and entered a roll. ¡°You know, even I need sleep.¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep when I¡¯m tired.¡± She levitated a notebook out of her lab and started flipping through it. ¡°Right now I¡¯ve got so many things to investigate I¡¯m not sure what to do! Vaughan¡¯s declared ¡®to the moon¡¯ and I¡¯ve got a list of items so large¡ª¡°

    Jeh put a hand on the top of the notebook and pulled it down. ¡°Do you, like, play? Ever?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ no?¡±

    ¡°You could come with me into the forest, you know.¡±

    Blue¡¯s expression softened. ¡°I¡¯d love a tour of the forest one of these days, Jeh, but right now my mind is fixated. The fixation must be resolved! A plan needs to be made!¡± She tapped her hooves excitedly. ¡°When we get into a lull, you can show me everything in the forest you want.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Really.¡±

    Jeh threw herself around Blue¡¯s legs and giggled. ¡°Thanks!¡± She jumped up and made her way to the front door.

    ¡°Wait, where are¡ª¡°

    ¡°My tree. Where I sleep.¡± Jeh rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Soon it¡¯ll be too cold even for you out there.¡±

    ¡°So I do the not-dying thing while I freeze every night, big deal.¡±

    Blue raised an eyebrow. ¡°You never know when it might be important to be around during the night. And even then, in the midst of winter it¡¯ll never get warm enough. Why don¡¯t you sleep inside for once?¡±

    ¡°But¡­ no tree.¡±

    ¡°The great Jeh can¡¯t sleep in a comfy, fluffy bed?¡±

    Jeh blinked a few times. ¡°Never tried.¡±

    ¡°Why not start now? We do have an extra bed.¡± Blue gestured up the stairs toward a guest room.

    Jeh nodded a few times before ascending the stairs. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡±

    ¡°Good night!¡± Blue waved as Jeh vanished from sight. A few moments later she heard the unmistakable sound of someone jumping onto a bed from a significant height.

    Vaughan let out another snore.

    ¡°I¡¯m just leaving you here,¡± Blue said, chuckling to herself. ¡°Wizard of Couches, Magician of Pillows, Vaughan. That¡¯s you.¡± Without any further fanfare, she returned to her lab, where she stared at her notebook for another couple of hours before passing out.

    ~~~

    That weekend, Suro knocked on the door to Vaughan¡¯s cabin.

    For a split second after he did this, he was absolutely certain he was being watched. He flicked his eyes out over the forest, examining it for any motion. All he found were a few tasty-looking birds flying out of a tree.

    A loud crash from inside the cabin tore Suro¡¯s attention away from the forest. ¡°You okay in there?¡±

    ¡°Just fine!¡± Jeh called, throwing the front doors open a moment later. ¡°Glad you could make it, Suro! Today¡¯s a special day!¡±

    ¡°It¡­ is?¡±

    ¡°I made it so! Come on in, it¡¯ll be great!¡±

    Suro followed Jeh into the dining room, which was absolutely filled. Fresh fruits and vegetables lined the plates and bowls, an impressive find this close to winter, Jeh must have spent a ton of time foraging. Or she just knew where to find it all. There was no meat¡ªJeh hadn''t cooked her food out in the forest, so this was understandable. Still, it was a bit of a disappointment for Suro. Fruits and vegetables were good and all, but he was a cat, and cats wanted meat.

    Not that he said anything on the subject; that would have been rude.

    Next to the table the blackboard was stood up. It had a nice drawing of the moon on it, with the words Wizard Space Program Meeting scrawled above it. Several items were cluttered on a small end table next to the blackboard: Vaughan¡¯s star chart, a model of Ikyu and the moon, a few crystal tops, some plants in jars, and a few drawings of the Skyseed.

    ¡°Wizard Space Program?¡± Suro asked.

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°Seems like a good name. We¡¯re all kinda wizards, after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­.Not strictly true, but I like it.¡± Suro took a seat at the table, taking a moment to check that his tool ring was ready to hold silverware. ¡°Where are the others?¡±

    ¡°Asleep,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Vaughan came back yesterday exhausted.¡±

    ¡°My kids didn¡¯t exactly go easy on him, from what I hear.¡±

    ¡°Is that what it was about? He came home terrified of questions.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that would be them.¡±

    It was at this point Vaughan himself walked into the room, rubbing his eyes. He took much longer to absorb the state of the dining room than Suro had.

    ¡°Huh.¡± He turned to Suro. ¡°Wh¡ª¡°

    ¡°Not me.¡± Suro shook his head and gestured at Jeh. ¡°This is all her.¡±

    Vaughan whistled. ¡°You keep surprising me with your skills, Jeh.¡±

    Jeh winked at him. ¡°Please, have a seat.¡±

    Vaughan chuckled, doing as asked. ¡°So, can we eat, or do we wait for Blue, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s give her a few minutes,¡± Suro suggested.

    ¡°In that case¡­¡± Vaughan gestured at the blackboard. ¡°Wizard Space Program?¡±

    ¡°It works, right?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect, I¡¯m just curious what made you think of it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t remember where I got it.¡± Jeh shrugged. ¡°I just like it.¡±

    A few minutes were not necessary. Blue marched into the dining room talking a mile a minute. ¡°Okay everyone I¡¯ve got a long list of things and I know you don¡¯t want to talk about them over breakfast but I want to get these things out in the open before snowfall and everything becomes a million times harder so please hold your complaints until I fi¡ª¡°

    Vaughan used some Orange to hold Blue¡¯s mouth shut. He gestured at the blackboard before releasing her.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Blue said, lowering her notebook. ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°I got this all set up!¡± Jeh said, grinning. ¡°Now we can¡­ I dunno, eat and talk, figure things out?¡±

    Blue blinked a few times. ¡°Wow¡­ Jeh, this is great¡­ than¡ªwait, Wizard Space Program?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Jeh grinned. ¡°Great, ain¡¯t it?¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not strictly correct, we aren¡¯t all wizards¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, give it a rest,¡± Vaughan said with a dismissive hand. ¡°Suro¡¯s the least wizard-like one here, and he still knows a ton about magic. We, Blue, are the Wizard Space Program.¡±

    ¡°Are we?¡± Blue put on a playful smirk. ¡°Well, if we are the Wizard Space Program, then we need to name our mission to the moon.¡±

    ¡°Do you have anything in mind?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually.¡± She trotted up to the blackboard, picking up both a piece of chalk and a yellow berry in her telekinesis. She ate the berry while she wrote on the blackboard. Standing back, she grinned. ¡°Operation Lunacy.¡±

    ¡°Embrace the stupid!¡± Jeh declared.

    ¡°That¡¯s the idea, basically,¡± Blue said. ¡°We really should take several years of work testing space before trying to go to the moon, but we have a very optimistic and idealistic Red wizard who thinks it¡¯s the next thing to do. Sooo¡­ Operation Lunacy it is.¡±

    Vaughan bit into some kind of green fruit Suro didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Well, Jeh went through all this trouble, it would be a shame not to go through with it. Blue, I know you¡¯ve been working on the mission¡ª¡°

    ¡°Operation Lunacy,¡± Jeh corrected.

    ¡°¡ªOperation Lunacy¡¯s parameters,¡± Vaughan corrected. ¡°So, I take it you¡¯re more than ready?¡±

    Blue nodded vigorously. ¡°Please, in Dia¡¯s name, just let me talk already!¡±

    ¡°I dunno, maybe we should debate it a bit more¡­¡±

    Blue shut his jaw with her telekinesis and launched into her explanation. ¡°So! You all thought getting to space was hard and dangerous! Hah! That was nothing, the moon is a much harder goal for many reasons, and it¡¯s not just distance.¡± She levitated the Ikyu-moon model onto an empty spot on the table and started spinning the moon around. ¡°The mission goal is simple: go to the moon, retrieve a sample, return to Ikyu. Each part of this brings its own issues.

    ¡°First, going to the moon.¡± She gestured at the spinning model. ¡°This isn¡¯t exactly accurate to the distance between Ikyu and the moon, it only shows the relative motion of the moon. The accurate distance would be more like this¡­¡± She drew a circle on the left side of the blackboard for Ikyu, and a smaller circle on the right side of the blackboard for the moon. ¡°Unlike the planets, we have a fairly good idea how far away the moon is and how big it actually is. This distance is about 400,000 kilometers. For comparison, the diameter of Ikyu is somewhere around 12,000 kilometers, and the moon about 3,000.¡±

    ¡°How far did I go?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Your original mission was to go until you could see the curvature, which Vaughan assures me is only about ten kilometers above the surface. Since you went¡­ much higher¡­¡± Blue furrowed her brow and placed a tiny dot right next to Ikyu, so close it was almost touching. ¡°I¡¯d say you got about here.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Wow, that looks like nothing.¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Yeah. Distance really is a big problem here. It took you somewhere around three hours to get there while pushing the engines far beyond what we expected. If we extrapolate to the full distance and assume we understand everything¡ªwhich we do not¡ªthe journey would take well over a hundred days. Which is a bit much.¡±

    Vaughan nodded to Jeh. ¡°She does not require food, and the air can be restored.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a long-term limit to that,¡± Blue pointed out, absent-mindedly biting down on some blue fruit. ¡°Maybe the black stuff the restorer leaves behind will eventually overrun the supply, we¡¯d have to test. And testing things like that long term is difficult because of the other problem: Jeh needs to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately true,¡± Jeh admitted. ¡°I tried to stay up as long as I could one time in the forest. You eventually start seeing things. Weird things.¡±

    ¡°And nobody casts magic when they¡¯re asleep,¡± Blue said. ¡°Even if she could sleep on the journey, the moment she does, she starts falling back to Ikyu. You have to fight to go up, and sleeping isn¡¯t fighting.¡±

    Jeh raised a hand. ¡°Maybe we could use Blue magic to make me go slow so I can stay awake for longer or something?¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, actually, if we can control the Blue magic. That¡¯s a big if, though, as the rate of motion will be different for everything. The more reasonable suggestion is to send someone else up there who can run the drive while Jeh sleeps.¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s no one else who can do what Jeh does,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Blue declared. ¡°Once someone else goes up there, we need to keep them alive. And that becomes a problem. With Jeh, we don¡¯t have to worry about temperature regulation, sunburns, meteors, and whatever else might slowly kill us that she doesn¡¯t even notice. There are a lot of things that could be deadly up there we don¡¯t even know about. Keeping everyone alive is perhaps the most important part.

    ¡°Then there¡¯s the problem: with more people and longer voyage times, you need more supplies. Jeh can survive without eating, we cannot. Hover clover tubers can provide most of the nutrients we need, but it still takes up space, making everything heavier. Then there¡¯s whatever armor we¡¯ll need to keep tiny meteors from destroying us, which makes it even heavier. And as we all know, heavier things are a lot harder to move.¡± She slapped the chalk into the blackboard for effect. ¡°To go to the moon you¡¯ll need a big ship. I¡¯m not sure our drive could lift a ship of the size we need.¡±

    ¡°Make more drives,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Distribute them evenly around the center of the ship, tie them all to the same will.¡±

    Suro coughed. ¡°There is a limit to how much will we can put out. You and Jeh have a lot, I have a moderate amount¡ª¡°

    ¡°¡ªand I have as close to zero as you can get,¡± Blue added.

    ¡°I had been trying to avoid bringing that up, but yes, you would have trouble continually working the air restorer.¡±

    Vaughan frowned. ¡°What we need is an Orange wizard who can tease out large amounts of force with minimal will, where she can then store the spells for our use. I am not an Orange wizard, and it¡¯s pretty clear Orange is what you need to go up.¡±

    ¡°Ashen launched herself off the mountain with an explosion,¡± Jeh commented.

    ¡°Then the ship would have to store a ton of Red for my use,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°There¡¯s another problem with using Red,¡± Blue said. ¡°It has to ¡®go fast.¡¯ The reason we went slow was to avoid uncontrollable tumbling while we moved through the atmosphere.¡±

    Suro let out a soft meow. ¡°The problems keep adding up, don¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not even done yet,¡± Blue said. ¡°See, we¡¯re not just trying to get to ¡®anywhere in space,¡¯ we¡¯re trying to get to ¡®the moon.¡¯ The moon moves.¡±

    ¡°Slowly, though,¡± Suro said. ¡°¡­Right?¡±

    Blue put on a coy smirk. ¡°Well, it takes the moon about a month to go all the way around.¡± She gestured at the spinning model. ¡°Keep in mind that it¡¯s 400,000 kilometers to the moon. In order for it to cover that much distance it has to be moving a kilometer every second.¡±

    There was silence at the table.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think anything could go that fast¡­¡± Suro said.

    ¡°Blue has been used to accelerate to that speed,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°In controlled environments, of course. Anything going that fast lights on fire.¡±

    ¡°Not in space, though, where there¡¯s basically no air,¡± Blue said. ¡°¡­Which is why the moon can go that fast, huh, didn¡¯t even think about that one. Maybe there¡¯s a relation there¡­¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°But that¡¯s a distraction. The problem is, the moon is going absurdly fast and if we just try to fly to it we¡¯ll end up little more than a pancake.¡±

    ¡°At least we know the moon can go that fast,¡± Jeh said. ¡°It means we can too!¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s physically possible to go that fast. We just have to find some way to do it so we can actually approach the moon safely. Which leads us to¡­¡±

    ¡°The sample, right?¡± Vaughan asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that one myself.¡±

    ¡°Yes, how are we going to grab something?¡± Blue tapped her hoof on the ground. ¡°We can¡¯t leave the ship. Even Jeh needs air. We can¡¯t just send her out to grab a rock, and even if we did, opening up the ship will vent all the air we have. We need a workaround.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps a big claw attached to the ship?¡± Suro said, lifting up the ring he was using to hold a fork. ¡°It¡¯ll grab a rock and keep it safe until we get back.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one idea,¡± Blue said, scribbling it down into her notebook. ¡°Naturally, once we have the rock we need to go back. The return journey has much of the same issues as the original one. We basically have to undo everything we did to get to the moon, and worry about finding the correct landing spot on Ikyu while also not burning up in the atmosphere. There will be no way to predict cloud cover if the mission lasts more than a few days, either.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his chin. ¡°These are a lot of issues. But none of them seem insurmountable. The moon itself demonstrates the possibility, as Jeh pointed out. It¡¯s up there, we can get up there. With no air in space, we no longer have to go slow.¡± Vaughan snapped his fingers. ¡°Perhaps a hybrid? Lift out of the atmosphere slowly, then transition to Red for speed.¡±

    ¡°We need to test more propulsion methods in space,¡± Blue said. ¡°Which is why we need to repair the Skyseed, so we can run those tests.¡±

    Jeh raised her hand. ¡°I¡¯m all geared up and ready to go when you need it! Red, Blue, whatever¡ªit¡¯ll be my pleasure to experiment!¡±

    Blue grinned. ¡°That¡¯s great! Now, for those experiments, we should probably go to a near-airless elevation, which would mean closer to where Jeh reached. However, each time we go up, the chances of those tiny meteors¡­ if one hits the drive¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll fall back to Ikyu,¡± Jeh said. ¡°It might take a while, but I¡¯ll get back to you. I¡¯ve been working on memorizing the maps so I know where I¡¯m crashing!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try to avoid that,¡± Blue said. ¡°You¡¯ll worry us sick.¡±

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m invincible, you don¡¯t need to worry at all. Seriously.¡±

    ¡°But if we design for your safety,¡± Suro said, ¡°then the ship will be able to hold any of us as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Right.¡±

    ¡°In conclusion!¡± Blue called, grabbing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°We have a large number of problems to solve. If anyone has any ideas, I¡¯m all ears.¡±

    ¡°Most of you isn¡¯t ears,¡± Vaughan pointed out.

    ¡°Har-har.¡± Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°Seriously, though, I¡¯m not going to be able to solve these on my own. I need help, we need to run more experiments, and there are probably problems I haven¡¯t even thought of.¡± She took in a deep breath. ¡°We might need to bring in more people than just the four of us, there¡¯s so much going on.¡±

    Suro chuckled. ¡°Blue, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find that Willow Hollow will be eager to help you with your project. Everyone¡¯s already a little curious, and I¡¯ve noticed Krays in particular has taken an interest.¡±

    ¡°I suppose we are the Wizard Space Program, now¡­¡± Vaughan said, scratching his beard. ¡°Perhaps we should get some more members in an official capacity.¡±

    ¡°We could take it to the Mayor, now,¡± Suro added. ¡°With a successful mission, a goal, and the air restorer¡­ he might be convinced to make it official. I¡¯ll get Lila to talk to him.¡±

    Blue grinned, slamming a hoof on the table. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! We can turn this into a proper production! Just make sure we don¡¯t turn it into a reflection of the morons at the Academy¡ªwe do things our way.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Vaughan declared, standing to his full height. ¡°We¡¯re going to the moon! A bunch of nobodies in a frontier town! We¡­ will go where no one has gone before!¡±

    Blue raised an eyebrow. ¡°I mean, didn¡¯t we already do that?¡±

    ¡°Then we will keep doing it! Until there is nowhere else to go! To the moon, to Hexi, to the stars themselves!¡±

    ¡° ¡®Lunacy,¡¯ ¡° Suro said, chuckling. ¡°Oh, what a fitting name¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Lila took in a sharp breath before she knocked on the Mayor¡¯s door.

    The Mayor¡¯s house was nowhere near the town square, which was where the town hall was. He lived near the edge of Willow Hollow, and one could be forgiven for thinking his house was a simple farmhouse. It was even a little run down.

    She knew full well this was done intentionally. The Mayor didn¡¯t like visitors, though Lila wasn¡¯t sure why. The man was very mysterious and, given his mask, Lila wasn¡¯t even sure what race he was.

    When she heard rummaging inside the house, she whispered a quick prayer to Dia and adjusted her Keeper robes to collect herself.

    The Mayor opened the door, turning his mask to her. ¡°You want something.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lila said. ¡°Though the request comes from others through my husband.¡±

    ¡°This is about Vaughan¡¯s little project, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°In an official capacity, it is the Wizard Space Program, and it seeks to explore above us to further our understanding of the universe and develop innovations that will benefit Willow Hollow, Kroan, and the world at large.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the official tagline, you made that up just now.¡±

    Lila folded her ears back. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good. You make a perfect spokesperson. You are a good face for the operation.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not part of the Wizard Space Program, Mayor.¡±

    ¡°You should be. They need someone like you to navigate the inevitable consequences of innovation.¡± He tilted his head back.

    ¡°I am a Keeper, Mayor. You know that.¡±

    ¡°Much like the mayorship, you likely won¡¯t have much choice.¡± The Mayor tapped his cane on the ground. ¡°If they get into trouble, you¡¯ll help them with your voice, and you know it. Why not make it official?¡±

    Lila frowned. ¡°I do not want to overextend myself, or take away from my meditations. I serve Dia, not innovation.¡±

    ¡°The two are not mutually exclusive.¡±

    ¡°Of course not, that¡¯s why I¡¯m he¡ª¡°

    The Mayor held up a hand. ¡°You are to be the Mayor soon, Lila. Very soon. In deference to that, I will approve whatever you do. You can declare the Wizard Space Program a community project, you have my blessing.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mayor.¡±

    ¡°But you know I¡¯m right. It will be best to officially attach yourself to them.¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ yes, you are right.¡±

    ¡°I will not live to see you succeed,¡± the Mayor continued.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want any special rites?¡±

    ¡°My body is up to you, once I¡¯m gone why would I care what you do with it?¡± He let out a scratchy chuckle that turned into a cough. ¡°But¡­ I do have a direct request.¡±

    ¡°Anything.¡±

    The Mayor sighed. ¡°I wish you didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± He shook his head, focusing. ¡°There is a crate in my basement marked with black paint. I want you to try to destroy the object within. I hope that, eventually, your innovations will be able to.¡±

    Lila frowned. ¡°If¡­ you don¡¯t mind me asking, what is it?¡±

    ¡°I do mind you asking. It¡¯s best if nobody knows what it does. Do not touch it. It will ruin your life.¡±

    Lila forced herself to rein in her curiosity. The Mayor rarely asked for anything directly; he must have thought this was beyond important. She would do her best to follow his wishes in regards to the thing in his basement.

    A thought occurred to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not alive, is it?¡± Lila asked.

    ¡°I am almost certain it is not,¡± the Mayor said. ¡°However, I know of nothing else even remotely like it. So be wary.¡±

    ~~~

    Krays couldn¡¯t believe it, but she was actually nervous. She caught herself wringing her wrists¡ªshe hadn¡¯t done that since she was a kid!

    She knew there was nothing to be afraid of. She knew these people. Great insult partners, most of them. Some even fought back! Foolish, but fun. It wasn¡¯t the people she was nervous about.

    No¡­ it was the nature of what she was about to pledge herself to. The very stars themselves. That which flew in the heavens far above her head. She might even get to use Vaughan¡¯s telescope whenever she wanted! To see that which she had spent her entire life looking at¡­

    Not that she would admit most of this to anyone. Darmosil was the only one aside from her family who knew, and her family was far from here. Very far.

    But she could still remember standing on top of a mountain in deep snow, staring at the brilliant stars that streaked across the sky. How old had she even been? It was young. Very young.

    The stars looked down on everyone. They were above her. She could rise to see them as more than just sparks¡ªshe could see them for what they were. That was the beauty of it, she supposed. She didn¡¯t know what they really were, now. But by pooling together, they could come together and find them. To find the stars.

    To find the truth.

    She took in a deep breath and knocked on the door to Vaughan¡¯s cabin.

    Mary opened the door. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here! We were starting to wonder if you wouldn¡¯t come!¡±

    Krays grinned. ¡°You think I¡¯d give up an opportunity to insult the stars to their face? Hah! You wish!¡±

    ¡°Darmosil?¡±

    Krays shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s the blacksmith, he has a lot more work to do than the glassblower. Naturally, this means all his work is shoddy and rushed. But it¡¯s his loss. Plus, he has this bizarre fundamental lack of imagination, kind of like Big G.¡± She looked over Mary¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Yes, Big G, I¡¯m talking about you.¡±

    Big G folded his arms. ¡°You must desire enemies.¡±

    ¡°Actually I¡¯m surprisingly cordial and polite to my enemies. You¡¯re welcome.¡± She winked at him. ¡°So, who else is coming?¡±

    Seskii jumped out from behind a couch. ¡°Well, since Darmosil¡¯s not here, I think there¡¯s everyone.¡±

    ¡°There is no way Blue invited you,¡± Krays said, breaking out into a grin. ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Seskii winked. ¡°Gari for life!¡±

    ¡°So, you gonna offer me a drink or what?¡±

    Seskii put her hands on her hips. ¡°Krays, now is not the time for intoxication.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always time for intoxication.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t touched an alcoholic beverage for three months.¡±

    Oooh, she¡¯s good. Nice. ¡°You could remedy that¡ªbring the succulent juice. You do sell juice, right?¡±

    Seskii smirked mischievously. She pulled one of her standard bottles out of her pack and handed it to Krays. ¡°Wine. Excellent quality too, I might add.¡±

    Krays let out a laugh, taking a quick swig of the drink. ¡°You need to get better suppliers, this stuff is barely palatable.¡±

    ¡°Your face says otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Your face says a million things I wouldn¡¯t repeat in polite company.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t include you, right?¡±

    ¡°Naturally! Polite company is trying to rip you off. And usually in broad daylight.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why she¡¯s polite to her enemies,¡± Mary said.

    ¡°Is she though?¡± Seskii asked, her playful smile unwavering. ¡°Or was that part of this game of hers?¡±

    Big G put a hand to the bridge of his nose. ¡°Please. Have some decorum. This is an official Program now. We need to look the part.¡±

    Jeh ran into the room. ¡°Oh my gosh, new people! Hi! I¡¯m Jeh, your immortal pilot!¡± She demonstrated by snapping one of her fingers on the wall. ¡°See? Good stuff!¡±

    Krays glanced to Big G. ¡°You were saying, prophet buddy?¡±

    Big G folded his arms, remaining silent.

    Seskii produced a bottle of light-green juice and gave it to Jeh, who drank it without even asking what it was. ¡°That was delicious. Now! Uh¡­ yeah I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on now, I¡¯m not the one who organized this one.¡±

    ¡°That would be me,¡± Suro said, walking into the room with Lila and Vaughan behind him. ¡°I am the ¡®man with connections¡¯ after all.¡±

    Lila nodded at her husband¡¯s words, but her face was one of a woman unsure of what to make of the situation.

    ¡°¡­Where¡¯s Blue?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°I knocked on the lab door,¡± Vaughan explained. ¡°She yelled ¡®give me three minutes!¡¯ and refused to come out.¡±

    Krays winked at Big G. ¡°How professional.¡± His lack of response did not deter her. The strongest walls were the most fun to break.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Vaughan dusted his hands off on his robes. ¡°Tradition from the Academy tells me I need to make an inspiring speech and get you all on board. But one of the things we set out to do here was not to do it the way of the Academy. No noxious paperwork, no endless reports, no bureaucracy, no chains of command, and whatever else we can think of. So¡­ we all know why we¡¯re here. This everyone?¡±

    Seskii nodded.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Lila tilted her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think we gave you an invitation?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Don¡¯t know what I was expecting.¡±

    Krays shrugged. ¡°Hey, if you didn¡¯t invite me, I probably would have forced myself anyway.¡±

    ¡°And Seskii is cool!¡± Jeh called. ¡°She has juice!¡±

    ¡°What does she offer, exactly?¡± Big G asked. ¡°The rest of us have technical knowledge, skills, and connections. She sells juice.¡±

    ¡°Emotional support,¡± Mary suggested.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you do that?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    Big G raised an incredulous eyebrow.

    ¡°I¡¯m also good at economics!¡± Seskii said. ¡°And extremely obscure trivia!¡±

    ¡°Truly, skills the Great Crystalline Ones would envy,¡± Krays deadpanned.

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡±

    ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Vaughan said, cutting them off there. ¡°I suppose, welcome to the program. Uh¡­ since we¡¯re a democracy I suppose we get to take a vote on Seskii¡¯s inclusion?¡±

    Mary, Jeh, Krays, Lila, and Vaughan all raised their hands or paws.

    Suro turned to Lila. ¡°Really?¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°She¡¯s got something I see in so few people. A heart to know others for their sake.¡±

    ¡°Awwww, thanks!¡± Seskii said, waving a hand at Lila. ¡°You do that too, though.¡±

    Lila smirked. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you weren¡¯t redundant.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, burn!¡± Krays laughed. ¡°From the Keeper!¡±

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t always a Keeper,¡± Seskii pointed out.

    Lila rolled her eyes. ¡°Have my children been spreading rumors again?¡±

    ¡°Nah, people just open up to me.¡±

    ¡°A¡ª¡°

    Blue charged into the room with wild eyes and a ton of papers in her telekinesis. ¡°I have it! I have it! I¡¯ve figured out the speed problem!¡±

    Everyone stared at her blankly.

    ¡°Oh, just listen.¡± She ran to another room, grabbing the blackboard and a piece of chalk. She drew the to-scale image of Ikyu and the moon. ¡°Just in case you don¡¯t know, the distance to the moon is really stupid large. So large we expect to take over a hundred days to reach it. This is very ineffective, so we needed to figure out how to go faster. But the Skyseed was going at maximum speed to just barely get into space, right? Right?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Mary tilted her head. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± Krays chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s obviously no.¡±

    Jeh widened her eyes. ¡°I could have gone faster!?¡±

    ¡°You were always going faster!¡± Blue declared, pointing at Jeh. ¡°Well, at least, once you were high enough.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­?¡±

    Blue wiped the blackboard clean, drawing a dot on it. ¡°This is the Skyseed.¡± She drew an arrow pointing downward. ¡°This represents the fact that the Skyseed wants to fall to Ikyu.¡± She drew an arrow pointing upward that was equal in size to the other arrow. ¡°When the drive is calibrated to make the Skyseed hover, this is what it looks like. The ship wants to go up and down equally so it goes nowhere. At this point, we increase the power of the drive¡­¡± She increased the size of the arrow. ¡°So up wins out and the Skyseed drifts upward. This is how we fly.¡±

    Mary blinked. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ll explain to me how that works later.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, sure,¡± Blue said, more than a little dismissively. ¡°The important thing to realize is that the force produced by Orange does not directly correlate with speed. It correlates with acceleration. Right, Vaughan?¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°That¡¯s not strictly true¡­ but yes, applying a constant force does keep making things go faster, to a point. Eventually the speed stops increasing.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ve just realized why that is!¡± Blue said, flicking her chalk at Vaughan. ¡°When we go faster and faster we hit more air. The air stops us from going faster¡ªor it lights on fire. It¡¯s the same concept that we used in the fins to right the Skyseed! The air pushes back, keeping the speed from increasing.¡± She drew a small arrow pointing down next to the dot. ¡°This is the¡­ air resistance.¡±

    ¡°And if there is no air¡­¡± Big G said, realizing it first.

    ¡°Bingo!¡± Blue called. ¡°There¡¯s so little air in space the air resistance might as well be zero! Which means¡­ when we are using the drive in space, it could accelerate¡­ well, I want to say forever, but the trace amounts of air will probably stop us eventually. And by eventually I mean at a speed much greater than the moon itself.¡± She grinned. ¡°Once the Skyseed is in space, it could make it to the moon in record time! With a low acceleration estimate of 0.01 meters per second per second, we get¡­ three days for the journey. Granted, you smash into the moon at an absurd speed at the end of it, but that¡¯s progress! Once you¡¯re in space there¡¯s nothing limiting your speed, so far as I can tell!¡±

    Seskii started clapping, which shocked Blue considerably. ¡°That¡¯s great! One question¡­ do you really expect everyone to just understand that without context?¡±

    Blue blinked a few times. ¡°Who let you in?¡±

    ¡°This is why you should show up to meetings,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°I was busy having a mathematical breakthrough!¡±

    ¡°And now you¡¯ve confused everyone.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s amazing!¡± Jeh said. ¡°The Skyseed really can get to the moon, can¡¯t it?¡±

    Blue shook her head. ¡°Too much danger. Also, these are very rough numbers calculated for constant acceleration without any adjustments or anything. I actually have no idea how fast you¡¯re accelerating; it¡¯s notoriously hard to measure and it¡¯s rarely consistent. But¡­¡± She folded her ears back. ¡°I¡­ am getting ahead of myself. We should probably explain some things first.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re the Wizard Space Program. Our mission statement is to ¡®go up.¡¯ To further that goal, we are currently engaged in Operation Lunacy. We¡¯re going to the moon. One way or another.¡±

    Seskii nodded. ¡°Nice speech.¡±

    ¡°Thank yo¡ªhey!¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Well¡­ I was kind of expecting it to look more¡­ impressive, when done,¡± Blue said, gesturing at the Skyseed.

    It sat in Vaughan¡¯s backyard with a brand new set of fins cut by Tracy and a new metal ring along the outside. However, the parts were functionally identical, and the only way to tell that it was repaired was to examine the variation in the wooden grains.

    But it was ready to fly.

    Blue turned to the others¡ªVaughan, Jeh, Suro, Lila, Krays, Big G, Mary, and Seskii. ¡°Well¡­ I would say it¡¯s time to fly, but¡­¡± She gestured at the completely overcast sky. ¡°We¡¯re not flying in that.¡±

    Vaughan placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll have plenty of time.¡±

    The moment he said these words, a single snowflake fell on his nose.

    Krays let out a tremendous laugh. ¡°Nature thinks otherwise, Gideon!¡±

    Vaughan visibly twitched, flicking the drop of water off his nose. ¡°This is just the first snow, we have a bit more time.¡±

    Seskii took in a sharp breath. ¡°Aaaand you¡¯ve doomed yourself.¡±

    ¡°Tempting fate is a myth,¡± Blue retorted.

    Seskii chucked. ¡°You keep telling yourself that...¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Acceleration is fun.

    Acceleration is also somewhat hard to notice existing. Aristotle related force to motion through the velocity of the object, not the acceleration. These days, we all know the equation F=ma (force equals mass times acceleration) but in the days of old (and on Ikyu currently) the nature of kinematics was a new science. They know enough to identify acceleration and that greater forces produce greater accelerations. They can even run calculations with constant acceleration, as Blue has been doing a lot in her lab.

    The equation she used specifically is x=vt+?at<sup>2</sup>. The ¡°x¡± is the distance traveled, ¡°v¡± is initial velocity (zero in Blue¡¯s calculations since the ship starts at rest), ¡°t¡± is the time, and ¡°a¡± is the acceleration. Blue knew the desired distance ¡°x¡± and had an estimated acceleration ¡°a,¡± and from these she could calculate how much time it would take to go ¡°x¡± distance. Using algebra, she arrived at t=¡Ì(2x/a).

    We do these calculations in high school, but they used to be knowledge only the academics could use. Both Blue and Vaughan have mathematical training, though in Blue¡¯s case she also has a knack for it. Most people on Ikyu wouldn¡¯t be able to even think in terms of acceleration, much less make sense of the math. (For the record, Blue knows how to do significantly more complex calculations, and she did several before realizing how simple this particular answer was.)

    One thing that you need to be careful of in calculating kinematics are the units. ¡°x¡±, ¡°v¡±, ¡°a¡±, and ¡°t¡± all have units: meters, meters per second, meters per second per second, and seconds. The distance Blue had to the moon was 400,000 km, which is not meters. Furthermore, the time she wanted to solve for was in days, and would have to be converted from seconds in order for the equation to work.

    Curiously, I ran the calculations with an acceleration of 0.01 m/s<sup>2</sup> and got about 2 hours to reach the height of the ISS at about 400 km. Add in the time Jeh spent fiddling with the balance and everything, it¡¯s not at all unreasonable to assume it took 3-ish hours to get up there. The irony is I didn¡¯t run this calculation before writing the previous chapter. Guess I got lucky!

    Now, there are two of you in the audience now. There¡¯s the ¡°augh no not math!¡± people and the ¡°this is very simple math why are you explaining it?¡± people. For the former, I usually try to avoid math, but today¡¯s science discussion kind of couldn¡¯t avoid it. For the latter, don¡¯t worry; we¡¯ll eventually get into orbital mechanics and other actually complicated nonsense that will drive Blue up a wall.

    After all, they¡¯re trying to get to the moon. Magic may give them a lot of shortcuts, but space is space. They¡¯re going to have to realize certain things or perish in the attempt. Still, I will endeavor to explain it in an understandable way.

    Keep in mind that the kinematic equations only work when acceleration is constant. Even in a world of magic where you can precisely tune the force an Orange crystal produces, acceleration will rarely be constant. Forces batter the ship from every angle. Even though space is largely empty, light from the sun will provide a non-negligible change over immense scales!

    When acceleration is changing, the equation F=ma becomes F=m(dv/dt). ¡°dv/dt¡± means ¡°change in velocity over time¡± (the definition of acceleration). However, ¡°dv/dt¡± can be a function, rather than a simple number. Calculus is required to solve these types of problems exactly.

    Calculus has not been invented on Ikyu. Blue will be forced to resort to numerical methods¡ªthat is, creating an estimate formula that can be performed several times in succession to get closer to the real value. It is a slow and time consuming process, but it can get an answer to any desired precision.

    The problem is the steps have to be done all over again for each individual problem. Blue has a long road ahead of her in raw calculation. Luckily, we won¡¯t see much of her direct numbers. The story is a story, after all.

    Still, appreciate the existence of Calculus. It allows us to figure out how things move.

 012 - Snowed In

    012

    Snowed In

    Vaughan descended the stairs to find Jeh sitting in a chair, reading a book. Blue wasn¡¯t present¡ªprobably either in her lab or out back working on something, if Vaughan had to guess. That unicorn had an absurd work ethic.

    ¡° ¡®Morning,¡± Jeh greeted, turning a page. ¡°I already had breakfast.¡±

    ¡°What was it?¡±

    ¡°Roast raccoon. Caught it last night.¡± She tapped the bone in her hair with a playful smirk. ¡°They taste so much better and juicier when roasted.¡±

    Vaughan decided not to comment on this, heading for the back door instead. He yawned as he moved¡ªhe was immensely tired. He¡¯d stayed up extra late last night thinking of various things the members of the Wizard Space Program could do and was ready to give them their assignments today.

    Later, of course. Once he was awake. He wouldn¡¯t dare call the state he was in now ¡°awake.¡± He reached the back door and opened it.

    Suddenly, everything was white and cold. Coughing and sputtering, Vaughan dug himself out of the mound of snow, flopping unceremoniously onto his back.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Jeh ran over, stopping in her tracks at the monstrous mound of snow. ¡°¡­Wow, yesterday it was barely a sprinkling.¡± She jumped onto the snowy mound and tried to dig her way out through the top of the doorway, only finding more snow. ¡°...I want to say I¡¯ve never seen snow this bad, but I probably just wasn¡¯t conscious enough for it.¡±

    Vaughan stood up, dusted the snow off his robes, and adjusted his hat indignantly. ¡°This much snow is not unusual¡­ for the middle of winter. It¡¯s sure here early.¡±

    ¡°Gonna be a long winter?¡±

    ¡°Gonna be a long winter.¡±

    Jeh tapped her feet a few times. ¡°¡­Think we can get out one of the windows?¡±

    ¡°Probably. It¡¯s never gotten high enough to bury the cabin.¡±

    The two of them climbed the stairs and found that the snow didn¡¯t even reach the second-story windows. Jeh pressed her face to the glass, staring in awe at the completely white and smooth landscape outside. All of the smaller plants and rocks were completely hidden, leaving only the trees themselves to life amidst the cold, and most of their branches were utterly filled with snow as well.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I missed this every year¡­¡± Jeh said, mouth dropping open.

    ¡°It is amazing to look at¡ªbut it also causes problems.¡± Vaughan folded his arms. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be practical to get to Willow Hollow.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Jeh blinked. ¡°Can I still go outside?¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°If most people went out there they¡¯d fall beneath the snow and freeze to death.¡± He patted Jeh on the shoulder. ¡°So, in your case, just take some Red to keep your body heat up and bundle up so you don¡¯t waste the crystals.¡±

    Jeh saluted. ¡°Got it!¡±

    ¡°I also hear it¡¯s very easy to get lost in the snow. Probably not a good idea to leave sight range of the cabin. Your muscle memory of the forest will not work.¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°It¡¯d take forever to get anywhere anyway.¡± She frowned. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t go visit anyone.¡±

    ¡°Quite.¡± Vaughan stretched himself out. ¡°I¡¯m going to go take stock of our food stores. We were prepared for an early winter, but now that it¡¯s here¡­ gotta be careful.¡±

    Jeh raised a hand. ¡°Starving doesn¡¯t harm me. I¡ª¡°

    Vaughan raised a hand. ¡°I made sure to store for three people. You can still eat.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Jeh grinned. ¡°Thanks, Vaughan! I¡¯m going outside now!¡± She ran off to get more furs and some Red.

    Vaughan chuckled to himself, left alone at the window surveying the new wintry landscape. It really was beautiful. If only it wasn¡¯t such an annoying hindrance¡ªgetting to Willow Hollow wasn¡¯t impossible, but it would require a lot of Red and waste time.

    It was best to just¡­ wait. Like everyone in Willow Hollow did. Winters were times of survival and patience, not immense work.

    Jeh came back, thrust the window open, and jumped out into the snow¡ªimmediately vanishing into the ground with a comical ¡°fwump¡± noise to go with it. ¡°Wow! You were right!¡±

    ¡°Have fun!¡± Vaughan called. ¡°Just come in if you get cold.¡± He closed the window but didn¡¯t lock it. He descended the stairs, intending to make use of the couch to have a nice relaxing morning.

    Then he saw the pile of snow in the doorway and remembered that he probably had to deal with that. With a sigh, he lifted up his scepter and used Orange to start putting the snow in a bucket. Using Red would just give the floor water damage.

    ¡°Vaughan!¡± Blue called from her lab. ¡°Why is it getting so cold in here!?¡±

    ¡°Snowed in!¡± Vaughan called.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s annoying!¡± Blue said this rather dismissively. Given the following silence, she¡¯d probably returned to her experiments or her calculations.

    The girl was a genius, but Vaughan sometimes wondered if she locked herself up in that room too much.

    ~~~

    The days were shorter and they passed by quicker. The temperature only dropped. For the most part, the level of snow didn¡¯t increase; it merely remained the same. An expansive, white wonderland, always visible if anyone were willing to go to the second floor.

    Jeh was always willing. Every day she woke up, suited herself up in extra thick furs, and took her Red outside. She always tried to jump into the same hole she made the first day, but her aim wasn¡¯t always perfect; as a result, there were numerous other holes in the fluffy snow.

    The main hole, however, led to ground level, since Jeh had intentionally dug it out. This deep into the snow the walls were like ice, smooth and melted together as a result of Jeh¡¯s method of tunneling. Today, she was in the mood for making more tunnels, so she set out along her carved, winding paths, her only light coming from a small fire she created with her crystals. She found a spot where the snow was still relatively fluffy and hadn¡¯t been melted into ice and set to work.

    The idea was simple: melt the snow away. As it melted, it liquefied, flowing downward and quickly refreezing due to the temperature. This made Jeh¡¯s tunnels unbelievably slippery, but it kept her from having to shovel snow out of them since ice was significantly denser than snow.

    She decided she was going to carve a corkscrew tunnel up to the surface. A short ways in, she discovered that going up at an incline was a terrible idea; slanted ice could not be climbed. So she started trying to apply the heat in such a way as to shape the ice into stairs. Her end results were messy and uneven, but they were flat enough that she could stand on them and continue work.

    At about the tenth stair she realized this was taking forever. Not because of her sense of time¡ªthat was absolutely terrible¡ªbut because her stomach was informing her of its desire for food. It was either lunchtime or close to it.

    With a shrug, Jeh left the stairs for later. Descending them proved to be a challenge, but she only slipped on the last stair, planting her face into the dirt and ice at the lowest level. ¡°Egh¡­¡±

    She walked back down her tunnel to the ¡°main area¡± she had created: a cave-like enclosure of ice the size of a living room. She found a small crate she had dragged down here and opened it, revealing a few bits of dried meat and fruit for her meal purposes.

    Taking a seat in the center of the room, she started eating. The sounds of her chewing echoed throughout the icy cavern, and every time she opened her mouth fog would come out. Her little fire-light was keeping her warm enough, though.

    She finished eating and then¡­ didn¡¯t move. She was still breathing and not in any danger of freezing solid, she just didn¡¯t get up. The girl sat, alone, listening to the sounds of her ice cave.

    It was slightly windy on the surface, so she could hear a slight howl in the distance, but it was significantly muffled this deep in her network. It was the only sound aside from her breathing.

    On the first day, she¡¯d found the sensation of silence amazing.

    Now, she no longer cared for it.

    With a drawn-out sigh, she flopped onto her back and let her fire go out, plunging everything into absolute darkness.

    It¡¯s really no different like this, she thought.

    In the back of her mind, she still wondered if she could possibly make a tunnel all the way to Willow Hollow or Ashen so she could find her friends, but she knew how long it took. That would be a weeks¡¯ long project, assuming the snow didn¡¯t partially melt in the middle of it, which would ruin everything. Snow was never permanent enough to bother with such things.

    Still¡­ she wanted to do things. But Blue was always busy, and Vaughan wasn¡¯t exactly the most physically oriented of people. He spent his days in comfortable chairs yawning a lot. He¡¯d come out to look at her tunnels a few times, but never to do anything in them.

    And that was it. It was just her, Blue, and Vaughan here.

    Jeh wished Blue would hurry up with those calculations and ¡°theory work¡± she was devoting so much time to. Jeh also wouldn¡¯t have minded helping her, but it was all math. Math, math, math.

    Jeh didn¡¯t hate math but some of the things Blue did with numbers defied any explanation, at least as far as Jeh was concerned. Jeh was left in the dark, and no matter of trying to understand that mathematics book in the library gave Jeh any insight. What even was that ¡Æ* symbol?

    *Naturally, the symbol they use for ¡°summation¡± is different from ours, as is the case with all their mathematical symbols. This is merely translated for our convenience.

    Jeh had no idea how long she remained down there. It was enough that her leg started to go numb. She likely would have frozen down there had her ears not picked up something: ice cracking?

    She sat up immediately, summoning the fire-light again. Was there someone down here with her? No¡ªshe¡¯d have heard Blue and Vaughan stumbling around; anyone else would have to make a similar amount of noises. Some support or icewall somewhere in the tunnels must have cracked.

    With a sigh, she stood up and set out to find the crack.

    She searched the entire day and never found it.

    It probably just fused back together, or something. Jeh yawned, noting that her Red crystal was getting rather small. Geez, it really does take a lot of energy to stay warm down here. That was as good enough a reason as any to go back to the cabin. Dinner would probably be soon. Maybe Blue would stop working long enough to eat it.

    She climbed out of her snow-hole, leaving the chamber of her solitude behind.

    ~~~

    In Willow Hollow, the story was slightly different. Work was largely put on hold by the massive snow, but it wasn¡¯t impossible to traverse it and visit other people. The square was still cobbled and it was worthwhile to melt paths through the snow from building to building.

    The hardest place to manage, however, was the Sanctuary. And it was the one place Lila would not let go unattended. Luckily, she had been prepared. Ever since the first winter where she worked her head off to keep the snow out of her precious Sanctuary, she always made sure to have three extra arcane heaters available to make sure everything within the stone walls was melted and that a path ran out to the rest of the buildings.

    Lila¡¯s single-minded determination kept the Sanctuary in operation even in the midst of immense snow. She¡¯d only actually closed services off when there was an actual danger, such as the blizzard two years back that threw icicles through the air. That had been an interesting day.

    Curiously, this left the Sanctuary as the best place for the people of Willow Hollow to meet. Very few people were willing to put in the effort to leave their homes, so attendance was low, but those who did show up included all the new members of the Wizard Space Program.

    The Sanctuary was unfortunately outdoors, so even the heaters couldn¡¯t keep the natural chill away. Naturally, everyone was bundled up in coats and furs, even Lila herself¡ªher Keeper robes just wouldn¡¯t cut it right now. Still, she pressed on, guiding those who came through teaching, meditation, and at last the closing.

    ¡°Go forth to your homes, remembering what Dia has done for us in all creation. Wherever we go, She is with us, guiding us through our Choice, regardless of our limitations.¡±

    Everyone nodded in agreement, and about half of the people there moved out, back into the snow to return to their aforementioned homes. Lila and her son Akri remained, obviously, to clean up anything that happened in the Sanctuary that day. The rest who remained were the Wizard Space Program: Krays, Big G, Mary, Seskii, and Suro.

    Lila turned to her son. ¡°Akri, you take care of the candles today. It appears as though I have a long conversation ahead of me.¡±

    Akri nodded. ¡°Of course, mum.¡± He walked to the central altar and opened it up, examining the seven differently-colored candles to make sure they were burning properly, taking the opportunity to clean the altar.

    Lila jumped down to the ground of very dead but very wet grass. ¡°So, business?¡±

    Seskii shook her head. ¡°I wanted to say that was a wonderful message today.¡±

    ¡°Everyone else is here for business,¡± Krays said, folding her arms.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be disrespectful!¡± Mary huffed. ¡°We are extremely lucky to have a Keeper like Lila.¡±

    Krays tapped her head. ¡°Obviously, who else would be on board with shooting children into space?¡±

    Lila thought about this for a moment. ¡°Keeper Ra¡¯vani. But that¡¯s neither here nor there¡ªwhat is it?¡±

    Suro brushed his tail up against his wife. ¡°I think we all just want to know what to do while the snow¡¯s piling up. We can¡¯t get to our supplies or our brains.¡±

    ¡°I can get you a jar of replacement brain,¡± Seskii said.

    ¡°Could you really?¡± Mary asked.

    Seskii shrugged and winked.

    Lila chuckled at the antics before her. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t do any science or any launches, but we can come up with ideas. I¡¯m considering a proposal for a place to launch spacecraft from. Make it a tourist location, give people dates for launches so they can schedule to watch¡­ make it a community effort and event. The more popular it is, the more funding comes in, and the more work can be done¡ªwhile also doing the most good for morale.¡± Lila turned to Big G. ¡°I am sure you are aware of the negative effects long-term mining has on most people.¡±

    ¡°We weren¡¯t meant to live underground,¡± Big G admitted.

    ¡°Shroomers¡­ Xolotls¡­¡± Krays started counting races off on her fingers.

    ¡°You know what I mean.¡± Big G folded his arms. ¡°This snow is actually good for my men, gives them a chance to see the sun more. Which is my idea. I can have miners work on menial construction tasks for the Program in shifts, give them all a chance to do something out of the ground more often.¡±

    ¡°What a brilliant idea!¡± Lila said. ¡°However, how can we pay them? The Program currently does not bring in enough income to, well, pay people.¡± Lila flicked her tail. ¡°All of us are doing this for free, all the funds go to Vaughan¡¯s stores, and I¡¯ve examined the income: almost all of it is spent on more resources.¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t doing this to get rich,¡± Mary pointed out. ¡°We just¡­ want to.¡±

    ¡°My boys need to be paid,¡± Big G said. ¡°I¡¯ll worry about that. The mine is my business.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to hash out the details with Vaughan,¡± Lila said. ¡°¡­Which is a problem, currently.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a patient man.¡±

    Lila had to admit, that was true. She turned to the others. ¡°So, anything else?¡±

    Mary shrugged. ¡°Uh¡­ I just feel like I need something to do? Frostweed doesn¡¯t need much guidance to grow, so I¡¯m not doing much right now. I wanted to help Blue with her botanical experiments, but¡­¡± She shrugged.

    Suro nodded. ¡°I know how you feel. I need designs from Vaughan if I want to make anything really new. I can¡¯t even make another drive, I have to order the Magenta parts.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t run any experiments, either,¡± Big G said. ¡°Vaughan has all the equipment set up there.¡±

    Krays snapped her fingers. ¡°You¡¯re wrong, we have our forge. Darmosil and I can surely cook some experiment up for you intellectuals.¡±

    ¡°What would we test, though?¡± Big G asked.

    ¡°Heat!¡± Krays folded her fingers together. ¡°You go fast enough, you light on fire, right? We can run tests on those levels of heat in the forge. Eh? Eh?¡±

    ¡°Good start,¡± Lila said. ¡°But we¡¯ll need procedures, a goal in mind, and something to test.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think of something before any of you.¡±

    Seskii tilted her hand back and forth. ¡°She has a point. She¡¯s the most likely to make a crazy breakthrough no one could think of.¡±

    ¡°Your subtlety could use work.¡±

    ¡°Only the best for you,¡± Seskii grinned. ¡°Not that I could hold a candle to your husband.¡±

    Krays laughed. ¡°See? That¡¯s why, you backed off. You¡¯re too nice.¡±

    Mary facepalmed. ¡°For Dia¡¯s sake¡ª¡± She quickly put a hand over her mouth. ¡°Oh, Lila, I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the one you need to apologize to,¡± Lila said; though she spoke with no malice or judgment. ¡°Now¡­ I know you all have ideas and things you want to do, but the fact of the matter is I can¡¯t even start making what I want in this snow. We can make plans right now, that is all. Unless Krays comes up with something.¡± Lila raised her ears high. ¡°We just have to learn some patience. Wait for the snow to clear. It could be weeks, it could be months. But this does not mean we stop thinking. We are part of this Program now¡ªwe still think about what to do, consider our duties, and if we see something worthy of our attention we do it. So please¡­¡± She smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s keep meeting after service to discuss potential new ideas, sound good?¡±

    The group nodded in unison.

    ¡°Great! Now¡­ I have housekeeping here to take care of, so see you all tomorrow. Good luck with those snow tunnels, Big G.¡±

    Big G nodded in respect to her before turning with the others to leave.

    ¡°Wow, mom,¡± Akri said, having finished with the altar. ¡°You really do know how to manage them, huh?¡±

    ¡°You never forget how to be a captain, Akri.¡± A frown crossed over Lila¡¯s features. ¡°Never.¡± She sharply turned her ears to the side, listening carefully.

    ¡°Mom? What is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Nothing, apparently.¡± Lila relaxed. ¡°I must be stressed from all the snow.¡±

    ¡°I can take care of everything here if you need a break today.¡±

    ¡°No, no, ten minutes will do. Thank you, though.¡±

    ~~~

    There were times when Blue really wished she could use magic effectively. Then she wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the tedium of trying to calculate trajectories on paper. With Purple, a glowing three-dimensional animation could be constructed, which would make things much simpler. But Blue was a hopeless case and Vaughan wasn¡¯t specialized in Purple, forcing Blue to resort to more inefficient methods.

    Namely, drawing around a hundred different diagrams of the Ikyu-moon system and the position of a theoretical spacecraft. She had to make a lot of assumptions to even be able to make these diagrams. It took a lot of time to perform the raw calculation at every moment, predict how far the ship would go, examine its new location, perform the calculation again¡­

    She had yet to find a feasible way to get to the moon without the celestial object slamming into the ship at high speeds¡ªor the ship slamming into it, in some other ways. Going directly up was right out, always ended up being smashed to pieces. It was imperative that they were traveling at the moon¡¯s speed when they arrived, but that required not going straight up. She wasn¡¯t sure what it required yet but her ideas weren¡¯t going anywhere very quickly.

    The only way she¡¯d gotten it to work was to fly the ship into space, accelerate it to the moon¡¯s speed over a long period of time, and then move to where the moon would be. It functioned, but the issue was that in order to actually perform it they¡¯d need to know exactly how long the maneuvers would take so they would be going the right speed and direction for where the moon was going to be when they arrived. Since the moon was going in a circular path, they needed to match the angle of its speed as well¡ªwhich was very sensitive to timing. The issue was she couldn¡¯t say with certainty what the exact rate of acceleration was for any given ship, she just had to guess, which meant none of the theory would have much practical application.

    What they needed was a strategy with more room for error and gave them plenty of time to adjust if they were off. A slow approach¡ªwell, relative to the moon. That was the issue, in the end. They needed to go slow and they needed to go fast, which was giving Blue headaches. Lots of headaches.

    So she¡¯d started testing various strategies of motion in her calculations, hence the hundreds of drawings of the Ikyu-moon system. The vast majority of attempts ended in crashes. She did notice a pattern though: once far enough out from Ikyu, the tendency for things to fall to its center would make the flight path to the moon curve.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Weird¡­¡± Blue said to herself, scratching her chin. ¡°¡­I wonder if we can use that¡­¡±

    There came a knock at the door.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Jeh poked her head into the lab. ¡°Uh¡­ Blue? You busy?¡±

    Blue set down the calculations she was working on, noting the mountains of paper surrounding her. ¡°Um¡­ yes. Why, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ uh¡­¡± Jeh shuffled her feet awkwardly. ¡°Nothing really, you¡¯ve got work. Important work.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°Very. Trying to figure out how to get to the moon without crashing. It¡¯s harder than it sounds.¡±

    ¡°Have¡­ fun.¡±

    Despite herself, Blue smiled. ¡°I will! Thanks for checking up on me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Jeh closed the door and left Blue to her work.

    Despite her complaints, Blue really did enjoy what she was doing. She was plumbing the depths of reality never before considered, so far as she knew. How to get to the moon, how to get to the moon¡­

    There was another knock at the door. This one made Blue twitch¡ªshe¡¯d just finished with Jeh, what now? ¡°What?¡±

    Vaughan opened the door, yawning. ¡°Just coming to say good morning.¡±

    Blue twitched. I forgot to sleep again. ¡°Well, good morning. I¡¯ll be getting back to this now.¡±

    Vaughan looked around at all the papers strewn around and whistled. ¡°You really are taking this seriously, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°You claim that you have ¡®no natural mathematical skills¡¯ whatsoever, despite your ability to fine-tune Magenta conduits. So this falls to me, the mathy one.¡± She gestured at a page filled entirely with numbers and symbols. ¡°This is very intensive and focus-demanding work.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know.¡± He continued walking around the lab, leisurely examining the various papers everywhere. ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Blue told herself to just be quiet, to let it go, to wait for him to leave¡­ but the longer he stood there, the less she could think about anything else aside from giving him her mind.

    ¡°Vaughan, what have you been working on?¡±

    Vaughan shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re snowed in, Blue.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but look at this lab of work!¡± Blue gestured at all of the pages. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you get out of that dumb comfy chair of yours every now and then and, I dunno, design some crystal cores or something?¡±

    Vaughan waved a dismissive hand. ¡°It¡¯s winter, Blue. Nobody has to do anything.¡±

    ¡°Th¡ªthat¡¯s just lazy!¡± Blue blurted.

    Vaughan turned to her, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Lazy? Blue, are you not hearing me? Winter. The time of cold, rest, and beautiful hills of rolling snow.¡±

    ¡°And here I thought you wanted to go to space.¡±

    ¡°I do, bu¡ª¡°

    ¡°But what?¡± Blue tilted her head. ¡°Huh? What possible reason is there for you to be lazing around all day filling the house with your snores and not lifting a finger to do anything!?¡±

    Vaughan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°And you could stand to come out of this room every now and then. You aren¡¯t even at breakfa¡ª¡°

    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Blue interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m not falling for the ¡®whataboutisms,¡¯ Vaughan. You criticize me after you realize what you¡¯re doing. My actions are inconsequential to yours.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Vaughan folded his arms. ¡°Clearly, you¡¯re in a bad mood.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I was in a great mood until you walked in and reminded me how much nothing you¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no way to talk to your supervisor.¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± Blue tossed her mane back, using her horn to gesture at her mountains of work. ¡°You couldn¡¯t do any of this without me and you know it. Or did you forget, we made the Wizard Space Program a democracy?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still my apprentice.¡±

    ¡°And how much actual magic have you taught me, huh?¡± Blue tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯m still useless at casting spells, and you haven¡¯t given me anything structured enough to assist in making crystal cores. I¡¯m learning all that from your books!¡±

    ¡°That you don¡¯t read because you¡¯re always locked in here!¡±

    ¡°You just did it again!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s relevant!¡±

    Blue threw a crumpled-up piece of paper at him. ¡°Unless you want help, get out of my lab.¡±

    ¡°This is my cabin.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do, throw me out into the snow?¡± She stood on the tips of her hooves and glared defiantly at him.

    Vaughan¡¯s face contorted in rage for a moment¡ªbut then it melted away. Without another word, he left the room, closing the door quietly.

    ¡°Uuugh¡­¡± Blue groaned, returning to her work. The math of the next few hours was marked by decidedly aggressive strokes that sometimes tore through the parchment.

    ~~~

    At first, it had just been one snowman. Jeh cut through the ice in her central cavern and pulled packable snow inside and built one. She had to go to the surface to scrounge for some suitable sticks, but it was easy enough to get the three spheres on top of each other and a smile of rocks ready to greet her whenever she arrived.

    The next day she started making another one. Then she made one with two heads. Then she made one that was huge but only a head. Finding snowmen to be boring, she invested in snow sculptures of bears, snakes, and many other animals she¡¯d seen during her time in the forest, utterly filling her caverns with them.

    She¡¯d lost track of the days. All she knew was that the snow level was somehow even higher now and her caverns were likely to be around for a long, long time.

    She eventually started talking to them.

    ¡°Y¡¯know, Snowy¡ª¡° she was talking to the two-headed snowman. ¡°¡ªI don¡¯t know why I do this. Make all of you. I mean¡­¡± She gestured at the small army she¡¯d built from the frozen fluff. ¡°What¡¯s even the point? You¡¯re just¡­ fun to make. And then I don¡¯t do anything, I just talk to you.¡±

    She turned to a snow snake. ¡°Yes, I talk to you too. Hmph! I talk to all of you. ¡­I talk to you more than Blue or Vaughan.¡± She kicked the ground with her feet. ¡°I miss Ashen¡­ Rissy¡­ Rona¡­ Seskii¡­¡± She sat down in a snow throne and pulled her knees to her chest. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±

    The soft howling of distant wind was her only answer.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have any problems in the forest¡­¡± Jeh frowned. ¡°I never talked. I didn¡¯t know how. I just¡­ was. And every day was great! I¡¯d go out, fight a bear, win about half the time¡­¡± She giggled at the memory. ¡°Then I¡¯d just flop into the snow and pass out all winter instead of doing all this.¡± Closing her eyes, she folded her arms. ¡°Why don¡¯t I just do that? It¡¯s not like anyone needs me right now. Blue¡¯s always busy, Vaughan¡¯s always napping¡­¡±

    For a moment, she legitimately considered it. Dropping herself into a plane of snow and allowing herself to freeze there until spring. She¡¯d done it before; it was just like an extra-long nap with a bit of discomfort at the ends of it. Heck, even when she¡¯d been in situations she could have kept herself warm, she¡¯d chosen to go out into the snow just to get the winter over with.

    Why couldn¡¯t she just let herself do that, now?

    Why didn¡¯t she want to?

    Jeh looked up to Snowy. ¡°I¡­ what¡¯s wrong with me, why can¡¯t it be like it used to be?¡±

    Snowy made no response, but Jeh answered her own question. The words and the connections. They meant something.

    She wanted to talk.

    And talking to Snowy wasn¡¯t doing it for her; she needed someone to talk back. Someone¡­ somehow¡­

    Quickly, she stood up and dusted the snow off her furs. ¡°I¡¯m going to fix this, Snowy. You watch. I¡¯ll¡­ I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll think of something.¡±

    Snowy just kept smiling his eternal rocky smile as Jeh scrambled out of her caves.

    ~~~

    ¡°You said you have something for me?¡± Suro asked as he walked into Krays and Darmosil¡¯s section of the shop. Somehow, the Sourdough twins had convinced him to buy four loaves of bread, all of which were stuffed in bags hanging from his back.

    ¡°Krays does,¡± Darmosil said as he sharpened a sword. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°He speaks the truth in order to hide his shame,¡± Krays chuckled.

    ¡°Truth is truth.¡±

    ¡°But is it truthfully true?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Actually, if you would have attended Lila¡¯s service last week you would have heard all about how giving a blunt truth is not being true.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so a message directed at you.¡±

    ¡°Hypocritical tendencies are attractive right now.¡±

    Suro held up a paw. ¡°I know you two love your little game, but I would like to see what Krays has for me, yes?¡±

    Krays rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, fine, you tar-furred mangy mongrel.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t thi¡ª¡°

    Krays kicked the door into the back rooms open. ¡°Come, I¡¯ve got some experiments set up!¡±

    Suro was admittedly rather curious about what exactly Krays had cooked up. She was very much not an experimentally driven person, one who lived by actions rather than deep thought.

    So he wasn¡¯t all that surprised when he found that her experiment had involved punching holes in various metal sheets rather destructively.

    Krays picked up a decently sized chunk of Blue crystal. ¡°Okay, watch this, it¡¯s going to be fun.¡± She picked up something tiny and metallic off the ground, pulled her hand back, and threw it at an upright pane of metal. Her Blue crystal activated, increasing the already alarming speed of the tiny metal bit to something so fast it lit on fire and punched a hole clean through the metal panel. ¡°Behold, armor testing.¡±

    ¡°You would enjoy seeing how hard it is to break things,¡± Suro mused.

    ¡°You bet your balding tail I do.¡± She dusted her hands off. ¡°But I didn¡¯t just set up this experiment. I found something. See, look at how thick this sheet of metal is.¡±

    If Suro had to guess, it was about a centimeter. He nodded in understanding, gesturing for Krays to continue.

    ¡°Now, I have here two plates of metal that are half as thick.¡± She lifted the plates off the ground and set them up on a table about twenty centimeters apart. ¡°Now watch this.¡± She pulled her hand back and threw the tiny rock again, accelerating it to absurd speeds. It punched a hole right through the first plane, but the second plane stopped it.

    Suro blinked. ¡°The¡­ air provides protection?¡±

    Krays grinned. ¡°You¡¯d think that, but no, increasing the distance it has to travel through the air does almost nothing. It¡¯s the separation between the plates! Look¡­¡± She pointed at the second plate that stopped it. ¡°Multiple impact craters. The first layer tore the offending invader to shreds¡ªlike it deserves for daring to attack our precious ship¡ªand the second is strong enough to stop the smaller chunks.¡±

    Suro blinked a few times. ¡°This is very promising¡­ But things could be going much, much faster out there than you can generate, even with all your focus on such a small area.¡±

    ¡°Just add more plates,¡± Krays said. ¡°That way, anything large enough gets torn to bits again. Tah-dah, you could get hit by dozens of insignificant specks of violence and they become nothing more than a pathetic attempt at startling you with offensive noises. Yes!¡± She pumped her fist. ¡°Armor!¡±

    ¡°Does this work for glass?¡± Suro asked.

    Krays let out an undignified snort. ¡°Glass is way too weak. Yes, it breaks up the offending attackers, but sometimes it just straight-up shatters.¡±

    ¡°Good to know¡­¡± Suro frowned. ¡°This means the ship will have to be metal and have a lot of space in between the armor. That is going to make it big and heavy.¡±

    ¡°And that is not my problem!¡± Krays leaned in, grinning at the cat below her. ¡°I¡¯m sure the rest of you will think of something!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Suro flicked his ears back. ¡°By the way, where did you learn the focus to accelerate tiny objects that fast?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a signature move of Blue-reliant assassins,¡± Krays said.

    ¡°That explains nothing and in fact only makes me concerned.¡±

    Krays shrugged. ¡°You and Lila have your past. I have¡­ well no I don¡¯t really have a dark past. Pretty sure it was my aunt who was the assassin. Vanished one day without a trace somewhere up north.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Oh, she was a nasty piece of work let me tell you. See, this insult thing I do? She did it as well, but she also hated people on a deep level, like their existence was fundamentally insulting to the air she was breathing. She found it amusing to shoot at me with that spell, watch me freak out.¡± Krays flicked a metal bit into the air and shot it into the iron cube. ¡°If she ever shows up, I freak her out now.¡±

    Suro nodded. ¡°I think I understand. If you ever need to talk¡­ Lila and I have seen some things, we might be able to help.¡±

    ¡°Psh, help is for the weak, you should know better.¡± Krays¡¯ expression softened slightly. ¡°¡­But thanks.¡±

    Suro knew exactly what she meant. ¡°I try. Now, is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, want the list of materials that are absolutely terrible for space armor?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°First of all: cheese. Cheese is perhaps the messiest of everything I tested.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Because I was hungry, shut up, I can¡¯t insult you and the materials I experiment on at the same time very effectively. Too much diverting of attention.¡±

    ~~~

    Blue marched up the stairs to the attic with the intent of using the telescope to look at the starry sky, but to her disdain, Vaughan was there.

    She still didn¡¯t want to talk to him after their impasse several days ago, so she quickly turned around to leave.

    ¡°Blue, come look at this.¡±

    Blue stopped moving. ¡°I don¡ª¡°

    ¡°You can have the telescope, I¡¯m not even using it. I just want you to look outside first.¡±

    Blue weighed the options in her head and decided she might as well do what he wanted. She marched up to the window and looked down¡ªsurprised to find it well lit by a couple orbs of light dangling over the snow. She could clearly see Jeh prowling around, maintaining the light with both Purple and Red crystals that were stabbed through her arm to ensure contact while also giving her use of both her hands.

    She was building with all the snow. Somehow she¡¯d managed to get much of the surface snow into a solid form so falling into the depths no longer occurred. Atop of this, she was building amazing snow slides, crafting tables with multiple seats around them, and making sculptures.

    The sculptures were a work in progress, but it was clearly a human, a unicorn, and a smaller human with bear ears represented by tiny snowballs.

    The huge smiles were already on all three of them.

    In a single moment, Blue suddenly felt like the worst person on the planet.

    ¡°There¡¯s more to this than just the two of us,¡± Vaughan said, closing his eyes solemnly.

    ¡°I¡­ oh, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Blue turned away from the window, shaking her head. ¡°She¡­ how many times did she ask me to go out with her? How many times did she want to ask?¡±

    ¡°At least she asked you.¡± Vaughan shook his head. ¡°She¡­ hasn¡¯t talked to me, much.¡± He looked up, sighing. ¡°I have spent the last few decades alone in this house during the winter with nothing to do. I had to learn to be okay with that. And now¡­ I¡¯m so comfortable with it I don¡¯t want it to change. I want the nothing. I¡­ have failed.¡±

    ¡°We¡­ we ignored her.¡± Blue slammed her hoof into her face hard enough to hurt. ¡°Stupid, stupid, stupid!¡±

    ¡°For once, I agree with you.¡± A slight smile crawled up his face. ¡°What morons we are.¡±

    ¡°¡­Should we go out there? And¡­ help?¡±

    ¡°I think she¡¯s making it for us tomorrow, otherwise she¡¯d be sleeping right now. It¡¯s her way of talking.¡±

    ¡°¡­Neither of us are any good with her,¡± Blue sighed.

    ¡°What she needs are parents, but what she has is us.¡± Vaughan shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll have to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m barely old enough to get married and I¡¯m supposed to be a mother to her?¡± Blue tapped her hooves nervously. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much of a choice, now, do we?¡±

    Blue hung her head. ¡°No¡­ not really.¡±

    Silence fell between the two of them.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for exploding,¡± Blue said, suddenly.

    ¡°I feel much the same,¡± Vaughan admitted, leaning forward to the window. ¡°To think, it was about the very things we were doing that alienated her. Blind as bats.¡±

    ¡°Morons, as we¡¯ve already established.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    Blue set her jaw and straightened her legs. ¡°Tomorrow, it¡¯s Jeh¡¯s day. Not work day, not sleep day, Jeh¡¯s day.¡±

    Vaughan grinned. ¡°I think that¡¯s a perfect idea.¡±

    ¡°After that, we can figure out how much you need to work and how much I need to¡­¡± Blue shivered involuntarily. ¡°Not work.¡±

    ¡°Is it really that horrible?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like leaving things half-finished! It bugs me like a gnat buzzing around in my head!¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°But these things¡­ they¡¯re taking multiple days to work through. They can¡¯t be done all at once.¡± She rubbed her head just beneath her horn. ¡°Nothing is ever simple¡­¡±

    ¡°I may not be a mathematical savant, but I do know a thing or two. We really should be working together.¡±

    ¡°Good idea. Save it for after Jeh¡¯s day, though. Right now, I need to sleep so I¡¯m not a useless sack of potatoes. You¡­ I don¡¯t know, keep staring at the stars?¡±

    Vaughan smiled. ¡°Gladly. ¡­Oh, wait, did you still want the telescope?¡±

    Blue shook her head. ¡°I was going to try to examine the moon, see if looking at it would give me any ideas. But that¡­ can¡­ wait.¡± She let out a slow, deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m going to go insane.¡±

    ¡°I thought we already were.¡±

    ¡°No, we were morons.¡±

    ¡°That was today, weren¡¯t we insane a few weeks ago?¡±

    Blue lifted up her hoof in the equivalent of a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed before this devolves into something even more pointless than it already is.¡±

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°Good night, Blue.¡±

    Blue smiled warmly. ¡°¡­Good night, Vaughan.¡±

    ~~~

    Jeh charged into the dining room where Vaughan was eating breakfast. ¡°Hey, Vaughan! Do you think you can get Blue out of her lab juuuuust once? I have a surprise!¡±

    Vaughan gestured at the spot Blue was sitting across the table. ¡°A surprise?¡± Blue asked.

    Jeh gasped. ¡°Blue! You¡¯re eating breakfast! With Vaughan! That never happens!¡±

    ¡°People aren¡¯t always predictable,¡± Blue said as she took another spoonful of oatmeal. ¡°So, surprise?¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°It¡¯s outside! Both of you should get coats on so you don¡¯t freeze to death or something. Oh, uh¡­ uh¡­ th-there¡¯s no danger of freezing! It¡¯s a fun surprise! Very fun. Please come out.¡± She gave both of them her best impression of a puppy¡¯s big eyes.

    Blue stood to all fours and grinned. ¡°Of course we¡¯ll come out.¡±

    Jeh had expected that to take longer but she wasn¡¯t about to complain. ¡°Yes! Yes yes yes!¡± She jumped onto the table and pumped her fist into the air. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go! I already have your coats in the hall.¡± She tilted a door open, revealing the coats she had grabbed last night. ¡°All ready for you! I even heated them up and cleaned them and everything. Oh, and Vaughan, there¡¯s frostweed snacks outside just for you.¡±

    ¡°You really went above and beyond, didn¡¯t you?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Oh, just you wait!¡± She all but threw their coats on them and dragged them outside through the second-story window.

    What greeted them was nothing short of Jeh¡¯s winter wonderland. In the light of the morning sun, it was brilliant: large structures of ice refracted the sun in brilliant ways, casting beautiful flecks onto the snowy structures. The slides dominated the scene, towering far above everything else. Around them, tables were set with the bright blue leaves of frostweed, ready to be eaten¡ªthere were also a few hidden leaf packs scattered around some of the abstract snow lumps littered around. There was even a little volcano built around the entrance to Jeh¡¯s tunnels. However, the snow sculptures of the three of them were the most detailed of everything¡ªJeh had even bothered to give the Vaughan snowman as snow-scepter and a snow-beard.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Blue said, her breath condensing in front of her snout. ¡°Jeh, you really know how to do something when you put your mind to it¡­¡±

    ¡°I am a bundle of determination!¡± Jeh declared with delight. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go have fun! Oh, uh, only go on the really tall slide if you¡¯re looking for real excitement, it goes deep under the snow and it¡¯s kind of dark down there.¡±

    ¡°Noted,¡± Blue said with a nod. ¡°But before we do that¡­¡± She levitated some snow off the ground and packed it into a ball. ¡°Snowball fight.¡± She pelted Jeh in the chest.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve done it now!¡± Jeh kicked what seemed like an ordinary pile of snow with her feet, revealing it to be hollow and containing dozens of already pre-made snowballs. She quickly grabbed two in her hands and started hurling them at Blue. The unicorn caught them in her telekinesis, though one did fly wide and hit Vaughan in the stomach.

    Vaughan decided to retaliate by triggering a small explosion in the pile of snowballs, sending them flying in every direction. He successfully hit Jeh and Blue¡­ and himself.

    The three of them burst into laughter.

    ¡°Race you to the top of the slides!¡± Jeh called.

    ¡°You¡¯re on!¡± Blue declared, running after her at high speed. As a messenger, she was used to moving quickly over cold and even icy terrain, so she did admirably. However, she was out of practice and Jeh had been out here for multiple weeks learning how to move on the ice and snow. She was at the top long before Blue got there.

    ¡°Wheeeee!¡± Jeh called, jumping on the largest slide and sliding down into the ground, out of sight. Blue decided to follow her¡ªhow bad could it be?

    She hadn¡¯t been paying enough attention to notice that a portion of the slide was upside-down. For a moment, she felt weightless as she slid through the air, landing rather painfully on another section of the slide before vanishing into the darkness under the surface. The slide didn¡¯t end here, however¡ªit corkscrewed around in a wide ark in complete darkness before depositing blue on a long, flat landing strip.

    Jeh currently had a small light generated in front of her face with Purple. ¡°Did you like it?¡±

    ¡°Jeh¡­ that was amazing¡­ but my heart¡­ is going to burst¡­¡± Blue gasped for air.

    ¡°I did warn you.¡±

    Blue started chuckling softly, but the moment she did, she signed herself over to fits of uncontrollable laughter¡ªstopping only because her lungs demanded air be fed into them as fast as possible. She flopped onto her side and blinked a few times, a dumb smile on her face. ¡°Ow¡­¡±

    Jeh chuckled. ¡°It must suck, to have laughing hurt.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you hurt too!¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! Maybe you should just grow numb to the pain, like me!¡± Jeh broke out into laughter again.

    The sound of Vaughan screaming in panic reached their ears.

    ¡°Incoming!¡± Blue shouted.

    ¡°Make way for the wizard!¡± Jeh added.

    Vaughan came sliding down the tunnel flailing wildly until he came to a stop. His hat came after him, sliding to a rest at his feet.

    ¡°Did you like it?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°I have seen true terror¡­¡± Vaughan breathed.

    ¡°Glad you enjoyed!¡± Jeh giggled.

    ¡°So¡­ what now?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Now we explore my tunnels! Come on, I¡¯ve got a lot of strange snow friends I made to show you!¡±

    ~~~

    Lila walked down the tunnel to the Mayor¡¯s house. She¡¯d set Big G on carving it¡ªnot as part of the Wizard Space Program, but as a service to the town. They couldn¡¯t leave him disconnected. But she¡¯d asked Big G not to open the door. That was for her to do.

    Suro came with her. ¡°Do you think¡­?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Lila said. ¡°¡­For now.¡±

    Suro didn¡¯t question her. ¡°Are you sure I should be here?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Lila nuzzled her husband. ¡°You deserve to know, and to be at my side.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t like him for forcing it on you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve meditated on it. He¡­ he is right about most of it.¡± She gave Suro a soft smile. ¡°I was really good at leading, wasn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°You always have been.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope I don¡¯t mess it up again.¡±

    ¡°Lila¡­¡± He stroked her with his tail. ¡°You did exactly what was expected of you in that situation.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ I was going to say it changes little, but it really does change so, so much.¡±

    ¡°Still learning lessons, after all these years?¡±

    ¡°Still learning lessons. It is the way of things.¡± She looked up. The light from the small Purple lamp they were using had revealed the Mayor¡¯s door. ¡°Well...¡± She knocked.

    ¡°Come in¡­¡± the Mayor said, his voice wavering, but still loud.

    Lila creaked the door open with her paw, and the two plodded into the house. It was warm enough, but a bit colder than most people usually liked. They found the Mayor in his bed, mask still on his face, taking long, haggard breaths. Given the state of dust in the house, he hadn¡¯t moved from there in several days. Dishes had accumulated at the base of the bed and a few uneaten bars of hover clover root were on his end table.

    ¡°Mayor¡­¡± Lila said, tearing up slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not making it through the winter, obviously,¡± he said, trying to project his usual fire, but only barely managing the words. He coughed as he finished. ¡°Come spring, it is yours.¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°I understand. And I¡¯ve come to accept it. ¡­You were right to come to me with it early.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m always right¡­¡± He let out a deep groan. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it, Lila. Don¡¯t let it ruin your life.¡±

    ¡°I know. We¡­ will do all we can.¡± Lila placed her paw on his shoulder. ¡°I am sorry for¡­ all the disrespect you¡¯ve been given by the people of this town.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize¡­ it¡¯s what I wanted.¡± He let out a bitter laugh. ¡°Whole reason I came here... but¡­ that¡¯s not a story I¡¯m willing to tell, and¡­¡± He coughed. ¡°There¡¯s not time anyway.¡±

    Suro frowned. ¡°If you want to see spring again, we might be able to use Green preservation¡­¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± the Mayor said. ¡°I¡¯m done. You all know what to do.¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°May Dia see you safely home.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you bet, I¡¯ve got a few¡­ questions for Her¡­¡±

    ¡°You may not care so much about answers once you arrive,¡± Lila said with a knowing smile.

    ¡°Bah, speculation.¡± He reached his hand over to Lila¡¯s paw. ¡°Take good care of these people. I came here¡­ to use them. But they¡­ you¡¯ve seen their light. What lives in their hearts.¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Also, thank that Seskii for me. She visited me right before the snow came down. She¡­ she¡¯s something else. Knew exactly what to do and say.¡±

    ¡°That woman is full of surprises,¡± Suro chuckled.

    The Mayor nodded. ¡°Yes¡­¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°You two¡­ watch out for each other. Your bond is strong, one of the strongest in this town. Use it to bring us forward. To the depths of Ikyu or to the stars, I don¡¯t care anymore. Just¡­¡± He let out an old, tired chuckle. ¡°Why am I bothering? You¡­ already know how to do it. Just do.¡±

    LIla bowed her head. ¡°I will do my best to help them remember you well.¡±

    ¡°Hah! Don¡¯t bother, I¡¯m perfectly fine being a historical footnote. It¡¯s better that way¡­¡± He took a few moments to breathe. ¡°Still, whatever you think is best¡­ You¡¯re the boss, now.¡±

    Lila nodded solemnly.

    ¡°I¡­ I tire,¡± the Mayor admitted to them. ¡°Please¡­ let me rest a while.¡±

    Lila closed her eyes tight¡ªbut nodded. ¡°Of course, Mayor.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­ Mayor.¡±

    ~~~

    The sun was starting to set. Jeh, Blue, and Vaughan had spent all day out in the snow with frostweed meals and Red to keep them warm. After they¡¯d explored every nook and cranny of Jeh¡¯s wonderland of ice and snow, they had worked together to build a large sled. The three of them were now sliding around the cabin on said sled, pushed by Vaughan¡¯s Orange.

    ¡°You know, we could probably get to Willow Hollow like this,¡± Blue realized.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit uneven and easy to get lost,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°And¡­ well it¡¯s not exactly easy to cont¡ª¡° He stopped pushing to keep from running into a tree. ¡°See? This is no Skyseed.¡±

    Jeh clapped her hands. ¡°But the ¡®danger¡¯ is fun!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, it sure is.¡± Blue nuzzled Jeh and patted her on the head with her hoof. ¡°Jeh, you know what? You¡¯re a good kid. I don¡¯t think most kids who spend their entire lives in the woods would end up like that. That must mean something.¡±

    Jeh flushed in embarrassment. ¡°B-blue¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right!¡± Vaughan declared. ¡°You are an example of someone better. A¡­ I don¡¯t know, I want to say something wise sounding but I realize I¡¯m just repeating Blue.¡±

    Jeh giggled. ¡°You¡¯re not half bad yourself, Vaughan!¡±

    ¡°Am I allowed to stop agreeing with Blue now?¡± Vaughan asked with the cheesiest of smiles.

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the ones who tell me what to do, not the other way around.¡±

    Blue shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re your own person, Jeh. You c¡ªhold that thought, what¡¯s that?¡±

    Just ahead of them, near the buried front door of Vaughan¡¯s cabin, was something leafy and green.

    Nothing leafy should have still been green in this snow.

    Vaughan steered the sled back to the cabin, where it became clear that the green thing was, in fact, a bunch of leaves.

    Blue frowned, wrapping the leaves with her telekinesis and discovering them to be attached to an arm that ended with dainty green fingertips. Now alarmed, Blue tugged harder, pulling the entire being out of the snow.

    A feminine form emerged¡ªgreen, humanoid, slightly shorter than Vaughan, and covered with bushy leaves that had brown-gold veins in them. Her eyes were utterly massive and her pupils took up so much of them that there were almost no visible whites. Now that she was out of the snow, every part of her was shivering. Ice clung to various parts of her and several parts of her leaves were broken on the tips.

    ¡°A dryad!?¡± Blue blurted. ¡°In the snow!?¡±

    ¡°We need to get her inside!¡± Vaughan shouted, putting his Orange back onto the sled so they could get to the unlocked window.

    Blue set down the cold, shivering dryad onto the sled, between her and Jeh so they could help warm her up with their body heat.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s going to be okay,¡± Blue said. ¡°We¡¯ve got you, the cabin¡¯s warm, Vaughan¡¯s a Red wizard. Okay?¡±

    ¡°O-okay¡­¡± the dryad managed weakly. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m Sandy¡­ Thanks¡­¡±

    Blue bit her lip. Sandy had been out here way too long. Since she was able to talk, chances were good she¡¯d be able to live, but Blue didn¡¯t want to think too hard about how unpleasant the recovery was going to be.

    Restoring Sandy to health was her new mission.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    While the stuff Blue is doing with ¡°curved paths¡± is interesting, we¡¯ll wait to talk about that topic. Right now, Krays has something more interesting for us.

    Spaceship armor.

    It¡¯s a thing you need to have on any spacecraft since you never know when something tiny and impossible to detect is going to slam into your hull. Barring fantastical ¡°shielding¡± devices that may or may not be possible, the answer lies in protecting oneself with armor.

    The simplest solution is just to make your ship walls really really thick, but that makes things really heavy, cumbersome, and problematic. Krays¡¯ solution is one step up: take how much metal you were going to use and spread it out in layers. Multiple separate impacts will break up the incoming assault and distribute its destructive force over a larger area until one plate eventually stops it.

    This is more or less how we do modern spacecraft shielding, though with much more precision. The idea is called the ¡°Whipple Shield,¡± which originally was just an aluminum shell placed some distance away from the rest of the craft. The aluminum shell was sacrificial, but successfully broke up micrometeors on impact so they didn¡¯t punch holes through the entire station.

    Modern designs go a bit further, using bulletproof materials like Kevlar instead of air or empty space between the aluminum shell and the rest of the craft.

    While this armor has gotten really good, it¡¯s not perfect: over time, the integrity of the armor goes down. Eventually, it won¡¯t be able to stop another one. Research is currently going into self-healing materials that might work as a new substitute.

    However, an obvious thought is this: we don¡¯t put aluminum shells in front of our windows. So how are they protected? Glass is terrible at blocking things. Well, first of all, many spacecraft windows aren¡¯t even glass, they¡¯re made of acrylic and other clear materials that aren¡¯t prone to shattering.

    Some are glass though, but they are treated in such a way to be bulletproof glass. The ones on the ISS¡¯s Cupola are fused silica and borosilicate glass. Curiously, bulletproof glass works on a similar idea to the rest of the armor: it¡¯s layering two different kinds of glass to keep it more resistant to projectiles.

    Annoyingly, making space-worthy bulletproof glass adds a lot of weight to the problem, even more than the aluminum shell would. It makes it all quite expensive to get those big windows into orbit.

    A curious note is that due to bulletproof glasses needing to alternate different types, the view through the glass can become distorted due to the different indexes of refraction. Light won¡¯t always pass through in a straight line, much like how it does with a glass of water. It¡¯s a continual headache for space window designers to try and make the light that comes through remain accurate since we do need to collect data through these things.

 013 - The Warming Blossom

    013

    The Warming Blossom

    Vaughan gently laid the poor, shivering dryad into a bed next to a cold fireplace. With a flick of his wrist, the wood within burst into flames, bringing the temperature of the room up considerably.

    Blue ran in with an arcane heater, handing it off to Jeh so she could add even more heat to the scene.

    ¡°H-hey¡­¡± Sandy managed from the bed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to wilt here¡­¡± She found her own joke amusing enough to let out a chuckle, which must have caused her pain as her mirth ended abruptly and she shut her eyes tightly. ¡°Mmmf¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get you anything you need.¡± Blue pulled open the curtains with her telekinesis, letting sunlight in. ¡°Do you, uh¡­ eat anything?¡±

    Jeh rolled her eyes. ¡°Dryads can¡¯t survive on just sunlight. They like fruit.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°And you know this¡­ how?¡±

    Jeh pointed at Vaughan. ¡°He¡¯s got a lot of books.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Uh, well, we have a lot of frostweed¡­ and oats. And I suppose sunflower seeds from my experiments?¡±

    Sandy smiled warmly. ¡°Anything will be fine. Even meat. We¡­¡± She paused to catch her breath. ¡°¡­We are not strictly vegetarians.¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°Neither am I, and I know my response to being served steak.¡±

    ¡°Please¡­ I don¡¯t want to be any trouble¡­¡±

    Vaughan laid a hand on the side of the bed. ¡°You need to stop talking and rest. I don¡¯t know what the effects of frostbite on a dryad are¡­¡±

    Blue nudged him in the ribs. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, Sandy, you¡¯re safe here. Okay?¡±

    Sandy nodded, closing her eyes. ¡° ¡®Kay¡­¡± She took in a much larger breath than she had before and said nothing further.

    Everyone understood that they needed to remain quiet until Jeh brought the temperature of the room up enough, at which point the three of them snuck out and went to the main hall.

    Vaughan flopped onto the couch. ¡°What is a free leaf dryad doing all the way out here?¡±

    ¡°Free leaf?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°The ones that don¡¯t turn into trees. They don¡¯t get that tall naturally.¡±

    ¡°¡­It occurs to me that I don¡¯t know very much about dryads. I¡¯ve never even seen one, just heard about them.¡±

    Jeh raised her hand. ¡°Ooh! Ooh! I¡¯ve read a lot about them!¡±

    ¡°Anything that would explain what one was doing out in the middle of winter, alone?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Jeh put her hand to her chin. ¡°No. They actually don¡¯t do well in the cold. Pretty sure they aren¡¯t that bushy, either. I think she¡¯s grown extra plants on herself to keep warm.¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°How is she still alive? It¡¯s not an easy walk to the next town without snow everywhere.¡±

    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a Glen in the forest?¡± Vaughan asked.

    Jeh folded her arms. ¡°I¡¯d know if there was a Glen in this forest.¡±

    ¡°You absolutely sure?¡±

    Jeh¡¯s confident demeanor wavered slightly. ¡°Not¡­ absolutely. It¡¯s possible if they hid it. The books say underground ones do exist¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to wait for her to wake up at this point,¡± Blue said. ¡°Answers will come.¡±

    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t wilt away due to frostbite,¡± Jeh added.

    ¡°Jeh! That¡¯s¡­ wait, you are the child. Whose innocence am I trying to protect here?¡±

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°I dunno. I hope she makes it, though, she looks interesting.¡±

    Vaughan laid down on the couch, letting out a deep sigh. ¡°Today¡¯s been¡­ quite a day, huh?¡±

    Jeh wiped her brow. ¡°Yep! Thanks for playing!¡±

    Blue patted her on the head. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We had fun too. Now, uh, we can¡¯t do that every day, we do have things to do. Even you, Jeh. I¡¯m going to try to find some experiments you can help run, if possible.¡±

    ¡°R-really?¡±

    ¡°Really. Now, though¡­¡± Blue yawned. ¡°I want to flop into a bed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not moving from this couch,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Future you¡¯s back will suffer.¡±

    Vaughan gave a noncommittal gesture and pulled his hat over his eyes.

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°Jeh, don¡¯t be like Vaughan.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a moron?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, good girl. Go sleep in good, soft, comfortable places.¡±

    ¡°¡­Trees?¡±

    Blue blinked a few times. ¡°I¡¯m too tired for this game the three of us play. Good night.¡±

    ¡°Good night!¡± Jeh waved. ¡°¡­I think I¡¯ll go eat something.¡±

    After her frostweed snack, she passed right out on a chair opposite Vaughan. Neither of them made it to their respective beds that night.

    ~~~

    The next day, Vaughan, Blue, and Jeh sat around the breakfast table, silently eating their oatmeal. Every few moments, one of them would glance toward the stairs, down which lay the guest room, where a very particular dryad was still sleeping.

    ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± Jeh said, standing up suddenly. ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on her.¡±

    ¡°I already did that,¡± Blue said. ¡°She was still sleeping. With the fake cat ears still on.¡±

    ¡°How long ago was that?¡±

    ¡°Considering that you and Vaughan didn¡¯t wake up until the unholy hour of eleven¡­ quite a while ago.¡±

    Vaughan carefully stood up, taking a moment to creak his back. ¡°Egh¡­¡±

    ¡°Told you so,¡± Blue deadpanned. ¡°Anyway, I guess we should probably go check on her.¡± She glanced outside at the sun. ¡°Breakfast in the afternoon¡­¡±

    Vaughan led the trio down to Sandy¡¯s room. He gently knocked on the door.

    ¡°C-come in,¡± a weak voice said from the other side.

    The three of them shuffled in. The fire had burned down, but the room was still significantly warmer than the rest of the cabin. Sandy herself was still in bed, though she had her head tilted so she could look right at them with a warm smile.

    ¡°Thank you for¡­ all this,¡± Sandy said. ¡°But I am afraid I¡­¡± she took a moment to gather herself. ¡°I must ask for your further hospitality. I am in¡­ no condition to do much of anything.¡±

    ¡°You can stay as long as you want,¡± Vaughan said with a curt nod. ¡°I would not send anyone out into that cold.¡± He kneeled down so he could be eye-level with her reclining form. ¡°I¡­ do not know much about dryads. I don¡¯t know your condition.¡±

    ¡°It is¡­ not good.¡± Sandy closed her eyes. ¡°But I will live.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­¡± Blue stepped forward. ¡°Why were you even out there?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ was on a balloon-whale, heading for Port Jominir. There must have been some volatile arcane device in the cargo hold, since everything exploded.¡± She shivered, but not from the cold. ¡°I came to in a pine tree somewhere in your woods¡­ I¡¯m afraid I have no idea where it is in relation to here. I tried to find civilization and¡­¡± She took a moment for a few breaths. ¡°Well, I found you. Barely.¡±

    ¡°Do you think there are any other survivors?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Sandy said. ¡°I know I was the only civilian passenger, the rest were crew and¡­ weird cargo specialists.¡± She closed her eyes, letting out a few short breaths that may have been an attempt at laughter. ¡°Shoulda known it was a bad sign when the ticket was so cheap¡­¡±

    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t have anything important to do in Port Jominir,¡± Vaughan said with a shake of his head. ¡°There aren¡¯t any balloon-whale berths for¡­¡±

    ¡°An absurd distance,¡± Blue finished. ¡°We have to rely on messengers out here.¡±

    ¡°It¡­ is fine.¡± Sandy closed her eyes. ¡°I was just meeting some people, they¡¯ll understand if I¡¯m delayed. Things happen, especially in¡­ winter.¡±

    ¡°Can I ask a question?¡± Jeh asked.

    Sandy did the soft laugh again. ¡°You just did.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Can I ask one after this one?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with the cat ears?¡±

    Sandy broke out into a grin. ¡°Oh, I just like cats.¡± Shakily, she lifted one of her arms out of the covers¡ªthe limb was still absolutely surrounded in bushy leaves¡ªand removed the cat ears from her head. They were just pieces of stuffed felt on a headband. ¡°I think they look neat. Back home, I actually have one of those¡­ non-spirited cats. Her name¡¯s Fufuffer.¡±

    ¡°You must not live in Kroan,¡± Vaughan said.

    Sandy nodded. ¡°Vraskalian, born and raised.¡±

    ¡°Vraskal¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Vraskal¡­¡±

    ¡°Really, really far away,¡± Jeh answered. ¡°Across the ocean.¡±

    Sandy¡¯s eyes locked on Jeh. ¡°Wow... you know a lot for your age.¡±

    ¡°I read a lot of Vaughan¡¯s books. I also have to study the maps very closely so I know where to land.¡±

    ¡°Land¡­?¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°We have a little¡­ project here we call the Wizard Space Program. Our goal is to discover how high we can go. Currently, we think that¡¯s the moon.¡±

    ¡°I have my doubts about that,¡± Blue interjected. ¡°There are so many issues and I can¡¯t even get the flight path down!¡±

    ¡°Okay, well, the moon is our current goal.¡± Vaughan tipped his hat.

    Sandy blinked a few times. ¡°I wonder¡­ why no one else has tried going ¡®up¡¯ before¡­¡±

    ¡°Not much up there past a certain point,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°It¡¯s also extremely dangerous!¡± Jeh said. ¡°Without me, they wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°I have the best regeneration attribute-kinda-thingy ever. Oooh, I could show you! Blue, can I have a knife?¡±

    Blue facehooved. ¡°Jeh, you are not stabbing yourself in front of our guest.¡±

    ¡°Aww¡­¡±

    Sandy glanced between the three of them quizzically. ¡°I¡¯m sure¡­ I¡¯ll get plenty of opportunities to see everything you and your¡­ program has¡­¡± She let out a sigh. ¡°But I am still weak. I¡­ may need more than a few days to recover.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll need to stay longer than that,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°This snow¡¯s lasting until at least the tail-end of winter.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly stay that long¡­¡±

    Vaughan held up a hand. ¡°If it makes you feel better, I¡¯ll kick you out once the snow melts.¡±

    Sandy couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that one¡ªan act that made her wince slightly. ¡°G-good¡­¡± She closed her eyes and put the cat ears back on. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d like some lunch. And then¡­ sleep.¡±

    ¡°Right away,¡± Blue said, scampering off to go prepare something in the kitchen.

    ¡°And¡­ thank you,¡± Sandy said. ¡°There are those who would have left me out there.¡±

    ¡°Not around here,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Sandy kept her eyes closed. When Blue returned with a frostweed salad she set it gently on the end table next to Sandy for when she woke up. Once again, the three of them left the room, leaving her to rest.

    ~~~

    Days passed. Things returned to some semblance of normal, albeit a normal that had existed before the snow came. Blue worked in her lab a large chunk of the day but always made sure to come out at least for mealtimes, Vaughan made sure he wasn¡¯t idle, and Jeh drifted back and forth between play and helping them whenever it was possible. Vaughan had even started to teach her more fine-tuned magic use: Jeh was a bit of a brute-force wizard in spellcasting style.

    On this particular day, Jeh was working with Vaughan on increasing Red skill, so Blue was left alone in her lab to run her calculations.

    Rolls upon rolls of paper were strewn everywhere, absolutely covered in mathematical notation, numbers, and scratched out equations that led to nothing. However, there was something to show for her progress: on one of the walls she¡¯d hung up almost a hundred models of the Ikyu-moon system, each one with a dot representing the current location of a hypothetical ¡°ship¡± and its path of travel. These images ended with a single image that showed the total path of the ¡°ship¡± as well as the starting and ending locations of the moon. There was also a little note to indicate how much Ikyu itself had rotated.*

    *Some might think it odd that Blue is already taking it as a given that Ikyu rotates while not considering that it orbits the sun. This actually mirrors the debate in our history over the nature of the Earth in the cosmos. Ancient philosophers argued about if the stars orbited Earth or if the Earth just rotated. Several models existed that had a geocentric rotating Earth model. The reason we were stuck so long with a motionless earth largely has to do with Aristotle believing it to be so, and everyone just ¡°knew¡± that everything Aristotle had said was always right. Which it largely wasn¡¯t.

    On Ikyu, the historical experiment to prove Ikyu¡¯s rotation has already occurred. It¡¯s much easier to make a free-floating pendulum with arcane devices and watch it change as Ikyu rotates. The Orange wizard in question who ran it was a gari by the name of Riganel Boridan, and he was obsessed with levitation, which naturally led to the development of a nearly-perfect pendulum device. The Kroan Academy actually has one set up to run permanently, which is used as a demonstration of the power of magical inquiry as well as the best clock ever. Proper clockwork clocks are extremely new, however.

    It is considered to be a rather pitiable position to be the wizard on duty at the pendulum, constantly feeding will into it to make sure it doesn¡¯t lose its precision.

    Most of Blue¡¯s models were either messes that crashed into Ikyu or the moon, while others just flew off the page into nothingness. However, many were showing a curve to the flight trajectory that was driving Blue insane. How was she supposed to compensate for that while also guaranteeing her speed would match the moon¡¯s at the end?

    ¡°Geeeeh¡­¡± Blue slammed her face into her desk. The noise was so loud it made Sandy let out an ¡°eep!¡± from her position in the doorway.

    Blue suddenly stood up and used her telekinesis to pull her disheveled mane back. ¡°Oh, uh, Sandy, hi! ¡­Should you be out of bed?¡±

    Sandy was completely wrapped up in several blankets, leaving only her face visible through the fluffy bundles. ¡°I¡­ needed to walk. I think I¡¯m fine.¡± She was a little shaky, but she managed to make it to the chair Vaughan kept in the lab and sit down. ¡°What¡­ is this place?¡±

    ¡°This is my lab,¡± Blue said. ¡°Right now it¡¯s mostly math, but you can see some of the old plant experiments in those jars over there.¡±

    Sandy turned to the jars. ¡°They look¡­ mostly dead.¡±

    ¡°We experiment on how plants react to a lack of air in different situations. Or, well, we were. There¡¯s no air in space, so we kind of needed to know how it worked.¡±

    ¡°No air¡­? Interesting.¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s still some, but not enough for us to breathe. And¡­ actually, you¡¯re a plant, right?¡±

    Sandy smiled softly. ¡°Yes, dryads are plants through and through. We eat the light of the sun.¡±

    ¡°Do you know anything about how you breathe?¡±

    ¡°Not¡­ really? I¡¯m not a wizard.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t know about how I breathed until running these tests, anyway.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ if those are your old experiments¡­¡± Sandy turned to the images on the wall. ¡°What are you working on now?¡±

    ¡°This is Ikyu, and that is the moon. All of these are me trying to figure out how to fly there. Each drawing is a different moment in time, and that dot is the ship.¡±

    ¡°They look kind of pretty.¡±

    ¡°They may look nice but all of these end in terrible things, or crashes, or almost-crashes that I don¡¯t feel safe recommending.¡± Blue paused. ¡°Would¡­ you like to see me create one?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    Blue took out a blank piece of paper, laying it down on the desk. Taking a pen in her telekinesis, she drew Ikyu and a small arrow. ¡°This is Ikyu and how much it¡¯s rotated since the first drawing over there. The next thing I do is find out where the moon¡¯s going to be¡­¡± She took out a compass and a protractor, measured an angle, drew a dot on the page, and made a circle around that. ¡°The previous dot was moving at a certain speed in a certain direction, so I just multiply the speed by the time-interval I¡¯m using and find the new location of the dot.¡± She marked it on the sheet. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know how fast it¡¯s going now. If the ship isn¡¯t doing any ¡®pushing,¡¯ the calculation is somewhat simple. Take into account the tendency for objects to fall to Ikyu¡­¡± On a separate sheet of paper, she scribbled some numbers down and a quick angle diagram to figure out how the acceleration of falling would change the resultant speed. ¡°¡­Aaaaand there we go! I now have a new speed value I can use for the next sheet. I can adjust the power of the ship as I want to ¡®change course.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Wow. That¡­ looks hard.¡±

    ¡°Each individual step isn¡¯t all that hard. Trying to figure out what path is the best one is. I mean, the moon¡¯s moving, Ikyu¡¯s turning, the ship has so many options on where it can go¡­¡± She levitated the sheet up to the wall with the others in the series. ¡°And if we trace ourselves from where we started, we¡­¡± Blue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait a second.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I think I may have just found something.¡± She grabbed a new sheet of paper and, very hastily, traced out the path of the ¡°ship¡± she was currently working with. At the start, it had a bunch of erratic motions because she was trying to change its course a lot, but after that she just let it drift naturally to see what would happen because she¡¯d been a little bored.

    It had, with no input from the ship¡¯s ¡°force,¡± gone three-fourths of the way around Ikyu. Extrapolating from the elliptical curve that had been created, she made a loop.

    A loop that, if she¡¯d done her math correctly, would continue indefinitely with no interference from anyone. Ever.

    ¡°A stable path¡­¡±

    ¡°That sounds good.¡± Sandy blinked. ¡°That¡¯s good, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very good.¡± Blue grinned. ¡°If I work with these kinds of loops¡­ I¡¯ll need to run more calculations but this could be very good! Ha!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ glad for you! I think.¡±

    ¡°And¡ªoh my gosh this might even explain why the moon travels in a circle. Or the planets! ¡­Wait the planets have that¡ªnever mind, that¡¯s something to figure out later! There¡¯s math to be done!¡±

    Sandy decided now it was time to leave Blue to her excited ramblings. She curtly left the lab and closed the door behind her. With a deep breath, she headed back to her bed.

    ~~~

    It took a whole day, but Blue finally had some results to show everyone. It happened at lunchtime. Sandy wasn¡¯t present, as she hadn¡¯t left her room that day.

    ¡°So!¡± Blue said. ¡°I think I have a way we can get to the moon without crashing into it.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve discovered something.¡± She lifted up one of her pages that showed an elliptical path around Ikyu. ¡°You¡¯re all familiar with my diagrams at this point.¡±

    ¡°Why would we want to fly around?¡± Jeh asked. ¡°I thought we wanted to go to the moon!¡±

    ¡°This is the shape I found when I turned the ship¡¯s drive off. There is no ¡®pushing¡¯ occurring. The ship will follow this path forever unless something interferes with it. It¡¯s stable! And, tweaking it a bit¡­¡± She took out a few more diagrams, showing circular paths around Ikyu at various elevations. ¡°I can make circles. Guys, we can orbit Ikyu. Without a drive, even, if we got going fast enough!¡±

    ¡°How fast?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely absurd speeds,¡± Blue said. ¡°I¡¯ll get to it in a minute, there are some¡­ discrepancies in the data, but with this discovery, I think we can manually correct.¡± She unfolded a much larger sheet of paper with a more detailed design. ¡°Here is my proposal. First, we get out of the atmosphere.¡± She gestured at the small path that lifted up off Ikyu. ¡°Then we blast off at an angle.¡± She used the back of the pen to follow a large arc that swept widely around Ikyu. ¡°And we gradually increase our slope until we get to here.¡± She stopped at a point. ¡°This is only a few thousand kilometers from the moon. Once we¡¯re here, we transition into an orbit¡ªspecifically, this elliptical one here.¡± She gestured to a dotted ellipse path that went around Ikyu. ¡°Then we wait for the moon to arrive when we pass near its orbit. We¡¯ll both be going at alarmingly fast speeds around Ikyu, which means we can compensate. And, because our orbit doesn¡¯t intersect with the moon¡¯s, we can stay there as long as we want until we are confident in our transition to the moon¡¯s speed. At which point we maneuver ourselves in front of the Moon¡¯s flight path so it can push us along while we collect samples.¡±

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Blue took a moment to bow. ¡°And that is what I¡¯ve been working on all winter.¡±

    ¡°This is definitely a start,¡± Vaughan said with a nod. ¡°Surely you¡¯ll need the actual ship plans before finalizing it, right?¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily. See, the curious thing is that the stable orbits don¡¯t care how heavy the object is.¡± She threw out another sheet of paper. ¡°No matter how heavy I made the ship, the orbits remain the same. It becomes harder to push the ship, but the orbits don¡¯t care.¡± She paused. ¡°There is one thing that throws a wrench into all this, though.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°I figured it was reasonable to assume that ¡®hey, maybe the moon is in an orbit around Ikyu!¡¯ and so I did the math. Unfortunately, a stable orbit at the moon¡¯s location should be moving at a speed of sixty kilometers per second, not one.¡± Blue tapped her hoof. ¡°It¡¯s really annoying; I wouldn¡¯t have had to find this weird elliptical path if the moon moved like my calculations say we will. This makes me think that really large things interact differently with the tendency to fall.¡±

    ¡°All of the celestial objects are of immense size,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°You might be on to something.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Problem is, we can¡¯t exactly perform tests on the really large objects. All we have are small things. Even the largest dragons still fall at the same rate as everything else we know, no matter where they are or how high they are.¡±

    Jeh pointed at the dot just outside the atmosphere. ¡°So if I got here-ish, how fast do I have to go to orbit?¡±

    ¡°About eight kilometers a second directly perpendicular to the surface of Ikyu.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ wow that¡¯s really fast.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡ªagain, the moon must have some different rule because of how large it is that we can¡¯t discern.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we can find out by going there,¡± Vaughan suggested.

    ¡°That¡¯s the idea! The very stupid but looking-more-possible-by-the-day idea!¡± Blue grinned. ¡°Anyway, with stable orbits at our disposal, suddenly it¡¯s a lot less dangerous. We can enter one and take our time without any fear of smashing into something headfirst.¡±

    ¡°How would we make those calculations while in flight, though?¡± Vaughan said. ¡°As Jeh pointed out, it¡¯s hard to tell where we are.¡±

    Blue grinned. ¡°I figured that out a while ago. We can use the relative size of Ikyu and the moon. We¡¯d just need a precise measure of length we can press to a window. From that, we can figure out with some error how far we are from Ikyu and the moon.¡±

    ¡°But the moon never changed size for me,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°It would have, infinitesimally,¡± Blue explained. ¡°But if you made it, say, to the halfway point¡­¡± She put the back of her pen on the paper. ¡°Then the moon would look much larger and Ikyu much smaller. Here is where we can measure it, finding the relative distance from the moon and Ikyu. There¡¯s a little mathematical annoyance in this method that gives you two possible locations, but if we look at the direction of the moon¡¯s travel we can figure out which one. I can even set up the formula ahead of time so either of you could do it without much problem.¡±

    ¡°Space navigation¡­¡± Vaughan grinned. ¡°Why not just navigate by the stars?¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°I¡­ hmm. Good point, that¡¯d probably work too, but I don¡¯t know how to do that.¡±

    ¡°It would only tell us where we were in relation to Ikyu¡¯s surface, anyway, it wouldn¡¯t tell us elevation.¡±

    ¡°My next mission should be to establish a stable orbit with the Skyseed,¡± Jeh said.

    Vaughan frowned. ¡°Would that be safe?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be fast,¡± Blue said. ¡°If she gets a stable orbit at the height she went to last time, she¡¯d go around Ikyu in about an hour and a half.¡±

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°An hour and a half?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Blue, I think you just invented the most effective way to travel around the world.¡± Vaughan stood up. ¡°That high up, there¡¯s no air to limit speed. And if you get into this orbit¡­ hmm, all you need is enough Orange to build up the speed and slow down. Or¡­ enough Red, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t use Blue,¡± Blue suggested. ¡°I tried modeling Blue usage a few times. It ruins everything and makes it a million times more complicated.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t overlook this, Blue! Tiny craft like the Skyseed can be unimaginably useful for travel! No more relying on balloon-whales and weather. You could even travel in¡­ in the midst of a winter snow-in!¡± He slapped his leg in excitement.

    ¡°It would take significantly less energy than getting to the moon¡­¡± Blue noted.

    ¡°So I get to go around the planet?¡± Jeh asked.

    Blue frowned. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know what to do about the tiny meteors up there, or how to defend against them. The Skyseed probably isn¡¯t safe for that. Also getting into the orbit would require taking position readings in relation to Ikyu a lot; we¡¯d have to teach you to do that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready for it!¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ we¡¯ll bring it up with the rest of the Program when we get out of this snow.¡±

    ¡°Blegh, waiting¡­¡±

    ¡°It sure would be nice if we could communicate with them right now¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Historically, though, communication devices have had severe limitations. Even if I tried to set up a wire to Willow Hollow, it¡¯d deteriorate very quickly.¡±

    ¡°Communicating with the ship in flight would be even better,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°How?¡± Vaughan asked. ¡°Magenta needs to be physically present to carry will over distances. Unless you want a 400,000-kilometer-long wire of Magenta, and that¡¯d break before you even got to space. A relay* wouldn¡¯t work either.¡±

    *A relay is a usually non-magical device synonymous with what we would call an ¡°optical telegraph.¡± It¡¯s a series of towers where people stand and wave flags at each other or shine lights in particular patterns to carry messages over long distances.

    ¡°Another thing to figure out¡­¡± Blue said. ¡°I¡¯m going to keep working on refining potential paths, though.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can we have some fun first?¡± Jeh asked.

    Blue stopped for a moment. ¡°Er¡­¡±

    Jeh rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s fine, go be excited with your math for a day.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± With that, Blue ran back to her lab, cackling to herself.

    Vaughan adjusted his hat. ¡°She really is the perfect girl for the job, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    Jeh nodded in agreement. ¡°Hey, Vaughan, want to try and cook frostweed pie?¡±

    ¡°Sounds terrible, I¡¯m in.¡±

    ~~~

    Vaughan had discovered very quickly that he liked to work outside. Now that he was inside, the freedom of the outdoors called to him but laughed in his face at the mere suggestion of working out in the snow.

    So he had commandeered what was meant to be the cabin¡¯s ¡°living room.¡± They never used it. The couches in the entryway were much better, anyway, so he¡¯d pushed all the furniture in this room to the edges so he could store his work in here. The Skyseed itself was currently stored here, in one of the corners and under a decent number of sheets.

    He was fortunate the living room had double doors that led to the main hall; otherwise, the Skyseed wouldn¡¯t have been able to fit.

    Aside from the Skyseed and the furniture, most of the living room was now home to piles of disheveled objects, desks, and crystal shapes. Unlike Blue¡¯s lab, there were very few papers lying around, and those that were there mostly contained hastily scrawled notes to help Vaughan remember things.

    Sandy walked through the doors, looking around the massive room with wide eyes¡ªor, at least, Vaughan thought they were wide eyes. It was kind of hard to tell with dryads. She had left the blanket behind on the bed for once and strode into the room at a normal speed, though when she stopped she leaned on one of the couches to catch her breath.

    ¡°You look a lot better,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°At this rate I¡¯ll have to kick you out at any moment!¡± He winked at her.

    Sandy giggled. ¡°You did promise.¡±

    ¡°Good thing it¡¯s still frozen outside and I can¡¯t. Dumb weather, ruining my eviction plans.¡± He gave her an over-exaggerated shrug.

    Sandy absent-mindedly adjusted her cat ears. ¡°So¡­ what are you working on?¡±

    ¡°I want a moon rock,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°However, getting a sample is tricky when you can¡¯t leave the ship. You want to get it inside so you can run tests on it before you run all the way back to Ikyu, so just having an external pouch you levitate things into won¡¯t do it. Thus, I have come up with this answer!¡± He gestured at a small, but long wireframe box he¡¯d made out of wood that was devoid of any features. ¡°Imagine that there are glass panes everywhere, and that you couldn¡¯t just stick your hand through the frame.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m imagining it, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°Good! Now, let this left side be the inside of the ship¡­¡± He placed a Red crystal shaped like a pawn with a wizard hat on its head in the left side of the rectangular prism. ¡°And outside, we have our moon rock!¡± He placed the micrometeorite Jeh had brought back outside of the wireframe box. ¡°Now, on Ikyu, there¡¯s no issue using Orange to just levitate the sample to where you are.¡± He levitated the rock through a ¡°hole¡± in the wireframe to the little red wizard pawn. Technically speaking the hole was just another face of the box, but Sandy got the idea.

    ¡°But there¡¯s the problem with air, right? I think Blue was talking about that.¡±

    ¡°Bingo! So, when we¡¯re in space, we seal off the ship.¡± He slid a pane of wood between the edges of the wireframe, blocking off the imagined ¡°entrance¡± with sold material. ¡°But now we can¡¯t levitate it through. And if we open the door, whoosh, out goes all our air.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Higher pressure likes to go to lower pressure. Don¡¯t ask me why that is, it¡¯s just one of those things we discover when we experiment on air. But there¡¯s virtually no air out there so all the air loves to leave. However¡­ what if we add a second door?¡± He slid another wooden panel down, maybe a centimeter further in than the first one. ¡°Then we can do this¡­¡±

    With Orange, he levitated the micrometeorite, opened the first door, moved the micrometeorite between the two wooden panel ¡°doors,¡± closed the first one, then opened the second. With a flick of his wrist, he threw the micrometeor at the Red pawn, knocking it over.

    ¡°I call this idea the airlock. You still lose a little bit of air¡ªthe space between the two doors¡ªbut it¡¯s nothing compared to what you have inside. The doors just need to be sealed tight. And wood does not seal very well. This is just a model.¡±

    ¡°Well, what kind of seals do work?¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Been thinking about that one. The lids on jars are pretty good: they have threads that make sure the jar stays constant while a bit of gel depresses to form a seal on the top. However, it¡¯s a bit awkward to use, I¡¯m thinking we¡¯ll need to make a sort of door that compresses rubber or plastic. Over there I¡¯m actually working on a spring-loaded crank that pushes a door shut as hard as possible. Makes it hard to open, but hey, it seals pretty well.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ you guys really are working hard at this, huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a crazy little dream,¡± Vaughan said with a chuckle. ¡°At this point, even I recognize how silly I was being at the start. Now I¡¯m still being silly, but at least I know it. And the silliness leads to progress! If we perfect this ship it will make it easier not only to travel to space, but all of Ikyu. Blue showed us some cool things about orbits a few days back¡ªuh, orbits are¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, she told me. Sort of. I was kind of talking to her when she found it. It was weird.¡± Sandy quickly held up her hands. ¡°But fun! A fun kind of weird!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s basically all we do around here¡­¡± Vaughan said.

    Sandy started to wander around the room. ¡°Can I see it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°The¡­ Skyseed. If it¡¯s not too much trouble.¡±

    Vaughan twirled his scepter and levitated the sheets off the Skyseed, revealing it in all its glory. Which, all things considered, wasn¡¯t much. The drive was the only part that actually looked fancy, and it was rather small compared to the rest of the ship.

    Sandy¡¯s eyes nonetheless lit up with delight. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so¡­ unusual looking! I thought it would have to look like a big bird¡­¡±

    ¡°Things are very different up there. I¡¯m pretty sure our next ship is going to be as close to a perfect sphere as we can manage so the drive has an easy time moving things, even at an angle, if we wanted it to.¡±

    Sandy smiled. ¡°Well¡­ I wish you luck! Next time I drop by I expect to see a moon rock hanging on your wall somewhere.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the idea!¡± Vaughan tipped his hat to her as she left, most likely to return to her room.

    ~~~

    Vaughan kept to his promise to teach Blue more advanced magical concepts.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try for a topic today,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°A topic?¡± Blue made a mock gasp. ¡°You? Have a lesson structure? Egads.¡±

    Vaughan rolled his eyes. The two of them took their seats in Vaughan¡¯s upturned living room. He¡¯d rolled a blackboard in previously, though he rarely used it in his lectures. So Blue was a little shocked when he grabbed a piece of chalk and started writing on the board. Communication Methods.

    ¡°The most common form of arcane communication is the relay, which doesn¡¯t even need crystals, strictly speaking, since you can make it with a guy who has a bunch of flags standing on top of a tower that waves at the other tower. The arcane versions just have wizards using crystals to send colored signals. Purple is the best for this, but technically any color could work so long as sight isn¡¯t obstructed. There¡¯s nothing complicated here.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s how important government news travels,¡± Blue added. ¡°It can¡¯t hold many messages so the rest relies on messengers like me.¡±

    ¡°Purple wizards have actually managed to refine some of their light spells so well that they can shoot messages across vast distances, assuming they know precisely where the next tower is.¡±

    ¡°Which isn¡¯t feasible for spaceflight since the target is moving and so small.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°Quite. Anyway, that¡¯s the familiar one. The next one is similar, the auto-relay. You know what this one is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just the relay without people.¡±

    ¡°Precisely. The idea is to have large Magenta spheres on top of towers¡ªor another shape if you don¡¯t want the signal to pass straight through. At the sending end, someone asks the Magenta crystal to cast a specific flash of light in Purple. The Magenta sphere carries the signal straight to another sphere, and another sphere, and another until it hits a Purple crystal and releases the message. Naturally, for sending things other than a straight line, you need specific Magenta shapes. Which leads us to my other talking point¡­ shapes.¡±

    Blue suddenly perked up. ¡°Wait, are you actually teaching me Magenta craft?¡±

    ¡°The basics,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°The sphere is the simplest, as it will always carry a signal straight through. However, it¡¯s rather difficult to maintain a sphere as crystals do not like taking round shapes. The natural shape of Magenta directs the incoming spell based on what direction you give the input, which is especially hard to narrow down since ¡®contact¡¯ with a crystal is never just one point, it¡¯s multiple. Even poking it with just a finger can go a few different ways. We¡¯re fortunate enough that once a Magenta crystal relays a spell, then it¡¯s treated as a single point, and we can solve directly. Still, the natural shape is not very useful for crystal cores. The ones that are useful are¡­¡± He paused to scribble down some things. ¡°Cylinders, wires, cones, and the divider. Cylinders force the incoming spell through its shaft no matter what angle it¡¯s coming in at. Wires are just bent cylinders that force the spell along the shaft of whatever shape you want. It is really important that the wires be round. If there are defects, it¡¯s possible the spell could escape, and then everything collapses.¡±

    ¡°And crystals loooove to grow sharp edges.¡±

    ¡°The cones are like cylinders, except they can focus a spell to emerge at a precision point. The divider¡­ it deserves a bit more detail. Take a cylinder, but make one side larger than the other.¡± He paused to draw it. ¡°Now, if you send something in the small end, it will come out at one point on the larger end. It could pop out anywhere, but the largest chance is near the edges of the circle or the center, with the least likely spots being the ¡®middle¡¯ circle. However, if you, say, cut the larger circle in half¡­¡± He drew a line through it. ¡°Then you have a divider. This will ensure the spell comes out twice. Unfortunately, this also lowers the will within the spell significantly¡ªwill is notoriously hard to measure, don¡¯t ask me about it¡ªso it can¡¯t be abused indefinitely.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can you make a combiner?¡±

    Vaughan paused for a moment. ¡°That¡­ is a very interesting question. All attempts to create a combiner just have the other end shoot out two spells. However, theories suggest that this is because we aren¡¯t actually releasing the spells at the same time; that there¡¯s some infinitesimal difference for their travel times. Which basically means a combiner could only exist if we had perfect precision. Which we do not, as you know so well from your trajectory calculations.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway, those are the basic components of Magenta. You can naturally make a splitter with points at the ends but traditionally the cones are separate elements in the crystal core so they can be replaced easier.¡± He returned to communication devices. ¡°Regardless, these basic parts can be used to create most arcane devices. The ¡®loop¡¯ can usually be managed with two semicircular wires. Usually, though, cones are added just to make sure it¡¯s precise, and then a divider is input to ensure the spell¡¯s pattern is not lost when cast.

    ¡°Which brings us back to the Magenta relays; ones that are designed properly have loops without any spells in them that can catch incoming messages and store them, since messages are lost all the time due to imperfections. However, this means that atevery step along the way, a divider must be used to duplicate the message, lessening the will. On relatively small scales, the message will still be delivered just fine, as a blinking light is not a very intensive spell. However, over long scales, the issue becomes too much to deal with¡ªbut with the rate of lost messages, not having a backup is unacceptable, especially if the information is time-sensitive, as most messages sent on these things are since the rates are extremely expensive.¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°It¡¯s like a maximization problem. Chance of signal loss, transmission distance, required supervision¡­¡±

    ¡°Quite. But within, say, a city, a complex relay system can be setup without an insurmountable amount of trouble. It¡¯s when you try to go to the next town over that the other problem rears its ugly head. Will is lost while spells are traveling as well. It always costs more will to cast a spell at greater distance, and spells relayed by Magenta are no exception. As a spell travels through empty space¡ªor, air, I guess, we¡¯ll have to run tests on that¡ªit loses cohesion. This is a function of distance, not time. Certain intricately crafted spells designed with internal backups¡ªthis is what Magenta wizards spend all their time making¡ªcan go further before deteriorating completely, but even this is rarely enough to get to the next town over via relays, even simple spherical ones.

    ¡°The obvious solution is the next communication method: very long wires. So far as we know, there is no limit to the distance a spell can travel through one. The problem with very long wires is that they have to be thin to be cost-effective, and thin wires are much more prone to breaking or losing signals. Not to mention random creatures out in the wild that can easily ruin the entire thing. Guarding a miles-long wire? Bah!¡±

    ¡°So¡­ those are all the communication methods I¡¯m aware of,¡± Blue said. ¡°There are others?¡±

    Vaughan grinned. ¡°Oh yes there are! Behold, the rubber snake!¡± He drew two lines, placing a bunch of triangles inside of it. ¡°Imagine these are a bunch of rather small Magenta cones, and they are completely surrounded on every side by rubber. However, the distance between the cones is such that the spell signal can pass through the small bit of rubber between the cone point and the face of the next cone. The major benefit to this design is that you can bend the wire wherever you want. The downside is that manufacturing a rubber snake is a pain, and since the surface area of cones is higher than that of a basic wire, it won¡¯t last as long before deteriorating. Not to mention the fact that there¡¯s no way to perform upkeep on cones trapped in rubber. But hey, it¡¯s fast, and it can go over really long distances since the distance it travels ¡®outside¡¯ the Magenta is pathetically tiny.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sounds very impractical.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it is, it is! But it¡¯s cool right?¡±

    ¡°Still not helpful in space, though.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°Quite. The longest range we have for something that requires no physical medium is a Purple light signal. Unless you go into legendary Crystalline One feats. Supposedly Ekro the Purple sent out some kind of signal that could be picked up by everyone continent-wide, so long as they had the device she specifically created to receive it.¡±

    ¡°That would be nice.¡±

    ¡°Would you like to Awaken a Purple Crystalline One? Or go ask an existing one to come down nicely?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯ll pass on that one.¡±

    ¡°Right. Which leaves us with just one more method of arcane communication. Well, barring, I suppose, unique attributes or Blue-enhanced messengers running at just-below-ignition speeds.¡±

    ¡°Hah hah, Blue-enhanced, definitely funny, not a joke I¡¯ve heard before, oh no.¡±

    ¡°¡­It was an observation.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    ¡°The last method is perhaps the most fun. The zipline. For the zipline, all you need are two arcane devices called nodes at either end of a long-distance, and a rope of some kind that connects them. When you want to send a message, you go to one of the nodes and put a message spell and some extra will into it. It will take the spell and store it in a tiny loop, and it will take the will and push the tiny loop out onto the rope with some Orange. If it¡¯s designed right, this little push will take the tiny loop all the way to the other node, where it will be accepted and taken in. In practice, this only works downhill.¡±

    ¡°It sounds¡­ inefficient.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but it will take messages over long distances without the relay problem! Also rope doesn¡¯t break as often as crystal wire. The issue is, as usual, guarding. It works in concept but hasn¡¯t been implemented on a large scale yet.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s got to be a better way to do this,¡± Blue grumbled.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just the lecturer, I tell you the way things are, not how they could be.¡±

    ¡°¡­I think I prefer it when these are more conversational.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re not done. Now I get to describe the relation between the surface area, spell strength, and rate of crystal deformation!¡±

    ~~~

    For the first time since she¡¯d arrived at the cabin, Sandy set foot outside. Granted, it was a little odd stepping out of a window into a land of snow and dripping icicles, but it was still a magical moment nonetheless. Naturally, she had herself wrapped in several layers of blanket in addition to her bushy leaves, so much that she was perhaps a little too warm in all of them.

    ¡°Woah!¡± Jeh called from on top of the highest slide. ¡°You got out here before everything melted!¡±

    Sandy chuckled. ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t stay sick so long that I missed it, right?¡±

    ¡°Guess not.¡± Jeh poked her head over the edge. ¡°Sooo¡­ up for a little ride down my slide?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d¡­ rather not slide around on an ice-cold twisting tunnel of doom, but thanks for offering!¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well, uh¡­ then I could show you my caves. I dug them. They¡¯re starting to melt too, though it only makes it more slippery¡­¡± Jeh scratched the back of her head. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come down here and I can show you something cool?¡± Sandy asked.

    ¡°All right!¡± Jeh literally jumped off the tower and landed, cracking both of her legs.

    Sandy blinked. ¡°Ah. They weren¡¯t exaggerations, then.¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡± Jeh grinned. ¡°So, what do you have to show me?¡±

    Sandy took in a deep breath. On release, she deposited several blue-white seeds into the largest hole in the snow. Delicately, she pressed her hands together and closed her eyes.

    Far beneath the snow, the seeds reacted. Bursts of blue-white leaves on long, spindly stalks erupted from the snow, sending sparkling ice flecks into the air that gave the area an ethereal quality.

    Now that the sprouting was done¡ªfrostweed was particularly violent with its sproutings¡ªSandy could focus on individual plants. She asked one to grow a little bit to the side, another to grow in a corkscrew, and she eventually had all of them dancing in a circle around Jeh.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Jeh said, blinking. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ something.¡±

    Sandy only nodded, keeping her focus up. She told the various frostweeds to grow under Jeh and lift her into the air playfully, though an individual frostweed was not strong enough to do this, so she had to bundle them together like ropes as they grew. Already, she was noticing some strain in the plants from lack of available nutrients. Frostweeds were efficient, but they weren¡¯t that efficient.

    Just a little longer¡­

    ¡°Whee!¡± Jeh laughed as the weeds twisted around her, bringing her a bit closer to Sandy. She twisted one of the weed-ropes to grab hold of Jeh¡¯s loose hood. The vine pulled it down and taught before raising it over Jeh¡¯s head, turning her into a full bear.

    Done.

    The weeds all collapsed in a heap and Jeh landed on her rear flat on the ice.

    ¡°Did that hurt?¡± Sandy asked.

    ¡°I mean, yeah, but who cares about pain? That was awesome!¡±

    Sandy smiled warmly. ¡°I¡¯m glad you liked it! It¡­ takes a bit of energy, to do that much. So... you¡¯ve never seen a dryad before, huh?¡±

    ¡°Not a single one!¡± Jeh said. ¡°That was¡­ wow! New!¡±

    Sandy adjusted her cat-ears. ¡°Most of us don¡¯t know how to work with frostweed, or how to lay seed. We generally rely on the plants already being present for us to work with in any situation.¡±

    ¡°But you carry seeds, that¡¯s awesome! And it has to be very useful.¡±

    Sandy thought about the sandbox tree seeds she had stowed deep within her leaves. ¡°There¡¯s a seed for every occasion!¡±

    ¡°I bet Blue could come up with some very cool uses for growing plants that fast. She¡¯s cool like that.¡±

    ¡°I watched her come up with the orbits thing. She really is something, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Yep! I hope she gets to come with me to space next time; it¡¯s kind of sad that no one but me gets to see it.¡±

    Sandy nodded, unable to stop herself from laughing¡ªand then laughing harder, and harder.

    ¡°Uh¡­ what¡¯s¡­ what¡¯s so funny?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ You wouldn¡¯t have context for it, sorry.¡± She regained control of herself and extended her hand to Jeh. ¡°I never told you it was nice to meet you, did I?¡±

    Jeh shook her hand vigorously. ¡°Nope! But it¡¯s nice to meet you too!¡±

    ¡°Do you want to eat some of these frostweeds now?¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh, I¡¯m getting kind of tired of the taste.¡±

    ¡°Understandable. How about¡­¡± Sandy plucked another seed out. ¡°If we can find enough good soil, I can get you a pumpkin.¡±

    ¡°Woah¡­ let¡¯s go digging!¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ can you do the digging?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure, I¡¯ve been getting real good at it. Just wait here!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait inside, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Sandy said, entering the cabin once more.

    Well, that¡¯s that. All that¡¯s left to do is wait for the snow to melt.

    ~~~

    It was about a week later when the snow finally melted enough that Vaughan considered it ¡°travelable.¡±

    ¡°Look,¡± Vaughan said as he set a pack on Sandy¡¯s back. ¡°I know I¡¯ve been saying I¡¯ll evict you, but you can stay if you want.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but I do have a life to get back to,¡± Sandy said. ¡°But I will treasure this memory always! And I might drop by to visit, see that moon rock of yours.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be proudly hanging when you come back!¡±

    Blue facehooved. ¡°We don¡¯t even have a timetable yet, Vaughan. It could be years before we get it.¡±

    Sandy chuckled. ¡°Blue, you could stand to be a bit more optimistic. Vaughan, you could learn some patience.¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡± Jeh asked.

    Sandy stooped down slowly until she was eye-level with Jeh, her expression suddenly becoming gravely serious. ¡°The people closest to you are the ones you can hurt the most. Don¡¯t dismiss them.¡±

    Jeh blinked a few times. ¡°I¡­ think I get it?¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Sandy stood up quickly with a big smile. ¡°Then you¡¯re all set, have fun going to space!¡± She started walking away into the forest, but she did so backward so she could wave to them as she went.

    ¡°You have fun figuring out how to explain this winter to everyone!¡± Blue called.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be an experience!¡± Sandy said with a laugh before finally turning and walking away.

    At this point, Suro walked up the path to the cabin. ¡°¡­Who was that?¡±

    ¡°Sandy,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°She¡¯d a dryad we found in the snow. Poor thing would have froze if we hadn¡¯t been here.¡±

    ¡°¡­I bet she¡¯s really happy she found you. What was she even doing out here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, come inside, let¡¯s just tell you the whole story of Winter, and you can tell us yours.¡±

    Suro nodded in agreement, and the four original members of the Wizard Space Program went into the cabin.

    Elsewhere, on top of a very tall tree, a certain pink gari had tied two small telescopes together with rope and was holding both of them to her eyes. Through the lenses, she caught sight of Sandy walking into the forest.

    The dryad stopped, took out a notebook, wrote something in it, and then continued on her way.

    Seskii lowered the makeshift binoculars from her face and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± With a shrug, her usual smile returned and she did a series of jumps and loops down the tree back to the forest floor. She rushed to the cabin¡ªshe could finally be around everyone again. The three people who had been locked up in that cabin had been without her long enough.

    The only thing she hadn¡¯t decided yet was what fruit juice to offer first¡­

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Orbits are fun! Elliptical orbits are a mess and Blue¡¯s not calculating those correctly anyway so let¡¯s leave them aside for now and talk about circular orbits. The nice thing about circular orbits is that the math is super simple: you just need your acceleration due to gravity, velocity, and distance from the center of the Earth. Or, in this case, Ikyu.

    Let¡¯s perform a simple calculation to find out how fast the ISS is going. (Well, how fast it would be going if it was moving in a perfect circle at constant altitude without any air resistance at all, which simply is not the case.) The acceleration due to gravity is more or less still 9.8 meters per second squared at that height, so we already have that. The radius is the distance from the ISS to the center of the Earth, about 6,800 km. (the ISS is about 400 km above the Earth¡¯s surface.)

    The formula we need is acceleration equals the velocity squared divided by the radius, or a=v^2/r in variable terms. This gives us 9.8(6,800,000) = v^2. If we take the square root of both sides we get a velocity of 8163 m/s, or about 8 km/s. Which is precisely what Blue did.

    Now the ISS actually moves at about 7.66 km/s, but as mentioned before, our calculation was far from the ideal.

    Notice how the mass of the ISS didn¡¯t factor into the calculation at all. Essentially, how heavy something is does not change its orbital speed¡ªthe exception comes when the object becomes large enough to have a significant gravitational influence on Earth. So Blue is right that ¡°really large objects¡± behave differently. Though this is not the only reason her mathematics keeps turning up discrepancies, but we¡¯ll be finding out about those later.

    One may ask where Blue got the formula for calculating the speed from gravitational acceleration considering the mathematical and scientific knowledge of her era. The answer: a ball on a string. The mathematics for the system of spinning a ball on the end of a string is basically identical for a small object orbiting a much larger one. The ¡°acceleration¡± comes from the force of the string pulling the ball to the center, which, if you¡¯re spinning the string correctly, will make the ball trace out a perfect circle.

    On a less scientific and more historical note, ¡°optical telegraphs¡± were really a thing used in ancient kingdoms to send messages over long distances. Large cranks were used to lift and lower ¡°flags¡± in different combinations to send messages. There really did have to be a person in every tower to see the incoming message, every time. There were also varieties with lights, lamps, and a variety of other implements before the electric telegraph was implemented.

    Before that, long-range messages were difficult. Couriers, pigeons, and smoke signals were used.

    However, while most of these are useless in space, the optical ¡°telegraph¡± actually isn¡¯t. The wizards dismissed the idea of pointing a Purple light at the ship to send a message while in flight, but this is perfectly feasible and somewhat easy with our modern computers and technology. Just point a laser at the ship¡¯s receiver and you can send basically all the data you want.

    The really interesting thing about lasers, though, is that you could also use them to send energy. Future spacecraft could be powered by remote, if only we bothered to build a large laser facility that would shoot power directly to anyone who wanted it.

 014 - Whats in the Box?

    014

    What¡¯s in the Box?

    Lila preferred it when it rained during funerals.

    She was not gifted with such weather today: the beautiful spring morning was sunny, cloudless, and filled with the signs of new life. Birds sang in the trees, bees flew from flower to flower, and there was even a bloom of drifters in the sky that took the shape of a diffuse green orb. It was an utterly idyllic day.

    And basically all of Willow Hollow had gathered for the Mayor¡¯s funeral.

    Lila herself actually thought the weather fitting, for as a Keeper, her attitude towards death was understandably one of ¡°his task is done, he is in a better place now.¡± However, in her years of experience as a Keeper, she¡¯d found that vocalizing this particular viewpoint was generally best done before a death and then quite some time after. When the memory was closest, the average person wasn¡¯t ready for that sort of comfort.

    Which put Lila in quite the awkward position in most funerals, for she needed to be somber when, deep down, she was actually somewhat happy that the departed were off to somewhere better, Lila herself feeling only the pang of personal loss.

    The complications were only further added to the fact that it was the Mayor¡¯s funeral, and most people in Willow Hollow had a less-than-ideal image of the man, which, so far as Lila could tell, was an image the Mayor had specifically engendered in the people for some unknown purpose. Perhaps to make transitioning power easier?

    All this to say Lila had to give a somber speech on a beautiful day to a large crowd of people who had very mixed feelings on the departed in the first place.

    As always, she decided honesty was the best policy. Though, in this case, perhaps not blunt honestly. She rose to the little stool behind the coffin¡ªshe¡¯d had the coffin engraved with a copy of his mask on the front, for aesthetic and respect purposes, not because he¡¯d asked for it. The population of the town stood quietly in the square, waiting to hear her speak.

    ¡°I know that our Mayor was a controversial figure,¡± she began. ¡°He came to town one day and proved himself an able politician and quickly claimed the seat of power. He turned the mining industry of this town from a fledgling idea to a fully-realized enterprise that has become the lifeblood of this home of ours. But after that, he spent most of his time locked away, hiding behind his mask, seeing as few people as possible.

    ¡°However, when he was required, he would always arrive and provide his much-needed wisdom. Even during the recent crisis with the Red Seekers, he came and gave his counsel. Up to the end, he did his duty, and all of us are in debt to him for it.

    ¡°A lot of you, especially the younger ones, never met him. He was quite a gruff man, and when he wasn¡¯t talking as briefly as possible, you got the sense he was leading you toward the exact conclusion he wanted you to reach. I myself didn¡¯t arrive until his ¡®open¡¯ career was over, so I never got to hear any of his speeches, but I hear they were absolutely spectacular.

    ¡°It really must be strange for everyone here, to come to pay respects to a man most don¡¯t have a clear picture of. But his life was a life just like all of ours: he grew, he changed, and he made an impact. We must not forget all that he has done for us, be it in the open or from his little place in the shadows.

    ¡°He is gone now, but we must continue to love this town, as he did. Yes, he really did love this town. He wanted it to grow, to prosper¡­ and to find a way to be. To be right with the world, right with Dia, and right with¡­ well, ourselves. When you think about your neighbors, the community, remember that he was the one who brought all of this together. Brought all of us together, even if we aren¡¯t fully aware of it.

    ¡°Let us remember him as what he was: the man who glued this town together and rarely asked for thanks in return.¡±

    She quoted a few verses and said a few platitudes after that, and the burial commenced. It was short and simple, as the Mayor would have wanted. It was no secret that he absolutely hated pomp. The casket was lowered into the ground, Blue and Vaughan quickly covered it in dirt, and various people mingled around a bit to say a few awkward words of solemn observance before spreading out.

    At which point Lila noticed none other than Joira standing in the crowd, though she was in a brown hood rather than her usual red one. She approached Lila after most of the others had already left.

    ¡°I¡­ am surprised to see you here,¡± Lila said. ¡°Welcome.¡± Despite her welcoming exterior, Lila was already making plans on what to do in case Joira tried something¡ªa Keeper on the frontier had to be friendly to all, but expect the worst.

    ¡°Heh. Welcome. You Keepers¡­¡± Joira put a hand to the bridge of her nose. ¡°I remember when he moved in. I wasn¡¯t in charge at the time, and the Seekers had almost been driven out entirely.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°He let us stay. At the time, I had viewed that as a weakness to be exploited. Now, I am no longer so sure.¡±

    ¡°He certainly had a way with people, a¡ª¡° Joira turned away from Lila in the middle of her sentence and started marching up the path to Mt. Cascade.

    Lila didn¡¯t let the rudeness bother her. Simply having a conversation with Joira that wasn¡¯t half-shouting was amazing progress.

    She found herself chuckling. ¡°Death, the most tragic of events by the world¡¯s standards, can be used to open us up in ways we didn¡¯t even know we needed¡­ how perfectly this is all designed.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­and then Sandy left and then the snow melted and the next day I came to talk to you!¡± Jeh took a giant breath, finally allowing Ashen to get a word in edgewise.

    ¡°¡­You have been informing me of your exploits during the winter every chance you¡¯ve gotten for over a week, Jeh. I think you might like talking too much.¡±

    ¡°I needed to catch you up on everything that happened!¡± Jeh said. ¡°Oh, and then there¡¯s the things that are happening, we¡¯re going to try and get the Skyseed into a stable orbit!¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, that thing where you¡¯re always falling but never hit the ground. Is that right?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ yeah I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s it.¡± Jeh sat down on her rock and started kicking her legs back and forth. ¡°You just let yourself fall in a circle really fast!¡±

    ¡°I wonder if I could achieve that...¡±

    ¡°Vaughan¡¯s thinking it¡¯s possible with our current drive and you¡¯re much bigger, but you¡¯d have to leave your tree behind.¡± Jeh crossed her arms. ¡°And we don¡¯t want our tree friend to suffocate now do we?¡±

    ¡°Definitely not.¡±

    ¡°Still, I wish Vaughan would hurry up and let me go back to space.¡± Jeh flopped onto her back. ¡°Too risky, they say, both him and Blue. They say they accept that I¡¯ll be fine and still don¡¯t let me go.¡±

    ¡°What is the reason they give?¡±

    ¡°Something something, the Skyseed could break, can¡¯t risk losing it on a flight long enough to take us around Ikyu, blah blah¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­So, it¡¯s dangerous for the ship to be up there. But you need it to get yourself up there.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah?¡± Jeh started to grin. ¡°Ashen, do you have an idea?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. Maybe you could get an orbit without the Skyseed. Just¡­¡± Ashen caused an explosion under a nearby rock, launching it into the air so quickly Jeh lost track of it. ¡°Shoot something that¡¯ll fall around Ikyu.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°That. Is a brilliant idea.¡± Jeh stood up. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go tell them right now!¡± She scrambled off at high speed, tripping over her legs as she ran.

    Ashen flashed a few times. ¡­Well, guess I¡¯m alone again. Maybe next time she shows up we can talk about something other than what happened in the middle of winter.

    A bird chirped at her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you start.¡±

    ~~~

    Suro stood in front of the doors to the cabin, Vaughan at his side. Both of them stared intently at the path to Willow Hollow, awaiting the arrival of a certain special package.

    ¡°She¡¯s sure built this thing up,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what it is, the old Mayor built it up.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Speaking of, is there even going to be an election held?¡±

    ¡°Only Lila¡¯s said she¡¯s running.¡± Suro flicked his ears. ¡°We all know everyone who would do it would much rather she did it.¡±

    ¡°Yourself included?¡±

    Suro folded his ears back and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Uh¡­ yes. Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Same. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll do well.¡±

    ¡°It certainly helps our little Program.¡±

    At this moment, the conversation ended, for they saw the cart coming around the bend. Blue was hitched to it and trotting along at a brisk pace. Inside the cart was a large, wooden box marked with black paint and a lot of red warning glyphs, not to mention the various chains and locks on it. Lila sat on top of the box, flicking her tail and her eyes back and forth, alert for any possible threats.

    ¡°What a nice box,¡± Vaughan observed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just get it in the basement,¡± Blue said. ¡°You have no idea how hard it is to take the long way around so nobody sees you.¡±

    Vaughan opened the front doors and let them in. ¡°Is it light enough to carry?¡±

    Blue unhitched her cart and lit her horn, grunting, but managing to levitate the box out of the cart. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a bit heavy, but I can get it down some stairs.¡±

    Vaughan walked ahead of them and fished out a key, unlocking one of the few locked doors in the entire cabin¡ªthe cellar. Down here was where he kept some vintage wine and not much else. He¡¯d built it with the intention of holding valuables, but then he ended up just throwing anything everywhere since he had very little reason to be concerned about robbers. It was generally considered a dumb idea to try and rob a wizard if you weren¡¯t a wizard yourself, and wizards could put their skills to much more profitable use.

    Blue set the box down in the middle of the cellar, keeping her horn lit so the darkness of the cellar didn¡¯t overwhelm them. ¡°All right, we¡¯re in.¡±

    Vaughan closed the door behind the four of them. ¡°So¡­ how are we going to open it?¡±

    ¡°With force,¡± Lila said. ¡°The Mayor threw away most of the keys to those chains a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°Lovely¡­¡± Vaughan held out his scepter and started applying Red to the various chains in a focused area while pulling apart with Orange. Seeing as he didn¡¯t want to start a fire, he took his time with this, taking a few minutes to burn through all the necessary chains so the box was no longer locked up so tight.

    ¡°Remember, he said don¡¯t touch it,¡± Lila said. ¡°That probably means don¡¯t use your telekinesis, Blue, since Colored crystals qualify that as a touch.¡±

    ¡°Got it¡­¡± Blue said, shuffling nervously. ¡°I¡­ I really wonder what it is.¡±

    Vaughan used the Orange in his scepter to pry off the top of the box. Despite being immensely old, the wood remained strong and it took quite a bit of effort to pop it open. When he finally managed to pry it free, a cloud of dust shot into the air that made everyone start coughing.

    The dust settled quickly and everyone scrambled over to the box, looking within.

    The object inside was black. Blacker than any black any of them had ever seen, with absolutely no color or texture to it whatsoever. However, it somehow had a sheen of brilliant white that flashed across its form every few seconds, not lining up with any existing light source. Despite having just been witness to a cloud of dust, not a single particle had stuck to it, and it was perfectly clean.

    It was a cube. Its edges were pure white, as though made of glowing wires, yet it did not light anything up within the crate.

    Four pairs of eyes stared at the perfectly dark, yet occasionally shimmering object in disbelief for quite some time.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s unnatural,¡± Blue said, stating the obvious and fully aware of doing so.

    ¡°Technically, so are crystals,¡± Suro said. ¡°We see a glow, but they don¡¯t light anything up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but they do reflect light normally. This¡­ I don¡¯t even know what the deal with this thing is.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Perhaps it absorbs all light and releases it out in those little bursts?¡±

    ¡°Whatever it is, it is dangerous and needs to be destroyed,¡± Lila said. ¡°I have my doubts that we currently have the capacity to do anything to it, but¡­ Vaughan?¡±

    Vaughan rolled up his sleeves. ¡°Everyone stand back.¡± They all listened, and after they were a safe distance back, Vaughan used Orange to break the crate apart, allowing the black cube to stand free in the basement. He continued only interacting with it using Orange, lifting the cube itself and placing it in a corner, far from any of its packaging.

    ¡°Things might get a little warm¡­¡± Vaughan pointed his scepter at the cube, lighting up the Red section with as much will as he could muster.

    Absolutely nothing happened.

    ¡°What were you trying to do?¡± Suro asked.

    Vaughan pointed his scepter at one of the wooden planks on the ground. Over the course of five seconds, it burst into flame and was reduced to ashes. ¡°That.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°Even if it didn¡¯t burn, the air should have started warming up. It didn¡¯t.¡± Vaughan smirked. ¡°That means the cube is like a crystal, it can¡¯t transfer heat. Anyway, up next¡­¡± He picked it up with Orange and tried tearing it apart¡ªby direct force, sideways force, and even twisting force. The cube didn¡¯t deform in the slightest. ¡°And it¡¯s not actually crystal, any crystal would have fractured from that.¡± He thrust his hand forward, launching the Cube as hard as he could into the wall.

    The wall got dented by the place the cube¡¯s corner hit, but the cube itself was completely unharmed.

    ¡°That was about as effective as expected,¡± Lila said. ¡°I can see why the Mayor couldn¡¯t destroy it.¡±

    Vaughan tried some Blue, just to see if accelerating the area did anything. It didn¡¯t. A burst of light from Purple not only did nothing, but none of the light reflected off the cube. He also tried some Magenta to see if he could jam the magic around it, but there was no discernible difference.

    ¡°Well.¡± Vaughan folded his arms. ¡°There goes all my spells.¡±

    ¡°Crystals are capable of cutting each other at the right angles,¡± Blue suggested.

    Vaughan pulled the extra Green he kept on him out of his pocket and levitated the shards into the air. He tried scraping, cutting, smashing, and poking the cube. His Green crystals certainly shattered a lot, but there was no change in the cube whatsoever.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Vaughan took his Green back and then scratched his beard. ¡°This¡¯ll be a tough nut to crack, clearly.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea what this cube is?¡± Blue asked.

    Vaughan shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. It¡¯s somewhat similar to the crystals, but clearly not exactly the same. I would say it¡¯s some kind of entity with attributal magic, except the Magenta didn¡¯t do anything. Maybe it¡¯s just a cube of some natural material¡­¡±

    ¡°Except touching it makes something bad happen,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Yes. And, apparently, the Mayor didn¡¯t think it pertinent to inform us what its effect is.¡±

    Lila let out a soft meow. ¡°He went through a lot of trouble to keep this secret, it is probably better if we don¡¯t know any more than what we do. It must be destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can already think of a few ways to make sure we never see it again,¡± Blue said. ¡°Strap it to a ship and launch it into a distant orbit. It¡¯s so small nobody will ever be able to see it.¡±

    ¡°Until someone does by sheer chance,¡± Lila said. ¡°No, it needs to be destroyed, not hidden¡ªwe can hide it here until we know what to do with it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll determine what properties I can,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Until then, I guess¡­ we just keep this basement locked.¡±

    Everyone seemed to agree. They all left the basement and sealed it behind them.

    ¡°The cube is quite ominous,¡± Suro said. ¡°Is it perhaps related to Purple, since Purple crystals take that shape naturally?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know; it could also be associated with the Gonal goddess Cora.¡± Vaughan frowned.

    Lila spoke up. ¡°In Dia¡¯s words, the square and thus the cube is often associated with us mortal beings. There are annoying theological arguments about if the cube representing us should be colorless, white¡­ or black.¡±

    ¡°Looks like your old questions have caught up with you,¡± Vaughan said.

    Lila smiled warmly at him. ¡°Such curiosities no longer shake my faith, Vaughan. Though¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°I¡­ back in the Tempest, I might have heard about something like this. Vaughan, Suro, do you remember Keeper Dimmrivoi?¡±

    "How could we forget?" Vaughan said with a sigh.

    ¡°He was obsessed with shapes and the meaning behind them. I¡­ I think I remember one of those drawings on that conspiracy board of his being a black cube.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°So this cube may have been in the Tempest?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, or maybe he¡¯d just heard about it?¡± Lila shrugged.

    ¡°Should someone go and see if he knows something?¡±

    Lila shook her head. ¡°Dimmrivoi was¡­ quite mad. During the¡­ rather chaotic and brutal times before we left the Tempest, he was killed. My ship might have been the one to do it, I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    Blue stopped in her tracks. ¡°Wait, you had a ship? That¡­ could do that?¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°The Tempest is¡­ not a very pleasant place to be born into.¡±

    ¡°Quite,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Blue, if you ever get the crazy idea to go to the ¡®most dangerous civilized area in the known world because it¡¯ll be fun and give me experience, exactly what a Journeyman Wizard needs¡¯¡ªdon¡¯t. Worst decision of my life.¡±

    ¡°¡­And yet, we wouldn¡¯t be here, now, without the horrors of the Tempest,¡± Lila said with a curt nod.

    Blue opened her mouth to ask more questions but quickly shut it forcefully.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Suro said. ¡°It is¡­ not a time we like to relive, nor do we let it define us now.¡±

    Blue nodded in understanding. ¡°So¡­ forgetting about all this strange past nonsense, we now have a mysterious black cube locked in the basement that is apparently unimaginably dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Vaughan confirmed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, and I¡¯m going to say it again: we are morons.¡±

    Nobody objected to her label, but no one had any alternative suggestions, either.

    ~~~

    When Jeh returned to the cabin, only Krays was in the backyard, working on her ¡°space armor.¡± She had refined the design considerably since her initial tests: as it turned out, only a minimal separation was required between the different layers of armor to get the desired effect. Only a few millimeters could fragment whatever she threw at it, and five or so layers were usually enough to completely block all incoming attacks.

    Unless she hit the same area multiple times, which she was currently doing. She kept picking up fragments of metal and hyper-accelerating them into her armor to see how long it took to puncture through. She had found that, surprisingly, glass could be used if there were enough layers of it, though it was nowhere near as effective as any of the metals.

    ¡°I wonder if Jeh¡¯s little rock did fragment after punching through, and she just got unlucky¡­¡± Krays stroked her chin.

    ¡°Who needs luck?¡± Jeh huffed.

    ¡°Oh if it isn¡¯t the little adorable pincushion! Here, why don¡¯t you stand in front of this rock so I can test the impact trauma of a rock on the human body?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ sure?¡±

    Krays rolled her eyes. ¡°As oblivious as they come, yet unable to learn from mistakes. Perpetual innocence wrapped in an enigma. Why hunger when food is unnecessary? Why¡ª¡° Krays noticed that Jeh¡¯s expression had glazed over. ¡°Also ungrateful, think of how much I live off the shocked expressions of my victims.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ um, so, I¡¯ve been thinking¡­¡±

    ¡°Always a terrible sign. Do elaborate, the explosion should be interesting.¡±

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°Uh. Okay?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Everyone¡¯s always saying it¡¯s too dangerous for me to go into an orbit, but we need to test those orbits. But if we don¡¯t need the drive active while in an orbit, can¡¯t we just launch something random into an orbit? Like, without me in it?¡± She pointed at the rocks Krays was launching at her armor tests.

    ¡°Blue won¡¯t work, once it gets far enough away it¡¯ll revert to normal speed and whoops. Buuuut¡­¡± Krays scratched her head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand this whole ¡®orbit¡¯ thing very well, but I don¡¯t see why not. You¡¯d just need something to launch your object at really high speed, either Orange or Red would do it for something small enough. Vaughan could probably wipe his beard across some paper and get a hyper-accelerator device designed.¡±

    Jeh grinned. ¡°So it¡¯ll work?¡±

    ¡°One problem. How are you going to know if it orbited?¡±

    Jeh opened her mouth, paused, then closed it.

    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s getting smarter.¡± Krays picked up one of her stones and Blue-accelerated it to lightning speeds, letting out a little burst of flame in the air. ¡°I threw that and I lost track of it in less than a second, I¡¯m never finding it again.¡±

    ¡°Make it something bright! Like¡­ a big crystal explosion!¡±

    ¡°Kid, you wanted to not be the thing orbiting. You¡¯ve committed what I¡¯m sure is the cardinal sin of arcane device design: forgot that you need a wizard to operate it.¡±

    Jeh furrowed her brow. ¡°There¡¯s got to be some way to make something visible without magic¡­¡±

    ¡°You can make it really stupid honkin¡¯ big. Like. You know.¡± Krays gestured at the sky. ¡°The moon.¡±

    Jeh started pacing. ¡°It has to be small, though, and easy to see¡­ gah, why is it so much harder when you can¡¯t use crystals?¡±

    ¡°Because magic is convenient until it isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°We need something that can be seen easily from hundreds of kilometers away that doesn¡¯t rely on magic¡­¡±

    ¡°You could use fireworks.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Eh? I thought those were magic?¡±

    Krays smirked. ¡°You¡¯ve never seen a real firework, the stuff Vaughan pulls off are just cheap knockoff tricks. The real things have this fun little powder inside that goes BOOM!¡± She jumped up, startling Jeh with her sudden movements. ¡°They come in all sorts of colors, provide real light, and are very very loud.¡±

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Jeh¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Woah¡­ That sounds amazing¡­¡±

    ¡°Back in my hometown, we had this girl who did nothing but make fireworks all day. She was convinced they¡¯d make good weapons, but the things she designed tended to backfire a lot more often than, say, any arcane blade or bow.* She suuuucked at making weapons. But she made some really impressive fireworks.¡±

    *Gunpowder isn¡¯t used all that often on Ikyu, despite its recipe being known, largely due to the relative convenience of Red crystals. Guns have, in fact, been invented, but compared to the effects a properly constructed arcane blade can produce, traditional guns are relatively lackluster. There do exist ¡°firearms¡±, but these are basically just handheld chunks of Red with a specific spell affixed to their core that releases debilitating heat at a point a certain distance from the wielder. The limitation is that not every soldier has enough will to use the most impressive ¡°firearms¡± at their disposal.

    ¡°We should go get some from her.¡±

    ¡°Fireworks are expensive.¡±

    Jeh thought this over for a few moments. ¡°Can I sell my bones? I have an infinite supply of those.¡±

    Krays stared blankly at her. ¡°That would attract way too much attention. What kind of people sell children¡¯s bones on the black market?¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably a bad idea¡­ anyway, imma go tell everyone else about our idea!¡±

    ¡°The lunchtime-meeting is soon, You should probably wait for that, you impatient rapscallion made of scallions.¡±

    Jeh rolled her eyes. ¡°Fiiiine. So¡­¡± She slid over to the armor setup. ¡°Can you make the Skyseed safe?¡±

    ¡°I think I can craft a metal shell to put around the drive that will protect it when you¡¯re not adjusting the settings,¡± Krays said. ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing. But if there¡¯s one thing my experiments have shown me, it¡¯s that you¡¯re a bad luck charm. The meteoroid should have exploded into useless tiny bits after passing through the glass. The chances of it hitting the air restorer hard enough to destroy it were absurdly low.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s safer up there than we thought!?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­ depends on how big the rocks get.¡± Krays hefted up a pebble the size of her thumb and launched it at a glass pane. The entire pane violently shattered, clattering to the ground. ¡°See, get big enough, glass just crumbles under the pressure. Kind of like everyone I know.¡±

    ¡°You should name the panels you destroy,¡± Jeh suggested.

    ¡°¡­That is an amazing idea. See that piece of ceramic over there? It¡¯s name is Jeh.¡± She hurled a rock at ¡°Jeh¡± and shattered it into a hundred pieces. ¡°Hmm. Doesn¡¯t live up to the namesake.¡±

    Jeh rolled her eyes. ¡°How long until lunch?¡±

    Krays checked the rising sun. It would be at its apex before too long. ¡°Eh, sometime.¡±

    ¡°Krays! If you know¡­¡±

    ¡°Do I?¡± Krays chuckled to herself. ¡°I wonder, do I know how to read the sun? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm¡­.¡±

    Jeh picked up a rock and threw it a glass panel. It bounced harmlessly off.

    ¡°And that one, Jeh, was named ¡®Krays.¡¯ ¡±

    Jeh facepalmed.

    ~~~

    ¡°Meetings¡± for the Wizard Space program had been established to happen bi-weekly during lunch hours. As such, the ¡°meetings¡± had essentially become community lunch between all members. Vaughan¡¯s cooking skills and food selection left much to be desired (¡°Oatmeal? Oatcakes? Are you an oat elemental or something?¡± Krays had initially said). Thus, Mary and Seskii picked up the slack and provided most of the food for these lunches, with Krays pitching in a few dishes of her own plus whatever she¡¯d purchased from the Sourdough Twins that day.

    The table still consisted largely of various oat products, but there were also a myriad of juices, fruits, and whatever other strange things popped out of Mary¡¯s garden. Today she¡¯d brought over some kind of plant that didn¡¯t have a name, but it was orange and fuzzy and tasted a bit like bacon mixed with blueberries.

    Almost immediately after Jeh had taken a bite of the unnamed plant and said ¡°wow that¡¯s weird¡± she told everyone about the fireworks idea.

    Big G scratched his chin. ¡°Hmm¡­ A non-magical device...¡±

    ¡°It could work,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Go up there, launch something, and have it explode a set amount of time later. ¡­Hmm, that might require a very long ignition cord¡­¡±

    ¡°Too long,¡± Blue said. ¡°Most of the mass would have to be cord!¡±

    ¡°It would still be very useful,¡± Big G offered. ¡°You were complaining about not being able to see the Skyseed past a certain height. Just have it shoot off fireworks to gain visibility.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ is actually a good idea, but it doesn¡¯t help us with the main issue: establishing an orbit.¡± Blue tapped her foot. ¡°Or, well, being able to tell when we¡¯ve established an orbit.¡±

    ¡°Giant Pink Orb,¡± Vaughan suggested. ¡°Have it store a useless spell and burn bright while up there?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to be the guy to design a device powerful enough to launch something that massive as fast as we need it to?¡±

    ¡°It could be big and very thin¡­¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be awkward to get up there at all.¡±

    ¡°I feel like there¡¯s a simple solution we aren¡¯t seeing,¡± Mary said. ¡°¡­Not that I know what it is.¡± With a shrug she took a bite of some fruit that let out a squealing noise when stabbed. ¡°We have the capacity to get something up there, and we¡¯re pretty sure we can make it ¡®orbit.¡¯ We just need to be able to see it while it¡¯s up there without making it huge or relying on magic.¡±

    ¡°Tall orders¡­¡± Blue grumbled.

    ¡°Still, the fireworks are a start,¡± Big G said. ¡°We should probably purchase some just so the Skyseed can send messages while it¡¯s flying.¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°I know I¡¯m the trained messenger, but I have equations to work out about¡­ a lot of other things aside from just orbits. Someone else will have to go get some.¡±

    Big G frowned. ¡°I¡¯m a bit too busy with the mines to leave town.¡±

    ¡°Spring is always busy,¡± Mary said. ¡°I do have to keep the farm running you know.¡±

    Krays slowly turned to stare at Seskii. ¡°Why, since I have no intention of leaving town¡­ guess who that leaves?¡±

    Seskii raised an eyebrow. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll need money.¡±

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°Money is no object.¡±

    ¡°We need to talk about more extensive funding one of these meetings,¡± Big G said. ¡°The more we talk about the next ship, the more expensive it looks like it¡¯ll be.¡±

    ¡°For now, though, I can just give her some for fireworks,¡± Vaughan said.

    Seskii raised an eyebrow. ¡°You have no idea how expensive good quality fireworks are, do you?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ no.¡±

    ¡°Quite spendy.¡±

    ¡°Take this month¡¯s earnings from the air restorers then.¡±

    Seskii nodded, breaking out into a grin. ¡°That¡¯ll do nicely! I¡¯ll make good use of it and get you a lot of good fireworks!¡± She quickly stood up. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go get it already! I don¡¯t really have to be here anyway.¡± She gave them all a salute and ran deeper into the cabin where Vaughan kept the money.

    ¡°¡­Who gave her a key to the vault?¡± Blue asked.

    Jeh snorted. ¡°Vault.¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to call it? The room where Vaughan throws all of the coins in a series of random boxes?¡±

    ¡°Still not a vault. I could probably punch that door down.¡±

    ¡°You need better security,¡± Big G told Vaughan.

    Vaughan lifted his scepter. ¡°Any robbers will get some rather unpleasant burns.¡±

    ¡°Never underestimate resourcefulness.¡±

    ¡°Or stupidity,¡± Krays added. ¡°Stupidity also factors in here.¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to be a problem for the moment. What is a problem is the fact that we aren¡¯t doing any experiments! The Skyseed is ready for suborbital flights¡ªyes I just made that term up, thank you¡ªand we aren¡¯t launching it up! We need to come up with things to do while we figure out the whole orbiting problem.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m crafting armor for the drive,¡± Krays offered. ¡°Well, I¡¯m blowing things up and will have my husband make it and then take all the credit, but you know how it is.¡±

    ¡°Right, drive armor test, though there¡¯s no guarantee we¡¯re going to get hit with a meteorite again.¡± Blue tapped her hoof. ¡°Anything else?¡±

    Big G nodded. ¡°We need to examine the properties of magic used in space. We already know air makes a difference, a complete lack of it would do moreso.¡±

    ¡°Oooh!¡± Mary clapped her hands. ¡°We should get one of those devices that can store an image of what you see!¡±

    ¡°You need to be a trained Purple wizard to do that,¡± Blue deadpanned.

    Jeh smirked. ¡°I bet I could do it.¡±

    ¡°What you betting?¡± Krays asked.

    ¡°Five of whatever random coin I can find!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re on!¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes again. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get back on topic¡­ if Jeh could take some pictures, we might be able to improve our maps¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Vaughan spent most of that week with what he was calling in his head the ¡°overly mysterious cube.¡±

    His training as a Red wizard came very much in handy. One of the primary things Red wizards were trained for at the Academy was how to test different materials and objects for their reactions to heat. Metals heated up quickly, rubbers very slowly, and there were a number of phase changes in between. Naturally, higher-level classes taught the reactions of more unusual materials and concoctions in the midst of chemical reactions. Some of the applications of Red were extremely explosive and dangerous so many indirect testing methods had been developed. The simplest was using Magenta to activate Red from a distance. Others involved a somewhat complex pulley system and elongated wires of crystal.

    For most of the tests, Vaughan hid behind a table he had nailed some other wooden boards to and then surrounded in metal so he could survive all but the nastiest of sudden explosions.

    He was alone a large majority of the time, which gave him plenty of opportunities to try odd things. Naturally, he used Red as extensively as he could on the cube. No amount of heat, explosions, fire, or anything changed the cube in any discernible way. He did note that it wasn¡¯t absorbing the heat¡ªlike crystals, it just couldn¡¯t accept any of the heat, so had to push it to the surrounding air.

    Light, however, was a different story. He was not the best at Purple, but he could shine any direct color he wanted on the cube. It never changed visually, but he discovered that the energy produced by the light wasn¡¯t being absorbed by the cube. It radiated back out as heat directly to the air. Crystals didn¡¯t do that, they refracted the light around and allowed it to pass right through. This was a block that, nonetheless, couldn¡¯t actually absorb the light like natural black objects.

    Which meant that the black color was probably an effect similar to the Colors of crystals. It was probably more appropriate to call it ¡°Black,¡± though such a word did not exist in Karli, at least not officially. The sheen was similar, since he couldn¡¯t interfere with it using Purple either. Maybe it should have been called ¡°White.¡±

    Vaughan idly wondered if the cube had some kind of magic in it unlike any of the other crystals. Perhaps something unimaginably dangerous and destructive, which was why the old Mayor had wanted it destroyed. The problem was, if it really was like a Colored crystal, it couldn¡¯t be destroyed. Crystals could be reduced to powder so fine it couldn¡¯t be seen with the naked eye, and it could still be reformed. Not to mention the cube¡¯s seeming imperviousness to physical damage.

    During his Orange tests, Vaughan found rather quickly that the cube reflected all force pushed onto it. More than a few hammers just flat-out broke on contact with the surface. The cube itself also couldn¡¯t vibrate¡ªsomething which Colored crystals could do.

    So why was it able to be carried around if it reflected everything?

    Testing further, Vaughan found that the cube didn¡¯t reflect the force applied to it if it was free to move, but if it was against a wall, it always did. What exactly qualified as a ¡°wall¡± consumed a full day of his testing: a raw egg did not, a wooden plank sometimes was, depending on the angle at which it was positioned in front of the cube. Edges were more likely to not stop the cube, while a board at the center most assuredly would.

    Then there were all the tests that Vaughan ran with sliding the cube at things. Its edges were always sharp enough to cut through anything, but when it hit flat against things sometimes the air around it would ignite. It was as if it had to bleed off energy somewhere.

    ¡°True invincibility should be a paradox,¡± Vaughan said at one point, stroking his beard thoughtfully. ¡°You sure seem like a paradox.¡±

    Sometimes the cube wouldn¡¯t respond in exactly the same way. This was most evident when he positioned wooden planks near but not exactly on the center of the cube as he pushed against it. Sometimes it would rotate around, other times it would just stay put and reflect the force applied to it. He had no idea why this would be.

    The cube was perfectly smooth, as smooth as crystals grown in the super-idealistic conditions in the basements of the Academy. Perhaps smoother, there was a point where smoothness was hard to measure. However, unlike crystals, the Cube never grew. Growth was extremely slow in crystals, but it could still be measured with precision instruments. The cube never got any heavier or any lighter; it was a constant.

    Dropping it from the ceiling was the most fun. It would cut a hole in the floor until it couldn¡¯t anymore, at which point any remnant force would have to be ejected and usually the air lit on fire.

    That is until he dropped it and the ground itself exploded for reasons he couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom. That one had destroyed his table. He stopped doing drop tests after that point.

    His biggest discovery was that the cube wasn¡¯t uniformly dense. Its center of mass was precisely in the middle, but when he rotated it around different axes, he found differences in the amount of torque required to turn it. It was significantly denser in the center than the edges. Colored crystals, by contrast, were always of the exact same density.

    ¡°Some kind of internal structure¡­¡± He scratched his beard. ¡°Is it¡­ made out of crystals?¡± Math was not his strong suit, but performing a quick calculation, he determined that it was too dense and heavy to be made out of crystals, even though some areas were less dense than an individual crystal. Unless there was something else going on¡­

    Its presence interfered with Green. Green, for whatever reason, wasn¡¯t able to ¡°revert¡± the state of things the cube had destroyed properly, especially if the cube was still embedded in, say, the ground. Effects were similar to the ¡°stripping¡± effect that happened when Green was used to ¡°repair¡± things without the prerequisite materials around: half-repairs with thinned structures and weak connections. Whatever the cube did to the forces applied to it, Green couldn¡¯t deal with.

    The cube could be accelerated with Blue just fine, and lifted with Orange. Trying to accelerate part of the cube, however¡­ just wasn¡¯t possible. It was as if the cube forcefully enveloped itself in a uniform acceleration field.

    He tried Yellow on it out of curiosity. Nothing happened.

    At the end of another day of testing, Vaughan lifted up his hat and scratched his head. Lila was down with him that day, so he had an ear for him to rant to. ¡°I have¡­ no conclusions about this. It doesn¡¯t follow patterns, it¡¯s not quite like Colored crystals, some aspects of it are random, others always occur, and a lot of the effects seem quite unrelated. All I can say for sure is¡­ it seems to be something constructed with a purpose, a purpose that requires it be absolutely indestructible. I refuse to believe this was something that occurred naturally.¡±

    ¡°And apparently it does something very nasty if you touch it,¡± Lila said.

    ¡°If my theory that there¡¯s magic inside of it is correct¡­ it may need contact with a will to react, like normal crystals. I suppose it¡¯s possible that it could forcefully drain the will required to do whatever it wants to do¡­¡± Vaughan frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine that¡¯d be pleasant.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s what it does.¡±

    ¡°Yes. If that¡¯s what it does. We really¡­ have no idea.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Funding,¡± Mary said at the next meeting¡ªonly Seskii wasn¡¯t present around the table, as she was presumably still out traveling and getting fireworks. ¡°We¡¯ve got to figure out how to drive this little operation. Vaughan, no offense, but you spent most of your personal fortune on the Skyseed as it is. Big G has the most income out of all of us, and it¡¯s not enough to build what Blue keeps suggesting.¡±

    ¡°Multi-leveled metal sphere with reinforced windows,¡± Blue said. ¡°¡­Yes, it is a bit of a tall order. The more problems we solve, the more expensive our next ship becomes.¡±

    ¡°We need more funds than just the air restorer.¡± Big G said. ¡°We need to think of something obviously useful about our work.¡±

    Vaughan grinned. ¡°If these orbits pan out, we can launch things into the sky above us and make a worldwide transportation service!¡±

    ¡°Getting ahead of ourselves, are we?¡± Krays asked. ¡°A transport service. Hmm. How much money does it cost to run a single balloon-whale? How much money did it cost to set up the docks? How much mon¡ª¡°

    ¡°Okay, I get the point.¡± Vaughan sat back in his chair. ¡°Still, it¡¯s a long-term goal of a sort. Eventually, assuming this all works out, there¡¯ll be money in that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like our odds of getting to that within our lifetimes,¡± Blue said. ¡°At least not a full service. Maybe like some of those fancy Magenta communicator wires that only royalty has.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but that means they¡¯ll pay good money to get the only ride in town!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d still need multiple ships and much safer ones. You know. That people other than Jeh could ride.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard thoughtfully. ¡°Still, there has to be some use to having these orbits. Some point to sticking something up there that¡¯ll never come down.¡±

    ¡°You could probably dispose of things that way,¡± Lila said.

    Blue shook her head. ¡°Not ultimately. There is still some air up there. So little that you¡¯d be up there a long, long time, but the air resistance has to eventually take you down. ¡­Though, given the state of the moon, I suppose the orbit must remain stable for thousands upon thousands of years that far out¡­¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re telling us in a billion years the Moon will crash into Ikyu?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Hmm. You know, it might.¡±

    ¡°Awesome!¡±

    ¡°¡­Such a collision could potentially destroy most Ikyu life in one single moment¡­¡±

    ¡°Guess we know how the apocalypse goes down,¡± Krays said, winking at Lila.

    Lila rolled her eyes. ¡°The world will have an end, I make no claims about how exactly that will come about.¡±

    ¡°Still, sobering thought,¡± Suro said. ¡°By stumbling around in space, we¡¯ve discovered something that could potentially destroy the entire world. True or not, we are likely to find other such discoveries when we prod into the cosmic nature of the universe.¡±

    An awkward silence fell around the table.

    ¡°Back on the topic of money¡­¡± Big G said, folding his arms. ¡°Even if orbits aren¡¯t ultimately stable, they are stable enough to be used. The question is, for what?¡±

    ¡°If we could just make what we put up there visible, communication,¡± Blue said. ¡°The objects could flash at different rates or colors or something to signal whatever they want to the world below.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d need someone up there to run that,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°¡­There has to be a way around that¡­¡±

    ¡°What about pictures?¡± Jeh asked. ¡°Blue and I tested my skills with Purple earlier, I was able to take an ¡®image¡¯ of what I saw and store the ¡®projection¡¯ of that image in a Magenta loop so it could be re-projected as many times as we want.¡± She pulled a simple, flashing Magenta loop out of her furs as well as a small Purple crystal. She imposed her will on the loop, making it release a spell into the Purple that quickly displayed a two-dimensional image of Blue standing outside for a second.

    ¡°Little fuzzy around the edges,¡± Vaughan noted. ¡°More detail on Blue than the rest of it.¡±

    ¡°Still, I can record the pictures,¡± Jeh said with a grin. ¡°So you send me up there, I take pictures of Ikyu. We can make better maps and better maps can be sold, right?¡±

    ¡°To a point,¡± Big G said. ¡°But eventually the maps from those bird¡¯s-eye images will be so good you can¡¯t sell them again.¡±

    Vaughan clapped his hands together. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Astronomers!¡± Vaughan grinned. ¡°Everyone has been obsessed with examining the stars in the night sky and recording everything about them. The sky gets in the way a lot of the time though. If you just go above the sky, presto, instant access to space! Take all the pictures and readings you want!¡± He put a finger down on the table. ¡°We could sell our services and perform experiments that we don¡¯t even care about. Does someone want us to take a picture of star such-and-such on such-and-such a day at such-and-such a time? We send Jeh up there, get the pictures, and give them to the customer!¡±

    Krays clapped her hands together. ¡°That¡¯s perfect! There are a ton of star-obsessed people out there who would love to get a closer look!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to bring the telescope, then,¡± Jeh said.

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°It is a risk I think we should be willing to take. Go up, take pictures, sell pictures.¡±

    ¡°And once we actually get to the moon we can map it!¡± Krays all but cheered. ¡°The dark side won¡¯t be dark anymore!¡±

    ¡°You sure are excited,¡± Blue pointed out.

    ¡°I¡¯m a star-obsessed person! I want to see what it¡¯s like!¡± She rubbed her hands together and started giggling with a slight madness. ¡°To the moon!¡±

    ¡°We would be able to get clearer images of the planets as well,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Though if we want precision readings, Jeh is going to have to get very accurate with her use of Purple.¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll practice! In a few weeks my images will be just like looking at the real thing! Or sooner!¡±

    Big G nodded. ¡°This bodes well. We could start selling this now, if we wanted.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Seskii to get back,¡± Mary said. ¡°She¡¯s got the economic and marketing skills.¡±

    Krays turned to Blue with a smug grin. ¡°Oh look, the potion seller is useful. Imagine that.¡±

    ¡°Har-de-har,¡± Blue grunted. ¡°Anyway, it at least sounds like we have some funding ideas. So, onto something else¡­ the weather seems clear, what kind of tests should we be running?¡±

    Jeh raised a hand. ¡°I should just go up and take some pictures.¡±

    ¡°¡­That is a rather good idea. Krays, how is the drive armor coming along?¡±

    ¡°Darmosil says he¡¯ll have it ready tomorrow,¡± Krays said. ¡°Which means it¡¯ll be ready today and he¡¯ll ask why you didn¡¯t come pick it up earlier. To which you respond, naturally, with some kind of pithy remark, and then h¡ª¡°

    ¡°I¡¯ll just go tomorrow, take the verbal abuse, and leave,¡± Blue deadpanned. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go into the song and dance.¡±

    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t there?¡± Krays asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Spoilsport.¡±

    ~~~

    Soon, the weather was clear, and Jeh was equipped with a proper imaging device. All things considered, imaging devices weren¡¯t very complicated: a simple core that could hold a single spell that, when activated, would project the spell through a Purple crystal. The biggest issue was that you had to be trained in Purple to craft the spell that had the image in the first place, so imaging devices didn¡¯t see widespread use, but Purple wizards sure got a lot of people to ask for their services.

    Imaging devices could hold almost as many images as desired¡ªclever Purple wizards could craft stack spells that displayed multiple images. Jeh, however, did not have enough finesse to pull that off, so she could only store one image per spell loop. The imaging device she was taking with her had three. The job was simple: image Ikyu, image the moon, and image the sun.

    Since Lila hadn¡¯t built the ¡°launchpad¡± in Willow Hollow yet, the Skyseed started its journey from Vaughan¡¯s backyard, as it had last time. Today, however, it had two separate air restorers in it in case one broke, and the drive had a metal casing around it¡ªJeh could still adjust the strength of the drive with it on, but if she wanted to alter the direction she was going to have to remove the armor. She only expected to have to do this once she was already back in the atmosphere, however.

    With a salute to everyone¡ªthe entire program was there to see her off¡ªshe jumped into the Skyseed and waited for the countdown. It wasn¡¯t as memorable of a moment as the first countdown, as she had already done this before. With a flick of her wrist, she started lifting the Skyseed at her desired speed¡ªwhich was pretty fast but slower than the last time she¡¯d gone up, just to appease Blue and the others who were so worried about safety.

    The trip through the atmosphere was uneventful. There weren¡¯t even many gusts of wind; the day was extremely calm.

    Rather uneventfully, she made it to her destination: a bit further up than was needed to see Ikyu¡¯s curvature, so as to make sure the atmosphere didn¡¯t interfere with the pictures. She only stopped when she thought she had a clear view of the stars, at which point she reduced the drive to what should have been the ¡°hover¡± strength.

    Given her lack of nearby reference points, she had no idea if she was actually hovering or not. With a shrug, she took out the imaging device. She didn¡¯t even bother with the telescope when looking at Ikyu, she just imaged her entire perception of it. She was still able to make out the purple cube, the Tempest, and the unknown landmass, but that moving island wasn¡¯t visible. Maybe it was under a cloud, or it had moved elsewhere on the planet, she had no idea. Or she¡¯d just been seeing things, that was a possibility too.

    To test, she asked the device to display the image she¡¯d just sent it. Sure enough, there was Ikyu, with all the details she could want¡ªthough there was some fuzziness around the edges, and the stars didn¡¯t look quite right. It was quite hard to mentally focus on both the stars and the planet at the same time.

    She took out the telescope next and fixed her gaze on the moon, finding it to be absolutely pocked with craters and different kinds of ridges that cast shadows in the light of the sun. ¡°Coool¡­¡± Even so, there was still an utter lack of color on the moon, nothing but endless ridges and craters. She stored the image in the device and moved to her last subject, the sun.

    As it turned out, looking at the sun through a telescope revealed some areas that were slightly darker. At least, if you were immune to the pain of staring right at the sun through at telescope like Jeh was. She stored the image and quickly lowered the telescope, rubbing her eye¡ªshe was fine, but that had been quite irritating.

    As she rubbed her eye, she lost focus on the drive and she floated into the air. She quickly restarted the drive, giving herself ground to stand on again, but she inwardly cursed herself. Have to keep constant focus. Have to keep constant focus. Not much, but some.

    She had the imaging device display her three images. Satisfied with the level of detail, she decided it was time to go back down. Slowly, this time, which meant she didn¡¯t even need to reorient the drive: just have it push with slightly less force than needed to keep from falling.

    The Skyseed took about an hour to lazily drift back closer to the ground. Once she was solidly inside the atmosphere and the sky was largely blue again, Jeh removed the armor. ¡°Didn¡¯t even need you, nothing hit us today!¡± With a fully controllable drive and an Orange maneuvering crystal in her hands, she examined the shape of the land below her and determined where Willow Hollow was. With a crank of the drive, she shot off at an angle, flying across the sky back to her home.

    Naturally, she was careful not to go fast enough to light anything on fire this time.

    Since she was going for a controlled landing this time, there was no rushed panic to set down anywhere she could manage. She lazily drifted the Skyseed over to the forest and then Vaughan¡¯s cabin. Finding her speed a little too fast, she twisted the angle of the drive upward and pushed a bit to slow her speed.

    She noticed one of the urchin spines in the drive break. Since she wasn¡¯t using the full force of the spell, the lesser surface area didn¡¯t alter her speed whatsoever, but it was still concerning.

    The Skyseed landed in Vaughan¡¯s backyard without much fanfare.

    Blue screwed the lid off the Skyseed and deposited it near the treeline. ¡°Sooo, how¡¯d it go?¡±

    ¡°Kinda boring, honestly,¡± Jeh said, stretching. She tossed the imaging device to Vaughan. ¡°Ikyu, moon, sun, there you go. Oh, Suro, one of the drive¡¯s spines broke off.¡±

    Suro frowned. ¡°You weren¡¯t running it at full blast at the time, I hope?¡±

    ¡°No, I was coming back down. It¡¯s fine, right?¡±

    Suro nodded. ¡°It¡¯s just proof that we¡¯re burning through the magic content of the crystal rather quickly. Slight impurities in the crystal make such fine angles break after intense use. Since we over-designed its power output, you should still be fine using it for quite some time, but expect more spines to break and the max power output to go down.¡± Suro paused. ¡°I suppose I am assuming that the Magenta crystals won¡¯t break since they aren¡¯t being used as heavily as the Orange. If any of the Magenta pieces break you have a serious problem on your hands.¡±

    ¡°I can always try to land the ship manually!¡± Jeh said, holding up her Orange crystal. ¡°It¡¯s possible!¡±

    ¡°But, I¡¯d imagine, very tiring.¡±

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°I should try it one day. Try to land with the drive just off.¡±

    Vaughan coughed. ¡°How about we wait until we have ships to spare for that, hmm?¡±

    ¡°Fiiine¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Vaughan was hanging out with Blue and Jeh in the entryway, projecting the images Jeh had taken onto a wall from a projector device: it worked much like the imaging device except it continually cast the spell so the image didn¡¯t fade after a second or so, but wasn¡¯t quite as convenient to imprint with images.

    ¡°There are spots on the sun,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°¡­I have no idea how I would have ever figured that out.¡±

    ¡°Purple can block light too, you could have shaded the telescope,¡± Blue suggested.

    ¡°But you don¡¯t look at the sun! It burns your eyes out*!¡±

    *Vaughan is entirely correct that looking at the sun through a telescope burns your eyes out. It also shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise that numerous people who were reportedly smart on Earth decided that looking at the sun through a telescope was a good idea. Shockingly, the thought that it can make you go blind is actually incorrect, even staring through a decently high-powered telescope doesn¡¯t deal irreversible damage. It¡¯ll heal. In a few years.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t burn my eyes out!¡± Jeh laughed. ¡°All the astronomers are going to be so jealous!¡±

    ¡°Regardless... sun has spots.¡± Vaughan gestured at the image.

    ¡°Sunspots,¡± Jeh said, finding the term amusing.

    ¡°Add it to the list of mysteries,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°We have a list now?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I should make one though.¡±

    Vaughan turned his attention to the image of the moon. ¡°All things considered, it doesn¡¯t look all that better from up there. I¡¯ve seen most of these details on clear nights before.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but it was the middle of the day when I took it!¡± Jeh grinned. ¡°Behold, day-moon!¡±

    ¡°Looks exactly the same as night moon.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡±

    Vaughan turned to the Ikyu image last. ¡°Now this¡­ this makes me want to figure out how to turn these images into paintings and then hang them up on the wall. The curvature of Ikyu, the swirling clouds¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s so beautiful¡­¡±

    Jeh frowned. ¡°You¡­ want to go up there, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°Quite badly. You¡­ say you didn¡¯t run into any micrometeors this time?¡±

    ¡°Not a one.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s safer up there than we thought¡­¡±

    ¡°We need to run a lot more tests,¡± Blue said. ¡°For one, it probably gets very cold up there, and Jeh just doesn¡¯t care that much.¡±

    ¡°I do occasionally use Red to warm up the air a bit,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Though only earlier in the flight¡­ weird¡­¡±

    ¡°Your temperature sense is so all over the map I¡¯m not sure that tells us anything.¡±

    Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Before Vaughan could even stand up, whoever as on the other side realized it was unlocked and kicked it open. ¡°I¡¯m baaaaack!¡± Seskii called, rolling an entire minecart filled with fireworks into the room. ¡°Behold, the fruits of my labor! We¡¯ve got flashy fireworks, bright fireworks, flares, loud fireworks, quiet fireworks, what I¡¯m pretty sure is just a stick that burns with sparkles on it, and whatever the heck this is.¡± She poked a green pom-pom like object in confusion. ¡°Huh. Anyway, all ready for your space testing needs!¡±

    Blue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How¡­ that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s a ton.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask where I got them,¡± Seskii said, waving her hands around mysteriously.

    ¡°¡­Seskii, did you steal them?¡±

    ¡°What? No. I obtained these without breaking any laws.¡± Seskii thought about that for a moment. ¡°Well, at least not any laws that are written down in an official legal code.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ what does that even mean?¡±

    ¡°It means fireworks!¡± Jeh shouted, rushing out and grabbing one from the minecart. ¡°So, how do they work?¡±

    ¡°You light the fuse with Red or some kid of fire,¡± Vaughan explained. ¡°And th¡ª¡°

    Jeh had already lit one of the fuses.

    ¡°NOT INSIDE!¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    The explosion was loud, silvery-gold, and threw soot all over Vaughan¡¯s nice furniture.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    On Earth, people actually do reserve time on telescopes, usually as part of a research grant of some sort. See, there are far more astronomers and astrophysicists than there are high-quality observatories that can peer into the depths of space.

    There are even fewer telescopes situated in space, which is where you really want to be. See, the atmosphere isn¡¯t exactly clear. Even without clouds and smog and light pollution, the air molecules themselves refract and bend the light, keeping a clear image from forming. Not great when you want to, say, look at a distant galaxy or something. Time has to be scheduled on these telescopes as well, though the application process for those is noticeably more intense. Anyone can apply for the Hubble Space Telescope¡¯s time and very few actually get it. NASA itself generally says the proposals have to have proof that the desired observation can¡¯t be completed on the ground.

    Speaking of telescopes, even putting one in space isn¡¯t enough to get you the stuff in what we call the ¡°deep field.¡± If you just looked through Hubble¡¯s normal feed you wouldn¡¯t be able to see the galaxies that far out. To get these images you have to take a long-exposure image¡ªwhich involves making sure Hubble is pointed at the exact same spot in the sky for a very long time while Hubble is actively orbiting the Earth and the Earth is moving around the sun¡­ not very simple, to say the least, but when it is accomplished you get those beautiful images of galaxies so distant the expansion of the universe will tear them so far away that we¡¯ll never be able to see them again no matter what we do. We are blessed to live in an era of the universe where we can see such beautiful things just by pointing at an empty patch of the sky. If our predictions are correct, most of the universe¡¯s time will be spent in galaxies that cannot see each other due to the immense distances between them.

    Space telescopes like Hubble, however, still cannot image black holes. And yet we still have recent images of black holes. How did we get those? Why, with the Event Horizon Telescope, of course. But what exactly is that?

    Well, first you build several very large radio dishes that point to the sky. Radio waves are just another type of light¡ªjust a sort we can¡¯t see with our eyes, so radio dishes are technically telescopes. Then you link all these telescopes together, creating a web that spreads around the world. Congratulations, you¡¯ve made the EHT. The entire Earth is now your telescope, good job.

    Naturally, these are radio telescopes. They¡¯re not observing visible light. But visible light can be redshifted by a lot over a few trillion light years...

 015 - The Deep End

    015

    The Deep End

    In the depths of the Purple archives of Kroan Academy, a certain individual was perusing the many, many documents with his reptilian claws. He moved with supreme disinterest and spent a lot of his time yawning as he poured over various texts, wishing that the lighting down here was more practical than the obvious devotion to the ¡°Purple aesthetic.¡±

    This deep in the Archives, things were decidedly difficult to parse. Many of the documents down here weren¡¯t written with audiences of any kind in mind and were often personal notes of long-dead Wizards who didn¡¯t care to bother with consistent notation or even much more than chicken-scratch.

    The reptile¡¯s job was to examine such documents for points of interest, especially points of interest for his employer. Or employer¡¯s employer. His situation was rather unique in that regard.

    He picked up a manuscript that talked about the minute differences in crystal mass reduction-to-heat output produced by shining particular colors out of Purple crystals. A fact that had been novel back when the aging paper had been written but was now taught as part of the standard curriculum¡ªuseless. The next paper he picked up was filled with mathematical nonsense, so far as he could tell, all oriented around ¡°properties of the number seven.¡± Then there was a short experiment that noted that dogs couldn¡¯t tell the difference between different Colored crystals¡­ A record of Crystalline One feats no one could even dream up theories on how to replicate¡­

    ¡°Why does Gronge have me dig this far?¡± he grumbled, placing the documents back where they belonged. The next document was actually stored in a Purple crystal device and showed a three-dimensional model of a swinging pendulum when he pushed his will into it. He was very glad it was simple enough that his will could properly generate it¡ªhe wasn¡¯t exactly the best at using crystals.

    The next document he found was brand new and talked about launching a craft so high the curvature of the horizon was observed.

    Wait¡­

    He went back to that one and read it over again. What¡¯s a new document doing all the way down here? And¡­ of something so fundamentally bizarre at that?

    The more he read the details, the more he realized that this was exactly the sort of thing his employer would be interested in.

    ¡°Looks like today¡¯s archive plunge wasn¡¯t a waste of time¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°There you go¡­¡± Vaughan said, pulling himself out of the arcane furnace and closing it up. ¡°The heat injection core is ready to go.¡±

    ¡°And it only took you until nightfall,¡± Darmosil deadpanned as he used a crowbar-like tool to bend a thin piece of metal into an arc shape.

    ¡°I needed something to do anyway.¡±

    Darmosil gave a half shrug. Once he completed bending the metal, he tossed Vaughan a small bag of coins. ¡°Keep the change.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll make its way back to me eventually.¡± He walked over to the arcane furnace and turned it on, beginning the long heating process.

    ¡°No sleep tonight?¡±

    Darmosil shrugged noncommittally.

    ¡°You could come back with me, see what your wife¡¯s been up to.¡±

    The slightest hint of a smile crawled up Darmosil¡¯s face. ¡°I know what she does better than you do, Vaughan.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡ª¡°

    ¡°Tonight you are going to launch Jeh into the sky and have her run a somewhat long and involved series of tests with fireworks, using the darkness to make sure they¡¯re visible. There will also be a thermoscope, a handful of plants, and a little mouse in a cage.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes I forget how much Krays talks.¡±

    ¡°Such an omission speaks measures of your intellect.¡±

    Vaughan gave Darmosil a confused look, but the blacksmith simply returned to his work. With a slight roll of his eyes, the Wizard left the room. As he passed through the bakery, he noted that one of the Sourdough twins was sleeping on the counter¡ªthe other was nowhere to be seen.

    Whenever he saw one and not the other he always got nervous. He was never entirely sure why.

    Walking outside, the cool night air greeted him with a slight breeze. The sun had set only a short time ago, so it was still easy to see Willow Hollow and the road. He noticed that several construction workers were wrapping up their task for the day¡ªbuilding that little launchpad Lila had commissioned in her new position as Mayor.

    Speaking of Lila, she was actually near the incomplete launchpad, standing on top of a crate and looking at it deep in thought. The construction really didn¡¯t look like anything special: it was just a raised stone platform made out of several segments. When it was complete the top would be flattened, smoothed, and polished while a few Magenta lamps would be set up around it to make it easy to see from above, but even that was rather simple.

    ¡°So, Mayor¡­¡±

    Lila chuckled. ¡°Please, call me Lila. Mayor is a title, not a name.¡±

    ¡°So, Mayor Keeper Lila¡­¡±

    Lila rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, Vaughan?¡±

    ¡°You seem deep in thought. Are those thoughts of yours something I might be able to comprehend?¡±

    ¡°Some of it, at least,¡± Lila said with a short nod. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ observing how appropriate it is that a crazy endeavor such as ours involves such an unassuming and simple construction. It¡¯s just a platform of stone. Takes a lot of effort to make and in the end doesn¡¯t look very impressive.¡± She smirked. ¡°It¡¯s a perfect metaphor for life. The best things come from that which we would consider low, weak, simple. Dia herself is the triangle, after all, the simplest of the shapes; and yet, as Suro will tell you, triangles are the strongest.¡±

    ¡°But the world itself is filled with such curious complexity as well¡­¡±

    ¡°The paradox of life. There are so many complications and details that make it worthwhile, while our purpose is nonetheless simple. To be, to love, to¡­¡± Lila stopped herself. ¡°Goodness, I¡¯m becoming one of those pedantic old Keepers, always waxing poetic about higher concepts.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re onto something,¡± Vaughan shrugged.

    ¡°Mmm¡­ possible. Likely, even.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe this is just your Mayorship getting to you.¡±

    ¡°I am somewhat surprised by it, actually,¡± Lila said. ¡°Very little has changed, overall. I get the impression that if I had asked everyone to build a launchpad when I was just ¡®the Keeper¡¯ they would have. It¡¯s simultaneously heartwarming and a little unnerving.¡± She folded her ears back. ¡°I gave up power to come here, Vaughan. Part of me never wanted to have it again.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but now you¡¯re a lot better at using it, huh?¡±

    ¡°It only seems that way. That¡¯s exactly how I felt back in the Tempest. And you¡­ you know.¡±

    Vaughan sighed. ¡°I do. But I want you to know that I mean it when I say¡­ you¡¯re now the wisest person I know.¡±

    ¡°By the grace of Dia¡­¡± Lila shook her head. ¡°We really have to stop dwelling on the past. We are the Wizard Space Program, we look toward the future.¡±

    ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you tell me fixation on the future wasn¡¯t the best thing¡­?¡±

    ¡°True¡­¡± Lila licked her paw and ran it across her cheek absent-mindedly. ¡°The present moment is the best. And in the present moment, we have a launch to get to.¡± She hopped down from the box and started walking to Vaughan¡¯s cabin. ¡°You better have all those extra beds set up.¡±

    ¡°Mary and Seskii say they have it covered.¡±

    ¡°Those two really go out of their way for others. It is good to see.¡±

    With that, Wizard and cat journeyed back to Vaughan¡¯s cabin. Neither of them made much effort to go very quickly and spent a large amount of time simply chatting like the old friends they were. Reminiscing about the past, thinking about the future, and just talking about life. Eventually, Vaughan had to light a small fire to illuminate their path and the stars started to come out. It was truly dark by the time they reached the Cabin.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite late,¡± Krays said as they walked around to the backyard where the others were sitting around, waiting¡ªsave for Jeh.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Vaughan asked, crossing his arms.

    ¡°It is precisely eight-thirteen.¡± Krays smirked.

    Vaughan gawked at her. ¡°H-how?¡±

    ¡°You can tell time by the stars, you know, not just the sun and moon.¡± Krays shrugged and shook her head. ¡°Some master of the Wizard Space Program you are, can¡¯t even tell time by the stars.¡±

    Lila raised an eyebrow. ¡°It takes quite a bit of training and knowledge to be able to discern the state of the sky as it changes throughout the year. Consider me impressed, Krays.¡±

    Krays gave them a slightly awkward grin. ¡°Oh, this is just something small I picked up over the years.¡±

    Big G walked up to them. ¡°How is the launchpad coming?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Lila said, taking a moment to walk to Suro and give him a quick nuzzle. ¡°But it¡¯ll be a few days before we can get anything going.¡±

    ¡°I doubt we¡¯ll have another launch for a few days,¡± Suro added. ¡°The next one might be on the launchpad.¡±

    ¡°Jeh awake yet?¡± Vaughan asked.

    Blue nodded. ¡°She¡¯s eating up befo¡ª¡°

    ¡°I shall pierce the night itself!¡± Jeh shouted, running out of the cabin at high speed. ¡°The demon of sleep has been pacified, tonight shall face the wrath of the one, the only, Jeh!¡±

    ¡°¡­Wrath?¡± Blue asked.

    Jeh crossed her arms. ¡°Yes. It is the best word for the situation and I am not changing it.¡±

    ¡°If you insist.¡± Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°So, do you remember your mission?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Jeh cleared her throat. ¡°Ahem! During ascent I shall, every few minutes, release one of the fireworks we have strapped to the Skyseed and see what happens.¡± She gestured at the few dozen fireworks that were draped over the edge of the Skyseed rather haphazardly¡ªbut evenly distributed so as not to throw off the weight. ¡°Make sure not to go too fast so they don¡¯t explode. Second!¡± She ran over to one of the tables, upon which sat a sealed glass tube filled with a mixture of water and air. ¡°Examine the thermoscope to see how hot everything is inside. Red line is too hot, blue line is too cold.¡±

    ¡°You have no idea how hard these things are to make,¡± Krays said, gesturing at the glass tube she had created. ¡°You have to seal the air in there with the water, make the tube tiny, but also allow the external air to be open to the water without pushing it out¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°I hope you¡¯re satisfied.¡±

    Vaughan shrugged. ¡°It¡¯ll let Jeh know what she needs to know up there.¡±

    ¡°Third!¡± Jeh ran to a little cage with a mouse and a few plants inside of it. ¡°See if these things die. That¡¯s¡­ yeah, that¡¯s pretty simple. And, lastly¡­¡± Jeh pulled out the arcane imaging device and the telescope. ¡°Someone¡¯s paid us to take pictures of the planets. Zhevanthe and Qi are up tonight, I¡¯ve gotta find them.¡±

    Blue tapped her hooves excitedly. ¡°Very good, Jeh! That¡¯s everything!¡±

    ¡°Yay! So can I go now?¡±

    Blue unscrewed the Skyseed¡¯s lid with her telekinesis. ¡°By all means.¡±

    Jeh ran into the ship with all her supplies¡ªmaking the interior rather cramped, even taking into account her small stature. After a few grunts, she gave Blue a thumbs up and the lid was screwed back on.

    ¡°Ten!¡± Seskii called¡ªtriggering the countdown once more. When it ended, Jeh drifted up into the air bit by bit, a little slower than usual due to the extra weight and concern over the fireworks, but it was still a respectable speed.

    About a minute of flying later, she released the first firework. A colorful burst of green spread out across the sky with an immense bang that showered the land with a green light.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lila frowned. ¡°I think that¡¯s going to wake a few people up...¡±

    ¡°Who cares? It¡¯s pretty!¡± Krays clapped her hands together. ¡°We¡¯re putting our own stars in the sky!¡±

    ¡°The people need their rest, Krays. In the future, we should try to avoid releasing fireworks at low elevations this late at night. I may have to organize an announcement tomorrow for everyone who was affected¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll understand,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°Very likely, but they need to see that I¡¯m thinking about them, not just running things blindly.¡±

    Seskii sat down on the ground and shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about that right now. We have a fireworks show to watch!¡±

    The sky was devoid of any sparks aside from the Orange glow of the Skyseed that they could still make out.

    ¡°¡­A very slow fireworks show!¡±

    ~~~

    Jeh couldn¡¯t afford to relax even though she was comfortable with the Skyseed at this point, simply because she had a lot of things to keep track of. Not only did she need to keep her focus on the drive and the air restorer, but she also had to release fireworks every now and then, keep an eye on the thermoscope, and record what she found in a little book Vaughan had given her.

    It wasn¡¯t too much for her to handle¡ªfar from it¡ªit just didn¡¯t give her any opportunity to really appreciate much of anything around her.

    She used some Orange to release another firework, quickly striking it with Red to ignite it. The bang happened a few seconds later and was absurdly loud, exploding with enough force to make Jeh¡¯s ears ring. The actual shockwave from the fireworks was nothing compared to the drag of the atmosphere, though, so she had no difficulty continuing her climb.

    The mouse was freaking out in its cage but it seemed healthy enough.

    The thermoscope indicated the temperature was slowly decreasing. Jeh wasn¡¯t entirely sure how it worked¡ªit was a glass rod with two bulbs on either end; one filled with air, the other with water. The water end was actually exposed to the air of the Skyseed via tiny holes in the glass. Jeh wasn¡¯t sure why this was necessary but apparently it was what allowed the water level to move up and down the center of the rod¡ªup when it got colder, down when it got warmer. Currently, the water level was climbing. It was a cold night, to be sure, and Jeh made sure to keep the temperature in what she was told was ¡°comfortable¡± with applications of Red.

    So she continued on her way up. Every few minutes she¡¯d release a firework and light up the sky and check how the temperature was doing. Flying at night was basically no different than doing it in the day, only she didn¡¯t have as good of a view of everything. She was still able to make out the lights of major Kroan cities, though, so she wouldn¡¯t be lost coming back down.

    She made a note to record an image of Ikyu at night. The device had three slots; she only needed to take two as part of the mission, it was an opportunity. But that would have to wait until she was much, much higher.

    As she continued her ascent, however, a few odd things began to crop up. First of all, the noise from the fireworks became less and less the further along she went¡ªand, related to that, their bright intensity decreased over time and it took more and more Red effort to get them to ignite.

    Then there was the thermoscope. Early on, it had been getting colder and colder faster and faster¡ªbut that rather quickly leveled off until it stopped getting colder. And then, ever so slowly, it started to get warmer.

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Jeh cocked her head. ¡°Are you¡­ broken?¡± She had been told that turning the thermoscope upside-down would ruin it, but she hadn¡¯t lost control of the drive or tried to alter her course yet. She would have blamed the sun for heating her up but she couldn¡¯t see the sun¡ªthere was just a glow over the horizon. What was making her warmer?

    She shrugged. It wasn¡¯t getting warmer very quickly, so it was just another oddity to report back to the others when she was done.

    Releasing another firework, she ignited it. It took a lot of energy¡ªand she had to focus on the firework itself rather than the fuse¡ªbut it did explode. But it only flashed for a second or two before dissipating. Jeh heard nothing this time.

    Jeh frowned. Fireworks were not going to work in space, clearly. Why?

    Well, she wasn¡¯t the person who answered ¡°why¡± in the Wizard Space Program. She was the one who went into the great unknown and asked everyone else ¡°why.¡± It was a good setup.

    At least the mouse and the plants were fine. After dealing with the journey for a few hours the mouse had calmed down. It had started nibbling on one of the plant¡¯s leaves.

    Jeh rolled her eyes. Not space damage, not my problem.

    She took out the imaging device. Ikyu at night was absolutely stunning if a bit hard to make sense of. In her studies of the maps of the world she had spent much time on the kingdom of Kroan and surrounding areas, so she was able to make out what those little specks of light were. Beyond Kroan, however, it became harder for her to make things out. It was difficult to tell where the oceans ended and the land began¡ªusually, the land had more light on it, so the dark areas were most likely water, but this wasn¡¯t always true. Not to mention the clouds dotting the distant stretches of the world that made it even harder to see. There were a few storms that let out flashes of lightning in the distance that, from above, didn¡¯t seem all that powerful and looked more like fireflies than anything. One area of the ocean glowed a curious green¡ªbut most obvious of all was the giant Purple cube glowing rather intently.

    It was very easy to see at night.

    Weird¡­ she quickly turned her attention to the stars. She already knew where to find her targets. Qi was the brightest and appeared through the telescope as a smooth, fuzzy orb with smaller dots around it. She thought that maybe she could see some details on the orb, but it was really hard to tell. Zhevanthe was much smaller and only appeared as a vaguely reddish speck, even with the telescope as an aid.

    ¡°All this work for just a couple of blurry pictures¡­¡± Jeh said. ¡°People sure are willing to pay for strange things.¡±

    With that, Jeh realized it was time to go down. She glanced at the thermoscope one last time. It was still within comfortable levels, but the heat was steadily increasing.

    ¡°More stuff for them to puzzle over.¡± Jeh took one last look outside at the starry, moonless sky. She grinned.

    It was really amazing that she could just come up here and look at the world below. Everything that everyone had ever known¡­ below her. So tiny, almost insignificant. It made her giddy.

    She stayed up there for quite a while just looking. But, eventually, she recognized that she had to go back down and report. She took the armored casing off the drive and turned it upside down, ruining the thermoscope¡¯s careful balance, but not breaking it.

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Once again, there was no sign of any tiny rocks flying through space. Nothing was damaged.

    ~~~

    Blue squinted her eyes at the sky above them. There was not a single cloud in the way, but she hadn¡¯t been able to make out any fireworks for a while. ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Something must be keeping them from working properly,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Not sure what¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll tell us when she gets back.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Suro said. ¡°She knows what she¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°None of us know what we¡¯re doing,¡± Krays pointed out. ¡°Not really.¡±

    Seskii nudged her.

    ¡°What? I¡¯m just saying it like it is. Speaking of, she¡¯ll be fine even if she crashes. The ship won¡¯t.¡±

    Blue let out an annoyed whinny.

    ¡°Hmm, is there a horse in here?¡±

    Blue glared at her. ¡°This horn is very sharp, Krays.¡±

    ¡°And so are my elbows, and I have two of those. You¡¯re woefully outclassed in the pointy competition.¡±

    ¡°I could lift you into the air.¡±

    ¡°And I could shoot a rock through your skull.¡±

    ¡°And I¡­¡±

    Mary facepalmed. ¡°Give it a rest, you two.¡±

    ¡°¡­Speaking of rest, not everyone needs to stay up,¡± Lila said. ¡°Jeh slept all day to be ready for this, we have not. Some sleep might do us good, only a couple of people need to stay and watch.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°I¡¯m staying.¡±

    Krays folded her arms. ¡°Then I will too.¡±

    Suro sighed. ¡°Since when did you two have a rivalry going?¡±

    ¡°Since five minutes ago,¡± Krays said, grinning.

    ¡°Oooh, can I have a rivalry too?¡± Seskii asked.

    ¡°I¡ª¡°

    ¡°Quiet!¡± Big G said, holding up his hand to his ear. This prompted everyone else to listen closely. They heard the tell-tale sound of large, heavy wings flapping, pushing through the air and sending a gust down to the ground. Since it was dark out, they could not see what was coming, but the rush of air told them it was close.

    Vaughan lit a fire in the air, revealing a deep blue reptilian form with four legs, two wings, and a pointed face filled with predatory teeth. He was easily the size of a large carriage, but he was no beast, for a large sea-colored sash hung around his neck and over his chest, and rather large packs hung off his sides. He was, unmistakably, a dragon¡ªbut of the younger variety, given his size.

    ¡°Greetings,¡± he said in a deep, but rather soft voice that did not fit with his predatory appearance. ¡°I am Alexandrite.¡±

    Blue pointed at his sash. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re a Deep Messenger?¡±

    ¡°And you must be Blue.¡± He nodded curtly. ¡°Yes. I am a Deep Messenger.¡±

    ¡°What in the name of Ikyu are you doing this far from the ocean!?¡±

    ¡°I bring a message. Specifically for yourself and Wizard Vaughan.¡± He stretched out his leathery wings before folding them to his side. ¡°It would be for the ears of anyone else involved in your research.¡±

    ¡°¡­Our research?¡±

    ¡°Your Skyseed.¡±

    Vaughan frowned. ¡°Blue, can you help me figure out what¡¯s going on here?¡±

    Blue shook her head. ¡°The Deep Messengers carry out the affairs of high-ranking anglers on land since they can¡¯t leave the ocean depths. What an angler would want with the Skyseed I have no idea. And how they¡¯d even hear about it¡­¡±

    ¡°My master, Wizard Gronge, has me peruse the arch¡ª¡°

    ¡°Gronge!?¡± Vaughan blurted. ¡°The Gronge? Arcane wizard of the deep!?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°We study his experiments in the academy!¡±

    ¡°So you know this is no joke.¡± The dragon raised his head. ¡°I am tasked to uncover that which may be of interest to the great Wizard Gronge and his experiments. I found your file deep within the archives, and it was of immense interest to him. He is willing to provide significant funding to this endeavor.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why?¡± Blue asked. ¡°It¡¯s not like he can go to space.¡±

    ¡°He has numerous reasons. For one, he believes that refining the Skyseed design may, in time, lead to a proper submersible that could withstand the great leviathans and allow for proper traversal of the barrier between the surface and the depths. Secondly, the discovery of the air restorer has prompted him to run similar tests on waters, finding that it also functions as a water restorer. He wishes to compare notes on it. And, lastly, while Wizard Gronge has never seen the stars, he has been given many drawings, and finds the outer world fascinating.¡±

    ¡°¡­So, Alex, buddy¡­¡± Krays said, stepping forward. ¡°What¡¯s he want us to do?¡±

    ¡°He has a decent list of suggested experiments,¡± Alexandrite said, either not noticing or not caring about the sudden nickname. ¡°The first of which is to take the Skyseed into orbit while filled with water. Such an increase in weight is not beyond the drive¡¯s capacity, according to his calculations. If you find it difficult to procure that much water, do note that I am a water dragon and can provide as much as you will possibly need.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ we are selling our services to anyone who wants it¡­¡± Vaughan glanced to the others. ¡°And we don¡¯t dare refuse the great Gronge, do we?¡±

    Lila coughed. ¡°We will accept Wizard Gronge and yourself as usual ¡®customers.¡¯ ¡°

    Alexandrite nodded. ¡°And you are?¡±

    ¡°Lila, Mayor of Willow Hollow and member of the Wizard Space Program you see before you.¡±

    Alexandrite bowed his head slightly in respect. ¡°I was unaware the town itself was involved in the procedures, though I suppose it would be expected. Do you have records of your more recent experiments?¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°We haven¡¯t sent anything else back to the Academy yet, the winter was rather limiting. Blue can probably show you some things about the mathematics¡­¡±

    ¡°It will be very much appreciated. However¡­ I would like to see the Skyseed first.¡±

    ¡°Bit difficult, as it¡¯s up in the sky right now,¡± Krays said. ¡°Who knows when Jeh¡¯ll come back down?¡±

    ¡°I expected as much, given that you were all awake at this hour.¡± Alexandrite turned his head to the sky. ¡°How much longer do you suppose she will be?¡±

    ¡°Few hours?¡±

    ¡°Then I shall wait. I shall not impose my curiosity nor Gronge¡¯s on you¡ªyou are in the midst of your work. I shall merely observe, unless you do not wish me to.¡±

    Blue glanced awkwardly at the others. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ fine, right?¡±

    There were a bunch of awkward shrugs.

    ¡°Welcome to the team, Alex!¡± Seskii said, running up to him and giving him a friendly pat on the neck.

    ¡°I am merely a messenger¡ª¡°

    ¡°And I run a fruit juice stand, it takes all types. I¡¯m Seskii! And the rest of these colorful faces are¡­¡± She then proceeded to introduce everyone in the most energetic manner imaginable. Which was to say, exactly how one would expect Seskii to introduce everyone.

    ~~~

    The plan for landing was rather simple¡ªlook for the Magenta glow from the crystal atop Vaughan¡¯s cabin. It wasn¡¯t hard to see. Or, at least, it shouldn¡¯t have been, seeing as it was on top of the cabin and there wouldn¡¯t be any trees in the way from Jeh¡¯s angle.

    This did nothing to help her actually find it. She knew she was somewhere near Willow Hollow simply due to the lights of the major cities she¡¯d seen from above, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly where. It was night and Willow Hollow didn¡¯t exactly have a lot of lights. It did have a lot of crystals, but only Vaughan¡¯s cabin had an active Magenta core that would glow.

    She took the Skyseed back up a short distance¡ªprompting one of the spikes to shatter¡ªand tried to get her bearings once more. She pulled out a map, compared the lights of the cities, focused on a single place on the ground, descended¡­ and got lost in the dark again.

    ¡°This is getting ridiculous,¡± Jeh grumbled. ¡°At this rate, I¡¯ll be going up and down until the sun comes up¡­¡± She glanced at the mouse that was sleeping peacefully in its cage. ¡°I wish I could be you right now¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°I could just land somewhere and wait for morning, but Blue would get so worried¡­¡±

    Then she remembered something.

    She hadn¡¯t used all the fireworks yet.

    She was back in the atmosphere.

    With a grin, she released one of them and ignited it. The bang woke the mouse up and he let out a terrified squeak. A brilliant pink glow lit up the sky and some of the ground below, revealing the ominous shadow of mountains. Lots of mountains. The light of the firework persisted for a few seconds, allowing Jeh to get her bearings in reference to the mountains.

    She was on the other side of the mountain range¡ªtoo far to the east. She adjusted the drive, tilting it sideways, and moved over the range. Since she had extra fireworks, she kept releasing more to ensure she didn¡¯t keep getting lost. As she crossed the range, she was mildly annoyed to find that she didn¡¯t recognize any of the mountains in particular. They clearly had to be part of the same range as Mt. Cascade, though if she was too far north or too far south she had no way of telling for sure. The fireworks, while bright, didn¡¯t exactly illuminate anything very far away.

    North or South¡­ She racked her brain for a while on this problem¡ªlosing focus on the drive for a moment in the process, but not long enough to start plummeting. She regained control calmly and decided to release another firework to see if she could locate anything at all. But all she revealed were mountains and an exceptionally large number of trees. There weren¡¯t even any roads¡­

    ¡°Aha!¡± Jeh declared, waking up the poor mouse. ¡°Willow Hollow is the southernmost settlement before the wilds! If there are no roads we must be South! Hah! I¡¯m smart.¡±

    She directed the Skyseed to the north, drifting through the sky and releasing a firework every few minutes. Eventually, at the edge of her vision, she spotted a glowing Magenta spark.

    ¡°There it is!¡± Jeh grinned. She drifted overtop the Magenta glow. Since the glow wasn¡¯t lighting anything up, Jeh released a firework so she could see where the backyard was in order to land without shattering the Skyseed.

    The reddish light from the firework revealed it not to be Vaughan¡¯s cabin at all. It was some kind of stone structure covered in patches of green. From her height, it was impossible to tell much more about it besides the fact that it was large.

    For a moment¡ªa long moment¡ªshe considered going down to check it out. Her curiosity burned within her to know what this strange structure was.

    It would simply take too long, though. She¡¯d already been up here much longer than everyone had probably been expecting. There were still no roads, so this must have been further South.

    ¡°North we go, little buddy¡­¡±

    The mouse understood none of this and only knew that there were more terrifying explosion sounds.

    ~~~

    ¡°I can get you any kind of juice under the sun! Or moon! Or stars if neither of those are up at the moment!¡± Seskii winked at Alexandrite. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry Alex, I can cater to the tastes of even the most eclectic of dragons!¡±

    ¡°¡­I highly doubt you have azure melon extra¡ª¡°

    Seskii kicked a nearby crate open and pulled out a bottle filled with a light blue and slightly fizzy substance. ¡°One should never doubt Seskii¡¯s supply!¡±

    Alexandrite¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I¡­ how? These are only found in the shoals beneath the Tempest and¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry! Trade secret. But hey, at least you get to have some! Free of charge!¡± She threw it to him. He managed to catch it in his claw¡ªmaking it clear how tiny it was in comparison to his girth. It would have been a sizeable drink for any of the members of the Wizard Space Program, but it was barely more than a swallow for him.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Blue said. ¡°Do you Deep Messengers have to go through all the nonsense us normal messengers have to go through?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely exquisite¡­¡± Alexandrite said, staring at the now empty bottle for a few seconds before realizing Blue was talking to him. ¡°Oh, er, not so much. I do very little actual courier business myself. I¡¯m essentially Gronge¡¯s personal scribe from afar. Most of my work involves looking for things he might find interesting, copying them down, and sending them down to the bottom of the ocean.¡±

    ¡°So you get to read all day.¡±

    ¡°Mostly, yes.¡±

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I land that job?¡±

    ¡°Connections and recommendations are needed, as well as no small amount of luck¡­¡±

    While Seskii and Blue chatted the dragon up, Suro and Vaughan had slowly but surely moved to the opposite side of the yard, near the edge of the forest. The hope was that they were out of earshot.

    ¡°What do you know of Gronge?¡± Suro asked Vaughan.

    ¡°He¡¯s an angler. He has made several discoveries of great importance to wizardry. Beyond that¡­ not much. Communication between Kroan and the depths is almost completely business, I¡¯m not sure there is be anyone on the surface who can be said to know the man.¡±

    ¡°A complete unknown, then.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Vaughan shook his head while he scratched his beard. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ unnerving, to say the least.¡±

    ¡°On the surface, it seems legitimate. A scribe hired specifically to plumb the depths of the archives finds something interesting and sends it to his master¡­ which is exactly what his job is. Then his master finds it interesting enough to follow up on and provide assistance¡­ giving good reasons for wanting to do so, but not very detailed ones, and he is so far removed that we shouldn¡¯t expect much more detail.¡± Suro frowned. ¡°The entire situation is far too easy to insert subterfuge into.¡±

    ¡°I dunno,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Alex seems fine.¡±

    ¡°I tend to agree. He is just doing his job. But does he even know who his master is? Or just the sorts of things he might be interested in?¡±

    ¡°Either way, we can¡¯t just say no. The money in the ¡®Sea Traversal Fund¡¯* is nothing to sneeze at.¡±

    *The depths and the surface world have an understandable desire for trade, interaction, and cooperation. However, the fact of the matter is that leviathans prowl the oceans at a certain range of depths, and no way has been found to get a live person through their hunting grounds. The anglers live below this boundary, while the surface-dwellers live above. Communication is accomplished entirely through messages in bottles, though over the years the bottles have gotten rather sophisticated, durable, and easy to pick out from the surface of the water at the bottom of the ocean.

    It was rather difficult to come to a political agreement over this communication method, but a series of treaties were hammered out between the depths and the surface¡ªwhich included nations other than Kroan. Most of these were rather boring and didn¡¯t lead to much, but one of the arrangements was the Sea Traversal Fund. Any citizen of any nation could petition their nation for access to specifically set-aside funds that could be used to purchase anything on the other side of the leviathan hunting grounds. Every nation agreed that they would set aside certain funds for this use, to encourage cooperation.

    It was not quite as altruistic as it may seem. Quite simply, it was impossible to buy things across the barrier made by the leviathans and the only information that was sent up and down had been done so by charity. With the Sea Traversal Fund, a Kroanian could petition the Crown to order something from the depths. If the Crown determined such a request was worthwhile, they would send a message to the depths, at which point the depths would take from the money they set aside into their Sea Traversal Fund to purchase the item and send it up.

    The same worked in reverse. Gronge, being a high-profile arcane researcher, would have access to a large chunk of the Kroan-side Sea Traversal Fund, enough to hire a dragon to work for him full time.

    Granted, there is a lot more nuance in the actual treaty, as well as several annoying loopholes, but now ¡°purchases¡± can be made across the layer of death managed by the leviathans.

    Suro shook his head. ¡°It definitely isn¡¯t. I believe our end is mostly spent on research, while theirs is literature, for some reason.¡±

    ¡°The King¡¯s librarian gets priority, as always¡­¡±

    Suro chuckled. ¡°Careful who you say that around.¡±

    Vaughan rolled his eyes. ¡°Suro, we live in the middle of nowhere and never see anything even vaguely related to royalty.¡±

    ¡°That could change, Vaughan. A dragon with connections to the depths has arrived. Others may come. Willow Hollow will be put on the map.¡± He flicked his ears. ¡°We may need to start watching what we say again.¡±

    Vaughan glanced to Alexandrite and folded his arms. ¡°Point taken¡­¡±

    ¡°Unintended consequences of going up.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a list that keeps growing¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that!?¡± Seskii shouted all of the sudden, pointing into the distance through the tangled nexus of trees.

    Everyone quickly turned their heads to catch a green explosion happening just on the edge of the Southern horizon. They couldn¡¯t hear anything at this distance, but it was unmistakably a firework peeking through the evergreen needles.

    ¡°¡­Why¡¯s Jeh launching fireworks?¡± Vaughan asked. ¡°She didn¡¯t need to do anything on the way down¡­¡±

    ¡°Wrong question,¡± Blue said. ¡°You should be asking why she¡¯s all the way over there.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s lost, obviously!¡± Blue pointed up at the Magenta core on top of Vaughan¡¯s cabin. ¡°She must not have been able to see that!¡±

    ¡°Oh, in that case¡­¡± Vaughan pointed his scepter into the sky and created an orb of rippling white light with Purple magic.

    It was hardly any time at all before they were able to see the Orange glow of the Skyseed¡¯s core drifting through the air toward them. Vaughan was more than a little pleased to see that Jeh was taking it slowly and methodically, without any jerking movements. She was doing it right.

    One day, I¡¯ll get to go up there¡­ Vaughan thought.

    Everyone gathered together to watch as the ship came to a near stop above them before slowly drifting down and gently setting down on the dusty ground in Vaughan¡¯s backyard.

    Blue peeled the lid off the top. ¡°Welcome back.¡±

    ¡°We need to make a bigger light or something if we keep going up at night,¡± Jeh said as she jumped out of the ship and landed hard on her feet. ¡°Also, hey there mister dragon, you look awesome.¡±

    Alexandrite glanced at Lila. ¡°Your pilot¡­ is a child?¡±

    Lila raised an eyebrow. ¡°She has the skills required to pilot the craft and is smaller than most of us. Furthermore, she is willing and ready.¡±

    ¡°I can also do this!¡± Jeh lifted her hand into the air, curling the fingers into a fist...

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Suro coughed. ¡°Jeh, perhaps we shouldn¡¯t spend our visitor¡¯s time? He is here on a business matter, and I¡¯m sure you have some sleep to catch up on.¡±

    Jeh deflated. ¡°But¡­ but dragon. Dragons are cool!¡±

    ¡°You will no doubt see a lot of me in the coming months,¡± Alexandrite said. ¡°There will be time for you to¡­ do whatever it is you want.¡± The dragon quickly looked away from Jeh with supreme disinterest, focusing instead on the Skyseed. ¡°What a curious shape¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± Blue said. ¡°We¡¯ve already figured out it¡¯s not the best. A pure sphere would do basically everything this does up there. This is also prone to shattering if you hit it too hard¡­¡± She let out a yawn. ¡°And¡­¡±

    ¡°The mission has come to a close,¡± Lila said. ¡°I believe the rest of us should turn in soon. Alexandrite, I¡­ would suggest you take a rest, but I don¡¯t think we have a bed large enough for you.¡±

    ¡°No worries,¡± Alexandrite said. ¡°I shall find a suitable tree.¡±

    ¡°Hey! How come he gets to sleep in a tree?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°You can,¡± Blue said. ¡°Nobody is stopping you from sleeping in a tree rather than a bed.¡±

    Jeh blinked a few times. Then she rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Oh yeah. I forgot.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you want to sleep in a tree?¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡± Jeh ran into the cabin.

    ¡°Come, Vaughan,¡± Suro said. ¡°Let¡¯s move the Skyseed inside.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. Just in case Alexandrite is here to steal it¡­

    The water dragon continued to stare at the Skyseed as Vaughan and Suro started sliding it to the cabin. Blue eventually added her telekinesis to the mix to get it the rest of the way.

    ¡°I am honestly surprised that it functions as well as it does,¡± Alexandrite said as they dragged it over the boundary. ¡°I expected it to be barely held together, and yet you clearly have taken more than a couple of voyages in it. It makes one wonder why you are the first to do it, so far as we know.¡±

    Vaughan shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s unbelievably dangerous and we¡¯re all insane.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Alexandrite nodded slowly. He let out a strange clicking noise, spread his wings, and took off into the sky, vanishing into the dark of night.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Blue glanced at them. ¡°Why¡¯re you two so suspicious of him? He¡¯s a messenger, you don¡¯t get to be a messenger while also being a scoundrel. You have to put up with a lot of crap and stolen parcels get you barred from duty or worse.¡±

    ¡°Just a lot of uncertainties about the situation,¡± Suro said. ¡°It all seems¡­ rather odd.¡±

    ¡°And Sandy was odd too, but she was fine.¡±

    Suro chuckled. ¡°Perhaps¡­ but had I been trapped in the cabin with you, I likely would have raised similar concerns. It is best that I was not there, clearly, as she needed her space and not a suspicious cat getting in her face. But here¡­ well, perhaps we¡¯ll find out that I¡¯m being paranoid later, but we don¡¯t have the luxury of hindsight yet.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Blue clicked her tongue. ¡°Well, I like him.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, he seemed rather¡­ hoity-toity,¡± Vaughan said with a playful grin. ¡°Almost like he was¡­ well-educated¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t decided if he¡¯s in the club of morons yet. But at this point, given my present company, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Blue woke up before the sun rose. On a normal day, this was a good sign. Today, however, it meant she hadn¡¯t gotten anywhere near enough sleep. With a grunt, she pulled herself out of bed and crawled down the stairs to the cabin¡¯s main hall.

    Jeh must not have managed to get to sleep after her endeavor in the stars, for she wasn¡¯t in her bed, but rather flopped awkwardly on one of the entryway couches snoring as loud as a bear.

    Blue couldn¡¯t help but smile as the mental image of a tiny yet fearsome bear awkwardly passed out on the couch. She noticed a notebook lying on the ground and levitated it over to her. It was a hastily scrawled record of what had happened on the mission in penmanship that was decidedly bad, but still legible. It took the form of a list: things to tell everyone. It then went to shortly describe the odd things uncovered. The curiously rising temperature, the survival of the passengers, the slow cessation of firework function, and the successful pictures taken.

    Then there was the note at the end. Strange stone thing with Magenta on top to the South. Explore later?

    Blue frowned. There¡¯s nothing south of Willow Hollow¡­ She set the notebook back down at the foot of the couch and trotted over to her lab, where she rummaged through several stacks of paper before arriving at a somewhat detailed map of the local area. To the South was just more forest that eventually gave way to dry bushland and even harsher deserts. All the other nations were to the north or east¡ªthe west was most of Kroan, and then the ocean.

    There¡¯s nobody to the south. Who would be able to set up a Magenta crystal?

    It was a curiosity, to be sure. But was it really their concern? There was the giant Purple cube they saw from space, but they didn¡¯t go investigate that or any of the other odd things they could see from above. They had a mission, and that mission was to go up, not investigate mysterious structures to the south.

    Still¡­ it did get her curious. She¡¯d have to ask Jeh about it later. Probably after they talked to her about showing herself off to the visitors. She may have been a kid, but she could probably understand the need to not tell everyone about her at this point. Blue wondered if she had underestimated her maturity earlier. For such a impulsive and rambunctious individual, Jeh was surprisingly capable. Maybe living in the forest all those years had done her some good.

    Blue found herself wondering about Jeh¡¯s parents. Whoever they were. Wherever they were. Probably harrowed by the mysterious disappearance of their daughter.

    Maybe we should have been looking for them¡­

    Her thoughts turned to her parents. Lesser unicorns, a bit insufferable, wanted her to follow the family business of farming rather than becoming a wizard¡­ she hadn¡¯t seen them or even written to them in years. They probably didn¡¯t even know she¡¯d been a messenger.

    Blue shook her head. The journey would be far too long. She had responsibilities to attend to. Math to do. A spaceship to design¡­

    She looked up at a large sheet of paper she had hung up on the wall. It was just a sketch, but she still found it beautiful. A sphere of solid metal with six circular windows¡­ multiple levels¡­ a junction to store multiple drives¡­ and a large black box with a question mark labeled ¡°airlock?¡± in the hopes that Vaughan would have that part figured out.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be needing that money of yours, Gronge¡­ the Moonshot won¡¯t build itself¡­¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    First, something you might already know: in space, nobody can hear you scream. Sound does not carry in space because there¡¯s no air, and sound needs air to reach our ears.

    Except that¡¯s the boring, simple explanation. Let¡¯s dig a little deeper.

    Sound is, at its core, a vibration that travels through a substance. If you shake something back and forth fast enough you create a sound of a certain frequency¡ªthis is how speakers work, by shaking themselves in exactly the way needed to produce the right sound. When an object vibrates, it pushes air molecules away from itself, and these pushed molecules continue to push into other molecules creating a chain reaction that runs through the air.

    The best part is that it¡¯s not limited to air at all. Solids, liquids; they can all transmit sound because their molecules are capable of bumping into each other. This does mean sound can be interrupted if the medium is moving¡ªsay, a lot of wind or waves pushing through it. (In fact, you could think of waves as just really big, really low sounds we can¡¯t hear).

    The real interesting part though is our ear. The explanation given is usually ¡°the air molecules hit our eardrum and then our brain turns that vibration into a signal that goes to our brain and we hear the result.¡± Oh no, the eardrum is just the start. All it does is focus the sound onto a physical object that vibrates. The vibration is transmitted along a series of very tiny bones with amusing names (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that take the vibrations of the eardrum and focus them into a very very tiny membrane with the very creative name ¡°oval window¡± which is like another, smaller eardrum.

    Then we get into the really crazy part, the cochlea. The cochlea is a fluid-filled spiral-shaped organ that takes the vibrations from the ¡°oval window¡± and turns it into pressurized waves that run through the entirety of the spiral. Along this spiral are thousands of hair cells¡ªwhich are not the cells of actual hair, but just cells that have a few dozen protrusions that stick out into the cochlea¡¯s fluid. Each of these hair cells are fine-tuned to a specific frequency of sound. When a wave passes through the fluid, it only excites the hairs that it¡¯s meant to. These excited hairs finally, at long last, produce an electric signal that runs to the ''brain.

    Hairs cells at the end of the cochlea die out faster than those in the middle in many cases, which leads to high-frequency hearing loss.

    Anyway, uh, I think I got sidetracked. The cochlea is cool though.

    Fireworks.

    Yes, they really do explode in space.

    Yes, the reaction they use to explode requires oxygen. So why can our fireworks still explode in a complete vacuum?

    It¡¯s because black powder has the oxygen already in it¡ªspecifically in the form of a chemical called an oxidizer. In true gunpowder, this oxidizer is potassium nitrate (KNO<sub>3</sub>) and reacts with sulfur (S) and carbon (C) to create a bunch of products that don¡¯t matter all that much and E X P L O S I O N!

    All this to say, the reaction will carry out with or without air present. However, while it explodes in space and gives off immediate light, there¡¯s no air to let it keep burning. So the light we associate with fireworks themselves will flash on and off rather quickly.

    Unless a firework is the standard orange-white, it¡¯s not pure gunpowder¡ªrather there are other metals mixed in that will burn at different colors. Yes, these reactions need oxygen too, but the oxidizer should provide them as well¡ªthough in space these excess reactions will definitely be cut short and be a lot less impressive. And not good for, you know, seeing from the ground. Like the WSP wanted.

    In conclusion, it would definitely be possible to ride a firework in space. It just wouldn¡¯t look very impressive. (And would also probably explode differently since there¡¯s no atmospheric pressure to help the casing keep cohesion.)

 016 - Tomb Raider

    016

    Tomb Raider

    Once again, Blue woke up with her face pressed hard into a piece of paper covered with unimaginably complicated math that she couldn¡¯t make heads nor tails of. Clearly, she had been on the track of something, but in her late-night delirium she¡¯d opted to write in shorthand and now she was suffering the consequences.

    This had become an annoyingly common occurrence.

    Blue forced herself away from the mathematical nonsense¡ªshe could piece that together later. Right now, she had a headache and an empty stomach that needed tending to.

    She trotted her way into the dining room, finding that Vaughan and Jeh had already had their breakfast. They did leave out a small bowl for her¡ªit looked like it was salad today, which was fine by Blue. She levitated the bowl into the air and munched on the leaves as she continued on her way through the cabin.

    The backyard greeted her with the sounds of Vaughan cutting wood with a saw.

    ¡°Morning,¡± Blue said.

    Vaughan looked up at the sky, frowning in contemplation. ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess it¡¯s technically still morning.¡±

    ¡°Har-de-har.¡± Blue continued munching on her salad. ¡°So. Airlock?¡±

    ¡°Airlock,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Or a test of one, anyway.¡± He finished cutting through the plank of wood, dropping a small, rectangular piece to the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll be making a box with a hole in it we can stick bellows into. Then the sliding doors¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to be very airtight.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to be very airtight for a test. Just enough to hold air inside for a while while I move doors. If all else fails I can ask Mary for some of her plast crops, get some plastic sealant.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s your progress coming?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I was doing at the end of last night, but in the middle I¡¯d decided on an orbital path for the Moonshot. As well as a suggested one for our theoretical test orbit object. Thing. We really need a word for that¡­¡±

    ¡°Satellite?¡±

    ¡°¡­Guess that works. Satellite.¡± It was an odd word but at least it meant something related to the function. ¡°But yeah, the difficult part about the satellite is that we won¡¯t be on it to make course corrections, which necessitates a large margin for error. So I found a path for that.¡±

    ¡°If only we could see it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If only.¡± Blue frowned. ¡°Since the mass of an object doesn¡¯t affect the orbit, maybe we could throw up, like, a storm lantern or something. It only needs to be bright for a couple hours.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. A very expensive object to shoot into space and just leave there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be easier than heaving up a giant chunk of Magenta.¡±

    ¡°True¡­¡± Vaughan set his wooden planks on top of a table and scratched his beard. ¡°Can¡¯t help but think there has to be another way, though.¡±

    ¡°There are probably dozens of ways to do this. Doesn¡¯t help if we can¡¯t think of them.¡± Blue looked down into her bowl, more than a little disappointed to find that the salad was all gone.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if we could just put another sun up there?¡±

    ¡°The sun is unimaginably huge and far away.¡± Blue frowned. ¡°Not like we know exactly how far, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought the Academy was working on that?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re having difficulty. The moon has features you can use to find relative distance, and it¡¯s quite a bit closer. The sun has no¡ªwell, wait, apparently it has spots¡­¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t help too much,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Measuring cosmic distances depends on noticing parallax. The further something is the harder it is to see, and the moon¡¯s already pretty far away.¡±

    ¡°Best way to find out might be to just up and go there, huh?¡±

    Vaughan frowned. ¡°Well, pretty sure the sun would burn you up with its heat¡­¡±

    Blue let out a short chuckle. ¡°Well, there¡¯s one way to find out!¡±

    ¡°I can see it now. Blue. Wanted to touch the sun.¡±

    Blue continued chuckling¡ªand then she stopped short. ¡°I¡­ Vaughan, that might solve our little black cube problem.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Throw it into the sun.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± Vaughan frowned. ¡°Well, even if it can¡¯t destroy it, nobody¡¯s ever going to be able to get to it. The heat would burn up everything¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d need to see if the sun really is what we¡¯re thinking it is, launch something into it to test, but then¡­¡± Blue stopped herself again and returned to laughing. ¡°What am I doing? Thinking of launching something into the sun? Pff. We can¡¯t even get to the moon yet.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but it has to be much simpler to toss something unmanned into the sun. Just point and¡­¡±

    ¡°The sun is moving and we already established we don¡¯t know how far away it is. It¡¯s big, yes. But it¡¯s surprisingly easy to miss things in space. Trust me, the moving target that is the moon has been aggravating to calculate around.¡±

    ¡°Guess it¡¯s a longer-term goal then. Throw a mysterious black cube into the sun.¡± Vaughan shook his head. ¡°Really does sound absurd, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°No kidding.¡±

    ¡°Hey guys!¡± Jeh called from the cabin¡¯s backdoor. ¡°Droppin¡¯ by to say bye!¡±

    ¡°Bye?¡± Blue tilted her head to the side. ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    Jeh put her bear hood over her head and grinned. ¡°I¡¯m going to investigate that stone structure I found to the south!¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°Jeh, that¡¯s not exactly¡­ close.¡±

    ¡°Psh, you guys won¡¯t need me for a few days. Gotta work with Alex to prep the water launch and everything while also going over all my amazing data from the last trip. I have time.¡±

    ¡°You just¡­ want to walk out there into the unknown southern reaches of the forest?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡°Jeh, that¡¯s no¡­¡±

    ¡°Remember who you¡¯re talking to,¡± Vaughan suggested.

    Blue blinked a few times. ¡°Oh. Right. She¡¯s invincible and lived in the forest her entire life.¡± Blue put her hoof over her eyes and sighed. ¡°Just¡­ fine, you can go.¡±

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°I¡­ needed permission?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ uh¡­¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°No. No you did not. I just¡­ guess I have child-protecting instincts.¡±

    Vaughan smirked. ¡°You¡¯re a little young t¡ª¡°

    ¡°I do not have any foals, shut up before you imply something even stupider.¡±

    Vaughan simply shrugged.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m off to adventure!¡± Jeh said, giving them a salute. ¡°Have fun with all the science and space and magic while I¡¯m gone! I¡¯ll be sure to hurry back!¡± She scrambled back into the cabin. A moment later they heard the front doors slam shut.

    ¡°This feels wrong,¡± Blue said. ¡°She¡¯s a kid and we¡¯re letting her gallivant into places unknown.¡±

    ¡°Who knows how much ¡®gallivanting¡¯ she did before we found her?¡± Vaughan commented.

    ¡°I mean¡­ yes¡­ but¡­¡± Blue closed her eyes and grunted. ¡°She¡¯s confusing and the rules don¡¯t apply to her and it annoys me.¡± She let out a short whinny. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my math, which makes more sense.¡±

    ¡°But your math rarely makes you smile like Jeh does!¡±

    ¡°Yeah...¡± Blue tapped her hoof on the ground. ¡°If Alex comes around, be sure to get me. Even if I insist on staying in the math. I have given you permission to tear future-me away from the numbers despite her protests.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure I want to anger the vicious beast that is future-you.¡±

    Blue chuckled. ¡°That is future-you¡¯s problem.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re making me remember my old philosophy class. My least favorite.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°The instructor was stupid.¡±

    ¡°That goes without saying.¡±

    ¡°No, this was far beyond your usual complaints, Blue. I¡¯m not even sure the man could read¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Here it is, girls,¡± Jeh said, standing with her hands on her hips at the end of Willow Hollow¡¯s southernmost road¡ªa tiny dirt path that led into some foliage without any clear direction after that. It was far enough away from town that they couldn¡¯t see any buildings. ¡°The end of civilization!¡±

    ¡°Oooh¡­¡± one of the Sourdough twins said.

    ¡°¡­Monumental,¡± the other asserted.

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Yep! You two ready?¡±

    ¡°The bakery is closed up¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­and we have our supplies!¡± The two of them danced around each other, gesturing at their large backpacks filled to the brim with supplies¡ªbedrolls, extra food they baked themselves, hunting knives, and an assortment of other objects suited for proper hiking. Jeh carried nothing aside from her usual stuff¡ªwhich included her crystals, her notebook, and not much else.

    Jeh glanced at their bedrolls. ¡°I will teach you two how to sleep out in the wilderness before this is over.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we know how.¡±

    The other twin nudged Jeh. ¡°We just don¡¯t want to!¡±

    ¡°Bedrolls are comfy.¡±

    ¡°And do wonders on our angular bodies.¡±

    ¡°Gari are very sharp in places.¡±

    ¡°In several senses of the word.¡±

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s something to be said for spending the night in a tree¡­ though I agree, beds are a bit comfier. Usually.¡± She took in a deep breath. ¡°Well, nothing left to do but walk.¡± She started her half-scamper, half-march through the forest, being sure to zig left and zag right so Rina and Rona would have time to catch up with their slower steps.

    The twins were no strangers to hiking through the forest, but they had a lot of supplies and hadn¡¯t lived among the trees for years like Jeh had. However, Jeh wasn¡¯t really bothered by their speed. They weren¡¯t really in a rush. It would take a day, two at most to arrive at the structure, and then a day or two back. Almost no time at all, really.

    ¡°So are there any tricks we should know?¡± Rina or Rona asked.

    ¡°Yeah, are there secret blood pacts you make with the forest animals?¡± Rona or Rina added.

    Jeh giggled. ¡°Nope! Some of them just try to eat me. A few have managed to get off with a leg, but after they see me regrowing they tend to run. If they don¡¯t at that point, the best thing to do is just whack them in the nose or the eye.¡± She twirled a Red crystal out of her satchel. ¡°Though I prefer the application of fire these days. Much faster and more effective.¡±

    ¡°And we are absolutely defenseless!¡±

    The other nodded in agreement. ¡°Just ignore the dozens of knives we have on our person.¡±

    ¡°We have no idea how to use them.¡±

    The other remained silent and threw a knife at a nearby tree. Clearly, she¡¯d been intending to skewer the trunk, but the knife bounced off and fell to the ground below.

    Jeh blinked. ¡°You really don¡¯t, do you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting better!¡± the knife-thrower huffed.

    Her sister nudged her. ¡°Told you it wasn¡¯t time to show off yet.¡±

    ¡°I hit all the loaves yesterday! All of them! Not a single bready crust was spared my eagle eye aim!¡±

    ¡°Train on trees next time?¡± The other twin picked the knife off the ground and threw it at a different tree, perfectly embedding it in the bark. She gave her sister a smug grin.

    With a grunt, the failed knife thrower retrieved her blade and refused to make eye contact with her sister. ¡°Point being, we are the damsels in distress, and you are our heroic knight. Do not forget how squishy we are.¡±

    ¡°Protect you, gotcha,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Though to be honest, what are we even gonna find here? With that plast dragon gone, the worst things out here are bears, and I know how to deal with those.¡±

    ¡°Is it a punch¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Right in the snoot?¡±

    Jeh sighed. ¡°I wish it was. The answer, though, is usually just to be loud. They don¡¯t like it when you¡¯re loud.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, we can shriek unimaginably loud!¡±

    ¡°Tremble in before the might of our resonating squeal!¡±

    Jeh grimaced. ¡°Please n¡ª¡°

    Jeh quickly rammed her hands over her ears to drown out the reverberating sound of two girls hitting notes that were just offset enough from each other that their tones oscillated in a headache-inducing pulse.

    They had clearly practiced this maneuver many times.

    Jeh had to admit; it would be a pretty good bear deterrent. And people deterrent.

    ~~~

    ¡°All right, pack it up,¡± Big G called to his miners. ¡°Day¡¯s done, time to go home and rest.¡±

    The various miners in the cavern nodded in understanding and started gathering their tools and supplies. This would take a considerable amount of time, as those who finished would have to go down the many side-tunnels to tell the other miners it was time to go. This was the main reason Big G told everyone to pack up a little before the actual end of the workday¡ªsqueezing an extra hour out of them by technicality just wouldn¡¯t be right.

    As they cleaned up, Big G took a moment to examine the progress. A few weeks ago, they had discovered this abnormally large cavern close to the surface that they had only missed by chance, and it had been absolutely full of crystals. On the first day, it had been a rippling rainbow of brilliance just waiting to be excavated.

    Now, the entire cavern¡¯s walls were bare of crystals. The only points of light were in veins the miners had uncovered behind the walls that were not quite done being extracted. It looked rather lifeless¡ªwhich couldn¡¯t have made Big G more proud. His boys were really living up to his potential. Technically speaking, referring to his miners as ¡°his boys¡± was not accurate and had not been accurate for almost a decade at this point, as there were a fair number of women working the mines, but the name was a holdover and nobody complained about it. Being one of ¡°the boys¡± was a decent badge of honor in Willow Hollow as the mines brought in most of the town¡¯s income.

    ¡°Hey, Big G,¡± one of his best miners said, jumping over some uneven rocks to get to him. He skidded to a stop just in front of his boss. ¡°Found some fun stuff today.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Gemstones?¡±

    ¡°More than that today. Come, take a look.¡± He led Big G to a collection of minecarts. Most of them were filled to the brim with a single Color of crystal, while one had a bunch of ¡°interesting¡± rocks that contained things like metals, small gemstones, and the like.

    What Big G was shown was not any of these things, but rather a large skull seemingly made out of rock. It had teeth the size of Big G¡¯s hand and massive holes in the skull where the eyes would have been.

    ¡°¡­Fossil. Interesting.¡± Big G walked around the skull, frowning¡ªstruck by how little he knew about fossils. ¡°We¡¯ll need to get someone to identify what this is. If they can.¡±

    ¡°I believe I can help with that,¡± Alexandrite said as he walked down the rocky slopes to Big G. For a moment Big G was shocked¡ªAlexandrite wasn¡¯t exactly small, how did he even get down into his mines? But after a quick consultation of his mental map, Big G noted that this cavern was close enough to the surface that large tunnels had been dug to it, so Alexandrite would have been fine, if a bit cramped.

    ¡°Given the size, shape, and arrangement¡­¡± Alexandrite paused, staring at the skull. ¡°I believe it is the remains of a Tyrannosaur. You can find them in some far-off jungles, apex predators.¡±

    ¡°You ever seen one?¡±

    ¡°No, that would require quite a bit more traveling than I am accustomed to. Not all young dragons are wanderers, despite what the rumors say.¡± Alexandrite carefully ran one of his claws over the skull. ¡°Fascinating thing about fossils, you don¡¯t find any of plasts or rigids. Though in the latter case it is theorized to be largely because rigids don¡¯t have bones in the usual sense.¡±

    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Big G folded his arms. ¡°Alexandrite, what are you doing in my mines?¡±

    ¡°Seeking to understand more about the economy of this town and its people,¡± Alexandrite said, carefully investigating the minecarts filled with their valuables. ¡°You are Willow Hollow¡¯s primary industry, I simply wished to see it in action.¡±

    ¡°And¡­?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing very well for yourself, from what I¡¯ve seen. How much of that is proper technique and how much of that is simple luck from living next to a large crystal reserve is up in the air.¡± He picked up a Red crystal and examined it in the light of a nearby lantern. ¡°Such a large vein should be much more profitable than the size of your town indicates, however.¡±

    ¡°It works for us.¡±

    ¡°In time, as we progress in our mutual endeavors, perhaps we could discuss matters of economic growth.¡±

    The reason this isn¡¯t as ¡°profitable¡± as it should be is because I pay my boys what they deserve and don¡¯t work them to death and beyond, unlike some people. ¡°A later time, perhaps. We are wrapping up for the day. Perhaps you would like to get your claws dirty and assist?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass,¡± Alexandrite said, putting the Red crystal back in the cart. ¡°I am rather large and cumbersome for such work.¡± He flicked his tail around as he turned his back on Big G. ¡°Thank you for the enlightening conversation.¡±

    We didn¡¯t talk much and I didn¡¯t invite you into my mines, dragon. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    ¡°See you at the Wizard Space Program in the future.¡±

    ¡°Eeyep.¡± Annoyingly.

    ~~~

    The night was chilly, but not freezing. Jeh, Rina, and Rona all sat around a little campfire they had made in a clearing. The sky was nearly cloudless, allowing a rather unobstructed view of the thousands of stars that dotted the skies above.

    ¡°You ever just¡­¡± one of the twins reached out a hand to the stars. ¡°Want to grab the stars?¡±

    Jeh didn¡¯t take her gaze off the sky. ¡°Not really. Not sure we could grab them, they have to be really big¡­ I think.¡±

    ¡°Really? You never just¡­¡± she formed her hand into a fist around above her face. ¡°Imagine them in your hands?¡±

    Jeh shook her head. ¡°Not until tonight.¡±

    ¡°You need more ambition,¡± the other twin said. ¡°You¡¯ve got a pretty sweet deal with the Space Program and all, but you got that by luck.¡±

    ¡°Think of what you could get if you applied yourself!¡± the first added. ¡°Why, you might even be able to grab the stars!¡±

    Jeh raised an eyebrow. ¡°What is it with you and grabbing the stars?¡±

    The twins shrugged. ¡°Just something we like to think about,¡± they said in unison.

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Jeh found her gaze drawn to the stars again. ¡°I do like just¡­ staring at them though. Even when I was alone in the forest, I loved the stars. It was the most amazing thing I ever saw from day to day¡­ just, bam, sparkles in the sky. So many of them I could never count them. Of course now I know that there are actual star charts with actual counts and stuff. About five thousand, apparently.¡± She crossed her arms and smiled. ¡°But you can never count them in a night.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how far you¡¯ll go?¡± one of the twins asked.

    ¡°Farther than even the stars, I think,¡± the other said. ¡°And she¡¯ll bring us with her.¡±

    Jeh chuckled. ¡°You two aren¡¯t invincible. And I¡¯m pretty sure Blue would have something against ¡®normal kids¡¯ going to space.¡±

    ¡°One, we aren¡¯t normal.¡±

    ¡°Two,¡± the other said, ¡°we run the bakery and are hardly kids.¡±

    ¡°Apparently age means something?¡± Jeh shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not one to question it. I¡¯m the girl who lived in the forest forever, there¡¯s a lot of stuff I still don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we like you, though!¡±

    The other twin nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Cluelessness is a positive trait?¡± Jeh asked.

    The twins giggled. ¡°Maybe, but that¡¯s not what we meant.¡±

    ¡°We meant that since you don¡¯t know things, you ask questions.¡±

    ¡°Questions nobody else will ask.¡±

    ¡°Just by existing you call a lot of things into question.¡±

    ¡°And we like being challenged to look at things differently.¡±

    ¡°How do you expect to take over the world if you think like everyone else?¡±

    ¡°Take over the world¡­¡± Jeh chuckled. ¡°Seems ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°So does going to the moon,¡± one of them said.

    Jeh chuckled. ¡°Yep! Guess we¡¯re just a bunch of crazies.¡±

    ¡°If you study history¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ll find that the crazies are the ones who change history.¡±

    The twins both gestured at Jeh with cocky grins on their faces. ¡°You¡¯re gonna change history, Jeh.¡±

    Jeh blinked a few times. ¡°I¡­ am?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes.¡±

    The other nodded. ¡°It¡¯s quite obvious.¡±

    ¡°Great explorer of a new frontier.¡±

    ¡°Your name will be written in the history books.¡±

    ¡°First person in space!¡±

    ¡°Well, assuming someone on the other side of the planet isn¡¯t doing it.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t have the invincible, indomitable, Jeh!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ invincible.¡± Jeh frowned. ¡°I¡¯m apparently supposed to hide that from Alex.¡±

    The twins nodded. ¡°Smart move.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like hiding, though.¡±

    ¡°Jeh, people would want to take you away from the Space Program to do other things.¡±

    The other one winked at her. ¡°It¡¯s what we would do if we were the King and an invincible girl with a fighting instinct showed up in our kingdom!¡±

    ¡°You have to prove that you are indispensable to the work you do and that the work is very beneficial before making yourself public.¡±

    ¡°Only then would the King let you stay.¡±

    Jeh frowned. ¡°Who is this King and why does he get to decide everything we can and can¡¯t do?¡±

    ¡°Ooooh!¡± Both of the twins lit up. They started talking at once but, for once, they didn¡¯t say the same thing and ended up talking over each other. Jeh caught phrases about ¡°monarchial theory¡± and ¡°power struggle¡± and ¡°governmental necessity¡± and ¡°rising the ranks¡± and a bunch of other things that, quite simply, went over her head.

    One of the twins must have noticed Jeh get lost because she blushed slightly and nudged her twin to get her to stop. ¡°Sorry. We, uh¡­ spend a lot of time thinking about the structure of power in Kroan and the neighboring kingdoms.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you two take over the world all you want, it¡¯s clearly not for me.¡± Jeh rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. ¡°¡­I¡¯d need to focus too much on too many different things.¡±

    ¡°Such a shame¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Your invincibility would give you almost automatic credibility.¡±

    Jeh rolled her eyes. ¡°And then I¡¯d have to talk to people all the time, deal with arguments, tell people what to do¡­ I¡¯d much rather listen to Lila than tell her what to do.¡±

    The twins shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ll still help us, though.¡±

    Jeh nodded, not realizing it wasn¡¯t a question. ¡°What¡­ is your plan, though?¡±

    Both the twins put a finger to their lips and started giggling.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Jeh rolled her eyes. ¡°All right, guess I¡¯ll never know.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll know eventually!¡±

    The other nodded eagerly. ¡°But it changes all the time as new information comes to light.¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t involve you before, but now it does!¡±

    ¡°You really are something special, Jeh.¡±

    Jeh grinned. ¡°You bet I am! I fly into space! I am part of the most cutting-edge team of wizards and geniuses in the world!¡±

    ~~~

    Vaughan glanced at his reflection in the mirror.

    His beard still wasn¡¯t gray.

    ¡°I¡¯m over forty, come on, I need that wizened wizard look¡­¡±

    He put his hands on the mirror and started adjusting it, vainly thinking that maybe he just had the wrong angle. This proved to be a terrible mistake as the sunlight streaking through the window reflected off the mirror at the perfect angle to get right into Vaughan¡¯s eyes and temporarily blind him.

    ¡°Augh!¡± Vaughan stumbled back, holding his hands to his watering eyes. ¡°Geh¡­ I just want the gray beard, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± He put his hands back on the mirror and adjusted it back to where it was¡ªnoticing a bright spot move across the room as he did so.

    He had seen the spotlight created by reflective surfaces many times before, but something about it today drew his attention. Carefully, he adjusted the mirror back and forth, moving the brightened spot all over the room, wherever he wanted, so long as it was in the beam of the sun.

    Slowly, but surely, a wry smile crawled up Vaughan¡¯s face.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    He grabbed the mirror on the sides and lifted it up¡ªno simple feat seeing as it was an upright full-body mirror. It would have been a simple matter to move if it had occurred to him that Orange magic was a viable method of doing so, but in his excitement, he opted to carry the bulky object in his hands down the stairs at a pace faster than he would normally descend.

    It was a miracle he didn¡¯t break it.

    He burst out into the backyard. ¡°Behold!¡±

    ¡°Nobody says ¡®behold!¡¯ ¡± Krays called back at him. She was currently working with Blue and Suro on some kind of arcane device with a lot of Blue and Orange.

    ¡°Mirrors are the answer! Mirrors!¡±

    Blue glanced down at Suro. ¡°Do you understand him?¡±

    Suro shook his head. ¡°He does do this from time to time, though. Last time it was magnets.¡±

    Vaughan held the mirror up over his head¡ªan act that made him wobble considerably, but he managed to stay upright. ¡°Mirrors can solve everything!¡±

    ¡°Poverty?¡± Krays asked.

    Vaughan reflected the light of the sun into Krays¡¯ face.

    She put her hand over her eyes and winced. ¡°And it¡¯s also apparently a good wea¡ªhold on.¡± She dropped her hand and glanced to Blue with wide eyes. ¡°I understand what he¡¯s talking about.¡±

    ¡°You do?¡±

    ¡°Mirrors. Just. Just make the satellite shiny.¡±

    ¡°Bingo!¡± Vaughan declared, pointing a finger at Krays. Attempting to hold up the mirror with one hand proved to be his undoing¡ªhe lost control and it clattered to the ground, shattering.

    Suro facepawed with a dramatic sigh.

    Vaughan cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem. Well. Here¡¯s some mirror fragments for you to use.¡±

    Blue clicked her tongue a couple of times as she thought about it. ¡°If the satellite was shiny, it¡¯d reflect the sunlight much like the moon¡­ but, no, at night it¡¯ll be in Ikyu¡¯s shadow and we wouldn¡¯t be able to see it.¡±

    ¡°Not if the moon was out!¡± Krays said, grinning. ¡°Think about it, you can use mirrors to reflect light across vast distances. It¡¯s often used as a covert means of sending a message or a signal. Like, say, ¡®I¡¯ve disabled the city gate¡¯s lock, come on in¡¯ and such things.¡±

    Suro frowned. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be able to aim it¡­¡±

    ¡°Spheres,¡± Blue said. ¡°Spheres are the answer, always. The Moonshot is going to be a sphere, this satellite should be a sphere too. Just make it perfectly round!¡±

    ¡°A spherical mirror!¡± Vaughan clapped his hands. ¡°It¡¯ll reflect anything and everything! Really shiny!¡±

    ¡°There are a few logistical problems¡­¡± Blue frowned. ¡°The biggest being it has to be small for us to launch it into orbit effectively.¡±

    ¡°How big does it have to be for us to see it?¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°I¡­ actually don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not sure how to calculate that, either¡­¡±

    ¡°You can signal across canyons with a hand mirror,¡± Krays said.

    ¡°Focused Purple lasers can seemingly go forever,¡± Vaughan added. ¡°And sunlight doesn¡¯t appear to be stopped unless it hits something solid.¡±

    ¡°The atmosphere doesn¡¯t have zero effect,¡± Blue said, tapping her hoof. ¡°We know that from Jeh¡¯s images¡­ but¡­ hmmmm.¡± She scratched her chin. ¡°Mirrors¡­¡±

    ¡°We should get everyone together to talk about this in more detail,¡± Suro suggested. ¡°Get better ideas.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna make a satellite!¡± Vaughan declared. ¡°With mirrors!¡±

    ¡°The answer to everything!¡± Krays said, winking. ¡°Including coating the ground of your backyard and everyone else with dangerous shrapnel.¡±

    Vuaghan glanced at his broken mirror. ¡°¡­That wasn¡¯t exactly a cheap item, either¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, at least it¡¯s cheaper than magnets,¡± Suro pointed out.

    ¡°True¡­ that magnet may not have been the wisest purchase I ever ma¡ª¡°

    ¡°You have a magnet!?¡± Blue blurted.

    ¡°Er. Yes?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m not sure how that could be useful but it might be!¡±

    ¡°Where does a compass point if you¡¯re in space?¡± Krays wondered.

    ¡°That¡¯s something we can find out now because, apparently, we have a magnet!¡± Blue let out a huff. ¡°What other potentially useful things are hidden in that cabin of yours?¡±

    Vaughan scratched the back of his head. ¡°Not¡­ sure. I haven¡¯t really taken an inventory in a while.¡±

    ¡°Oooh! I can do that!¡± Seskii said, popping into the conversation from seemingly nowhere.

    ¡°By all means,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Seskii, master inventory-er, will get right on it! ¡­It might take a few days. You have a lot of boxes of stuff littered all around the cabin.¡±

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°At least I¡¯m not a hoarder like Wizard Gibbons. That man barely had room to walk in his house¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°At the end of our long¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­and arduous journey¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­we have arrived at long last¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­at our goal!¡±

    The Sourdough twins gestured extravagantly at the stone structure.

    Up close it didn¡¯t look all that impressive. The stone blocks that made it up were old and worn, cracked in multiple places, and overall it was only about the size of a small house. The most impressive part of it was the rather large Magenta loop situated on top of the flat roof, with six pieces that made up the points of a star. While the stones of the structure were old, the crystal couldn¡¯t possibly be¡ªthe stand it was situated in was almost the perfect size for it, which was impossible for an old Magenta loop as it would have burned away its mass long ago.

    Someone had to be maintaining the Magenta. While also allowing foliage to grow all over the proper structure. The stone showed no sign of maintenance.

    ¡°This is odd, right?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Very,¡± the twins agreed.

    ¡°Ever find anything like this in the forest?¡± One of them asked Jeh.

    Jeh shook her head. ¡°At least not that I remember. My memory really isn¡¯t the best. It¡¯s all scrambled up in there out of order. I remember something about winter then a ton of things about spring then a winter, then a summer, as though I skipped fall but then I have memories of fall much later but that¡¯s impossible¡­¡± She put a hand to the back of her head and chuckled. ¡°Without people around I think I just¡­ didn¡¯t bother arranging memories in ways that made sense.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± the twins said as they scratched their chins in exactly the same motion at exactly the same time.

    Jeh jumped up on top of the structure to investigate the Magenta crystals. She had a basic understanding of how Magenta loops worked and identified the cycle of the will. She took out her own Magenta crystal and probed the loop, seeing if there was actually a spell stored inside of it. There turned out to be none¡ªthis loop¡¯s only purpose was to trigger more Magenta and perpetually light up as the spell bounced back and forth between the components. ¡°No spell!¡±

    The twins had split up and started circling the structure. ¡°Found a door!¡± one of them called. Jeh jumped down as the other twin ran over. At first, Jeh thought she was messing with them¡ªthe wall looked just like the other walls, made out of weathered and old stone.

    Except the cracks in this wall lined up suspiciously with one another.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Jeh placed both of her hands on the stone door and pushed as hard as she could. Nothing happened.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pull door, Jeh.¡± One of the twins stuck her hand in between the cracks between the stones and pulled. It shifted, but she was nowhere near big or strong enough to move the door.

    ¡°Stand back, I got this.¡± Jeh cracked her knuckles and placed her hands in the crack and pulled with all her might.

    Despite being very experienced at roughing it and engaging in high levels of activity regularly, the fact of the matter was that Jeh was small, weak, and rather flimsy. Her strength was not enough to open the door either.

    ¡°All three?¡± one of the twins suggested.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Jeh managed through her heavy breaths. They all placed their hands into the crack and pulled, slowly but surely dragging the massive stone slab open. The inside had no light, but with a quick Red spell, Jeh was able to illuminate the area with a flame. The interior was devoid of decoration and empty. Stairs led down into the earth. They couldn¡¯t see the bottom even when Jeh increased the intensity of the light.

    Jeh grinned. ¡°Now this is going somewhere.¡± She pointed her Red crystal forward. ¡°Onward!¡±

    She took one step. The stair beneath her foot depressed into the ground. An arrow shot out of the wall and struck her in the neck.

    The Sourdough twins gasped audibly.

    ¡°Oh look, a trap,¡± Jeh deadpanned, ripping the arrow out of her neck. ¡°What an amazing deterrent.¡± She stepped hard on every single stone step she could, eventually finding another trap that threw a spiked ball into her stomach. ¡°Much pain.¡± She pulled the ball out and threw it down the stairs, triggering dozens of other traps as it rolled down. ¡°Very effective.¡±

    ¡°And this is why you go first,¡± one of the twins said.

    ¡°Obviously.¡± Jeh put her hands on her hips. ¡°I shall become pincushion!¡± She started a dutiful march down the stairs and began perhaps the most awkward trap-finding quest ever. Rather than try to find traps so she could avoid them, she sought them out so she could trigger all of them and spare Rina and Rona from getting skewered in their heads.

    Jeh was bloodlessly stabbed, sliced, poked, slapped, and skewered innumerably many times as she descended.

    ¡°If the people who built this place could see you¡­¡± one of the twins started.

    ¡°¡­they would probably be screaming in rage.¡±

    Jeh chuckled. ¡°All their efforts, for nothing! Ha¡ª¡° A spike shot out of a side wall, skewering her through the ribs and making her run out of breath. ¡°Ah¡­¡± she gasped. ¡°Impaled¡­ fun¡­¡± She attempted to remove herself from the spike.

    Only then did she realize that her legs weren¡¯t touching the ground. She was too short. She rather comically scrambled around, but all she accomplished was running in place for a while. She deflated. ¡°Little¡­ help¡­?¡±

    The twins rolled their eyes but dutifully pried Jeh off the spike and set her back down on the ground.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you guys are here, that¡¯d have taken me a while to get off of,¡± Jeh said, taking a moment to stretch even before the hole in her side had fully healed. ¡°Then Blue would have gotten worried because I took too long and we don¡¯t want that.¡±

    ¡°What a travesty that would be,¡± the twins deadpanned.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want to make her ma¡ª¡° Jeh stepped on another trap. This one opened up a hole in the floor. ¡°-aaaAAAAAAAA!¡± Jeh scrambled for something to grab onto but only found her fingers sliding off the smooth sides of the stone pit. She kept yelling loudly for several seconds before there was a loud thud.

    One of the twins pulled out a small Purple crystal and lit up the pit with white light. They stuck their heads over the edges and looked down, seeing nothing but blackness.

    ¡°Jeh?¡± they called.

    There was no response.

    Both of their eyes widened and they looked to each other in fear.

    ¡°Uh oh.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Today¡¯s meeting¡­¡± Vaughan said over the dinner the rest of the Wizard Space Program (save Jeh and Seskii) were eating. ¡°Is about mirrors.¡±

    ¡°¡­Mirrors?¡± Mary asked, tilting her head to the side.

    ¡°Mirrors!¡± Krays shouted, slamming her fist into the table with a wild grin on her face.

    ¡°Mirrors,¡± Suro added with a slight nod.

    Blue facehooved. ¡°If we make the satellite a spherical mirror we should be able to see it from light reflections. We just don¡¯t know if we¡¯d have to make it too big.¡±

    Big G nodded. ¡°Seems reasonable.¡±

    Suro jumped up on the table¡ªsomething that wasn¡¯t very dramatic given his small stature. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking on this, and it seems to me the best way to test if we can see things in space is to have the Skyseed take up mirrors of various sizes and see what works. Once we can clearly see it we know how big we need to make our satellite.¡±

    ¡°But what if it needs to be huge?¡± Blue asked. ¡°Size is a problem in carrying it and deploying it. The type of device we¡¯re planning on using to launch it is an arcane gun. It can¡¯t shoot very large things, you have to build it to fit around whatever you¡¯re launching.¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°There are elastic launcher designs.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Vaughan pointed at a bowl on the table and lifted it into the air with Orange. ¡°In addition to holding this bowl in the air, I am using Orange to pull on it in two different directions, holding it still. If I suddenly stop pulling from one side¡­¡± Suddenly, the bowl flew across the room at high speed¡ªalmost smashing into the wall, but Vaughan managed to catch it with his magic. ¡°This can be used to accelerate large objects at a distance.¡±

    ¡°Alternatively, we could make the satellite small and have it unfold once launched,¡± Big G said.

    ¡°Engineering nightmare!¡± Krays declared.

    ¡°So¡¯s the elastic launcher,¡± Vaughan admitted. ¡°See, a high Orange Wizard could probably launch the satellite without issue as he knows precisely how to induce the correct amount of acceleration. Neither Jeh nor myself are that precise, so we¡¯d have to create an arcane device to do it. Which would be an engineering task all its own.¡±

    Blue smirked. ¡°But at least I can tell you exactly how much force you need to induce over time!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one of the biggest issues with making the elastic launcher device. Wizards are able to adjust the location their spells act on. A device just goes where it¡¯s told. As the object moves away, the spell can easily lose its ¡®lock¡¯ on the satellite.¡±

    ¡°Not if I calculate exactly where it¡¯s going to be at every moment in time!¡± Blue¡¯s smile dropped slightly. ¡°Oh boy¡­ minuscule time updates in the calculations¡­¡±

    ¡°Engineering, arcane, and mathematical nightmares abound.¡± Krays kicked her legs up on the table. ¡°Sounds like you lot are gonna have a hard time.¡±

    ¡°Krays, you¡¯re one of our engineers,¡± Suro pointed out.

    ¡°¡­True¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡­ might not be that bad¡­¡± Blue said, scratching her chin. ¡°If we can get to speed fast enough¡ªsay, in less than a second¡ªI can assume a straight path. Lemme¡­¡± She pulled out a notebook and did some quick calculations. ¡°Let¡¯s say 10,000 meters per second in a second¡­ so that¡¯s the acceleration¡­ mass of one kilogram¡­ yep, 10,000 Newtons* of force.¡±

    *Naturally, they call it something else. Yes, they have the equivalent of Newton¡¯s laws but not his theory of gravity. This is due almost entirely to Orange Wizards being able to measure force directly through stored Orange spells. Also note that, for us, the speed equals the newtons required to accelerate one kilogram over one second. This is because our metric units of measurement were created to be amazingly simple. Blue had to do several conversions in her actual calculation.

    ¡°Huh. Big number.¡± Mary tilted her head. ¡°What does it mean?¡±

    ¡°It means you¡¯d tear the satellite to a fine mist even if you could accelerate it that quickly,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°And yes, I am remembering the fact that we won¡¯t light on fire in space.¡±

    Blue continued scribbling numbers down. ¡°Hmm¡­ the thing is, if we extend the time very much, I won¡¯t be able to calculate its exact position as it¡¯s going to start falling and we don¡¯t know enough about that¡­¡±

    ¡°So we make it less massive,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°It just needs to be reflective, not heavy.¡±

    Big G crossed his arms. ¡°Mirrors are heavy. Even if we make it hollow.¡±

    ¡°A lot of these problems depend on how big it has to be¡­¡± Suro reminded everyone. ¡°Which is something we just don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°But we can test!¡± Krays clapped her hands together. ¡°So how about we stop trying to find trails that don¡¯t exist in a forest and make our own? Surely Jeh can take up a giant mirror and adjust how much of it is visible.¡±

    ¡°There is a problem with a flat mirror, though,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°She¡¯d have to aim the light back at us. A sphere can just be a sphere.¡±

    Big G nodded in agreement. ¡°Making several dozen sizes of spherical mirrors is a waste of resources.¡±

    ¡°Another engineering problem rears its ugly head¡­¡± Vaughan took a moment to scratch his beard. ¡°How to make a reflective sphere that can adjust its size¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait. Wait. Idiots.¡± Krays facepalmed. ¡°We don¡¯t need to go to space to test this.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Blue tilted her head. ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°We know people that can fly. Instead of testing vertical distance, then why not horizontal?¡± Krays tapped her finger on her forehead.

    Everyone stared at her blankly for a moment.

    ¡°Actually, we might not even need someone to fly. You can see a long way from the top of Mount Cascade. Just hike a big mirror up there. Take readings, do science, then have Blue calculate the size you need to be able to see it at any distance using math.¡±

    ¡°That will actually work,¡± Blue said, shaking her head. ¡°Krays¡­ you are actually a really good experimentalist. First the armor, now this¡­¡±

    Krays grinned smugly. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m an ideas kind of girl.¡±

    ¡°We just need big mirrors, Purple crystals, and darkness,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°¡­Then we¡¯ll know how big we¡¯ll need it to be for any distance!¡±

    ¡°New problem,¡± Blue said. ¡°How does Jeh know how high up she is? When does she launch?¡±

    ¡°You can probably measure that from the curvature of Ikyu,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°¡­Which means someone will have to calculate the visible appearance of Ikyu at different heights¡­¡±

    ¡°But we can do this! Lila!¡±

    Lila, who had been rather quiet since her input was not needed, smirked. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can run around town looking for the biggest mirror you can find?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in business!¡±

    ~~~

    Rina and Rona collectively entered their ¡°this is serious¡± mode. Neither of them spoke a word as they took off their backpacks and set them on the ground. Each of them found the coils of rope they had taken. One grabbed a loose rock and tied it to the end of one of the ropes while the other started collecting arrows and spikes from the various traps that had already been triggered.

    The one with the rope shook it every so often, listening closely for the sound of the rock hitting the ground, but there was no such luck with one length of rope. She had to tie it together with her sister¡¯s rope to get to the bottom¡ªwhere there was a satisfying clack sound. She signaled success to her sister with a quick, almost imperceptible twist of her wrist. Her sister responded in turn with a subtle tap of her foot on the ground, indicating that she¡¯d found enough materials to successfully anchor the rope.

    One of them started arranging the arrows and spikes near a crack in the wall, tying one end of the rope around it to secure it. The other twin pulled the rope out of the pit and found that there was nothing attached to the rock, so that ruled out any toxic pool of acid at the bottom. Or even something as potentially helpful as a pool of water. She noticed a few new chips in the rock though, so she indicated potential spikes to her sister with a pointed finger.

    Her sister finished securing the rope on the arrows and spikes, at which point both of them ran up the stairs in unison to find a large chunk of loose stone. They carefully slid it down the stairs with no small amount of effort, but eventually set it on top of the secured rope. A second level of security to make extra sure it didn¡¯t collapse.

    The two of them quickly tied the rope around both of their waists, making it so their backs were to each other. In one hand, each of them held a small Purple crystal for light. In the other, they held securely to the rope. They coiled the rope up in a spool and made sure to hold above that point so that, as they descended, they could slowly uncoil the rope rather than falling.

    They quickly but cautiously dipped over the edge of the pit, pressing their legs to the sides¡ªwhile it may have been possible for them to climb down with just their hands, it would have been extremely exhausting and likely would have required all of their hands. Now, with their legs adding stability, they could essentially walk down.

    Each of their steps they took cautiously and in unison, looking every which way for potential defects in the wall, things that would catch the rope, and any traps. Fortunately, whoever built this pit made the somewhat reasonable assumption that no one would ever be climbing down it and hadn¡¯t installed any traps here.

    It took several minutes and even with all their preparations, they were still very tired when they reached the bottom of the pit. Unfortunately for them, the pit did not simply end, but rather opened up to a much larger area, so they couldn¡¯t use their legs to support them anymore as they descended.

    The expanse extended a fair distance in every direction save downward, as it was rather flat in shape. Below them was a forest of spikes made out of crystal, clearly arranged in such a way that as they grew and deformed, the spikes would only become sharper even after eons without upkeep. However, there was a notable lack of Magenta spikes, while every other Color was represented. Both of the twins noted that roughly one in every seventh spike had been removed.

    At least now they knew where the crystals to maintain the loop on top of the structure were coming from.

    Jeh was easy to find. She was lying in one piece in a hole where one of the Magenta spikes should have been. Given the large tear in her clothing that ran from her chest to her legs, she¡¯d probably been badly skewered and slid down into there, hitting her head hard on the stone ground. She was unharmed, but obviously out cold. The twins noted that her black undergarments were completely unharmed, despite the fact that they also should have been clearly torn to shreds.

    Carefully, the twins angled themselves towards her, careful not to touch the edges of any crystal spikes¡ªthough they did have to use their legs to bounce off the flat edges of a Yellow one. Soon, they were on their feet and trying to help Jeh up.

    ¡°Mmmfl¡­ five more minutes¡­¡± Jeh grumbled.

    ¡°Jeh!¡± the twins shouted.

    ¡°Not a real bear¡­¡±

    The twins took one glance at each other. There was no debate, they immediately started their shrill reverberating scream.

    ¡°Agh!¡± Jeh shot to her feet. ¡°No, no, never, why!?¡±

    The twins stopped. ¡°You were out cold.¡±

    ¡°We woke you up!¡±

    ¡°And we saved you.¡±

    ¡°Youuuuu¡¯re welcome!¡± The two of them struck an intentionally cute-yet-smug pose.

    ¡°Saved me¡­?¡± Jeh looked around at the field of crystal spikes. She looked up at the rope dangling from the ceiling. ¡°Oh. Guess I do have a weakness. Pits.¡±

    The twins untied themselves from the rope. ¡°We¡¯ll need to tie you up and climb back ou¡ª¡°

    There was a loud sound from far above them, like two sheets of metal coming together. Immediately, the rope went slack and started falling into a spool at their feet.

    ¡°¡­Uh-oh,¡± the three of them said at once.

    One of the twins caught the upper half of the rope in her hand before it hit the ground. She ran her fingers over the bristled end. ¡°This was deliberate. Someone cut this.¡±

    ¡°Dangit¡­¡± Jeh grimaced. ¡°Guess we¡¯re not welcome here¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought we...¡±

    ¡°¡­already knew that?¡±

    ¡°Y¡¯know.¡± A twin pointed at a nearby spike. ¡°Because of the traps.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, someone¡¯s here now, that makes it a whole lot more complicated.¡± Jeh looked around. ¡°That pit better not be the only way out¡­¡±

    One of the twins looked around at the spikes. ¡°Crystals aren¡¯t very structurally sound, we could break our way th¡ª¡°

    There was a loud, unearthly shriek from above them. Whirling around, the three of them were witness to a truly horrible creature. It was as tall as a man and a half, and it floated above them with an overly arched back. Dark gray tendrils hung from its body like tattered rags, but were made of flesh and twitched occasionally like some kind of sedated tentacle. The entity had no legs, but it did have two arms with a pale blue complexion that ended in extremely long fingers with pointed nails. In each of these hands it held a rusted blade, though the two weapons were of different sizes and makes.

    It was the face that was the worst, though. Two eye sockets led into a pit of pure darkness, and the mouth hung open in an eternal howl, even when it wasn¡¯t making any noise.

    Rina and Rona finally lost their cool. They tightly hugged each other and let out a pure, panicked scream.

    ~~~

    Seskii dropped enough papers to fill a book on top of Vaughan¡¯s desk in his study. ¡°Tah-daaah!¡±

    Vaughan looked down at the stack of paper. ¡°What¡­ am I looking at?¡±

    ¡°An inventory of everything you have in this cabin! Except the cube. But I¡¯ve got everything else in here!¡±

    Vaughan opened it up to the middle and found a page recording dozens of different shapes of crystal he had stored away in boxes. ¡°This is¡­ thorough.¡±

    ¡°I left no stone unturned! By the way, found a bunch of taffy behind a spider¡¯s nest.¡± She held out a bag filled with carefully wrapped taffy. She popped one out of the bag and started munching on it. ¡°Want one?¡±

    ¡°¡­So that¡¯s where that went¡­¡± Vaughan shook his head. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s like¡­ twenty years old.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s taffy. Tastes great!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll pass.¡±

    Seskii shrugged. ¡°Your loss. Also found a ton of trash. Well, more than a ton, actually. Stored all that outside in the big crate. Oooh, and this page catalogs the sizes of every box you have!¡±

    Vaughan tilted his head. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this a little¡­ boring?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, absolutely. But it was for a good cause!¡±

    Vaughan flipped through the pages, finding several with cute cartoony drawings of Seskii¡¯s face with little comments. You sure have a lot of books, Vaughan! Shame how so many are missing pages¡­ but I found some of those stuffed in cracks in the attic!

    ¡°Oh, and I did find the secret room,¡± Seskii said.

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°I have a secret room?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡°Is there¡­ anything in it?¡±

    ¡°No. Totally empty. My guess is whoever you hired to help you build this place forgot to tell you about it. Or, alternatively, the room was a complete accident. You do kind of have to get between the walls to get there and it¡¯s not exactly¡­ neat.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°And now you know my house better than I do¡­¡±

    ¡°Yep! By the way, you¡¯re running out of beard oil.¡±

    ¡°¡­You cataloged my beard oil.¡±

    ¡°I cataloged everything!¡±

    ¡°Good¡­ job?¡± Vaughan scratched his head. ¡°Is there anything you found that¡¯s immediately helpful?¡±

    ¡°Nope. But there¡¯s tons of interesting stuff, but I¡¯ll tell you about them if they become relevant, or you can find them in the catalog. I did find something that will make a nice addition to your study, though!¡± She reached down and hefted up a bluish glass orb off the floor and set it on top of the table. ¡°Behold, a pretty orb for you to contemplate!¡±

    ¡°¡­I remember when I bought this. ¡®I¡¯ll look even more like a wizard if I have an orb,¡¯ I said. Silly, in the end.¡±

    ¡°Buuuuut you still like looking at it, riiight?¡±

    Vaughan smirked. ¡°There is something¡­ pleasing, about it. Thanks, Seskii.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it!¡±

    At this point, Blue walked into the study with a letter. ¡°Oh, hey, nice orb.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Blue levitated some papers out of the letter. ¡°We¡¯ve just gotten a rather large sum of money from a professional cartographer named Immi. He wants us to take a lot more pictures of Ikyu from above so he can make more maps¡­ like this.¡± She unfolded a map and set it down on the desk, showing a very professionally done drawing. It was far better than just re-drawing the images they¡¯d taken and included city names, roads, borders, and natural features, all with names¡ªeven the ones nobody had named previously, such as the Purple Cube. There were a lot of empty spots, though, with only city names and such.

    ¡°Cloud cover was the biggest issue,¡± Blue said. ¡°So, yeah, going up at a different time will get us different results.¡±

    Vaughan examined the map. ¡°Well¡­ this is turning out to be far more profitable than I realized it could be.¡±

    ¡°Which is good for us.¡± Blue noticed the giant stack of papers at this point. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ all that?¡±

    ¡°An inventory of everything in the cabin!¡± Seskii declared. ¡°Everything!¡±

    ¡°Except the cube,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Yes. Except the cube.¡±

    Blue took a long look at the stack of paper. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not gonna waste my time digging through that heap. At least it exists, I guess. I don¡¯t suppose there was a legitimate compass in there?¡±

    Seskii shook her head. ¡°Just the magnet. But you can use that to make a compass easily enough.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°Man, I¡¯m starting to feel like we¡¯re doing too much at once¡­ launchpad, mirror experiments, cartography, planet picture, water experiments, moon mission¡­¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good sign,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Means this is actually worth something. Something big. And here I am, only wanting to go up because it sounds cool!¡± He let out a joyous laugh.

    ¡°We are going to spend all this money on the Moonshot and you know it.¡±

    ¡°And then people will want us to take pictures of the moon! Or use the Moonshot to go elsewhere!¡±

    Blue clicked her tongue. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ not exactly anything keeping the Moonshot from going to other places besides the issue of supplies and the danger of the complete unknown.¡±

    ¡°The unknown will be conquered, in time.¡± Seskii¡¯s expression became uncharacteristically wistful as she looked out the window. ¡°The answers to the greatest mysteries are out there, my friends. All you need to do is go looking.¡±

    ~~~

    Jeh knew exactly what she was looking at. She¡¯d read about them in Vaughan¡¯s books.

    A wraith.

    Wraiths were known for a few things. The first was their attribute; the ability to become completely intangible at will. This allowed them to phase in and out of solid matter and had the potential to wreak havoc on stores of Magenta dust.

    The second thing they were known for was being absolutely terrifying to look at and listen to. They were able to make the most harrowing of haunting shrieks, leading many legends to form around them being dead creatures, hence the name ¡°wraith.¡±

    Thirdly, there were no shortage of legends about them killing and eating children.

    Jeh was well aware that her two best friends were children.

    She wasn¡¯t about to let some ghostly monster eat them.

    ¡°You want some indigestion!?¡± Jeh pulled out a Red crystal with one hand and pointed at herself with the other. ¡°Come and get it!¡±

    The wraith was already slicing at Jeh¡¯s head with his blades. Jeh opted to duck under the dual blades and release a fireball right into him¡ªwhere it promptly phased right through him. He took the opportunity to attack again, this time embedding his blade in Jeh¡¯s side.

    ¡°Ow,¡± Jeh deadpanned. She twirled herself off the blade, the wound sealing up in less than a second. This time, she pulled out a Magenta crystal. ¡°No more ghosting for you, buddy!¡± Pulling the same trick the kankathi pulled on her, she jammed the wraith¡¯s attribute.

    The wraith was intelligent enough to know that this was what she was doing, but his ability to float was also an attribute, so he fell to the ground, narrowly avoiding being impaled on the tip of one of the spikes.

    The wraith was still capable of physically standing upon his unusual tentacles, brandishing both of his blades. He let out a ghostly shrieking howl.

    With her free hand, Jeh thrust at him with Orange, knocking him back into the flat edge of a crystal spike. He struggled, howling louder and louder, but she held him firm. Without his attribute, he wasn¡¯t all that much to worry about.

    ¡°Gotcha,¡± Jeh chuckled. ¡°Now¡­ how about you tell me what this place is?¡±

    The wraith only howled in response.

    ¡°Really¡­?¡± Jeh glanced back at Rina and Rona¡ªthey were no longer screaming, but they were still visibly shaken. But they hadn¡¯t been eaten. ¡°Right¡­ we¡­ should probably go.¡± Jeh turned to the wraith again. ¡°Hey, buddy, you want us gone, right?¡±

    The wraith only shrieked.

    Jeh blinked. ¡°You can¡¯t understand me, can you¡­?¡±

    There was no change in the wraith¡¯s demeanor.

    ¡°Great, now what are we going to do?¡±

    ¡°Y-yellow,¡± one of the twins suggested. ¡°It¡­ it does have its uses.¡±

    Nodding, Jeh made sure to hold both the Orange and the Magenta in one hand while she pulled out a Yellow crystal with her free one. She waved it in front of the wraith¡¯s face. ¡°You know what this is.¡±

    The wraith¡¯s screams began to quiet as its empty eyes followed the crystal around.

    ¡°Good. So just¡­ let¡¯s ¡®talk.¡¯ ¡° Jeh pushed her will into the Yellow and made contact with the wraith¡­ and he accepted her.

    Jeh saw thousands of wraiths, all living in a stone chamber deep underground. However, they didn¡¯t look all that scary when they were all talking to one another, laughing, and doing things normal people did like buying food from merchants. Granted, their words sounded like extended scratchy moaning and their food always seemed to be in a state of rot, but they were doing normal things.

    Jeh saw as several wraiths were suddenly outside, lifting Magenta crystals on top of the structure¡ªtheir home. They maintained the Magenta star and bowed their heads in some kind of ritual every time they went.

    Jeh saw this ritual replayed dozens of times in her mind, but each time there were fewer and fewer wraiths present. Every time, the forest grew more and more around them, turning the smooth stone structure into something old and worn¡ªbut they never did anything about the plants, only the Magenta crystal.

    Sometimes, people would see the Magenta crystal. They would come. They would scream and run away¡­ or attack violently. However, the memories did not have with them the idea of rage¡ªthey were of sadness.

    The wraiths were waiting for something.

    Something that never came.

    In time, there was only one wraith. One wraith who took crystals from the traps and carved a new Magenta star every now and then. One who kept the rituals he had been raised with. He did not know where they started or why they were done¡­ merely that they were done.

    In turn, Jeh expressed who she was. Her life in the forest, her journeys in space, her home at Willow Hollow. Their wish to leave.

    It wasn¡¯t as good as words, but their emotions were laid bare.

    Jeh cut the Yellow connection. She also released the Orange and Magenta grip on the wraith. She wiped her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry.¡±

    The wraith silently floated into the air, making the twins jump nervously. Slowly, he nodded in their direction. He dropped his swords to the ground and picked up the cut rope with his bony hands. He floated up through the hole in the ceiling, taking it with him.

    About a minute later they heard a loud clank.

    Jeh pulled on the rope. ¡°¡­It¡¯s secure.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Trust it?¡± The twins frowned.

    ¡°Yeah, I trust him,¡± Jeh said. ¡°This¡­ is his home. We¡¯re invaders.¡± She gave them an awkward smile. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

    The three of them tied the rope around themselves and, rather awkwardly, climbed up until they were in the hole again and could use their legs to stabilize.

    ¡°You guys did this all the way down?¡± Jeh asked. ¡°¡­Wow.¡±

    ¡°It was¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­no problem.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, though, thanks for coming for me.¡±

    In time, and with significant strain, they eventually managed to flop out onto the stairwell once again. The rope was currently attached to the ground by the wraith¡¯s swords. The wraith himself was floating a short way down the stairs, watching them from the shadows.

    The twins quickly hid behind Jeh. Jeh looked down at the wraith with sad eyes and waved awkwardly at him. ¡°Bye¡­ hope you¡­ find what it is you¡¯re waiting for.¡±

    The wraith only stared at them as they slowly backed up the stairs to the world outside. The sun shone down on them. Somewhere, they could hear birds singing.

    Both of the twins let out sighs of relief.

    ¡°You guys okay?¡± Jeh asked.

    The twins glanced at each other for a moment. ¡°¡­Not really,¡± they said.

    Jeh pulled the two of them into a hug. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯re out. ¡­Let¡¯s go to our home.¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Lots of science is hidden in the background of this chapter.

    First of all parallax. This is actually a rather simple concept. If you stand in one place and look at an object and then move a little to the left, it visually moves relative to the distance you are away from it. However, the farther something away is, the less parallax has an effect on something. Walking across town will see a building move a long ways, but that mountain in the distance will seem to be in the same place it always has been.

    This change can be used to find how far away something is, assuming you know the distance between the two points you were looking at the object from. If you have a line between two points you measure from and angles measured with respect to that line to the object you¡¯re looking at, well, you can create a triangle and solve for all the sides and angles to get a distance.

    The problem arises when things are really far away. Because more distance produces less visible change. So you need precise measurements. For instance, to find the distance to the moon you need to perform a simultaneous measurement of the moon¡¯s position on two distant places on the Earth¡¯s surface, taking into account the curvature of the earth in your calculation. However, the moon is close enough for this to provide a reasonably accurate result, which is why the Wizard Space Program has pretty good data on the size of their moon and its distance.

    Blue¡¯s calculations on the force required to move the satellite are done quickly, and that¡¯s because they¡¯re actually really simple, relying only on two equations: F=ma (force = mass times acceleration) and v=at (velocity = acceleration times time). She wanted to accelerate something to 10,000 m/s in 1 second, which has an acceleration of 10,000 m/s<sup>2</sup>. Then we plug the acceleration into the F=ma for 1 kg and find a 10,000 N force. The lovely benefit of metric is on full display here. No need to convert, watch units, or get confused at the scale of the number.

    But yes this is an absolutely absurd force. 10,000 N over one second. That¡¯s 1000 times the force of gravity, more or less. ¡°Force over time¡± is actually an important concept calculated, known as impulse. See, if you apply a force for an instant, it doesn¡¯t actually accomplish much. It induces an acceleration, sure, but acceleration has to be applied for a time to see a velocity change (see v=at). So to actually get a change in velocity, force must be acted over time. This is easy when you¡¯re a wizard on a spaceship with easy access to Orange-produced force. This is not easy when you are trying to launch a satellite to absurd speeds before it gets out of your range.

    Now, when I started writing this chapter, I was sure the calculation for ¡°how big does a spherical mirror have to be for you to see it in space?¡± would be simple.

    It is not. There are lots of issues with relative light pollution, the angle at which the sunlight (and moonlight) hits your mirror, the resolving power of your eye which, on a fantasy world, has a very large variation¡­

    The Sputnik could barely be seen as a faint light orbiting the earth. It was largely a reflective sphere with a 58cm diameter and a rough orbital distance of 577 km, which is quite a bit higher than the ISS. So something smaller will be able to be seen at the height the WSP is going. Still, that¡¯s a half-meter sphere¡ªnothing to sneeze at!

    Since this Science Segment is already getting long I won¡¯t get into it, but I suspect a future Science Segment will deal with the specific annoyances of calculating luminosity, reflectivity, albedo, and all sorts of other nonsense.

 017 - Reflections in the Sea

    017

    Reflections in the Sea

    It took a few days to get back to Willow Hollow, but to Jeh, Rina, and Rona it felt like almost no time at all passed. While the three of them had been shaken slightly from the encounter with the wraith, the trip back had been largely pleasant. It was true that the three of them were far from normal, but this did nothing to stop them from playing as children all the way back with lots of laughs, jokes, and shared experiences.

    When they finally returned, they noted that a small crowd had gathered around the middle of town.

    ¡°Oh, what excellent timing!¡± one of the twins said.

    ¡°It looks like they just finished the launchpad!¡± the other finished.

    Jeh grinned. ¡°Ah, looks like I¡¯ll be going back to space soon! ¡­The next experiment is to try to do it underwater, I think¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s even better than that!¡± one said.

    The other nodded. ¡°Crowds get hungry.¡±

    ¡°And the bakery has been closed since we¡¯ve been gone.¡±

    ¡°A ripe opportunity for profit!¡± They took their backpacks off and took out some of the bread they had baked for the journey and not eaten. While not fresh, it was still high quality and that would be enough to get people to buy it. The twins waved to Jeh and quickly distributed themselves into the crowd, offering bread for a ¡°low low price¡± to everyone they could. They readily got a few takers, their success only heightened by the fact that most people were paying attention to the launchpad and not how much money they were spending on bread.

    Jeh made her way through the crowd to the center. As she got closer, she could make out Lila giving what sounded like the end of a speech.

    ¡°¡­and with this new launchpad we will be able to explore further into the depths of space, and everyone will be able to watch! The Skyseed shall rise to the occasion, uncovering the great secrets of the beyond while also bringing more income to this little town of ours. We are doing something no one has ever done before, and I want to thank you all for accepting the Wizard Space Program. Without your support, this launchpad would not be made.¡±

    Jeh managed to push out of the minor sea of people to see Lila beaming down at all the citizens surrounding the launchpad. The structure itself was very simple: just a large slab of stone raised above the ground and sanded down to a smooth, flat surface. The Skyseed currently sat in the middle of the launchpad. To Lila¡¯s side was the rest of the Wizard Space Program, most of whom were giving great big smiles to the crowd as well. Big G wasn¡¯t, but he didn¡¯t smile all that much to begin with, so it wasn¡¯t surprising.

    ¡°We currently do not know when our next launch will be,¡± Lila continued. ¡°But we are getting requests for pictures every couple of days now, and as soon as our pilot returns we¡ª¡°

    ¡°Helloooo!¡± Jeh waved from the front of the crowd.

    Lila looked down from the launchpad at Jeh in surprise. ¡°Oh! It looks like our pilot has returned, everyone! Come on up here, Jeh!¡±

    Jeh was just tall enough to climb onto the launchpad without any assistance, though it took a bit of grunting to pull herself up. She stood up and put her hands on her hips, turning to the small crowd with a big smile. ¡°Hey everyone! Who¡¯s excited about space!?¡±

    While there were a few excited cheers from the crowd, it wasn¡¯t as much as Jeh had been expecting. Maybe not everyone was on board as she thought? Or maybe people were just quiet.

    Lila continued speaking. ¡°With Jeh¡¯s return, we will likely launch again within a few days. The next major experiment will be to fill the Skyseed with water and fish to figure out how aquatic species will fare in space. We are currently waiting on a diving helmet for Jeh to use, but the moment we get it, you¡¯ll all know about it. Then we¡¯ll meet right here for the countdown.¡±

    She paused, flicking her ears to let it all sink in. ¡°Now, I know some of you have concerns about this project¡ªwhile you support it, you wonder if we are ¡®striving for greatness¡¯ a bit too much. I want to say that I am glad to hear such concerns voiced. Yes, we are doing things no one else has done before, so far as we know. And it will be quite impressive. There is a real danger in becoming too proud of our accomplishments. However, because I hear these concerns, I¡¯m not too worried about it¡ªit means we are aware of the danger. In the end, we are not doing this for the money or the fame. We¡¯re doing it because it¡¯s something worthwhile to do. Dia gave us this universe to explore and uncover; why wouldn¡¯t we enjoy it to our fullest?¡±

    Many faces in the crowd nodded in agreement. A few shoulders relaxed.

    ¡°I will talk more about this at meditation tomorrow, but this is not the place for a sermon.¡± She chuckled to herself, getting a few chuckles out of the crowd as well. ¡°This is a moment of celebration. The launchpad is complete and it¡¯s time to go forward to the next project! Once again, I want to thank you for your support. This is all a little crazy, but it¡¯s working.¡± Her ears perked up and she bowed at the small crowd, prompting them to erupt in applause.

    Since that was the signal that the speech was over, most of the people started to disperse, though a few stayed behind to talk to Lila, conversations which she readily accepted. However, Jeh was soon too distracted to pay attention to her conversations, because Blue was pulling her into a hug.

    ¡°Welcome back!¡±

    Jeh grinned. ¡°Glad to be back!¡±

    Blue examined Jeh¡¯s clothes. ¡°Your clothes are a mess.¡±

    ¡°Well, there were a lot of traps in the temple-thing. It was fun!¡±

    Blue examined the massive hole in the fabric near Jeh¡¯s midsection. ¡°¡­Yeesh, that¡¯s some trap¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back to the cabin and you can tell me all about it?¡±

    Jeh nodded eagerly. ¡°Absolutely! And you can tell me what weird science you¡¯ve been doing!¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Mirrors!¡± Krays shouted. ¡°It¡¯s mirrors.¡± She held her hand to her eyes and looked up at the sky. ¡°Looks like the weather¡¯s stopped being a wet blanket.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t raining¡­?¡± Mary said.

    ¡°Ah, but there¡¯s no pathetic malnourished clouds, so we can cart the mirror up the mountain today!¡± She clapped her hands. ¡°Who wants to go get uncomfortably close to Joira¡¯s lawn and make her shout angry words at us?¡±

    ¡°Me!¡± Jeh shouted.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try to avoid a conflict?¡± Suro suggested.

    Krays crossed her arms. ¡°I promise to take not purposefully bother Joira. I¡¯m just putting my money on the idea that she¡¯s going to bother us.¡±

    ¡°That will be later tonight, though,¡± Blue said. ¡°We don¡¯t want to test how far we can see in the day, we want the night.¡±

    ¡°Still need to set everything up,¡± Krays said. ¡°We have the mountain mirror, the tarp¡­ everyone needs to get to the observation locations¡­¡±

    Jeh clapped her hands excitedly. ¡°What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s start doing the science!¡±

    ¡°¡­No break?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Nope! Science time!¡±

    ¡°Well, all right then¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±

    Joira didn¡¯t take her gaze off the unusual sight of a Red wizard and an excitable blue gari climbing up the very obvious mountain path.

    With a giant mirror and lots of folded black cloth.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°What on Ikyu are they doing¡­?¡± Joira wondered aloud.

    ¡°Er¡­ something with mirrors.¡±

    ¡°Obviously. But why? And why are they taking it up to us?¡±

    As she said these words, Vaughan and the gari Joira didn¡¯t know the name of stopped in their tracks and set the mirror down on top of a rocky outcropping. The gari angled the mirror so it intercepted the light of the setting sun and flashed it into Vaughan¡¯s eyes, after which she laughed loudly enough to be clearly heard from Joira¡¯s elevated vantage point.

    ¡°Perhaps they just need a high vantage point?¡± the Red Seeker suggested.

    Joira frowned. ¡°It¡¯s never that simple¡­¡± The mirror they set up was a rectangular one, but even from her distance, she could tell that cloth had been wrapped around it in such a way that only a large circle was visible. Vaughan took some kind of Purple-heavy arcane device out of his robes but didn¡¯t use it. Then¡­ the two of them just sat down on a nearby rock.

    Almost like they were waiting for something.

    ¡°¡­This is ridiculous,¡± Joira muttered.

    ¡°They¡­ haven¡¯t trespassed,¡± the Red Seeker pointed out.

    ¡°They¡¯re like an army pulling up to a border. No treaties have been broken, but it¡¯s sure aggressive.¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, what are we going to do then?¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Joira shouted at the top of her lungs. ¡°What are you doing down there!?¡±

    The first response Joira heard was a laugh from the gari, followed by her slapping Vaughan on the back playfully but powerfully. Joira felt her rage build up within her, but the gari managed to shoot off a response before she burst.

    ¡°We¡¯re doing science, paranoid fire hag!¡±

    ¡°Hag!?¡±

    ¡°Ignore her!¡± Vaughan shouted back, pushing the gari behind him. ¡°Krays is just a bit colorful, is all!¡± He put his hands behind his back. ¡°We are merely waiting for night so we can test the reflective properties of this mirror! Several teams are waiting further down to see if they can see our reflections!¡±

    ¡°Then what¡¯s the device for, huh!? Answer that!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a solar beam! Shines a light at the intensity of the sun!¡±

    ¡°Then why are you waiting for night to come!?¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯re trying to figure out how big to make our spherical mirror so we can see it when we launch it into space!¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s absurd!¡± Joira pointed an accusatory finger. ¡°This entire thing is absurd!¡±

    ¡°Are we not the kind of people to do absurd things!?¡±

    Krays butted in again. ¡°You¡¯re talking to a wizard who flew all the way up your mountain on a haphazard metal mushroom just to get the kid back! And has done many other questionably absurd things! Like, let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    Vaughan nudged Krays, trying to get her to shut up.

    She didn¡¯t. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want you to know about the time I found him trying to wax the arcane furnace with fruit juice just to ¡®see what would happen!¡¯ This is the guy setting up a mirror on the mountain!¡°

    Vaughan said something at a volume nowhere near loud enough for Joira to hear.

    ¡°The floppity-hat man thinks you get the point! But I don¡¯t! So sit back, granny, and let Krays tell you the story of the magnet incident! I¡ª¡°

    ¡°Enough!¡± Joira called down at her. ¡°I grow tired of your words!¡±

    ¡°Aww, thanks! Yours fill me with a warm fuzzy feeling! Especially when you¡¯re annoyed for no good reason!¡±

    Joira twitched. ¡°I have every right to be infuriated at insults given to my face!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a bit too far away for me to see your face!¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to come down there!?¡±

    Krays shrugged. ¡°It would stop all this needless shouting! My throat feels like a volcano that was just fed a porcupine that was slightly too large!¡±

    The Red Seeker coughed from behind Joira. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this¡­.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Nobody can find Ukelele.¡±

    Joira let out a sharp hiss and a swear. ¡°Don¡¯t try anything funny!¡± Joira shouted down at Vaughan and Krays.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be as boring as the day I was born!¡± Krays called up.

    Joira wasn¡¯t stupid, she knew that sentence probably meant something other than what it sounded like, but she really didn¡¯t have time. She tried not to think about how much she had wasted with this shouting match.

    Decidedly angrily, she stormed her way back up the mountain to the Seekers¡¯ settlement. Someone was going to be in for a world of hurt when she got up there¡­

    The Red Seeker dutifully trailed along behind her.

    ~~~

    ¡°Sooo¡­¡± Jeh said, tilting her head to the side. ¡°How exactly is this going to work?¡± She gestured at the wooden pole with fireworks stacked around it that Blue had just set up in Vaughan¡¯s backyard.

    ¡°The pole is just a marker,¡± Blue said. ¡°We know how far this pole¡ªand the others, one in town, one out in the forest¡ªis from the point Vaughan and Krays are setting up on Mt. Cascade. When it gets dark enough, Vaughan will start reflecting the light off the big mirror with different areas of it covered. When we see it, we are to release one of the fireworks.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be loud?¡±

    Blue shook her head. ¡°Seskii got some flares when she went out, they¡¯re relatively silent but quite bright¡ªenough for our purposes.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s it? We just¡­ watch for light from the mountain?¡±

    ¡°For us? Yes. Mary and Suro are going out into the forest and will set up a little Magenta beacon so Vaughan knows where to point the mirror, but he can already see ours.¡± She gestured up at the top of Vaughan¡¯s cabin, where the Magenta loop continually cycled.

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Watch. Got it. Then we know exactly how big to make the thing, right?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Blue let out a soft wince. ¡°Suro and Vaughan pointed out two big problems with doing that directly. And¡­¡± Blue glanced at the sun¡ª it was in the process of setting. It wouldn¡¯t be dark for quite some time. ¡°¡­Hey, instead of me telling you, would you like to see?¡±

    ¡°See?¡±

    ¡°Yes! We set up a dark room in the cabin to play with light, come on!¡± With a slight skip in her step, Blue trotted into the cabin and led Jeh to one of the cabin¡¯s many rarely-used rooms. Over the last few days they had sealed up the windows and pressed dense fabric into the door¡¯s cracks. It made it supremely awkward to open and close the door, but Blue¡¯s telekinesis allowed her to refit all the loose folds of fabric back into place so as to block all light.

    She shut the door and it became pitch black.

    ¡°¡­Spooky,¡± Jeh commented.

    ¡°We had to make it really dark. Here, Jeh¡­¡± Blue¡¯s levitation aura cast a slight bluish light over the room, revealing numerous tables with Purple crystals, flat sheets of metal with holes in them, and a few small oddly-shaped mirrors¡ªsome of which were broken and in bad shape, but were nonetheless useful for quick experiments. Blue placed a small Purple crystal with a few Magenta components into Jeh¡¯s hand. ¡°That will create roughly the amount of ambient light from starlight into this room. I need you to maintain it for me, okay?¡±

    Jeh activated the arcane device, casting a very faint glow onto everything around them. ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now, stay still there¡­¡± Blue trotted to Jeh¡¯s side and stood with her head stooped down so her eyes would be at the same level. With her telekinesis, she placed a metal sheet with a tiny hole in it on top of a table, and then she lit a very small candle. For a moment, it illuminated the room, but she quickly covered it in a box with an open side so the only light from the candle came through the tiny hole in the metal. ¡°Now, obviously, you can see that.¡±

    ¡°Mhm!¡±

    ¡°Now, watch¡­¡± Blue placed a sheet of clouded glass between the candle and the metal sheet, dimming the light. ¡°Harder to see?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but still easy.¡±

    ¡°Let me know when you can¡¯t see it anymore.¡± Blue kept adding more and more sheets of clouded glass between the candle and the hole.

    ¡°Stop, can¡¯t see it anymore,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°I can,¡± Blue said with a smirk. ¡°That¡¯s the first problem. My eyes are far more sensitive than yours.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re so big, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Probably, but Ripashi¡¯s eyes are better, even though they¡¯re smaller. Each of the different races has different eyes with different abilities to see.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that why the book I read that counted the stars mentioned that it only counted those visible to the human eye?¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°It is common tradition to treat human eyes as the baseline. Human anything, really. By the way, your eyes are the ¡®completely standard¡¯ variety, you saw through the same amount of glass panes as Mary and Big G.¡±

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°¡­So I¡¯m normal in some way, at least. Weird.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, this is why we need human eyes at every checkpoint, to make sure our data is consistent,¡± Blue said. ¡°I had completely forgotten about this. Suro had not. But this was a relatively obvious issue that we would have probably figured out anyway. The other issue¡­¡± Blue levitated a small pocket mirror and a spherical mirror of the same diameter. She turned the box that shrouded the candle around, allowing it to cast light onto the back wall. She carefully levitated the pocket mirror and reflected it into Jeh¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Bright,¡± Jeh observed.

    ¡°Painfully so, to most people,¡± Blue said. ¡°But watch when I put a sphere of the same size at the same place¡­¡± She put the spherical mirror in the same place as the flat one, then turned to Jeh.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not as bright,¡± Jeh realized.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Blue said. ¡°The flat mirror is able to redirect all light hitting it in one direction. The spherical mirror, however, spreads the light out in all directions. When Vaughan pointed this out I felt like it was hopeless¡ªto test the various mirrors we¡¯d have to build a spherical mirror of every size! But, no, apparently in the higher classes at the Academy they teach ¡®detailed optics¡¯ and from that you can calculate relative brightness of a spherical mirror opposed to a flat one.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t bore you with the details since¡­ well I don¡¯t have them, Vaughan did those calculations.¡± Blue laughed nervously. ¡°But the intensity of light of a spherical mirror depends on what angle you¡¯re looking at it from. Directly at the front is the most intense, while it drops to zero at a ninety-degree angle. We did some small-scale experiments in this room with these two mirrors to confirm the correlation. The end result is that, since we had a small mirror, we can now scale up to a large mirror without actually building the giant ball.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°I¡­ think I get it. Save work by doing a small experiment before the big one?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. With the data we have, we could have, in theory, scaled the relation up to larger distances. However, jumping from small-scale to large-scale would have issues. We don¡¯t know how much of an effect the atmosphere has¡ªit has to have some, as we¡¯ve seen from your pictures¡ªand there may be some confounding factor we aren¡¯t aware of. But with this mountain test, we should be able to confirm¡­ and then figure out how big we need to make our satellite.¡±

    Jeh started jumping up and down. ¡°Yesssssss¡­¡±

    ¡°You might be disappointed, there¡¯ll be a lot of standing out in the cold night air staring at nothing. Then after we¡¯re done we go to sleep and I have to run calculations in the morning to find the size we need. The results won¡¯t be automatic and there¡¯ll be a lot of numbers and redundancy¡­¡±

    Jeh frowned. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯ll be fun to do science with you, at least! Right?¡±

    ¡°I sure hope so¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°You sure we¡¯ll be able to see the brightest setting?¡± Mary asked Suro as she held a hand over her eyes and looked at the shadow of Mt. Cascade in the distance.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Suro said. ¡°The mirror¡¯s huge.¡±

    Mary hugged her coat to herself and looked around at the trees around them¡ªall cast in shadow since they didn¡¯t want to use any lights to ruin their night vision. She could barely see the pole with all the flares. ¡°It¡¯s just, it¡¯s getting later than expected¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re the furthest group out, so we¡¯re the last one he¡¯s going to shine the light at. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Suro flicked a tail. ¡°It might have just taken some time to get everything set up and maybe there were some technical difficulties.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we missed it¡­¡±

    ¡°A new star lighting up on top of the mountain we¡¯re staring at that lasts for several seconds is not going to be missed, Mary.¡± He placed a paw on her leg. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Mary nodded. ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d offer to let you take a rest, but your eyes are the ones we need.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, I said I¡¯d do this, I¡¯m doing this.¡± She tightened her jaw and stared with determination at the mountain. ¡°I will see what needs to be seen.¡±

    Suro padded over to the flares, checking to make sure their fuses were exposed and pointed in the right direction for the seventeenth time that night. A simple application of Red and up they¡¯d go. They had seen some flares go up from the other groups, but from their angle, it was hard to tell if it was the group from the cabin or the town itself. There hadn¡¯t been any flares for a while. Up a nearby tree they had a glowing Magenta beacon¡ªnot providing much light, but it did send it out in every direction so it should have been easy to pick out from the dark background. But maybe it was slightly too dim?

    ¡°You used to all-nighters, Suro?¡± Mary asked.

    Suro nodded. ¡°I regularly work without¡­ checking the time at all. Larger projects consume me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m amazed you don¡¯t fall asleep.¡±

    ¡°You tired?¡±

    Mary nodded. ¡°A bit. I can handle a night every now and then¡ªsometimes the farm just needs more work than the day allows. But I have been staying up a lot more than usual now that I¡¯m on this program¡­¡± She rubbed the back of her head. ¡°At least it¡¯s not every day?¡±

    ¡°True.¡± Suro thought about this for a moment. ¡°I may have an advantage. When I was young and traveling, there were many times it was simply¡­ safer to travel during the night. Had to learn to adjust my sleep schedule back and forth by force.¡±

    ¡°You all have such interesting stories¡­¡±

    ¡°Come again?¡±

    Mary put a hand to her chest. ¡°Well, compared to me, anyway. I¡¯m just the girl who likes to grow weird things. I¡¯ve lived my whole life in this town, never seen anything outside of it, always farmed. You? You, Lila, and Vaughan traveled the world. Krays has all sorts of strange connections. Big G runs the mines, Blue¡¯s a genius, Seskii¡¯s just got a way with people, and then Jeh. Don¡¯t get me started on Jeh¡­¡±

    Suro nodded slowly. ¡°We¡­ do seem to have a rather unusual gathering of people. That does not make you any less important of a person.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. I still feel out of place at times.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what makes me unique, I¡¯m the normal one. How silly.¡±

    ¡°No one is normal. But¡­ my wife has said many times that to be interesting is not a blessing.¡± He paused. ¡°She would know. Your ¡®normalcy¡¯ might keep you grounded, or give you the ability to keep others grounded or¡­ or any number of other things.¡±

    ¡°Everything we have, pleasant or otherwise, is a gift to shape us,¡± Mary said. ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m quoting her.¡±

    ¡°She is very quotable. Especially when she¡¯s quoting things.¡±

    Mary locked her hands behind her back and let out a yawn. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. The little voice in the back of my head saying I¡¯m ¡®too normal¡¯ is probably not worth listening to. A¡ª¡° A light burst from the top of Mt. Cascade¡ªa shimmering white speck. ¡°I see it!¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± Suro used one of his tools to pull out some Red and light a flare, sending it up into the sky. Both Suro and Mary covered their eyes to preserve their night vision as the red light burst into the air, signaling success.

    ¡°Okay, he¡¯ll do another one shortly,¡± Suro said. ¡°Let¡¯s look f¡ª¡°

    There was a loud rustle in a nearby bush. Before any of them knew what was happening, the dark form of a short creature with many reflective eyes ran through the space they occupied, almost slamming into the pile of flares. There was the sound of ripping fabric, a panicked buzzing yell, and then the creature was out of their sight.

    ¡°What in¡­?¡± Mary asked.

    Suro picked up a piece of fabric off the ground. ¡°¡­I think this is from the robe of a Red Seeker. Was¡­ was that Ukelele?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°One of the Red Seekers. He was a sho¡ª¡°

    Mt. Cascade lit up again with another light. Mary let out an ¡°Eep!¡± and pointed at it.

    ¡°Looks like this mystery will have to wait¡­¡± Suro said, launching another flare.

    ¡°Was he running from something?¡± Mary asked.

    ¡°If he was, it¡¯s a silent hunter, or it stopped chasing him.¡± Suro swiveled his ears around. ¡°I¡¯ll keep listening, though. You keep watching. They are depending on us.¡±

    Mary nodded, fixing her gaze back on the mountain. She was readily able to call out when she saw the light for the rest of the experiment. However, the unease at their interruption never quite went away, not even when she got back to her bed and laid down to sleep that night.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    It was all just a big unknown. She discovered that night that she really didn¡¯t like unknowns.

    ~~~

    Jeh¡¯s eyes were sore the following morning.

    Like all pain she experienced, this was little more than a nuisance, but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t feel it. She had stayed up most of the night with Blue staring at the lights on the mountain from Vaughan and Krays. She¡¯d fallen asleep on the couch before they had made it back down the mountain.

    With a yawn, she stretched her arms and legs out¡ªthen proceeded to rub her eyes really, really hard to try to get rid of the sore feeling, to the point at which she caused more pain than she¡¯d originally had. Her eyes quickly regenerated from her rubbing beating, but the soreness was still there.

    The obvious conclusion was that her eyes were just fine and the soreness wasn¡¯t even real. This sort of thing had happened to her several times over the course of her memory, though only now did she have the awareness to question it.

    Why does it work this way? She wondered, shaking her head. Blue doesn¡¯t know, Ashen hasn¡¯t the foggiest¡­ She opened her eyes and walked to the dining room, looking for a snack. Blue was there, performing the calculations on last night¡¯s measurements, but everyone else was absent. Breakfast must have been a while ago.

    ¡°Morning,¡± Blue said with a big yawn of her own as she continued to tally numbers.

    Jeh glanced at the numbers, frowning. All these experiments show patterns in reality. What is my pattern?

    ¡°You look deep in thought,¡± Suro observed as he hopped onto the table. He had a small bowl of unusual fruits¡ªprobably from Mary¡¯s farm¡ªin one of his paw tools. He set it down in front of Jeh.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jeh said, taking the food. ¡°And yeah. Just realizing how little sense I make.¡±

    ¡°In words or deeds?¡±

    ¡°Second one. I hope.¡± Jeh grinned. ¡°Unless I word bad thing yes do?¡±

    Suro chuckled. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have any answers for you on the second one. Maybe one day we¡¯ll find out, or you¡¯ll find out on your own.¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°I¡¯m wondering if I can devise any experiments¡­¡±

    ¡°Might be dangerous. If you test far enough and find something that can hurt you permanently¡­¡±

    Jeh frowned. ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°There are some cases where answers are not worth it,¡± Suro emphasized.

    Jeh squirmed a little in her seat. She was so used to not considering her safety at all. But¡­ there could be a thing that actually hurt her somewhere out there. And there were definitely things she couldn¡¯t escape from. There had been that pit trap in the wraith¡¯s ruins. If she were launched into space and started orbiting¡­

    ¡°¡­You look like you just had a really unpleasant thought.¡±

    ¡°I could be lost in space forever,¡± Jeh said, eyes widening.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± This prompted Blue to finally look up from her numbers.

    ¡°If¡­ if something happens and I get launched into an orbit¡­¡± Jeh took in a sharp breath. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be good.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d find a way to come get you,¡± Blue assured her. ¡°It¡¯d just take some time. For you, it¡¯d be like¡­ a winter, except in space.¡±

    ¡°But then you¡¯d be putting yourselves in danger!¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we do that for you?¡± Blue asked. ¡°You¡¯d do the same for us. You picked up that sword and stared the plast dragon down, didn¡¯t you? And you tried to climb a mountain to resolve the Red Seeker problem even though you had no idea what it was about.¡± Blue patted her on the head. ¡°We¡¯re a team, Jeh.¡±

    Jeh brightened visibly. ¡°Yeah! A team! A team that¡¯s going to the moon! Ye¡ª¡°

    There was a loud thump from somewhere in the backyard.

    Suro let out a short, thoughtful purr. ¡°Sounds like Alex just landed. I¡¯ll go let him in.¡±

    A moment later the blue dragon had squeezed into the dining room¡ªhaving to snake his way through one limb at a time. Had he been much older, he simply would not have fit. ¡°My size is starting to become more and more of a hindrance¡­¡±

    ¡°It only gets worse from here!¡± Jeh offered. ¡°Dragons never stop growing!¡±

    ¡°Basic knowledge,¡± Alexandrite said dismissively. He reached into a pack on his back and produced a round, brass object with reinforced glass pressed into it on multiple sides. ¡°I have procured a diving helmet for you, Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Diving helme¡ªoh, right, the water experiment.¡± Jeh ran up to the diving helmet and picked it up, finding it to be unimaginably heavy. ¡°Egh! How on Ikyu am I supposed to wear this?¡±

    ¡°It will be much less cumbersome underwater,¡± Alex explained. ¡°However, it does need to be modified with an air restorer. Suro, as the resident jeweler, I believe that task falls to you?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be difficult to engineer,¡± Suro said. ¡°But I will need Vaughan to get a more precise spell stored for the restoring. A day or two, at most.¡± Suro turned to Jeh. ¡°The contact point will be on your neck, so you won¡¯t have to use your hands to operate the restorer.¡±

    ¡°Neat!¡± Jeh put the helmet on, the weight making her wobble considerably. ¡°Wooooah¡­¡±

    ¡°Careful,¡± Alexandrite chided, taking the helmet off of her. He did not struggle whatsoever with its girth. ¡°It may be durable, but drop it the wrong way and it¡¯ll no longer be watertight.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Jeh said, nodding. ¡°So, you and your boss are the customers, what are the mission parameters?¡± She really liked saying ¡°mission parameters.¡± Made her feel important and official.

    Alexandrite raised one of his eye-ridges. ¡°The proposed experiment is rather simple. Fill the Skyseed with water and fish and go up into space. Then stay there for several hours, observing the fish for any unusual behaviors.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, stay in place! Haven¡¯t tried to do that for very long before, this should be fun!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re also going to make the bottom of the Skyseed extra shiny,¡± Blue said, gesturing at her work at the table. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly pretty or neat and there are large error bars, but it¡¯s looking like a sphere about sixty centimeters wide would do the trick. The bottom of the Skyseed is rounded at a much shallower angle and is much larger than that. If it wasn¡¯t brass, we probably would have been able to see it just fine so long as it had light to reflect.¡±

    ¡°Water and mirrors.¡± Jeh nodded. ¡°And fish.¡± She rubbed her hands together excitedly. ¡°This is going to be a fun trip¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be the first one from the launchpad, too!¡± Seskii said, popping in from a nearby doorway. ¡°I¡¯m going to see if I can get the crowd to count down with me!¡±

    Alexandrite shrugged with his wings. ¡°Their activity is of little interest to Gronge. What is most important is the data.¡± He lowered his head to Jeh¡¯s level and narrowed his eyes somewhat menacingly. ¡°Be sure to pay attention, little one.¡±

    Jeh twitched. ¡°This is not my first time recording data, Alex. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± She crossed her arms and huffed.

    ¡°Then consider this a test to prove yourself.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re on.¡±

    Suro chuckled. ¡°It seems you have awoken her competitive spirit.¡±

    Alexandrite pulled his head back from her. ¡°If that shall improve her performance, so be it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get the best data ever!¡±

    ¡°How are you going to write it down?¡± Blue asked. ¡°Paper¡¯s not waterproof.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°I¡¯ll have to¡­ remember¡­¡± Jeh paled. ¡°Oh no.¡±

    ¡°I have plenty of kelp paper* on me,¡± Alexandrite pointed out. ¡°Comes with working for Gronge. Waterproof records are very much required.¡±

    *The aquatic races have it somewhat difficult in terms of recording things, as water is a giver of life but also a great destroyer of information. Standard paper disintegrates and even stone wears away. The anglers used to rely on using plastics harvested from plasts to coat what they wrote so it wouldn¡¯t degrade underwater. This was an annoying process and the discovery of certain chemical properties of neon kelp that allowed it to retain writing for long periods of time was a very welcome one. Neon kelp itself naturally glows with pinkish lines in the deep sea, and it was only a matter of time before the anglers learned how to make the pink lines serve their will. Over several years the glow does fade, but it will still leave a faint outline that can be restored, so long as nothing eats the processed kelp for nutrients. Which, to be fair, is a bit of a problem, but there are creatures that eat plastic as well, so it was still an improvement.

    ¡°Oh, good.¡±

    ¡°I hear humans don¡¯t like the smell, though¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s what I¡¯ll be doing,¡± Jeh told Ashen, putting her hands proudly on her hips.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be swimming in space.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Well. Sorta.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Close enough.¡±

    Ashen¡¯s facets rippled with a series of minor flashes. ¡°My prediction is that the fish won¡¯t change all that much.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but we don¡¯t know much about how water behaves up there.¡± Jeh shrugged.

    ¡°It occurs to me that the helmet may allow you to step outside the Skyseed as well.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Jeh tapped her chin. ¡°I don¡¯t think my arms need air¡­ might be worth trying later. Once we have something with a functional airlock.¡±

    ¡°There is no rush.¡±

    ¡°Well, not for that, but I do need to get going.¡± Jeh jumped up and cracked her knuckles. ¡°See you later!¡±

    ¡°And you as well, Jeh.¡±

    Jeh ran out of the clearing, leaving Ashen alone with the tree she had fused herself to. It was now hard to tell where Ashen ended and the tree began¡ªthe roots and branches of the tree were interspersed with veins of Red crystal. The tree was definitely healthy enough to survive without Ashen now, but she had little desire to leave it¡ªshe had grown attached to the plant as a constant of her life.

    Although, her life had taken a little bit of an odd turn recently¡­

    ¡°She is gone. You may come out.¡±

    A short creature in tattered red robes emerged from the nearby foliage, his many eyes taking in the surroundings with clear nervousness.

    ¡°Ukelele, she is no danger to you.¡±

    Ukelele nodded but said nothing.

    ¡°I know you can speak. Your experiences were part of what I was formed of.¡±

    Ukelele refused to say anything. He simply sat down on the rock, motionless.

    ¡°You fear for your life, yet refuse to give me any information. Whatever it is must not be able to deal with me, so why are you still afraid?¡±

    Ukelele did nothing more than breathe.

    ¡°Then I suppose we are at a standstill once again.¡±

    There was silence in the clearing.

    ¡°¡­I will still protect you from whatever it is.¡±

    Ukelele nodded in gratitude.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ashen sent her perceptions out, trying to see through the eyes of anything she could grab. There was Ukelele, of course, and Jeh, who had not gotten far enough to be out of Ashen¡¯s range just yet. But there was nothing else. If there really was something watching and hunting Ukelele, it was either a simple animal¡­ or it knew to stay out of Ashen¡¯s range.

    Which meant it knew where she was.

    Ashen had considered telling Jeh, but Ukelele had seemed to not want to be known about in any way, and since Ashen had her own secrets she wanted to be kept, she figured she¡¯d better not reveal anyone else¡¯s. So here she was, protecting a little bug creature thing she didn¡¯t know the species of and couldn¡¯t ask without being suspicious.

    At least it gave her something to ponder while Jeh wasn¡¯t here.

    ~~~

    And so the day of the first ¡°official¡± launch arrived. Lila had scheduled it to take place just before sunset, so everyone in town could come and see things while also allowing it to quickly become dark so they could try to see the sunlight reflecting off the Skyseed¡¯s recently polished bottom. A decently large number of people arrived to observe the launch. They talked amongst themselves like this were just some kind of town gathering similar to a banquet or bonfire¡ªgathering together to watch the Skyseed. Some people had set up little cooking fires near the launchpad so they could provide food to everyone. Seskii, naturally, was one of these people¡ªshe had an entire stand set up where she gave out things to anyone who asked.

    The Skyseed itself had been moved to the launchpad earlier that day by Jeh. She¡¯d flown the thing the relatively short distance from Vaughan¡¯s cabin to the launchpad without a hitch. It had been extremely easy compared to the flights to space, but it had not yet been filled with water.

    That responsibility fell to Alexandrite. As he strode up to the launchpad, the townsfolk parted to let him through. No matter how much people knew dragons generally didn¡¯t want to tear the flesh off their bones, the sight of a reptilian predator larger than anyone else in town was enough to make most wary enough to get out of the way.

    Blue unscrewed the top of the Skyseed. ¡°She¡¯s all yours, Alex.¡±

    Alex placed a claw on top of the Skyseed¡¯s rim to balance himself while he carefully positioned his head above the opening. He took in a sharp breath and tapped into his attribute. As he breathed out, an immense torrent of water erupted from his jaws, blasting into the Skyseed with violent froth not unlike a stormy sea. The highly pressurized water jet carried enough force to knock people over and heavily bruise them, but the Skyseed was stable enough to capture the water without breaking. It was less than thirty seconds before the entire Skyseed was filled to the brim.

    Lila nodded to Alexandrite. ¡°Thank you for your assistance.¡±

    Alex just nodded at her.

    ¡°Ripashi, I hear you have some fish for us?¡±

    Ripashi put his feathered limb to his head. ¡°You bet I do!¡± He stepped up and handed Vaughan a bag filled with a dozen live trout he¡¯d fished from the river earlier. The fish were rather frantically flopping around their enclosed container, but relaxed considerably once Vaughan released them into the Skyseed and they had room to swim around.

    ¡°And the last ingredient¡­¡±

    Jeh jumped up and down. ¡°Me! With a helmet!¡± She placed her hands around the diving helmet and, with a grunt, put it over her head. She twisted a small valve on at the base of the neck that sealed the air inside while also bringing her in contact with the air restorer. Immediately, she activated it, giving her face a somewhat ominous green glow that everyone could see through the reinforced glass. ¡°Heavy¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you in,¡± Blue said, moving to levitate Jeh.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Jeh called, her voice echoing through the helmet. ¡°My bear furs won¡¯t do well underwater.¡± She quickly started removing them. For a moment, Blue was afraid she was just going to strip right there in front of everyone¡ªbut her fears were quickly proven wrong. Under her furs, Jeh had on a pair of knee-high shorts and a sleeveless shirt that exposed her midsection.

    Blue¡¯s relief quickly turned to mild confusion. Those clothes were made out of a material she didn¡¯t recognize and were very smooth and shiny, almost form-fitting. A pale bluish-green stripe ran down the left side of both articles of clothing.

    When did she get those¡­?

    ¡°Right!¡± Jeh picked up her kelp-paper notebook, underwater writing implements, arcane imaging device, and personal pack of Colored crystals. ¡°Ready! Take me in!¡±

    Blue pushed the questions out of her mind¡ªthey had an audience, after all, best to get on with it. She levitated Jeh into the Skyseed. The helmet made up about half of Jeh¡¯s weight, but Blue managed it well enough. Water poured out the top of the Skyseed as Jeh was lowered into it, prompting a single fish to flop out. Vaughan caught the escapee in his Orange and tossed it back into the Skyseed once the water had settled.

    To top it all off, Blue screwed the lid back on the Skyseed. ¡°You good?¡± She called to Jeh.

    Jeh must have said something that was muffled by the water and the helmet, but she gave a thumbs up.

    ¡°She¡¯ll need to hear us counting down!¡± Seskii called, jumping onto the launchpad. ¡°So everyone needs to count down from ten with me as loud as you can! Do you understand?¡±

    Several faces in the crowd nodded.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin! Ten!¡± No one said that with her because she¡¯d moved a little too quickly, but when she went to ¡°nine!¡± more than half of everyone was shouting the number¡ªenough for Jeh to hear it clearly. When they said ¡°eight!¡± she held up eight fingers.

    When they reached five, she used her free hand to grab hold of the drive. She set it to a higher setting than normal since the water was going to be unimaginably heavy. She prepared to push her will into it.

    ¡°Three!¡±

    Blue obsessively checked the Skyseed one last time for any sign of damage, leaks, or anything. She found none.

    ¡°Two!¡±

    The fish seemed to know something was about to happen because they started swimming around faster.

    ¡°One!¡±

    Jeh activated the drive.

    ¡°Liftoff!¡± Seskii called.

    The Skyseed didn¡¯t go anywhere.

    Jeh gave the crowd an awkward shrug and put the drive on the next highest setting before pushing her will into it again. Two seconds after the countdown ended, the Skyseed started to lift into the sky. It wobbled a little bit, but with her Orange Jeh was able to quickly balance it, gaining control of the new weight distribution. Slowly¡ªvery slowly, much slower than she¡¯d ever lifted into the air before¡ªthe Skyseed drifted upward. So slowly that the fish basically weren¡¯t affected.

    There were a few cheers and whistles from the crowd as the Skyseed floated higher and higher into the sky.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Lila announced. ¡°We have a successful launch!¡± She held her paw up to the Skyseed and grinned. ¡°See you soon, Jeh!¡±

    Everyone knew there was no way Jeh heard that, but they knew what the gesture meant.

    ¡°Take a look at the bottom of the Skyseed,¡± Blue said, drawing everyone¡¯s attention to it. ¡°It has a hole in the center, but it is also much shinier than usual. Later tonight, we hope to be able to see it in the sky, twinkling like one of the stars. If any of you are still up, you¡¯re welcome to join us to look!¡±

    At this, the crowd started talking amongst themselves. A few returned to their homes, while others stayed to watch the Skyseed as it continued to rise, hoping to remain until they could see it no longer. Dozens of conversations broke out, even among those who hadn¡¯t exactly been sold on the whole Wizard Space Program idea.

    After all, even if it may not have been the most efficient use of community time and resources in their minds, it was certainly spectacular to watch and be a part of.

    ~~~

    Getting up to space was much more difficult this time around. Curiously, this wasn¡¯t because the wind blew the ship around left and right¡ªthe heavier weight made the wind have less of an effect. No, it was the fact that the Skyseed¡¯s response was sluggish. Jeh relied a lot on her active balancing to keep her ship stable, and her balancing took more time to get the ship into the right orientation with that much water to move around. It was no small strain on her focus and will to manually adjust the balance with all the sloshing water.

    For once, she hardly increased the speed of the Skyseed at all, she was too focused on the balancing act as the Skyseed cut through the atmosphere. It took, in her mind, an agonizingly long time before she got high enough that there was so little atmosphere that balance was no longer really important.

    The fish hardly responded to what was going on. They were in the water and could more or less swim where they wanted. They oriented themselves upright, seemingly immune to the changes in velocity.

    Strange.

    As Jeh went up, her fingers and toes kept getting more and more pruney. Everyone had expected this, this was not actually her first time staying in a body of water for an extended period of time. She¡¯d sat in the river when she was bored many times before.

    Absent-mindedly, she took some brown nuts out of her crystal pack and tried to rub them through her hair. The helmet prevented her from making contact.

    Oh, right, not taking a bath. Whoops¡­

    She resolved to just wait until she thought she was at a suitable height. Curiously, her rate of ascension almost matched the motion of the sun; she could see it setting, continually, even as she saw the shadow of night pass over the part of Ikyu that was Willow Hollow.

    Weird, Jeh thought, chuckling to herself.

    Eventually, she got to the point where she could see the curvature of Ikyu. She decided this was high enough and set the drive to ¡°hover.¡±

    Now she just had to wait a few hours up here and watch the fish.

    The fish, for their part, were still rather unfazed by all this. While in hover mode, they still felt the downward pull just like Jeh¡ªit was only in freefall where weightlessness occurred, and they were not falling. They just sat there, in space, doing nothing.

    Jeh was bored. The fish were bored.

    A whole lot of nothing happened.

    Jeh realized she really wished she¡¯d brought a book. Surely there was some way to make it waterproof, right? The kelp-paper existed. But books on the surface probably weren¡¯t written using it¡­

    Now that she was staying still, the sun started moving once more. From Jeh¡¯s vantage point, it no longer seemed like the ¡°sun was setting¡± but, rather, that it was moving behind Ikyu. She snapped a picture of it with the arcane device. It recorded what she saw, but as she was looking through two panes of glass and a lot of water, the image was rather distorted.

    When Jeh could no longer see the light of day on Ikyu, it would be time to come down, since that would have been a few hours and at that point, there¡¯d be no sunlight to reflect back down for the others to see.

    Jeh let out a bored sigh. She wrote a sentence in the kelp-paper about the fish behaving normally, and then started humming a tune. She didn¡¯t remember where it was from, which was the case with most of the tunes she hummed.

    Growing tired of this, she started playing with the fish. They were used to her presence at this point, but still tried to swim away from her touch, so what followed was a rather awkward and cramped chase around the interior of the Skyseed where she fumbled around the edge of the jar and the fish swam away from her. They were small enough to move easily. She, for once, wasn¡¯t.

    For the first time since she could remember, she found herself thinking that maybe being smaller wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing.

    Even though the water made it easier for her to hold the helmet up, it was still heavy and hard to move through the water, so she tired out from the exertion. She pushed herself harder than she probably should have, only stopping the chase when she slipped and rammed her helmet into the Skyseed wall, giving her a treatment not all that unlike sticking one¡¯s head inside a tower bell. Unwilling to accept defeat in terms of boredom, she started running checks on the Skyseed. The glass was still in one piece, the seals were holding the water in, and¡­ the drive had a fair number of shattered spikes. Apparently, the massive amount of water and extended use was taxing it.

    Luckily going back down did not require anywhere near as much power, so Jeh wasn¡¯t worried. Besides, even if the drive did give out, she wasn¡¯t in orbit. She¡¯d just fall back down and¡­ deal with the consequences, however annoying they might be.

    Suddenly, there was a cracking sound, followed immediately by a trail of bubbles that formed at a small hole that had formed in the edge of the Skyseed. The fish all scrambled to the far end of the Skyseed, as though the bubbles were some kind of predator. Jeh, knowing what this probably was, immediately brought out some Green and prepared to treat the hole. However, she paused, as she noticed something odd¡ªthe water wasn¡¯t leaving the hole very quickly. Rather, it was forming a lot of bubbles near the hole, as though the water were boiling. She ran her hand through it, finding that it wasn¡¯t any hotter than usual, but felt exactly like water did when it was boiling.

    Yes, she had in fact stuck her hand into boiling water before just to see what it felt like. ¡°Frothy¡± was her best description.

    Wonder what Blue will make of this¡­ Jeh used the Green to seal up the hole. Then she turned to the small rock that had made the hole. Unlike the first one that had crashed into the Skyseed, this one hadn¡¯t needed to hit anything to stop¡ªthe water had brought it to a halt very quickly. It had clearly broken in a few places, but she couldn¡¯t find the smaller pieces. With a shrug, she pocketed it. More space rocks for investigation were good.

    Jeh looked around the Skyseed. All the bubbles that had formed from the ¡®boiling¡¯ had floated to the top, but were slowly dissipating as they turned back into water, until¡­ there was no air left.

    Wait a second. I had to have lost some water to space, how is the Skyseed still full!?

    She quickly wrote down everything she¡¯d just experienced on the kelp-paper in excruciating detail since she wanted to prove to grumpy Alex that she knew how to take proper notes and do science. She was a good pilot!

    But, in the end, even that task was eventually done, and she was left with boredom once more. The need to wait and watch fish.

    With an inward groan, she looked down at Ikyu. The sun hadn¡¯t gone all the way behind it yet, so she still needed to stay up here. Examining the lights of the various cities and forms of the landmasses, she found that she wasn¡¯t above Kroan anymore. At first this confused her, but then she realized¡ªIkyu was turning beneath her. Of course it would move.

    Not an issue, since she knew how to navigate back down, but she was glad she noticed it now rather than later so she could make plans for it. Just a couple more hours, then the sun would vanish, and she could come down¡­

    It was at this moment she realized she needed to pee.

    On previous missions, she¡¯d just held it. She could do this for a long time, several hours wasn¡¯t a big deal, she just needed to exert some will over the situation.

    But it wasn¡¯t time to come down yet.

    Uh-oh.

    ~~~

    Vaughan, Blue, and Seskii were the only ones who stayed at the Launchpad the whole night.

    ¡°Can you still see her?¡± Vaughan asked.

    Blue shook her head. ¡°I think the sun set below her version of the horizon a while ago. But we were able to see her, so the mission was a success.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°She was very faint¡­¡±

    ¡°I could pick her out easily enough, though she did just look like another star. If we didn¡¯t have the charts I wouldn¡¯t have been sure what to look for.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Vaughan put the telescope to his eye and looked up at the stars. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s coming back down¡­¡±

    ¡°Seems about right,¡± Seskii said. ¡°Who knows? She might be back in the next few minutes.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Think she¡¯s bored?¡±

    ¡°Definitely.¡±

    Blue let out a yawn. ¡°All of our sleep has been completely ruined by this project.¡±

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°We work on our own schedule. We could start setting all meetings for nighttime, become semi-nocturnal¡­¡±

    ¡°Like that wouldn¡¯t cause problems,¡± Blue muttered.

    ¡°Nocturnal races have to adjust to daytime cycles at the Academy. Many cat cultures live by the nighttime cycle rather than the day¡­¡±

    Blue tried to let out a snort, but her body wanted to yawn at the same time, so she ended up making an extremely strange harrumph noise that devolved into coughing.

    ¡°¡­You okay?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ fine.¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve been running some basic calculations in my head. I think, with Gronge¡¯s extra funding, we should be able to build the satellite cannon device. With Jeh¡¯s large supply of will, she should be able to power it. I think Krays¡¯ idea for a ¡®spin¡¯ design will work best.¡±

    ¡°One meter radius will be enough, you think?¡±

    ¡°As long as we can distribute the force evenly and precisely as it moves,¡± Blue said. ¡°It¡¯ll require some precise engineering, bu¡ª¡° She suddenly pointed a hoof at the sky. ¡°Orange glow, she¡¯s coming down.¡±

    Sure enough, the Skyseed was soon easily visible, slowly coming down to the launchpad. It wobbled a bit to the left and right before angling itself directly above the launchpad¡ªfinding its way in the dark easily due to the various Magenta lamps ringing the area. It came to a stop rather uneventfully.

    Blue unscrewed the lid. ¡°How was it?¡±

    Jeh poked her head out of the Skyseed and removed her helmet. ¡°Okay, so, near the end the fish started moving slower, I think they might have gotten too hot. They also weren¡¯t fans of the weightless sensation that came with falling. And, uh¡­¡± She glanced to the left and right awkwardly. ¡°You¡­ might want to design a bathroom into the Moonshot.¡±

    ¡°A b¡ª¡° Blue¡¯s pupils shrunk to pinpricks and her face flushed hard enough that it was visible through her coat. ¡°Oh my. Oh. Um. Uh. Oh. Er. Uh. S-sorry I didn¡¯t even think about¡­¡±

    Jeh crawled out onto the launchpad and started shaking herself off. ¡°Yeah¡­ anyway, uh, here¡¯s my notes.¡± She set the kelp paper down on the ground. ¡°You¡¯ll find a lot of it! Alex will have to accept me now! Also, uh, the drive is kind of¡­¡±

    Vaughan lit up the interior of the ship with some Purple, noting the rather beat-up drive. ¡°Hmm. Yes, let¡¯s definitely not take it up again filled with water. Just from looking at it, though, I think it¡¯s still good for a few more normal trips.¡±

    ¡°We have to make sure it has enough for the satellite,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Yes, yes, of course¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go find a river,¡± Jeh said. ¡°I¡­ I need a bath.¡±

    Vaughan frowned. ¡°You know you can use m¡ª¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m going to find a river. With lots of flowing water.¡± She leaned down and picked up her bear furs, but didn¡¯t put them on. ¡°Probably won¡¯t see you until the morning. Or afternoon. Or whatever time we wake up.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry again,¡± Blue said, trying to get her embarrassed fluster under control.

    Jeh gave her an odd look. ¡°You¡­ all right, there?¡±

    Blue laughed nervously. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine if you¡¯re fine.¡±

    ¡°I will be after the bath. Which I¡¯m going to go take. Bye!¡± She scampered off a little faster than usual.

    Blue glanced at the Skyseed. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to¡­ clean this thing.¡±

    Vaughan raised an eyebrow. ¡°We would have had to anyway. The fish¡ª¡°

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna think about it!¡± Blue interjected.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Today¡¯s science segment seeks to answer a simple question:

    Can you see a spherical mirror in orbit around the Earth?

    This is not a trivial problem, so bear with me a while.

    First of all, we don¡¯t know how big the sphere is or how far it is from the surface of the Earth. We can represent these unknown quantities with variables: let the sphere¡¯s radius be R and the distance from the Earth¡¯s surface be D. Our goal is, given an R and a D, find out if you can see the sphere or not. Thus we desire a mathematical function that can take in R and D and give us how bright the object appears¡ªa quantity known in astronomy as the Apparent Magnitude.

    Apparent Magnitude is an odd scale. Smaller values are brighter. The sun has an Apparent Magnitude of -26.7, Sirius is -1.5, and the faintest things visible with the naked eye on a pitch-black night are 6.5. For our purposes we will use magnitude 6 as the faintest visible object since very very rarely is the night sky perfect and light pollution absolutely zero.

    Apparent Magnitude is a little awkward to work with because it only cares how objects appear, not how much energy objects release. That values is given by the concept known as Absolute Magnitude. Absolute Magnitude is the same no matter how far away you are from an object; if an object emits a continuous amount of light, it will have that Absolute Magnitude no matter where you are.

    The relationship between the two magnitudes are known, but it¡¯s a bit of an awkward formula: M = m ¨C 5log(D/10). Yikes, a logarithm, scary. M is the Absolute Magnitude here, while m is the Apparent Magnitude. We note that our distance D here is in parsecs, so we have to be careful with unit conversion. If we re-arrange this, we get what we want in terms of Apparent Magnitude: m = 5log(D/10) + M.

    So, can we find a formula for the Absolute Magnitude of a spherical mirror in space? Yes, but we have to do some jumping to get to it. The Absolute Magnitude is tied directly to the amount of energy something emits in visible-light photons per second¡ªa property known as the Luminosity. Fortunately for us, our hypothetical spherical mirror is perfect, so we know exactly how much energy it is emitting: however much sunlight hits it.

    Sunlight intensity is a value we can look up. When it reaches the earth, solar radiation has an intensity of 1380 watts per square meter. However, this includes photons that are not visible light, only about 42-43% of solar radiation is actually visible light. Since I like the number 42, and to be sure it is actually visible, we¡¯ll go with 42% for our calculations here, which means the intensity of sunlight is 579.6 watts per square meter.

    Note that the intensity is given in units of ¡°per square meter.¡± That¡¯s because how much of the sunlight hits something is entirely dependent on the cross-sectional-area of the object being hit. The best way to think of what the cross-sectional area is is to ask ¡°what shape of shadow will this cast?¡± (Or imagine the object being flattened to the size of a piece of paper.) In the case of our spherical mirror, this is a circle of radius R. Everyone should remember the area of a circle from high school: ¦Ð(R^2). If you multiply this by 579.6, you¡¯ll get the exact number of watts that hit the mirror¡ªwhich, for a perfect mirror, is the same as the watts it reflects. These watts are the luminosity.

    So now we have to figure out how to convert from Absolute Magnitude to Luminosity. The conversion here is direct, unlike between the two Magnitudes, but it is a little awkward. M = -2.5log(L/L0). L is our Luminosity in watts, and L0 is the ¡°zero point Luminosity¡± which is just a fancy term we use for ¡°a reference value Luminosity.¡± L0 is just a number, specifically 3.0128*10^28 watts. Yes this number is big but we¡¯re using equations usually used to measure stars. (I will write it as 3.0128e28 now to make it easier to type and see) We know our luminosity L is 579.6¦Ð(R^2). So we can actually create our equation now!

    m = 5log(D/10) - 2.5log(579.6¦Ð(R^2)/3.0128e28).

    So, let us now use the Sputnik¡¯s parameters to see if our equation is anything close to reasonable. Granted, the Sputnik had a variable distance D and it wasn¡¯t perfectly shiny, but it was just barely visible. If we get an Apparent Magnitude near 6.5 it means our back-of-the-envelope estimate is decent enough to be used for a fictional universe.

    For the sputnik, D was on average 588 kilometers, and the spherical portion had an R of 29 centimeters. Remember we have to be careful with our units: that¡¯s 1.9056e-11 parsecs and 0.29 meters, respectively. Now we can plug these numbers in and get a result!

    m = 5log(1.9056e-11/10) - 2.5log(579.6¦Ð(0.29)^2/3.0128e28).

    m = 5log(1.9056e-12) - 2.5log(5.0828e-27).

    m = 5(-11.72) - 2.5(-26.29).

    m = -58.60 + 65.735

    m = 7.135

    And that, as they say, is ¡°close enough for government work.¡± Our calculation says that Sputnik shouldn¡¯t have been visible at its average orbit, but as previously mentioned Sputnik had a very irregular orbit and came much closer than that, as well as much further. But its surface also wasn¡¯t perfectly reflective, and there¡¯s also the angle the sunlight hits the object we haven¡¯t even considered yet.

    Even so, the magnitude is close enough that we can be relatively sure our equation works. So, how big of a spherical mirror does our little Wizard Spare Program need? Let¡¯s say we want a comfortable magnitude 6. They¡¯re thinking about releasing it at a distance somewhere near that of the ISS, so their D is about 400 km. I won¡¯t show all the steps again, but this eventually gives us an R of 0.33 m, or 33cm. Which is a little larger than the Sputnik.

    So, essentially, they need to make something of comparable size to the Sputnik.

    It probably would have been a lot easier to just assume that, but sometimes you just want to run the calculation, especially if you¡¯re not sure exactly how the science behind it works.

    Note, of course, that this is assuming many things. First of all, this is assuming the spherical mirror is sending all its light out equally in every direction. It is not; only one side is being illuminated¡ªwhat we calculated was the average luminosity of a spherical mirror being illuminated by the sun. Curiously, this means we underestimated the brightness of the object, since when Earth experiences night the satellites tend to reflect a large chunk of the sunlight back at the earth, as the dark side is pointed away from the sun and the Earth. So this gives us some room for error.

    However, this only works if the satellite is not in the Earth¡¯s shadow. Which, depending on the time of night and current location of the satellite, it might be. It all depends on the angles of the celestial bodies if it¡¯s visible or not.

    You could also run this calculation with moonlight, just replace the intensity of sunlight with that of moonlight, and presto. Things are much dimmer though, and the light of the moon tends to reflect back at the moon, not to Earth.

    A final note: why are our measurements of the Absolute and Apparent Magnitudes so unusual? What¡¯s with all the logs? Well, this is entirely because of the fact that we tried to label the brightness of stars with our eyes before we could accurately measure things, and so we assigned things ¡°magnitude 1¡± if they were bright and ¡°magnitude 2¡± if they were not. We kept this scale but applied real measurements to it and found that it worked ¡°best¡± on what is known as a logarithmic scale. Specifically, a magnitude 6 star is 100 times dimmer than a magnitude 1 using the real apparent luminosity. (Other logarithmic scales are different, such as magnitudes of earthquakes, which increase by a factor of 10 between 1 and 2, for instance.) This is why we have so many ¡°logs¡± in the equations. And the numbers and units are so weird because, as mentioned, we usually use these units to measure how stars appear to us.

    Blue is currently in an era of history where the ¡°magnitudes¡± of stars are still declared by how they appear, as measuring luminosity directly is not possible. As such, she has no way to do the calculation we just did. Which is why they had to do the experiment to find out how big they needed to make it.

    This problem was not trivial, however the main difficulty was not so much the mathematics¡ªlogarithms are far from basic math but they aren¡¯t immensely complicated either. The difficulties were making sure to understand the various units and measurements, how to convert between them, and seemingly ¡°little¡± details like the energy output of the sun not equaling the output of visible light. When doing a physics problem from scratch you¡¯ve got to be careful that you understand what you¡¯re doing from all angles.

    And that, my friends, is some actual serious physics calculation.

    Good gravy I just did what is basically a homework problem willingly¡­

    And on a minor note, yes, water does boil when exposed to the vacuum of space. Why? Well, the reason water exists in liquid on Earth¡¯s surface is twofold: the Earth is the right temperature, and the atmosphere exerts the right pressure on the water. The atmospheric pressure forces the water molecules closer together so they interact in such a way as to form a liquid, which is a lightly-bonded state. This is different from a gas, where the particles hardly interact with each other whatsoever and zip around all over the place.

    Lowering the pressure has a similar effect to increasing the temperature of a substance. (This correlation is not exact, and the full relation depends on pressure, temperature, volume, and the number of particles in addition to intermolecular forces when needed). Thus, remove the pressure, and suddenly your water boils.

    If you took off your helmet in space the water on your eyes would boil. This would not burn you, but it would be decidedly uncomfortable. However, the strange sensations of having your eye fluids boil would be a minor footnote to all the other, far more concerning and esoteric pains you would be experiencing.

    PS: 3.028*10^28 is 30,280,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. You can see why we don¡¯t like writing these big numbers out.

 018 - To Say Without Saying

    018

    To Say Without Saying

    ¡°Right, moment of truth,¡± Krays said, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°Time to see if my idea is divine inspiration or a corrosive cockroach cadaver.¡±

    She was with Vaughan, Seskii, Suro, and Jeh in Vaughan¡¯s backyard, looking at the latest of Suro¡¯s arcane devices¡ªthe ¡°mini-spinner.¡± It was roughly pole-shaped and composed only of Orange and Magenta crystals. While Blue crystals had been considered for the application, Blue herself had said flat-out that she couldn¡¯t provide precise calculations for Blue application, only Orange.

    The top of the pole had a disc-shaped Orange crystal about the size of an open palm. It was decently far above their heads¡ªand for good reason. At the base of the pole, a flat piece of Magenta jutted out for someone to place their foot on and activate the device.

    Suro let out a little yawn and a ¡°mrrp¡± noise. ¡°Would you like the honors, Krays?¡±

    ¡°Would I ever.¡± Krays slammed her foot down on the contact plate¡ªthe natural plastic that covered her lower leg was still considered part of her body, and contact was made.

    Jeh started rubbing her hands together. ¡°Ooooh, this is gonna be awesome¡­!¡±

    ¡°Setting to hover mode¡­¡± Suro said, turning a knob near the base of the pole. ¡°You may start.¡±

    Krays tossed a pebble into the air. The Orange in the device caught the tiny object and levitated it in the air at a level exactly at the disc¡¯s plane far above their heads.

    ¡°Keep it steady¡­¡± Suro said.

    Krays snorted. ¡°I work with glass, Suro. Use your brain next time you ask me to do something.¡±

    Suro rolled his eyes. ¡°Setting to spin¡­¡± He clicked the knob back to where it originally was. Slowly, but surely, the floating pebble started to move around the disc. Krays kept her focus; at first, the device asked for very little of her will, but as time went on, the forces produced by it increased at a steady rate. It was far from a high-demand device¡ªif that were the case, Vaughan would be running it, not her¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t a low-demand one either.

    The pebble kept spinning faster and faster and faster around the disc until it was little more than a gray ring-shaped blur, forming an accompanying whirlwind that blew hair and dust around

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Seskii cheered. ¡°We¡¯ve got the donut!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not on fire yet,¡± Krays said. ¡°It needs to be burning.¡±

    ¡°This is remarkably good for a first test,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°We didn¡¯t even calibrate it that preci¡ª¡°

    For a split second, Krays noticed the blurred disc wobble to the left a bit¡ªand then the pebble broke free of the device¡¯s grasp and went flying into a nearby tree, snapping a branch in half.

    ¡°¡­And this is why we made it so tall,¡± Suro commented.

    ¡°Woo! Awesome!¡± Jeh shouted. ¡°Shoot it at me next!¡±

    Krays shrugged playfully. ¡°As much as I would love to fill your little pincushion body with temporary, flimsy holes, I wasn¡¯t aiming. No way to aim, with it going that fast.¡±

    ¡°Good thing we won¡¯t need to, in space,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Any direction is the same. Once we get this thing to size¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not ready for up-scaling,¡± Suro said. ¡°Remember, we wanted to hit ignition speed, but it broke before then.¡±

    Vaughan frowned. ¡°I think it was air turbulence that caused all that.¡±

    ¡°Which, if we can correct for, we¡¯ll have an even better device.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s useful in space?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not no air up there.¡±

    ¡°Trying again,¡± Krays said, picking up another pebble and throwing it into the device. Since they hadn¡¯t set it to hover, it immediately threw it wildly into the sky. ¡°Suro, do that amazingly spectacular thing you do and flip the switch!¡±

    ¡°Turning the knob¡­¡± Suro deadpanned.

    So they did the test again. Once more, the rock didn¡¯t ignite¡ªit spun around extremely fast until something upset it, at which point it flew off in a random direction. Sometimes nobody could even tell what it hit, so they had no idea which way that was.

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ve discovered teleportation,¡± Krays said with a chuckle. ¡°Imagine, popping all the way across the country after spinning for a while!¡±

    ¡°Siege weapons have often been designed like this,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Granted, they aren¡¯t very accurate at hitting things, but if all you want to do is throw something huge at a city, this is generally the way to go if you have the resources.¡±

    Krays nodded. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ familiar. I¡¯ve seen one of those, it¡¯s what gave me the idea. Spin spin spin spin spin WHACK.¡± She slammed her hands together, the clack of her gauntlets sending an echo out into the forest. ¡°Again, Suro.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°So you guys are just¡­ throwing more rocks into it?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Krays said, starting the next trial run. ¡°Gotta see if there are any flukes, then we talk about redesigning it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking we¡¯ll need to invest in more efficient Orange fields,¡± Vaughan said, scratching his beard. ¡°The simple math is just that of a ball on a string, but if we create a donut-shaped well, we could correct for instability¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not an Orange wizard,¡± Krays pointed out. ¡°How on earth are you going to create a precise field spell?¡±

    ¡°I can just write in. But Blue will have to do the math first to make it. And we¡¯ll need to know the exact weight and dimensions of our satellite.¡±

    ¡°Satellites, plural,¡± Krays said as another pebble launched in a random direction. This one hit the plast-derived sheet they had set up to keep the rocks from hitting Vaughan¡¯s cabin. It did not work¡ªthe pebble hit in just the wrong way to pass right through and break a window.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough testing of that,¡± Vaughan said, running over to the window and mending it with Green.

    ¡°It¡¯s enough to tell us it¡¯s only working as well as a drunk at the end of the night,¡± Krays said. ¡°That is to say, terribly, but hey you can at least identify that the poor guy¡¯s trying to walk straight.¡±

    ¡°Aww, it¡¯s over already?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Suro said. ¡°And now I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s time to discuss redesigns. Perhaps the weakness is in the upright stabilization portion?¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Maybe we should decelerate¡­¡±

    As they began to discuss the finer details of redesigning the spin-launcher they got further and further into technical jargon and stuff that Jeh wasn¡¯t able to follow all that well. She sat down on a nearby crate and kicked her legs back and forth.

    Seskii walked over to her. ¡°Hey, bored.¡±

    ¡°My feeling is not my name,¡± Jeh said, looking up at her.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s fine to be bored.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­ I don¡¯t wanna be, this is our big project. I¡¯m gonna be flying with the bigger version of this thing strapped to the top of the Skyseed soon enough.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to help design it. There¡¯s a reason we have a team with a lot of different people who can do different things.¡± Seskii laid a hand on her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can go play in the forest and find your forest friends.¡±

    Jeh blinked. She hadn¡¯t even considered leaving and doing something else, but¡­ now that she thought about it, that really did seem like it would be more fun than sitting around listening to a wizard, a glassblower, and a jeweler argue about the best way to arrange crystals in a device for efficiency.

    With a stretch, Jeh hopped down from her box. ¡°Well, you be sure to have fun too.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I always know how to have fun!¡± Seskii winked. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about me!¡±

    Jeh let out a childish giggle before scampering off into the forest. Krays noticed her go, but didn¡¯t comment on it¡ªshe was the least ¡°qualified¡± among the three people debating over the device, so she needed to focus to make sure she didn¡¯t make a fool of herself while also being heard. This was her idea, and the wizard and the jeweler weren¡¯t going to push her out of it!

    ~~~

    ¡°I love cooking,¡± Ashen realized.

    Ukelele looked up at her, head tilted and half of his eyes squinted.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t eat. But it means I can BURN things for a purpose!¡± She located a nearby squirrel and baked it, prompting it to fall out of a nearby tree where Ukelele could have it. ¡°Food! Heat provides food! ¡­I should ask Jeh to get some cookbooks, perhaps some seasonings.¡±

    Ukelele nodded, picking up the squirrel. Using a shard of Ashen she¡¯d given him, he started cutting off the hair to make it easier to eat.

    ¡°I wonder how her tastes differ from yours. I¡¯ve been cooking for you for a while, but she¡¯s never eaten anything of mine¡­ Hmm, I bet she¡¯d like bear. Next time a bear comes along, FIRE. Heh¡­¡± A few of Ashen¡¯s facets flickered. ¡°Ukelele, this is probably misplaced, but I thank you for giving me the gift of cooking. I must provide you food, I learn how burning can be a good thing!¡±

    He bowed at her.

    ¡°¡­Please stop doing that.¡±

    The bug-like spirited awkwardly stood back up and tried not to make eye contact with Ashen¡ªwhich was odd, considering Ashen had no eyes and her own ¡°sight¡± was nowhere near as good as what she saw when looking through his eyes.

    ¡°Good. Anyway, if you really are going to stay here for an eternity, I will need more recipes. You can¡¯t just eat charred meat forever.¡±

    Ukelele shrugged.

    ¡°Maybe trees can be cooked¡­¡±

    He shook his head vigorously, then made a chattering noise. It was far from an actual word, but it was progress. A vocalization.

    One day, I¡¯ll get something out of him.

    At that moment, Ukelele¡¯s shoulder exploded. His arm remained attached to his body, but thick yellow fluid splashed all over the clearing. Ashen was able to feel the pain through Ukelele¡¯s senses, prompting her to let out a burst of flame into the sky.

    Immediately, she began compartmentalizing her awareness to figure out what had just happened. One part continued to scream at the pain while the others ignored it and spent time analyzing the actual situation. The explosion emanated from the top of the shoulder, and there hadn¡¯t been any fire. In fact, she quickly identified it as a concussive force¡ªsomething physical had slammed into his shoulder, launched from above them.

    This prompted Ashen to re-arrange her crystal structure to form a roof over Ukelele, drawing him closer to her main body to protect him.

    She noted that there had been a loud bang sound that had arrived after the object had struck Ukelele¡¯s shoulder, which meant the object had been moving faster than sound. She could not rely on Ukelele¡¯s senses or her memory of them to see above, however, she had managed to develop senses of her own. Light and vibrations that actually struck her facets were recorded, giving her sight and hearing, though it had a lot more noise and didn¡¯t filter things out like normal spirited senses. It took her a while to process the information¡ªwhich, in an absolute sense, was seven seconds.

    She had ¡°seen¡± nothing. She could identify the object itself only about half a second before it struck Ukelele¡ªsome kind of smooth, hard projectile. Jeh had mentioned firearm arcane devices before, perhaps it came from one of those? Ashen was able to feel some shifting in the flow of magic, but she didn¡¯t even pretend to understand how to read that.

    However, she had ¡°heard¡± much more. Using her known speed of sound and how the bang had echoed off the various trees and rocks, she was able to pinpoint the location of the sound¡¯s origin. There was nothing there¡ªvisually, anyway. But it was barely outside of her perception bubble, so even if there had been a spirited there, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to see through it.

    This was the thing Ukelele was hiding from. It found a way around me.

    Ashen let some of her mind continue trying to find the current position of the attacker, though this was rather fruitless. She split most of the rest of herself to Ukelele.

    He was bleeding out. She was no doctor and didn¡¯t know the physiology of his species, but she knew he would be dead very soon.

    She was a Red Crystalline One. She could only burn. She could not heal.

    She could do nothing.

    ¡°I am so sorry¡­ I¡­¡±

    Her thoughts were interrupted by her senses picking up Jeh walking toward them.

    ¡°Jeh! Get over here now, we need your Green!¡±

    ¡°On it!¡± Jeh called, running through the woods at top speed. She came to a skidding stop less than a minute later at Ashen¡¯s tree, holding out her Green. ¡°Where¡¯s the patient?¡±

    Ashen opened up her crystal lattice to reveal the injured Ukelele.

    Jeh wasted no time in using her Green¡ªthough she clearly had to focus hard to revert an injury of such an extent. While she did so, she glanced at Ashen.

    ¡°¡­Ukelele?¡±

    ¡°He wished to remain secret, but we are out of options, I shall explain in a moment.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Jeh returned to healing him up. ¡°There. Good as new.¡±

    Ukelele, while fully healthy, trembled in fear and refused to leave the cavity inside Ashen.

    ¡°¡­Not gonna talk in that weird buzz you do?¡±

    The Red Seeker shook his head with so much effort that he bonked his head painfully against Ashen.

    ¡°Geez... I guess you did almost die, but calm down.¡±

    He just kept trembling.

    ¡°He could stand to thank you, at least¡­ he¡¯s immensely lucky you arrived when you did.¡±

    Jeh scratched her head through her bear hood. ¡°Okay¡­ Ashen, what?¡±

    Ashen¡¯s facets flashed Red in a few places.  ¡°Jeh, you were correct, this is Ukelele. He was running from some kind of monster or hunter a few weeks ago and stumbled into my protection and then refused to leave. Whatever was hunting him knew not to come within range of my senses. I decided to protect him, but he definitely didn¡¯t want you to know he existed, so I hid him with the unspoken agreement that he wouldn¡¯t tell anyone where I was.¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Makes sense.¡±

    ¡°¡­I thought you would be mad.¡±

    ¡°Why would I be mad?¡±

    ¡°I kept a secret from¡­ never mind.¡± Ashen¡¯s facets flickered once again. ¡°Regardless, before you arrived, something shot a small object at Ukelele from far enough above that I couldn¡¯t sense the source. It was most definitely an attack, and it barely missed his head.¡±

    Jeh glanced over at Ukelele, brow furrowing. ¡°You really are lucky I was here.¡±

    Ukelele had enough of his wits about him to nod.

    Jeh sighed. ¡°Not going to explain anything?¡±

    Ukelele shook his head.

    ¡°Not even¡­¡± She pulled out some Yellow and held it out, raising an eyebrow.

    He rejected the connection outright.

    ¡°Well, how am I supposed to help you if I don¡¯t know what the problem is!?¡±

    ¡°Now you see my problem,¡± Ashen said.

    The Red Seeker pressed himself to Ashen¡¯s facets.

    ¡°If your hunter is determined enough to wait weeks to devise a method of attacking you without confronting me, she will eventually find a way to circumvent my shields. My protection cannot last forever.¡±

    No response from him.

    ¡°¡­We should get help,¡± Jeh suggested. ¡°Vaughan might be able t¡ª¡°

    Ukelele grabbed her by the shoulders and started shaking her violently, letting out pained whines and shaking his head.

    ¡°Man, you¡¯re terrified.¡± Jeh slowly peeled Ukelele¡¯s ebony hands off of her shoulders. ¡°But¡­ I mean, I can¡¯t track the hunter down, Ashen can¡¯t move very easily.¡±

    ¡°And the hunter is smart enough to avoid me but likely strong enough to overpower Jeh.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what being shot feels like¡­¡±

    ¡°I doubt it would be pleasant.¡±

    ¡°It would still be an experience!¡± Jeh crossed her arms and tapped her foot. ¡°Gotta help Ukelele¡­ gotta help Ukelele¡­ yeah, I got nothing. I barely even know how an arcane firearm works.¡± She put a hand to her chin. ¡°Maybe it can be traced?¡±

    ¡°While I can see magic flowing, I am not able to track it very well.¡±

    ¡°Vaughan or Suro probably could.¡±

    ¡°¡­I am hesitant to reveal myself, but¡­ Suro.¡± Ashen thought back to the voice of the cat calming her and letting her think about who she was and what she was doing in a moment of personal turmoil. ¡°I believe he would be understanding of me.¡±

    ¡°So I can bring him?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the situation is dire enough. Let us hope that he can keep a secret.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ think so?¡±

    Ukelele let out a pained cry and shook his head repeatedly.

    ¡°Great Eights¡­¡± Jeh let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°We¡¯re trying to help you! Suro¡¯s a jeweler, he can figure out the firearm thing! Then we can find the hunter and I can¡­ I dunno, punch her or something.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m partial to burning myself.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that.¡± Jeh turned to Ukelele. ¡°So if there¡¯s some reason we should not do this, you¡¯re gonna have to tell us or we¡¯re gonna do it.¡±

    Ukelele held up a hand. He slowly removed a piece of parchment from his cloak and then proceeded to glare at Ashen. He closed and opened his eyes.

    ¡°I am not looking through your senses right now.¡±

    Ukelele quickly scribbled something on the paper, folded it up, and wrote something on the front. He handed it to Jeh.

    For Jeh¡¯s eyes ONLY. It read.

    ¡°How baffling¡­ I am now no longer looking through your senses either, Jeh. I do feel kind of insulted that he¡¯s willing to tell you and not me.¡±

    ¡°Maybe because I¡¯m invincible,¡± Jeh said as she opened the paper up. ¡°You aren¡¯t exactly.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    The interior of the paper was this: Jeh, let me be clear. I am marked for death because I know something I am not supposed to know. Anyone who so much as knows that I know something is also in danger. Even giving a word of explanation such as this might mark you for death, I don¡¯t know for sure! I can only hope you truly are invincible, and that I have not signed your final death warrant. DO NOT TELL ANYONE ANY OF THIS. DO NOT BRING SURO.

    Jeh closed the letter. ¡°Well. Uh. Er. Hmm.¡±

    ¡°¡­You look troubled.¡±

    ¡°No, really.¡± Jeh sat down on her rock and leaned into the palm of one of her hands. ¡°¡­Good gravy, that¡¯s annoying. I can¡¯t even say anything.¡±

    Ukelele waved his hands rapidly in panic.

    Jeh glared at him. ¡°Pretty sure I can say that I can¡¯t say anything. That¡¯s, like, obvious!¡±

    He whimpered.

    ¡°And I think you¡¯re being overly paranoid. Or¡­¡± A shadow crossed over Jeh¡¯s face. ¡°Maybe not¡­¡±

    Ashen flickered. ¡°So going for help is out?¡±

    Jeh shook her head. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think so. Just need to tell Suro not to question Ukelele.¡±

    Ukelele would have pulled out his hair if he had any.

    ¡°Hey, you explained enough to get me worried! And¡­ and¡­¡± Jeh stood up and stamped her foot on the ground. ¡°This is impossible, I can¡¯t even argue with you without telling Ashen, and you¡¯re not going to leave Ashen and augh!¡±

    Everything was silent for a moment. Until, at last, Ashen spoke.

    ¡°I will just have to trust you then, Jeh. You do what you think is necessary.¡±

    Jeh locked her hands behind her back and took in a sharp breath of air. ¡°Why does it come down to me¡­?¡± She sighed. ¡°¡­I¡¯m getting Suro, but I¡¯m gonna have to think about how to tell Suro without telling him. Which you think would be a nonsense statement, but no, apparently not!¡± She pointed an accusatory finger at Ukelele, opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it. ¡°¡­I have no idea if you¡¯re even at fault here, yelling at you wouldn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    Ukelele looked relieved.

    ¡°I¡¯m still very annoyed. Not sure if I¡¯m annoyed at you or this hunter, but clearly this hunter needs to burn.¡± She turned her back to them and started walking out of the forest. ¡°I¡¯ll be back. Hopefully without an imminent disaster.¡± She flicked the paper Ukelele handed her into the air. ¡°Burn that, Ashen.¡±

    Ashen did as requested. She quickly began mentally preparing herself for Suro¡¯s arrival, but something else was stuck in her mind that she couldn¡¯t get rid of, merely section to a smaller portion of her mind.

    Trust Jeh.

    Don¡¯t ask her what¡¯s going on.

    She¡¯s your friend, and she knows it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t know.

    It was not the easiest to convince herself of this.

    Trust Jeh.

    ~~~

    ¡°Delivery!¡± Blue called as she trotted around Vaughan¡¯s cabin with a large cart strapped to her back. Whatever was in the cart was covered by a large white sheet and a lot of rope to keep it held down.

    ¡°Ooooh!¡± Seskii said, running over¡ªstartling Krays into launching a pebble into the forest ¡°Are they really here!?¡±

    ¡°You betcha!¡±

    ¡°...Sure,¡± Krays said. ¡°Be the interrupting cow. Destroy my dreams. No fire, no smoke, all because of¡ª¡° She realized no one was listening to her insults and were instead extremely eager to uncover Blue¡¯s delivery. Krays folded her arms and took in a sharp breath. ¡°They¡¯re gettin¡¯ too used to me.¡±

    Vaughan used Orange to untie the cargo and remove the sheet, revealing two identical spherical mirrors roughly two-thirds of a meter in diameter.

    ¡°Beautiful¡­¡± Seskii said, putting her hands to her face.

    ¡°And mathematically neat, too,¡± Blue said, lifting one up with her telekinesis. ¡°This is as close to a perfect sphere as we could purchase; it¡¯s very light, but it¡¯s also reinforced on the inside with a mesh so it can handle the forces we¡¯re going to subject it to.¡±

    ¡°Reinforced how?¡± Suro asked, adjusting his glasses.

    Krays grinned. ¡°I saw the plans for these. They have thin rods inside that radiate from a central point, forming a mesh of many triangles on which the mirror is supported.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°The difficulty in making the final spin-launcher is going to be in calibrating the spell perfectly to the size of these spheres. We¡­ are going to have to send a request to an Orange Wizard for that one.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°I already have Alex looking around,¡± Vaughan said with a smirk.

    Krays grinned. ¡°Aww, you got the scaly boi to do some work for you! Devious.¡±

    Vaughan shrugged. ¡°If it works, it works. He¡¯s got wings, connections, and a nose for sniffing out useful people.¡±

    ¡°And he actually likes being a Messenger, unlike me,¡± Blue added. ¡°Works great!¡±

    ¡°A personal messenger dragon,¡± Suro mused, scratching his chin with his claws. ¡°Sounds like something only royalty would have.¡±

    ¡°Watch us become royalty,¡± Krays said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Even if our business is successful, being rich does not automatically grant you a royal title.¡±

    ¡°Pfft, who cares about things like laws?¡± Krays waved a dismissive hand as she walked up to one of the mirrors and moved her face back and forth, watching her distorted reflection grow and shrink. ¡°Hey there good-lookin.¡¯ ¡± She struck a pose that contorted in the sphere to make her look like a giant head with tiny stick legs.

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to perform some measurements on these spheres to make sure they really are the same and balanced.¡± She levitated them out of the cart and walked into the cabin. ¡°You all can get back to your spin-launch tests.¡±

    ¡°Later,¡± Krays said. ¡°Now, it¡¯s mirror time.¡±

    ¡°¡­They¡¯re just mirrors.¡±

    ¡°That we¡¯re going to launch into space!¡± Seskii said. ¡°Until they sparkle!¡±

    ¡°We should name them,¡± Vaughan suggested. ¡°The Sphlanets. Y¡¯know. Sphere planet.¡±

    ¡°I think Starsphere would sound better,¡± Krays said.

    ¡°How about just Twinklers?¡± Blue suggested.

    This naming argument continued as they made their way toward the cabin, with Suro tailing at the back.

    ¡°Psst!¡±

    Suro stopped, his ears perking up. He turned to the treeline, seeing Jeh waving to him from up a tree. He adjusted his glasses, giving her a look of clear confusion. She clearly didn¡¯t want anyone else to see her, just him¡ªand he had no clue why, but he decided to go with it. He walked over to her and climbed the tree, sitting calmly in front of her. ¡°What is it, Jeh?¡±

    ¡°See, that¡¯s the problem.¡± Jeh folded her arms. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to figure out how to tell you without telling you and I¡¯ve got nothing.¡±

    ¡°O¡­ kay?¡±

    ¡°I need your help and I can¡¯t tell you why. And I hate that I can¡¯t and can¡¯t think of a way to do it.¡±

    Suro chuckled. ¡°Jeh, I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help you so long as it¡¯s not evil or something. But I do have to know what you¡¯re asking me to do before I can do it.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m trying to track down what I think is someone shooting an arcane firearm, and I need to do it discretely.¡±

    Suro¡¯s face fell and became completely serious. ¡°An arcane firearm¡­¡± Suro frowned. ¡°I would ask for details, but something tells me that would be pointless.¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°So instead I¡¯ll just come with you and help.¡± Suro flicked his ears. ¡°To track an arcane firearm, one needs to be able to see and filter the aether. Something that is not easy to do¡ªbut no self-respecting jeweler these days would work without an arcane lens on hand.¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get it from my shop and show you,¡± Suro said. ¡°Since I assume you¡¯d rather not show yourself in town right now?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡± Jeh tilted her hand side to side.

    ¡°Then just wait here, I¡¯ll be back. And yes, I am going to help you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone!¡± Jeh called.

    ¡°I know,¡± Suro said. ¡°I would not violate your trust like that. I won¡¯t even tell Lila unless she corners me, which I highly doubt she will.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Suro hopped down the tree and scampered as fast as his short legs would carry him back to his shop.

    ~~~

    Suro returned sometime later. He was wearing a complex pair of glasses¡ªwith many more lenses and magnifiers than his usual pair.

    ¡°That¡¯s your arcane lens?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Just one of them.¡± Suro gestured toward a lens seemingly made of Purple sitting in such a place so it could be adjusted over his right eye. ¡°This is the arcane lens. It¡¯s a highly difficult arcane device to construct. Since it has to have an absurdly fine level of detail to work properly, it¡¯s one of the hardest things for a jeweler to make. Ultimately, it is a lens of Purple with pieces of Magenta dust spread throughout it, with a ring of Magenta along the edges.¡± He traced his finger along the fine rim, and Jeh noted that, yes, in fact, the edges were flashing slightly, indicating a stored spell. ¡°Magenta is sensitive to spells, as you know. However, no spell is perfect or uniformly directed, and pieces of it go flying off in the aether. Magenta can still react with these fragments, but they do not contain enough will to trigger a spell. However, tiny shards of Magenta will react, and other Magenta crystals can react off this reaction so long as will is introduced. That is one of the spells in the lens, the other is a simple light adjustment. The Purple produces a soft white light where the Magenta detects these fragments¡ªthis isn¡¯t exactly a simple spell, either, but it¡¯s nowhere near as precise or difficult as the Magenta-Magenta reaction. Thus, it is possible to see spells being cast and in what direction they are coming from, assuming they are strong enough, and unfocused spells.¡±

    ¡°Unfocused?¡± Jeh tilted her head.

    ¡°A good wizard can focus all his mind into a spell, so the efficiency of the spell is maximized and little to no fragments go flying. However, anyone using a device isn¡¯t crafting the spell themselves, and they send out a lot of fragments.¡± Suro tilted his head to the side, willing the lens to activate, triggering a soft white glow. ¡°It reacts to itself, unfortunately, so a lot of noise is drowned out. But¡­ here, try casting something.¡±

    Jeh pulled out some Orange and lifted a nearby rock into the air. There was a slight difference in the glowing of the lens in the direction she was casting the spell.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not very precise, but it will provide a direction of someone using an arcane device.¡± Suro deactivated the lens. ¡°My eyes are good enough to use it effectively and I have much experience with it. I should be able to track down this¡­ arcane firearm. I do have to ask you to protect me, though, for I am just a cat.¡±

    ¡°Doing the best I can,¡± Jeh said, looking to the depths of the forest. ¡°¡­Would you mind if I stuffed you into a sack to keep you from maybe being a target?¡±

    ¡°¡­It will be awkward but I will accept the indignity in exchange for safety.¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Stay right here.¡±

    Roughly five minutes later she returned with a brown cat-sized sack draped over her back. ¡°Get in.¡±

    Suro sighed. ¡°The things I do¡­¡± He jumped in and allowed himself to be carried deeper into the forest.

    ~~~

    Most everyone but Blue got bored of the spherical-mirror measuring rather quickly, and no name had been decided on. Krays, Vaughan, and Seskii went back outside to test the spin-launcher. They noted Suro was gone, but didn¡¯t think too much of it.

    Vaughan took his hand off the Magenta crystals near the top of the spin-launcher. ¡°Right, I think that¡¯ll improve its performance. Or else make it worse.¡± With a shrug, he climbed down from the crate he was standing on and went over to Seskii and Krays. ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°Is the sky blue?¡± Krays asked. ¡°Can birds fly? Is there not a single gray strand in your beard?¡±

    ¡°Har-de-har,¡± Vaughan deadpanned.

    Krays slammed her foot on the contact plate and tossed a pebble up. It was quickly caught by the device and started spinning around faster and faster. Soon, it was a gray donut-shaped blur that appeared stable.

    ¡°Come on¡­¡± Krays said, starting to feel the strain of powering the increased spin power.

    The gray donut began to glow a soft red, and tufts of flame started coming off of it.

    ¡°Yes! Fire!¡± Krays laughed. ¡°Buuuuurn!¡±

    The pebble fragmented into several roasting pieces, launching at numerous angles into the air, ground, and nearby trees. One particularly dry and nearly dead branch ignited. Seskii scrambled over and dumped some kind of juice on it, putting out the flames. ¡°All clear!¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Vaughan stroked his beard. ¡°¡­Can we do that again?¡±

    ¡°Well, it clearly isn¡¯t safe,¡± Krays said, folding her arms. ¡°But let¡¯s see¡­ it¡¯s just you, me, and Seskii here right now.¡± She began to chuckle ominously. ¡°In other words, a distinct lack of responsible adults.¡±

    ¡°Excellent!¡± Vaughan picked up another pebble and tossed it to her.

    ¡°I wonder if we could rotate other things,¡± Seskii said. ¡°Things that might explode more spectacularly. Like, oh¡­ Colored crystals?¡±

    ¡°After we test the reliability of rocks,¡± Krays said.

    ¡°You mean send more exploding rocks into the forest.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. Problem?¡±

    Seskii grinned. ¡°A few, but none that¡¯ll make me stop the ill-advised experiment. Safety third, after all.¡±

    ¡°Spoken like a true Red wizard!¡± Vaughan declared.

    ¡°Red wizards kill themselves with their own fire all the time,¡± Krays said as she started spinning the next pebble.

    ¡°Bah, it¡¯s just a risk we live with.¡±

    ¡°Until you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Until we don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, does that make us Red wizards?¡± Seskii asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Vaughan said, waving a dismissive hand. ¡°In f¡ª¡°

    The smoldering pebble shattered and sent a portion of itself right through Vaughan¡¯s hand. ¡°AUGH!¡± He quickly shoved his other hand into his pocket and mended the wound with Green. ¡°Pain¡­¡±

    Krays tilted her head to the side. ¡°Does this mean we have to stop¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, no, carry on. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Seskii put out another small fire with her juice. ¡°These things are launching very far¡­¡± She put her hand to her chin. ¡°¡­Naaaah, it won¡¯t cause a forest fire. Spring is too wet for that.¡±

    Krays took out a small Blue crystal. ¡°All right, here goes¡­¡± She threw it up into the device¡¯s range and started spinning. ¡°Fun time¡­¡±

    ~~~

    He flew overhead once more.

    He knew he likely did not have much time. That immortal girl had gotten the cat and the arcane lens. They were going to try and trace him.

    Which meant he was only going to get one shot.

    He had to hand it to Ukelele, the yornik had managed to play his cards exceptionally well. By refusing to speak, he had managed to instill a sense of unease in everyone surrounding his situation without giving any information away¡ªexcept perhaps to the immortal child, but there was nothing the hunter could do about her. He knew better. But the immortal child had said very little to the cat, and thus the cat was not marked.

    Killing the cat and writing it up as collateral damage would be¡­ problematic, at best.

    What the hunter needed now was an instant kill because he was likely going to be targeted after one shot. Even if the odds were low the arcane lens could pinpoint his location so precisely, Ashen could likely make up the difference, and that would be that¡ªthen they could just use Green to heal Ukelele and this would all be pointless.

    He shifted his body¡ªstill keeping its material as sound-muffling and sky-colored as possible¡ªturning the arcane firearm over inside. It was an extremely high-quality device, able to release Red explosions that propelled the ¡°bullets¡± forward at high velocity. These bullets were usually just hunks of metal, but he had a few special ones in reserve¡ªhighly rare and expensive, but he was only going to get one shot, so he might as well.

    He grew a limb with three claws and pulled a single bullet coated in Magenta and Red crystals. He pushed his will into the bullet, starting the timer loop¡ªa Magenta glow started rotating around the rim. He shifted his limb into a key-like protrusion made of metal that he stuck into the side of the bullet, adjusting the timer so that, when he shot it, it would explode on contact with Ukelele¡¯s head.

    Green could rarely put a splattered brain back together properly.

    He readied the gun, but kept it behind a wall of flesh¡ªwhen he was ready, he would open up for a split second to fire. Before then, however, he was just part of the sky, complete with clouds patterns that moved across his skin. Because of this, he couldn¡¯t afford to grow eyes on his underside, so he had to rely entirely on secondary senses¡ªhearing.

    Fortunately, he had practiced shaping ears so well that he could easily hear everything that was happening on the ground despite how high up he was flying.

    ¡°A-ashen!?¡± Suro blurted.

    ¡°Yes, it is I, Ashen!¡± Ashen declared¡ªa voice that the hunter had to grow an entirely new organ to hear at this distance. It was exceptionally difficult to hear a Crystalline One¡¯s voice without them knowing the listener existed, but it was possible with careful application of subtle Yellow. After all, she was broadcasting the voice, not sending it directly into a specific mind. If she did that, the hunter wouldn¡¯t be able to hear anything. ¡°I, the fire of the forest, the ember of the mountain¡­ I beseech you, Suro, for your assistance in saving this poor creature from certain doom.¡±

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°Why are you talking like that?¡±

    Suro shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s trying to impress upon me the importance of the situation. I believe she¡¯s also trying to scare me a little¡ªdo not worry, Ashen, I will not reveal your location. You don¡¯t even have to ask.¡±

    ¡°¡­You are far more accommodating than I expected.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Suro adjusted his glasses, turning the arcane lens up toward the sky, right at the hunter. He shouldn¡¯t be able to see anything yet¡ªall that was active was his Yellow, which he was being subtle with, and the bullet¡¯s timer, which should have been too small to be seen from that distance.

    But there was no doubt in the hunter¡¯s mind that the lens could see the arcane firearm when it fired. Already he had drawn up a mental escape plan¡ªshoot, confirm kill, then develop a propeller arrangement of wings to get out of there as fast as possible, maybe even go through the pain involved with breaking the sound barrier. The problem was it might take too long to confirm the kill and get away, which was making the hunter more than a little on edge.

    Still, he listened, and waited. He could not sense Ukelele, as he was still inside the bulk of Ashen. However, the hunter had already heard them discuss the fact that he couldn¡¯t be left in there. They would take him out eventually¡­

    Jeh and Ashen explained the situation to Suro, but Jeh notably didn¡¯t reveal much of anything about the contents of Ukelele¡¯s letter. This infuriated the hunter¡ªwas the immortal child a security risk or not? What had been in there? Were she anyone else, she would just be taken out as a potential security risk, but no, that wasn¡¯t even possible.

    They were being too clever, and the hunter was not the sort that enjoyed a challenge. Efficiency and cleanliness was the rule of the game, and challenges tended to get dirty.

    He cursed himself for not planning on any Green being nearby the first time.

    ¡°We need to come up with some kind of plan,¡± Suro said. ¡°I have the means to pinpoint her location, but only if she¡¯s using the arcane firearm you think she is.¡±

    Correct, little cat. Aggravatingly correct¡­

    ¡°And while more information would be beneficial, I trust Jeh knows what she can and can¡¯t tell us.¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± Jeh said with a shrug. ¡°But I¡¯m not taking any risks.¡±

    Just say something, you foolish child! Give me a reason to lay waste to this entire area!

    ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Suro started pacing in a circle. ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°You are deep in thought.¡±

    ¡°I am considering the possibility that everything we say is heard,¡± Suro said. ¡°Ukelele is not speaking for a reason.¡±

    Diadem you, cat!

    ¡°Eh?¡± Jeh said, confused.

    ¡°Rather simply, if he just couldn¡¯t say certain pieces of information, he could talk like you are, Jeh. But he¡¯s not saying anything. We must assume all we say can be heard.¡± Suro turned to Ashen. ¡°Ashen, project words directly into my mind, I¡¯ll respond nonverbally.¡±

    And then Ashen started talking without broadcasting.

    Diadem, diadem, diadem! The hunter wanted to roar, but kept it under control. His hearing was good enough that he could tell Suro was nodding and shaking his head, but as for what Ashen was putting in his mind, he had no idea.

    ¡°This is so weird,¡± Jeh said, looking between Ashen and Suro. ¡°It¡¯s an entire private conversation¡ªoh! I hear you, Ashen! ¡­Oh, different conversation? Annoying.¡±

    Annoying doesn¡¯t even begin to cover it. The hunter couldn¡¯t make his ears any more precise and they wouldn¡¯t help even if they were. He was just going to have to make do with what was being presented to him, which was¡­ this nonsense.

    They were clearly forming a plan, some way to either track him or get Ukelele to some kind of perceived safety. He watched carefully and closely for any sign of movement.

    He was eventually greeted to it¡ªpart of Ashen began to separate from her main body, a shell just large enough to potentially hide Ukelele within. But the Hunter knew better; this would be the decoy, trying to get him to reveal himself. Perhaps all they wanted was to get him to shoot, but he wasn¡¯t going to give it to them.

    Then he heard the ground beneath Ashen creak slightly.

    They think I¡¯m listening, but they don¡¯t know how sensitive my ears are! Focusing his senses on that location, he was able to determine that another section of Ashen was being moved under the ground slowly.

    He knew immediately what their plan was. Try to fool him with the decoy, perhaps even letting him believe he¡¯d killed Ukelele, while moving to hide him underground where no sign of him could be detected. It was clever, but it had several holes in it.

    However, the one hole he was going to exploit was one they¡¯d had no way to account for. He heard everything and had a specialized explosive round. He quickly mapped out the size of the crystal casing, how far it was from the ground, and subsequently where the center of it was. The explosive bullet would just have to get inside the crystal casing¡ªno need to go for a headshot, the enclosed space would incinerate everything.

    He had to shoot before Ukelele got further underground, though.

    He pulled the trigger.

    A crystalline object flew by him at speeds so high it was on fire. it didn¡¯t hit him¡ªit didn¡¯t even come close¡ªbut it did startle him.

    Enough to throw his aim off by less than a degree.

    Enough to make the bullet explode next to the crystal case that held Ukelele, not inside it. It was possible Ukelele was still dead, but it wasn¡¯t guaranteed. The hunter needed to confirm the kill.

    ¡°There!¡± Suro shouted, pointing a claw.

    For a brief moment, the hunter considered abandoning the hunt. Running away to save his own skin. Becoming a traitor and suffering the indignity of being hunted himself for the rest of what would likely be his very short life.

    He rejected this idea. He would never be marked for death. He would fight.

    He heard Ashen start to lift herself from the ground, tree and all, with a powerful burst of flame. He had no chance to take her in direct combat, so he needed to be fast.

    He stopped trying to be stealthy. He shapeshifted into a metallic needle shape and used a Red explosion behind him to launch himself to the ground at absurdly high speeds, aiming his point directly at Ukelele¡¯s location. He would skewer into the earth and then expand, crushing everything and everyone. Ashen saw him and immediately started heating him up directly¡ªthe friction and the magic creating fire around him.

    He could only make himself so heat-resistant, but it would be enough. Enough to finalize the kill. Enough to¡­

    Jeh pushed him sideways with Orange.

    He missed.

    The moment he struck the ground and felt nothing but dirt, he knew he was done for. Ashen¡¯s heat was too much, and if he tried to shapeshift into anything else, the heat resistance he had set up would falter and he would just disintegrate.

    How embarrassing... such a pathetic end¡­

    Ashen¡¯s fires melted him. With what little energy he had left, he destroyed all his belongings¡ªshredding his documents, shattering all his Crystals, and pulverizing his arcane devices. They would find nothing but burnt powder remains.

    ¡°You burn, shapeshifter,¡± Ashen said as she landed herself and her tree awkwardly near him. ¡°You die, unless you offer me a reason to spare you.¡±

    The shapeshifter laughed inwardly. Mercy? From a Red Crystalline One? What an absurd thing.

    He told her nothing, resigning himself to the flames.

    ~~~

    Jeh patched up Ukelele again¡ªhis carapace had been cracked in multiple locations due to the explosive shockwave and he¡¯d been in great pain, but he wasn¡¯t dead. ¡°Oh, thank Dia¡­¡± She wiped her brow. ¡°I was worried there for a sec!¡±

    Ukelele pulled himself out of the hole in the ground he occupied. Ashen was sitting nearby, her tree lopsided and uprooted, but she was using her Red to shape the soil and plant the tree again, while also grabbing the fragments Ukelele had been enclosed in so she could incorporate them back into herself.

    Ukelele glanced at the pile of smoldering ash nearby.

    ¡°Yep, that was your hunter,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Some kind of freaky shapeshifter.¡± She patted him on the back. ¡°She won¡¯t bother you anymore, so we¡¯re free we¡ª¡°

    ¡°We are not free,¡± Ukelele buzzed. ¡°We merely have a respite.¡± He leaned in toward Jeh, trying to give her the impression he was locking eyes with her, even though that was impossible with the kind of eyes his species had. ¡°There will be others after me. You should still say nothing. Nothing. Do you understand?¡±

    Jeh frowned. ¡°But¡ª¡°

    ¡°Perhaps he knows what he means, Jeh,¡± Suro said.

    Jeh crossed her arms and sighed. ¡°All right¡­ it¡¯s not like I know much anyway.¡±

    ¡°Which is good for you. Not for me.¡± Ukelele twitched. ¡°I can¡¯t stay here, I need to go in hiding far, far away, where no one can ever find me.¡± He dusted off his robes. ¡°¡­Ashen, queen of fire, speaker of the Red¡­ I thank you for your patience, kindness, and understanding. You have shown me that what we Seek can have many different forms.¡±

    ¡°¡­You are welcome,¡± Ashen said as she worked to right the tree properly. ¡°Is there anything we can do to make your journey easier?¡±

    ¡°Forget I ever existed,¡± Ukelele said. ¡°Forget everything about this. I know you won¡¯t¡­ but it is better for all of you if you do.¡± He reached into his robes and pulled out a letter, handing it to Jeh. ¡°Make sure that Joira gets this. Do not read it.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Jeh said, shaking her head rapidly.

    ¡°Good.¡± He turned his back to them. ¡°¡­I should get moving. I¡¯m going to need as much of a head start as I can get¡­¡± He all but ran into the forest, leaving them all behind.

    Suro sighed. ¡°Well¡­ that was certainly an experience.¡± He walked up to Jeh and put a paw on her leg. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, though.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You kept your head and managed a dire situation with courage. Not many adults could claim to do that.¡±

    Jeh smiled warmly at him. ¡°Thanks. I just¡­¡± She rubbed the back of her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really feel like we won, you know? I mean, sure, the monster¡¯s dead, but¡­ Ukelele¡¯s running off, I can¡¯t say anything, and I still don¡¯t know any answers.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain you want answers?¡±

    ¡°No. And that bugs me.¡± Jeh crossed her arms. ¡°Bugs me a lot¡­¡±

    ¡°I would like to thank you, Suro, for being so quick to understand and accommodating.¡±

    ¡°Sadly, this comes from experience,¡± Suro said with a sigh. ¡°You have to put uncertainty, reservations, and history aside in an instant for these kinds of things. I didn¡¯t even get an opportunity to ask how you¡¯ve been doing, Ashen, or how you got to know Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can tell you that later,¡± Jeh said. ¡°So long as you can keep the secret.¡±

    Suro let out a purr. ¡°It¡¯s far from the only secret that¡¯s been entrusted to me, Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. They¡¯re secrets. I can¡¯t tell you what they are.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Jeh rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Eheh¡­¡±

    ¡°Now, some of them I would certainly like to tell, and I think it might be ultimately harmless to do so, but that would be disrespectful of who I¡¯m keeping the secrets for, now wouldn¡¯t it?¡± He turned to Ashen and winked.

    ¡°You have seen much, Suro. Much more than I. I feel¡­ as though I must appeal to your wisdom. Should I truly keep myself secret?¡±

    Suro nodded. ¡°I think it¡¯s the right call. The Seekers would not leave you alone if they knew you existed. I suppose we can only trust that Ukelele¡¯s letter does not tell them where you are.¡±

    ¡°¡­I believe he understands me well enough, and I kept his secret for him.¡±

    ¡°Then we are probably in the clear.¡± Suro looked up at the sky. ¡°It is getting late, people are probably wondering about me. Jeh, we¡¯ll talk later, okay?¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Right. I have a letter to deliver. To the top of a mountain.¡± She adjusted her bear furs. ¡°Climbing time.¡± She began the long journey to the top of Mt. Cascade.

    Suro bid Ashen goodbye with a wave of his tail. ¡°I may return to this place, should you desire it. A conversation partner aside from Jeh may be beneficial to you.¡±

    ¡°You will be welcome if you do, Suro.¡± Ashen paused. ¡°I am sorry I did not invite you sooner. I owe you a great debt as it is.¡±

    ¡°I merely helped my friends by helping you. And, if you¡¯ll have me, you can be added to my list of friends as well.¡±

    ¡°¡­This is¡­ acceptable. Good, even. Great. Yes.¡±

    ¡°A flummoxed Crystalline One¡­¡± Suro chuckled. ¡°I have met a few of your kind in my life, and let me say, Ashen, you are a bit of a unique one. I think this is, ultimately, a good thing.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Joira!¡±

    Joira shot out of her bed and violently grabbed the shoulders of the Red Seeker who had woken her. ¡°This¡­ better be¡­ unimaginably important¡­¡±

    The Red Seeker shakily held up a letter. ¡°F-f-from Ukelele, ma¡¯am¡­¡±

    Joira ripped the letter out of the Seeker¡¯s hands and read it.

    Joira, most illustrious of us seekers¡­

    I have to leave. I will not say why. It is not because I fear you or dislike the Seekers. I would much rather stay and live as I have these last few years, but the flow of the Red demands it not be so. I am sorry.

    I have found our Ashen. She has become a truly amazing being, worthy of the Red in ways you and I would never have considered. She does not wish to be found, nor seen¡ªdo not look for her, but rest easy that the Red has been furthered greatly.

    I also have a confession to make. It does not feel right to leave without telling you of my little private blasphemy. I was trained as a Yellow wizard, and even when I came to the Seekers¡­ I never abandoned my practice. Brand me a heretic if you must, I will not be returning to suffer the consequences at this point.

    Yes, me, a huge hypocrite. Imagine that.

    Hate me, miss me¡­ do what you will. But know that that time I spent with the Seekers¡­ it was some of the clearest moments of my life that I have ever known. The future seemed so orderly, so bright, so¡­ purposeful.

    Thank you, Joira, for taking me in. And I am sorry, again.

    -Ukelele.

    The intensity in Joira was completely gone. ¡°¡­Leave me,¡± she whispered to the Seeker who had given her the letter.

    She heard the voice of Jeh outside. ¡°¡­Is she okay in there?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­. I don¡¯t know,¡± the Seeker admitted. ¡°You will not be welcome, though. On behalf of Joira and the Red Seekers, I thank you for delivering this letter.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡±

    ¡°¡­Would you like to rest on one of our beds for the night? It is quite late.¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    Joira didn¡¯t even have the heart to go out there and throw Jeh down the mountain. She just sat down on her bed and stared at the wall.

    ¡°¡­You were among the best of us, Ukelele,¡± she said to no one, voice hollow. ¡°How¡­ how could you leave us? How could you¡­ have been this way?¡± She slowly laid down on her back, staring at the ceiling. ¡°Red¡­ what is this thread you are weaving?¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Just so you know,¡± Suro told Lila in bed that night. ¡°I have a new secret.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Lila smirked.

    ¡°It¡¯s actually a rather important and serious one,¡± Suro said with a sigh. ¡°Can¡¯t tell you, of course.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± She gave him a quick kiss on the nose. ¡°I am a bit concerned that you managed to get a new one of those. We are here to get away from all that, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Dia has plans for us all that may or may not line up with our personal wishes.¡± Suro sighed, staring up at the wall. ¡°I get the impression this little space program of ours is going to throw us back into it more than we realize.¡±

    Lila chuckled. ¡°Yes¡­ of course it will. But it is where our lives have led us, and so we must meet it with cheer. In times of peace, in times of unrest¡­ we are to remain true no matter where our lives lead. And plus¡­ I know you feel nostalgic for the old days, far more than I do.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Suro remembered the shapeshifter burning to a crisp under Ashen¡¯s might. He shivered. ¡°Though maybe you¡¯re right, we shouldn¡¯t yearn for the days of death.¡±

    Lila looked at him in concern. She clearly wanted to ask, wanted to know so she could comfort him more actively¡ªbut she refrained. She simply wrapped her legs around his. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. We have each other, we have our family, we have our friends¡­ and we have this town. Whatever comes, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet it well.¡±

    ¡°You always know how to look on the bright side of things.¡±

    ¡°Joy is one of the great virtues. What kind of Keeper would I be if I was gloomy all the time?¡±

    ¡°A standard one.¡±

    Lila let out a sharp laugh and playfully bapped him on the head. This prompted Suro to lazily flop a pillow into Lila, which resulted in her retaliating with a much more forceful pillow slap to the face.

    The pillow fight was soon in full swing with feathers and stuffing flying everywhere.

    ¡°MOM! DAD! PLEASE, SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!¡±

    ¡°Nirk!¡± Another voice shouted. ¡°Some of us were asleep until you shouted!¡±

    ¡°WAAAAH WAAAAH WAAAAH WAAAAH!¡± one of the kittens started crying.

    Both Lila and Suro blushed. ¡°Oops,¡± they said in unison.

    ~~~

    Far to the north, beyond the border of the Kingdom of Kroan and well within the land of Shimvale, a single ballon-whale drifted through the sky, a fancy gondola attached to its underside. Inside were a handful of people sitting around a table, examining a map.

    One of those people was the self-proclaimed ¡°great¡± Purple wizard Itlea.

    The other was the strange porcelain creature known as C-R.

    ¡°We are here,¡± C-R said, twisting her three arms around to place a single pawn on the map. ¡°We are soon approaching the danger zone.¡±

    The map made that clear enough¡ªthe pawn was very close to a ring of purple they had drawn on the map, labeled projected range of mental connection. In the center of this circle was a large purple cube¡ªno doubt meant to represent the Purple cube that had been seen from space.

    ¡°I still have no idea how we couldn¡¯t know about such a large Crystalline One¡­¡± a man with an eyepatch and scars all over his face said. ¡°Thing¡¯s bigger than a mountain.¡±

    Itlea huffed. ¡°Really? It¡¯s a Purple one. Who knows what kind of large-scale illusion spells she can organize?¡±

    ¡°Precisely,¡± C-R said. ¡°Which is why we need to be careful. Once we¡¯re within her suspected range, she can tap into any of our senses. We cannot permit her to be aware that we know of her. So¡­¡± She pulled another map out and laid it on top of the old one. It was nearly identical but didn¡¯t show the Purple cube¡¯s location. All it showed was the Hark Mountain Range. ¡°From this point on, all of us must live and breathe as though we are simply on an exploration expedition, seeking to go to the Greater Northern Wastes. Our path will take us near, but not over, the Purple Cube. We will take readings, but draw no attention to ourselves. It is imperative that no one slip up, for even private mental communication from myself can be perceived if she desires to tap into any of our senses and focus. Be wary.¡±

    Itlea and the rest nodded.

    ¡°Since we are traveling at a leisurely pace, it will be some time before we leave her perceptions again. You must get used to it.¡± She leaned back and tapped her fingers together near her waist. ¡°Is there anything confidential to report before we go in?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± the scarred man said. ¡°Sig¡¯s reports stopped coming in. Last we knew he was hunting down the bug that intercepted one of his messages. He¡¯s very late.¡±

    ¡°It appears as though the bug got the better of him.¡± C-R craned her neck to the side. ¡°How unfortunate for Sig. Unfortunately, we cannot afford to respond right now. Send a message to the operation in The Tempest, they can deal with the situation.¡±

    ¡°Unless they¡¯re busy too¡­¡±

    ¡°In which case, the bug gets a nice head start.¡±

    Itlea grumbled. ¡°How could that tiny town have taken care of your prized assassin?¡±

    ¡°Sig was just one of many of our hunters, Itlea. And that town is far more capable than you give it credit for. Were it not for them, we would not have this map, nor this current mission we are on.¡±

    Itlea wisely decided to say nothing further.

    ¡°¡­We are crossing soon. Remember, we are just explorers. Nothing more, nothing less.¡±

    ¡°Yes, C-R,¡± everyone said.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    What, there¡¯s science today?

    Yes! Yes there is! Two parts, actually.

    First, Ashen¡¯s attempt to triangulate the hunter using sound is actually a real thing! Sound travels at a certain speed through air, so if you can know when something happened and when you heard the noise, you¡¯d know how far away it was.

    However, Ashen did not know when it occurred¡ªthere was no light, and the sound was all she had to go off of. Fortunately for her, it¡¯s possible to determine the distance without knowing the start time if you have multiple locations of reference.

    We detect earthquakes like this. The waves they create propagate through the ground at the speed of sound through earth. If we have three separate locations we measure the wave from and measure the difference in time between the locations, we can pinpoint exactly where an earthquake started.

    Ashen, however, only had one sensor: herself. But it was a very sensitive sensor, one that could detect echoes. When the hunter fired his gun, the sound went directly to Ashen, but it also went out in every other direction. Some of these other directions were trees next to Ashen that reflected the sound in an echo to Ashen. The sound had to travel more distance to hit the trees and reach Ashen, and thus would arrive at a different time than the initial sound wave. By tracing the path the sound waves took backward, she could determine how far away the source of the sound had to be. Three sources are all that are required to do this, but since there was a lot of noise that garbled the signal, she needed more. Luckily the forest is filled with trees.

    This is more or less how bats ¡°see¡± (even though they aren¡¯t blind). They let out their screeching calls, sending sound waves out, and listening for how the sound returns to determine how far away things are. Granted, bats have the benefit of knowing their position so they can compare the start time to the end time easier, but it¡¯s still possible to work out the start point of a noise from multiple measurements of the endpoint.

    Unfortunately for Ashen, the shapeshifter was clever, and even though she did pinpoint the correct location of the gunshot, the hunter used sound-muffling to cancel out any attempts to sense him. However, no matter what form he shifted into, he would not have been able to muffle the arcane signature of the firearm, hence the whole lens business, but that¡¯s not science. (Or is it?)

    Second, there¡¯s the device Krays and the others are working on to launch satellites. There¡¯s not as much going on here¡ªa ball, in this case a rock, but hopefully a satellite soon, is pushed in two directions simultaneously. One force pulls it toward the center of a circle. If this were a physical object, this center-seeking force would be like the rope on a tetherball, or the gravitational pull of the Earth on the Moon. However, with this force alone, all one can do is keep a constant circular motion¡ªyou won¡¯t increase speed. To increase speed, you need a second force¡ªone pushing the ball in its direction of motion, a force that changes direction depending on the ball¡¯s position. However, if you want to keep a circular path, you¡¯ll also have to increase the center-seeking force. In the tetherball example, this happens automatically¡ªthe tension in the rope increases as the ball tries to fly away. However, in a gravitational situation, there is no ¡°rope¡± and instead the orbit becomes elliptical.

    Since their goal in designing this device is to allow them to accelerate something to high speeds while keeping it more or less in one location, it would be bad if their circle started to deviate. For one, ellipse math is much harder than circle math. Secondarily, the ellipse would keep getting larger and larger, making it harder and harder to hold onto it.

    The solution is to have the center-seeking force and the velocity-increasing force increase at an equal rate so they continually balance each other out. The ball accelerates but never leaves the circular path.

    This is essentially how particle accelerators work. There are a lot of forces and fields going on, but the ultimate goal is to keep the particle on the circular track while also increasing its speed.

    There¡¯s actually a satellite launching system that uses a large vertical rotator to spin things up to high speed and then release them all the way into space. It¡¯s called Spinlaunch. It remains to be seen if this is actually a practical way to do things, but it has completed a test flight.

    That said, the WSP is trying the much easier task of spinning-to-launch while already in space. They just have to build the device.

 M01 - We Need to go Deeper

    M01

    We Need to Go Deeper

    The wood was dense and dark, dominated by tall deciduous trees with thick trunks and thick, bushy foliage that occupied half the trees¡¯ height. An occasional giant mushroom stuck out among the plants, though each one was narrow-capped¡ªthe trees would interfere with the larger capped species¡¯, eventually growing to tear into the flesh. However, the mushroom forest was not far from here, and occasionally spores were carried by the wind and found root. As such, beneath the darkness of the trees small mushrooms grew, oblivious to the fact that when they tried to reach their full height they would be choked by all around them.

    Despite the wild nature of the forest, there was a decently clear path cutting through the trees. One end went up in elevation, toward the mountain peaks so tall one could be forgiven for forgetting that the forest itself was technically on a mountain. The other end of the path went down for a significant distance, all the way down to the warmer foothills.

    A single traveler walked this mountain path, heading downward. She was among the tallest of the humanoid races, having enough height to reach the bottoms of the trees¡¯ foliage. Her fingers were smooth and shiny, lacking fingernails, and when light shone on them it reflected back with a slight bluish tinge, giving her the appearance of glowing despite producing no light herself. Her body was shrouded in a white cloak, but she had no hood, putting her elegant face on proud display for the world to see¡ªeyes so large they took up most of her head with irises sparkling as though they were made of the stars themselves. Her ears were long and pointed, marbled with many twists and turns to assist with hearing even the most distant of noises.

    A chill breeze blew through the forest, blowing her hair. Unlike most of her kind, it was not long¡ªcut just above her neck. It was exceptionally pale but had the slightest tinge of gold to it.

    She plucked a leaf off a nearby tree and smiled at a joke only she knew.

    ¡°Hate to bust your moment with nature, but this is a robbery.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± the tall woman said, glancing at two individuals who had just jumped down from one of the nearby trees. ¡°I heard you.¡±

    The two of them were nekos, a man and a woman, clearly a couple of many years. They were also clearly used to roughing it as they were both absolutely covered in dirt and their clothes, while heavy and suited for the chilly climate, were torn in many places and may not have ever seen a proper washing. Both of them had various bladed weapons displayed proudly on their person¡ªthe woman even had a dagger strapped to her tail.

    ¡°Heard us and didn¡¯t run?¡± the man asked, smirking. ¡°Not very skittish for an elf, are ye?¡±

    ¡°Not particularly, no,¡± the elf said, folding her hands behind her back.

    ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t hear me the first time¡­ this is a robbery.¡±

    The elf smiled. ¡°Oh, I heard you. And before you continue your rather foolish line of questioning, I also understood your meaning. You wish to accost me and take whatever belongings I may have by force for your own personal gain.¡±

    ¡°¡­She¡¯s alone, right?¡± the man asked his wife.

    She nodded. ¡°Not a soul around besides us.¡±

    ¡°Not true,¡± the elf said, smiling. ¡°You have four other robbers nearby and somebody trapped in a cage in¡­ that tree over there.¡± She pointed.

    ¡°Stupid elves and their stupid ears¡­¡± the man grumbled. ¡°Look, just hand over all your valuables, and we won¡¯t have to dice your precious little body into dozens of pieces.¡±

    ¡°You have made several incorrect assumptions in that sentence.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°That I¡¯m willing to give over my valuables and that you¡¯ll be able to cut my body into pieces. And those are just the big ones, you also assumed I had any valuables of the sort you wanted¡ªwhich may or may not be true¡ªand that my body is precious to me, and, lastly, that dozens of pieces would be sufficient to call me ¡®diced¡¯ when, in reality, that would be more like ¡®chopped¡¯ if we were being precise.¡±

    ¡°An elf with a death wish¡­¡± the man said, shaking his head. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day¡­¡±

    ¡°Wrong again.¡±

    ¡°What, you¡¯re going to fight us?¡± the woman guffawed. ¡°Are you going to take out a prissy little bow and hope those pathetic arrows of yours can pierce our hides?¡±

    The elf chuckled. ¡°Assumptions, assumptions, you seem to have quite the problem with them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯m done with this¡ªget her!¡±

    The two of them charged. As expected, the moment they did so, four other bandits dropped from the nearby trees¡ªa large orange gari who had clearly worked out extensively to get his muscles that well-toned, a slightly overweight human who had done just the opposite, and a pair of greater unicorns who thought it made them look cool to paint their horns red and black.

    ¡°A suitable first test,¡± the elf said to herself. She threw off her cloak with such graceful poise that she managed not only to dodge all the bladed attacks, but also keep her cloak completely in-tact while wrapping up one of the unicorns¡¯ heads up and twisting to the side, tossing the quadruped to the ground.

    What had lain under her cloak was a curious mix of pristine elegance and raw power. Elves were naturally disposed to frailty, so seeing even the slightest hint of muscle on one of their kind was something to behold.

    This particular one had abs clearly visible through her midriff-baring outfit. The clothing itself was rather simple: a blue garment with short sleeves and similarly-colored leggings tucked into her boots. Clipped around her waist was a heavy-duty belt adorned with two scabbards, a whip, a few burlap sacks, and a strange metal rod with a flat square end.

    She jumped into the air, using one hand to grab a tree branch while the other removed the unusual rod. With a burst of Orange, the square part popped open and the rod extended, revealing it to be what it truly was.

    An Orange*-driven warhammer.

    *Most languages on Ikyu differentiate between color and Color, even those far removed from Karli, such as what they are currently speaking, Desc.

    The gari bandit took one look at the weapon, recognized its fine craftsmanship, and started running. He did not get far before the elf slammed the full weight of the hammer onto the ground, infusing the crystals with an impressive amount of will.

    The shockwave knocked all of the bandits over, including the unicorn who had finally managed to get the cloak off of his face and stand back up.

    The elf twirled the warhammer in her fingers like it weighed nothing, slamming its heavy end down on the ground¡ªthis time creating no shockwave. She leaned on it like a walking stick and affixed the husband-and-wife pair with a coy smile that only a truly ancient being could pull off.

    ¡°I will only say this once. Run.¡±

    The bandits weren¡¯t stupid. They ran away as fast as their legs could carry them¡ªin the case of the unicorns, that was exceedingly quickly, and had the elf been inclined to give chase they would have given her a run for her money.

    However, she had no interest in chasing them. She simply stood and waited for them to be out of her sight¡ªthough she could still hear them scrambling through the forest. None of them could hear her, however, so she broke out into a huge grin.

    ¡°This is exactly what I¡¯ve been looking for all this time.¡±

    She started humming a hymn to herself that was easily over a thousand years old and, were she to speak the words aloud, would have been in a long dead language. She carefully picked her cloak up off the ground and dusted it off, clasping it once more around her neck. Setting off once more, she left the path and headed directly to a tree where she still heard commotion. With a jump, she grabbed hold of the branches and pulled her head into the foliage.

    There, trapped in a wooden cage, was a small creature with a tall head dressed in green and brown. The elf did not recognize her species but assumed at first that she must be a child, given the big head, small frame, and childishly green outfit she was wearing. However, upon closer examination, the elf noticed something about the eyes that made her reassess her original deduction. There, nested in the pale-yellow skin and ropey hair with strange white nodules were two irises that had seen much and had great wisdom.

    Not to mention the fact that the small creature wasn¡¯t cowering in fear or uncertainty but was just tapping her foot impatiently.

    ¡°You gonna let me out or what?¡±

    ¡°I was simply taking you in, for I have not seen your kind before.¡± The elf pulled out one of her swords and slashed twice, expertly separating several bars from the cage itself. ¡°You are free to go, little one.¡±

    ¡°Just because I¡¯m small doesn¡¯t mean I would find the term ¡®little one,¡¯ to be endearing,¡± she said as she jumped out of the cage and onto a nearby branch, looking for a way to get down to the ground.

    ¡°Oh, but you do, you just say that because your kind has trained you to do so.¡±

    This stopped the little creature. ¡°Are you going to play word games with my head now for your own amusement?¡±

    ¡°It is both for my amusement and your benefit that you be challenged, little one.¡± Before the small creature knew what was happening, the elf picked her up and dropped from the tree, setting her gently on the ground. ¡°Our words must be sharpened just as our body and spirit.¡±

    The creature fingered a triangular-shaped pendant around her neck. ¡°¡­Who exactly are you?¡±

    ¡°I am Envila,¡± the elf said. ¡°I have no other names, nor extensions to that one, unless you count my membership in the fay race.¡±

    ¡°I thought they called you an elf?¡±

    ¡°That is their name for us, and there are distant brothers and sisters who have made that moniker their own, but for me I have and always will be a fay. You?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Hamburger.¡±

    ¡°What a curious name¡­¡±

    ¡°Everyone says that about our names,¡± Hamburger said.

    ¡°What are your people?¡±

    ¡°The humans call us halflings. We call ourselves ne¡¯kk¡¯kk¡¯ith¡¯o¡¯piil. But that just means ¡®person¡¯ so it isn¡¯t really helpful, and most of you out here can¡¯t pronounce it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you mind if I try?¡±

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Envila cleared her throat. ¡°Ne¡¯kk¡¯k¡¯ith¡¯o¡¯piil.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that was impressively close, but you missed the back-click and the echo.¡±

    Envila nodded slowly. ¡°Your language would be a most fascinating one to learn.¡±

    ¡°Virtually everyone who tries gets too frustrated. It¡¯s actually a lot simpler for us to just learn your easier tongues.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I should introduce you to Faelic. It is the only known language from before the Second Catastrophe to still be spoken today¡ªthough, I can see from your face that you do not know what I speak of. To think, such time has progressed that there exist people without memories of the travesty¡­¡± Her smile did not falter¡ªrather than finding this depressing or sorrowful, the thought seemed to improve her spirits. ¡°Do tell me, little one, where are you going?¡±

    ¡°To Descent,¡± Hamburger said, performing a few stretches.

    ¡°The city of the blimps! I myself just came from there, and I must warn you, without proper supplies I doubt you will survive the climb up the mountain.¡±

    ¡°I had supplies. But then bandits.¡± Hamburger took in a deep breath and set her sights on the upward path. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let that stop me, though.¡±

    ¡°Then you are fortunate you ran into me. I have food, drink, and the knowledge required to survive the ascent.¡±

    ¡°And a giant hammer.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the giant hammer helps too.¡±

    Hamburger let out a sigh. ¡°You clearly have somewhere important to be, and I don¡¯t want to be a burden, but¡­ even I can tell I probably need the help.¡±

    ¡°You are even more fortunate than I realized, then! For I have nowhere to go except where the wind takes me.¡±

    ¡°A wanderer?¡±

    ¡°I am hoping to be more than that. I do not just seek new locations and experiences, I seek danger, adventure, and¡ªif possible¡ªthe very ends of Ikyu.¡±

    ¡°¡­The humans say Ikyu is round.¡±

    ¡°My, you do come from a secluded people, don¡¯t you?¡± Envila chuckled mirthfully. ¡°It was an expression. The ends of Ikyu do not exist, so to seek them is akin to seeking the impossible.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re crazy.¡±

    ¡°Oh, quite, my people are known for hiding themselves away, trying to avoid death at all costs, for we are ageless. As such, we squander our great gift of timelessness, turning it against itself in a dreadful ironic twist.¡±

    ¡°We halflings keep to ourselves too. Well, we did, but then the humans found us living in the Grove. They¡¯re nice and all, but¡­ they¡¯re really loud, and managed to get it into Grampy¡¯s head that he was an adventurer.¡± She frowned. ¡°He¡¯s been gone for over a year and nobody was doing anything, so here I am.¡±

    ¡°You seek your grandfather?¡±

    ¡°Great-grandfather. He is far too old to even be working a garden, much less going to Descent, but he definitely went this way.¡± She shook her head. ¡°He was too crazy for his own good.¡±

    ¡°Crazy or no, it appears I have found my first quest.¡± She kneeled down and laid her hand on the halfling¡¯s shoulders¡ªan impressive feat, considering the height difference between them. ¡°I shall endeavor to help you find him. I ask for no payment aside from your companionship on the journey, until the moment comes for us to part ways.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ sure? Thanks, I guess?¡±

    Envila stood up. ¡°Then let us go to Descent. As you are a creature who has not seen much of the world, I am sure it will be quite a treat, though the snow will be quite uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°Right. So¡­ you¡¯re the expert, how do we go about doing this?¡±

    ¡°Well, as soon as I take care of a little loose end, we head back up the trail until we arrive at the Waystation, where we purchase¡ªor, in my case, buy back¡ªwarmer clothes for the ascent. Then we follow the chain until we come to Lower Descent.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why do they call it Descent if you have to go so high up to get to it?¡±

    ¡°The blimps are creatures of the sky, to them, building anything is a descent.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Yeah, that makes sense.¡± Hamburger tilted her head. ¡°So¡­ loose end?¡±

    ¡°Yes, right this way.¡± Envila gestured for Hamburger to follow her a short distance into the forest. There laid one of the bandits, specifically the overweight human. His hair was pitch black and covered one of his eyes, while his outfit was mostly dark-stained leather. His ankle was stuck in a stump and twisted at a clearly unnatural angle.

    ¡°Stay away from me, psychotic forest freak!¡± he shouted.

    Envila shook her head. ¡°I will do no such thing. However, you have my assurances that I will not harm you.¡± She kneeled down and gingerly pried the wood of the stump back, her strength bending it considerably. ¡°Slowly remove your foot, do not strain it.¡±

    The bandit did as asked, if only because he didn¡¯t want to hurt his ankle even more.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ that is very badly broken,¡± Envila said. ¡°And I do not have any Green on me. A foolish oversight, on my part, for I did not wish to do away with any scars I may attain¡­ and I neglected to think of others who may need my services. Do forgive me.¡±

    The bandit looked at her like she was insane.

    ¡°Are any of your fellow bandits skilled in the art of Green?¡±

    ¡°You think we just have arcane crystals lyin¡¯ around?¡± He asked with a snort. ¡°We¡¯re bandits, we¡¯re lucky if we have any magic, and none of us are great at it.¡±

    ¡°Then there appears to be no choice, we must treat your wound and take you to Descent.¡±

    ¡°Wh-what!?¡± the bandit stammered.

    ¡°Such a dramatic break would not set correctly without the proper medical procedure, and the closest place with the proper doctors is Descent. They are known to employ fairies, so your healing process will be greatly expedited.¡±

    ¡°You really do want to help him, huh?¡± Hamburger asked.

    ¡°I am partially responsible for his injury, but even if I were not, I would still offer my services.¡± Envila smiled in the bandit¡¯s direction. ¡°And by the way, just in case you thought you had a choice in the matter, you do not. Your pride would lead you to live the rest of your life with a permanent foot injury, and I just can¡¯t have that.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ you can¡¯t just¡­ up and take me to Descent!¡±

    ¡°Hamburger, do you see any reason why I can¡¯t?¡±

    Hamburger shook her head. ¡°Nope. I can see many reasons why you shouldn¡¯t but you seem like the sort who doesn¡¯t change her mind easily.¡±

    ¡°A correct assessment, though likely not because of the reason you are thinking.¡± Envila reached into her cloak and pulled out one of her burlap sacks. ¡°Let¡¯s see here, some tight bandages for your foot¡­¡±

    The bandit tried to crawl away, but the pain in his foot was too much. He let out a howl and flopped to the ground, breathing heavily.

    ¡°Do be still, this will be a lot less painful if you don¡¯t fight it.¡±

    ¡°Mmmf¡­¡±

    ¡°By the way, what is your name?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Minch,¡± Hamburger said.

    ¡°Traitor,¡± Minch grumbled.

    ¡°Traitor to what? You kidnapped me.¡±

    ¡°She does have a point there,¡± Envila agreed. ¡°Now, I am about to wrap up your foot. It is going to hurt a lot when I force it into the right position.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­ why would you say that!?¡±

    ¡°Because it is the truth.¡± She gave him a warm, calming smile. ¡°Now hold still.¡±

    A decidedly high-pitched and rather pathetic scream rang out throughout the forest.

    ~~~

    The Waystation was literally just a one-room wooden shack at the edge of the forest. It was lightly dusted with fresh-fallen snow, though only on one side, for the halfwith the chimney melted the white fluff faster than it could accumulate. A thick rope made of black thread was attached to one corner of the shack and went up the side of the mountain until the snow was so deep that the black line was obscured.

    Envila walked up to the shack with her usual grace and precision, which was all the more impressive because Minch was strapped to her like a backpack, and he was not a small man.

    Hamburger scampered along behind them, shivering. ¡°This shack better have all the stuff we need¡­¡±

    ¡°They do their best to stock every size of gear,¡± Envila explained. ¡°Though food is not offered, as they cannot promise it won¡¯t be toxic to some people.¡±

    ¡°Everyone is always worried about that,¡± Hamburger said. ¡°We halflings can eat basically anything, it turns out.¡±

    ¡°Sadly, fay are notoriously weak of stomach.¡± Envila shook her head. ¡°There are many culinary delights that I must refrain from consuming; though it is a breeder of patience and contentment, learning to appreciate the sights and the smells in place of what I cannot have or eat.¡±

    ¡°You use way too many words when you talk,¡± Minch groaned.

    ¡°I can talk simply. See? It¡¯s easy.¡± She chuckled. ¡°It just lacks a certain charm and eloquence; furthermore, to speak as I do is to constantly refine one¡¯s words to a higher degree; of how to speak with precision and complexity without inducing confusion. It is a dance, albeit one I suspend for a good laugh now and again.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why couldn¡¯t you have just left me in the forest?¡±

    ¡°It would not have been good for you.¡±

    ¡°You already told him that,¡± Hamburger pointed out.

    ¡°Rare is the individual who will learn something from having heard it once.¡±

    They finally made it to the Waystation itself. The window in the side opened suddenly, revealing a blue sphere without any features sitting on top of a pedestal. Behind the sphere was every manner of climbing equipment, heavy clothing, and survival tools.

    ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± Hamburger asked, pointing at the blue sphere.

    ¡°You mean who is that,¡± Envila said, leaning down so she could place an elbow on the windowsill. ¡°This is Mizra, a shapeshifter. She takes the form of a blue sphere so people don¡¯t accuse her of impersonating them.¡±

    A four-fingered hand emerged from the blue sphere and waved.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t talk much. By which I mean she doesn¡¯t talk at all, for she never bothered to learn how to form proper vocal cords and she doesn¡¯t care to do so now. She is perfectly content in her life, sitting here in the wilderness, helping the weary traveler with her trinkets.¡± Envila took out some coins from her purse¡ªfeatureless discs of pure metal that she could easily press between her fingers. ¡°This should be enough for three sets of appropriately sized jackets, extra water, air cacti, rope, an emergency climbing kit, a few extra trinkets you¡¯ll throw in because you like me, and extra change for you to keep because you¡¯re underappreciated.¡±

    Mizra gladly took the coins by opening a hole in herself and throwing the coins in. She proceeded to turn into a blue beetle the size of a cat with a bizarrely human hand sticking out of the top, which she then used to gather all their things.

    Minch shivered¡ªhe could only barely see the shapeshifter from his angle on Envila¡¯s back, and he didn¡¯t like anything about what he was seeing. He absent-mindedly reached into his tunic and started munching on some sunflower seeds.

    Envila spared him further encounters with Mizra by walking over to the black rope. ¡°This is the line that leads up Mount Descent. It is made of dwarven fibers of the finest make, and even saboteurs would find it difficult to sever the connections. The path is well maintained, but regularly covered in snow¡ªwe must follow this line and dig it up as we go, or else risk becoming lost in the flurry of the higher elevations.¡±

    ¡°This is a terrible idea,¡± Munch whimpered.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Hamburger said. ¡°But it¡¯s where we gotta go, so suck it up.¡±

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t my choice!¡±

    ¡°You can still suck it up.¡± Hamburger rolled up her sleeves and cracked her knuckles. ¡°Let¡¯s take on this mountain.¡±

    ~~~

    Had the great Mount Descent been a completely natural formation, it would have been nearly impossible for the average person to climb. Fortunately for everyone, there were paths cut through the stony rock that were older than the city of Descent itself¡ªno one knew who had cut the paths, and they were so ancient that they were broken and useless in many places, but their existence turned a nigh-impossible climb to one that was bearable, albeit far from easy.

    It was along these ancient paths that the cable was laid. No matter how deep the snow got, the cable could always be pulled out one meter* at a time, bit by bit. The paths rarely cut through any places with a sheer drop off, and there were few predators at this high of an elevation, so the only real danger was the absurd cold. And, if one were small enough, the threat of falling into the snow and getting completely covered.

    *All units are, as usual, translated into metric for our sake. Rest assured they do not use the same units as the Kingdom of Kroan.

    ¡°AUG¡ª¡± Hamburger¡¯s yell was cut short as she fell face-first into the snow. It quickly gave way beneath her and subsequently fell in overtop of her, trapping her within the frigid fluff. She started to struggle, but the more she did that, the deeper she sank.

    Envila rammed her hand into the snow and grabbed Hamburger by the back of her coat, yanking her out in one swift motion. ¡°Perhaps I should carry you from this point on, little one.¡±

    ¡°Y-y-you¡¯re already carrying Useless McBandit¡­¡± Hamburger said, teeth chattering.

    Envila wiped the snow off of Hamburger¡¯s face. ¡°My strength is more than sufficient to add your small burden to his sizable one. Although, even pointing out such a thing is apt to make him think I¡¯m subtly insulting him; which I have no intention of doing.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Minch asked, quite confused.

    ¡°I called you fat. You didn¡¯t notice. I brought attention to it in hopes to smooth over our relations. It has now crashed and burned rather spectacularly.¡± Envila rubbed her fingers together. ¡°Hmm¡­ Hamburger, are these spores that have found their way on your face?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Hamburger stammered. ¡°Your hand¡¯s going to have a nasty rash in a few hours, now¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, perhaps not, for I am a plast and generally don¡¯t get what the animals consider ¡®rashes,¡¯ and most toxins of beings separate from me have little effect.¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°There are five types of life on this world of ours, six if you count the arcanely driven spirited. You are evidently a fungus, marked by spores and a particular texture one tends to call ¡°spongy.¡± I am a plast, a creature derived from the smooth, tough, and often colorful material also rather imaginatively called plast. Minch here, and all humans, are animals, the most varied classification which has many academic reasons for the distinction, but really just seems like the ¡®other¡¯ category.¡±

    ¡°Sure seems like people are obsessed with knowing out here¡­¡± Hamburger said.

    ¡°I myself am simply old and have accumulated a vast store of knowledge. Most of it completely trivial and useless, but it¡¯s there nonetheless.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯re next to Descent,¡± Minch said. ¡°That should be the first thing you notice.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, Descent, city of the sky, land of the learned. Have you ever been, Minch?¡±

    ¡°N-no. We¡¯re bandits, we don¡¯t go into cities.¡±

    ¡°Then you are in for quite the treat. Although¡­¡± Envila stopped trudging through the snow and lifted up the black rope, finding it attached to a large red post that stuck several meters out of the ground. ¡°Ah, it appears we are at the point where humans begin to have difficulty breathing.¡± She reached into her cloak and brought out several round, green fruits. ¡°If you feel short on breath, bite into these. They are air cacti and while they have little bristles on them, they contain what you need to breathe, unless any of you happen to be able to breathe water?¡±

    Hamburger took the air cacti and handed a few over to Minch. She bit down, finding the little bristles to be uncomfortable, but not exactly painful. What was far more surprising was the sudden BANG of air that rushed out the moment her teeth made it through the outer shell. The plant definitely did its job, shooting her full of air that would keep her going for quite some time, but the shock of the noise made her freeze in place.

    ¡°Minch, don¡¯t touch me,¡± she said, eventually. ¡°I am probably very toxic right now.¡±

    ¡°Oh joy,¡± Minch grumbled.

    Envila kept walking as they figured out the air cacti, eventually coming to the top of a small hill of snow that looked out over the great mountain range. The forest was so far below them it was hard to make out among the jagged lesser mountains surrounding the glory that was Descent itself. The sun was currently behind a cloud that dominated the view of anything above them¡ªa cloud that the rope led right into.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a cloud¡­¡± Hamburger said.

    ¡°You will be rather disappointed, as it is just fog but at a higher elevation,¡± Envila pointed out. ¡°It¡¯ll keep us from seeing any spectacular views for a while, and if we¡¯re particularly unlucky we will get rather wet from passing through.¡± She took in a deep breath and set her eyes on the path ahead. ¡°I shall endeavor to take us through quickly.¡±

    Her journey back up the mountain continued, onwards and upwards, the rope providing her a lifeline in a truly inhospitable climate.

    ~~~

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll get fog all the way to Lower Descent!¡± Envila said with a laugh¡ªand then she stopped herself, taking a bite of an air cactus. This high up, even she couldn¡¯t afford to talk all that much. Still, the last post they¡¯d found indicated they weren¡¯t far from their destination, so the annoyance was about to be over.

    She checked to make sure her passengers were still fine¡ªthey had learned how to consume the air cacti without being loud but had fallen silent a few hours back. Both of them were still breathing but she had to make sure they weren¡¯t losing consciousness and forgetting to take in air. Fortunately, she found that both were fine, if extremely tired and short of breath.

    It was at this point she saw it.

    The bottom of the lift.

    ¡°Ah, at last, our journey comes to a close!¡±

    The lift was a sturdy cage constructed of white plast that held up a single stone disc that served as the floor. A large chain was tied to the top of the cage, going up until it was completely obscured by the fog.

    Envila had to crouch to enter the lift, but managed to look dignified while doing so. Using one hand she set Hamburger down and using the other she grabbed hold of the spherical Magenta crystal embedded in the roof. It flashed with color for a split second before sending the signal up the chain to the destination.

    Somewhere far above them there was a loud clank, and the cage started to be reeled up. It was hard to tell, but there was also a chain affixed to the bottom of the cage¡ªto keep it from blowing around while it was lifted higher and higher.

    The cage lifted at a slow, meandering pace, without much fanfare aside from the regular clank of the chains. They were soon completely cut off from both the ground and the sky; all was fog in every direction.

    Hamburger shivered.

    ¡°Do not fret,¡± Envila said. ¡°Your fear shall be replaced with wonder shortly.¡±

    Her words were prophetic. The cage emerged from the top of the cloud and beheld the magnificence of Descent.

    The entire mountain summit had been transformed. There were buildings of stone with roofs painted ochre brown¡ªthey went down so far they went beneath the clouds, so it was impossible for the travelers to tell how large the city truly was. Up and up the mountain the buildings went, twisting and turning in a meandering path that had no clear pattern. A curious inversion of expectations was on full display¡ªone would think the lower elevations would have less impressive craftsmanship for they would be where the poor lived, but this was not so in Descent. While it was true that the monetarily challenged lived at lower elevations, the fact remained that the lower buildings had been built later than the ones at the top, and as such were constructed with the skill passed down from previous generations. The higher city had, for the most part, simpler structures with less intricate designs, while the lower ones often sported large artistic reliefs of circles within circles dancing in mathematical patterns.

    The very highest parts of the city, near the summit, were maintained spectacularly. Even from their lower position, the group could see a massive, glittering flag whipping in the wind, shining its lights down on a tall building made not of stone, but of metal, that managed many ropes and chains that rose even higher into the sky. Amidst these chains were many other impressive locales¡ªa gargantuan Sanctuary that not only had a glowing Blue triangle complete with the divine pattern, but also a truly massive statue of Dia, represented as a generic humanoid with hands outstretched to the eastern city. Exactly opposite her place on the mountain was a statue of similar size and shape, but with many more details¡ªshe wore a flowing robe that rippled with flowers, mushrooms, hard geometric shapes, and smooth curves while in her hand was an unfurled scroll. Her other hand was tucked into her robe, near where the heart would be on most humanoids. She represented the spirit of Wisdom.

    There were many lesser statues around them near the summit, but all of them dwarfed in comparison to these two.

    Naturally, though, these statues were on the ground, and everything they saw was Lower Descent. The cables and ropes that rose into the sky led to Descent Proper. At first, it didn¡¯t even look like a city, but rather a bunch of green, mossy spheres tied together with smooth white lines. It was only upon squinting that one could tell the white lines tying the mossy spheres together were structures, structures that dozens of flying creatures moved in and out of, ranging from balloon-whales to the highest flying birds to the blimp people themselves; massive ovoid shapes easily the size of a normal house with brightly painted sides and numerous tentacles blowing in the thin breeze.

    There were things even higher than that, but their view was obstructed. What lay above Descent Proper, most visitors would never see.

    Their cage finally reached a landing spot¡ªone of three protrusions that extended out from Lower Descent like docks, in order to both manage the various cages and meet with balloon-whale riders. The arcane devices that pulled the cages up and down were cylindrical in shape and composed of a mixture of metal, stone, and a decent amount of Orange crystal to drive their cranking power. Naturally, there were always at least two people manning the device to make sure nobody was left stranded at the bottom of the cage.

    The first thing a visitor noticed about Descent was how awe-inspiring it was.

    The second thing was how loud it was, due entirely to the fact that there were open vents everywhere along the ground blowing out immense billows of air.

    Hamburger took in a sharp breath and her head suddenly felt clear. ¡°Woah¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to speak up!¡± Envila shouted. ¡°They haven¡¯t found a way to get air to the city quietly, so all Lower Descent communication is done by shouting!¡± She waved down a blue gari with a purple cap that must have signified some kind of official office. ¡°Hey! You! The human backpack resting upon my shoulders is in need of some advanced healing, I suspect nothing less than a fairy will do! What are you waiting for? Git!¡±

    ¡°You do realize how expensive that is, right!?¡±

    ¡°Do I appear to be a newborn? Or, perhaps, has the price for a fairy treatment gone up from precisely one-point-three thousand diracs?¡±

    The gari held up his hands in surrender and ran off.

    ¡°Is that a lot of money?¡± Hamburger asked.

    ¡°A lot of money!?¡± Minch shouted. ¡°That would have fed the entire clan for a month! You had that much on you!?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Envila said. ¡°I traveled only with twenty, knowing it would be nearly useless once I got far into the world. My residence, however, has been accumulating interest for¡­ oh, let¡¯s just say quite some time!¡±

    ¡°You lived here!?¡±

    ¡°For the vast majority of my life!¡± Envila said with a chuckle. ¡°It is quite the place, usually what one would consider a destination to go to in order to have an adventure, not away, but even a place such as this can run out of its charm, especially as the years wear on!¡±

    ¡°Is there somewhere quieter we can talk without shouting!?¡± Hamburger asked.

    ¡°Yes, actually, let¡¯s slip into a dock tavern!¡±

    The dock tavern was a building made of something resembling marble not that far away from them, with a sign that sported a fork, spoon, and some kind of swirly line next to the two that probably represented some kind of third eating utensil. The double doors that were the entrance had two sets¡ªarranged so that the air wouldn¡¯t all rush in or out of the building at once, allowing the interior to remain comfortable while also keeping much of the noise out.

    Once they were inside, one could forget they were in Descent, for it looked just like any other tavern one might come across in their travels. There was a warm fireplace to one side with strange paintings of questionable quality hanging over it, a couple of people passed out drunk in the corner, and a bar where a pink gari was cleaning a glass and whistling to herself.

    ¡°Welcome to the Plucky Pork!¡± the gari said with a wave. ¡°My name¡¯s Seskii, what¡¯ll it be today?¡±

    ¡°We just wanted a place to get out of the cacophony,¡± Envila said, throwing Seskii a coin anyway. ¡°If we feel like it, we shall order as we see fit.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh¡­ adventurers!¡± Seskii grinned. ¡°Can I interest you, perhaps, in some potions of the finest make?¡±

    ¡°Oh? A brewer, are you?¡± Envila¡¯s smile widened. ¡°I have never heard of such an ancestry.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have,¡± Seskii said with a chuckle, sliding a glass bottle over the bar to Envila. ¡°That right there is a night vision potion, good for that human friend of yours if he ever needs to see as well as you two.¡±

    ¡°I am not their friend!¡± Minch blurted.

    ¡°Keep telling yourself that,¡± Seskii said.

    ¡°Wait¡­ how did you know I had night vision?¡± Hamburger asked, tilting her head.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not the first one of your kind I¡¯ve seen! There was this really shriveled looking old guy with a missing tooth¡­¡±

    ¡°Grampy!¡± Hamburger jumped up onto the bar and looked Seskii right in the eyes. ¡°Where is he now?¡±

    ¡°He was looking for adventure but couldn¡¯t get anyone to pay his fare up to Descent Proper, so he went the other direction¡ªdescended into the mines.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s the last you saw of him?¡±

    Seskii nodded. ¡°Yep! For all I know he¡¯s still down there, looking for treasure.¡±

    ¡°Yeah that¡­ that does sound like him.¡± Hamburger sighed. ¡°I¡¯d just like to know if he¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°He is.¡± Seskii winked. ¡°Call it a hunch.¡±

    ¡°¡­I want more than that.¡±

    ¡°Then the mines beckon to you!¡±

    ¡°Most who ascend Mount Descent seek to reach new heights,¡± Envila said with a knowing smile. ¡°It seems that you seek to reach new depths. It is a great irony that the tallest known mountain is the site of the deepest known tunnel into the earth, carved by many different miners over what amounts to eons of work. Many of those tunnels were likely carved by the same forgotten people who made the paths that led us up here. There is great interest from the higher academics above our heads to plunge deeper and deeper into the core of Ikyu, despite the dangers that lurk in the depths.¡±

    ¡°D-dangers?¡± Hamburger stammered.

    Envila nodded. ¡°There a¡ª¡±

    At this point, the gari official ran into the doors, a small flickering light sparking at his side. ¡°Th-there they are¡­ ma¡¯am¡­¡±

    Envila¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, I was not expecting you.¡±

    The spark of light flew up to Envila¡¯s face, revealing it to be a four-winged glowing insect vaguely like a dragonfly, but without the tail and with complex graspers at the end of its legs rather than feet. A single red stripe ran down the otherwise blue creature, and a white hat with a stylized red heart sat upon the head, signifying membership in a medical profession.

    ¡°So you came back with your wing tucked into your back, did you?¡± she asked with a slight buzz followed by a snort.

    ¡°Well, in a technical sense, yes, my wing is folded up. However, I fully intend to set out again, after my friend here is healed.¡±

    ¡°I am not your friend!¡± Minch shouted.

    ¡°He is in denial about the reality of his situation.¡±

    ¡°Wait, hold on, question,¡± Hamburger pointed at Envila. ¡°Wing?¡±

    Envila nodded, removing her cloak and pointing to her back, where there was a small, almost invisible slit. ¡°Most plasts have five limbs, and fay are no exception. Ours is just a folded up membrane that, when extended, acts as a shimmering focus for a flight attribute. It is rather fragile, though, so we rarely reveal it, and I am currently pushing societal taboos as it is pointing it out and talking about it in public, but there aren¡¯t any other fay around at the moment, so any minor discomfort will be directed only at our little fairy here who isn¡¯t much of a fan of me to begin with.¡±

    ¡°Not much of a fan!? Hah!¡± The fairy spat toward the ground¡ªthough her spit was so small that it evaporated before it actually hit the floor. ¡°My family has had to heal you more than any other person in this city and we¡¯re a lineage of professional fairy doctors!¡±

    ¡°You were well compensated, Ix.¡±

    Ix pointed an accusatory leg at her. ¡°Elves aren¡¯t supposed to go through intensive weight training and break their arm every other week!¡±

    ¡°Oh, definitely not,¡± Envila said with a chuckle.

    ¡°My grandmother became a stress-ball because of you!¡±

    ¡°That was her fault and not my own, I did my best to assist her¡ªthough you no doubt are about to suggest I could have ceased my training, in which case I will ask you where the moral line is drawn to one¡¯s own betterment and the comfort of others, where you will fall flat as you have not studied the finer points of philosophy.¡±

    ¡°Bu¡ªmmm¡ªGAH!¡± Ix threw her front feet into the air. ¡°Fine, what¡¯s the injury?¡±

    ¡°Very badly broken ankle, partially my fault as I did not stock up on Green. You are correct, at least in part, about my tendency to forget others in my self-considerations. Clearly, I need to improve in such areas.¡±

    ¡°I hate you and everything about you,¡± Ix grumbled. She directed Envila to remove Minch¡¯s boot and undo the bandages, revealing a very sideways foot. ¡°Yep. That¡¯s busted. Hold still.¡± She pressed all six of her legs together and flapped her wings extremely quickly, forming an arcane aura round her. She zipped around the foot several times, transferring the aura from her to the broken foot. The aura twirled around like a miniature tornado, and Minch¡¯s foot began to look a bit like pudding¡ªbut it hurt no more than usual, and as it shifted around back to its normal place, the pain slowly went away.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ incredible,¡± Hamburger said, jaw dropping.

    Ix fell to the ground, no longer able to flap her wings. ¡°Yeah¡­ it is¡­ yay¡­ fairies¡­ blessed with the attribute of healing¡­ by draining their own energy¡­¡± She let out a buzz-yawn. ¡°I¡­ am checking into a room for the night, barkeep.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t own this place,¡± Seskii said, shaking her head. ¡°You¡¯ll have to talk to Gerald, I¡¯m just covering while he¡¯s on break.¡±

    ¡°How¡­ annoying¡­¡± Ix skittered off, swaying left and right as though she were partially drunk. It was clear that the other patrons of the tavern paid special attention to her¡ªcrushing a medical fairy, even by accident, was not something anyone wanted on their record.

    ¡°Well, now that that¡¯s done with¡­¡± Minch jumped up onto his foot and stretched it. ¡°I am going to leave you crazies now and get off this mountain.¡±

    ¡°Wow, not even a thank you?¡± Hamburger huffed.

    ¡°I did not expect one,¡± Envila pointed out. ¡°Though I am surprised he wishes to leave so soon, surely there are plenty of opportunities now that he¡¯s in the city.¡±

    ¡°Hahah, noooo, not staying here.¡± Minch shook his head. ¡°Way too crazy, dangerous, and¡­¡±

    Just when Hamburger was about to ask about why he thought it was dangerous, a hulking brute of a beast pushed open the tavern doors. He was exactly as tall as Envila, but much wider and with far less graceful features. His face was a deep mossy green that contrasted with the pale yellow thorn-like teeth that poked out of his maw. What appeared at first to be short hair was actually thousands of little tiny leaves that dotted his head, chin, shoulders, and back. Where there was none of this false ¡°hair¡± there were vine-like threads crossing all over his skin¡ªperhaps it was his skin.

    Hamburger eeped, letting out a small cloud of spores. Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t close enough to anyone for this to be a big problem.

    The green behemoth pointed a finger at Minch. ¡°Minch Asterbol! We¡¯ve been lookin¡¯ for ye! By chance are ye here to pay the Boss what ye owe?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ um¡­ um¡­¡± Minch started sweating. ¡°Well, you see, funny story, I never intended to go to any city ever again, and, uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Y¡¯see, that don¡¯t matter, yer here now, and ye¡¯ve got a checkbook that needs balancin¡¯, got it?¡± He scowled, baring even more of the thorn-like teeth. ¡°So pay up or get a pummelin.¡¯ ¡°

    Seskii cleared her throat. ¡°Hey, could you, like, not? Bar fights aren¡¯t allowed, you know.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯re you to challenge a messenger of the Mistress!?¡±

    Seskii yawned. ¡°Look, buddy, I¡¯m just trying to keep you from bashing a wall down.¡±

    Envila stood up. ¡°Fortunately, such harsh actions will not be necessary. It appears that, once again, I have unintentionally ruined this poor man¡¯s life despite intending to do quite the opposite¡ªa real shame, that, but also somewhat amusing, I have to admit. As such, I will pay his debt in order for you not to smash his skull into a thousand tiny pieces with that rather impressive fist of yours, sir¡­ orc?¡±

    The orc blinked. ¡°I¡¯m Kurz. But.¡± Suddenly he gained a much more refined voice and dropped his speech to a hushed whisper. ¡°Look, you seem nice, you really don¡¯t want to take on this guy¡¯s debt, it¡¯s two million diracs.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that all?¡± Envila smirked. ¡°Done.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°WHAT!?¡± Minch shouted.

    ¡°I easily have that much saved in my estate,¡± Envila said, leaning back on the bar. ¡°You may notice that Ix didn¡¯t even bother to ask me for payment, she knows I have plenty and have a habit of spending it on acts of kindness such as this. Now, such a large sum will no doubt be tied up in the banks for a week or so, but as I had already left the city once, I can organize some installment transfers.¡± She sighed. ¡°I was kind of hoping to be away from my money, but here I am, back in Descent once more¡­¡±

    Kurz scratched his head. ¡°Huh. Well. That works, I guess. You¡¯re off the hook, Minch.¡±

    Minch stared at Envila in shock. ¡°Wh.. wh¡­ wh¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me,¡± Envila said, holding up a hand. ¡°I know how much it pains your pride. Though this does explain your reluctance to come. You could have said something, I would have disguised you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ what¡­ you¡­?¡±

    ¡°The world does not know how to deal with a kind heart,¡± Kurz said, turning to Envila. ¡°You are a rare one, miss.¡±

    ¡°I suppose I am, though I have been forged this way only partially by choice.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Come, mister Kurz, you seem to be an amiable fellow with more to say than most of your kind. Join us for a drink?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do!¡± Kurz said, sitting down on the ground since he was far too large to use the normal chairs.

    ¡°A round of four drinks coming right up!¡± Seskii said.

    ¡°Wait, for the kid?¡± Kurz asked.

    Hamburger sighed. ¡°So even with small races like fairies around, they¡¯ll still think I¡¯m a kid?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I did not know,¡± Kurz said with a bow of his head. ¡°Never seen a thing like you before.¡± He grinned at Minch. ¡°Where did you find these two?¡±

    Minch scooted away from Kurz but said nothing.

    However, he did not try to leave the table.

    Seskii arrived with their drinks. ¡°Here you are!¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡± Envila said. ¡°Perhaps we should begin in the forest where we met¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°So here it is¡­ the mines,¡± Envila said, holding out her hands. ¡°Behold it in its magnificence.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being sarcastic,¡± Hamburger deadpanned.

    ¡°Oh, yes, quite.¡±

    The entrance to the mines was just a hole in the side of the mountain that led down a boring tunnel lit by Magenta oscillators.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s where Grampy went, so that¡¯s where we¡¯re going.¡± Hamburger glanced behind her. ¡°Though I have no idea why those two are still here.¡±

    Kurz tapped a large pendant on his chest, prompting the Purple crystals within to activate and a warm, sunlike glow to emanate. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to go underground, y¡¯see, but never really had the time or the resources.¡± He tapped another sun-lamp on his wrist. ¡°But, seeing as I just scored two million for the Mistress, I¡¯ve earned some time off and you lot were going in anyway and you seem like quite the interesting group, so why not?¡±

    ¡°Okay, you just have a free spirit that really has no business being inside an orc or a shakedown guy. But¡­ Minch?¡±

    ¡°You guys seem¡­ safer than elsewhere,¡± Minch said.

    ¡°I think he wants to mooch off your money,¡± Hamburger said.

    ¡°What? No¡­ well¡­ not only that¡­¡±

    Envila winked at him. ¡°Come with me and you¡¯ll enjoy the benefits of my money, but most importantly you shall be shaped into the man I know you can be!¡±

    ¡°¡­Already having second thoughts about this¡­¡± He glanced back out at the city of Descent. Then he quickly turned his head forward. ¡°Yes, into the mines, into the mines sounds like a good idea.¡±

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t owe anyone else money, do you?¡± Hamburger asked.

    ¡°Nope. At least, not that I¡¯m aware of.¡±

    ¡°He was a bandit,¡± Envila admitted. ¡°Lots of people would have it out for him if they remembered him.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Good point.¡± Hamburger shrugged. ¡°Well, onward, I guess.¡± She set out first, but she soon ended up in the rear of the group on account of her short legs. Kurz noticed her trailing behind and picked her up, setting her on his massive shoulders.

    ¡°Gotta stick together, it¡¯s easy to get lost down here,¡± Kurz said. ¡°And you¡¯ll get tired before the rest of us.¡±

    Hamburger nodded. ¡°Thank you, Kurz.¡±

    The initial journey through the mines was extremely boring. It was just a single tunnel, lit only by Magenta and the sun-lamps on Kurz. There were no signs of people¡ªjust rocks, rocks, and more rocks. However, in time, they came to a lift¡ªa lift right in the center of the mountain. This lift was not composed of plast or stone, but rather pure metal. It was of the same type as the cage that brought them up to Descent, however, as it had a Magenta crystal embedded in the ceiling area.

    It was a bit of a tight fit with Kurz there, but they managed to squeeze in without too much discomfort. Kurz activated the Magenta orb with his hand, and the lift descended into a tunnel. Were it not for Kurz¡¯s sun-lamps, they would have been plunged into absolute darkness.

    They descended down.

    Down.

    Down.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°Can you imagine the old days, before the elevators?¡± Kurz asked. ¡°There were stairs all the way down, unless you wanted to trust someone to lower you down manually!¡±

    ¡°Oooh, I remember that,¡± Envila said with a chuckle. ¡°Though the memories are both amusing and a little tragic, barely a month went by without a report of someone losing their life.¡±

    ¡°¡­My lady! Your features do not do your age justice!¡±

    Envila smirked. ¡°I have been with Descent for quite some time, Kurz, though back then I was too enamored with my own immortality, as most of my people are. Tell me, when was the last time you even saw a Fay out in the open?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen several behind closed doors, but out in the open? None but you, miss.¡±

    ¡°Precisely. To live a life without danger¡­ for we are frail, yet blessed with eternity should we attain it.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Absurdity, I had been out of the city less than a day and I already felt more alive than I ever had been.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like your people should listen a bit to you.¡±

    Envila chuckled. ¡°Oh, the truth, absolutely, however quite a worthless endeavor. It took me quite some time to tear myself away, and even then only just.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± Hamburger said. ¡°Sometimes family is what¡¯s most important.¡±

    Envila looked at Hamburger with sad eyes. ¡°My people¡­ are not my family, little one. I never knew my parents and I am sterile.¡±

    ¡°O-oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps that is what drove me to leave. They all had the next generation to raise and teach their ways¡­ while I sat on the side, watching and thinking.¡± She patted Hamburger on the head. ¡°You have not hurt me with your questions, do not fret, I do not fear my past nor the sad memories, be they long ago or recent. I came to terms with most of this long ago. It is not hard, even for one such as myself, to see how family could be worth risking everything¡ªeven setting out on a quest you do not wish for to the depths of Ikyu.¡±

    Hamburger smiled. ¡°Thanks for coming.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    ~~~

    While there most certainly were offshoots and caves near the mine¡¯s main entrance, they were not connected to the primary shaft, and thus the group saw none of them while they were continually lowered down into the depths. It was impossible to know how much time had passed, or even how deep they were, only that they were still going down because they could see defects in the rock moving up past them through the cage bars.

    However, no matter how much it seemed like it would go on forever, it simply could not. The cage eventually emerged from the ceiling of an absolutely immense cavern, looking out over a sprawling multi-layered city that lived deep beneath the foundation of Mount Descent. The structures here were nothing like those on the surface¡ªhere, things were cut out of the rock itself and augmented with immense amounts of metal and, perhaps most importantly, arcane crystal of every Color. These crystals separated the three-dimensional sprawl into eight clear districts, one for each Color, and a mixed district where all the Colors mingled together, sometimes as a rainbow, but other times as simply white.

    Multiple Crystalline Ones were easily seen from their vantage point, most sitting still in districts of their own color, but a few were able to float around or shift their bodies to move physically. Very few of them existed in the mixed district.

    ¡°Ah, Seekers¡­¡± Minch let out a groan. ¡°Hide your necklace, Hamburger, they won¡¯t be fans of it¡­¡±

    Hamburger frowned, but did as instructed. ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t you say anything about this, Envila?¡±

    ¡°One should not judge a person by their beliefs,¡± Envila said matter-of-factly. ¡°We may be among the Aware¡ªand apologies to you, Kurz, as I am not aware of your faith and may be assigning a label to you that you do not wish¡ªbut we would wish them to treat us with respect, so we shall do the same to them. Remember, live at peace, little one.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ well, I did mean more about not stirring up trouble, but I think I did need to hear that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Gonal, if you¡¯re curious,¡± Kurz said. ¡°I prefer the Nameless Goddess myself.¡±

    ¡°Really!¡± Envila lit up with a brilliant smile. ¡°I see so few of her followers!¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, she does like to keep her secrets¡­ but something about that just feels right, y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t but please tell me more! This is absolutely fascinating!¡±

    Minch coughed. ¡°Put a hold on that one, we¡¯re here.¡±

    The cage reached the bottom and the four of them stepped out. Minch in particular started stretching his legs and arms. ¡°It was way too cramped in there¡­¡±

    ¡°Welcome, visitors, to the Deep Outpost!¡±

    The voice had come from a rather large Yellow Crystalline One that was floating across what qualified as a ¡°street¡± in this underground settlement. She was tall and narrow, with a point on the top and a point on the bottom.

    ¡°I am Greeter! For I greet all who enter these halls. If you feel comfortable, you may open your souls to me and I can see what our great city that still hasn¡¯t renamed itself can do for you!¡±

    ¡°Deep Outpost is so big even its outposts have outposts,¡± Kurz chuckled.

    ¡°I shall open my soul,¡± Envila said, smiling. ¡°I think you¡¯ll get a treat out of this one.¡±

    ¡°We shall see¡­¡± There was a flash of Yellow light between the two of them. For most, a full connection of any complexity would take time. For the Yellow Crystalline One, a single instant was all she needed to compress all the information and be astonished. ¡°I am humbled! One whose age exceeds my own, such a rarity!¡±

    ¡°And your determined optimism in the face of such darkness and division humbles me,¡± Envila said with a bow. ¡°You truly are at the service of all, not just this city.¡±

    ¡°Which is as it should be! Regardless, yes, I am aware of the little one¡¯s species, though I have only seen one other. He arrived¡­ I believe it was three months ago, and upon communing with me he determined that if he couldn¡¯t go to the top of the world, he would go to the bottom, so he set out to the outpost outposts, as your orc friend called them.¡±

    Hamburger sighed. ¡°Grampy, why do you have to keep pushing as far as you can¡­?¡±

    ¡°It was in his spirit, little one. He is not like the rest of your kind, I saw that in him. Thinking back, I do remember your face among those he showed me. If he remembered it enough to make me remember it even now, your bond must be strong. Which I suppose is evident since you are now hunting him down.¡±

    The halfling rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Though I will be honest, if I knew it was going to take this much to get him, I think I might have stopped a while back¡­¡±

    ¡°Be glad you did not know, then. For how much further can he go? The tunnels do not extend forever.¡±

    ¡°Good point.¡±

    ¡°Secondly¡­¡± Greeter flashed, directing her attention to Envila. ¡°Virie would like to see you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so she¡¯s living down here now.¡± Envila nodded. ¡°Where does she reside?¡±

    ¡°Where else? In the Fay haven, at the point furthest from any of the sided Crystalline Ones.¡±

    ¡°Sided?¡± Hamburger asked.

    ¡°Those who declare themselves proponents of one Color of magic and speakers for the Seekers. Be¡­ cautious in the single-Color districts, or better yet don¡¯t visit them at all. They are run by Color law, which is whatever the sided Crystalline Ones declare it to be at any time.¡±

    ¡°You have been a great assistance to us,¡± Envila said, bowing once more to Greeter. ¡°I shall go visit my fellow fay and we shall descend deeper into the caverns.¡±

    ¡°You will need a guide. I recommend stopping at Deeper Outpost Two-Three to attain one, as trying to grab one here will net you someone who hasn¡¯t a clue what¡¯s really down there. Have fun!¡±

    Bidding the Yellow Crystalline One goodbye, they made their way through the sloping, uneven city streets that sometimes were straight up vertical and the only way forward was to climb up a rope or a ladder. Infrastructure was not really a concern for the inhabitants of Deep Outpost, at least not any more than what it took to make sure the cavern never collapses in on itself. When they wanted more stuff they would just dig out, and if they wanted a new road they¡¯d cut through the old one. It was a disorganized mess that was impossible to map as it kept changing.

    While Lower Descent had been filled with a large variety of people of every kind of race¡ªit was hard to find a majority, as the usual winner, humans, were somewhat uncommon. If they had bothered to check the population reports they would have found that gari were most common in Descent, but just barely. Deep Outpost, on the other hand, had well over two thirds of its population made up of dwarves.

    They were short, stocky, humanoid creatures that always wore so much clothing it was impossible to see any of their actual bodies. Every single one of them had goggles of one kind or another that were impossible to see through to their eyes, and metallic helmets. Their beards were somehow fully visible¡ªmassive, bushy things of varying colors and shapes, but all of them long enough to almost (but not quite!) touch the ground as they walked.

    They were still taller than Hamburger by a good margin.

    Most of them paid the giants no mind. This was the mixed district, after all, they were used to the other races walking around. The party even caught sight of a decently sized white dragon in the cave¡ªthere was no way that thing was ever going to be able to squeeze out to the surface world, though. The caves simply weren¡¯t large enough.

    ¡°So¡­ Virie?¡± Minch asked. ¡°Who¡¯s she?¡±

    ¡°A fay,¡± Envila said. ¡°One of those rather¡­ opposed to my leaving, but ultimately a friend. We have not spoken in over a decade.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunate,¡± Kurz said.

    ¡°Not really, to us a decade is not all that much.¡±

    They soon found the Fay haven which didn¡¯t look all that special¡ªit was a normal metallic building with plain windows and not a single Colored crystal decorating it, just a few plant-like runes carved into the doorframe.

    Envila ran her fingers across the runes, whispering the ancient tongue aloud as she did so.

    ¡°Wow¡­ you know what it means, I bet!¡± Kurz said.

    Envila nodded. ¡°This is our haven of eternity, within we protect until the end of time. You are not welcome, whoever you are.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wouldn¡¯t anyone who reads that likely be a fay?¡± Minch asked.

    ¡°Oh, yes, it¡¯s a statement of purpose, not really something for people to read. It is a bit silly, but do try to treat it with respect in front of them, I¡¯d rather not make this a disappointing visit.¡± She folded one arm behind her back and tapped on the door with her fist in a particular pattern. ¡°Avi rasa naradansari.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Kurz scratched his head.

    ¡°If I told you what it meant it would defeat the purpose of having a password.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Your curiosity is quite refreshing, though, do keep asking questions after we have left this place.¡±

    At this point the door opened to reveal a fay¡ªa normal fay, with deep blue hair and eyes. She was not as tall as Envila, but was still a slender creature. Her limbs had no strength to them and her face looked like it would shatter like glass were it to be touched, even though there was no way this could be accurate. She wore a sweeping dress seemingly made out of leaves and flowers themselves.

    ¡°Ah, Envila.¡± She bowed her head.

    ¡°Virie Enstall Vortex Miskri,¡± Envila said, bowing her head in turn.

    ¡°Do you seek to return to the ways of the fay and to walk in the light of eternity?¡±

    ¡°Not at all!¡± Envila said with a grin.

    Virie hung her head sadly. ¡°Each time I see you, I shall hope you return, and not permit yourself to perish.¡±

    ¡°Death is hardly the end, Virie.¡±

    ¡°So say you and your new fellows who cheekily call themselves the Aware, a moniker that only rings true if their interpretation of reality is correct, which is quite the gambit of¡ªI am sorry, you have heard this all before, and are not here for a religious debate, and I admit I was attempting to sew some discomfort in your companions out of jealousy.¡±

    ¡°All is forgiven,¡± Envila said with a bow.

    ¡°You forgive too easily, and yet I thank thee for it.¡±

    ¡°You will have to forgive me, for I do not wish to stay long. The little one here has a lost great-grandfather deep beneath Ikyu.¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps you shall visit on the return trip for a longer stay, where we shall speak of the years gone by and the years to come.¡±

    Envila nodded. ¡°Of course, Virie. Although, I find myself wondering why you appear to be bringing this conversation to its conclusion, when Greeter informed me you would like to speak to me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then the knowledge is in your head already, and I should not wait.¡± Virie closed her eyes. ¡°I wish to express¡­ regret at having never come to you. For all your divergent ideas, you have managed to do what no fay has done, become strong. The others may think you need to never be spoken of for leaving our way, but for that alone you should be remembered. I am writing up further annals of our history, and I intend to argue for your inclusions in the final annals. You were there since the beginning, it would be a disservice to our story to do otherwise.¡±

    Envila was stunned into silence and the look of absolute shock on her features seemed alien, almost unnatural. ¡°Virie¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say¡­ are you¡­ certain about this risk?¡±

    ¡°I am not risking my life, merely my reputation,¡± Virie said. ¡°And as I have seen with you¡­ reputation is hardly something worth all the worry we so readily give it.¡± She glanced at Minch, noting his munching on a piece of jerky. ¡°Your companions grow impatient.¡±

    ¡°As all tend to,¡± Envila said with a nod. ¡°I shall return and continue this conversation before I leave for the outer world once more.¡±

    ¡°Until another quest brings you back here, to the great mountain.¡±

    ¡°Until then.¡±

    With that, Virie closed the door.

    Hamburger caught Envila wiping a tear from her eye. ¡°That¡­ went far, far better than expected. I have¡­ a delight in my chest, quite different than the delight I had out in the forest.¡± She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. ¡°Perhaps¡­ all is well.¡±

    There was an awkward silence.

    Kurz rubbed the back of his head. ¡°So, uh¡­ deeper in?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Deeper in.¡±

    ~~~

    Deep Outpost was founded by Descent in order to plumb the depths of Ikyu. That had been centuries ago. Deep Outpost grew from just an outpost to a full city, inhabited less and less by the people of Descent and more and more by the people who had been born down there or found down there. Many dwarven enclaves had made their ancestral homes in the caves hollowed out long ago by the unknown ancients, living without ever seeing the sun, as they liked it.

    As Deep Outpost had grown, they found more and more things¡ªprecious metals, gems, and, of course, Colored crystals. In time, Deep Outpost needed its own outposts to serve as waystations to bring the precious valuables of the earth to where they needed to be efficiently. Then these outposts grew, and they themselves needed new outposts¡­

    It wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to call Deep Outpost the capital city of a very small kingdom. Small in terms of population¡ªnot size. The winding, twisting tunnels spread out for many, many kilometers in every direction, including vertically.

    Outpost Two had been the second outpost created, one specifically created at a point to enable it to be easier to go deeper.

    Outpost Two-Three was currently the deepest of all the outposts. Nobody knew really how deep it was, because that deep the tunnels weren¡¯t straight and it was hard to measure, but everyone was fairly certain it was at least two kilometers down, likely more.

    What they did know was that this deep down, it got hot. The cooling problem became a major issue. While Lower Descent had managed to cut a deal with air elementals to power the ventilation systems on the surface, it wasn¡¯t so easy to do something like that down in the depths. Sure, ice elementals could be found that were willing, but it was impossible to centralize the system over a sprawling system of tunnels.

    So people had to come up with other ways to keep cool. The dwarves were completely unaffected by the heat, but they weren¡¯t the only ones working down this deep. Outpost Two-Three itself had a single ice elemental on staff that kept the dozen or so buildings around them at a manageable temperature, though she lived in a building separate from the others to avoid accidental magic interfering with her physiology. Few ever saw her, but apparently she was well paid and sent numerous paintings back to the surface where she had managed to make a name as ¡°that mysterious artist who lives under the ground.¡±

    Dealing with heat further down, however¡­ that was a bit more problematic.

    Which was why Envila and the others needed a guide. Minch was already sweating, Hamburger was starting to look slightly wrinkled around the edges, and Envila had left her cloak behind long ago.

    Kurz picked up a barrel of water and thrust it down his gullet, absorbing it all into his body. ¡°Geh¡­ am I glad to be somewhere colder! And with water!¡±

    ¡°¡­When I said the water was free, I didn¡¯t expect you to take an entire barrel,¡± a dwarf with pink goggles said.

    Envila tossed him a coin. ¡°There you go, my good sir.¡±

    ¡°Lady.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my apologies.¡±

    The woman was not in the mood for apologies or pleasantries, so she just walked off in a gruff huff.

    ¡°Cheery,¡± Hamburger deadpanned.

    ¡°Dwarves can be a little gruff,¡± Envila said. ¡°But they have stout hearts, determination¡­ and they like to eat rocks which I¡¯m sure is related to the previous items on my list in some way.¡±

    ¡°So, guide,¡± Hamburger said. ¡°Find a guide.¡±

    ¡°Allow me,¡± Kurz said. Suddenly, he started beating on his chest and let out a roar. ¡°OI! WE GOT COIN! WHO WANTS T¡¯ EARN SOME CASH TO DO WHAT YE ALREADY DO ALL DAY IN THE DEPTHS?¡±

    Two dwarves and a floating spherical creature ran right up to them, eager. However, there was also a fourth dwarf, who was cautiously poking his head out of a nearby doorway.

    ¡°See?¡± Kurz said, grinning. ¡°You just have to use the voice and act the part, they¡¯ll come running.¡±

    ¡°You,¡± Envila said, pointing at the cautious dwarf. ¡°You seem¡­ interesting. Care to offer your expertise?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you want me?¡± the dwarf stammered.

    ¡°I am unsure at this juncture, but these three over here strike me as being a slight bit on the greedy side, which is fine, but not preferable. You, however¡­ are not like your kin.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s an idjit,¡± one of the dwarves muttered. ¡°Spends all his time in books and on theory.¡±

    ¡°Rarely does any actual diggin!¡¯ ¡° the other added. ¡°He won¡¯t be of help to ya!¡±

    ¡°Go crack your heads on a boulder,¡± the unusual dwarf shot back. ¡°I¡¯m the one who found the platinum vein and you all know it! So shut it!¡±

    The two other dwarves grumbled and slowly walked away.

    The spherical creature paused, clanging at Envila. ¡°In all honesty, you have made the best choice, Mimgol is quite the expert and is less likely to shout at you the whole way. I do wish you luck, though, the depths are not well mapped and there are many dangers down there.¡±

    ¡°Have to find Grampy somehow,¡± Hamburger said.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking for one of your kind!?¡± Mimgol clapped his hands together. ¡°Oh, I remember him! He came through, said ¡®I don¡¯t need no guide,¡¯ and then just charged right down with nothing more than the latest map. If he wanted to go as deep as possible¡­¡± Mimgol ran into the house, returning less than a minute later with a map. ¡°See, we¡¯ve actually drilled further down than this now, but the path he would have taken would go this way!¡±

    ¡°Excellent!¡± Kurz said with a delighted laugh. ¡°We know exactly where he went!¡±

    ¡°¡­But that was a while ago, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Hamburger asked. ¡°If he hasn¡¯t come back¡­¡±

    Envila placed a hand on Hamburger¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let us not forget what our good friend Seskii told us.¡±

    ¡°Her hunch that he was okay?¡±

    ¡°There are many whose hunches are quite reliable, little one, and those with ancestry often have many layers to them.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understood none of that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, neither did I¡­¡± Minch scratched his head. ¡°All I know is that it¡¯s dangerous down there, and¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re free to go back up,¡± Envila said. ¡°I am quite surprised you have stuck with us this long, but I do welcome your continued presence.¡±

    Minch frowned. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll stay.¡±

    ¡°Very good! Now¡­ Mimgol, the fifth of our joyful band, how will we descend down there without cooking our very flesh?¡±

    Mimgol let out a hearty chuckle. ¡°I hope you like lugging around giant hunks of ice!¡±

    ~~~

    From that point on, the going was no longer easy. Gone were the neatly carved tunnels and well-traveled passages¡ªit became a maze of uneven terrain and random tunnels cut into seemingly random places in the rock. There were even occasional underground monsters that sought to defend their territory, but between MImgol¡¯s knowledge and Envila¡¯s strength they didn¡¯t pose too much of a threat.

    Dwarves were master diggers, but regularly they dug only large enough for themselves to fit through, and once they found something worthwhile they cut the path a little larger so they could run carts and cargo back and forth. In many of the more developed mines, there were railways, but it was not worth it to install such things this deep down.

    Fortunately, the path they needed to take did not involve any precisely dwarf sized holes, all of them had been extended for at least some cargo transport or were completely natural. That said, Kurz had significant difficulty due entirely to his size. Envila was easily able to fold herself up to fit through even narrow gaps, and while Minch was a little large he was not wider than a dwarf. The burden fell entirely on the orc to twist and push his way through the rocks.

    Furthermore, all of them were carrying large backpacks full of ice. They routinely had to take them off and drag them along. The backpacks themselves were made from a special sort of plast fiber that allowed it to bend while also keeping the rapidly melting ice inside their packs without it dripping everywhere. They were still heavily encouraged to continually pour water on themselves in order to stay cool¡ªespecially those of the party who didn¡¯t sweat naturally or have heat resistance.

    ¡°Hey, look, a camp!¡± Mimgol said as he popped out of a hole in the ground. The ¡°camp¡± was barely worthy of being called such¡ªthere were a few mining tools littered around and a couple of chalk markings along the walls that pointed out potential locations for future mining.

    Hamburger pulled herself out of the hole and ran up to one of the markings. She ran her fingers along a little scrawl on the bottom. ¡°¡­This is my language.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it say?¡± Mimgol asked, adjusting his goggles and leaning in.

    ¡°Grampy was here, more or less. Then this over here is meant to be a smiley face, but Grampy¡¯s handwriting is atrocious.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was possible to mess up a smiley face¡­¡±

    ¡°This is normal for him. He writes more for himself. I bet he just put this down because he wanted to be a rebel, or something.¡± She glanced back at the hole they had just emerged from, where Envila and Minch were working together to pull Kurz out¡ªwhich took significant effort, but was accomplished in due time.

    ¡°Bet you¡¯re regretting coming along,¡± Minch said, taking a moment to lean on a nearby wall and take a drink before digging into his personal supply of small nut snacks. He appeared to never run out of the small delectable treats.

    Kurz grinned. ¡°Not at all! Like miss Envila here, I find the struggle and adventure itself to be worthwhile! I already have so many stories to tell the rest when I get back. I bet the Mistress will get a kick out of it!¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ her¡­¡± Minch shuddered.

    ¡°I am quite curious,¡± Envila said, using the impromptu break as an opportunity to do some exercises¡ªa mixture of stretches and minor strength-building maneuvers to keep her naturally frail body toned. ¡°Since I have come to know you somewhat, Kurz, I find it permissible to ask you; how did one with your disposition end up working as a shakedown artist for who, I assume, is a rather morally gray employer?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what orcs are good at,¡± Kurz said with a shrug. ¡°Her family has been hiring mine out for generations. It¡¯s very stable employment without much effort and only occasionally gets¡­ nasty.¡±

    ¡°But when it does¡­?¡±

    ¡°It is a job,¡± he said with a shrug.

    ¡°I do suppose it is considered as such in the eyes of the Descent government, though I suspect their decision was selfishly motivated to keep their systems from being clogged by petty debt collection cases.¡±

    Hamburger shivered, shifting the ice backpack loudly as she did so. ¡°Debt collection¡­ it¡¯s not even a thing in the Grove. We barely even have money.¡± She shook her head. ¡°While everything out here is incredible and all, I wonder if the price of ¡®higher civilization¡¯ is too high on someone¡¯s soul.¡±

    ¡°To live a simple life among the wilderness does have its alluring qualities,¡± Envila admitted. ¡°Small communities are perhaps better off, in the end. However, I see cities as necessities to drive civilization onward. I have seen much grow in my time, and through that, it is clear enough that without large gatherings new discoveries would only rarely be made. Places that stagnate tend to be swept to the side or forgotten in the march of time.¡±

    Hamburger looked away.

    ¡°Do not fret, little one, such things take many generations.¡±

    ¡°How old even are you?¡± Mimgol asked.

    Minch spat out his nuts. ¡°Wh-wha!? You can¡¯t just¡­¡±

    Envila chuckled. ¡°Do you really think me so vain that I would find my age an embarrassment, and fear being called elderly, ancient even? No, there are two entirely unrelated reasons I do not broadcast my age. The first is because I do not wish to be heralded for it¡ªwhile among most of the other races, great age is seen as a reminder of death, for a fay it is a great badge of honor and respect, and I am among the eldest of my kind; simply speaking my age tends to make others treat me differently, and so I shy from it. The other reason is that I simply don¡¯t know how old I am.¡±

    Hamburger chuckled. ¡°Lost count?¡±

    ¡°Not so much lost count as it was impossible to count in the early days. I was born during the Second Catastrophe, which puts my age at somewhere shy of four-thousand years.¡±

    Mimgol let out a low whistle. ¡°My estimate was about two-thousand-something from listening to you talk, I¡¯m impressed!¡±

    ¡°See, this is why I don¡¯t broadcast it. The answer has prompted the exact thing which its absence sought to avoid.¡±

    Minch finished munching on his snacks. ¡°We should keep going.¡±

    ¡°My, quite the eager one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Mimgol said with a chuckle. ¡°And here I thought you would be the least interested in moving, seeing how unprepared you are for all of this!¡±

    ¡°Look, I just¡­ want to see this through now that we¡¯re here. To the bottom of the world, eh?¡±

    ¡°To the bottom of the world!¡± Kurz said, slamming a hand down on Minch¡¯s shoulder, making him flinch.

    ¡°Right this way!¡± Mimgol said, gesturing at a tunnel. ¡°The map ends shortly after this, but it¡¯s possible the tunnel extends further.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any recent signs of Grampy¡­¡± Hamburger frowned, but put on a brave face and followed after the dwarf.

    The tunnel itself was large enough for Kurz to walk through, as it was a natural formation and not some cut path. It very quickly widened out to a large, expansive area with a floor that could almost be described as hilly. At the far end of the cavern, there was a tunnel opening filled with rocks.

    ¡°Odd¡­ the map goes past this,¡± Mimgol said, trotting up to the pile of rocks. ¡°Yes¡­ we¡¯ve dug past this before.¡±

    ¡°Cave-in?¡± Kurz asked.

    ¡°No, I know what that would look like. ¡­Hold on.¡± He quickly set his pack down and pulled out a book, flipping through it. ¡°Just as I thought, see the sediment lines on these rocks?¡± He pointed at the layers inherent in the rocks blocking the passage. ¡°They¡¯re nothing like the rocks in the ceiling, which are metamorphic. Furthermore, the materials within them aren¡¯t even the same¡ªthere are a lot of visible organics in these sedimentary boulders, but none in this cavern.¡±

    ¡°Which means¡­?¡± Hamburger asked.

    ¡°These were placed here deliberately,¡± Envila said with a smile. ¡°How¡­ interesting.¡±

    ¡°Deliberately?¡± Minch started to shiver. ¡°Is¡­ is someone here going to try to seal us in this cavern?¡±

    ¡°This is relatively old, done at least a few months ago,¡± Mingol said, standing up. ¡°Don¡¯t drop your fool¡¯s gold before checking it, jumpy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we haven¡¯t even seen signs of anyone else being down here recently,¡± Hamburger said. ¡°We are alooone.¡±

    ¡°Yes, quite,¡± Envila said. ¡°I have been keeping my ears and eyes open for the slightest sound, hoping it may be Hamburger¡¯s lost family. These deliberate rocks do suggest that he may be beyond it¡­ Kurz, mind helping me clear the way?¡±

    Mimgol waved his hands frantically. ¡°Don¡¯t, you fools! Moving rocks around without understanding is how you cause cave-ins! If I need your help, I shall direct you to the particular rock I need moved. Until then¡­¡± He took out a pickaxe and started lightly prodding the rocks. ¡°Just sit tight and relax.¡± He picked up a smaller rock and shoved it into his beard, likely to eat it, but there wasn¡¯t really a way to tell if he¡¯d actually swallowed it or just stored it somewhere within the wiry hairs.

    Envila took the opportunity to sit down on one of the nearby rocky ¡°hills.¡± She opened her mouth to speak¡ªbut suddenly tilted her head to the side. ¡°I¡­ hear something.¡±

    ¡°Grampy?¡± Hamburger asked, eyes widening in hope.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Envila frowned. ¡°Someone¡¯s coming in from behind us, I think they¡¯ve just climbed out of the hole we came from.¡±

    ¡°Probably just some miner,¡± Mimgol said, shoving another rock into his beard.

    Envila held a hand to her ear. ¡°No¡­ the footstep pattern is all wrong for a dwarf, not heavy enough, too light. Two legs, could be human. And¡­ yes, there¡¯s the sloshing of the ice pack.¡±

    Mimgol stopped mining away at the rocks. ¡°Hmm. A human down this far? All alone?¡±

    ¡°I do not hear any other steps, but that does not necessarily mean she is alone.¡±

    Kurz cracked his knuckles. ¡°Welp, I¡¯ll go stand at the entrance. If a friend comes, all she gets is a short scare. If someone means us harm¡­ well perhaps the sight of me will make her think twice, eh?¡± He walked across the cavern to the opposite side, setting his ice pack to the side so he could rise to his full height. He crossed his arms and puffed out his chest, putting a scowl on his face.

    ¡°He really is good at his job¡­¡± Hamburger noted.

    They waited. Soon, the rest of the group could hear the footsteps coming¡ªshort, clacking footsteps that indicated a hard shoe of some kind. When the newcomer finally got close enough to be seen, Kurz¡¯s body blocked the view.

    But he was absolutely startled.

    ¡°M-m-mistress!? What are¡­¡±

    ¡°Move aside, Kurz,¡± the voice of a young but bitter woman rang throughout the cavern.

    Minch jumped behind a rock, putting his hands over his head. Kurz stepped aside, letting the Mistress through.

    She was short, even for a human, but this did not make her any less menacing. She was dressed all in black, covering every part of her skin except her face, half of which was hidden by her eerily straight hair, and on her head was a blood-red tiara.

    She did not come alone, either, for a pure white cat-creature sat on her ice pack, licking his paws. This particular cat had wings, marking him as a member of the sphinx race, though he was no larger than most other cat-people. He seemed rather uninterested in all that was transpiring.

    The Mistress pointed at the rock Minch was hiding behind. ¡°Do you really think just because I can¡¯t see you means I don¡¯t know you¡¯re there!?¡±

    Envila narrowed her eyes at the Mistress. ¡°I do not believe we have met. I am Envila.¡±

    ¡°My name is Aine,¡± she said. ¡°Everyone in a suitable relationship with me aside from Glint here calls me the Mistress.¡±

    ¡°Charmed,¡± Glint said, not even bothering to look at anyone as he continued licking his paws.

    Aine narrowed her eyes, looking Envila up and down. ¡°You¡­ I hate your kind.¡±

    Envila smirked. ¡°Ah, you see beyond racial barriers and to the true soul behind. What is it about generous souls that stresses you so? Or, no, wait, it is not the generosity, it is the goodness of heart, the illogical kindness that throws wrenches into your carefully wrought plans.¡± Envila¡¯s smile vanished. ¡°I have met others of your soul as well, Aine. I am still standing to this day. Ponder what this means before you do anything hasty.¡±

    ¡°Why do you protect him so?¡±

    ¡°Why do you dodge the intended line of conversation?¡±

    Mimgol blinked. ¡°I¡¯m lost.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re playing a game of words,¡± Hamburger said. ¡°I don¡¯t really get it either¡­ but it¡¯s unnerving me.¡±

    ¡°The mushroom child has the right response,¡± Aine said.

    ¡°You seem to have confused fear with respect, and evil with good,¡± Envila countered. ¡°Unsurprising, but a little factoid that you may find beneficial to your future endeavors in life, should you have such a life.¡±

    ¡°Oooh! A threat!¡±

    ¡°Most definitely.¡±

    ¡°One specially catered to the moment and to myself as well, I¡¯m impressed.¡±

    ¡°I have yet to be impressed.¡±

    Aine scowled. ¡°If you don¡¯t hand him over, you will be.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ something impressing me? Sounds like an opportunity.¡± She shook her head. ¡°You may not lay your hands on him.¡±

    ¡°He ha¡ª¡±

    ¡°I do not care what he has done, nor do I particularly care about what he has done to us in an attempt to escape you¡ªno, that¡¯s not entirely true, my body seeks dishonesty. I am quite upset at him for the little stunt he has clearly pulled, but that does not change my calling nor my purpose. You have your money and yet you still pursue him, which indicates something extremely unpleasant, perhaps even bloody if you are that sort of executioner.¡±

    Aine frowned. ¡°You people sicken me. Even leaving aside the price he must pay me, he lived as a bandit. He deserves no life.¡±

    ¡°Something tells me the crimes he has committed pale in comparison to the darkness you erect¡ªbut if he were chasing you, I would protect you, for it is the time and the place I am set, and it is my duty.¡±

    ¡°This is going nowhere,¡± Aine said.

    ¡°I could have told you that,¡± Glint commented, licking the back of his paw.

    ¡°Any last words, Minch?¡± Aine shouted at the rock.

    ¡°How can I possibly be this important to you!?¡± He shouted back without revealing himself. ¡° I¡¯m at the bottom of Ikyu for crying out loud!¡±

    Aine¡¯s left eye twitched. ¡°You know why.¡± She reached into her collar and pulled out a necklace in the shape of a black hexagon with six yellow slits in the sides.

    Envila¡¯s eyes widened.

    Now she was impressed.

    This was a wholly bad thing.

    She leaped into action, whipping out both of her swords and aiming right for the hexagon pendant.

    Glint tapped an Orange crystal hidden in Aine¡¯s backpack, using the magic within to push Envila¡¯s swords to the side. She expected this and was able to correct her stroke by jumping into the air and twisting, but there was a half-second delay.

    That was all Aine needed. The pendant flashed black and a fearsome four-toed claw of pure darkness emerged, meeting Envila¡¯s swords.

    Envila quickly removed her blades from contact with the darkness and switched to her hammer, activating the Orange mechanisms.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Mimgol shouted. ¡°You¡¯ll cause a cave-in!¡±

    ¡°Death by rocks is vastly preferable to death by demon, trust me!¡± Envila shouted, aiming not at the darkness emerging from the pendent nor Aine¡ªbut the ground.

    Aine¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡­ you fool!¡± She rushed Envila, drawing a dagger with a Red core.

    Kurz tackled her to the ground.

    ¡°KURZ!¡±

    Envila slammed her hammer on the ground as hard as she could. Her plan had been to initiate a collapse of the tunnel and use her superior agility to get out with Hamburger and Minch, hoping the others could scramble. It was risky, admittedly, but it was all she could think of in such a short time that had a chance of taking the demon out.

    She had made a very fatal miscalculation.

    She hadn¡¯t bothered to consider that the ground might be unstable.

    Rather than rocks falling down on them, the ¡°hills¡± beneath them shattered into dozens of chunks and everyone started falling.

    Aine let out what was presumably a swear in some unknown language, holding her pendant up to the ceiling. The dark claw within rushed to the rocks above, embedding its four claws in the stone like it was made of butter. Glint still sat on her pack, licking his paws.

    All five of the others fell into the light. A rush of refreshingly cold air met them as they dropped among the rubble and the rocks.

    They had entered a cavernous expanse similar in size to the one Deep Outpost itself had occupied, but this was no city. This was a forest made of bright blue plants, including trees that appeared to be almost a kilometer tall, rising from the bottom of the cavern all the way to the top, their neon leaves reflecting copious amounts of light. The source of the brightness was another type of plant¡ªa long, stalky white thing with a balloon-like sac on top of it that glowed a soft green. Dozens of these orbs dotted the cavern.

    It would have been jaw-droppingly spectacular if they all weren¡¯t falling right into it.

    Envila moved fast. Her fifth limb emerged from her back, a shimmering sheet of pink and blue that sparkled with an almost glitter-like effect. She held off on activating her attribute at first, only using the wing for aerial stability for the moment. Reaching out, she nabbed Minch, as he was closest, and then dove down to Hamburger, grabbing her by the back of her neck.

    She knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to help either of the others. Mimgol was probably durable enough and clever enough to work something out, but all she could do was hope Kurz somehow got lucky.

    As she activated her flight attribute and tugged against the pull of Ikyu, she undid the latches on Hamburger¡¯s and Minch¡¯s backpacks¡ªshe had left her own behind before the confrontation with Aine. Even with all this loss of weight, it wasn¡¯t enough for her to stop them from falling completely¡ªall she could do was heavily slow their descent.

    They crashed right into a blue bush the size of a house. They immediately snapped numerous branches and received several scrapes all over their bodies. Hamburger released an entire cloud of spores with her cry of pain, but her flesh was not the sort to bleed¡ªboth Envila¡¯s and Minch¡¯s were, with the fay releasing a sparkling, syrupy blue liquid.

    However, they did not perish on impact. They did end up flat on their faces on the forest floor.

    Envila quickly stood up. Her left leg was broken¡ªfay frailties could not be worked out entirely¡ªbut she pushed through the pain. She quickly scanned for the others, not able to find Mimgol, but she saw Kurz lying flat on the ground, staring up at the cavern ceiling with a blank expression.

    Fortunately, Envila had Green on her now¡ªnever again was she to be caught with an injured party without a way to restore them. She waved the crystal over the orc¡¯s body, restoring whatever complex internal injuries the fall had brought upon his body. His single shattered sun-lamp was also repaired by the act.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Hamburger said. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ really good at that.¡±

    ¡°Fay have always had a great connection to magic¡­¡± Envila said with a sigh. ¡°I¡­ have attempted to reject it, but that was hasty.¡± She turned to tend to Hamburger and Minch, only after they were healed did she bother to restore herself, despite her injuries being worse than both of theirs¡ªand she purposefully left the minor scratches and gashes open, fixing only the major wounds. ¡°Now¡­ Mimgol!¡±

    ¡°Here,¡± Mimgol called from one of the absurdly tall trees¡ªhe was jumping down from branch to branch, breaking a few when he landed but allowing his momentum to carry him further down until he rammed his hand into the trunk, stopping his motion all at once.

    ¡°Dwarves¡­ truly are durable,¡± Kurz said, standing up and rubbing his head.

    ¡°Might as well make use of it from time to time,¡± Mimgol said. ¡°Now¡­ uh¡­ I have questions.¡±

    Minch looked nervous. ¡°W-well, y¡¯see¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, not about psycho lady, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get to her soon enough. I mean¡­¡± He gestured at the forest they were in. ¡°WHAT THE HECK!?¡±

    ¡°I think I see how Grampy might have been able to survive down here, now¡­¡± Hamburger said, looking around with wide eyes. ¡°I¡­ this is¡­ breathtaking.¡±

    Envila turned her eyes upward. She could barely make out the features of the top of the cavern¡ªsome kind of yellowish fog was preventing anything definite from focusing. She thought she knew where the hole they crashed in from was, but she couldn¡¯t be sure, and she saw no signs of Aine.

    What she did see was life. Most of it was plant-based, but not all of it. Birds flew to and from the trees¡ªa purple species with four wings she didn¡¯t recognize. In fact, she recognized nothing here; no matter where she looked, each tree, bush, plant, and animal was unlike anything that had ever been shown to her ancient eyes.

    It had been deep beneath her feet all these years.

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± she said, eventually. ¡°I believe¡­ this is something completely unknown we have just found.¡± She broke out into a grin. ¡°And that has exceeded even my wildest expectations for this trip.¡±

    ¡°How are we going to get back?¡± Hamburger asked.

    ¡°You have a dwarf with you!¡± Mimgol said with a hearty laugh. ¡°Just find me a cave wall and I can dig us up. Might take a few days, but it looks like stuff¡¯s edible around here and it¡¯s cool enough that we won¡¯t cook to death!¡± He started laughing. ¡°SERIOUSLY THOUGH WHAT THE HECK HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE!?¡±

    ¡°Questions for the more scientifically minded!¡± Envila declared. ¡°It is, and here we are, let us enjoy i¡ªand it appears we are about to have some unwelcome visitors. Lots of them, by the sounds of it.¡±

    Kurz frowned. ¡°Something feels wrong¡­¡±

    Minch hid behind him.

    Soon, they all heard the stomping of a stampede coming from all around them. The group of five huddled together in a circle, backs to each other, not wanting to give whatever was coming any opportunity.

    What came surprised them¡ªfor the arrivals were not like the rest of the forest; completely alien and unknown.

    They were orcs. Over a hundred of them, wearing blue leafy garments with seemingly random colored lines painted all over them¡ªboth the leaves and their bodies. Their hands were curled into fists, but they kept a few meters back from the newcomers.

    ¡°Orcs¡­? Underground¡­? Without the sun?¡± Mimgol wondered.

    ¡°It¡¯s more likely than you might think,¡± Hamburger said, gesturing at Kurz.

    Kurz himself raised a hand. ¡°Hello¡­ brothers?¡± He slammed a fist on his chest and let out a loud cry, raising his hand into the air.

    A few of the other orcs started beating their chests but mean looks from the others got them to stop quickly.

    ¡°They are orcs, through and through,¡± Kurz said. ¡°They do not speak our tongue, though.¡±

    ¡°I know many languages, even dead ones,¡± Envila said. ¡°However¡­ I do not think they have a tongue at all, or at least they do not permit themselves to speak within earshot. No muttering at all, not from a single one.¡±

    ¡°Great, we¡¯re going to die¡­¡± Minch muttered.

    ¡°We were going to die up there because of you,¡± Hamburger countered.

    ¡°You could have just let her take me!¡±

    ¡°How is it you still doubt my intentions?¡± Envila asked. For once, her voice carried with it a legitimate hint of distress. ¡°What more must I do?¡±

    ¡°People like you don¡¯t exist!¡±

    ¡°You cannot believe what is right in front of you? Ah, how dense! How¡­¡± She took in a deep breath and calmed herself. ¡°I have no right to release my anger upon you, and even if I did, there are other things afoot.¡±

    ¡°Soooo, plan?¡± Mimgol asked. ¡°I¡¯d love a plan right about now.¡±

    ¡°Orcs are warriors by nature,¡± Kurz said. ¡°They likely think we are invaders, and it is my presence that is holding them back.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how to use Yellow?¡± Envila asked.

    ¡°Not¡­ well.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully one of them does, then.¡± Envila picked a Yellow crystal out of one of her sacks, handing it to Kurz. He held out his hand and gestured at one of the other orcs.

    They looked at him in confusion.

    Kurz pushed his will into the Yellow crystal, prompting a slight flash, but nothing happened.

    ¡°I do not think they know what it is,¡± Kurz said. ¡°They are far too on edge to accept something unknown into their spirits.¡±

    ¡°So, what, we just stand here forever until something happens?¡± Mimgol asked.

    ¡°I recommend sitting,¡± Envila said, crossing her legs and moving to the ground. ¡°It looks far more submissive and, as a bonus, is quite a bit more comfortable.¡±

    Hamburger followed her lead and sat down. ¡°Guess we might as well be comfortable if they do wanna chop our heads off.¡±

    ¡°Chop our heads off!?¡± Minch stammered.

    ¡°Relax, kid,¡± Mimgol said. ¡°They don¡¯t even have any weapons.¡±

    ¡°Kid!?¡±

    ¡°A name you deserve,¡± Hamburger commented. ¡°You deserve much worse, actually.¡± She looked up at Envila. ¡°What¡­ what was that thing up there?¡±

    ¡°The darkness¡­¡± Envila frowned. ¡°I have seen very few of them in my time, and most consider them but legends. The common name is ¡®demon,¡¯ but it occurs to me that this is disrespectful to the Gonal, for they hold that the creatures are the holy servants of the Dark Goddess.¡±

    ¡° ¡®Demon,¡¯ is a suitable term,¡± Kurz said, shuddering. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see one¡­ and if I had known the Mistress was that deep into the dark arts, I would have left long ago¡ªthough, if she knew I knew¡­¡±

    Hamburger frowned. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it, if we¡¯re going to sit here and talk about this while the orcs stare us down, I¡¯ve got some questions for Minch. Envila may be okay with just letting your past be your business but I¡¯m not! What have you roped us into!?¡±

    ¡°¡­I left her,¡± Minch said, quietly. ¡°We were together for six long years, but then¡­ I didn¡¯t realize it at the time, but I had seen the evil of the Dark Ones, and just¡­ couldn¡¯t take it. She went from loving me¡­ to wanting me dead.¡± He shook his head. ¡°That two million debt was just for show, a way for her to legally pursue me without the authorities looking too closely.¡±

    There was silence around the circle.

    ¡°Seems to me like you dodged a boulder with that girl,¡± Mimgol said. ¡°If she turned around to wanting you dead that quickly.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, there¡¯s no doubt about that,¡± Minch said. ¡°Except¡­ clearly, I haven¡¯t actually managed to dodge it yet. It¡¯s still coming after me like a mad dog.¡± He put his hands to his head and pulled at his hair. ¡°I never thought she would be so¡­ fixated.¡±

    ¡°Love makes people do strange things, especially when it turns to hate,¡± Envila said, sighing. ¡°¡­You could have said something long ago, Minch.¡±

    ¡°Oh, excuse me, you just wanted me to come out and say ¡®hey guys, I want to use you as a cover while I run as far away from this psycho murder lady who runs a barely legal commercial empire and is a devout worshipper of Eyda?¡¯ You would have been okay with that!?¡±

    ¡°Yes, as I try to demonstrate to you time and time again,¡± Envila said with a shake of her head.

    Minch looked at the ground. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t think she cared this much. We were supposed to escape her reach, down here, you were never supposed to see¡­ any of that. I¡¯m¡­ sorry.¡±

    ¡°¡­Signs of progress¡­¡± Envila said under her breath. ¡°¡­I am still quite upset with you, but you are forgiven, at least on my end.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, what?¡± Hamburger stammered.

    ¡°If we are not to forgive others what they have done, how can we ask for forgiveness ourselves?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not¡­¡±

    Before the awkward conversation could continue, the forest started to move. Slowly, the circle of orcs backed away from the group of five, not taking their eyes off of them, but not making any aggressive move either. They made way¡­ for the tree.

    The tree did not so much walk as it swam through the ground, using its roots like propellers as it tore chunks of soil from the earth, leaving a speckled, dirty trail behind it as it approached them. It was not one of the impossibly tall trees, nor was it one of the glowing ones¡ªit seemed to be a collection of blue vines that continually twisted and turned around each other in a great spiral pattern. In the midst of this spiral pattern was a flower, but a flower made of hundreds of differently shaped and colored petals that swirled around in a hypnotic dance.

    From the center of this flower emerged a Yellow crystal.

    ¡°I¡­ it must be spirited,¡± Envila said, slowly turning her gaze to the flower. ¡°But I have never seen such a spirited thing. I¡­ do not know¡­ I shall let it speak to me.¡± She closed her eyes¡­ and there was a sudden burst of Yellow that flew into her eyes.

    Then she fell to her back, eyes wide open and pupils pointed in different directions. ¡°Wheee¡­ I like avocados, what about you¡­? Oh¡­ head made of¡­ cream cheese¡­ need to¡­ process¡­ hey, wanna hear a joke? Neither¡­ do I¡­¡±

    ¡°What did you do to her!?¡± Hamburger shouted, as though the plant would be able to give her an answer. All it did was direct its flower upward in the direction they had come.

    The moment it did, a ball of pure darkness slammed into the ground, immediately consuming at least five orcs in its viscous sludge. Sickly yellow lightning burst from the dark thing¡¯s edges, and six neon eye-slits opened in a radial pattern, directed right at the flower.

    With a sickly sound akin to ¡°blorglerekh,¡± Aine emerged from the top of the dark creature, Glint still sitting peacefully on her ice pack

    ¡°Even going beyond the ends of Ikyu will not save you!¡± Aine shouted. ¡°The holy darkness shall consume you, for I have earned such a reward for my service!¡±

    ¡°You care too much for performance,¡± the darkness hissed with a voice that sounded like a gurgling faucet mixed with a distant scream on a moonless night. ¡°Just order his death and be done with it.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Dark one. Kill him.¡±

    At this point, the swirling flower pointed a strange swirling branch at the darkness. Immediately, all the orcs rushed into action, charging right at the monster with their fists and thorn-like teeth.

    Kurz picked up the dazed Envila. ¡°Run!¡±

    ¡°Silly¡­ I can¡¯t run¡­ I don¡¯t have feet! Or eyes¡­¡± Envila giggled. ¡°You know¡­ brain¡­ not big¡­ funk?¡±

    While she continued to mutter nonsense in her delirium, Minch, Kurz, Mimgol, and Hamburger ran as fast as their legs could carry them. The orcs of the forest paid them no mind as they laid siege to Aine and her monster.

    Aine shrieked in rage. ¡°How can you keep getting away!? How!?¡±

    ¡°Patience, Mistress Aine, all will be fulfilled.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should take this as a sign to give up!¡± MImgol shouted back at her. ¡°This sad flabby sack of flesh isn¡¯t worth it!¡±

    ¡°¡­I will kill you too, dwarf! And all your companions!¡±

    At this point, they had run far enough away that continuing a shouting match wasn¡¯t worth it. They heard the screams of the orcs the entire way¡ªsome shouting out in the call of battle, others in the pain of death.

    ¡°They¡¯re fighting for us¡­¡± Hamburger said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think so,¡± Kurz said. ¡°We are incidental. The demon is evil, and the¡­ the forest knows it.¡±

    ¡°How can a forest know anything!?¡±

    One of the trees next to them spontaneously grew a plant that was shaped a lot like an arrow, telling them to turn left. Almost without thinking, Kurz listened to the instruction, continuing his run.

    ¡°I reiterate my question!¡± Hamburger called.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have an answer for you!¡± Mimgol jumped over a rock, struggling to keep up his pace. ¡°This forest clearly knows something about where to go, though!¡±

    Another arrow appeared in front of them and they listened to it. They quickly realized that they were being herded into the center of the cavern¡ªthe lowest point, where the ground started to slope sharply downward, toward one of the glowing sun-trees.

    Hamburger gasped.

    There was a house nearby. One with a door roughly her size, built into the bottom of one of the large, absurdly tall trees. ¡°Grampy!?¡±

    There was no voice to greet her. She found it hard to believe he was sleeping with the din that was happening all around them, and the tiny window showed no light on inside. He probably wasn¡¯t in there at all.

    But it was a sign of him having been here. Long enough to build something.

    Another arrow formed, directing them away from the house. Hamburger hesitated for a moment, but realized it was probably stupid to investigate now of all times, so she continued her flight.

    The forest eventually led them to the base of one of the glowing trees, where there was a hole in the ground that had been carved out by what appeared to be a complex root system. It was large enough for an orc to fit through comfortably.

    ¡°Deeper it is!¡± Mimgol said with a laugh. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d go deeper than any dwarf had ever gone before today, but here we are! I wonder what¡¯s under this fantastic forest land!¡±

    ¡°I just want to live, okay!?¡± Minch jumped into the hole, finding that the roots shifted and moved to accommodate him as he slid down. The others all jumped in after him.

    Mimgol was the last one through, and the moment he was, leaves and roots grew over the top of the hole, sealing them off from the forest.

    Their trip was rather short, all things considered, for the slide deposited them at their destination a moment later¡ªa chunk of obsidian easily the size of a house. It was quite slippery, but there was a sort of moss at the edges that kept them from sliding off into the unknown.

    And what an unknown it was. The obsidian chunk stood atop an miniature underground mountain made of rocks, dirt, Colored crystals, roots, and other materials they couldn¡¯t identify. At the base of the mountain, far below them, glowed flows of red.

    They could certainly feel the heat now.

    ¡°A lava flow¡­¡± Mimgol said, stunned. ¡°I¡­ this is extremely dangerous, we¡¯re far enough up that we¡¯re fine, but¡­ get anywhere close to that and you¡¯ll just burst into flames.¡±

    ¡°Pyoooo! Fireworks!¡± Envila said with a giggle. Then she put her hand to her chin. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s so funny? Egh¡­ head¡­¡±

    ¡°Where now?¡± Minch asked.

    Kurz frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know. There does not appear to be much of anything here¡­¡±

    ¡°Except roots,¡± Hamburger said, gesturing at the massive tangles of plant matter that descended from the ceiling, growing blacker and blacker as they got closer and closer to the lava. ¡°I think they¡¯re¡­ extracting energy, somehow?¡±

    ¡°Seems likely,¡± Mimgol said, leaning down and touching some of the roots next to them, prompting a few nearby Colored crystals to light up. ¡°The forest¡­ thing is clearly spirited. Maybe it¡¯s a colony of some kind? It¡¯s¡­ really hard to believe it¡¯s all one big entity.¡±

    ¡°She is¡­¡± Envila said, holding a hand to her head and groaning. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ the entire cavern. Maintaining¡­ everything¡­ for the orcs.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s absurd,¡± Mimgol said. ¡°Everything about this is absurd.¡±

    Kurz frowned. ¡°The absurdity is the least of our worries. I do not think the orcs can stop a demon.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Minch said, throwing his hands into the air. ¡°Just¡­ great! She¡¯ll raze the entire forest up there to the ground looking for me and then she¡¯ll eventually find the hole and find me! Agh! It just¡­¡±

    ¡°I found another hole,¡± Hamburger said, jumping off of the obsidian chunk and onto the mountain proper. ¡°Look, here,¡± she pointed out a little circular opening in the underground mountain that spiraled down into the earth. ¡°I think there¡¯s something down there¡­¡±

    There was a large rumble from directly above them. Clods of dirt and stone started falling from the ceiling.

    ¡°MINCH!¡±

    Minch threw his hands up into the air. ¡°That¡¯s it, I give up, she¡¯s going to get me! You lot go¡­ go hide in that hole or something!¡±

    Hamburger stared at him. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to stand here and take it, what does it look like I¡¯m going to do!?¡±

    Envila suddenly started laughing.

    ¡°Great, now she¡¯s really lost it,¡± Minch groaned.

    ¡°I think she just finds it amusing that you think we¡¯d leave you to die,¡± Kurz said. ¡°We will do no such thing.¡±

    ¡°Look, we don¡¯t have time for this¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly. So shut up.¡±

    Hamburger glanced at Kurz, frowning. ¡°¡­We don¡¯t have to die today, Kurz.¡±

    ¡°Would you be able to live with yourself if you left him up here?¡±

    Hamburger frowned. ¡°¡­Yes, but it would not be a pleasant life.¡± She sighed. ¡°But I am no fighter. I am just¡­ a little halfling.¡±

    ¡°None of us are anything to a demon.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t just let that thing slaughter us, we have to¡­¡± suddenly, her eyes widened. ¡°Cut the moss off the edge of the obsidian chunk.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Do it now!¡±

    Kurz, Mimgol, and Minch quickly set to work, removing the moss from the obsidian chunk, leaving it completely smooth and slippery.

    ¡°Now¡­ tilt it,¡± Hamburger said.

    Minch saw what she was trying to do. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s no way that works. It¡¯s too far.¡±

    ¡°This is a pretty steep mountain, do you have any idea how hard it is to stop rolling down once you¡¯ve started?¡±

    ¡°I do!¡± Mimgol said with a hearty guffaw. ¡°That demon looked pretty heavy, it¡¯ll be real hard to stop that¡­¡±

    ¡°FOUND YOU!¡±

    ¡°Mistress, please, the shouting is unnecessary and quite annoying.¡±

    ¡°Just get in the hole!¡±

    ¡°Get ready!¡± Hamburger called.

    ¡°For what?¡± Kurz asked. ¡°She¡¯s just going to fall, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Get behind the direction she¡¯s going to fall, maybe?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Yes, that, maybe that is a good idea.¡±

    The five of them scrambled around to the back of the obsidian chunk¡ªthough in Envila¡¯s case, she was more dragged over. She could sort of hold herself up on her own to feet at this point, but not walk very well.

    ¡°Good plan¡­ I think¡­¡± Envila rubbed her eyes. ¡°That forest did a number on me¡­ it had no concept of sharing too much and I wasn¡¯t about to be rude and¡­ ow¡­¡±

    ¡°What a time for you to be too nice,¡± Minch grumbled.

    ¡°Gave the rest of you time to grow¡­ seems¡­ necessary¡­¡± Envila took in a big breath, slapping herself across the face. ¡°Focus! I¡­ I want to see this.¡±

    The demon, Aine, and Glint slid out of the hole in the ceiling, the roots pushing them along. They landed on the obsidian chunk¡ªand slid right off, entering a tumble down the underground mountain.

    ¡°Wh-what!?¡± Aine shouted. ¡°How c¡ª¡± The demon slammed into the ground upside-down, pressing her between the shadowy goop and the mountainous grit rather forcefully. As this compression was occurring, several sharp limbs erupted from the demon, trying to grab hold onto the roots, a rock, or something.

    But the roots refused to let themselves be grabbed. If they were touched, they withered away to dust, and rocks suspiciously came loose as the demon made its mad scramble.

    ¡°¡­I am beginning to find this particular planeht quite infuriating,¡± the demon said without a hint of fury in its still quite terrifying voice. It continued to roll down the mountain, flipping end over end, unable to touch anything as it cascaded down further, further, and further toward the fiery abyss below.

    ¡°You suck!¡± Hamburger called after the demon. ¡°Buh-bye now!¡±

    ¡°I will remember you¡­ little one.¡±

    ¡°Good luck! You don¡¯t even know my name!¡±

    ¡°¡­Drat.¡±

    With this, the demon got too close to the lava flow. It was unable to burn, for it was not made out of anything that could be considered normal. But the heat carried with it energy, and force, and that was sufficient to destabilize its form. It writhed and shrieked like glass being torn in two across the flesh of a dying dog.

    It disintegrated before it hit the lava, leaving only the pendant flying through the air, which glinted momentarily before landing right in the superheated earth and promptly melting.

    ¡°Well. That was certainly a show,¡± Glint said, sitting on a nearby root, licking his paw. ¡°Looks like you folks won.¡±

    Everyone stared awkwardly at the sphinx. He didn¡¯t even bother looking back at them, he just kept grooming himself.

    Suddenly, Aine shakily stood, rising out of the roots she¡¯d been pressed into. She¡¯d been heavily injured¡ªat least one of her bones were broken and some wound under her dark clothes was leaking a lot of blood.

    ¡°Oh no oh no she¡¯s still up!¡± Minch grabbed his head. ¡°I¡­¡±

    Mimgol rammed his fists together. ¡°She¡¯s just one lass.¡±

    Kurz let out a roar at his ex-employer.

    ¡°You¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± Aine¡¯s face twisted into a scowl. ¡°No. I will not allow it!¡±

    ¡°Revenge¡­ is a terrible dish¡­¡± Envila said, supporting herself on the obsidian chunk. ¡°You¡­ do not have to continue¡­ Aine.¡±

    Aine¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, but her rage did not abate. ¡°You think you know everything? You think you know the pain, the hate, of being betrayed by the person you hold closest? You hold dearest?¡±

    ¡°Did you ever stop to think¡­ that it was perhaps you who betrayed him first?¡±

    A dark cloud came over Aine. ¡°¡­My path was that of the holy. If he could not stand with me, he deserved death sooner.¡±

    Envila sighed. ¡°I do not think I can get through to her¡­ but I may have a bias against Enya¡¯s servants. Kurz¡­ what say you?¡±

    Kurz wordlessly took a glove out of one of his pockets and put it on his right hand, a bright pink pentagon emblazoned on the palm. ¡°I¡­ do not know. To defy one of Enya¡¯s is a great blasphemy without the blessing of one of her sisters. The Nameless Goddess does not declare her blessings. Am I to strike her down, or not?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I am left to find the truth for myself and suffer the consequences. And yet¡­ it is clear I have been placed here for a reason, a fellow Gonal.¡±

    ¡°Your goddess is a joke,¡± Aine spat.

    ¡°Ah¡­ so you wish to die,¡± Kurz sighed.

    ¡°I want him dead!¡± Aine shrieked. ¡°But even I know I can¡¯t get past all of you, and you¡¯re all smart enough to realize what happens if you let me live here, today!¡±

    ¡°Are we¡­?¡± Kurz asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Envila admitted, shaking her head. ¡°There has to come a point where one has fallen too far into the darkness, but where is that point? Has she crossed it?¡±

    ¡°Is it even darkness as you mean it at all?¡± Kurz asked.

    ¡°Exactly. Who are we to play judge, jury, and executioner?¡±

    ¡°But it falls to us anyway, for there will be no others to hold her to it.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Minch shuffled his feet awkwardly. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want her dead.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡± Aine spat.

    Envila smiled. ¡°That¡­ is good enough for me. Kurz?¡±

    Kurz nodded, taking off his glove and putting it away.

    Aine pulled out the Red-core knife. ¡°I¡¯ll stab! Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t! I¡ª¡±

    Mimgol threw a rock at her head. It hit her right in the forehead and knocked her out in an instant.

    ¡°She¡¯s probably fine,¡± Mimgol said.

    ¡°Might I suggest tying her up before healing her?¡± Glint said.

    ¡°Good idea,¡± Hamburger said. ¡°¡­Wait, are you going to try something?¡±

    ¡°Nah, not worth it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sure. Right. ¡­Weird cat¡­¡±

    They had soon tied Aine up very effectively and healed her injuries. Since she continually shouted bloody murder, they had to gag her to keep her quiet.

    ¡°And now¡­¡± Envila turned to Hamburger. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to find your great-grandfather.¡±

    Hamburger nodded. ¡°I think so too. Everyone¡­ to the hole.¡±

    Once more, they descended into the earth¡ªbut this descent was not all that far. It was just a quick twist and a turn, until they came into a chamber no larger than the average living room. There were two objects of note within the space¡ªa Magenta Crystalline One embedded in the ground, and a rocking chair in which sat an old, wrinkled halfling who was snoring quite loudly, a notebook lying open on his lap filled with all kinds of scrawlings.

    ¡°Ah, Chonk, it appears you have visitors,¡± the Crystalline One said.

    ¡°Chonk!?¡± Minch stammered. ¡°His¡­ his name is Chonk!?¡±

    ¡°And my name¡¯s Hamburger,¡± Hamburger said with a roll of her eyes. ¡°We just name ourselves that way.¡±

    ¡°On purpose!¡± Grampy Chonk said, suddenly on his feet and grinning madly¡ªtwo teeth clearly missing from his wide maw. ¡°If your name is ridiculous-sounding it keeps ya¡¯ humble, don¡¯ t it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Grampy¡­¡± Hamburger said, smirking as she gave him a hug. ¡°I did just use my brain to defeat a demon-monster-thing.¡±

    ¡°Well! I can¡¯t wait to hear all about that, but first¡­ everyone, I don¡¯t know who you are, but I do know you need to meet my friend here, the great, incredible, amazing, learned¡­ Vein!¡±

    ¡°Charmed,¡± Vein said.

    ¡°Now¡­¡± Hamburger slapped Chonk across the cheek. ¡°That¡¯s for making everyone worry! Do you have any idea how long you¡¯ve been gone!?¡±

    ¡°Uh, no, not really, there¡¯s not days down here¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, I found you, and you¡¯re fine. So mission accomplished.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Honestly the duel on top felt like more of a triumph than this, to be honest.¡±

    ¡°The purpose of an adventure rarely lies in the destination!¡±

    ¡°I see your great-grandfather is among those who sound wise,¡± Envila commented.

    Chonk pointed at Envila. ¡°I like this one.¡±

    Hamburger chuckled. ¡°I thought you might.¡± She hugged him again, this time much longer and with much more force. ¡°¡­It¡¯s good to see you again.¡±

    ¡°You too, little one.¡±

    Hearing the nickname from her Grampy made her giggle like the little girl she was at heart.

    ¡°Quite a charming reunion, if I do say so myself.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Mimgol walked up to Vein. ¡°You are much larger than you appear, I can sense it in my dwarven bones.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, this is just my highest point. I have elongated myself to a length of many, many kilometers into the earth below, trying to reach as far down as I possibly can.¡±

    Envila chuckled to herself. ¡°After we have come so far, beyond all we thought possible, we come across one who has exceeded everything we could hope to accomplish in all our wildest dreams.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ have you found?¡± Mimgol asked Vein.

    ¡°Other Crystalline Ones, caves, and other such things. The heat is quite intense down there, but it can be managed. The most interesting part is, stretched out as I am, I can feel Ikyu itself move.¡±

    ¡°M¡­ move?¡±

    ¡°The great rocks that make up the world shift and tremble on extremely large scales, enough that every now and then I am shattered and have to rejoin with entire massive segments of myself. It makes it quite hard to go any deeper, for the further down the more movement there is among the solid, rigid earth.¡±

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Mimgol was speechless.

    ¡°Why do you dig?¡± Kurz asked.

    ¡°Because I want to know what lies beneath. I was formed in the crust of Ikyu, alone, without any contact or direction, all I knew was the force that pulled me down. And so I descended. I may have descended all the way had I not come across the Blue Forest, which I did not want to lose connection with. But I still felt the pull downward, and it had been my quest for so long¡­ so for eons the two of us have stood here, our only companions. We thought she was the only life aside from crystals in existence¡­ until Chonk came, and told me stories of the surface. I am far too stretched out to visit it myself, but¡­ it is good to hear of other things. The Blue Forest does not find the surface as pleasing to think about, however, and wishes to remain a secret from invaders.¡±

    ¡°Do not worry, we shall keep your secret,¡± Envila said. ¡°At least, I assume I speak for everyone. It is enough to simply have witnessed this place. Although¡­ we have a small problem. A rather despicable woman by the name of Aine came here with us, and¡­ wait. Wait, I have an idea¡­¡± Envila grinned. ¡°If she¡¯ll be a big problem if we take her back to the surface, why not just leave her here? That is, if the Blue Forest is okay with being a prison, we likely shouldn¡¯t impose.¡±

    ¡°I will discuss this with her¡­ but it will take time, the Blue Forest likes to think things through slowly if she can. She is currently a little annoyed that things were happening so fast, and quite livid about¡­ oh my, dead orcs. She really likes those orcs.¡±

    ¡°Well, you have plenty of time to figure it out,¡± MImgol said. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to dig us back up for a while, it¡¯ll take time. Speaking of, I should probably start scouting out a good location for that¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t go, dwarfy!¡± Chonk declared with a laugh. ¡°Come, sit with everyone! Your journey is at an end! There¡¯s nowhere to go but back¡­ so why not take a break, relax, and enjoy your reward¡ªthe company of an ancient being that plumbs the depths of Ikyu!¡±

    ¡°¡­Some reward,¡± Minch deadpanned.

    ¡°You got to live,¡± Hamburger retorted.

    ¡°You know what, yeah, that is a good reward.¡±

    ¡°First of all¡­¡± the Vein flickered. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me a bit about yourselves?¡±

    Envila grinned. ¡°I am Envila. I have no other names, nor extensions to that one, unless you count my membership in the fay race¡­¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    What? A science segment in an April Fools chapter? Are you nuts? I mean, I could talk about the heat gradient of the crust and the convection of the mantle or how lava ignites you without touching you¡­ but, like, nah.

    April Fools!

 019 - Spinlaunch

    019

    Spinlaunch

    The city of Axiom was home to many things. The Kroan Academy of Arcane Applications and the Palace were perhaps its most well known sights, but in such a large capital city there were many other locations worthy of attention.

    Alexandrite knew most of them by heart. His job did not consist only of digging around through official records, after all¡ªhe was to find and report on anything that might even be remotely interesting to Gronge, and this extended beyond academics, though research did take up most of his time. The old angler yearned to know as much about the world he could never visit as he could¡ªor, at least, that¡¯s what his messages suggested. Alexandrite often felt that the distance that came from communicating only through secondary means limited how much he could know who his employer was.

    Gronge was particularly fond of hearing things that were rarely officially reported. How did the lower classes live? What sorts of games did the children play? What were the real dispositions of Ikyu¡¯s various races¡ªnot the oversimplified opinion of some stuffy academic in some stuffy room. As such, Alexandrite spent a fair amount of time simply roaming the streets of Kroan.

    In smaller towns and cities, the sight of a dragon, even a relatively young one such as himself, would have caused great upheaval and a change in everyone¡¯s behavior. But this was Axiom. There were hundreds of dragons living in the city. Seeing one of his kind walking or flying around was almost a daily occurrence. As such, it allowed him to view the people as they were, without his presence clouding things.

    For instance, today, he was roaming through a particularly poor part of town. Now, the word ¡°poor¡± was rather relative in Axiom¡ªfood was plentiful and there were more than enough Sanctuaries to ensure that nobody was ever homeless. Unlike most of the towns in Kroan, nobody ever went to bed starving in the great city. The royal family were quick to take credit for this but it really was the work of the Sanctuaries¡ªand even this wasn¡¯t as altruistic as the religious organization would like the people to believe. There was a fair amount of competition between the Aware, the Yellow Seekers, and the Green Seekers in Axiom to seem like ¡°the nicest people.¡± The Aware were currently winning that little competition as the various Seekers couldn¡¯t organize in the same way they could, but they couldn¡¯t afford to lose their diligence.

    As such, the poorest part of the city was simply that with the smallest houses and the greatest distance from a Sanctuary or Colored Temple. They weren¡¯t cleaned very well and generally twenty or so people were crammed into a living space that, reasonably, should only have fit five or so. The government didn¡¯t spend much on infrastructure in this district, so the cobbled roads were cracked, if even paved at all. Everything was dirty and smelled a bit, and there weren¡¯t any trees in sight.

    It was here that a bunch of children were playing a game Alexandrite had not seen before. He paused to watch¡ªthere were four of them. Two male gari, a female lesser unicorn, and a boy of the floating, balloon-like j¡¯loon race. The clothes that the gari had were little more than rags, and neither the unicorn nor the j¡¯loon opted to wear anything. When it was considered decent to go out unclothed, clothes became a frivolous expense and not a necessity.

    The four of them were moving in a circular pattern. They were not going fast, they were not going slow, but they were all going at the same relative speed, more or less. Previous games of this sort Alexandrite had seen were usually accompanied by singing some kind of silly tune, but these children were just humming a series of notes. There weren¡¯t even any words, just a series of tones that were melodious, yet haunting in a way.

    As he was not learned in musical theory he could not write the notes down, but there was some part of him that wished to. To understand why it wormed its way into his mind so well.

    Why did he feel like he had heard it somewhere before¡­?

    The children continued their circular dance. They were not perfect by any means, but they kept at it, smiles on the three of them that had faces. The j¡¯loon looked happy as well, as far as Alexandrite could tell.

    They showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

    ¡°Message for Deep Messenger Alexandrite.¡±

    Alexandrite shook his head and tore his gaze off the children to see a light-blue slime messenger floating in the air next to him. Not unusual for an air slime, though this one had remarkable control over the wind and was able to float without creating a havoc-wreaking tornado.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Alexandrite asked.

    The air slime reached into his Messenger¡¯s satchel and provided Alexandrite a notice. ¡°The Orange Tower has your order fulfilled.¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course. Thank you, Messenger.¡± Alexandrite quickly turned away to examine the children again¡ªbut they were already gone. Strange¡­ I¡¯ll probably never figure out what that was about. With that, he spread his great wings and took off into the sky, feeling the warmth of his attribute spread throughout his heavy body.

    One of the benefits of being a member of a flying race was easy access to almost anywhere¡ªin this case, the balconies of the Orange Tower of Kroan Academy. All the towers of Kroan Academy were smooth, largely cylindrical structures in the mundane color of their respective crystals. The Orange Tower was slightly different, though, as it had several structures floating disjointed from it¡ªthe Orange Wizards bragging about their mastery over forces. Granted, the floating sections were hugely impractical as new will had to be constantly shunted into them to keep them afloat, but it was a good thing to have the less-than-successful students work at.

    It still wasn¡¯t as impressive as the Red Tower¡¯s eternal flame, but the idea was that the flame didn¡¯t require much effort to maintain, so the Orange Tower had to be more impressive, right?

    Personally, Alexandrite preferred the Purple Tower, which, despite having the flashiest magic possible, chose to embrace the connection of Purple with secrets and go for a mundane, unassuming shape.

    But he wasn¡¯t there, he was at the Orange Tower, where a large crate was waiting for him.

    A fat gari¡ªsomething almost unheard of in their species¡ªwoman with orange plastic and orange robes crossed her arms as he landed. ¡°Oh, look who¡¯s here! The dragon with the very mysterious and very complicated order! Hmph!¡± She tilted her head, her pointed hat flopping awkwardly to the side of her head. Her plast hair was sculpted into something resembling an octopus at the moment, though last time Alexandrite had seen her it had taken the shape of a mathematical wave of some sort. ¡°Mind telling me what this is all about?¡±

    ¡°Rigelia, I put in the order and I paid, I am taking the components and leaving.¡± He latched his claws on the box and started to fly away.

    To his immediate chagrin, the master wizard enveloped him and the box in a field of Orange¡ªhe did not feel so much grabbed as trapped within an invisible ball that pushed harder the more he tried to escape in exactly the right direction to keep him still.

    He knew she was just showing off. There were much more efficient ways to stop him, but her and her precious ¡°Orange fields¡± had to be used for everything. Including what he had purchased in the box.

    ¡°Come on little boy, can¡¯t you cure my curiosity just a little?¡±

    Alexandrite did a quick calculation. He was a young dragon and she was an old gari. Yet, even with the lengthy lifespan of gari by human standards, he was still fairly sure he was older than her by a decade at least. Coming to this conclusion, he let out a huff. ¡°Your insult is incorrect. Check your calculations again.¡±

    ¡°Oh, feisty!¡± Rigelia chuckled. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I really would like a little explanation. And you could get all fussy about it and make a scene, but that would take time. You could just let out a little bit of information and be on your way in a matter of seconds!¡±

    ¡°You really are a pain,¡± Alexandrite grumbled.

    ¡°Oh my! Were I of a different disposition I might be inclined to exact revenge for that remark!¡±

    ¡°Hence why I said it aloud and not silently.¡±

    ¡°Well, how quai¡ª¡°

    ¡°Let him go, Rigelia.¡±

    Alexandrite was more than mildly surprised to see two other master wizards come out onto the balcony, neither of them Orange, but both well known. Richard Xerxes the Magenta and the often considered paradoxical Pepper the Red¡ªa free leaf dryad with an eternal halo of fire around her verdant green head. She was one of the few wizards who refused the pointed hat*. She cited many reasons for this, but everyone knew it was just so she could keep her halo of fire up at all times.

    *Technically speaking, the hat is a required part of any official Kroan wizard¡¯s outfit. Also technically speaking, Pepper keeps a tiny pointed hat in her pocket. Normally, this wouldn¡¯t fly, but Pepper is one of the most respected Red wizards in the land and is known to go out into the wilderness to fight hordes of monsters for fun, so who¡¯s going to stop her? Would you?

    It had been Xerxes who had spoken. His simple request was enough to get Rigelia to release Alexandrite. ¡°Why are you here? I should have had plenty of time before somebody showed up¡­¡±

    ¡°Dia likely ordained this meeting to keep you from harassing the poor dragon.¡± Pepper commented with a childish giggle. ¡°Fate will continue to conspire against you.¡±

    Rigelia twitched.

    ¡°But we were also here because we had an order from you. You know. The fine-tuned compression device?¡± Pepper fluttered her eyes rapidly. ¡°Can we pleeeeease have it?¡±

    ¡°We have also already paid,¡± Xerxes said. ¡°And have no intention of telling you what it will be used for.¡±

    ¡°There will be highly dangerous explosions inches from my face if all goes well~!¡± Pepper sang.

    Xerxes, unlike his current companion, did not give away any information by continuing to speak.

    ¡°Right this way¡­¡± Rigelia said. She turned around to glare at Alexandrite. ¡°Why are you still here?¡±

    ¡°This conversation was quite fascinating,¡± Alexandrite said. ¡°Master wizards are just as much people as the rest, it seems, just a bit more mentally unhinged.¡±

    Pepper clicked her tongue. ¡°He¡¯s got us there.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s got you there,¡± Rigelia countered.

    ¡°Can we please keep up some air of the dignity we are supposed to have?¡± Xerxes asked. ¡°We are the faces of magic in this nation, not bickering children.¡±

    ¡°To be like a child is a virtue, though!¡± Pepper said.

    ¡°Yes, Pepper, everyone knows that.¡±

    ¡°But more people could stand to act like it!¡± The three wizards turned together to walk back into the Orange Tower, but Pepper didn¡¯t stop talking, jumping into a pseudo-philosophical musing on the nature of childish innocence.

    Alexandrite was suddenly very glad that the Wizard Space Program was being managed by a bunch of crazies in the middle of nowhere rather than a bunch of crazies with substantial power in their hands.

    He took off into the sky, box in his claws, heading southeast to the sleepy little town of Willow Hollow¡­

    ~~~

    The moment Alexandrite brought the box back to the Wizard Space Program, construction began immediately. Ideally, Suro would have done all the work himself, but the crystal chunks were a bit too large for his little cat body to work with. As such, he had to rely on those with more traditional strength to do the lifting for him¡ªbe it Big G and his muscles or Vaughan and his Orange mastery. Alexandrite lacked the fine motor control required to manipulate the crystals without breaking them, and Blue was, as she put it, ¡°Busy!¡± With what, they weren¡¯t exactly sure, but it probably had something to do with math given the disheveled state of her mane.

    The largest pieces were assembled first, and getting them set only took a day, and it already looked something like what its final state should be: a series of Orange discs arranged in a donut-like pattern that brought attention to the fact that each of the discs were larger on one side than the other. Each and every one of the discs had a Magenta component attached to them¡ªand a large one at that, a fist-sized triangle with three spheres on the corners that were each burning rather brightly. Someone had stored some rather will-intense spells on these triangles, which was understandable considering how quickly they were intending to launch rather large satellites with this device.

    At the end of the first day, a big Orange donut with a Magenta-lined interior was set up in Vaughan¡¯s backyard. It was currently held together by a bunch of metal wires¡ªclearly not what was going to hold it in the end, but it had to do for now, because it was time for Suro to retreat into his workshop and carve some of the smaller, finer pieces. In the nearly-a-year since Vaughan¡¯s initial flight and his subsequent creation of the drive currently in the Skyseed, Suro had spent much of his time fine-tuning his craft so he could carve precise Magenta crystals. He still wasn¡¯t the best, but the specialty-made parts had already arrived, he just had to make the things to fill in the gaps.

    This turned out to be a bit more difficult than expected and resulted in the full construction of the spin-launch device taking several more days than anticipated.

    ¡°Is¡­ is it wrong that something so expensive makes me so hungry?¡± Mary asked one day, staring at how the Orange donut glistened in the sunlight.

    ¡°Not at all!¡± Seskii said with a chuckle. ¡°Just don¡¯t eat it. Like seriously, crystals are very bad when ingested.¡±

    ¡°¡­How bad?¡±

    ¡°Eeeeeeh¡­ you don¡¯t want to know.¡±

    Krays jumped into the conversation. ¡°But I want to tell her! Crystals are rather easy to fracture, and their edges like to be really sharp! You could eat it and it might pass right through¡­ but one wrong move and crack suddenly you have a thousand knives piercing you from the inside! You¡¯ll cough up blood for hours. Green won¡¯t be able to help you since it doesn¡¯t work on other crystals and even if you get a really good Green wizard on your side, chances are your stomach lining is ruined forever and you¡¯ll starve! Probably to death, too! Feeding someone a hidden crystal is a great assassination method.¡± She took a bite of a pear she was holding. After thinking for a second, she offered it to Mary. ¡°This is completely unrelated, but want some of this?¡±

    Mary slowly slinked away.

    ¡°And a point for Krays¡­¡± Krays chuckled. ¡°Anyway, when¡¯s the kid coming out?¡±

    ¡°Jeh?¡± Seskii asked.

    ¡°Yep! Hear she¡¯s going to do some training today.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, right now, actually.¡±

    Jeh ran out of the cabin into the backyard. ¡°All right, let¡¯s do this thing!¡± In her hands was the old practice chair she had used to learn how to balance the Skyseed. While it had many cracks in it and numerous places where it had been repaired, it still had a brass disc on top and one on the bottom, perfect for levitation testing. She slammed it on the ground and turned to her audience of two gari, bowing. ¡°You will now watch as Jeh floats in the air for several hours, blindfolded!¡± She strapped a blindfold to her face and jumped into the chair. Slowly, she lifted herself into the air until she was at about the height of the tallest tree.

    ¡°So!¡± She called down. ¡°I bet you¡¯re all wondering what I¡¯m training for?¡±

    ¡°We already know!¡± Krays called.

    ¡°Tell us again anyway, I know you¡¯ve got a speech prepared!¡± Seskii countered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do!¡± Jeh laughed. ¡°So, you see, when I¡¯m up there with the spin-launcher, I need to be upright and shoot the satellites perpendicular to the surface of Ikyu¡ªyes Blue taught me those fancy math words and yes they really are fun to say. This is so when the satellite is launched it enters a circular orbit and not some sort of slanted weirdness that might send it crashing into Ikyu and might send it into a weird elongated orbit that Blue really doesn¡¯t want to do the math for.

    ¡°The problem is that it¡¯s really hard to tell if you¡¯re flat with the surface or just nearly flat when you¡¯re up that high! But we do have information¡ªwe are always pulled directly down. If the drive¡ªor my magic¡ªis pointed directly upward and perfectly cancels out the downward pull, I¡¯m pointed the right way. But if I¡¯m not pointed the right way then I¡¯ll start drifting left¡­¡± She twisted the chair to the left. ¡°Or the right!¡± She drifted to the right suddenly. ¡°I need to train myself to feel even the tiniest of drift, so I can correct for it until the forces are balanced! Then I activate the spin-launcher and send our little satellites into the unknown.¡±

    Krays blinked. ¡°We¡¯re relying on your sense of balance to launch these things. I just realized. That is a huge potential for error.¡±

    ¡°Not if I train enough!¡± Jeh declared from her blindfolded position above them. ¡°Now, I just need to feel the pull¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Excuse me,¡± Krays said, turning to leave the backyard. ¡°I¡¯m going to go build something that can do her job for her.¡±

    ¡°Good luck with that!¡± Seskii cheered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need luck, I just need stupid ideas to give me motivation.¡±

    ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t quite catch that!¡± Jeh called down. ¡°Did you insult me or yourself?¡±

    ¡°The world will never know,¡± Krays said with a sarcastic clap of her hands before scampering off.

    Jeh shrugged and got back to her balancing.

    She only crashed once that day.

    ~~~

    Darmosil picked up his on-the-job melding kit¡ªwhich consisted of a lot of Red crystals and a few pointed metal rods in a black bag. He was almost out of the shop he and Krays owned and on his way to Vaughan¡¯s when he realized something.

    The arcane furnace was on and Krays was staring at it.

    ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t dance, you know.¡±

    ¡°Shhht!¡± Krays declared. ¡°I¡­ am playing¡­ with liquid.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what a forge does. To metal. And glass. And other solids.¡±

    ¡°Liquid in liquid! And air. All the states of matter are at my disposal and no one can stop me!¡±

    ¡°I could tear out some of the furnace¡¯s crystals.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t live to see the morning.¡±

    Darmosil glanced out the window. ¡°Sunrise is in two minutes, I think I can hold you off for that long.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, we should test that theory, see how dead you really are.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Later, though, I really do need to focus on this. Come on¡­ come on¡­¡± She let out a particularly colorful swear¡ªwhich meant she was particularly annoyed, as she usually prided herself on being much more creative with her expletives. ¡°Heeeeere we go again!¡±

    Darmosil knew it probably wasn¡¯t wise to prod her further.

    But he did anyway.

    ¡°I see your finesse hasn¡¯t improved.¡±

    ¡°Darmosil, I will call down razor-sharp triangles from heaven itself and rip out your small intestine!¡±

    ¡°In your dreams.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Exactly. And then I¡¯ll make you watch. A few weeks down the line you¡¯ll forget all about this and I¡¯ll ask for a Yellow connection and BAM horror.¡±

    Darmosil smirked. ¡°Ah, stealing my ideas I see. Are you still upset about the glass snake incident?¡±

    ¡°YES!¡± There was the sound of shattering glass, followed by Krays¡¯ angry stomp. ¡°Oooooh, Darmosil, you play dirty.¡±

    ¡°Really, I thought that was you.¡±

    Krays threw a glass orb on him that shattered on the wall. ¡°You¡¯re cleaning that up!¡±

    ¡°Ah, but I have a job to get to.¡± He waved at her. ¡°Be back whenever it¡¯s done!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare show your face around here again, glasswrecker!¡± Her tone suddenly changed. ¡°By the way I was thinking of fixing cheesy rice tonight, but we¡¯re out of cheese, could you get some?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure.¡±

    ¡°Good. NOW GET OUT OF HERE! Those razor triangles from heaven are coming for you!¡±

    Darmosil left and, a few seconds later, Krays let out a dreamy sigh. ¡°Yes, Krays, you found the perfect man.¡±

    The sound of boiling water came from behind her. The sound of failure.

    ¡°He may actively hinder you getting any work done, but if this ain¡¯t worth it, I don¡¯t know what is.¡±

    ¡°You switched from talking about yourself in the third person to the second to the first,¡± either Rina or Rona said from the doorway that connected the bakery and Krays¡¯ shop.

    ¡°Grammar can go die in a fire,¡± Krays said with absurd cheerfulness and an innocent smile on her face. She smashed a glass rod on the table for dramatic effect before returning to work.

    ~~~

    Darmosil¡¯s job was to meld the various metal pieces of the spin-launched together without damaging the crystals. He had more than enough of a steady hand to accomplish this, but both Vaughan and Suro felt the need to watch his every move. Vaughan because he felt like he was being shown up in Red usage and wanted to explain how Red wizards had better things to do than learn precision of basic spells that had minimal application, while Suro was scared silly that Darmosil was going to break something because the cat had rarely seen Red used in a way that wasn¡¯t chaos-inducing in some way.

    Which was to say this entire situation was Vaughan¡¯s fault, not that Darmosil said anything. Sure, were it a different situation, he¡¯d probably be spouting subtle deadpan insults, but he really did need to focus in order to do this right.

    But, in the end, he did complete the work. Stepping back, he looked up at the fruit of his labor.

    A giant Orange donut with a glowing Magenta center that had a few metal bits poking out of it. This, in turn, was melded onto the top of the Skyseed¡¯s lid in multiple locations in order to make sure it stuck. The spin-launcher was going to stay stuck to the Skyseed..

    ¡°Well, it looks tasty,¡± Darmosil observed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t eat it. It¡¯s bad for you,¡± Mary warned.

    ¡°Obviously, everyone knows not to eat crystals.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can I fly yet?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Blue said¡ªher mane looking combed and orderly, for once, a sure sign that she¡¯d actually gotten an acceptable amount of sleep last night. ¡°We have to do some double and triple calibration testing¡ªbut soon. Very soon. If all goes well, tomorrow, actually.¡±

    Jeh clapped her hands. ¡°Yes yes yes! I get to launch some satellites! I get to launch some satellites! Woohoo!¡±

    Vaughan turned to Blue. ¡°How are the designs on the Moonshot coming along? I would very much like to also be shouting ¡®I get to launch¡¯ at some point, you know.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re coming along. Still don¡¯t know how to deal with the temperature problem, though.¡± Blue frowned. ¡°See, we know from going up that at a certain point the temperature starts going up rather than down. We can easily regulate our temperature by heating up, but the cooling problem¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°You did those tests I asked for, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was quite fun, actually¡­ I blew up a jar!¡±

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Wh¡­ how!?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ~~~

    A few days ago, Vaughan had pumped as much air as he could out of a glass jar with the bellows. He stuck a heated pebble in and levitated it in the middle of the jar so it wouldn¡¯t touch the sides. Then he kept it there. For several hours. When he removed it, it was colder than when he¡¯d put it in.

    He also did this with a red-hot pebble. Then a molten ball of white-hot rock.

    Then he just kept turning up the temperature until eventually the pebble radiated enough heat to the glass to shatter it.

    ~~~

    ¡°So, in conclusion, it was boring until the end,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°But I was able to confirm the transfer of heat with minimal air present. It happened much faster with the glowing objects, too. And, because they were able to cool to temperatures below the air, it means they were radiating the heat away.¡±

    ¡°So the mad wizards really were right¡­¡± Blue said, hoof to her chin.

    ¡°Academia is good for some things. Most of us would just trust the findings of Pepper.* Her work on heat transfer is second only to her work on explosive reactions.¡±

    *Pepper¡¯s experiment did not involve removing air from a chamber. Rather, it involved having an ice elemental cooling a chamber to an absurdly low temperature and then putting objects of various heats into it. While Ikyu lacks a proper way to quantify temperature, Red wizards know that objects at certain high temperatures glow certain colors, and that these colors can be used as a relative measure of heat. Pepper investigated rapid cooling of materials resting on top of various types of conductors and insulators, largely because she wanted an excuse to do a ¡°test of ice and fire!¡± One of the major discoveries of this experiment was that there was a mechanism that took heat away from the hotter objects faster than the colder objects that didn¡¯t care what the material they were touching was. We know this process as radiation heat transfer. To them, this is cutting edge magic science that would eventually get Pepper the equivalent of the Nobel Prize, if the Nobel Prize was limited to a single nation.

    ¡°Right, so, fine, heat transfers through conduction, convection, and this ¡®radiation.¡¯ The problem is we only have radiation to work with in space, and we¡¯re not sure how it works except that it¡¯s faster for hotter objects. But that kind of defeats the purpose since we don¡¯t want to be so hot we¡¯re glowing in space.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Red wizard, I can run tests on heat transfer¡­ I just¡­¡± Vaughan frowned. ¡°Hmm. Precision measurements were never my thing, and this might require that.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps this Pepper would be interested in applying her discovery?¡±

    ¡°Me? Talk to Pepper?! Are you insane?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°BEHOLD THE ANSWER TO ALL YOUR PRAYERS!¡± Krays declared, charging into the backyard with a strange glass object in her hand. It was composed of four thin cylindrical rods, each filled with water and a single bubble that wiggled as Krays moved it. ¡°I¡¯ve made¡­ a level!¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ yay?¡± Blue said, cocking her head. ¡°Why do we need one of those, exactly?¡±

    ¡°So we don¡¯t rely on Jeh¡¯s meat senses to shoot satellites at level angles.¡± She held the glass object up and gestured at it. Three of the rods were arranged in a flat star-shape, while the fourth was vertical, piercing the other three. ¡°Behold. If you tilt it any way other than straight up¡­ the bubbles don¡¯t stay in the center! And if it¡¯s straight up but you start moving to the side¡­¡± Krays rushed to the side, prompting the bubbles to move. ¡°Oops, unbalanced forces, the bubbles jostle! And this bubble up here¡ª¡° She pointed at the vertical rod. ¡°Well, this one will change based on vertical adjustments! Granted I realized as I was walking over here that that may not be as helpful as the drift detection but¡­¡± She handed it to Vaughan. ¡°Now you can know if you¡¯re straight up and down in every direction!¡±

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°¡­We¡¯d thought of this before, hadn¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°I think so,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Did we just¡­ forget?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    Jeh looked up at the liquid in the glass with a frown. ¡°¡­I bet I could have done it just fine without this.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to have it on board, though, right?¡± Blue said. ¡°As a check.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fiiiine¡­¡± Jeh said¡ªbut her smile quickly returned to her face. ¡°Ooooh, I don¡¯t care about that thing, I¡¯m going to launch a satellite into orbit! Into orbit!¡± She started dancing and cheering again.

    Over the laughter and commotion, Darmosil walked up to his wife. ¡°So, how many attempts did that precision project take?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°How much glassy slag are you going to have to clean up?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Krays tried really hard not to think about the oversized pile of glass shards just sitting rather unsafely next to the forge. She was lucky she was a gari, or all the glass would have cut her hands and feet open several times. The benefits of having natural armor.

    Darmosil chuckled. ¡°Well, I have some cheese to go purchase, you have fun with that.¡± He patted her on the back and walked away¡ªhis work here was done.

    Krays¡¯ left eye twitched. ¡°You win this round¡­ but just you wait¡­ I will have my revenge¡­ MUAHAHAHAHAH!¡±

    The rest of the Wizard Space Program stared at her with uncertain glances.

    ¡°I¡¯m allowed an evil maniacal laugh every now and then, don¡¯t judge me.¡±

    ~~~

    There was still much work that needed to be done. Calibration, tests, calibration, more tests, and even more tests. Tiny little adjustments needed to be made in the crystal matrix and some of the metal needed to be worked a bit more.

    But all of that passed with time. In the end, the Skyseed rested on top of the launchpad, an orange donut resting on top as a hat. The donut was wider than the lid it was affixed to, but it wasn¡¯t wider than the Skyseed itself¡ªthe fins spread out to a larger radius.

    The two satellites themselves were not currently attached to the Skyseed, but were just in a large bag resting on the launchpad next to the ship. They were to be hung on the bottom after the Skyseed levitated into the air, where they could be accessed by Orange telekinesis and placed next to the spin-launch device, where it would pick them up and throw them into the depths of space. At least, that was the plan.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to bore everyone with a speech today!¡± Lila declared as she strutted out onto the launchpad. ¡°We all know the drill and we want to see this thing fly already. Jeh¡¯s mission is to take up the spheres in the bag over there and throw them into space. If all goes well, when we look at the stars tonight we¡¯ll be able to see them, like fast-moving stars. So keep an eye out!¡± She quickly turned to Jeh. ¡°All ready?¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got my crystals and the imaging device, we¡¯re good for the launching and the imaging!¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get you in there!¡± Blue said. She took a brief moment to give Jeh a hug before unscrewing the Skyseed¡¯s lid¡ªwith the spin-launch device on top of it. It was significantly heavier than before, but Blue could bear it for the few seconds it took Jeh to crawl into the Skyseed and take a seat among her various devices, books, crystals, and a few snacks. She waved excitedly at everyone in the crowd.

    While Big G and Suro started running around the Skyseed to make absolutely sure nothing was going to fall off, Vaughan kneeled down between two of the wooden fins and put a hand to the glass. ¡°You¡¯re going to make history today, Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already do that?¡± Her muffled voice came back. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what the twins tell me.¡±

    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. Just¡­ something about this day feels a little more momentous, like we¡¯re actually doing something with more purpose than just because we can.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Ah, well, have a good flight. I can¡¯t wait for the day I can go up there with you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll love it up there! It¡¯s so quiet, it¡¯d be the perfect place to catch one of your naps!¡± She giggled.

    ¡°It¡¯s all clear,¡± Big G said. ¡°Ready to fly.¡±

    ¡°Good luck!¡± Vaughan said as he stepped back. ¡°And please don¡¯t throw the satellites into Ikyu.¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t if she has eyes!¡± Krays called. ¡°And you¡¯re welcome for that!¡±

    Jeh rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, Vaughan. And you know that¡¯ll be awesome.¡±

    ¡°Of that, I have no doubt.¡± Vaughan waved and stepped off the launchpad.

    ¡°All right, here goes!¡± Jeh said. ¡°Hey Seskii! Countdown?¡±

    Seskii coughed. ¡°Countdown after hover, we still have to attach the satellites.¡±

    Jeh couldn¡¯t really hear Seskii¡¯s words through the glass, but she was able to tell what was said by context and the motion of her lips. With a nod, Jeh turned on the drive, adjusting the power output until the Skyseed lifted into the air, and then she quickly set it to hover.

    While she waited for Blue to secure the satellites below, she tested her balancing ability on Krays¡¯ level. It was not difficult at all for her to keep all the bubbles nicely in the middle¡ªexcept for the vertical rod, but that bubble would only move if she entered freefall or something, and she had no intention of doing that.

    The bag was securely latched to the bottom of the Skyseed. ¡°All ready!¡± Blue called. ¡°Don¡¯t shake it so much you drop them!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Jeh called, turning back to Seskii. ¡°Countdown?¡±

    Seskii held up ten fingers. ¡°TEN!¡±

    And so the numbers counted down in an eager chorus¡ªeven Alexandrite got into it in the latter half. On ¡°zero!¡± Jeh kicked the drive on¡ªbut not into anything too crazy, she wasn¡¯t quite used to flying with a sack attached to the bottom and a spin-launch device on top. She found that balancing while moving was a bit more difficult, but nowhere near as intensive as that time she went up filled with water.

    The winds were the worst part, as always, but the spin-launch device had been built to withstand them¡ªand the bag that held the satellites was loose enough that the satellites themselves weren¡¯t in danger of being blown into the Skyseed.

    She had done this so many times even the unexpected gusts of wind could be dealt with.

    As was her custom, as time went on she slowly increased the speed at which the drive carried her. Faster and faster she went, putting more and more will into the drive until it carried her into space itself.

    Now came the annoying part: she had to know how high up she was. There were two ways to do this that they had discussed. First, measure the curvature of Ikyu¡ªhow flat or round the horizon appeared was exactly correlated to the height from the ground. Related to this was the distance she could see¡ªwith more height, more kilometers were easily visible.

    They eventually decided to use both of these measuring sticks to make extra sure. If Jeh could hold up a slightly-curved paper cutout and match it to the horizon while also seeing two particular islands at the same time, she was at the perfect height.

    It took her a while to get this right. She was too low at first, then she somehow managed to shoot too high and had to back down¡ªallowing her to see that, yes, the bubble in the vertical rod of Krays¡¯ level really did work.

    Eventually, though, she got to the correct height. The curvature was just right and she could see just far enough. 400 kilometers. Or, at least, that was where she thought she was. Admittedly this was likely off by several kilometers, but they had some room for error according to Blue and her tireless nightly calculations to see if orbits shot at off angles or at slightly different heights were stable. The answer was, surprisingly, ¡°usually.¡±

    Jeh quickly set the drive to hover; the speed with which she adjusted made everything within the Skyseed jump up, but she maintained control.

    There was one last thing to check: Krays¡¯ device. It seemed perfectly level, but Jeh wasn''t so sure about this. Glancing down through the hole in the floor, she was fairly certain she wasn''t perfectly aligned. However, she could have been crazy and the device correct, so she decided to test this.

    She rotated the ship sideways. While it was rotating, the bubbles flew out of alignment, but even completely perpendicular to the ground they quickly aligned. Jeh tilted her head to the side in bafflement. On one hand, this meant Krays'' device was completely useless and gave Jeh a smug feeling. On the other, Jeh had no idea why it wasn''t working. She even felt like the "bottom" of the Skyseed was the floor, even though she could clearly see Ikyu to her side.

    Had she been reasonable and cautious, she probably wouldn''t have tried to launch the satellites and returned back to get more precision instruments. But she was neither of those things and had far too much confidence in her own ability. She was going to eyeball it and hope she got within tolerance. She slowly righted herself until she was as close to level as she reasonably thought she could be.

    And so, it was time.

    Keeping one hand on the drive and air restorer control rod, she used her other hand and some Orange to carefully open up the bag underneath the Skyseed. She unfurled it just enough to take one satellite out before tying it back up, trapping the other so it wouldn¡¯t fall back to Ikyu. Out here, among the blackness of space, the spherical mirror glinted with the brilliant light of the sun, moon, and stars. Jeh could see her face in it, albeit distorted.

    Jeh grunted to herself as she wished she had a third hand. She put the Orange crystal in her mouth to keep her hold on the satellite while she placed her hand on the Skyseed¡¯s lid. There was a single crystal dot on the lid with a little switch. The direction it was currently set to was ¡°hold.¡± Pressing her finger onto that, she pushed her will into it. It was a significant amount of will, but far less than the drive was currently requiring from her just to keep hovering.

    Biting down a little harder on the crystal, she guided the satellite next to the spin-launcher. The Orange of the spin-launcher grabbed hold of the satellite, keeping it in place.

    It was at this point Jeh bit down a little too hard and shattered the Orange chunk. The shards stabbed into her throat, mouth, and jaw.

    She wanted to say ¡°ow¡± somewhat sarcastically, but the position of the crystals made that somewhat awkward. Both of her hands were currently occupied so she couldn¡¯t pull the pieces out, and so she might as well just deal with them.

    With a face stabbed through in multiple places, she flipped the spin-launcher¡¯s switch to ¡°spin¡± and held her focus.

    Slowly, but surely, the satellite began to turn around the spin-launcher. It took almost no effort from Jeh to focus on it at first, but as the satellite¡¯s speed increased, so too did the demands of the spin-launcher on Jeh¡¯s will. It was not long before the satellite was nothing more than a shiny blur whizzing above her head.

    Jeh started to feel a headache.

    Don¡¯t think about it. She told herself. The spin-launcher will automatically release when it gets up to speed, just keep feeding it until then.

    The headache increased, becoming like a spike rammed right between Jeh¡¯s eyes that came out the back of her skull. It was pain, to be sure, pain that would have made many lose focus.

    But what was pain to Jeh?

    Nothing worth getting worked up over, that was for sure. She currently had Orange crystal spikes rammed through her face over and over, for crying out loud!

    However, while the headache wasn¡¯t doing much to her, she did begin to feel fatigued. She was actively pushing herself, providing energy to the spin-launcher and the drive at the same time. Nonetheless, she held fast.

    By now, on the ground, the satellite would have ignited with the air and burned to a molten pile of metal. Up here, though, there wasn¡¯t even a trace of heat. The satellite just kept moving faster, and faster, and faster. The only reason Jeh could really tell this was occurring was because of the rate at which the bright Magenta and Orange flashes came from the spin-launch device. The satellite itself was just a blur, and had been for quite some time.

    Come on¡­ Just a li¡ª

    Before Jeh even got a chance to think too much about how hard it was getting, the spin-launcher released. Jeh quickly removed her hand from the ceiling and looked around, trying desperately to see which way the satellite had gone.

    I can¡¯t see it¡­ I ca¡ªwait a minute. She squinted her eyes toward the north-east, seeing a tiny glowing speck moving against the black background of space. Is that it¡­?

    It was quickly growing too dim to see¡ªin less than a minute, her eyes could no longer discern its presence.

    That was probably it¡­ Jeh frowned. She considered taking a break¡­ but she decided only to wait until she had gotten most of the Orange out of her face. There were some pieces stuck in her throat she couldn¡¯t get to, but that wasn¡¯t a huge deal. They¡¯d probably get pulverized from her moving around so much before too long and then they¡¯d make their way out.

    She grabbed the second satellite out of the bag and levitated it up to the spin-launcher.

    ¡°You know, I think we forgot to name you guys¡­¡± Jeh chuckled. ¡°Oh well, satellite two, away!¡±

    And so she spun it up again. This time wasn¡¯t so much of a nail-biter to her¡ªbut it did make her far more exhausted to launch the thing. Once again, the spin-launch device released its payload. Once again, Jeh looked around rapidly until she saw a shimmering speck fading into the distance.

    ¡°Since I saw it twice that means it is the satellite! Woo!¡± Jeh, no longer concerned with keeping anything balanced or level, let go of the drive¡¯s controls and did a little dance. Naturally, this prompted her to enter freefall, but the sensation of weightlessness was more fun than anything at this point.

    She didn¡¯t let herself fall all the way back down, though. She did have some pictures to take. Righting herself and turning the drive back on, she took out the imaging device and gathered the targets. This time it was two stars and another picture of Ikyu.

    ¡°Huh,¡± Jeh said, as she examined one of the stars through the little telescope to take a picture. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s just two stars really close together.¡±

    She took the star pictures and then turned her gaze to Ikyu. She had been told to focus on the Tempest today, but she found her gaze drawn to the Purple cube.

    It was glowing. The entire thing. And it was getting brighter.

    Move!

    Jeh had no idea where that thought came from and she didn¡¯t question it. She didn¡¯t even pull out her backup Orange crystal or adjust the drive¡ªshe tapped into the Orange crystals she had embedded into her neck and threw the Skyseed to the left as hard as she could manage.

    A beam of pure purple energy cut through the location she had been in less than a second before, with an area of effect large enough to vaporize ten Skyseeds set side-to-side.

    She had just been attacked by a giant mountain-sized Purple cube.

    Jeh was no longer holding onto the drive or the air restorer and, frankly, at the moment, she didn¡¯t care about moving safely. She used the Orange within her to throw the Skyseed downward as quickly as she could manage. While she was doing this, she scrambled over to the drive and pointed it downward as well, turning it to its maximum setting.

    She aimed toward the forest near Willow Hollow. She was rocketing in as fast as she could manage, she did not want to accidentally hit a building or someone else.

    However, even at top speed¡­ she was still a long, long way from the surface.

    And now she was moving predictably.

    The Purple cube released another beam of energy.

    Well, at least I won¡¯t be stuck in orbi¡ª

    The Skyseed was vaporized in an instant. It, and everything within it, was reduced to charred remains.

    ~~~

    ¡°You know, I don¡¯t think we ever named those satellites,¡± Blue said as she watched the second speck of light drift across the sky. She had seen both of them cut across the stars, but all that confirmed was that the launches had been successful, not that there had been an orbit. They¡¯d have to wait about an hour and a half for that.

    ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Vaughan said.

    He and Blue were the only ones still at the launchpad¡ªeveryone else had gone to sleep or, at the very least, back to their homes so they could watch the sky at their leisure. Technically speaking, Vaughan and Blue could have seen everything just fine from his backyard¡ªbut neither of them had wanted to leave. There was some sort of sentimental value about the launchpad they couldn¡¯t comprehend.

    ¡°So, she¡¯s probably taking some pictures right now, or maybe just celebrating, I don¡¯t know.¡± Blue tapped her chin. ¡°Then she¡¯ll come down and we¡¯ll probably know if the orbit was successful before she actually makes it back.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°And if it is successful¡­¡±

    ¡°Operation Lunacy is theoretically sound. Just enter a distant orbit near the moon and wait for an opportunity. The Moonshot will need a few redesigns, but with the spin-launcher we can throw things into space for people now, possibly get even more funds¡­¡± She chuckled. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t get excited until the mission is actually confirmed a success, but I¡¯m loving the possibilities. You couldn¡¯t have done something like this in Academia!¡±

    ¡°Most likely not, no,¡± Vaughan said with a chuckle. ¡°Then there¡¯d be people always breathing down your back, higher-ups trying to figure out how they can get in on this new idea and make it their own, a¡ª¡°

    A massive purple beam cut across the sky, originating from somewhere in the north. There was no sound.

    ¡°What on Ikyu¡­?¡± Vaughan stammered, taking a step back.

    Blue narrowed her eyes, picking out an Orange speck among the stars. ¡°I see the Skyseed, I think she¡¯s kicked it into full overdrive. Whatever that was came really close to her¡­¡±

    ¡°It would have had to be aiming at her for that to be close!¡±

    ¡°Maybe it was, I don¡¯t know.¡± Blue frowned. ¡°She might be going for a crash landing at high speed, we should pr¡ª¡°

    Blue watched in horror as another purple beam flitted across the sky. When it cleared, there was no Orange speck left.

    ¡°Jeh!¡± Blue shouted.

    ~~~

    Itlea could see the mountain range from where the beam originated.

    She could hear the immense shockwave of air that rippled through the snowy mountains, throwing up snow in the largely uninhabited wilds.

    ¡°Wh-what even!?¡± Itlea stammered.

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± C-R lied¡ªbut everyone knew it. She folded her arms around her back like a bow. ¡°Some great arcane power has been released. Perhaps we do best to avoid that area for now.¡±

    There¡¯s no way she can¡¯t know we¡¯re here, Itlea thought. That Cube has to see us, that has to have been some kind of warning. We¡¯re all going to die...

    ¡°It was angled a particular way,¡± an old man with an eyepatch said, looking down at the map they had. ¡°Let¡¯s see here¡­¡± He cut a line across the map that crossed down through Shimvale all the way through Kroan and into the wilds.

    He didn¡¯t say anything about Willow Hollow, but Itlea knew the line cut right through it.

    She was shooting at the Skyseed!?

    ¡°Let us turn back, such dangers are not for us to face,¡± C-R said. ¡°We sh¡ª¡°

    A second beam went off, firing in, as far as they could tell, the exact same direction. Once again there was a tremendous shake as a shockwave of air hit the balloon-whale, this time prompting it to moan in pain.

    Their living craft started to retreat from its current course without any prompting from its masters.

    ¡°We shall find somewhere to set down outside the cold,¡± C-R said, pressing a porcelain finger to the map in a location Itlea knew was outside the suspected Purple cube¡¯s range. ¡°Then we shall see if we are forced to make a return or if we can continue our journey into the northern wastes.¡±

    ¡°I for one have had enough of fancy purple lasers!¡± one of the men grunted.

    ¡°Where is your courage?¡± Itlea demanded. Have to look brave, have to look like we don¡¯t suspect anything. ¡°We came here to venture into the unknown, and just because we have to retreat doesn¡¯t mean we aren¡¯t coming back!¡±

    ¡°Patience, Itlea,¡± C-R said. ¡°Let us have this argument at a later time when, perhaps, there is no immediate danger from mysterious beams of energy.¡±

    Itlea really wasn¡¯t sure if she was being chided or if C-R was just trying to keep up the act. ¡°¡­Fine.¡±

    ¡°Everyone shall remain alert until further notice. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, C-R,¡± the crew said.

    ~~~

    ¡°Hey, Xerxes!¡± Pepper said, pointing up at the sky. ¡°You just missed the most impressive lightshow ever!¡±

    Xerxes looked up from the book he was writing and at Pepper pointing out the window. He had honestly forgotten the dryad was still there in his office. He should have kicked her out hours ago. Girl had probably gotten into so many of his secret files while he was absorbed in his work¡­

    But then he realized she was right. A beam of purple energy shot across the sky right before his eyes.

    ¡°What on Ikyu¡­?¡± He quickly ran to the window and pressed his face to the glass, but the beam was already dissipating.

    Another one did not come.

    ¡°You said there was another one before?¡± Xerxes said.

    ¡°Yep!¡± Pepper said. ¡°There weren¡¯t any others, though. I¡­ have no idea what it means, Orirok is the star guy.¡±

    ¡°It means the king is about to summon the wizards to explain what the deuce just happened,¡± Xerxes grumbled.

    Pepper took in a sharp hiss. ¡°Oooh, that¡¯s gonna be awkward.¡±

    ¡°There will be no sleep for us tonight.¡± He marched to the door to his office and tried to open it. He realized it was locked.

    ¡°Yeeeeeah,¡± Pepper said, rocking back onto her heels. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bash your door down or interrupt you and you¡¯d locked me in so¡­¡±

    Xerxes didn¡¯t want to hear anymore about his lack of attention. He quickly whipped out a key, unlocked the door, and stepped out. He was half-tempted to lock Pepper in again, but no, everyone of their station was about to be called, and he didn¡¯t want her rooting around his office even more.

    My mind is starting to escape me¡­ he grimaced, pushing that aside. Such thoughts would not do now, of all nights.

    ~~~

    Blue sat on the launchpad, staring forlornly at the sky.

    All around her, the rest of the Wizard Space Program were shouting at each other.

    ¡°Okay, look!¡± Krays pulled out a map. ¡°What¡¯s up to the north that we¡¯ve seen from space? That big Purple cube!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Suro retorted. ¡°Nothing can attack from that far away!¡±

    ¡°Have you ever seen a Crystalline One the size of a mountain before, fuzzface? Me neither! For all we know it¡¯s got some freaky inspiration!¡±

    ¡°It wants to shoot us all down¡­¡± Mary said, eyes widened. ¡°It might be coming for us¡­¡±

    ¡°Now, calm down!¡± Lila said. ¡°There¡¯s no indication that a giant Purple cube is coming for us even though, yes, it does kind of seem related. The mission is not a loss.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re all heartless,¡± Alexandrite said. ¡°All you worry about is the mission and yourselves, but a child has just perished in the sky and you put her there.¡±

    ¡°You will not speak such things!¡± Vaughan shouted with a fury Blue had never heard in his voice.

    Alexandrite did not back down. ¡°A child is dead.¡±

    ¡°No she isn¡¯t you thick-headed reptile!¡±

    ¡°Defending yourself over such a loss as this? I expected better from a respectable wizard. But what other kind of wizard would be forced to live so far away? I wonder if there were things not in your file¡­ If¡ª¡°

    ¡°Stop it,¡± Big G said, crossing his arms. ¡°There¡¯s no use keepin¡¯ it a secret anymore, Vaughan. Stop trying to hide behind insults and rage.¡±

    Vaughan twitched. ¡°And what are you implying by that?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s implying that maybe we should tell Alexandrite why we¡¯re not complete heartless monsters?¡± Seskii suggested. ¡°Maybe?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s proven herself enough at this point, surely, Vaughan.¡±

    Vaughan frowned, realizing everyone was looking to him¡ªexcept Blue, that is. Her gaze had not left the stars. Vaughan desperately wanted the weight off his shoulders, glancing to Lila, but all she did was shake her head.

    ¡°¡­She¡¯s immortal,¡± Vaughan said, refusing to look Alexandrite in the eyes. ¡°So far as we can tell, nothing can so much as injure her, much less kill her.¡±

    Alexandrite¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡­ explains so much while also making me furious in an entirely different way. I have been acting on incomplete information and sending Gronge inaccurate reports!¡±

    ¡°What did you want us to do? Word got out, the King would forcibly conscript her into the army!¡±

    Alexandrite growled. ¡°And if the King did so, would that not be to her glory?¡±

    Vaughan, for once, was actually intimidated by the dragon and took a step back.

    To his surprise, Rina and Rona took his place. He wasn¡¯t even entirely sure when they had arrived.

    ¡°You can stuff a sock in it¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Deep Messenger.¡± They both put their hands on their hips. ¡°Jeh does not want to be a soldier¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­She wants to be an explorer.¡±

    They both gestured their arms out at the program¡ªthe program neither of them were actually a part of. ¡°We were just doing our best by her.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to destroy that?¡±

    ¡°Can you claim you¡¯ve never had fears for what the crown would do to you?¡±

    ¡°Surely they know where you came from.¡±

    Alexandrite glared at them, but something about what they said unnerved him. He refused to interact with them. ¡°Who are these children?¡±

    ¡°Jeh¡¯s best friends,¡± Seskii said, putting her arms on the girls¡¯ shoulders. ¡°And Willow Hollow¡¯s secret weapon!¡±

    ¡°I have heard of the disaster!¡± Ripashi said suddenly, dropping from the sky. ¡°I shall go hunt for her landing location. Who¡¯s with me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°She could be hundreds of kilometers away in any direction. We don¡¯t know anything.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Ripashi shuffled his feet nervously. ¡°I must do something! She can¡¯t just be¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll find her way back,¡± Lila said, closing her eyes. ¡°It just might take time.¡±

    ¡°How much time?¡± Krays asked. ¡°You getting any visions about that, huh?¡±

    ¡°Do not insult my wife¡¯s gifts,¡± Suro bristled.

    ¡°Oh, me, not insult? Are you¡ª¡°

    ¡°You know better, Krays.¡±

    ¡°Stop acting like a child,¡± Big G grunted.

    Krays scowled. ¡°I¡¯ll act like a child if I Diadem well ple¡ª¡°

    ¡°Look,¡± Blue said, suddenly drawing everyone¡¯s attention. She pointed at the sky, where a small white speck was rising from below the horizon. ¡°Mission¡­ accomplished.¡±

    No one said another word as they watched with somber silence as the satellite completed its first orbit around Ikyu.

    A tear rolled down Blue¡¯s cheek.

    She still did not take her eyes off the sky.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Heat is a funny thing.

    Ultimately, it is the kinetic energy of particles bouncing and vibrating around. Even if a solid looks still, in reality all of its constituent parts are jostling and jumbling around at a certain speed related directly to the heat of the object.

    Funnily enough, though, temperature is NOT heat. Heat is the inherent energy of an object through its motion. Temperature is a measure of how readily an object will give up heat to others. Yes, high heat generally means high temperature, but not always.

    It is extremely difficult and annoying to measure heat, though, so most often we just measure temperature. This is easy enough: objects of high temperature want to give heat to objects of low temperature. Heat will flow from high to low until the two objects are the same temperature, but by no means will they have the same heat. Material also matters quite a bit: two objects of the same mass of different temperatures do not necessarily arrive at a stable temperature exactly halfway between the two starting temperatures. It takes more heat to increase certain objects¡¯ temperatures by a single degree, while others take less.

    Due to this, we can place materials that behave a certain way at certain temperatures next to other objects to read their temperature. This is how thermometers work: the material within expands or contracts depending on temperature, and since it¡¯s so small, it¡¯ll easily send all its heat into or take heat from a larger object without changing the bulk temperature all that much, so when the heat transfer ends, we can have a pretty good idea of what the actual temperature is.

    Unfortunately for the wizards of Ikyu, they aren¡¯t sure how to measure this very precisely yet. They could just put tick marks on a pressurized tube with water in it¡ªand they do¡ªbut what is this actually measuring? How could they compare two different thermometers? They really haven¡¯t been able to standardize that far.

    However, there is another property that can be used to tell temperature, but only of really hot things: blackbody radiation. When things are heated up to certain temperatures, they eventually glow red-hot, orange-hot, yellow-hot, white-hot, and then blue-hot. This pattern holds true at roughly the same temperatures for most normal materials¡ªthough technically it¡¯s only an absolute pattern for blackbody objects, that is, an object that absorbs all incoming light and so the only light coming from it is the stuff it emits. Nothing is truly that absorptive, but for dull objects it works pretty well. This is how we tell the temperature of different stars, for instance!

    Since Red wizards have relatively easy access to vast quantities of heat, they can just heat up objects to these temperatures and then watch the colors. How fortunate for them, since it¡¯s allowed them to prove that radiation heat transfer exists.

    See, most heat transfer occurs because one particle slams into another and transfers some of its energy to it. But, in space, there are no particles to bump into, and so any heat generated has nowhere to go. Ironically, a human, being warm-blooded, is more likely to cook themselves rather than freeze, though in absolute vacuum any human would be dead long before that occurred.

    However, there is a way to release heat through the vacuum of space: radiation. Every particle that has a temperature will release photons¡ªat high temperatures this results in the red-hot behavior of a blackbody that releases mostly red light. However, at lower temperatures, a blackbody is still emitting photons of light, just of ¡°colors¡± we can¡¯t see¡ªusually infrared. This infrared will, slowly but surely, carry heat away from the object making it.

    These photons do not need anything to help them transfer the energy. They can just fly off into space and go warm something else up. This is exactly how the sun warms the Earth, by sending radiation at it, though the mechanism by which it does so is a bit more complicated than just vibrating and randomly sending out photons¡ªthat¡¯s just what happens on the outer layers of stars! The insides¡­ well, that¡¯s not relevant now, perhaps we¡¯ll get there later.

    Also, Orange breaks the laws of physics. You can¡¯t just add angular momentum to a system like the spin-launcher and expect everything to be fine. If the satellite had been on a cord, by making it spin faster and faster it would have eventually started spinning the Skyseed with it since they would be in physical contact via the cord. But since Orange can act at a distance with no physical connection, the Skyseed felt nothing.

    Extremely convenient.

 020 - The Lineage of Kroan

    020

    The Lineage of Kroan

    The Kingdom of Kroan was quite large, especially compared to what came before. It extended all the way from the Ocean to the Nawr Mountains¡ªthe proper name for the range that ran North-South along Kroan¡¯s Eastern border and which contained Mount Cascade. Across the mountains laid the so-called Wild Kingdoms¡ªa loose collection of societies that still tended to divide along racial lines and form Kingdoms of only a handful of cities. Surprisingly, the Nawr Mountains were considered a peaceful border, for no Wild Kingdom was stupid enough to try to invade and Kroan had no interest in playing the game of war as it was much better for trade to be on their good side. All the Crown had to do was find a citizen of the same race as a Wild Kingdom and suddenly they were willing to talk.

    There was nothing to the South¡ªnot even a defined border. The forest went on and on until it became desert. Kroan was slowly expanding in that direction, though it was not through any act of the Crown, but rather people moving to new places all on their own.

    The Western border was the Ocean, which technically was a very loose boundary with the undersea anglers, but that was a little hard to think about. Across the sea laid the Tempest, The Mikarol Empire, Vraskal, and a handful of small island nations, all of which were part of a loose treaty that kept them tied together via commerce with the anglers¡ªwho had no name for their nation, and if they had to be specified, were simply known as the Hegemony.

    Also part of this treaty was the country to Kroan¡¯s northern border, the Kingdom of Shimvale¡ªthough, technically speaking, the word ¡°Kingdom¡± was a bit of a misnomer. The border between the two was best described as ¡°completely neutral.¡± Trade was minimal and selective, people rarely moved from one to another, but there was no hostility. They more or less just agreed to stay out of each other¡¯s business.

    ¡°And does anyone know why that is?¡±

    The man who had spoken was an aged human with a hunch in his back, but he wore a very finely made blue suit that made him look distinguished, nonetheless. He was the Professor, and his goal in life was to teach these students. His beady eyes surveyed the three charges of his; all gari, all various shades of blue, all siblings.

    The eldest son raised his hand¡ªhe was effectively a man now and had no business still being in here, but he wished to keep his sisters company, so the Professor let it slide.

    ¡°Wyett, I know you know.¡±

    ¡°Then, my good man, why did you ask for anyone?¡± Wyett said with a coy smirk. He was considered handsome for his race, but by human standards he lacked the usual masculine features¡ªgari did not develop as large of muscles and their frames were always angular, unable to ever form the sought-after feature known as the ¡°chiseled jaw.¡± Their own standards of beauty sought the pointiest of ears, flattest of feet, and, in men at least, narrow eyes. Wyett had all of this in spades and a good mind to boot, though one more suited for politics than mathematics.

    ¡°Well, to not make your sisters feel called out,¡± the Professor said.

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t feel called out!¡± the youngest sister said¡ªthough she was still the equivalent of a teenager by gari terms. ¡°Because I don¡¯t know the answer!¡±

    ¡°Viaballosii Kroan, you are a princess!¡± the Professor huffed. ¡°You should know the state of our relations with our neighbors!¡±

    Via laid back in her chair and giggled, not at all fazed by his outburst. Unlike her siblings, who were currently dressed in rather casual clothes, she looked like a princess. Her gauntlets were adorned with glittering jewels, her dress was made of the finest gold-brushed fabrics, her face was colored slightly purple with makeup, and her hair had been heat-treated into the shape of some kind of exotic bird. ¡°Professor, we all know Wyett¡¯s the next king. I¡¯m just a princess. My duty is to go to some distant land and marry a handsome prince¡­¡± She pressed her hands to her heart and let out a sigh.

    ¡°Grandma would be quite disappointed to hear you say that,¡± Wyett said.

    ¡°I know, but like, she¡¯s old, and she lived in a different time.¡± Via waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Also I¡¯m, like, just kinda plain dumb, soooooooo I¡¯d probably just suck at it. Right?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to her, Wyett,¡± the third sibling said¡ªthe quiet middle child who always had her head stuck in a book. Her color was a significantly darker shade of blue than both of her siblings. ¡°She is stupid. At least she has the decency to admit it and not be ashamed of it.¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± Via said, clapping her hands. ¡°You said it, Tenrayce!¡±

    ¡°Her strengths lie in her optimism, bubbly personality, empathic response, and, of course, her loyalty. The Kingdom needs those who don¡¯t ask as many questions as you and me¡ªI do believe Dad is beginning to grow quite anxious over my refusal to let anyone even try to court me.¡±

    Wyett shook his head. ¡°Just because it is the truth does not mean it isn¡¯t rude.¡±

    ¡°Wyett. We¡¯re family. What are we gonna do to each other?¡± Tenrayce rolled her eyes. ¡°Loosen up. That trip to the Ocean has gotten you all concerned about how to act around us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Wyett!¡± Via said, jumping up. ¡°Insult me all you want! Catch up on lost time! I¡¯ll start¡ªlook at all this makeup I spend an hour every morning putting on, isn¡¯t that just absurd?¡±

    ¡°Ahem!¡± the Professor called. ¡°I am trying to teach you here¡­¡±

    ¡°Big mistake,¡± both Via and Tenrayce said at the same time. Wyett just put his hand to his temple and sighed.

    The Professor frowned. ¡°Oh, so do you know everything you need to know already?¡±

    Tenrayce looked up from her book and cleared her throat. ¡°The current state of the border with Shimvale is due to the memory of the Sheer War one hundred and twenty years ago, when Grandma was but a child. Both the Kroan and Shimvale Crown were tired of war, but the hatred ran deep within the people. So when the treaties were signed, the borders were closed absolutely to keep any violence from spontaneously breaking out and reigniting the battle. Now, the border restrictions are mostly lifted, but there¡¯s still an unspoken rule about not going to Shimvale.¡±

    The Professor leaned in. ¡°And do you know why the Sheer War started, Tenrayce?¡±

    Tenrayce froze. ¡°Uh¡­¡± She absent-mindedly reached for one of her books.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look it up.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s hardly a fair question,¡± Wyett said, interrupting. ¡°The cause is not widely known or taught for a reason.¡±

    ¡°But she should know. All of you should know, as you are the keepers of the Memory. The Memory that must not be forgotten.¡±

    Suddenly, Via was paying rapt attention. ¡°Oh, the Memory¡­ Tell us about the Memory again, Professor, it¡¯s such a good story¡­¡±

    Despite himself, the Professor smiled. ¡°Oh, all right, maybe hearing it enough times will drill the history into your thick skull.¡±

    ¡°I sure hope so! But I wouldn¡¯t count on it.¡± Via chuckled.

    ¡°I need to meet Hyrii at ten¡­¡± Wyett said, glancing out the window at the sky that was already getting dark.

    ¡°Ooooh, loverboy has a date!¡± Via let out a sigh. ¡°She¡¯s so lucky¡­ I wish I could get dates¡­¡±

    ¡°Both of you, focus,¡± Tenrayce said, folding her arms together. ¡°Or else the Professor might deny us¡­ a really good story. And Wyett, you¡¯re not too old, nobody is.¡±

    ¡°History is of great importance,¡± the Professor said. ¡°More so to this family than most. Of course, it is hard to say where to begin, for the beginning of history is lost to us. All we have before the First Cataclysm are religious writings which, while they may contain great truths, do not give many details on what led us to where we are today. What happened to the Great Crystalline Ones? Are we still in the Great Work, or is it complete? So many questions, so little time¡­ and then the era after that is also just as much a mystery, for the Second Cataclysm destroyed most of the records. But from the ashes of the latest unknown tragedy¡­ a Memory of something emerged¡­

    ~~~

    She was a blue gari. She emerged from the ash and dust, trying to breathe, but choking on the noxious fumes. Black smears ran all along her pale body, giving her an almost striped appearance.

    She looked up and saw the moon, blood red. There was just so much smoke¡­ so much ash¡­ so much destruction¡­

    Why had it happened?

    She¡­ couldn¡¯t remember.

    She needed to remember.

    It was the most important thing in the world, but it was just gone. Nothing came to her.

    She didn¡¯t even know her name.

    With that realization, she started to panic. She checked herself over, looking for any sort of clue as to who she was. Most of her clothes were black and made of very fine fibers, and she had a thin white coat over top of that. Her pockets were all empty. On her face, she found a strange wireframe object¡ªit had two metal parts that hooked around her ears and held out two circular sections in front of her eyes. It looked like those circular sections were supposed to hold something, but they were empty.

    She put them back on her face. They were something. Even if she didn¡¯t know anything about why they were there, they were there. It was a memory of something.

    Absent-mindedly, she reached into her hair¡­ and grabbed hold of something. Its edges were sharp enough to carve away at her gauntlet''s plast coating and draw blood, but she ignored this in her excitement. She pulled the object out of her hair and beheld a Yellow crystal.

    This. This was what she was supposed to remember.

    ¡­But what was it?

    She didn¡¯t know why, but she burst into tears.

    ~~~

    ¡°Mommy?¡±

    Leslii looked down at her son as they walked through the forest, scavenging for food. He was a small child, barely old enough for his gauntlet spikes to start forming. It was the age where gari started to ask questions, and lots of them.

    ¡°If I came from you¡­ where did you come from?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ presume I had a mother, but I don¡¯t remember where I came from,¡± Leslii said with a shake of her head. ¡°My name is just a play on words with ¡®nameless.¡¯* I¡¯m sure I had one¡­ I just don¡¯t know what it is.¡±

    *They are not speaking Karli, they are speaking a language that has no official name and is long dead by the time of the Wizard Space Program.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°All I know¡­ is that this is important.¡± She took out the Yellow crystal and showed it to her son. ¡°This¡­ is the lost Memory. One day, I will probably pass it on to you for safekeeping. You must never use it for magic¡ªit is special. I don¡¯t know why, but it is, and it must be protected.¡±

    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll protect it, mommy!¡±

    ¡°Good boy.¡±

    ~~~

    Leslii was old now; wrinkled. Bones creaked with every motion. She slept more and more each day. Even her children were considered old by the people of the village.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± her son said, holding the Memory in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it safe. And then your grandchildren will keep it safe. And then¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ hope we¡­ one day¡­ know what it meant¡­¡± Leslii said, sighing.

    ¡°We will. If not one of us¡­ someone down the line.¡±

    Leslii smiled weakly. ¡°Yes¡­ yes, that¡¯s good. One day¡­¡± She took off the metal frames she had kept on her face all these years. ¡°They never did anything¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe they weren¡¯t supposed to. Maybe¡­ it was like a hat.¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­And so, little ones, that is why we protect the Memory,¡± a blue gari woman with rainbow-colored feathers in her hair said. ¡°It is a relic from before the Cataclysm, and until the day comes when all is revealed, we shall protect it from anything and anyone who seeks to use it.¡±

    One of the children raised his hand.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Why are we listening to the wish of a woman who died three hundred years ago?¡±

    The feather-wearing gari used all of her self-restraint not to punch the child in the face right then and there.

    ¡°That woman was my direct ancestor, and yours too. She is the reason we are all here. We owe it to her to honor her memory.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Honor her memory, bah!¡±

    The boy was now a man, and he had grown to hate his tribe. Hate it so much that it was easy for a woman from a neighboring tribe to win him over¡­ and set him on a path of betrayal.

    ¡°Their most precious treasure¡­¡± He opened the box that contained the Memory. He did not know it, but the marks inside the box were correlated with dates, and each one measured how much the Memory was growing in size over the centuries.

    To him, it was just a Yellow crystal. And all crystals could be shattered with direct application of a gauntlet spike.

    He lifted up his hand¡­

    An arrow pierced his neck. He flopped over, dead.

    A child no older than ten lowered her bow and started bawling.

    ~~~

    ¡°What are you?¡± she shouted.

    ¡°Guardians!¡± The gari shouted back, many of them older than her.

    ¡°And what do you guard?¡±

    ¡°The Memory!¡±

    ¡°From who!?¡±

    ¡°Everyone!¡±

    ¡°Even family?¡± She turned to them with wild eyes.

    ¡°Even family!¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± She folded her arms and nodded. ¡°Follow in my footsteps.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°A girl can¡¯t join the guardians!¡± a mean-spirited boy laughed. ¡°It¡¯s men¡¯s work!¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but wasn¡¯t the founder a woman?¡± a girl asked, wiping her eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t¡­ can¡¯t I protect the Memory as well?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just a legend! As if a woman could ever do any of that!¡±

    ¡°Is¡­ is Leslii just a memory too, then?¡±

    ¡°Probably. I think it¡¯s just some story we tell to make sure we keep protecting the Memory.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ no it¡¯s not!¡± The girl stomped her feet. ¡°We have those things she wore on her face! Those are hers!¡±

    ¡°Pfft, right.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°There are few who remember the full story, these days¡­¡± the old gari woman said. ¡°You say¡­ you say you can make markings on stone¡­ and everyone will always be able to know it?¡±

    The bright red gari nodded, touching his hand to the cyan triangle pendant he had around his neck. ¡°The written word is all we have to connect us to the past, whatever it may be. I can teach it to you. And the origin of this Memory of yours¡­ will never be in danger of being lost again.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, thank Dia. She sent me here to keep your story alive.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°You¡¯re an excellent wordsmith, boy,¡± a gari with an eyepatch who was missing one of his arms said. ¡°You¡¯ll do¡­ you¡¯ll do.¡±

    The boy beamed. He was master¡¯s seventeenth apprentice¡ªhe had tried to train so many it looked like he might not be able to train another one. But today, the torch was finally passed.

    The Memory glowed behind the two of them as they performed the ceremony of passing the office of wordsmith. It was roughly the size of one of their heads, and was vaguely shaped like a lotus flower.

    The master handed the boy a chisel. ¡°Now¡­ make a new tablet. But this time¡­ add to it.¡±

    ¡°Add to it?¡±

    ¡°Wordsmiths must not write of their own work. That is for their apprentices to do.¡±

    ~~~

    The wordsmith tower was burning.

    A lone girl ran out of the tower, numerous scrolls stuffed into her back¡ªstuffed so as to hide the fact that she had the Memory in there, safe and sound.

    ¡°Where is it!?¡± an angry voice rang out¡ªthe voice of a human. ¡°The Yellow wind will not be denied!¡±

    The girl kept running, crying all the way. The Yellow Seekers had come to them in friendship¡­ but then they saw the Memory, and they demanded that it be taken back to their Yellow Goddess to be¡­ consumed.

    Master and all the other students had been slaughtered¡­ only she got away¡­

    She ran away, deep, deep into the night, until she was completely lost and had no idea where she was.

    So she sat down¡­ created a fire¡­

    And recorded the last stand of her master in the burning wordsmith tower.

    ~~~

    ¡°Get everyone in the boat!¡± she shouted, herding her thirteen children and her husband onto the ship they had chartered.

    ¡°You can¡¯t get away from me!¡±

    The gari woman looked up in fear¡ªthere was a human man in yellow robes running right at them, with numerous other men, all with their blades drawn.

    No¡­ we¡¯re so close to escaping¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it, mom, go!¡±

    She watched in horror as her eldest son jumped off the boat and pulled out a Red crystal.

    ¡°You ca¡ª¡±

    ¡°JUST GO! Love you!¡± he gave her a thumbs up¡­ and then burned the very ground beneath the Yellow Seekers.

    ¡°Get us out of here!¡± Her husband shouted to the boatman¡ªan orc who knew when it was time to run. The boat sped off into the Ocean, leaving the battle behind¡­

    ~~~

    ¡°We came from across the Ocean to protect the Memory,¡± a tall gari woman said, her hair styled into two swirls that wrapped around her body. ¡°¡­We must continue to keep it secret.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± the rest of the family said at once.

    ¡°From here on out, only the direct lineage of Leslii and their most trusted friends and family are to know of it.¡±

    ¡°Will we not tell the legend to our children anymore?¡±

    ¡°Only those who are to grow into it. We must¡­ be vigilant.¡±

    ¡°Then what are we to call ourselves? We were the Keepers of Memory¡­¡±

    ¡°The locals do not know our language. Let us just call ourselves¡­ Memory. We will take it as a last name, as those here have. In time, we will just be another tribe in the forest.¡±

    And so, the family name "Kroan" was born. Soon, it would be forgotten what the name meant.

    ~~~

    ¡°So¡­ you are the Kroan.¡±

    ¡°That we are, Emperor Hiro,¡± Adlii Kroan spoke the human¡¯s title with obvious distaste but made no move. The Emperor was not one to be trifled with.

    ¡°Where are your leaders?¡±

    ¡°It may be the men who take charge in your land, but here it is the women. I am the chief of the Kroan.¡± Her left eye twitched. ¡°So, please, do you mind telling me why you¡¯ve brought one of your armies to our doorstep?¡±

    ¡°It is simple. The borders of the Empire now extend beyond this forest.¡± He crossed his arms and glared at her. ¡°You have the option to become my subjects¡­ or declare your independence.¡±

    The gari behind Adlii started to whisper amongst themselves, a lot in panic. Sure, they had warriors, but they weren¡¯t a large enough community to have a standing army. They knew the Emperor¡¯s reputation; they were not the first community to be offered a ¡°choice¡± and then wake up to have their houses burned to the ground.

    ¡°What exactly does becoming your subjects entail?¡± Adlii asked. ¡°See, if it involves becoming slaves to be dispersed throughout the land, we¡¯d rather just get it over with and die by your soldiers¡¯ blades right here and now.¡±

    The Emperor seemed shocked by this response.

    ¡°What, never had anyone say it like it is to your face before?¡± She shook her head and sighed. ¡°Look, I¡¯m reasonable. You not only have a bigger army and are a major threat, but if we¡¯re on your side we¡¯ll be much safer from the Wild People. Just because I don¡¯t like you doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t think this is a good idea.¡±

    The Emperor nodded slowly. He snapped his fingers and a servant ran over with a scroll. ¡°The charter is in here. Read it. It contains your responsibilities and ours in the new partnership.¡±

    Adlii opened the scroll and started to read it.

    Part of her had hoped it wouldn¡¯t be reasonable, but it was.

    It even offered the Kroan leadership a royal title.

    I¡¯m going to have to accept this¡­

    ¡°We will have to discuss¡­ but this seems very reasonable.¡± Adlii visibly deflated.

    ~~~

    Nord hated the humans.

    They walked around their city, the city of Kroan, like they owned the place. Which, due to some dusty old treaty somewhere, they did. But there was only one of them for every ten gari, yet no gari was willing to do anything to them.

    Everyone was cowering in fear.

    No more, he thought as he approached the human man who was kicking around a teenage gari and laughing all the while. No more!

    He threw a knife into the man¡¯s neck.

    He hadn¡¯t noticed the other human standing nearby¡ªthe man took out a Red crystal and burned the gari to a crisp.

    ~~~

    The young Emperor looked down at all the gathered chiefs, kings, and lords of the Empire, gaze falling upon the lone woman in the crowd, Eridanii Kroan.

    ¡°It has been over two hundred years since your indoctrination,¡± he said. ¡°All the other gari peoples have fallen in line¡­ yet your people insist on presenting me with¡­ this.¡±

    ¡°The first Emperor had no qualms about our ways,¡± Eridanii spoke with calm dignity. ¡°And the specific right of our women was included in the first charter. Unless you wish to undo the¡­ agreement.¡±

    The Emperor scowled. He wanted to, but the Kroan gari had spread far throughout the Empire. It would cause a civil war¡ªone he could win, yes, but the Empire was already at war with the numerous border territories.

    He would just have to live with this insult to his way, for now.

    ~~~

    A little gari girl polished the Memory. It was about the same size as her. These days, it was hidden deep beneath the ground in the city of Kroan, where few knew it even existed. Through a nearby closed door, she heard hushed whispers.

    ¡°Our spies have confirmed it. The Emperor has begun a subtle large-scale operation to discredit Kroan.¡±

    ¡°Surely we can fight this¡­?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s being too smart about it. No treaties are being violated, but our people in key positions are being moved down the ladder one step at a time.¡±

    ¡°What does he hope to accomplish?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he hopes to accomplish anything besides making our lives harder. He just wants to.¡±

    ¡°How despicable¡­¡±

    The little girl finished polishing the Memory and then proceeded to do her best not to think at all about that conversation.

    ~~~

    ¡°Our people will help you.¡± Hyrass Kroan said, hands locked behind her back.

    The Blue Seeker¡ªa cat standing on top of a stone pedestal¡ªlaughed. ¡°You? One of the most devout Aware clans in existence, want to help Seekers conquer the Empire? Ridiculous. Get out of m¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± the Blue Crystalline One said, sparkling. ¡°I believe she speaks the truth.¡±

    ¡°O-of course, Azure-Cobil. As the Blue reveals¡­¡±

    ¡°You will be marked in history as a traitor, Hyrass Kroan. Are you sure that is what you want?¡±

    Hyrass smiled. ¡°If my clan knows anything, it is that history is so long and convoluted that such labels will disappear into dust.¡±

    ¡°Wise words. Very well. You are the last piece we need. The Empire shall fall. The reign of mankind ends now.¡±

    ~~~

    The Emperor fell to Hor Kroan¡¯s feet, dead.

    He kicked the human away with distaste. ¡°You have killed so many¡­¡±

    ¡°The war was not meant to take this long,¡± Azure-Cobil said, rising from the battlefield with numerous cracks in her multifaceted form. ¡°I am afraid¡­ afraid that my own people will not be able to keep themselves up for long.¡±

    ¡°The evil is done. No more shall we be under their thumb.¡±

    ¡°¡­Large-scale civilization has its benefits, Hor.¡±

    ~~~

    To be a gari traveler in those days was dangerous.

    No matter which tribe or kingdom one entered, the people would remember.

    Remember those who fought on the side of the Blue "barbarians."

    ¡°A room, please,¡± a gari said, holding her cloak as tightly as possible, hoping nobody would be able to identify her race.

    The tavern keeper was an electric slime, and he pulsed with a yellow spark. ¡°Not for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay double.¡±

    ¡°Go outside and freeze, traitor.¡±

    ¡°¡­Very well.¡± She turned and left.

    The townsfolk found a frozen gari in the morning.

    ~~~

    Kroan was burning.

    ¡°I suppose this is the punishment we receive for our ancestors¡¯ actions,¡± a man said, taking a deep breath on a cigar wrapped around some pink plant.

    His wife nodded slowly. ¡°How did they ever think it was Dia¡¯s will to wage a war of treachery and deceit? They had it so much better than we do now¡­ and yet, they thought it was unbearable.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ there¡¯s one thing we have to see to.¡± He glanced at the large crate they had tied up to a carriage. ¡°¡­The Memory needs a new home.¡±

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°We are spread far and wide. Somewhere, there will be one to take us in. The Memory has gone on too long to be lost now.¡±

    ~~~

    The great black dragon known only as the Shadow stood atop his mountain, glaring downward at the execution platform.

    A qorvid stood tall and proud, a massive scythe in his wings. ¡°You have one last chance to redeem yourself in the eyes of the Shadow, infidel. Renounce Dia as sovereign. Pledge yourself to Cora, the goddess of the people.¡± On cue, banners unfurled, showing large, black squares surrounded by complicated lines of all seven colors representative of magic. ¡°Power will be yours¡­ or death.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, tough choice¡­¡± Anders Kroan clicked his tongue. ¡°Perhaps you should consider adding a third option.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Last-minute-rescue.¡±

    Suddenly, there was an explosion, and the execution platform fell. Anders jumped and did a backflip, narrowly avoiding the qorvid¡¯s scythe. He landed in the arms of a gari with red bracelets on her wrist, indicating her as a Red wizard.

    She held out a hand and cooked the qorvid from the inside out while the rest of the gari army charged the Shadow himself.

    The Shadow was having none of this. He opened his mouth and unleashed his breath¡ªa spew of pitch-black darkness. It was his attribute, and they were ready for it¡ªMagenta wizards began to scramble to jam it.

    They could not have predicted the darkness erupting in a multicolored fire that turned most of the army into nothing more than dust in a crater.

    But Anders survived. He was near enough to the edge to be thrown away.

    One day, dragon¡­ your reign of terror will end.

    ~~~

    Garnet Kroan broke the Yellow connection with the Shadow.

    While they had been communing, the Orange wizards of many, many races had chopped the Shadow¡¯s head off.

    He¡¯d never been given a chance to retaliate.

    Garnet immediately fell to the ground, bawling her eyes out.

    She had just spent thirty years of her life working her way up the ladder to be next to the Shadow in this moment. She was mute, so the best way for her to communicate had been with Yellow. That had been instrumental.

    He had not trusted her. He never trusted anyone. He had often considered eating her in the middle of their communing sessions. But he had never thought she was part of such a long-term, brazen plan.

    And now it was done.

    All these years of pain¡­ done.

    ~~~

    ¡°The Free Peoples of Dia¡¯s Light have come to agree¡­ we were too weak when we were separated,¡± a white dragon said, standing in front of a large gathering of leaders, politicians, and war heroes. ¡°When the Empire fell eons ago, we went our separate ways, and so we fell to the Shadow one at a time, bit by bit. We have come here to confirm¡­ never again. We will stand together as we reach out into the future. And to do that¡­ we need a leader.¡± He chuckled softly. ¡°And while I am sure everyone in this room has been expecting the Kroan to take charge, Garnet has expressed that the new leaders be of a tribe that is neither hated nor loved. And so¡­ it has been chosen that the gari of Riges Flats form the new rulers of this Kingdom.

    ¡°However, we couldn¡¯t give Garnet and her people nothing for their efforts. The name ¡®Free Peoples of Dia¡¯s Light¡¯ is quite a mouthful, wouldn¡¯t you say? And so¡­ the name of this newly formed kingdom will take the name of the city they lost so long ago. Today¡­ marks the day of the founding of the Kingdom of Kroan.¡±

    Cheers erupted from the crowd. A single tear fell from Garnet¡¯s eye.

    ~~~

    The Memory was in the basement of a secluded Sanctuary near the edge of a desert, far from the vast majority of civilization. Hidden, in case any wars or calamities might arrive and damage the precious heirloom.

    It was here when the Memory finally achieved enough mass to awaken into a Yellow Crystalline One.

    Surrounded only by the elite of Kroan, she formed with the knowledge of all she had been through, to what extent the extended family had gone through to protect her, and the absurd chain of events that led her to where she was now.

    ¡°I¡­ I am the Memory!¡±

    The dozen gari that had been examining her all let out a collective gasp.

    ¡°I¡­ I have awoken! At long last, here¡­ here I am! Before I was ever born, you cared for me, generation after generation¡­ I do not know why, but I feel as though I owe you a debt greater than I can ever repay.¡±

    ¡°If¡­ you truly are the Memory¡­¡± an old, wrinkled gari with a peg instead of a leg stepped forward. ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°What was it that Leslii protected oh so long ago? ¡­Give me a second, I¡¯ll try to find it. I¡¯ll¡ªaha!¡±

    She flashed, and filled their minds with what was stored within her.

    An arrangement of stars that didn¡¯t exist within the night sky.

    A fractal pattern of the seven Colors of magic intertwining in ways more complicated than any had ever seen before.

    A strange symbol composed of two triangles arranged in the shape of an hourglass, with a single line coming out of its base that cut through a circle, what looked like an eye, and then ended at a stylized image of Ikyu itself with stars sparkling around.

    ¡°Do¡­ you know¡­ what it means?¡± the old gari asked.

    ¡°No¡­ I do not. I¡­ cannot even begin to comprehend¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Prince Horv pulled his lips away from Sanroi Kroan¡¯s. A breeze blew through the royal gardens, throwing pink petals into their faces.

    Sanroi blew the petals out of her eyes, smiling innocently.

    ¡°Sanroi¡­ at this rate, you¡¯ll get the Kroan¡¯s into the Crown.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the idea, Horv.¡± She carefully walked her fingers up one of his arms. ¡°And why shouldn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t think of a single reason why not. When I become King¡­ I want you at my side.¡±

    ¡°Oh, already? I was expecting this to go on for a bit longer¡­¡± She grinned. ¡°But of course, where else would I go?¡±

    ~~~

    The Memory was moved into the basement of the royal palace under the watchful gaze of King Ream Kroan, the first Kroan to ever be a proper King¡ªand he would not be the last.

    The Memory was getting close to the size of a full-grown gari.

    ¡°Welcome to your new home, old friend,¡± Ream said, smiling softly. ¡°What a journey you¡¯ve had, huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡­ is certainly something.¡±

    ¡°We have resources now. Perhaps, with time, we may uncover exactly what the First Memory is.¡±

    ¡°Work on stabilizing your Kingdom first. I have persisted for three thousand years with your lineage. There is no need to rush.¡±

    ¡°¡­Of course, old friend.¡±

    ~~~

    In those days, to be a gari was to be given great respect. No relation to the lineage of Kroan was even required¡ªgari were associated with heroism, trustworthiness, and empathy. Many were the people that truly thought the race was better than them, that they were the perfect guardians and protectors of the Kingdom.

    This attitude even extended to the northern states, where a red garilend rose above the many tribes and united them together.

    ¡°You have done great work,¡± King Iscobil Kroan said, grinning as he walked into the freshly built royal palace of Shimvale.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Nifriirii said. Rather than bowing or giving any sort of further formal pleasantries, she grabbed a giant hunk of meat off the table and tore it off the bone with her teeth. ¡°Say hello to Shimvale, Kingdom of the Rising Sun!¡±

    ¡°I do quite like what I¡¯ve seen so far, though clearly you struggle with the cold this far north.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s how we¡¯ve always lived. But the Red has protected us with its heat, as it always has.¡±

    ¡°Well, perhaps you would like an easier life?¡± He folded his hands together. ¡°We are more than willing t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Nifriirii chuckled. ¡°There won¡¯t be any incorporating us into your territory. We are Shimvale, not Kroan. Now¡­ you gonna accept that, or do you wanna fight?¡±

    Iscobil shook his head. ¡°There will be no fight. Long ago in our history, when Kroan was barely even a name, we were forced to join an empire against our will. We will do no such thing to you. Carry on as you wish, respect our borders, and perhaps we can be great friends in the coming generations.¡±

    ¡°Sounds awesome!¡±

    How full of spirit, she is¡­ so young.

    ~~~

    An Orange Crystalline One came into being, surrounded by anarchists.

    This has the exact result they had been hoping for. The power of Orange itself immediately launched herself into the air and charged directly for the Royal Palace, all the while flattening anyone and everyone she saw on her way.

    It was a massacre.

    The Palace was reduced to rubble by the time she was shattered by the current Prince, riding his dragon mount Villa. His lifelong companion perished in the battle, ending her over a thousand years of life.

    The Kingdom of Kroan wept.

    ¡°¡­My kind are too dangerous,¡± the Memory told the Prince. ¡°We cannot allow something like this to happen again.¡±

    ¡°I will see to it. Every Crystalline One must be cataloged. Every single Seeker temple will need to be watched. The threats¡­ will be destroyed.¡±

    And the people rejoiced that further tragedy was averted.

    ~~~

    ¡°You are the elite of the elite!¡± King Yvenii declared, slamming his fist on the podium. ¡°You have been hand-picked from the line of Kroan for the greatest task of all¡ªto protect the Memory and the Kingdom! There are many dangers that lie in our borders, and not just the Crystalline Ones that my father identified! No, there are threats hiding behind every corner. There are Seekers plotting our downfall, Gonal denouncing Dia, and demons ready to tear down civilization itself! You¡­ are here to combat that. From this day forward, the Ordo Orsissus is hereby formed. Use any means necessary to defend this kingdom from its enemies.¡±

    The chosen leader of the Ordo Orsissus raised both of her hands to her ears in what would become their signature gesture of respect. ¡°We live to serve, your Highness. May the Unknown Stars shine their light on us in the dark paths we walk.¡±

    ¡°May Dia bless your efforts.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°A new invention just came out of the highlands,¡± a man said, walking up to a Kroan Princess. ¡°It might help you see better.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    He put a pair of glasses on her face.

    She gasped, and immediately tears started rolling down her eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s what Leslii wore¡­¡±

    ¡°Who¡­?¡±

    ¡°Nothing!¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°You want to be a general?¡± Urvik Kroan asked her friend, a human man by the rather simple name of John.

    ¡°Yeah! I want to defend the Kingdom from the skeletons of the East!¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure those are just a myth.¡±

    ¡°Who cares, I¡¯ll lead the charge!¡±

    But¡­ John¡­ you¡¯re not a gari.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Everyone knows that those jobs are only for gari.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll prove to them! I have what it takes!¡±

    Urvik giggled. ¡°Silly little man¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°King Navri! King Navri!¡±

    Navri looked up from his audience with the Memory. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±

    ¡°The explorers have found the homeland, the continent across the Ocean! You were right, the Mikarol ships were from an Empire all the way out there! New lands and new people are open for trade!¡±

    ¡°Excellent news!¡± Navri declared with a hearty laugh.

    ¡°The homeland¡­ I do not remember it, I only have knowledge from the records. Yet I know it was where I was found¡­ Has anyone asked Mikarol about the origin of the Second Cataclysm?¡±

    ¡°Afraid not,¡± the Messenger gari shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re just as lost as we are, in that regard.¡±

    Navri nodded, pondering this for a moment. ¡°Well¡­ be sure to write up a full report for the meeting tonight.¡±

    ¡°Will do!¡±

    ¡°And do remember, the Memory is a secret.¡±

    ¡°Yes, your Majesty, I know¡­¡±

    Navri chuckled as she ran off. ¡°With luck, she¡¯ll be my daughter-in-law soon.¡±

    ¡°One can hope.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, what do you think of my plan?¡± He unrolled a massive scroll with the word Axiom labeled at the top. ¡°A new capital city, founded with the express goal of furthering the knowledge of magic.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it is time?¡±

    ¡°We finally have the resources to spare, Memory. We can devote ourselves to learning more so we can understand what it is you hold within yourself. The Academy will bring the brightest minds together to uncover the great secrets. The best part is, they don¡¯t even have to know about you to do it!¡±

    ¡°This¡­ I have been waiting my whole life, and part of me is nervous to finally do something.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps take a hint from those of us who do not live as long as you. There is such a thing as taking too much time to think.¡±

    ¡°You are the King¡­ you do not need my approval to act.¡±

    ¡°But I seek it!¡±

    ¡°¡­Then go. Build this city of magic. Let us see what we find.¡±

    ~~~

    Axiom was built, and the Memory moved to a new location, in a new palace even grander than the one that had been destroyed in the Great Crystal Tragedy.

    The towers of magic flourished and the familiar-colored robes with pointed hats started to become greater in number.

    However, few were those who were not gari, and no matter how skilled at magic the other races were, they were always pushed to the side. Neglected.

    ¡°It is the way of Kroan,¡± the King said when a free leaf dryad came to him. ¡°You have great skill, and I will personally see to it that you are accepted into the Academy for it, but I am not going to upend centuries of customs just for one woman. You will be an exception, not a rule.¡±

    ¡°¡­In your own histories, it used to be the women who were in charge,¡± the dryad said. ¡°And now it is the men. Did you not allow your culture to be upended then? Why not now?¡±

    ¡°None of that was by choice.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°You are not supposed to be down here,¡± the Memory said. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    The red gari ran her guantlet¡¯s fingerpoints along the edge of the chamber. ¡°So¡­ this is the big secret of Kroan¡­ hidden so far away that not even the people know about it¡­ a Yellow Crystalline One. I was expecting something more.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t at all. ¡­There¡¯s more to you than meets the eye.¡± She looked up at the engraving of stars above the Memory¡¯s form, and the unusual symbol. ¡°¡­This means something.¡±

    ¡°Something you are not allowed to know.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps¡­ but I¡¯m sure I can convince your little Prince to tell me eventually. He is quite enamored, you understand.¡±

    ¡°You have more people to worry about than him.¡±

    King Bastiron descended the stairs, an exceptionally large and muscular specimen for a gari.

    The red gari¡¯s smile faltered. ¡°Ah, your Majesty¡­¡±

    The King drew his sword.

    ¡°Are you really going to kill me? Just for snooping around? Think of how your son will feel. Think of the fallout, the consequences. I am a Princess of Shimvale.¡±

    ¡°And you have extended beyond your diplomatic authority,¡± the King said, cold, breathless. ¡°I found the members of the Ordo Orsissus you killed to get in here.¡±

    ¡°Killing a few of your personal assassin guard? You think that justifies regicide?¡±

    ¡°He is justified to act simply from you being in this room,¡± the Memory said.

    ¡°You really aren¡¯t free people at all¡­¡± she hissed. ¡°You¡¯re just servants of this¡­ Yellow One!¡±

    ¡°Incorrect,¡± the Memory said. ¡°I am their servant.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re absolved of all blame here?¡¯

    ¡°No. We make this decision together.¡±

    ¡°Your life is forfeit, Princess Shira,¡± Bastiron said.

    ¡°May Dia ease your soul¡¯s return.¡±

    Shira¡¯s confidence melted away in an instant. ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t!¡±

    Bastiron ran her through.

    The war started the next week.

    ~~~

    Princess Ursulii had been born in the midst of a never-ending war.

    With the suicide of a brother she had never known, Bastiron had rushed to get a new heir¡­ and once she was born, decided he could no longer avoid marching to war personally¡ªthe war he had caused.

    The great, bloody war.

    Ursulii was twenty-two when the war ended. Neither side had won. Bastiron and King Nyress simply couldn¡¯t afford to continue the bloodshed anymore.

    The end of the war came with the anger of the people. The hatred had grown as the years went on, hatred that had made both Kroan and Shimvale extremely worried for the state of their population. With no winner, riots broke out in both nations.

    Bastiron, once tall, strong, and proud, became sickly and weak as his own people turned against him. He was unable to produce a male heir in the little time he had left before the sickness took him.

    And so, for the first time in history, the Kingdom of Kroan was ruled by a lone Queen, given a Kingdom with so much pain, anger, and violence. Her father had told her to be strong, to stand firm, and to never give in to any demands no matter how reasonable they were.

    The moment she took the Crown she proceeded to do the exact opposite of that.

    She was to be remembered as the Great Reformer. Immediately, money was diverted from the Academies, the Crown, and Axiom itself to one thing: the people. She specifically started handing out positions of power to non-gari with the agreement that they would help keep the rebellions down. While the Academies of Magic saw their greatest budget cuts in this period, they also saw their greatest influx of non-gari students, and they were allowed to rise through the ranks for Ursulii took a personal interest in making the prestigious occupation of wizardry representative of the actual people in Kroan.

    It was a chaotic time, but she kept the Kingdom together.

    ¡°How did you do it?¡± the Memory asked her.

    ¡°I studied history,¡± Ursulii said with a smirk. ¡°People resisted change in the past, and yet it always came for them anyway. Everyone was stuck wanting to get their own way. We call ourselves the Aware, but we are terribly blind when it comes to looking at our own minds.¡± She tapped her head. ¡°So I stopped listening to myself so much and started listening to them.¡±

    ¡°They wanted war.¡±

    ¡°And that is why you need a ruler, Memory. Rulers¡­ exist for the people. If the people want something that will destroy them, it is our job to refuse it to them. But it is also our job to give to them what they need to thrive.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°I¡¯m disbanding the Ordo Orsissus,¡± Queen Ursilii said.

    The current High Deliverer of the Ordo Orsissus, a blue gari who had erased her name from existence, adjusted the collar on her white robes in clear disgust. ¡°You deny the path of the stars?¡±

    ¡°This kingdom has no more use for a group of professional assassins.¡± Ursilii shook her head. ¡°While I find your work distasteful, the truth is that you have served this kingdom and only this kingdom for generations. Those of your order who wish it will be given noble titles, land, a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Many will take it, and many will be happy.¡± The High Deliverer bristled. ¡°Those of us who are true to our goal will be and are livid.¡±

    ¡°If you continue your work, you do so as criminals.¡± Ursulii glared. ¡°Unchecked assassinations should never have been part of a nation that claims to serve Dia.¡±

    ¡°Funny, coming from the woman who¡¯s let the Seekers and the Gonal come out into the open.¡±

    ¡°And your order has gone so sideways it borders on a star-worship heresy.¡±

    The High Deliverer lifted her head. ¡°You are the Queen. Your word is law. I shall inform the Order. I will not hold them to any course of action.¡±

    ¡°You know what that will cause.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I do. But you won¡¯t execute me for wanting to give my people the choice to listen to you or not.¡±

    Ursulii scowled. ¡°I have half a mind to¡­ but now is not the time for such things.¡± She took in a deep breath and extended a hand. ¡°You can still be a valued member of this family.¡±

    ¡°¡­I believe the Memory chose wrong. We are the lineage that should be protecting it, not yours.¡± She took out a Blue crystal and, before Ursulii could do anything, accelerated herself away fast enough to leave a trail of smoke.

    Ursulii did not pursue.

    ~~~

    ¡°Let the Summit of the Sea officially begin,¡± an unusual squid-creature said from a tank of water. ¡°Let it be known that the sovereign nations represented here¡­¡± the squid then went on to recite the names of the two-dozen or so nations which were present, most of which were small island nations. The main reason the summit had been called was because Shimvale, Kroan, and Mikarol had started sailing ships continually through the oceans, often stopping at the island nations and cutting through their aquatic territory, making some quite happy, and others (usually those with a large population of aquatic races) quite annoyed.

    The meeting was being held on an uninhabited island near the Tempest¡ªthe eternal storm that raged above and below the sea but never moved from its spot. It was an excellent landmark for sea-dwellers and land-dwellers alike, hence why the island had been chosen.

    ¡°I am sure many of you are eager to return home,¡± the squid continued. ¡°There is much to discuss and a great deal of bad blood to smooth over¡­ but we shall get to all that in time. For now, this first day of the Summit is all introductions. Feel free to wander around the premises¡ªa huge thanks to the Kingdom of Kroan and the Mikarol Empire for gathering so many resources to build our meeting space and providing translators¡­¡±

    Ursulii decided the squid was the perfect choice for a neutral speaker. Nobody had any clue who he was and he was dreadfully boring. She no doubt could have given a much more enthralling speech¡­ but boring was better, in this case.

    ¡°Mother, what¡¯s so funny?¡± her son, Prince Redmind, said. Despite his name, he was blue just as every other Kroan gari had been since recorded history. He was easily old enough to have been a king himself at this point, yet he had taken no wife¡ªmuch like his mother, in that regard, waiting for the right time. Though in his case he claimed it was for the sake of ¡°waiting for the right person¡± rather than Ursulii¡¯s own ¡°well I need an heir at some point so I guess I have to.¡±

    ¡°Just thinking about politics,¡± Ursulii eventually answered him, giving him a wry smile. ¡°Also looking around, seeing some familiar faces. It looks like a few of the Wild Kingdoms listened to our invitations and actually showed up.¡± She gestured at some lesser and greater unicorns dressed in animal furs that were looking around nervously at the wide range of races on the island. ¡°They are a bit out of their depth, it seems.¡±

    ¡°Not all of them,¡± Redmind said, gesturing at a bunch of green gari who were not only talking amongst the other peoples, but also having a great time. They definitely didn¡¯t care about appearance or subterfuge¡ªthey laughed, shouted, ran around, and yet were afraid of nothing and spoke pointedly to everyone, including an elder blue dragon from Mikarol.

    ¡°You¡¯ve always had an eye for the strong and defiant,¡± Ursulii said with a chuckle. ¡°Yes, it is true, the Wild Kingdoms are as varied as the people within our borders, perhaps even more so. Remember to treat them well, Redmind.¡±

    ¡°Naturally. Peaceful borders are to be maintained, I remember.¡±

    ¡°That is just what I say, Redmind, you are free to make your own decisions when the time comes.¡±

    ¡°I know. I choose to side with you.¡±

    Ursulii chuckled. ¡°Very well.¡±

    She noticed a cat in blue robes walk up to her, the red mark of Shimvale emblazoned on his outfit.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ursulii frowned. ¡°The Shimvale Crown couldn¡¯t show up personally?¡±

    ¡°The Shimvale Crown was deposed a few years ago,¡± the cat said.

    Ursulii¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Well¡­ on such a closed border¡­¡±

    ¡°I did not expect you to know,¡± the cat said, left ear flicking in the wind. ¡°I am Minister Byro, representative of the Council of the Kingdom of Shimvale.¡±

    Ursulii bowed to him. ¡°Kroan recognizes your authority.¡±

    ¡°¡­Good. That is a good step.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°May I ask¡­ what happened?¡±

    ¡°The people would not stand for peace. We fractured inwardly. The Council took control in order to prevent everything from falling into chaos. We¡­ believe we are stable, now, but the people are demanding their voice be heard. The result is¡­ a bit experimental, I must admit.¡±

    ¡°Experimental?¡±

    ¡°A representative system¡­ ah, but I am getting ahead of myself, that will be discussed later.¡±

    ¡°Consider me intrigued. Though I believe most here are more concerned with trade agreements, sea passages, what to do about the fact that there are anglers deep beneath us¡­¡±

    ¡°I myself am most interested in the Tempest,¡± Byro said, glancing at the storm clouds that rested eternally on the horizon. ¡°There are islands in there. A land to be explored. The Riders of Niln have proposed a joint exploration effort.¡±

    ¡°Dangerous¡­¡±

    ¡°Did someone say dangerous!?¡± A green gari from the rowdy Wild Kingdom shoved her head into the conversation. ¡°We like the sounds of that!¡±

    ¡°You like the sounds of that!¡± one of her countrymen called over to her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll convince the others, shush!¡±

    Ursulii found herself laughing again¡ªonly laughing harder once the more refined noble types started glancing at the wild gari in disgust.

    She felt hope for the world that day.

    ~~~

    ¡°And today¡­¡± Ursulii said, addressing the people with a sparkle in her eyes. ¡°I abdicate the throne to my son, Redmind Kroan. Most of my lineage have served until they became too old to do anything or fell in battle. I think differently. I have had my time leading you; new ideas need to come into our great Kingdom. My son has proven himself capable time and time again in his treaties with the Wild Kingdoms and the managing of our side of the Tempest Joint Exploration Expeditions, as well as proving himself to be a good father.¡± She gestured with a smile at her son, his wild wife Riikaz¡ªthe green gari still refused to wear anything aside from furs of animals she¡¯d killed herself¡ªand three rather young children scrambling around their feet. ¡°Listen to him as you would have listened to me.¡± She gently took off her crown and set it upon her son¡¯s head.

    ¡°Make the people proud.¡±

    ¡°¡­I shall make you proud, mother.¡±

    Ursulii wiped a single tear from her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve already done that, Redmind.¡±

    ~~~

    Riikaz was a bit of a crazy woman, the Memory had to admit.

    But she loved to hear her stories.

    ¡°Okay, so, there I was¡­¡± Riikaz said, holding her hands up in the air. ¡°Hiding in the tallest tree in the forest¡­ when the thing I thought was a bear turned out to have wings!¡±

    ¡°It was spirited?¡±

    ¡°Surprisingly not!¡± Riikaz said with a shudder that made her hair rattle¡ªher hair was exceptionally long and she made full use of it, heat-treating it into corded braids that wrapped around her body while leaving four small ¡°horns¡± on her head. She somehow managed to still retain enough range of motion to jump around and act out the story as she continued. ¡°The beast jumped up the tree with a roar¡ªI was sure it had to be some kind of magic or curse from the gods, you know, back before I knew better about the nature of things. I couldn¡¯t run anymore, so I rammed my elbow down, YAAAA!¡± She rammed her gauntlet¡¯s spiked end toward the floor. Then she let out a loud noise meant to be an explosion.

    ¡°It exploded?¡±

    ¡°Popped right like a bubble!¡± Riikaz said, grinning.

    ¡°Fascinating¡­¡±

    ¡°You tell the best stories, mom!¡± Tenrayce said, grinning. ¡°You should write them down!¡±

    ¡°You know¡­ maybe I should¡­¡± She glanced at the Memory. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know the agreement. You¡¯ll stay out of it; don¡¯t you worry your pretty little secret head.¡± She patted the Crystalline One on one of her faces.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a head, though.¡±

    ¡°It could just be secret! Hidden in those facets of yours¡­ you might not even know!¡±

    ¡°True¡­ we have been searching for many years and are no closer to understanding any of what I hold means.¡±

    ¡°How can you know that?¡± Riikaz asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°I know I¡¯m the new girl here and all, but if you had no progress for thousands of years, who¡¯s to say you could even tell if what you¡¯re doing now is progress?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ~~~

    King Redmind folded his hands together.

    He stood on the prow of the Arkrim, flagship of the Kroan navy, staring out into the Tempest.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t sailing into that, are we?¡± the ship¡¯s captain said.

    ¡°We may have no choice,¡± Redmind said. ¡°The last communication we got said the situation was deteriorating.¡± He shook his head. ¡°To think, this place I helped chart¡­ has become a lawless free-for-all that no one understands.¡±

    ¡°I say explore it again,¡± Riikaz said, grinning. ¡°It was fun the first time around!¡±

    ¡°We are not as young as we used to be, Riikaz.¡±

    Riikaz frowned. ¡°And Wyett is still a young child¡­¡±

    ¡°We must remain until he and his sisters are ready to take up the torch. Which means¡­ we do not charge into that whirlwind for the sake of adventure. There must be greater reasons.¡± He gave her a sad but understanding smile. ¡°We had our time, did we not?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ we did.¡± She gave him a quick kiss. ¡°And at least you were willing to sail all the way out here.¡±

    Redmind¡¯s face became serious, turning back to the Tempest. ¡°The world is holding its breath.¡±

    ¡°Not the whole world.¡±

    ¡°True¡­. Still.¡± He frowned. ¡°We need to go in. If the reports are tru¡ª¡± He spotted a qorvid suddenly pop out of the Tempest¡¯s swirling clouds, flying to them as fast as he possibly could. He landed a bit too hard on the deck, cracking one of his ribs, but he pushed through the pain and handed the King a message.

    ¡°¡­It is already over,¡± the King said, lowering the letter.

    ¡°Did we win?¡± Riikaz asked.

    ¡°¡­We didn¡¯t lose.¡±

    ¡°Oh. One of those, eh?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°And the chronicle ends there,¡± the Professor said, closing up the story. ¡°For it is not proper for a chronicler to write her own story unless she has no choice.¡±

    Tenrayce nodded. ¡°I will leave behind drafts of our actions, but it is our children who will write of our deeds.¡±

    Via let out a sigh. ¡°It must be nice, to have lived in the old days¡­¡±

    ¡°Which era?¡± Wyett asked.

    ¡°Any of them! Back on the other continent¡­ under the rule of the Empire¡­ in the early days of Kroan¡­¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t last five minutes there,¡± Tenrayce deadpanned.

    ¡°Well, uh, probably not! But it would be cool to actually see all these things, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it would,¡± Wyett admitted. ¡°I too have a love for the ways of the past¡­ it almost feels as though we have things too easy, these days.¡±

    The moment he spoke these words, the night sky lit up with a burst of purple.

    They all stared out the window, and then a second one came.

    The group of four remained in silence for over a minute.

    ¡°Dad will be calling a meeting,¡± Tenrayce said, suddenly. ¡°We should get re¡ª¡±

    ¡°DID YOU KIDS SEE THAT?¡± Queen Riikaz punched the door in, bending one of its hinges. ¡°Please tell me you saw that!¡±

    ¡°Yes we did!¡± Via said, beaming. ¡°It was really pretty! And¡­ big.¡±

    Riikaz could barely contain her excitement. ¡°It¡¯s something new! Oh, I can¡¯t wait to hear the wizards try to explain this one!¡±

    ¡°We should get dressed for the meeting,¡± Wyett suggested. ¡°I should find Hyrii¡­¡±

    ¡°Smart move,¡± Riikaz said. ¡°Never stand a girl up, even if you suspect a national meeting is about to be called.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not wise, Mom,¡± Tenrayce said.

    ¡°It is if you actually ever want to have a shot with a girl!¡± Riikaz said with a wink.

    ¡°What about¡­ a Prince?¡± Via asked.

    ¡°Pfft, I don¡¯t know anything about how to court a man, I was the one who was caught, you and Tenrayce are on your own.¡±

    ¡°She is on her own,¡± Tenrayce corrected.

    ¡°You¡¯ll change your mind eventually,¡± Riikaz said.

    ¡°I doubt it.¡±

    Wyett decided he was done with waiting for the conversation to complete and ran out of the room to find Hyrii.

    ¡°I should probably grab my wizard robes,¡± Tenrayce said with a sigh. ¡°Get official, and everything.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m already dressed up!¡± Via declared with a grin. ¡°I bet you¡¯re regretting walking around casually now, huh?¡±

    ¡°No, not really.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Formal wear is for morons anyway,¡± Riikaz said with a dismissive wave of her hand. ¡°¡­That said, I¡¯m thinking the silver panther skin will look great tonight. What do you think, Via?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be gorgeous!¡±

    ~~~

    High above Ikyu, something fell. As it fell, it burned. It should have burned to absolute nothing long ago, but the fire never ran out of fuel. It grew no larger or smaller, maintaining a constant brightness in defiance of the currently rising sun, its tip just barely peeking above the ocean horizon.

    Still, the object fell. The people who lived on the ground pointed up¡ªsome in confusion, some in awe, some in fear. No one was able to go to where it was going to land, however, so none would witness the crash. The land that received the honor of impact was a large sandy beach that a bunch of crabs were currently migrating across.

    While the object had, at one point, been moving at absurd speeds, this was no longer the case as the cushion of air had slowed it considerably. However, it was still ridiculously hot¡ªwhen it hit the ground, it immediately vaporized the water content of the sand and sent plumes of steam into the air. There was not enough force behind the impact to make a crater, but a few unfortunate crabs were split open.

    The object was not completely destroyed on impact¡ªbut it was nothing more than bones, bones that had somehow managed to keep feeding the fire all the way down. The impact had broken almost all of the bones into shrapnel and spread them across the beach, but this mattered little. The base of the neck reformed first, and then slowly the entire skeleton was reborn. Only a handful of the original bones were in the new skeleton, as most of it manifested out of seemingly nothing. There were onyx-black circles on the fingers and the back of the neck. Flesh quickly sewed itself over the skeleton, completely hiding it from view. Organs shifted into place, and the circulatory system formed already beating. Skin wrapped over the flesh, and pale teal hair formed on her head.

    Just as enough skin was forming to perhaps be considered indecent, fabric started to generate, weaving microscopic black fibers around the hips and flat chest, with a single streak of teal-blue along the side.

    At the tips of the hands, two crimson gloves formed.

    And then Jeh opened her eyes.

    ¡°I would have preferred to have been awake so I could actually have felt all that was going on up there¡­¡± she groaned, slowly sitting up. The first thing she noticed was the fact that she was sitting in a bunch of dried-out sand. The next thing she noticed was the smell of partially cooked crab.

    She let out a low whistle.

    With a quick hop, she jumped to her feet. She held her hand up to her eyes, intending to get the lay of the land¡­

    But she froze upon the sight of the gloves.

    She let out a bestial scream of panic and ripped the gloves off her hand, throwing them into the crater. She scrambled away from them as quickly as she could, eyes wide with fear.

    She didn¡¯t even know why she felt like this, she just knew she did.

    She could still see them in the dry sand, sitting there, taunting her with their bright color.

    Without warning, she ran away as fast as she could, tears she didn¡¯t understand streaming down her face. She did not care which direction she was going and she wasn¡¯t even able to think properly.

    She just knew that she needed to get away. To get far, far away.

    Naturally, this resulted in her running headfirst into a large tree trunk, knocking herself out cold.

    She came to under the very same tree she had hit her head on. It was night, now. She could hear the Ocean somewhere nearby.

    With a sigh, she ran her hand through her hair, examining the pale teal strands. While it was hard for her to discern the color in the starlight, it was far too pale to be what she wanted it to be.

    ¡°I need to make you brown again¡­ but I¡¯m all out of nuts¡­¡± She looked down at her body, sighing. ¡°And all out of bear furs¡­ and magic crystals¡­ and notes¡­ everything.¡±

    The world was silent.

    ¡°No¡­ not everything. I still have my words!¡± Jeh jumped to her feet and shouted at the stars above. ¡°You hear that, universe!? I still have my words! You can¡¯t take those away from me!¡± She shook an angry fist at nothing.

    Only then did she make any real attempt to figure out where she was. She deduced that the Ocean was to the East. Which meant¡­

    ¡­Oh boy. She was so far from Kroan that the only real maps of this area had been taken by her from space.

    This would be fun, in both the literal and sarcastic sense of the word.

    With a smile, she turned to the stars once more.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, you watch me.¡±

    Then she saw it. A very faint white speck moving gradually across the sky¡­

    ¡°Well, would you look at that! Mission accomplished!¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT.

    I was kind of dreading doing this Science Segment since this is a chapter about history, not science¡ªI toyed with the idea of doing a bit of archeology, but I don¡¯t really have a clue about that. I¡¯m no expert in history either, I just find it fascinating.

    Then I thought about doing a little segment on reentry, but quickly realized that, whoops, we¡¯d already talked about things lighting on fire due to friction/compression with the air.

    So to put it simply, I¡¯m stumped. Can¡¯t even do what I did in the last special chapter and make a ¡°creation myth of our science!¡± Trying to examine human history would be ridiculous, and trying to examine universal history I already did!

    So¡­

    Uh¡­

    Speaking of falling from space, there¡¯s a curious thing about falling objects in air. We already know that when they fall, air pushes back against them and, if they¡¯re going fast enough, the air will ignite from the compression forces between them. However, what we haven¡¯t talked about is why this doesn¡¯t happen for things we drop from high places¡ªeven dropping a bowling ball from Mount Everest won¡¯t result in a flaming ball by the time it hits the ground!

    See, when things are dropped in air, the air pushes back. The faster the falling object goes, the more the air pushes back¡ªuntil the pushback of the air is equal to the force of gravity and the object can¡¯t keep going any faster! This speed is called the terminal velocity, and it¡¯s different for every object.

    The only ways to surpass terminal velocity are to have some force propelling you forward (as Jeh did in the Skyseed on that first trip) or to already be moving fast by the time you hit the atmosphere. Which is the case with meteors¡ªvery rarely will a meteor ever hit Earth without enough speed to ignite, as Earth itself is moving through space at thirty kilometers a second, which makes that more-or-less the average speed of a meteor.

    Jeh was not a space rock and was actually moving more-or-less in line with Ikyu. She just also happened to be pushing the drive to its maximum in the downward direction, so she had given herself a lot of forward momentum, enough to overcome terminal velocity by the time she hit enough atmosphere. However, she was a very light object, so while she was going fast enough to light on fire and gather a lot of heat (and she couldn''t really dissipate the heat from the laser either), the air was still pushing back against her and it eventually reduced her speed to terminal velocity. In fact, were it not for her... special situation, she should no longer have been on fire when she hit the ground.

    Actually, in reality, she should have burned up to ash long before reaching the ground.

    Aha! See? I ended up talking about reentry anyway!

    ¡­And that would have been it, but in-between the last chapter and now, there has been a lot of discussion about how the ¡°level¡± works in space. Some of you readers may not know this, but originally the level did work in space! I was wrong, and misjudged the situation. However, the reason as to why it doesn¡¯t work is a bit complicated, so here we go.

    The fundamental issue here is that the force of gravity and the force of the drive are not the same kind of force, at least when felt by the occupants. When we draw free body diagrams of forces, we draw gravity as one big arrow acting on the center of mass of an object. In reality, gravity acts in a continuum--think of it as every single atom in the entire object being pulled on at the same time in the exact same manner in the exact same direction. This means that, without anything to hold a reference to, you cannot tell you are accelerating. (This is not the same as relativity, by the way. In relativity, you can''t tell if you''re moving no matter what, but you CAN tell if you''re accelerating based on how things around you appear.) If you''re being pulled in the exact same way across all parts of your body, you actually can''t feel it.

    So then how do we feel gravity? The answer is we don''t, we only feel reaction forces. The force you feel right now "pulling" you to the ground? That''s actually the GROUND pushing up against YOU. This is also what provides the sense of ''gravity'' in the Skyseed--the bottom of the Skyseed is pushing up against Jeh, giving her a "ground." This is only because the force the drive exerts itself is NOT a continuum, it is acting only on the drive itself and everything else is being "dragged along." This "dragging" is what provides the sensation of weight and gravity. The reason we can feel THIS and not the force of gravity is because the pushing force is acting on one part of us and not all of us.

    We feel the force of the ground on our feet, but not on our head¡ªbecause it is pushing on our feet. The force DIFFERENCE between the different parts of our body is what creates the sensation. You may note that you can also feel your arm hanging--but this is because your shoulder is resisting your arm being pulled down, ultimately because your feet are on the ground. If there were no point of contact, you would be in free-fall and there would be no force differential. The sensation of falling comes entirely from the air pushing against you.

    Now, the Skyseed is not in freefall, which I thought was the saving grace here: surely you can tell the difference between the forces at the surface of a planet and at an orbital height? Well, you can, but not just by "feeling" it. Even though the force of gravity is lesser up there and the total force on the body is actually increased, the dragging force remains the same. If the drive is set to 9.8 m/s (hover mode), it will always provide a sensation of 1G no matter where it is or what orbit it''s in (barring the really extreme cases such as black holes). This is because the force of gravity, acting at all points, produces no discernable difference between the points. A force acting on a single point and dragging all the others along with it causes a "differential" which can be detected easily.

    Thus, Jeh definitely should not have been able to feel the lesser gravity in orbit. Which, while this makes me definitely wrong, is actually a good thing for the story because they still haven''t the foggiest idea that gravity drops off with distance. This realization, in turn, brings us back to the level problem.

    This effect also means the level has no way to feel the direction of gravity. Yes, it is true that the vector of acceleration changes dramatically if the drive is not in line with the gravitational field. In fact, this is very obvious close to the ground: try to go slightly left instead of straight down and you lose elevation. But in space, yes you''re losing elevation but how can you TELL? The space program (and I myself) thought that "well obviously the direction of down will change based on how the drive is pushing against the craft." This turns out to not be the case. Gravity acts as a continuum, so the water, the bubble, and everything in the level will only know gravity exists based on the reaction forces around it. And the only source of a reaction force is the drive itself, which is pointed in a single direction.

    There were still a few things I tried after this. After all, the drive is only aligned with the center of mass along the line of radial symmetry, surely the mechanics of rotation will induce a noticeable difference? The problem is that while, yes, the ship is unbalanced slightly, it''s unbalanced in the wrong way--being topheavy does not help us because the top and the bottom are affected the same by gravity, and the drive is perfectly in line with the central axis, so it cannot produce a torque force on the craft. And even if it did, the force of gravity would not make the internal spinning any different than if it were completely in the depths of space.

    So, ultimately, the level does not work. It is still useful for telling which direction your DRIVE is pushing you, but that''s not what it was designed for.

    Some notes: around black holes the gravity differential is strong enough to be noticeable. The strength at your feet is so much stronger than the strength at your head that it can rip you apart. There won''t be any confusion as to which direction you''re being pulled THERE. But the differential on planets is so minor that basically nobody can detect it. I considered running calculations for the possibility of precession providing a way to tell, but I was ultimately able to reason out that that wouldn''t work either, as the precession of a top is ultimately driven by the reaction force its tip feels with the ground.

    Krays is gonna be so mad.

    tl;dr: level doesn''t work because you can''t actually feel accelerations/forces, you can only feel acceleration/force differentials.

 021 - Beginning Again

    021

    Beginning Again

    The tallest tree in the forest surrounding Willow Hollow was a brilliant, silvery thing with black, sharply angled leaves. The vast majority of the tree was devoid of branches or handholds, only the highest part expanding into a black, bushy shape.

    Which raised the question of how exactly Seskii had managed to get up there.

    She chuckled. ¡°The world may never know¡­¡± She let out a big yawn and stretched her limbs, but she did not get up from her reclining position among the dark, unusual foliage. From here she could see most of Willow Hollow, though a good chunk of it was blocked by trees of much more normal height and coloration. The sun had risen about an hour ago and was still casting long shadows over the morning scenery. Clumps of fog drifted through the trees, a somewhat rare but not unexpected sight at this high of an elevation. Mount Cascade was almost completely covered in the gray fluff, but Seskii could still see a Red spark from the Seekers¡¯ camp.

    One place that was not covered in fog was Vaughan¡¯s cabin, the closest structure to Seskii¡¯s tree. The Magenta loop on top of it flickered like it always had, but there were no explosions or trails of smoke going into the air. This by itself wasn¡¯t that unusual, Vaughan didn¡¯t blow something up every day.

    However, it had been a week, and nothing had happened at that cabin.

    Seskii produced a sprig of wheat and started chewing on it. She took in a deep breath, letting the cold air flow into her lungs and send tantalizing shivers through her body. Tilting her head back, she stared into the sky.

    ¡°The things that are out there¡­¡± she said, holding her hand into the air and watching how the shadows of her fingers danced across her palm. ¡°I wonder how far we will go?¡± She curled her finger into a circle and pointed it at a seemingly empty part of the sky, using her other hand to create another hole, as though she had made a telescope out of her hands. This amused her significantly.

    She liked it in moments like this. Where the world was slow, and everything in existence seemed to just stop to take it all in. The wonder of creation itself.

    It was possible to stay here forever. Or, at least, a very long time. Going over every fine detail of the atmosphere¡¯s beautiful color to the fantastical variety of cloud shapes, to¡­

    ¡°Oh, all right,¡± Seskii said, sitting up and shaking her head. ¡°I guess it is about time for me to kick them out of their moping.¡± She quickly jumped up and gave a thumbs up gesture. ¡°Seskii is on the case!¡±

    ~~~

    Alexandrite stood at the edge of Willow Hollow, looking into the sleepy town that he had left just under a week ago.

    Nothing had happened in that week. No further advances in the Space Program. No more mysterious purple beams. And yet, he still hadn¡¯t filed his full report back to Gronge.

    Why hadn¡¯t he?

    Even he wasn¡¯t really sure. Maybe he didn¡¯t want to think about what he would put in that letter.

    What would the angler think about a girl that couldn¡¯t die?

    What did he think about the girl that couldn¡¯t die?

    He growled, pushing the annoying thoughts out of his mind. He¡¯d worry about that when he no longer had a choice, no use letting it gnaw at him now. He checked his bags, looking for a very particular scroll that was likely going to be of interest.

    There was a pink card sticking out of his pack that hadn¡¯t been there before.

    Big Celebration at Vaughan¡¯s Cabin Noon TODAY! Free Food!

    There was no question in Alexandrite¡¯s mind who had done this.

    He narrowed his eyes at the card.

    ~~~

    ¡°And then I said¡­ and then I said¡­¡± Krays slumped forward, slamming her face into the bar. Then she started snoring.

    The barkeep, a tall human woman, frowned. Nobody drank themselves this silly this early in the morning. Most mornings she had the entire place to herself; Willow Hollow wasn¡¯t big on drinking to begin with.

    But every now and then, Krays would walk in¡­ though usually in the evening.

    Suddenly, Krays shot bolt upright, gripping the edge of the countertop. ¡°I was saying something. What was it?¡±

    ¡°You were telling me about the best insult you ever told.¡±

    ¡°¡­Frick. I don¡¯t remember. Uh. It was amazing, though, you better bet!¡±

    The barkeep was unphased. ¡°There¡¯s something stuck to your forehead.¡±

    Krays tapped her forehead and pulled off a pink card.

    Big Celebration at Vaughan¡¯s Cabin Noon TODAY! Free Food!

    ¡°¡­Yes, freaking finally!¡± Krays shouted, putting a foot on the countertop. ¡°I have been waiting for someone to do something because nobody listens to the glassblower! Hah!¡± She threw some coins on the bar and left.

    The barkeep looked down at the coins. Somehow, she had managed to underpay, despite that being a statistical improbability. But there was no way she was sober enough to do that intentionally, right?

    ~~~

    Big G pushed a minecart along the rails. He was one of the few people working today¡ªmost were currently at the Sanctuary for one of the meditation services. He usually found great worth in those.

    He didn¡¯t feel like going today, though.

    Today, he felt like working.

    Pushing minecarts into the mine. Loading up crystals. Taking them out to be sorted. Rinse. Repeat. Since there were so few people on duty, there wasn¡¯t actually much managing for him to do. He could work just like the rest of his boys.

    He finished pushing the cart, arriving at several others he had loaded today. He spent a moment looking them over. A flash of pink caught his eye.

    Big Celebration at Vaughan¡¯s Cabin Noon TODAY! Free Food!

    ¡°¡­What is she thinking¡­?¡±

    ~~~

    Mary pulled a purple carrot out of her garden.

    It wasn¡¯t supposed to be purple, but that was fine. Such things happened to farmers as experimental as her. She was fairly certain it wasn¡¯t poisonous.

    Probably.

    She¡¯d probably feed it to a rabbit first. She had too many of those.

    After completing pulling up the carrots¡ªthere had been precisely one purple one¡ªshe went to a grove of happy peaches, all of which were humming quietly. Very few of them were anywhere close to mature enough to even consider eating, but one particularly quick-to-grow specimen had a pink card on its head.

    Big Celebration at Vaughan¡¯s Cabin Noon TODAY! I told them there was free food. Help me. Please. This was followed by a drawing of Seskii looking sheepish.

    Mary sighed and shook her head but smiled nonetheless. ¡°You little rascal¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Suro met his wife as she walked out of the Sanctuary. ¡°So, did you get one too?¡± He said, holding up a pink card between his claws.

    Lila smirked. ¡°I somehow didn¡¯t notice until the very end of the session, but it had been on the podium the entire time.¡±

    ¡°I was sitting on it.¡±

    ¡°And you didn¡¯t notice?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m almost a hundred percent sure it wasn¡¯t there when I sat down.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a master of her craft. Remember, she¡¯s a saleswoman. She has to have quick hands and a quick wit.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a good time, though?¡±

    ¡°Something needed to be done.¡± Lila looked up to the sky. ¡°I am somewhat ashamed that I wasn¡¯t the one to move first. We all know we have to keep going. I should have been the one to say something.¡±

    ¡°¡­Maybe it would have felt like an order, coming from you.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± She curled her tail around his. ¡°So, let¡¯s go, why don¡¯t we?¡±

    ~~~

    Blue sat at the base of the forest¡¯s diamond oak, the very same tree where she had first met Jeh.

    Most everyone was under the impression that she was just coming here to reminisce, think, and get away from it all. And, to be fair, the first two days had been like that.

    But she just couldn¡¯t let it all sit, unworked on. Even when everyone else was in a funk and she knew that she wasn¡¯t doing too great either, it gnawed at her.

    The puzzles.

    The numbers.

    This was how she ended up sitting at the base of the diamond oak every day with hundreds of papers strewn around on the grassy ground beneath, little rocks serving as paperweights to keep anything from flying away. She had crafted a bit of a maze of papers that she could walk around and see all at once. The entire hill had become her blackboard, and what a blackboard it was. Without the confines of walls, she had been able to spread out through the landscape with pages upon pages of scribbles, numbers, and calculations¡­

    It was far from complete, but there it was. The Moonshot design. Such a clunky piece of junk but Blue found the sketch beautiful in its own way.

    She wanted to share it with everyone.

    But how could she? Everyone was wandering around, lost. It was presumptuous of her to continue work on her own to begin with. None of the last week had seen any input from anyone else¡­ What would they think if she suddenly wanted to shove it in all their faces?

    She kicked her hoof on the ground, grumbling. The small motion was enough to blow up a corner of a nearby page, revealing a pink card under it. Levitating it up into the air, a smile slowly crawled up her face.

    Okay, so maybe potion-seller¡¯s good for something after all.

    ~~~

    Vaughan woke up to the sound of¡­ happy chatter and laughter?

    He would have dismissed it as a dream but dreaming about waking up was a very unusual thought, to say the least, one that prompted him to sit up and lightly press his palms to his face. He was awake, all right. And there were happy sounds coming from downstairs.

    What was going on?

    He quickly put on his robe and hat and marched down the stairs, slamming his scepter into the ground much harder than he usually did. He made his way to the dining hall to quite a baffling sight.

    A large banner was spread across the back wall. MISSION SUCCESS! It had a bunch of stars drawn on it and a stylized image of Ikyu. Around Ikyu was a single white ring with a dot on it.

    The satellite.

    Under it was the main table, absolutely covered in a wide variety of various home-grown foods of Mary¡¯s and a large variety of brightly colored juices. Perhaps more shocking was just how¡­ happy everyone looked.

    ¡°This is the best sobering-up drink ever!¡± Krays declared, staring at the glass she¡¯d just downed in awe.

    Seskii winced. ¡°Uh¡­ no it¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°You kidding? This¡­ my head is so clear!¡± Krays laughed and slapped her knee. ¡°Seskii, you¡¯re my best friend!¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ yes, but you¡¯re going to regret saying that later because of who you are¡­¡± She patted Krays on the head. ¡°But you know what, you¡¯re my best friend too.¡±

    ¡°Yaaaaaay!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep on me in this position, keeping you up will be difficult.¡±

    ¡°But fun!¡±

    ¡°¡­Also true.¡± Seskii pretended to fall asleep, prompting both of them to collapse onto the ground.

    Elsewhere, Blue was shoving papers in Suro¡¯s face.

    ¡°Wow, you really have been hard at work¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡± Blue said, tapping her hooves excitedly while she levitated a random vegetable into her mouth without even looking at it. ¡°I¡¯ve already got ideas on how to explain all the concepts and how it all ties together and the mission plan and eeeee I can¡¯t wait! Oh, I was so scared for no good reason!¡±

    ¡°Well, if you had shown us this earlier, it might have seemed tactless. Your fears weren¡¯t unfounded. But¡­¡± Something on the diagrams caught his eye. ¡°¡­My, I am not looking forward to having to cut that.¡±

    Even Alexandrite was in the room, though he was sitting in the corner given his size. Lila sat on his head, looking down on the room with a smug smile.

    ¡°Enjoying the view, your highness?¡± Alexandrite asked.

    ¡°Oh, quite. I never get to see the tops of anyone¡¯s heads. Seskii looks so strange from above¡­¡±

    ¡°They are your subjects.¡±

    ¡°You really need to understand, Alex¡­¡±

    ¡°Everyone must acknowledge their authority to use it well.¡±

    ¡°I acknowledge it in my own way.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ I do find it quite interesting. This group is unlike most I have ever laid my eyes upon.¡± He looked back down at the rest of the Wizard Space Program. ¡°So unusual¡­ so lively.¡±

    ¡°I have pie!¡± Mary shouted, running into the room from the kitchen with a steaming hot pie. ¡°First come first serve!¡±

    Alexandrite swiped it up with one claw and threw it into his gullet, grinning. ¡°Quite delicious.¡±

    Everyone stared at him for a moment¡ªand then burst out laughing. Even Big G, who had been utterly silent this entire time and stood away from the others, cracked a smile.

    ¡°What¡­ is going on?¡± Vaughan asked. ¡°What are we doing?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it look like, beardy?¡± Krays asked. ¡°Celebrating a successful mission! Yeeeaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    ¡°Is this really a time for celebration!?¡± Vaughan blurted. The tone in his voice prompted the cheerful talk and laughter to die down. ¡°We just l¡ª¡±

    Seskii put a finger to his lips. ¡°Ashushashush! Don¡¯t ruin it!¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°She is right, Vaughan. The time has come for us to m¡ª¡±

    ¡°You too!¡± Seskii said, pointing a finger at Lila. ¡°I have something I want to say.¡± Now, having fully grabbed everyone¡¯s attention, she jumped onto the table, a big smile on her face. ¡°Vaughan asked what we were doing. Well, I¡¯ll tell you what we¡¯re doing. We¡ª¡± she gestured at the MISSION SUCCESS banner. ¡°¡ªare recognizing what we have accomplished! The satellite is up there! We could go out tonight and see it among the stars! The Wizard Space Program is a success! Until now, we were all moping, and for what?¡± She put her hands on her hips and huffed. ¡°The Skyseed was getting old anyway! The drive needed replacing and we¡¯re already designing a new ship. And Jeh? Are you feeling sorry for her? What do you think she wants?¡±

    Vaughan was suddenly struck by that thought.

    ¡°She wants to go to space!¡± Seskii pointed her finger into the sky. ¡°When she gets back¡ªnot if, when¡ªdon¡¯t we want as much done as possible so we can send her back up there?¡±

    Vaughan furrowed his brow. ¡°But what about the beam?¡±

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯ll stop her?¡± Seskii asked.

    ¡°¡­No. No, I suppose it wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°So, are we going to let it stop us?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Blue declared, stomping her hoof.

    ¡°I thought not!¡±

    ¡°But what can we do about it?¡± Vaughan shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no way to protect against something like that¡­¡±

    ¡°You may not have to,¡± Alexandrite said, pulling a scroll out of his packs and setting it on the table. ¡°We were not the only ones to see it. There are others who can take action.¡±

    The scroll had the proud title of Axiom Messenger Happenings* and right at the top was the headline Purple Beam Shoots Across the Sky Twice.

    *The idea of a ¡°newspaper¡± hasn¡¯t really gained much traction in Ikyu at the current time; however, there is need to keep certain individuals informed of current events, especially in large cities. The Messengers of Kroan are the primary distributors of what we would consider the ¡°news,¡± and most of them need to be kept informed; thus the Axiom Messenger Happenings exists. It is a publication about major events that need circulating managed by the Messengers themselves. They view it as just another tool to make their jobs a little more efficient, not something that might be worth selling in and of itself. Yet.

    The notes beneath the title were disjointed and sparse, and a few of them were written down in bullet point form, but it got the point across. Two purple beams had shot across the sky over the Kingdom of Kroan. It had originated from the Kingdom of Shimvale and went into the sky, upward and southward. King Redmind had immediately called together the advisors of Axiom to determine what had occurred. No concrete conclusions had been reached. Prince Wyett had been set out with a diplomatic entourage to the Shimvale border to figure out what was going on. The King wished to express that there was no reason to think this was an attack on Kroan, as the beam sailed through the sky. Investigations were ongoing and the Academy had been ordered to shift relevant research to uncovering the mysteries.

    ¡°They don¡¯t know about the cube¡­¡± Vaughan realized.

    ¡°Of course they know,¡± both Blue and Alexandrite said at once, proceeding to glare at each other for a moment. Alex won the contest of wills, speaking up to continue the explanation. ¡°There is no way a royal gathering had no clue about the most recent maps, they would have the cube on them. No doubt they just wish to keep such things a secret. What they don¡¯t know about is us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we didn¡¯t draw the maps, we just took the pictures and sold them,¡± Suro realized. ¡°That¡­ I am not sure if this is good or bad for us.¡±

    ¡°Should we tell them we were shot down?¡± Mary asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather avoid getting the government involved as long as I can,¡± Vaughan said with a shake of his head. ¡°Unless Alex¡­¡±

    ¡°I have said nothing,¡± Alex said. ¡°Though I will eventually have to make a report to Gronge.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t yet,¡± Big G noted.

    ¡°So am I.¡±

    Blue tapped her hoof on the ground. ¡°So¡­ the government is going to go figure out what the purple beam was, possibly dealing with our laser problem for us. Until then, we just¡­ keep working.¡± She turned to Vaughan. ¡°Right?¡±

    Vaughan lifted up his hat slightly, still frowning. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, myself. You are right, it¡¯s what Jeh would want. But what if that cube doesn¡¯t get dealt with?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have the power to do anything about that,¡± Big G said. ¡°Either it will be dealt with or it won¡¯t. We have no say in the matter.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Vaughan said, snapping his fingers. ¡°So how can we work like there¡¯s not a big deadly laser ready to shoot at us? The Moonshot is intended to hold more people than just Jeh, you know! And if she gets shot while in orbit¡­¡±

    ¡°So what, we stop working?¡± Blue said, lifting her head up. ¡°Vaughan¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯re capable of doing that.¡±

    ¡°Some of us are,¡± Lila said. ¡°But I recognize in many the thirst to continue. Perhaps it shows a lack of restraint¡­ but I myself truly believe we are doing good work. Even without a journey to the Moon, we¡¯ve already created several useful innovations just by trying to go up. Who knows what else we will find?¡± She paused, closing her eyes. ¡°And there¡¯s something else, something I feel ashamed to say I have been neglecting. We have put ourselves up as a symbol for this town, as people doing something new. How do you think it seems to them to see us like this? Beaten down? We were giving the people something new, something hopeful and fascinating. To have it taken away¡­ well¡­¡± she trailed off uncharacteristically.

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°¡­I¡­¡± He noticed the gray strands in the wiry beard. He was finally starting to look like a proper wizard. But it also reminded him of something else. ¡°¡­I am getting too old to wait. If I want to see the moon¡­¡± He clapped his hands together and grinned. ¡°I have to go up! All of us do!¡±

    Seskii grinned. ¡°Glad you¡¯re finally on board. Now¡­¡± she turned to Big G. ¡°What about you, big guy?¡±

    Big G closed his eyes, took in a deep breath¡ªand nodded.

    ¡°Great!¡± Seskii cheered. ¡°Now that everyone¡¯s on board¡­ who wants more celebration pie?¡±

    ¡°Me,¡± Alexandrite said.

    Mary put her hands on her hips. ¡°You¡¯ve had plenty!¡±

    ¡°This stomach is barely full.¡±

    ¡°You can have something other than pie then.¡±

    ¡°Hey. Hey Seskii,¡± Krays said, nudging her. ¡°Give him something¡­ fun.¡±

    Seskii rolled her eyes. ¡°We do not need a drunk dragon in the cabin.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like exactly what we need.¡±

    ¡°What we need is a chalkboard!¡± Blue shouted. ¡°I need to get ready for talking about the Moonshot! I¡¯ve got soooo much done!¡± She scrambled off deeper into the cabin.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯ll be the after-party show,¡± Seskii said with a chuckle. Mission accomplished, she thought, for now, anyway.

    ~~~

    The stranger rode into town on what was perhaps the ugliest looking horse anyone in Willow Hollow had ever seen. It was not mangled, nor injured, but its snout was so uneven that it was incapable of fully closing its lips and one side of its face was clearly larger than the other. As were the ears, but the larger of the ears was on the smaller side of the face. The tail was so short as to almost not exist, and its coat was a dark, ugly brown reminiscent of swamp murk.

    The rider was of a different sort altogether. She was a woman, though even that wasn¡¯t exactly evident given the heavy Green wizard robes she wore. With a veil covering her face, not even her race was easy to discern¡ªthere were any number of humanoids that came in her particular size.

    She drew quite a few glances from the people of Willow Hollow, but no one was overly concerned or surprised. Journeymen wizards were somewhat common within Kroan, and as a frontier town, it was only expected that one would come by every few years. That was how Vaughan himself had arrived, after all, though he had done the unusual and stayed.

    The Green wizard soon rode up to the most interesting thing in town¡ªthe Launchpad. She got off her horse and kneeled down, carefully studying its construction. After a few minutes of doing this in absolute silence, she stood up and turned her gaze to a nearby tree that currently housed Ripashi, taking a drink of some foul-smelling liquid in a flask.

    ¡°Hello there,¡± the Green wizard said, waving at Ripashi.

    ¡° ¡®ello,¡± Ripashi said, wiping his eyes. ¡°Egh¡­ should not have taken Krays¡¯ advice and gone out drinking¡­¡±

    ¡°Sounds like advice from someone like her leaves much to be desired.¡±

    ¡°You have no idea¡­¡±

    ¡°I might.¡± She put her arms behind her back, prompting her robes to billow around her. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, can you tell me what exactly this is?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the Launchpad. The Wizard Space Program launches their things from there. Or, well, they did, until they were shot down by that purple beam a week ago.¡±

    ¡°My¡­ I¡¯m not quite sure how to respond to that sentence, but I am quite fascinated. Where can I find this¡­ Wizard Space Program?¡±

    ¡°Vaughan¡¯s cabin, that way. If they¡¯re in the mood. They might not be.¡± He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s been a rough couple of days.¡±

    ¡°Then I shall leave you to your recovery, though as I go, I will offer a bit of advice of my own.¡± She lifted up her hat so he could look into her eyes. ¡°Perhaps make yourself scarce, you have just told a complete stranger things she probably didn¡¯t need to know, things that your friends may not appreciate if they learned they came from you.¡±

    Ripashi stood bolt upright, which prompted him to fall out of the tree. He still had enough awareness to spread his wings to keep from breaking any bones, but he still ended up in a heap on the ground.

    ¡°You really have been quite helpful, though, don¡¯t feel too bad.¡± She turned her back to him and walked off toward Vaughan¡¯s cabin.

    ¡°W-wait! Who are you?¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond. She took a book out of her robes and started reading it as she walked, tuning him out.

    ~~~

    ¡°Okay, so!¡± Blue slapped a stick on the blackboard where she had hung her sketches of the Moonshot and the plans for Operation Lunacy. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got something close to the final design for the mission and the ship here. At least the theoretical parts, anyway, the actual machining and fine-tuning of the parts is out of my purview and you all know it.¡± She twirled the stick around in her telekinesis and grinned. ¡°First of all the mission plan.¡±

    Rather than point at the blackboard, Blue levitated up several dozen pages of paper all at once, all of them sewn together in some kind of quilt that showed Ikyu and the moon and all the space in between them with lots of little lines. ¡°This is for scale. We often draw Ikyu and the moon really close together but hah is that wrong. I¡¯ve been drawing them as dots on my quick diagrams since it¡¯s easier that way, but here you can see their size. The moon is about a fourth the diameter of Ikyu, but the distance between them you could fit twenty-five Ikyus into it! That¡¯s looooong. Fortunately, there¡¯s nothing to slow us down in space so we can go absurdly unimaginably fast. If we were confident in our piloting skills we could probably get to the moon in a day. If we didn¡¯t mind having the moon flatten us like a pancake because it¡¯s whizzing around through space at ridiculous speeds.

    ¡°So this is where the plan comes in! Step 1!¡± She pointed at Ikyu. ¡°Get far away from Ikyu. Here, I have us going straight up until there¡¯s a full Ikyu diameter between us and Ikyu. This is because I want breathing room in case we mess up. You¡¯d be surprised how quickly you can smash into Ikyu without any chance of slowing down enough to keep anything intact.¡± She held up numerous papers that she¡¯d drawn orbital paths on, so many of which crashed right back into Ikyu. ¡°We want long times to correct our mistakes, so we¡¯re making sure to get them.

    ¡°Once we reach the ¡®safety¡¯ height, we begin the transfer maneuver.¡± She pointed at a large, curved path that extended most of the way to the moon. ¡°Rather than what we did with the satellite, we are going to ease our way into the orbit we want. We¡¯ll gradually go from a straight shot away from Ikyu to an orbit somewhat smaller than the moon¡¯s.¡± She gestured at the big circle that went off the page. ¡°Now, if we time this right, we¡¯ll arrive in that orbit about the same time the moon is nearby. And by ¡®nearby¡¯ I mean ¡®an entire Ikyu diameter away.¡¯ After we¡¯re in our orbit and the moon is on approach comes the hard part.¡±

    ¡°This hasn¡¯t been hard yet?¡± Mary asked, eyes wide.

    ¡°Haha, I wish.¡± Blue sighed. ¡°See, in the realm of math, I¡¯ve been able to make perfection in these orbits. We go out, line up with the moon, go to it, scrape a rock off, and get away. But I know we¡¯re not going to be that precise and are going to have to make numerous adjustments on the fly. It¡¯s not quite so easy to crash into the moon as Ikyu since it¡¯s not actively pulling on us, but it¡¯s still moving really fast and if we don¡¯t get our speed just right there¡¯s a huge chance of going splat. So the hardest step is to inch closer and closer to the moon, trying to keep pace with it, but only tangentially¡ªwe want to just barely nudge up against it so we can get our sample. We¡¯ll also have to deviate from the circular orbit quite a bit, since the moon¡¯s not going the speed we¡¯ll be going out there. At least, so far as we know. Freaky stuff might happen out there, nobody¡¯s ever tried to go there. Another reason to give us large windows to correct our mistakes.¡±

    ¡°How large are we talking?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°I can give you multiple days for every maneuver if you want, but this mission as I¡¯ve outlined it here is running on a six-day timescale¡ªthree there, three back. Most of that is purposefully giving us room to make corrections. As I said before, we could get there in under a day if we were confident in shooting ourselves like a bullet.¡± She flicked her ears. ¡°Anyway, we have no idea at all what we¡¯re going to find on the moon so there¡¯s a big ¡®question mark¡¯ on what we do while we¡¯re there, but we¡¯re expecting to use Orange to get some rocks into the ship via Vaughan¡¯s airlock which I¡¯ll get to in a minute, Vaughan, don¡¯t jump ahead.¡±

    Vaughan lowered his hand sheepishly.

    ¡°Post moon-encounter we¡¯ve got to go back. What I¡¯ve determined the best thing to do is basically the reverse of what we did to get to the moon. We separate from the moon and start gradually going inward. However, we¡¯re not going to crash into the surface of Ikyu, we¡¯re going to enter orbit around it.¡± She pointed at a circle she had drawn around Ikyu. ¡°And once we¡¯re in orbit, we wait until Willow Hollow is close by and then we hit the brakes, turning our orbit into a drop, and then we descend like we normally would.¡± She grinned widely. ¡°And that¡¯s how insanity gets accomplished, folks!¡±

    There were a series of claps from the Program¡ªsome more sarcastic than others.

    ¡°Get to the ship!¡± Krays called.

    ¡°Fine, fine, Moonshot.¡± Blue dropped her tapestry of orbits and returned to the blackboard, pointing at the main design for Moonshot. It was a spherical craft with six large, reinforced circular windows set equidistant from each other. These windows formed the vertices of eight sections, and in the middle of each section was a large round sphere attached to the craft by a thick rod.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°These spheres are the newest part of the design,¡± Blue said. ¡°The Skyseed had the two brass discs to hold onto. The Moonshot is going to be a hunk of metal without much to grab onto. These spheres are handles for Orange to push and adjust our orientation. They¡¯re made out of plast to keep things lightweight and so if something hits them their function doesn¡¯t really diminish¡ªyou just need to grab onto it, if it gets a hole it¡¯s not gonna be a problem. However, everything else on the ship needs to be protected from debris. But we also need windows. So¡­¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, is this my part?¡± Krays asked. ¡°The part that makes all the rest of yours seem silly?¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes. This is Krays¡¯ shielding.¡± Blue stuck another piece of paper onto the blackboard, showing the shell of the Moonshot and how it was composed of three consecutive layers. ¡°Everything on the outside, be it the metal shell or the glass windows, has three layers held together by rod support structures, even the windows. This will make them a little annoying to see out of because of all the light refraction, but we can run experiments to figure out how to compensate for that in order to navigate. Vaughan, your airlock is going to have to have a triple-reinforced door as well. Also, that door is going to be the only opening in the ship. Everything else needs to be absolutely sealed. If there are any air leaks, we¡¯re going to have a problem, considering how long we plan to be up there.¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of problems for long-term habitation of anywhere inhospitable,¡± Big G pointed out.

    ¡°And that¡¯s what the first interior level is for!¡± Blue said. ¡°Just behind the shell is the first layer, which is nothing but storage. It holds food, water, supplies, tools, extra crystals, and a few interesting things. First of all, I remembered from my experiments on air that it¡¯s possible to stuff more air into an area than would naturally exist there, so I have up here canisters we¡¯ll fill with pressurized air. In case something goes wrong with the air restorer we will have an emergency supply. It won¡¯t hold as much as the Moonshot itself, I don¡¯t think, but it¡¯s better than nothing. Also¡­¡± She grimaced. ¡°This tank is to hold¡­ uh¡­ bathroom stuff.¡±

    Krays snickered. ¡°I don¡¯t notice an actual bathroom in this design.¡±

    ¡°Look, this thing¡¯s small, there¡¯s not really going to be much in the way of privacy, it¡¯ll just have to be dealt with,¡± Blue huffed. ¡°All ¡®business¡¯ will have to be done into bags since at any given moment the Moonshot may or may not have a floor. The bags will be thrown into the waste tank and kept there until the return trip. I considered working out how to jettison it into space but, well, I can¡¯t think of how to do it without losing more air and we¡¯re already going to lose some just opening the airlock to get a sample in.¡±

    ¡°Make a trade, leave it in space next to the moon,¡± Big G said.

    Blue blinked. ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m writing that down, not a bad idea.¡± She quickly scribbled in a notebook. ¡°Anyway, yes, past the shielding and storage is the actual main area, where there¡¯s room for about four people. I think we¡¯ll only be flying with three just to keep us from suffocating due to a lack of space to be. It¡¯s going to be bad enough with the bathroom situation.¡± She shook her head, trying to push it out of her mind. ¡°Regardless, every surface on the interior is covered in straps. Things need to be tied down since the Moonshot can move in any direction or just let itself drift, in which case we¡¯ll be in freefall and ¡®down¡¯ will be all but a suggestion. The seats and chairs will be welded to the interior, as will all the tables. Every table will be equipped with clamps to keep paper down. Lots of the interior here is still open for suggestion, but one thing we do need is the navigation table, set up directly over¡­ under¡­¡± Blue twisted her face into a knot. ¡°Directly in line with one of the windows. To navigate, we will point that window at Ikyu and the moon to measure their relative sizes and determine our current position. I¡¯m hoping someone can construct a model of the Ikyu-moon system that can go here and accurately model the moon¡¯s motion around Ikyu as well, and Ikyu¡¯s rotation. There are a lot of variables.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re probably the only one qualified to do that,¡± Krays said.

    Blue grinned smugly. ¡°Yes. I am a necessary part of the crew to the moon. I will be there plotting trajectories and analyzing position all the time to make sure we don¡¯t blow up.¡±

    ¡°Which brings us, I suppose, to the center?¡± Suro asked.

    Blue nodded. ¡°The center is where the drive sits. It¡¯ll require a lot of will to run at full power, but we only need full power to get away from Ikyu, once we¡¯re in deep space basically anyone could drive the thing.¡±

    ¡°Except the magicless unicorn,¡± Krays pointed out.

    ¡°Gee, thank you for reminding me that I suck at this,¡± Blue deadpanned. ¡°I can at least take shifts on the air restorer, though, that requires basically nothing. And I need to plot the path! If you just try to pull away from Ikyu directly with low will, you aren¡¯t going anyhere. Curves are the answer.¡± She shook her head. ¡°But that¡¯s beside the point. The drive will be made out of multiple smaller drives like the one in the Skyseed, each one inside a complex casing. In this design I have a seat mounted near the center so whoever¡¯s on pilot duty can grab hold of the drive¡¯s controls directly and have quick response time. The Moonshot may not be able to turn its exterior very quickly for orientation purposes, but we can control what direction we accelerate nearly immediately, just rotate the drive and lock it in position.¡±

    She took a deep breath. ¡°And so¡­ that is the Moonshot and Operation Lunacy. And, look, I know I had a lot of my math and work up here, but a lot of those are just ideas. Lots of the things in here were made by all of you, and still need to be refined by all of you. This is a team effort, and it¡¯s going to have all of our blood, sweat, and tears in it by the time it¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s the bad news?¡± Big G asked.

    ¡°We need more information about how temperature works up in space, we might but up against the cooling problem, depending.¡±

    Vaughan hissed.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not the worst of it¡­ that would be the price tag,¡± Blue said with a nervous laugh. ¡°It¡¯s, uh¡­ pretty steep. I think it¡¯ll be more worthwhile to build a second Skyseed first and sell more images of the stars in order to raise funds to make the thing.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re underestimating the cost,¡± Big G said. ¡°It¡¯ll be more than that.¡±

    ¡°W-well¡­¡± Blue stammered, turning to Alexandrite. ¡°Maybe Gronge?¡±

    ¡°He is a fish of great means,¡± Alexandrite admitted. ¡°But you should draw up a complete, well-specified diagram before asking him to directly fund something of this magnitude. He may ask for something in return, as well.¡±

    ¡°It just goes to show that the project¡¯s not out of the woods yet, we¡¯ve still got work to do,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°There are a lot of devices on the Moonshot that have not been fully tested or designed. All of us should get to work on that. I¡¯ll work on the drive with Suro, Krays and Big G I think you can handle the various physical mechanisms, Mary you need to get us food that can last forever and not drive us insane, and¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be here to offer moral support!¡± Seskii said, pulling Lila into a hug.

    Lile smiled warmly. ¡°Yes. And also, I can manage much of this. We should divvy out the various responsibilities between all of us¡­ Blue, I need a leg-tool, a pen, and a notebook, it¡¯s time to make a checklist.¡±

    ~~~

    The Green wizard rode her extremely ugly horse up to Vaughan¡¯s cabin. The voices inside were loud and dominated by the unmistakable sound of a woman lecturing excitedly¡ªthough the exact words were not easy to discern, and the Green wizard did not particularly wish to strain her ears right now.

    Rather than go up to the front door and knock, like most visitors probably would, the wizard rode her horse around the cabin, examining its architecture. Definitely a wizard¡¯s abode, given the Magenta crystal on top, though it was better constructed than most she¡¯d seen. This harshly contrasted with the warzone of the backyard, which was one of the least organized messes she¡¯d ever had the displeasure of laying her eyes on.

    However, the mess told volumes of the sorts of people who worked here.

    She dismounted and began walking around the backyard of haphazard science. There was some kind of tall pole with a donut-like arcane device on top. Seeing as it was clearly an Orange-based construction, it wasn¡¯t her area of expertise, but she suspected it produced fields to move objects in a particular pattern. Probably something cylindrically symmetric, if she had to guess from the shape. It was the only major device back here¡ªthere were plenty of other minor devices, but these clearly had not been built by the Space Program.

    Satisfied with her examination of the rod, she continued her snooping. She found an inordinate number of Green crystals attached to large wooden frames. These must have been the air restorers¡ªremarkably simple devices that were nonetheless invaluable. Next to them were numerous Yellow crystals carved into top-like shapes. She picked one up and twirled it around, sending it into a spin. It was remarkably well balanced. She wondered what spinning had to do with space travel.

    Nearby there was clearly a station where they tested how to break different materials, given all the punctured sheets of metal, shattered glass, and splintered wood lying around. There were very few papers out here, likely because anything left would be taken away by the wind, but there were a handful of notebooks. She spied tables with numbers, hasty sketches of a jar-shaped craft, and numerous mathematical diagrams.

    They were certainly serious about this and had the education to pull it off, it seemed.

    ¡°Why here?¡± she wondered aloud. ¡°What about this little town fostered such potential for innovation?¡±

    The voices inside the cabin were getting louder¡ªit sounded like they were coming outside. She made no move whatsoever to stop or even hide her investigations.

    ¡°¡­Right, Krays, which metal do you think is going to be the best?¡± Blue asked as she threw the door open.

    ¡°Aluminum¡¯s* the lightest, but very pricey. Iron¡¯s cheap but absurdly heavy. There¡¯s a lot to consi¡ªoh look, uninvited guest, just snooping around.¡±

    *Anyone familiar with metallurgy will be aware that it is rather difficult to actually mine and extract aluminum from the earth even if you¡¯re aware that it¡¯s one of the most common materials on Earth, crazy stuff likes to bind to everything. Ikyu does not have the technology required to extract it, nor the knowledge to cheat with magic. However, it is not an unknown material, and there are ways to get it, but that will have to wait for another time.

    Vaughan quickly strode to the front of the group, raising a hand to keep the rest of the Program quiet. ¡°I am Wizard Vaughan. And you are?¡±

    ¡°Wizard Tenii, Journeyman,¡± she said, not lifting her hat or removing her veil. ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the interesting setup back here.¡± She kept most of her focus on Vaughan, giving him the respect a wizard of his experience deserved, but also made sure to steal glances at the others to examine them. Most of them were not what she would consider worthwhile additions to a research endeavor, clearly only a handful had any real education. But there was undeniably a bond.

    Naturally, she was drawn to the two gari. Blue and pink. The pink one looked like a ditz. The blue one¡­

    Acting on a hunch, Tenii made a subtle gesture, curling two of her fingers into a ring and partially extending a third, keeping the sign held at her waist.

    Krays¡¯ eyes widened in clear recognition that she tried to hide, but Tenii was too observant.

    That¡¯s interesting¡­

    ¡°So, Wizard Tenii, care to explain what you¡¯re doing here?¡±

    ¡°I heard about something called a Wizard Space Program and found myself curious about its implications. All your materials are out here in the open¡ªhow could I not peruse them myself?¡± She locked her hands behind her back. ¡°I have taken nothing yet gained an appreciation, and an even deeper curiosity, for your work.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you even hear about us?¡±

    ¡°You do not make much effort to stay hidden, there is a large Launchpad right in the middle of town.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, good point¡­¡± Vaughan said, scratching his beard. ¡°We¡¯re just not used to being noticed, except by those astronomer people. And even then, it¡¯s always been distant¡­¡±

    ¡°Afraid of being taken over by someone with more sway?¡±

    Vaughan was silent for a moment. ¡°¡­You have us pegged rather well.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know what you¡¯re so concerned about, I¡¯m a journeyman wizard.¡±

    Vaughan stroked his beard. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be one of Nevri¡¯s would you?¡±

    Tenii chuckled. ¡°Alas, my route into the Academy was rather¡­ roundabout. My position was actually secured by Pepper. A surprise, to be sure, as I don¡¯t even study Red magic in any major capacity.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like quite a story.¡±

    ¡°It is. I suspect your story is just as long. Perhaps we could swap them?¡±

    Vaughan nodded slowly. ¡°Yes¡­ it has been a while since I¡¯ve been around a proper wizard. No offense, Blue.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll earn that big hat one day, just you watch me,¡± Blue muttered.

    ¡°Yes, the difficulty in your case would be picking a color¡­¡±

    ¡°Yellow, that way I won¡¯t be expected to do anything flashy.¡±

    ¡°Do not underestimate the skills of a master Yellow wizard,¡± Tenii said. ¡°They can provide you a dream so blissful you would never want to leave¡­ or a nightmare so horrid it follows you the rest of your days.¡±

    Blue paused. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen a Yellow master.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because they hide themselves. To use Yellow, an uplink must be established willingly. Anyone who knows what a Yellow master is capable of would never willingly establish an uplink with them.¡±

    Mary shivered. ¡°Creepy¡­¡±

    ¡°Regardless¡­¡± Tenii tilted her head. ¡°Who should start?¡±

    ¡°How about we do it over dinner, later?¡± Lila said¡ªstill somehow on top of Alexandrite¡¯s head after all this time. ¡°We¡¯re all itching to get to work and I think we¡¯re all a little fixated on that. Does that sound good, Vaughan?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, dinner,¡± Vaughan agreed quickly.

    Tenii nodded. ¡°I accept this. I shall return at dinnertime¡ªno need to tell me the time, I¡¯ll figure it out. Just like how I know you¡¯re stalling for time so you can gather together what you can and cannot say to me.¡± For the first time, she lifted her hat up, letting them see her deep blue eyes and chalk white skin¡ªenough to let them know she was quite amused. ¡°You need more time than that to put together a story to get around me, I¡¯m afraid, but I wish you luck nonetheless.¡± She waved at them and walked away from the cabin. They saw her pull out a book from her robes and start to read it before she got out of sight.

    ¡°¡­Creepy,¡± Blue muttered.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s friendly or dangerous,¡± Mary added.

    ¡°Both,¡± Big G said. ¡°She¡¯s one of those people who likes words. Likes ¡®em too much.¡±

    ¡°So¡­.¡± Alexandrite coughed. ¡°Besides not telling her about Jeh, what else?¡±

    ¡°Is this you trying to figure out all our secrets?¡± Seskii teased.

    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t trust her, but I don¡¯t know what page we¡¯re supposed to be on.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention Jeh. Then there¡¯s the¡­ well, anyone who knows about that knows not to talk about it.¡±

    Alexandrite blinked. ¡°How many secrets do you guys have?¡±

    ¡°More than we would like,¡± Lila said, tiredness evident in her voice. ¡°But she is right about one thing, we have a Launchpad in the middle of town, the Program is not exactly a secret. We should avoid discussing technical details, though, in case she is trying to steal them.¡±

    Blue deflated. ¡°We¡¯re not getting much work done today, are we?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll probably take less than an hour to sort out what we can and can¡¯t show her. We can even do it while we¡¯re working. Krays, you sai¡ª¡± Lila paused. ¡°¡­Where¡¯s Krays?¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°You nearly gave me a heart attack,¡± Krays said, leaning against the bark of a tree with her head down.

    Tenii looked up from her book. ¡°Seeing as you did not respond correctly, I take it your situation is somewhat complicated?¡±

    ¡°My aunt taught it to me. She was insane.¡±

    ¡°As is to be expected.¡±

    ¡°What I want to know is why you would ever make that gesture. The Ordo Orsissus was disbanded for a reason.¡±

    ¡°It was a guess, and an experiment.¡± Tenii reached to her head and pulled off her hat, and veil, revealing a young garilend face surrounded by dark blue plast hair shaped a bit like a helmet. ¡°Perhaps a foolish one, for if anyone recognized it my identity was sure to be exposed. I appreciate you not shouting it out right then.¡±

    Krays snorted. ¡°Then I¡¯d have needed to explain how I knew it in the first place. Was not in the mood for that.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°So, you really Tenrayce Kroan, or is your name so similar just to throw people off?¡±

    ¡°I am Tenrayce, yes,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°However, I have been known by Tenii in the past. I have not spoken a single lie about who I am or what my purpose is, you see.¡±

    ¡°Oh get a load of this, she fancies herself clever.¡±

    ¡°And you fancy yourself a smart mouth and show no fear, even knowing who I am. Quite risky, but expected from one of the bloodline of Orsissus Kroan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for the thinly veiled threat.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t receive one. I am not the sort to lock citizens up for insulting me to my face. Already I know several things about you. Raised at least partially by the Orsissus remnant. Deep hatred of everything they stand for. You want to leave that part of your past completely behind, but you also didn¡¯t want to risk the potential of retaliation if I really was making the call and you refused it. This is also why you¡¯re in a bad mood and are currently thinking about punching me even though the risk of being thrown in the royal dungeon by my father are quite high. Rest assured, the chances of that are quite low, seeing as I wouldn¡¯t let you punch me in the first place.¡±

    Krays crossed her arms. ¡°Most people aren¡¯t going to get you if you¡¯re subtle all the time.¡±

    ¡°I prefer my quarry never to know I have insulted them, though this case is an exception.¡±

    ¡°I can hear you inflating your own ego from yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Impressively nonsensical.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Krays kicked the ground. ¡°Can we just get on with this? I¡¯m pretty sure I have a hangover.¡±

    ¡°Naturally. First, I wish to express admiration, not many get away from the Orsissus remnant and live to tell about it.¡±

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s not as cool as you think it is. My aunt was acting more or less alone and was going mad thinking she¡¯d be the last one. Until today I wasn¡¯t sure there was any remnant left beside her.¡±

    ¡°Still, she alone would have sought your life.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡± Krays tiled her hand side to side. ¡°She had about as much brains as half a chipmunk.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ you must have quite an interesting life, but I will not press as it is not relevant to my interests. What is relevant to my interests is the Wizard Space Program, and every little detail about it that might be relevant to why a mysterious Purple cube the size of a mountain would try to shoot down your only ship at the risk of exposing itself.¡±

    ¡°And the pretense drops,¡± Krays said with a grumble. ¡°I¡¯m not one of your agents.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you are a citizen of Kroan. You do have to do what I say.¡± She smiled warmly. ¡°And while the days of the royal family beheading everyone who so much as looked at them wrong is long behind us, disobedience is not something to let slide. And as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware at this point, you¡¯ll have to be a very good liar to keep anything from me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can we cut a deal?¡±

    ¡°I should not have to, but I will hear your request.¡±

    ¡°No matter what, you allow everyone in the Wizard Space Program to keep working on it.¡±

    Tenrayce grinned. ¡°That is an easy deal to make, since I had every intention of not only letting you keep working but also assisting you in your endeavors.¡±

    ¡°Good. You¡¯ve just lost.¡± Krays grinned.

    ¡°What, pray tell, have I lost?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, just an immortal child who can¡¯t die no matter what you do to her.¡± Krays leaned in and tapped the princess where her nose would have been had she had one. ¡°Now you can¡¯t conscript her into the army or whatever other heinous experiment you might dream up now that you know she exists.¡±

    Tenrayce¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ah¡­ there was a layer I did not see. Congratulations.¡±

    ¡°Woohoo! Go Krayz!¡±

    Krays and Tenrayce started, looking up a tree to see Seskii sitting there with a very pink drink in her hands.

    ¡°Where did you come from!?¡± Tenrayce blurted, legitimately caught off-guard.

    ¡°It¡¯s just how she is,¡± Krays said, waving a dismissive hand. ¡°Hey, Seskii, how long have you been listening?¡±

    ¡°All of it!¡± Seskii said, grinning. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone aaaanything, Krays. Well. About you.¡± She pointed at Tenrayce. ¡°The princess is another matter entirely.¡±

    Tenrayce tensed. ¡°I would not be traveling alone if I could not defend myself.¡±

    ¡°Oh my great galloping gravy-gourds, you think I¡¯m threatening you?¡± Seskii laughed. ¡°No, no! It¡¯s not every day we get a princess around here! I should tell Mary to cook an even better dinner than usual! ¡­Hmm, though that might cause her a lot of stress. Let¡¯s see, will the stress of serving a princess be more or less than the stress of learning she served normal food to a princess after the fact? That¡¯s a toughy¡­¡±

    Tenrayce stared at the pink gari blankly.

    Krays grinned. ¡°That¡¯s Seskii for you. If you¡¯re really interested in our Program you better learn to stop trying to figure her out, it¡¯s more of a headache than Blue¡¯s math.¡±

    Seskii jumped down from the tree, landing between Krays and Tenrayce. ¡°So, I¡¯ve decided not to tell them all before dinner, it¡¯ll be better as a surprise. Which means the three of us have an entire afternoon to kill!¡± She put her arms around Krays and Tenrayce like the two of them were her close friends. ¡°How about we go have some fun?¡±

    ¡°¡­What is your idea of fun?¡± Tenrayce asked.

    ¡°Fishing, selling potions, climbing trees, surprising people by jumping out of inexplicable places, feasts, dancing, singing, little acts of kindness nobody will ever know about, saying vague and cryptic one-liners, you know. The usual.¡±

    To this she received silence.

    ¡°Or we could rummage around town for interesting books. I have a feeeeeeling our princess here is a book person. We don¡¯t have a proper library but Suro¡¯s got a pretty nice collection at his house!¡±

    ¡°A personal collection out on the outskirts of the kingdom¡­¡± Tenrayce¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d like the idea! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Seskii wa¡ª¡± Krays was not heeded as both she and Tenryace were dragged along to Suro¡¯s house. Tenryace was too boggled by this pink woman to put up much of a fuss¡ªshe wasn¡¯t even sure she wanted to, either.

    ~~~

    ¡°Well¡­ all the food¡¯s done,¡± Mary said, glancing at the fully set dinner table. ¡°Didn¡¯t she say she¡¯d know when it was?¡±

    ¡°She seemed like the sort to know what she was talking about, too¡­¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Krays and Seskii aren¡¯t here either,¡± Lila pointed out. ¡°They¡¯re all gari, maybe they¡¯re doing something.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t strike me as the sort to do things, especially not with someone like Seskii,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong!¡± Seskii shouted as she kicked down the door, a half-dozen books in her hand. ¡°We just had the best day!¡±

    ¡°¡­Are those my books?¡± Suro asked.

    ¡°Yes! But we¡¯re just borrowing them!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Tenrayce looked up from the Atlas of the Tempest she currently had her nose buried in. ¡°Oh, yes, we¡¯re just borrowing these¡­ absolutely fascinating tomes¡­ let me just¡­¡± She turned the page. ¡°The Magnet Island¡­ The historical value of these notes alone¡­¡±

    ¡°Kill me now,¡± Krays groaned. ¡°Please. I¡¯ll give my left leg.¡±

    ¡°if you¡¯re dead you won¡¯t need your left leg,¡± Seskii said.

    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m bartering with it. ¡®S called a hustle.¡±

    ¡°A hustle of questionable quality if you ask me.¡±

    It was at this point Alexandrite dropped to his knees and bowed his head until his snout touched the ground.

    ¡°¡­Alexandrite?¡± Blue asked, nudging him. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Th¡­ th¡­ th¡­¡± he stammered.

    ¡°Ooooh, yeah, that¡¯s right, he would recognize you.¡± Seskii shrugged and let out a laugh. ¡°Probably should have put the veil back on to make this a little easier, huh Tenrayce?¡±

    ¡°TENRAYCE!?¡± Lila shouted in a mixture of shock, panic, and horror. She immediately bowed her head as well¡ªfollowed quickly by a shocked Blue and Suro.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Mary put her hand to her face. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°They all just realized she¡¯s Princess Tenrayce Kroan,¡± Big G said. With a sigh, he dropped to a knee as well.

    ¡°Oh! O-oh my!¡± Mary turned beet red and dropped to her knees. ¡°The¡­ the food is not worthy of you, Your Highness! How shameful of us to even present you with such food, I, I, um¡­¡±

    Tenrayce looked up from her book, frowning. She turned to Seskii. ¡°You did this on purpose.¡±

    ¡°Maaaaaybe!¡± Seskii admitted.

    ¡°You have manged to take the situation entirely out of my control and turn it into pandemonium.¡± She smiled wryly. ¡°My mother would be proud.¡±

    ¡°Awww, shucks! You¡¯re just saying that!¡±

    ¡°I never ¡®just say¡¯ things,¡± Tenrayce said. With a look of forlorn longing, she managed to close the Atlas and take in a deep breath. ¡°So. Today has been¡­ unusual to say the least. You all may rise. And please, let us actually have dinner¡ªI am sure it will be fine, Miss Mary.¡±

    ¡°The princess called me by my name,¡± Mary whispered.

    Tenrayce sat down in a chair and folded her hands. ¡°Now. Normally this is the moment where I systematically disassemble each of you in order to gain the most information about the situation and put myself on top of it. That is no longer necessary seeing as your two gari have managed to take the control of the situation completely out of my hands through clever deals and what I can best describe as ¡®excessive friendliness.¡¯ Naturally, each offered only one of those two things.¡± She smiled wryly. ¡°And I am forced to admit, being dragged around without any footing or clue is a rare and interesting experience.¡±

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m missing context,¡± Blue said. ¡°A lot of it. Also, uh, how am I supposed to act around a princess?¡±

    ¡°Not like that,¡± Suro hissed.

    ¡°Oh, Seskii has already broken every social rule of the Crown in the last few hours multiple times,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°Quite a breath a fresh air, if I do say so myself.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± Seskii cheered.

    ¡°So you have no need to worry about how you address me,¡± Tenrayce continued. ¡°That said, perhaps I should get the uncomfortable bit out of the way so we can get to actually enjoying ourselves, though something tells me it will not be as quick as I like.¡±

    ¡°You really like that book. Too much,¡± Krays muttered.

    Tenrayce ignored her, turning to Vaughan. ¡°Yes, I came here specifically to investigate the Wizard Space Program. Richard Xerxes tried to protect you, but he had no choice but to say what he knew relating to the events that lashed across the heavens last night. I had a personal interest in your project and wanted to see if it was really being seriously worked on¡ªit is. I know about Jeh. Krays here, however, has managed to best me at my own game. I have already promised that none of you will be taken from your work. Furthermore, I wish to add Crown resources to your endeavors. Something up in Shimvale clearly doesn¡¯t want us going to space and that¡¯s good enough reason for the Crown to be interested in doing so. I will be returning to Axiom with my report after I am done here, and I will need someone to come back with me to explain the details of the theory you are developing. I think that¡¯s it.¡±

    There was complete silence around the table. Nobody had a clue what to say.

    Tenrayce opened up the Atlas again and took a sip of tea. ¡°My, this is excellent tea. Compliments, Miss Mary.¡±

    Mary passed out. Tenrayce kept reading.

    ~~~

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Prince Wyett lowered his telescope. ¡°They¡¯re expecting us.¡±

    He was currently riding atop a bronze dragon by the name of Grimmer¡ªa rather quiet member of the Crown Dragons. They were not flying at the moment since there was a rather large entourage of diplomats and royal aides following behind them on horseback. Dragons, while the best way to travel, weren¡¯t exactly the most common of races, and unlike horses, they had rights and couldn¡¯t be bred and forced into the work.

    Wyett was not riding alone¡ªa short gari woman with orange hair treated into a smooth egg shape with jagged, seemingly random edges. She was currently bundled up in a huge coat, shivering. ¡°D-didn¡¯t expect it to be this cold¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you it would be cold, Hyrii,¡± Wyett said.

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one who said you had to call off our date because of a national emergency, and then you were the one who had to go up here for Dia knows how long.¡± She glared at him. ¡°How could I not come along? The other option was to stay, alone, and waste away¡­¡±

    Wyett chuckled. ¡°You could be a little less melodramatic¡­ actually, you should be, they¡¯re coming to meet us.¡±

    ¡°Right. Just like we rehearsed¡ªyou talk, I shut up.¡± She proceeded to tie a mask around her face and wink at him, mumbling something.

    The greeting party from Shimvale was significantly larger than Wyett¡¯s, and had more than a few soldiers in it. Not enough to be thought of as an invasion force, but enough to let Wyett know they were entertaining the possibility that Kroan might have sent an invasion force.

    I bet they¡¯re really relieved right now¡­

    The two groups of people were admittedly hard to tell apart, for not everyone was in uniform, and both Shimvale and Kroan had a large diversity of races within their borders¡ªno dramatic majority of anything but humans, as was the norm. Everyone was in heavy coats so fashion was hardly anything to go off of, though Wyett did notice that the Shimmers had fewer layers.

    If a fight broke out it would be problematic, to say the least.

    Fortunately, neither side was in the mood for a fight. Wyett was more than a little surprised to see that the commander of the Shimmers was a j¡¯loon¡ªthat drifting race rarely managed to be tough enough to garner respect.

    ¡°Greetings, citizens of the Kingdom of Kroan,¡± the j¡¯loon said, drifting forward.

    Wyett jumped off of Grimmer and landed on the ground next to the j¡¯loon. ¡°Greetings, citizens of the Kingdom of Shimvale. You have been expecting us.¡±

    ¡°Quite. If I had to hazard a guess, you are Prince Wyett?¡±

    ¡°The very same. I am afraid I am not aware of any j¡¯loons on the Shimvale Council.¡±

    ¡°I would not expect you to be. I am Fr¡¯ll. I was voted in last month. Let us cut to the chase, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Yes, let''s.¡±

    ¡°You are here about the giant purple beam.¡±

    ¡°Yes. We demand an explanation.¡±

    ¡°I am afraid we don¡¯t have one. The laser emanated from the middle of an uninhabited area of the Frengler Sheer Mountains. We have been unable to determine what caused it.¡±

    Wyett frowned. The problem was that he had no way to know if Fr¡¯ll was lying or not. There was evidence for both sides¡ªShimvale had bought a lot of Purple crystals over the years, but if that Purple Crystalline One had been under their control surely they would have used it before now. Not enough evidence to conclusively say anything except that both options were open.

    Definitely, anyway. Wyett was certain there was something fishy going on. If this j¡¯loon didn¡¯t know, then someone important in Shimvale did, and they would be plotting. That was the problem with the Council system, there was no one at the top so they could all plot against each other. It made it rather difficult to know what they were really likely to do.

    ¡°If you¡¯d like to see for yourself, we can arrange a trip,¡± Fr¡¯ll said. ¡°I will warn you, it is quite a treacherous journey. Our scouts are still scouring the land even now. We hope they will turn up something soon. You are welcome to oversee.¡±

    They want us to think they¡¯re innocent by giving us free access. The question is, are they really innocent, or just confident they can keep things hidden? Wyett nodded. ¡°That is most reasonable. You will have to bear with us, few in Kroan are used to traveling in the middle of deep snow. Usually, we wait for it to pass.¡±

    ¡°Naturally. Welcome to Shimvale.¡±

    Wyett didn¡¯t feel particularly welcomed.

    ~~~

    C-R¡¯s balloon-whale drifted over the frozen mountains below.

    Itlea stared out the window in shock. ¡°How¡­ What¡­?¡±

    ¡°I am quite surprised the Shimmer scouts haven¡¯t found it yet.¡±  C-R said.

    ¡°How could you miss that!?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re looking for a needle when you need to be looking for a house.¡±

    Below them was a truly massive hole cut right out of a snowy mountain.

    A square-shaped hole.

    ¡°Clearly, she knew the laser revealed her position, so she moved.¡±

    ¡°How on Ikyu could she move!?¡± Itlea shouted, unable to take her eyes off the hole.

    ¡°Crystalline Ones gain more control over their forms as they grow larger, as they have more resources that they can spare. I am not surprised that she moved. I am surprised that she managed not to leave a trail. Purple may be the color of deception and trickery, but even it can only hide, not remove. There are no crystal shards left behind, no tracks, nothing.¡± C-R¡¯s body clacked violently a few times. ¡°A Crystalline One that tremendous must have an extreme number of tricks up her sleeve¡­¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do?¡±

    ¡°Uncertain. We no longer have her location, and we cannot track her. She is undoubtedly a danger, but with any luck she is not aware of us either, and will give us plenty of time to locate her again. Though that may be difficult. She is now aware she can be seen from high enough above Ikyu¡¯s surface.¡±

    ¡°...She¡¯ll start hiding herself in that direction too,¡± Itlea said, adjusting her hat. ¡°If I had that much Purple power, I would create a full sphere illusion once I realized up was no longer safe.¡±

    ¡°Such a large field would be easily visible to an arcane lens, no matter how far away you were.¡± C-R paused. ¡°This is all greatly troubling. I have performed the calculations again and again.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Even being generous in the estimates of how much Purple Shimvale has managed to accumulate, and that it organized all of it to grow the cube, there still has not been enough for a Crystalline One to reach the size of this hole.¡±

    ¡°¡­What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means this cube is older than the Second Cataclysm.¡±

    The hairs on Itlea¡¯s back stood on end. I thought no crystals survived that¡­? What¡­ what things has this cube seen?

    ~~~

    Jeh climbed atop a rock and looked far out into the West.

    The light, grassy area she had been traveling over rather quickly gave way to bare, dead dirt, and after that¡ªmetal. Bright, highly reflective metal that twisted and bent in hill-like shapes, only much more angular and prone to sudden shifts in elevation. However, the metallic land was not without life¡ªshimmering spheres rolled along the surface as if by wind. Creatures with many harsh, reflective legs clawed at the metal below. Trees of chrome sprouted at seemingly random locations far from any of their brethren, shooting into the sky like arrows.

    ¡°This looks fun!¡± Jeh said, rubbing her hands together. Already in her journey, she had managed to get a new set of furs¡ªnot bear, sadly, but the star-shaped speckles on that strange predatory cat were surely the next best thing. She still had no crystals, to her chagrin, but she had managed to use some of the leftover furs to secure a satchel for herself where she had put various little things she¡¯d found interesting.

    She jumped down from her rock and started walking toward the metallic land before her.

    A voice reached her ears, speaking words she did not understand, but she could tell they were words¡ªwords with a slight buzzing and grating effect to them.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t speak whatever that is,¡± she said, trying to find the source of the sound.

    ¡°Oh my, a speaker of Karli, all the way out here!¡±

    Jeh stared blankly at the source of the voice¡ªit was a hexagon-shaped creature made almost entirely of metal, save for a glassy eye-like surface in the center. The creature had no limbs, but nonetheless managed to float a full meter off the ground. Overall, the hexagon was about twice as wide as Jeh¡¯s head, and had clearly seen better days¡ªnumerous sections were scraped, dinged, or had symbols violently etched into them.

    Jeh gasped. ¡°Finally! Someone who can speak Karli! Oh, you have no idea how long I¡¯ve been walking and¡­ and you¡¯re a rigid! I¡¯ve only read about rigids, I¡¯ve never seen them before today!¡±

    ¡°I am a watchlight,¡± the watchlight said, twisting to herself like a wheel in midair. She had no way to express anything aside from motions like this, so she made liberal use of them. ¡°And any non-rigid like you should really stay out of the Shinelands. There¡¯s no food for you in there.¡±

    ¡°Food is optional,¡± Jeh said, grinning.

    ¡°¡­Um¡­¡±

    ¡°I have a very funky attribute-thing.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a human?¡±

    Jeh shrugged.

    ¡°Oh, dear¡­ um¡­ will my mentioning of the savages within that like to torment passersby keep you from going in?¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡± Jeh grinned. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta get back to Kroan and if they¡¯re in my way¡­ they¡¯re gonna get it.¡± Jeh paused. ¡°It¡¯d be a lot easier to do that if I had some crystals, though, you know where I can get some?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an arcanist?¡±

    ¡°Wizard.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, right, I¡¯d heard Kroan called them that¡­¡±

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°You know about Kroan?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m from the eastern side of the Shinelands, originally. I heard about Kroan every now and then. But I was young, and I decided it would be more fun to cross the Shinelands¡­ even though I¡¯m a rigid and such a biome is supposedly made for me, I barely made it through intact¡­¡±

    ¡°Sounds fun!¡±

    ¡°You really are a reckless little girl, aren¡¯t you?¡± the watchlight sighed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m Jill.¡±

    ¡°¡­What a normal-sounding name.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Well. It¡¯s what I was born with, so there.¡± She twirled around rapidly but suddenly stopped, staring Jeh right in the face. ¡°There¡¯s a town nearby. You can get crystals there. All you have to do is know the language to ask for them.¡±

    ¡°And money?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And money.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t have any.¡±

    ¡°Well then, you¡¯re between a rock and a hard place, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I can find some work to pay for the crystals¡­ you can translate for me and get me a job!¡±

    ¡°¡­I did not say I would do that.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re going to, right?¡± Jeh raised her eyebrows over and over.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Otherwise I¡¯m charging into the cool metal land right now with reckless abandon.¡±

    Jill sighed. ¡°¡­Fine, fine¡­ right this way¡­¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Everyone¡¯s familiar with animals, plants, and fungi.

    But Ikyu has two other major classifications. Plasts, which are based in plastics that we would normally consider synthetic and often have five-fold body symmetry; and rigids, creatures whose ¡°biology¡± runs off of chemical processes, tend to have bodies made of metal, and who have no blood but instead course with lightning itself.

    Naturally we would be tempted to call rigids robots, but such a concept is completely foreign on Ikyu. Rigids are just another part of the tree of life to them. They meet all the characteristics of life, which is what we¡¯re going to talk about today.

    Reproduction: to be alive, things must reproduce. Sexually, asexually, it doesn¡¯t matter¡ªmore of the same kind must be made. Viruses meet this criteria, easily, as to rigids, as every rigid makes more of its own kind. However, one could argue that Crystalline Ones don¡¯t reproduce, they simply assemble from what¡¯s already there. Already, fantasy worlds make the definition of life rather suspect.

    Response to Stimuli: can the organism react. We might think of things like mushrooms and plants as nonreactive, but they actively respond to their environment. Plants direct their flowers and leaves to the sun regularly and release chemicals. Mushrooms release spores at just the right time. An organism need not be mobile to be responsive. Viruses may or may not be responsive, depending on your definition¡ªdo they make any actual choices, or do their chemical reactions just happen automatically without any input? Rigids respond as well, even the most sedentary plant-like ones still stop growing if there¡¯s no material around for them to consume.

    Adaptation: The ability to change over time to an environment, usually over generations. Viruses do this, and a lot better than everything else given their high mutation rate. Rigids do this as well, though not in the usual way¡ªthough, naturally, as far as the residents of Ikyu are concerned evolution isn¡¯t even a theory yet. If it was, there are things other than rigids that would throw wrenches into those plans¡­

    Growth: Living beings start small and get bigger, to a point. Bacteria, curiously, start at a ¡°normal full grown¡± size and then keep getting bigger until they split. Viruses do not grow at all, they are like rigid blueprints¡ªa fact they share with a few rigids.

    Metabolism: this basically just means the organism eats things in some way and uses it to produce energy. Viruses don¡¯t really eat. Crystalline Ones don¡¯t either¡ªhowever, every single rigid needs power, and they consume things to get this power. Usually, they can¡¯t eat the same things as other lifeforms, though, which causes a rather harsh divide between the life classifications.

    Organization: In biology, this just means you are composed of one or more cells. Viruses don¡¯t fit this definition, but there are a few that are larger than cells, pointing out how arbitrary this all is. Crystalline Ones and Rigids do not have cells at all, but they arguably exhibit organization and structure¡ªeither in crystal structure or the repeating shapes within the metal.

    Homeostasis: All living things try to regulate their internal environment to keep themselves alive. We sweat, trees lose their leaves, Crystalline Ones shoot beams of energy to keep attackers from splitting them in half, and Rigids have fans (or some other mechanism) to keep themselves from overheating.

    Thus, while our definition of life makes rigids seem a bit dubious at times, as far as the inhabitants of Ikyu are concerned they most certainly are alive.

    The definition of life is rather arbitrary. Most people exclude viruses, but if you met a Crystalline One, would you consider it alive?

    Sometimes science gets lost in the arguments over definitions¡­

 022 - The Shinelands

    022

    The Shinelands

    ¡°You mentioned requiring someone to come back with you?¡± Lila asked Tenrayce as dinner wrapped up.

    Tenrayce didn¡¯t look up from her book¡ªshe had moved on to Jeweler Techniques for the Digitally Challenged. ¡°That is correct. Someone needs to return with me who can describe the reasoning behind the project as well as the principles behind its operation.¡± She turned a page. ¡°This is in your best interests because, as educated as I am, I doubt I would give your program the justice it deserves. I cannot know it in and out as you can, nor can I answer random questions that might be posed. You have been living in it for months if not years; you can probably answer questions you¡¯d never even think to ask.¡± She took a sip of tea and turned another page.

    Lila nodded. ¡°Well¡­ I am unable to go as I also serve as this town¡¯s Mayor, and I likely wouldn¡¯t be the best choice anyway as I am not technically skilled.¡±

    ¡°All of us who are need to be here to work on the thing,¡± Vaughan muttered. ¡°Work will slow while whoever¡¯s away is away¡­ bah, can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°Actually¡­ it can,¡± Blue said, looking up from her plate. ¡°¡­I could go.¡±

    Vaughan shook his head. ¡°Blue, out of th¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done the theorizing and math, you need to start working on the specifics. I already explained basically everything you need to know today.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ Blue.¡± Vaughan folded his hands together. ¡°This would involve returning to Axiom. And the Academy.¡±

    Blue flicked her tail nervously. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m not exactly thrilled about the idea, but it¡¯s obvious I¡¯m the best choice. I was trained as a Messenger, I know how to explain things, and I know how to get around the city.¡±

    ¡°The wizards who oversaw your expulsion from the academy...¡±

    ¡°Can go eat a sock,¡± Blue huffed.

    Tenrayce let out an amused snort. ¡°Most of them would deserve it.¡±

    Blue was more than a little surprised to hear the Princess of Kroan talking like that.

    ¡°I was not given special treatment in the Academy. Sometimes I wonder if my high station made them harsher on me than most.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve still graduated at a rather young age,¡± Vaughan commented.

    ¡°Most of that was fueled by pure spite, natural talent, and a rushed entrance application snuck in while the normal secretary was off-duty.¡±

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be hearing about this¡­¡± Big G muttered.

    ¡°Oh, if any of you tried to use this information against me, you¡¯d be ridiculed into obscurity. The great wizards of the Academy, getting fooled by a princess¡¯ application? Absurd, they had to have recognized her unique situation and allowed her to register early.¡± She turned another page. ¡°Rest assured, the old bats in the Academy will be out for blood, your only recourse is the fact that they¡¯ll be hounding me just as much as you.¡±

    Blue let out a grunt. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m the best choice because I think this will be fun. I¡¯m the best choice because I am. It¡¯s not going to be fun. It¡¯ll be even worse with those who know who I am. They are not going to want to listen to a student they failed.¡±

    ¡°I could go instead,¡± Vaughan suggested. ¡°They do respect me.¡±

    ¡°But you have work to do, and lots of it. You and Suro need to get those arcane device designs ready. You and I know roughly the same amount about the general project, and if anyone there wants any actual calculations you¡¯d be helpless.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to bring everything in the project.¡±

    ¡°I know, but I have the most overall understanding of it, and you know it.¡± Blue huffed. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±

    Vaughan leaned back, frowning and scratching his beard.

    ¡°She¡¯s really got you there,¡± Krays said, chuckling. ¡°She¡¯s the real boss. Move aside, grandpa, the genius is in town!¡±

    ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re being sarcastic?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Habit.¡±

    Vaughan made up his mind about something. ¡°Blue, come with me. I¡¯ve got something to show you.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°Uh¡­ sure.¡± She levitated her plate along with her so she could keep eating while she followed Vaughan up to his room. Only Suro followed them¡ªthe others all stayed at the dining room table.

    ¡°You really are putting yourself out there,¡± Suro told Blue. ¡°It takes a lot to go back to places that have left a sour taste in our mouth.¡±

    ¡°Has to be done,¡± Blue said. ¡°Plus¡­ I might take the opportunity to rub my accomplishments in their face. You failed me? Hah! I launched something into orbit!¡± She gave a half-hearted cackle. ¡°Tremble before my mathematical prowess.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll need a little more than that to get respect. Fortunately for you, I think I have just the thing.¡± Vaughan opened his dresser and pulled out a gray pointed hat.

    Blue¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°When did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Been holding it back for a while. Was going to give it to you after the satellite was successful, but¡­¡± he sighed. ¡°I apologize, there was no good reason not to. Blue, you have furthered the horizon of arcane knowledge with your tireless, devoted work. Most students gain their titles without really contributing much of anything aside from grunt work for some other wizard. You have more than earned this. With the power I hold as an official Red Wizard, I declare you to no longer be a simple apprentice¡­ but a minor wizard.¡± He laid the hat down upon her head. Two thin, almost invisible holes allowed her ears to poke through the rim.

    Suro stomped on the ground rapidly in applause.

    Blue looked up to Vaughan with watery eyes. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re really serious.¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t think you¡¯ve graduated, most students earn the minor wizard rank while still in their studies.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m actually a wizard now. A¡­ a wizard who can¡¯t even cast magic.¡± Blue let out a sharp snort mixed with a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this will make them respect me or even angrier!¡±

    ¡°Oh, there will be respect. When you go to Axiom you will take a letter where I record all the paperwork details required to make you official. Though, there is one thing we have to do. We do need to assign you a Color, it¡¯s tradition.¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°Well, I always thought Yellow would be best¡­ but¡­¡±

    ¡°I think Orange, actually,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Your attribute makes you naturally familiar with it.¡±

    ¡°Then yeah, Orange.¡±

    Vaughan produced an orange ribbon from his robes and tied it around the base of Blue¡¯s hat. ¡°There you go!¡±

    ¡°¡­You had a ribbon of every color didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Well, er¡­¡± Vaughan shuffled his feet. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What would you have done if I chose Blue?¡± Blue smirked. ¡°Behold, Blue, Blue Wizard!¡±

    Suro scrunched his nose. ¡°Behold, Blue, Orange Wizard isn¡¯t much better.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but I haven¡¯t heard that one all my life! Yet.¡±

    ¡°Just be careful when introducing yourself,¡± Vaughan cautioned. ¡°You are a theorist, make sure they know that. And try to remember everything I taught you, they might ask you basic questions about magic theory just to prod you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll remember all right. I may not be able to use it but I need to know every possibility for how to throw it onto a spaceship!¡± Blue winked. She found herself already absent-mindedly adjusting her hat with her telekinesis. ¡°Wow it¡­ it fits so snugly. Who did you have make it?¡±

    ¡°Mary¡¯s a good sewer,¡± Vaughan commented.

    ¡°I suppose I owe her a thank you, then¡­ ¡­and you too, Vaughan.¡± She lifted her head up and fixed him with a serious expression. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here without you and all your insane ideas.¡±

    ¡°And we wouldn¡¯t be here without you, Blue. I hope history remembers you as the driving force behind this Project. I was just a middle-aged man with a dream. A crazy, stupid, absurd dream¡­ that you are making a reality.¡±

    ¡°¡­This entire thing wouldn¡¯t be happening if it wasn¡¯t for all of us,¡± Blue realized. ¡°Every single one of us has a part to play in this program. Including me, going off to the capital to explain what we¡¯re doing.¡± She shivered. ¡°Oh boy¡­¡±

    ¡°You probably have a few days to think about how you¡¯re going to go about it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know, but I have to get all my notes arranged, copy down most of it for you guys to use, and¡­ and¡­ you know what?¡± She stamped her hoof on the ground. ¡°I can worry about that later. Right now, I¡¯m going downstairs to brag.¡±

    Suro rolled his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t get carried away now¡­¡±

    ¡°Way too late for that.¡± With a wink, Blue scrambled down the staircase. ¡°GUESS WHO GOT A POINTY HAT!? That¡¯s right, this girl!¡±

    ¡°Ohmygosh Blue, that¡¯s amazing!¡± Seskii cheered.

    Suro turned to Vaughan. ¡°Quite the apprentice, that one.¡±

    ¡°She was more than I expected when I met her. I kind of thought she was a self-entitled know-it-all living off resentment.¡±

    ¡°And now?¡±

    Vaughan grinned. ¡°She¡¯s a frantic know-it-all living off the drive to discover and explore.¡±

    Suro chuckled. ¡°And how much of that are you responsible for instilling in her?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ and I don¡¯t think I need to.¡± He adjusted his red hat. ¡°¡­We should get down there before she gets really carried away.¡±

    ¡°Hey, who wants to see if the hat lets me cast magic?¡± Blue¡¯s voice rang from down below.

    ¡°Oh this is going to go badly,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°Quite¡­¡±

    There was no explosion. Blue couldn¡¯t even set the table on fire.

    ~~~

    Days went by in the blink of an eye, and suddenly Blue was standing on the road out of Willow Hollow, her saddlebags packed full to the brim with charts, notes, and records. Alexandrite was standing next to her¡ªhe decided he might as well take her back, since he had to go back to Axiom anyway. ¡°Might be able to help you navigate some of the more politically-infused situations.¡±

    Vaughan, Lila, and Suro had come to see them off.

    ¡°Good luck, Blue,¡± Lila offered. ¡°May Dia¡¯s light shine upon your path.¡±

    ¡°I sure hope so,¡± Blue said, tapping her front left hoof nervously. She adjusted her hat slightly with her telekinesis¡ªshe¡¯d already stopped noticing when she did this for the most part.

    ¡°Hurry back if you can,¡± Vaughan added. ¡°If there¡¯s any hidden math to do and you¡¯re not here¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll manage,¡± Blue said with a huff.

    ¡°Will he, though?¡± Suro asked with a chuckle.

    Vaughan put his hands on his hips. ¡°Who designs your device blueprints?¡±

    ¡°Who has to cut them with precision tools? I do have to measure everything, you know.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nowhere near as hard.¡±

    ¡°Oh, would you like to try then?¡±

    ¡°W-well¡­¡± Vaughan stammered.

    ¡°Are we ready to go?¡± Tenrayce said, riding up on her horse. No one was able to hide their revulsion at the beast¡¯s appearance¡ªnot even Blue, who usually made an effort not to flinch at fellow ungulates lest she be called out on it.

    Alexandrite narrowed his eyes. ¡°I am not carrying that horse.¡±

    ¡°Yes you are. And his name is Greg.¡± Tenrayce jumped down from the horse.

    ¡°I said¡­¡±

    ¡°It appears you have forgotten who exactly you¡¯re talking to.¡± Tenrayce tilted her hat up. ¡°You¡¯re carrying Greg.¡±

    ¡°¡­That much extra weight will slow us considerably¡­¡±

    ¡°An experienced Messenger dragon such as yourself will have honed his flight attribute to extreme levels for heavy long-distance cargo. You can carry the three of us, and seeing as I am not willing to leave Greg behind, the day or two it will delay us is of no concern. We are not in a rush.¡±

    Alexandrite let out a sigh. ¡°As you wish, princess¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you, regal dragon.¡± She bowed slightly in his direction before turning to Vaughan. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we must be off. I am sure you have many more stories to tell, perhaps one day I shall hear them.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll tell them to you on the moon,¡± Vaughan said with a cheesy grin.

    ¡°My, your imagination is as boundless as it is reckless.¡± She extended a hand and shook his own. ¡°It has been a pleasure. I eagerly look forward to reports of your progress.¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t exactly decided to send those yet¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you will be, of all the uncertain topics that will be discussed at Axiom, that is one of the few I am sure will be an absolute requirement. So, I look forward to your reports.¡±

    Vaughan sighed. ¡°I really do hate paperwork¡­¡±

    ¡°Have Seskii do it, she seems to operate as your secretary anyway,¡± Tenrayce suggested. Without warning, she jumped onto Alexandrite¡¯s back. ¡°But it is time to cast off.¡±

    Blue coughed. ¡°Um. Alex, you okay if I¡­?¡±

    ¡°At least you ask permission¡­¡± Alexandrite grumbled. ¡°Yes, get on. Greg will not be riding. Greg will be carried by my claws, dangled over the earth below.¡±

    ¡°Drop him, even by accident, and your punishment will be very creative,¡± Tenrayce said while opening up a book. ¡°Hmm. Misprint.¡±

    Blue awkwardly crawled up onto Alexandrite¡¯s back. As he wasn¡¯t an exceptionally large dragon, it was a little cramped with both her and Tenrayce up there¡ªnot to mention the lack of a saddle and Blue¡¯s awkward body type. Nonetheless, they were secure.

    ¡°Now, are either of you scared of heights?¡± Alexandrite asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Tenrayce said.

    ¡°No,¡± Blue added. ¡°¡­Though I¡¯ve never been in the air outside of a balloon-whale gondola before¡­¡±

    ¡°You are in for a delightfully terrifying treat,¡± Tenrayce said with a smirk.

    ¡°Gee, tha¡ª¡±

    Blue¡¯s words caught in her throat as Alexandrite took off¡ªhis wings releasing much more air on the downswing than usual, indicating that he was drawing more into his attribute¡¯s power than usual. Even still, his rate of ascent was rather slow, though still faster than the Skyseed¡¯s launches had been. He grabbed Greg with his claws and carried him over the tops of the trees, knocking into a few branches along the way.

    The horse panicked and tried to move, but Alexandrite had him held tight.

    ¡°Hmm. I can¡¯t prove if you did that on purpose or not.¡± Tenrayce frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching you.¡±

    Blue was pressing herself into Alexandrite¡¯s back with her telekinesis, holding on for dear life. ¡°If he so much as banks sideways¡­¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°He is quite experienced, as I am sure you know.¡±

    ¡°Ehehehh¡­¡±

    Back down on the ground, two small yellow heads poked out from behind a rock, looking at the dragon flying overhead with the very obvious and very awkward horse dangling from his claws.

    ¡°That¡¯s the princess,¡± Rina or Rona said.

    The other one nodded in agreement. ¡°Things are moving faster than we thought.¡±

    ¡°That purple laser really changed everything.¡±

    They paused.

    ¡°I hope Jeh¡¯s okay,¡± one said.

    The other nodded. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. We know she will¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªbecause she¡¯s impossible to kill¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªand she¡¯s so determined¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªnot even space itself can stop her!¡±

    Having cheered each other up, they turned back to the sky. Both of them proceeded to thoughtfully scratch the other¡¯s chin.

    ¡°What to do¡­¡± they both said in unison.

    ¡°How are my two favorite diabolical evil overlords in training?¡± Seskii asked from the tree above them.

    The twins jumped into the air in panic.

    ¡°When did you¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªget here!?¡±

    ¡°Earlier,¡± Seskii said, giving them an innocent smile. ¡°Anyway, you got any bread to sell me? There was no one at the bakery¡­¡±

    Immediately both of them went into ¡®sales mode,¡¯ one of them taking a step forward. ¡°We¡¯ve always got the best confectionary wares on offer!¡±

    The other gave Seskii a smug grin. ¡°In my coat I have¡­ donut holes!¡±

    ¡°By the dozen.¡±

    ¡°Though order more than a dozen and you¡¯ll have to do some walking.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s free of charge.¡±

    ~~~

    The ground was metal, the plants were metal, and most of the creatures that prowled around were metal as well. The Shinelands were truly the realm of the rigids. The vast majority of it was made out of a silvery, lightweight metal Jeh recognized as aluminum, but it was far from the only metal on display. Intricate weaving bars of iron grew out of the ground, a strange pole made out of some kind of brushed, blackish metal jutted out of the ground at a wide angle, and there were a few buglike coppery things with dull green caking their exteriors.

    Most of the Shinelands were highly reflective. It was currently high noon and the sun was beating down upon the smooth landscape with an unrelenting fury. The reflections only made the heat so much worse. Most of the rigids themselves were fine, able to move about in such environments as this without too much difficulty, though their internal cooling organs became very loud unless they were a particularly hardy species. Jill¡¯s was currently running so high it was hard to hear her speak.

    Jeh, meanwhile, was pulling herself along the ground like a slug, her trail of seemingly endless sweat trailing off until it evaporated into nothing.

    ¡°My¡­ don¡¯t you need water?¡± Jill asked.

    Jeh lethargically flopped onto her back, the minor burn that had developed on her face quickly healing. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I asked if you needed water!¡± Jill shouted over her cooling organ.

    ¡°Want? Yes. Need? No¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you absolutely positive this attribute of yours has no limit to it?¡±

    ¡°I was vaporized. I¡¯m still here. Pretty sure.¡± She paused, panting. ¡°¡­It can be blocked by Magenta, but apparently only if you¡¯re clever about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure I want to know the details behind that, or even to think about what that might mean.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Jeh shrugged, turning her head back to the West. Still metal as far as the eye could see. She sighed. ¡°It can¡¯t be that long¡­ the silver area didn¡¯t look this wide from up there¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not even a third of the way across! We can turn back¡­¡±

    ¡°You can turn back. Not Jeh! Jeh¡¯s gonna¡­ gonna¡­¡± Jeh looked in her pack at the Colored crystals she had attained in town in exchange for cleaning out an infestation of rabid rat-mongrels. Being immune to disease had made her particularly suited for the task. From the crystals she pulled out the Red one. ¡°I¡¯m gonna solve the cooling problem at this rate¡­¡± Jeh paused. ¡°Hey, you said that loud noise was your cooling organ! How does it keep you cool?¡±

    ¡°Blows air through me at quite a high speed!¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ that definitely won¡¯t work in space, but¡­¡± Jeh put the Red crystal away and took out the Orange. She pushed on the air in front of her with all her might, blasting her sweat right off of her body and cooling her considerably.

    The oppressive heat returned the moment she stopped blowing.

    ¡°Okay¡­ well¡­ maybe we can do experiments on sweat later¡­¡± Jeh hung her head.

    ¡°At least you never run out. Most humans would be shriveled husks by now.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°¡­Nothing.¡±

    After that, they continued on in silence for quite some time. As they did, every now and then Jill would mutter to herself. ¡°Girl¡¯s an immortal, why are you even following her? Oh, sure, she¡¯s cute and innocent, but there¡¯s no need for her to be protected or have a guide she can just charge right through and the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho won¡¯t even be able to touch her, I should just go back now and¡­ and¡­¡±

    ¡°I hear you ranting about something back there,¡± Jeh called.

    ¡°Nothing important!¡± Jill shot back, nervously. Jeh evidentially didn¡¯t pick up on her tone because she left it at that.

    They soon came to a crest in a large hill that gave way to a jagged canyon-like opening. Peering over the edge, Jeh found that she could make out non-metal near the bottom, and what looked like a river.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re thinking about jumping down aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jeh asked as she started preparing to jump down.

    ¡°How are you going to get back up!?¡±

    Jeh frowned. ¡°Huh, good point, I can¡¯t exactly levitate myself up without a device¡­¡± She tapped her foot. ¡°Our rope probably isn¡¯t long enough¡­¡± Suddenly, she locked eyes with Jill¡¯s singular one. ¡°You can just float down there!¡±

    Jill twirled around like a coin. ¡°And do what? I don¡¯t exactly have hands.¡±

    ¡°¡­How do you survive?¡±

    ¡°Watchlights eat by ramming into the ground. Like so.¡± She slammed herself into the ground, eye-up. A few rectangular slots popped open, revealing a smooth black interior. Then she closed the panels and floated back up, revealing a small circular depression where she had just been laying. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do it very often, though.¡±

    ¡°Rigids are weird.¡±

    ¡°And now you¡¯re insulting me.¡±

    ¡°Weird is good. So¡­¡± Jeh rubbed her hands together. ¡°How about we tie a bucket to you, and you go down there and get some water? Eh? Eh? Pleeeease?¡±

    ¡°¡­What bucket?¡±

    ¡°¡­Shoot.¡± Jeh crossed her arms behind her back and grumbled. ¡°There¡¯s gotta be some way to the water down there up here¡­¡±

    ¡°Suggestion: jump down.¡±

    That had not been Jill¡¯s voice, and Jeh knew it immediately¡ªthis one was far more distinctive, deeper, and unlike Jill had no emotion to it whatsoever. Jeh quickly whirled around, only to find herself skewered through the stomach by a large metal spike.

    Annoying¡­

    The beast that had stabbed her was a six-legged rigid, with each leg having three segments, the largest of which was a large, pointed blade that somehow doubled both as swords and feet, despite clearly not being easy to balance. Each blade was easily as long as a human was tall, which made Jeh quite insignificant in comparison. The center of the beast was a hexagon with six black spheres attached to the corners where the legs were affixed, and both on top and bottom were glass spheres with sparks of lightning coursing inside of them.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Jeh pulled out a Red crystal. The glass around the lightning balls looked vulnerable and she could probably melt it.

    ¡°How impressive, she fights back.¡± With an effortless flick, the rigid tossed Jeh off of its blade and into the canyon below. Jeh let out a scream of rage. She quickly pulled out some Orange and pulled on her attacker¡¯s leg as hard as she could, trying to take them both into the canyon.

    The beast slammed three of its legs down, cutting into the ground with sufficient force to resist the direct pull. This did not stop Jeh from pulling, pulling so hard and with so much might that she ripped the rigid¡¯s leg clean off.

    Now she and a disembodied leg-blade were falling together and she could no longer see what was happening up there.

    ¡°ARGH!¡± Jeh flung her arms around wildly.

    A few seconds later she hit the ground¡ªnot the river¡ªand the leg promptly skewered her in the stomach again.

    ¡°¡­This is ridiculous,¡± Jeh grumbled. With her Orange she pulled the weapon out of her.

    Then she promptly ducked her head into the river and drank. Only afterward did she stand up and take a look around.

    There were a large number of human skeletons lying on the riverbank.

    ¡°Huh. If I was normal this water would probably kill me.¡± She waited all of a second before dunking her head back under the water. After she was finally satisfied, she stood up and grinned. ¡°Well, now I have to think of a way to get out of here! Isn¡¯t tha¡ª¡±

    It was at this point that Jeh realized Jill wasn¡¯t there.

    A sinking feeling came over her. That¡¯s not good¡­

    ~~~

    Jeh¡¯s current mission was simple, all things considered: get out of the canyon.

    Actually accomplishing this was a nightmare and a half. First, there was the usual difficulty of climbing up a canyon wall on a very hot day¡ªher mind became fuzzy and she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep her balance without focus. However, she could manage it, but only for the first section. The bottom of the canyon was earth and rocks, things she was used to back from her time in the forest. The other parts of the canyon were either smooth or unbelievably jagged, being almost entirely metal. Using her bare hands and feet simply wasn¡¯t going to cut it.

    Not that she didn¡¯t try, at first. She pushed herself up past the rocks and made numerous dents in the metal with Orange in an attempt to give herself handholds, but this was not to be. One of her dents was a little too smooth, and the moment she put her hand in, she slipped and fell all the way back down.

    She tried this a second time before admitting it was probably a lost cause.

    ¡°What I need are tools¡­¡±

    She started rummaging around the remains around her. As it happened, most of the skeletons down here had, at one time, belonged to people trying to traverse the Shinelands, and as such a fair amount of their equipment was still around. Anything too complicated or organic was no longer usable due to the march of time, but things like pickaxes, swords, and nails were still in working order¡ªthough even a large portion of these looked as though they had been partially eaten by something. She even found a set of climbing gear, but sadly much of it had relied on a rope that had disintegrated into dust long ago.

    Pickaxes it is¡­

    With a pickaxe in each hand and a few more on her back, she returned to the canyon wall. On the earthen section, the pickaxes were more likely to do harm than good, so she relied on her hands for it. However, once she reached the metal, they worked like a charm. Sometimes she took several swings but she¡¯d eventually puncture the metal into a hollow cavity on the other side¡ªand even when this didn¡¯t work, a few minutes of heavy Orange-assisted swinging would bore a deep hole into the solid wall, for aluminum was not the hardest of metals.

    Significant progress was made, but Jeh eventually began to realize another problem. The canyon wall didn¡¯t go straight up. It curved backward, becoming an overhang. She had never climbed anything like this in her life in the forest, but she pushed on.

    Until one moment her feet lost their hold and suddenly she was hanging from a single pickaxe embedded in the metal surface above her. She had gotten this far by sheer determination and willingness to ignore pain alone¡ªshe was not physically strong. Having to support her own weight with one already quite exhausted arm was extremely difficult.

    ¡°For the love of¡­¡± She tried to swing herself back to the canyon wall, but her hand slipped. She slammed into the wall without any control and bounced back, careening down into the river once more.

    When she came to it was night, but she was still in the same place¡ªbottom of the canyon. The leg of the rigid was still there, glinting in the moonlight.

    Jeh felt like the moon was mocking her.

    She angrily kicked the ground, unearthing some poor sap¡¯s skull and throwing it into some other long-forgotten warrior¡¯s round shield.

    Round metal shield.

    Round rather large metal shield.

    Slowly, Jeh walked over to it. She pulled out her Orange crystal and lifted the shield into the air with some effort. The straps were gone, but the handholds where they once were still existed. She turned it around over and over in the air.

    Even most Orange wizards would not have thought of what to do next.

    She ran around until she found a metal sheet, which she proceeded to methodically tear into strips with her magic. She used these strips to create new straps on the back of the shield. It was far too large for her to use as a shield, but she could hold it above her head with both hands, each one gripping her shoddy metal straps. She held so tightly they cut into her hands, but that was fine.

    This was going to work.

    She set the shield down for a moment and then proceeded to stab herself in the forearm with her Orange crystal¡ªshe¡¯d been using it so much it was already visibly smaller, but it should have more than enough to complete the plan.

    ¡°Here we go¡­¡±

    Jeh lifted the shield above her head. She focused her will on the Orange¡­ and told it to lift the shield up.

    She would later realize it would probably have been best to not try to move at full speed. She shot into the air at an alarming velocity with no control whatsoever, slamming violently into the side of the canyon¡ªbut through her surprised screams, she held onto the shield and, most importantly, she did not stop pushing up on it.

    She was the pilot of the Wizard Space Program. Even if this shield wasn¡¯t perfectly balanced and she herself was flailing around like a ragdoll, she would fly herself out of here. Every time she smashed into the walls, the shield became a little more dented and harder to control, but she persisted, and somehow managed not to hit her head dead-on and knock herself out.

    She eventually smashed through the upper part of the canyon, creating a semicircular hole over the edge. She flew a fair distance into the sky before she realized she could stop pumping power into the shield, at which point she fell like a stone, pancaking against the surface of the Shinelands.

    It was frigidly cold now. But it was the surface.

    She wanted to jump and shout for joy, but she needed to give her bones a minute to properly reset themselves. That had been a huge beating, even by her standards.

    ¡°Mission accomplished!¡± She declared, giving a thumbs up to the night sky. Her hand was shaking though. I¡¯m getting really tired¡­ She slapped herself in the face. No, stop that! You¡¯ve got to go rescue Jill from the crabby rigids! Who are¡­

    Jeh looked around. The moon was full, it was easy to see.

    There was no sign of any six-legged rigids or Jill.

    The sinking feeling in her stomach was back.

    ~~~

    The sun rose over the Shinelands, beating down upon the sheen once more. The biting cold quickly transformed into raging heat once more.

    A single six-legged rigid strode across the landscape, performing her rounds along the Eastern side of the Great Fissure. She rarely found anything on these rounds, but they needed to be done, for it was one of the easiest places to find foolish people who were trying to cross their lands. Coincidentally, it was also extremely easy to take care of even the hardiest adventurers, so long as they didn¡¯t have wings or something.

    So she wasn¡¯t all that surprised when she saw someone near the edge of the Fissure. She was surprised that it was what appeared to be a human child, snoring peacefully with her back on the metal. Surely it was too hot to be comfortable at this point?

    Irrelevant, the rigid thought. Just another one to take out. She approached, knife-legs creating small punctures in the ground from whence she derived her traction. Without hesitation, she lifted a leg and stabbed the girl right through her chest.

    The girl¡¯s eyes flew open. ¡°Oh, dangit! I fell asleep!¡±

    Identify language: Karli. Observation: she is not reacting to the pain, no blood either. No known conclusion can fit the data.

    The girl quickly pulled out an Orange crystal and pointed it at the rigid. ¡°So, be nice or I pull your legs off.¡±

    Legitimate threat potential. The rigid lifted the girl into the air and tired to throw her over the edge¡ªbut she clearly knew exactly what the rigid was trying to do and used the Orange magic to bend the blade-leg she was embedded on, making it so she couldn¡¯t slide off.

    ¡°I said be nice.¡± The girl started pulling on one of the rigid¡¯s legs with her magic.

    ¡°Superiority acknowledged.¡± The rigid immediately stood down, though she kept the leg the girl was skewered on in the air. ¡°What is your request?¡±

    ¡°I, quite simply, want you to take me to your leader.¡± The girl smirked.

    ¡°You wish to enter a hub of Eastern Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho civilization?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Overwhelming force will be able to subdue her. ¡°Request approved. I shall take you to the others. Query: do you wish to remain impossibly skewered on my leg?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the girl said, bending the leg back to more-or-less straight with her magic and sliding herself off. ¡°I would like to ride you though.¡± She jumped up onto the rigid¡¯s primary platform and sat down cross-legged. ¡°Onward, metal¡­ bug¡­ thing¡­¡± The girl paused. ¡°I¡¯m Jeh, do you have a name?¡±

    ¡°I am Yellow Seven,¡± Yellow said.

    ¡°Boring, but all right. Onward, Yellow Seven!¡±

    There is contradictory information here. She is being an absolute fool, but evidence suggests she was waiting for one of us to pass by, indicating a level of intelligence. These facts do not match. She is human by every metric, but demonstrates a healing attribute. An extreme bundle of contradictions.

    Ultimately irrelevant. She will be subdued by the others. Then will be the time for questions.

    Yellow Seven skittered along the edge of the Fissure at a rapid pace. Part of her hoped that Jeh would fall right off, but the girl actually seemed to enjoy the rough ride. She never took her hand off the Orange crystal, though¡ªYellow Seven would not be able to take an opportunity while she had that out. They would make it all the way back to the primary settlement in this area.

    Yellow Seven likely wouldn¡¯t hear the end of this embarrassment for the rest of her life. Annoying. But it is what it is.

    Without warning Jeh, Yellow Seven suddenly jumped into the air and bounded over the Fissure in a place where the far side was a bit closer, and barely managed to skitter to the other side.

    ¡°Woah, that was awesome! Do it again!¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Yellow Seven was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Oh, wait, uh¡­¡± Jeh sighed. ¡°Actually, we probably need to hurry so just take me to your leaders already.¡± She seemed quite disappointed that there would be no more exciting death-defying jumps over the Fissure.

    Now that they were out in the open without any obstacle, their trip proceeded at a heightened speed right to the settlement. It had no name, just a number: Seventeen. It had been erected on top of one of the rare patches of surface earth in the Shinelands, not because the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho had much use for active soil, but because with their eternal presence they could trap anyone who thought actual green plants meant a place of safety they could retreat to. From the outside, the settlement wasn¡¯t even visible¡ªjust a bunch of large, bushy trees specifically chosen because they could grow dense foliage that could hide anything and everything.

    ¡°You guys live in a forest?¡± Jeh asked, tilting her head in confusion.

    ¡°Do you not think it is a suitable encampment?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ well. I like it, but I didn¡¯t think rigids would.¡±

    ¡°Who are you to judge?¡± As doomed as this child was, Yellow Seven wasn¡¯t about to share Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho secrets with her.

    Once they entered the forest, rather quickly the trees started to thin and they were suddenly in a field of mixed rubble and metal shards. It wasn¡¯t really fair to call the arrangement a town, for there weren¡¯t really any buildings, just ramshackle bits of metal arranged to provide simple shelter for the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho who lived there. Around a hundred of them lived among the rocks in total, though only half were here at the moment¡ªthe rest were out on patrol or gathering resources for the settlement.

    Yellow Seven prepared to tell her people to attack Jeh, but Jeh spoke before her.

    ¡°Hey! Rigid crab things!¡± Jeh shouted, standing to her full height on top of Yellow Seven¡ªsomehow managing to keep her balance even as the rigid kept moving forward at high speed. ¡°You have a watchlight named Jill! Give her back and I don¡¯t bring the magic smack down on this place! Don¡¯t give her back and we have a problem!¡±

    One of the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho rushed Jeh, aiming his knife-blades at her. Jeh lightly flicked the Orange crystal and sent him flying into the forest.

    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding!¡± Jeh declared, grinning cheesily at them. ¡°So, hand Jill over and I¡¯ll be out of your hair, got it?¡±

    ¡°Observation, you are foolishly brave.¡± Yellow Seven recognized the voice immediately¡ªit was the Chief, Colorless Seventeen. He was exactly the same size and shape as the other Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho, but he had red markings on the joints of his limbs, signifying his position. ¡°Counter observation, you are powerful and not as stupid as your actions make you appear, for you are correct, we do have the watchlight identified as Jill. Quite a mystery.¡±

    ¡°Look you can ask me all the questions you want after you hand Jill back, aight?¡±

    ¡°A very tempting offer.¡± The Chief skittered closer to Jeh. ¡°However, you seem to be under the impression that you can take us all. Yellow Seven, can she?¡±

    ¡°Unlikely,¡± Yellow Seven responded.

    ¡°The fact that you have not said impossible has been noted.¡± The Chief sized Jeh up and down, both of his orbs flashing with more intense lightning. ¡°You would cause damage.¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m immortal.¡± Jeh stabbed herself with the Orange crystal and pulled it out, healing right in front of him. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do to me, and I can do all sorts of stuff to you. Rigids don¡¯t heal real well, right?¡± She put her hands on her hips. ¡°So, hand her over already.¡±

    The Chief pulled out a Magenta crystal from a bag hanging around his midsection. ¡°Negative.¡± He activated it, scrambling the magic around Jeh. Immediately, Yellow Seven threw her to the ground and drove a spike through her chest.

    ¡°Her attribute is still active,¡± Yellow Seven reported.

    ¡°Fascinating. Her attribute is resistant to the effects. Perhaps there is a way to adjust, but I am not certain I wish to. She will be a unique specimen.¡± The Chief skittered over, touching a spike to her cheek. ¡°Just what is she?¡±

    Jeh pulled out a Magenta crystal of her own. ¡°I¡¯m about to bring the magic smack down.¡± The Chief may have been scrambling magic, but if she tried to scramble magic herself, there wasn¡¯t much he could do about that.

    Also, she hadn¡¯t exactly learned nothing about spellcasting in her time at the Wizard Space Program. Magenta Wizards did a lot more than just scramble magic and make arcane devices with it, they also studied how Magenta interfered with itself in many complex ways. Much of this was far too complex for a spellcaster with her lack of finesse, but there was one factoid that was very useful to her in this moment.

    Magenta could scramble Magenta if more will and energy was put into one spell than the other. And as Jeh knew, she had a lot of will, enough to push back against the Chief¡¯s scrambling just by trying really hard. She pushed hard enough that the Magenta the Chief was using started to sparkle and fizzle with random flecks of wild magic.

    This was the opportunity Jeh needed. She quickly used the Orange and ordered it to push everything around her away. This included, annoyingly, the air, but she could make do without air for a few seconds. More importantly, it tore Yellow Seven away, freeing Jeh from the prison. However, given all the Magenta nonsense that was happening around the Chief, the spell dissipated when it made its way to him.

    So Jeh jumped up and punched his Magenta crystal with her bare hands, shattering it. The shards tore right through her hand, but a few of them sliced at parts of the Chief¡¯s chassis.

    Jeh landed on her feet, smirking. ¡°So, do we want to reconsider handing Jill over to me yet?¡±

    ¡°¡­Perhaps,¡± the Chief said.

    ¡°So bring her out.¡±

    ¡°Only if you promise to remain and answer some questions about yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sure. Just bring her out.¡±

    The Chief pointed at one of the other rigids, who scrambled under a nearby plate of metal. A second later, the rigid returned, carrying Jill.

    Jill had seen better days. Most of her outer plating had been ripped off, one of her segments was completely missing, and her eye seemed cloudy.

    ¡°¡­What have you done to her!?¡±

    ¡°Harvested her for parts,¡± the Chief said as if this was evident. ¡°It is the right of all Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho to make use of all who pass through their territory. She has passed through ours.¡±

    ¡°Fix her.¡±

    ¡°Do you think we can?¡±

    Jeh twitched. She held out her hands and the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho uncaringly dropped Jill into her arms. ¡°¡­You still in there, Jill?¡±

    ¡°R-r-run away¡­ trap¡­¡± Jill¡¯s voice said.

    ¡°¡­I could have sworn her voice box was already damaged beyond repair,¡± the Chief said. ¡°Unfortunat¡ª¡±

    Jeh pulled out a Blue crystal before the Chief could finish and took off in a run, breezing through the trees at high speed, emerging from the settlement and heading due East as fast as her legs could carry her, which was exceedingly quickly¡ªthough from her perspective, everything else was just moving slowly. Parts of her were catching on fire due to the air friction, so she knew she couldn¡¯t go any faster without risking Jill.

    ¡°So, what kind of trap was it?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Th-they have made a s-solemn vow to kill all non-rigids w-who cross their l-land¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­You already told me this, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± Even with her voice choppy and garbled, Jeh could hear the exasperation. ¡°Th-they will pursue¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re welcome to t¡ª¡±

    As it turned out, a few of the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho had Blue crystals as well, and they could also accelerate to the same rate Jeh was going, but they didn¡¯t care about fires breaking out on their legs.

    ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d like being lit on fire¡­¡±

    ¡°A-any damage w-would be¡­ be¡­ be¡­¡±

    ¡°Right, got it.¡± Jeh stopped accelerating, prompting the rigid pursuers to slide past her. Setting Jill on the ground, she took out her Orange and Red crystals. She would take the entire settlement down if she had to. She shoved one of the enemies to the side while she focused heat onto the electric orb of another.

    While she was doing this, one of the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho released two bolts of blue lightning from the glass orbs that struck Jeh right in the chest. She felt her heart stop. Her hair stood on end and started smoking. All of her nerves locked up and she collapsed to the ground. Her regeneration quickly restored all of the burns, but her muscles weren¡¯t recovering properly.

    That¡­ okay yeah that was kinda cool not gonna lie.

    However, she was not out cold, and eventually the muscle spasms subsided and she jumped back up, stabbing herself with the Red crystal so she could still activate it while using Magenta in her hand. ¡°No more fancy lightning attribute for you guys!¡±

    She was blasted again by the lightning, though it was from a different Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho, and she went down again. This time, they descended on her, pinning her various limbs to the ground. One of them managed to shatter her Red crystal, removing her access to it.

    However, even without access to her muscles, she still had her will¡ªand the Orange obeyed, flinging all the rigids off of her¡ªthough it also sent Jill sliding along the Shinelands like a puck. Shortly thereafter, Jeh leaped back to her feet, a scowl on her face. Do they have an attribute like mine¡­? ¡°What gives with the lightning!?¡±

    ¡°It is not an attribute at all,¡± the Chief said, suddenly behind her. ¡°It is our gift¡ªwe can send the energy stored up within ourselves at our enemies, no magic required. Not even a Magenta Crystalline One could stop us.¡±

    Since she lacked Red, Jeh swapped her Magenta for Purple, dual wielding it with Orange. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t work on me!¡±

    ¡°It takes you down momentarily. We will get our opportunity. We will be patient. And then we will uncover what makes you unkillable so we may more effectively keep our lands sacred.¡± His glass orbs started to glow brightly.

    He¡¯s going to shoot me. Jeh heard a Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho moving behind her and got an idea. Just before the lightning released from the Chief, she jumped, using Orange to give herself an uncontrolled boost into the air. The lightning shot forth from the Chief and struck the other Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho head-on¡ªbut the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho wasn¡¯t affected.

    ¡°What gives!?¡± Jeh shouted.

    ¡°Immunity is evidence of our superiority,¡± the Chief said. ¡°You would do best to learn your place in the cycle of time. Query: have you ever considered if you deserve this life you have?¡±

    Jeh wasn¡¯t really listening to him anymore, she was already running to Jill, picking her up with Orange, and continuing to run.

    ¡°You cannot escape!¡± the Chief shouted, though somehow the increase in volume did not carry with it any emotion. ¡°We will hunt you to the ends of our territory! You cannot be allowed through!¡±

    ¡°Try and stop me!¡± Jeh jumped into the air and activated the Purple, creating a blinding white light around her and Jill. There were a bunch of loud noises, metallic scraping, and a few Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho shot bolts of lightning randomly.

    Then the light cleared. Jeh and Jill were nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Find her!¡± the chief shouted¡ªclearly angry, but his tone remained level. ¡°She cannot be allowed to escape¡­¡±

    But find her they could not. There was nowhere to hide on the flat, smooth Shinelands, where could she even have gone? The only objects within sight range were the settlement and a handful of rigid trees in the distance. All of those trees were cut down by the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho in short order, and Jeh wasn¡¯t in any of them.

    ¡°Perhaps an illusion, she was using Purple,¡± one of the Rigids suggested.

    ¡°She did not strike me as the sort to be able to shroud herself in invisibility¡­ if so, she could have vanished without the light.¡± The Chief paused. ¡°Let us scramble the area with Magenta anyway.¡± And so they did, and they found nothing.

    ¡°¡­Announcement,¡± the Chief declared. ¡°She has escaped. I cannot fathom how. There is nowhere to hide, and no evidence of active magic. Just the usual scrapes in the ground when our kind make in battle. We must admit our inadequacy and seek to better ourselves for the cycle.¡±

    With that, they turned and walked back to the settlement.

    Beneath the ground, Jeh let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I was beginning to think they¡¯d never leave.¡±

    ¡°H-h-how did you¡­?¡±

    Jeh gestured around at the bubble-like cavern they were sitting in. ¡°I found several places like this when I was trying to climb out of the canyon, just¡­ pockets of nothing. They were very helpful in my climb, and they seemed to be everywhere, so I figured one must be around here somewhere. Which was why while the Purple blind was up I was frantically smashing the ground with everything I could find¡ªI was hoping to find this! And we did! Then I sealed the opening up from within and¡­¡± Jeh looked up at the tiny crack in the ceiling where she¡¯d used Orange to fold the metal back into place. ¡°I guess that just looked like one of the scratches they made in the ground with their feet, to them.¡±

    ¡°W-we got lucky¡­¡± Jill stammered.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Jeh turned her attention to Jill, shining a light with Purple on her. ¡°You look¡­ terrible. Can¡­ Green help?¡±

    ¡°B-b-been too long¡­ the¡­ Western Ch¡¯ch¡¯ch¡¯eni¡¯tho c-can help¡­ Maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s where we¡¯re headed,¡± Jeh said matter-of-factly. ¡°You just rest, I¡¯ll carry you.¡±

    ¡°O-o-okay.¡± Jill¡¯s voice caught and she wasn¡¯t able to form a proper word for over an hour.

    ~~~

    The capital of Shimvale was nowhere near as impressive as Axiom, Wyett decided very quickly upon arriving. The architecture had no unity to it, no sense of planning. This city, known by the unusual name Scarlet¡¯s Knee for reasons unknown, was ¡°themeless.¡± Roads snaked in and out of every nook and cranny of the landscape, having no care for organization. Nor were they even made out of the same material¡ªsome roads were dirt, others cobblestone, and others brick. Scarlet¡¯s Knee was a city that grew wherever it wanted with pure, unrestrained freedom. If there was an annoying hill in the way of construction, they would build the road sideways directly up it because why not, apparently.

    Also, it was snowing currently. In late spring. Wyett was, to put it simply, not a fan.

    Wyett was walking with his closest advisors¡ªthe majority of his entourage had been taken by the Shimmers to special lodging for foreign ambassadors, including the dragon Grimmmer. Large races were uncommon in Shimvale and the meeting hall was not prepared to greet an individual of his size, so this made sense.

    Hyrii pulled her coat closer around herself. ¡°There¡¯s less snow on the ground but it feels colder¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because we spend considerable amounts of time clearing the streets of snow,¡± Fr¡¯ll said as he drifted ahead of them. ¡°Many of us are not suited for traveling across deep snow every day. Those of us who can float, such as myself, have a bit of an unfair advantage.¡±

    ¡°I can see¡­¡±

    They turned a corner and suddenly beheld the ruins of a truly massive castle¡ªone that had been clearly destroyed deliberately. Charred and cracked stones remained on proud display, and not a single parapet of the once grand structure remained in place.

    ¡°The ruins of the ¡®Palace.¡¯ ¡° Fr¡¯ll said. ¡°Left as a reminder of what we overthrew and what it cost.¡±

    Wyett shivered. It would be best if we remembered that these people likely resent the concept of royalty. We are essentially behind enemy lines, one wrong step¡­

    They soon left the ruins behind and came to the current seat of power for the Shimvale government¡ªthe Council Rotunda. It wasn¡¯t the largest or most impressive building in the city, though Wyett knew this was by design, for the government did not want to seem important. It was just a white, circular building with a big dome over the top of it.

    They were let inside. The first few floors of the Rotunda were clearly office spaces used to house government employees and the truly stupendous amount of paperwork the unusual Shimmer government required to stay operational. There were a ton of people scrambling all over the place, several shouting with a sense of urgency. There was so much hustle and bustle, no one noticed as a young scarlet gari ran through them.

    But Wyett noticed.

    Because she elbowed him as she passed by.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her music.¡±

    Then the gari scrambled off into the chaos.

    Wyett knew a desperate warning when he heard one.

    ¡°Hyrii,¡± Wyett whispered. ¡°Put your earmuffs on.¡±

    Hyrii looked at him in confusion. ¡°I can¡¯t hear anything with¡ª¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Act cold. I¡¯ve been warned not to ¡®listen to her music,¡¯ but I suspect I am not going to be able to avoid scrutiny. You can.¡±

    Understanding that the situation might actually be very serious, Hyrii nodded and said nothing further, bundling up in her coat and pressing her earmuffs to her ears. Everything would be muffled to her, now.

    They rose higher and higher into the building until they emerged at the top. Under the building¡¯s main dome was a single, immense room meant to house hundreds of individuals at once in order to facilitate a feeling of togetherness in the government. Most of the chairs sat around on the edges like an auditorium, with multiple different levels all looking toward the center where five larger seats sat¡ªshowing importance, yes, but none of them were anywhere near extravagant enough to be called a throne. One was literally just a stool.

    When Wyett and his entourage entered, the room was mostly empty. Every footstep echoed ominously across the great halls. Four of the five seats were occupied, and the fifth was quickly taken by Fr¡¯ll¡ªhis seat was the stool, which was less a ¡°seat¡± and more just a place for him to hover while official proceedings took place.

    No doubt these five were the Council of Shimvale. Wyett took a quick examination of the other four. There was a young woman with ice-blue hair done up in twintails, a sphinx with white fur, red wings, and multiple rings hanging from his ears, an ice elemental currently taking the form of an icosahedron of ice, and a strange red rigid of a race Wyett couldn¡¯t identify.

    He knew some of their names immediately. Vi, the legendary ice elemental of Shimvale, was unmistakable. Noran Toran the sphinx was also known, as he was usually the one who did traveling for diplomatic purposes when it was required. The human girl and the red rigid were complete unknowns. Wyett wasn¡¯t too worried about the girl, he could read humans, but rigids¡­ rigids could be a problem. Perhaps it was her music he was to look out for.

    This proved out to be the wrong assumption to make.

    ¡°Greetings,¡± the human said, bowing slightly. ¡°I am Kaykayzee Ziggurat, the current Voice of the Council. We welcome you to Shimvale in these uncertain times. As a welcome, I will play for you the song of my people, a minor tribe that lives in the furthest reaches of the North.¡±

    Wyett cursed inwardly. There was no way to stop this, his assumption had been correct. Whatever the music was that he wasn¡¯t supposed to listen to, whatever it did, it was being presented as a diplomatic gesture of peace. He could not risk a diplomatic incident over the words of a gari informant he didn¡¯t even know.

    And this Kaykayzee knew it.

    Wyett made sure to not even so much as glance at Hyrii. With luck, she would be overlooked.

    It was not his first choice to rely on her, as she was largely just a personal interest to him and not a political one, but Dia had evidentially weaved fate to place her here by his side¡­ an unassuming gari that no one needed to pay attention to.

    He hoped it was enough.

    Kaykayzee took out a violin finished with an ice-blue sheen. She laid the bow across it¡­

    ~~~

    ¡°We¡¯ll be coming up on Axiom shortly,¡± Alexandrite announced.

    ¡°Good!¡± Blue stammered. ¡°No offense Alex but I do not want to ride another dragon as long as I live.¡±

    ¡°How am I supposed to take that if not in offense?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know I¡¯m just speaking what¡¯s going on in my head!¡± Blue laughed nervously.

    ¡°You should be more nervous about the master wizards judging you,¡± Tenrayce said, flipping a page in her book.

    ¡°You are doing the opposite of helping.¡±

    ¡°What gave you the impression that was my goal in this interaction? Or, secondarily, that I needed to be informed that was what I was doing?¡±

    ¡°I bet you¡¯re a riot at parties.¡±

    ¡°I do tend to cause them if I set my mind to it.¡±

    ¡°If you truly aren¡¯t afraid of heights, you may want to look out now,¡± Alexandrite said. ¡°Axiom really is a sight to behold from the air.¡±

    With a sigh, Blue adjusted her hat and followed Alexandrite¡¯s gaze. Despite the fact that she had lived a great portion of her life within the capital city of Kroan, her jaw still dropped. It really did look even more magnificent from above. The truly grandiose palace dominated the center of the urban sprawl, its many pointed domes colored the blue of the Kroan royal family. Patterns of constellations in the night sky were painted on every dome, art that couldn¡¯t truly be appreciated for what it was except from a bird¡¯s eye view. There were dozens of towers, numerous halls, and perhaps thousands of rooms through all the windows. The royal dragon den was clearly visible, with numerous very large and brightly colored dragons roaming about the very luxurious gardens they called home.

    Another striking location was the Academy, composed of the seven colored towers. The eternally burning Red, the blocky and disjointed Orange, the unassuming but pristine Yellow, the actively flowering Green, the eternally rotating Blue, the dark and shrouded Purple, and in the center the brightly-flashing Magenta.

    Lastly, there was the Great Tree, a truly massive plant of unknown species that the city had been built around. When Axiom was founded, it was no larger than an oak tree and seen as just a scientific curiosity, but it had never stopped growing and was easily the tallest thing in the city, if not the most visually spectacular. Numerous people lived on structures constructed around its trunk and in the dense foliage of the ever-changing leaves. Blue remembered getting nightmarishly lost trying to deliver messages in the Great Tree, but from up here all those problems seemed insignificant.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s worth the price of admission,¡± Blue admitted.

    ¡°Take us down into the royal dragon den,¡± Tenrayce said, flipping to the next page.

    This startled Alexandrite so much that he almost dropped Greg. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ll let me in there?¡±

    ¡°You are serving as my mount, are you not? You deserve a reward. Do remember not to rough up Greg, though.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Offer him a stay in the royal dragon den and he suddenly likes you a lot more¡­¡± Blue huffed.

    ¡°Oh, there are many legendary dragons the public rarely sees who live in that den,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°I am sure the luxuries of the location mean nothing compared to the opportunity to simply speak to such elders.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°You and I, though, will not spend much time there. We have work to do, and you have a project to explain.¡±

    ¡°¡­Great, now my mood¡¯s back to stress.¡±

    ¡°A more appropriate one, wouldn¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I have to like it.¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Short segment today, and one fixated on a very specific moment in the above chapter: the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho (which is a proper name for a people, not the name for the race) are immune to each other¡¯s lightning, even though they¡¯re clearly what we would call robots. Shouldn¡¯t zapping a robot with electricity make it short out, or something? Well, sometimes. Only if the robot was poorly designed and had open circuitry and you hit it in the right spot. However, lightning strikes our cars all the time, and they¡¯re perfectly fine, safe, even.

    In fact, if you put on chain mail, you can walk up to a giant tesla coil. Lightning will arc from it onto you and, aside from getting a little warmer, you will not feel a shock at all. (Assuming the chain mail was designed correctly, mind.)

    What¡¯s happening here is a property of all conductors: any excess charge will move to the outside surface of a conductor. There will be no excess charge on the inner surface or the interior of the conductor. This arises entirely from the fact that excess charge is composed of either negative or positive charges¡ªif you try to introduce both at once somehow, they cancel out until either one dominates or the charge is equal and there are no longer any electric concerns.

    Negative charges are the easiest to think about because they can be associated with electrons. (Positive charges modeled in conductors are just ¡°holes¡± where electrons ¡°should¡± be. This is confusing, yes, especially when you start talking about the ¡°flow¡± of these holes, so let¡¯s stick with electrons today.) Electrons all carry a negative charge, and because of this, they want to repel each other.

    When in conductors, electrons have the option to move completely freely within the medium, so they are free to choose the best possible arrangement for themselves, the one where they all repel each other equally. This turns out to always be on the outer surface of a conductor¡ªeven if the conductor is hollow in the middle, they still go for the outside! Thus, all the flowing of electrons in a metal goes out. And so, when lightning strikes your car and introduces a charge imbalance, well, it all moves around on the outside of your car. And when a Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho zaps another one, the charge runs along the outside, ignoring any and all sensitive components.

    Now, you are not made of metal, and thus are not a conductor. And neither is Jeh. When lightning zaps us the charge follows very different paths, often through the interior, where sensitive bits like our organs and nerves are. So don¡¯t go out and try to get struck by lightning.

    Also, even if you are wearing a chain-mail suit, there¡¯s still a problem. See, when we said electrons were FREE to move around earlier, this was technically a lie¡ªvirtually all conductors actually have some resistance to charge flow. The electrons still move to the outside, yes, but in doing so they generate a lot of heat. Which is likely to just straight up burn you given how much power a lightning bolt is trying to shove into you.

    Final fact: cars actually have a way to get rid of the charge stored on their exteriors¡ªthe ground. It ¡°slowly¡± (relatively speaking compared to the metal conductor shell) travels through the insulators that are the tires and seeps into the ground. The ground is a great place to sink extra charge, hence why we call all places we sink extra charge ¡°ground,¡± even if it¡¯s not literally the ground.

    Disclaimer: yes, cars are designed to withstand lightning strikes and keep you inside safe. No, this does not mean the car itself will be just fine afterward. It can mess up the tires, melt the antennae, and other things. Any electrical components near the exterior or point of the strike can also be damaged rather effectively. But you¡¯ll be safe. And that¡¯s the important thing, right?

 023 - Lectures, Diplomacy, and Diplomatic Lectures

    023

    Lectures, Diplomacy, and Diplomatic Lectures

    The royal dragon den was more a garden than a den. Large trees with pearlescent leaves grew among a carefully tended lawn with numerous large boulders, many of which were currently being used by dragons to sun themselves. Many of these massive stones had gateways carved into them that led into caves for those who would have preferred something more like an actual den, but few of these were occupied. Dragons were creatures of the sky, and given their size, they rarely found any need to go inside anywhere. Even the youngest among the species, while easily able to go inside structures, generally preferred the outdoors unless the elements were particularly nasty. As such, even the royal dragon den had no houses, just numerous plants and objects arranged to look natural while at the same time clearly being heavily catered. The entire place held maybe two-dozen dragons ranging in size from smaller than Alexandrite to a truly gargantuan red dragon comparable in size to a balloon whale.

    This red behemoth was clearly old¡ªtoo old for his wings to provide lift. He slept, currently, and it looked like he did little else.

    Alexandrite landed in front of the immense dragon whose maw was large enough to eat him whole. Blue and Tenrayce got off, Tenrayce immediately going to check on Greg, while Blue just stood next to Alexandrite, trying not to feel nervous at the presence of the enormous sleeping predator.

    ¡°Mica the Red,¡± Alexandrite said, voice solemn. ¡°He was a legend since before I was born¡­¡± Alexandrite shook his head. ¡°I wonder how long he has been here, waiting?¡±

    Blue looked to Alexandrite, frowning. ¡°You¡­ okay?¡±

    ¡°It is rare to see one of our kind so¡­ old.¡± Alexandrite shook his head. ¡°Most will die long before this age, and those who do not tend to hide themselves away. Even Mica here is hidden¡­ in a sense. Not just anyone can come in here.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± a female voice said. A purple dragon roughly three times Alexandrite¡¯s size came out from a hiding place within the coils of Mica the Red¡¯s tail. ¡°I find myself wondering what service you have rendered to be considered worthy.¡± She glanced past Alexandrite to see Tenrayce and immediately bowed her head. ¡°Ah, princess.¡±

    ¡°Rise, Kunzite,¡± Tenrayce said¡ªnaturally without looking up from a tiny book she had somehow managed to produce from her robes. ¡°Treat Alexandrite well, he is a guest. No, he is not a new royal dragon, but he is a Deep Messenger, do not think him incapable.¡±

    Kunzite lifted her nose into the air, clearly thinking this over. ¡°Of course, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Blue,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°We have somewhere to be.¡±

    ¡°U-uh right!¡± Blue stammered, scampering over to Tenrayce. ¡°N-nice meeting you, Kunzite!¡±

    Kunzite flashed her teeth. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, little one? Afraid?¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°W-well, yes, obviously.¡±

    Kunzite paused. ¡°Most won¡¯t admit that right out.¡±

    ¡°Would be kind of useless to lie, right? I mean, who wouldn¡¯t be terrified in my position?¡±

    ¡°Greg,¡± Tenrayce said, gesturing at the ugly horse eating grass without a care in the world.

    ¡°Well he¡¯s probably used to having giant dragons around.¡±

    ¡°And you can be too. In time. But that¡¯s for later, we really do need to get going.¡±

    Mica the Red let out a great snore that drowned out anything anyone could have possibly wanted to say at that point, and it lasted for quite a few seconds so Blue just shrugged, waved to Alexandrite, and followed the Princess. Even with Tenrayce riding horseback and Blue essentially being a horse, it still took a minute to cross the royal dragon den. Blue realized with some shock that they were going to the palace.

    Why am I surprised? Of course she¡¯d want to go to the Palace first, it¡¯s where she lives¡­

    A very large set of double doors designed for all but the largest of dragons greeted them. The rims were gold and the door itself a deep blue marked with numerous stars made from non-magical crystals. There were clearly innate, intricate designs all the way up to the top, but given its sheer immensity Blue had no idea who the designs at the top were for.

    Naturally, these doors were rarely opened and there was a much smaller, much less interesting door just to the left of it. This was where Tenrayce led them. She wordlessly handed Greg off to a human stable boy and went inside.

    The interior of the palace was¡­ admittedly not as impressive as Blue had been expecting, but she supposed they were entering through a backdoor into some kind of side passageway. It was mostly smooth, chiseled stone, with simple blue rugs laid everywhere. The one note of luxury clearly on display was the lighting¡ªevery wall was lined with Purple lighting casting the exact same kind of light that the sun would on a calm day. Blue quickly realized that all the lights had to be hooked up to some kind of central system that led to a wizard¡ªor perhaps multiple wizards¡ªalways putting will into the system to keep the interior of the palace lit.

    ¡°I can already see you dissecting our lighting systems bit by bit in that analytical head of yours.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t even looked up from your book.¡±

    Tenrayce nodded. ¡°That does not mean I do not see what happens around me, a fact of which you should be well aware at this point. Now, our destination is the Palace Lecture Hall, which should not be in use but will be in use very shortly. Father will want to hear you speak as quickly as possible.¡±

    Blue took in a sharp breath. ¡°Don¡¯t even get to recover from the ride, eh?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll have time, he has to gather the master wizards and his advisors, that will take time. You may scout out the Lecture Hall as you wish. I will send scribes to assist you. While your notes are impeccable, they are quite small to show an entire auditorium.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that¡­¡±

    ¡°The royal scribes are most diligent; I assure you their work will do you no disservice. Now, I¡­¡± Tenrayce suddenly looked up from her book. ¡°Oh, here she comes.¡±

    ¡°TENII!¡± a blue gari shouted, running down the hallway and pulling Tenrayce into a tight hug. Now this gari looked the part of a Princess¡ªan ornate dress with gold and silver emblems sewn into it and hair done up in a shape reminiscent of a badger, except with really big adorable eyes. ¡°You¡¯re back! Oh, I¡¯m so glad, you have no idea what¡¯s been going on¡­¡±

    ¡°If I had to guess, Father is making plans for both peace and war, Wyett has sent no word back yet of his efforts, and the wizards still have no answers.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ yes, but I was referring mostly to the string of murders.¡±

    ¡°Murders!?¡± Blue blurted.

    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± The Princess turned to Blue with a grin that really didn¡¯t fit the mood at the moment. ¡°There¡¯s been a lot of murders in Axiom over the last few days. Apparently they¡¯re pretty sure it¡¯s a kancathi, but can¡¯t find her anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Another plast dragon¡­¡± Blue shivered.

    ¡°You¡¯ve met one?¡± Tenrayce asked.

    ¡°Yes. Was¡­ not a fun day. Then, apparently, his people just up and killed him for failing to complete the hunt.¡±

    ¡°It is their way,¡± Tenrayce said, shaking her head. ¡°Surely, like all the races, there must be variation among them, but we have never found one separate from this way of life. But we also have never seen more than one at once¡­ it is most troubling if one is acting so brazenly. Perhaps there is some other goal¡­¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ by the way,¡± the young Princess said, coughing. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Blue suddenly remembered who she was talking to and bowed. ¡°Princess, I am Blue, a Minor Orange Wizard, primary theorist of the Wizard Space Program.¡±

    The Princess turned back to Tenrayce. ¡°Oh my gosh, you really found them.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes I did. Oh Via, when will you learn not to doubt me?¡±

    ¡°When you stop forgetting to toast your toast in the morning.¡±

    ¡°¡­Via¡­¡±

    ¡°What, she¡¯s clearly comfortable with you now, I can say whatever I want.¡± She gave Blue a thumbs up. ¡°Welcome to the palace! We promise to try not to scare you away.¡±

    ¡°RAWR!¡± There was suddenly a silver wolf in front of Blue. She screamed.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Both Tenrayce and Via shouted at the same time.

    None other than Queen Riikaz herself pulled the wolf-hide hood off of her face and grinned. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to but then you just set it up so perfectly¡­¡± She patted the frozen stiff Blue on the cheek. ¡°Plus, it builds character.¡±

    ¡°True, but still improper, she is our guest,¡± Tenrayce said.

    ¡°And you just claimed your mother, the Queen, was acting improperly.¡±

    ¡°We have already gone far too deep into improper procedure to salvage anything.¡±

    Via put an arm around Blue¡¯s neck as though they were suddenly best friends. ¡°See, look at the two of them, a debate of refined braininess versus the raw power of nature! Who do you think will win?¡±

    Blue looked at Via awkwardly. ¡°Uh¡­ there has to be a winner?¡±

    Via blinked, considering this. ¡°Hmm¡­ hmm¡­ guess not!¡±

    ¡°O¡­ kay¡­¡±

    Tenrayce turned from her mother. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have a guest to escort to the Palace Lecture Hall. I suggest you inform Father of our arrival.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Via slapped herself in the forehead. ¡°He told me to tell him the moment I saw you! Gotta go!¡± She ran off, stumbling a few times because of how ridiculously poofy her dress was.

    Queen Riikaz patted Blue on the head. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to us if you stick around.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ do intend to go back to Willow Hollow, Your Majesty. They do need me there.¡±

    Riikaz looked at Blue with a hard, thoughtful expression, revealing her to clearly be much more than some wild woman from the forest¡ªthere was a cunning intelligence to the gaze, one that spoke words without even moving her lips. Blue suddenly felt even more like a prey animal than she had when she was standing next to Mica the Red.

    Riikaz broke into a smile. ¡°Loyalty. I like that. I hope you get what you want.¡± Her smile softened. ¡°This is not a promise that I am an ally in your struggles. My first duty is to this kingdom.¡±

    Blue swallowed hard. ¡°U-understood.¡±

    ¡°Before you go¡­ what is your name?¡±

    ¡°Blue.¡±

    This made Riikaz laugh. ¡°Ah, a perfect name for any guest of the Kroan!¡± She held out her hand, making an unusual gesture that she then moved around Blue¡¯s face. ¡°May the woods and Dia smile upon you.¡± With that, she jumped into the air and proceeded to run down the hallway by smacking her feet into opposite sides of the wall, managing not to touch the floor the entire time.

    ¡°¡­Huh¡­¡± Blue shook her head¡ªshe had other things to worry about than the quirky royal family right now, she was going to be presenting soon. She had to get her thoughts in order. She hurried after Tenrayce, pulling out her outline for the talk from her saddlebags and reading it over. Yes, she had it well and truly memorized at this point, including multiple points of possible divergence, but it couldn¡¯t hurt to go over it again, right?

    ¡°MISS BLUE!¡±

    Blue froze in her tracks, her heart skipping a beat. She knew that voice. It was a voice she dreaded, perhaps more than any other, for every time it shouted her name, suffering was in order for her. To this day she still had nightmares of it calling her and forcing her to clean the bathrooms, to shine the windows, to organize the files correctly or be forced to start from scratch again¡­

    Master Magenta Wizard Richard Xerxes.

    ¡°Miss Blue, what do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± Xerxes shouted as he marched up to her. ¡°Charging in here with a bag of scrolls and the Princess?¡± His scowl deepened as he stopped inches from her face¡ªwhich had the effect of almost ramming his belly into her snout. She could smell faint whiffs of cheese. ¡°I thought I told you to leave! Did the record and decree of expulsion mean nothing to you!?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Um¡­ Sir¡­¡±

    ¡°Are those excuses I hear forming in your mouth? You know what I think about excuses, young lady! Now, there will be consequences for this, great consequences! I¡¯m feeling creative today. Miss Blue, do you perhaps have any suggestions on what should happen?¡±

    ¡°W-well I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Bah! I thought you knew better by now! When I want your opinion I¡¯ll give it to you! It¡¯s time to fall in line a¡ª¡±

    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Blue shouted at the top of her lungs screaming into Xerxes¡¯ face. ¡°Do you see this hat? Huh? Do you see it? I am a Minor Wizard. Vaughan himself promoted me! You know what for? Well, have you been looking at the night sky lately? See a little white speck flying across the sky? That was us! That was me! So you can go stuck a sock in it you narcissistic pedantic callous regimented old fart! You thought I didn¡¯t have what it took, but I did, so ha, there!¡± She rammed a hoof into his belly. ¡°I am not one of your students anymore, Richard, I don¡¯t have to listen to you, I don¡¯t even have to respect you, you are not my superior, you are just another wizard with a fancy career. Did you ever send anything into orbit from a backwater town in the middle of nowhere with minimal funding? No? Well then shut up!¡±

    Xerxes was stunned into silence.

    Blue walked past him and continued following Tenrayce. However, just when they were about to turn a corner, she stopped.

    ¡°And thank you,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°¡­You are most welcome, Miss Blue,¡± Xerxes said.

    Blue closed her eyes and used her telekinesis to wipe a tear away as quickly as she could. Wordlessly, she followed Tenrayce deeper into the palace.

    ~~~

    Despite being waist-deep in the discussions, Wyett couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it.

    Those crisp notes.

    The brilliant melodies.

    That song.

    Try as he might, he couldn¡¯t push it out of his mind. It was just so¡­ catchy. Playing on repeat in his head, over and over and over again. However, so far as he could tell, this did absolutely nothing to hinder his ability as a politician. He was able to navigate the complex weave of the Shimvale Council¡¯s governmental procedure without more effort than he would have expected (although it was still significant, considering how much of a mess their system was). In fact, it was somewhat pleasant to have Kaykayzee¡¯s song back there.

    Or it would have been if it didn¡¯t make Wyett extremely nervous.

    That song was supposed to do something. It was in his head. Did it mean something? Was there a message encoded in it? Perhaps the song itself wasn¡¯t anything, but it served as a marker, a declaration of some sort¡ªa signal for something else¡­

    The more he thought the less answers he had. It was just a particularly catchy song.

    But that gari put herself at great risk¡­ and she moved with far too much skill¡­ she made sure I didn¡¯t get a good look at her face, and that no one else would have heard¡­ surely, that was deliberate?

    ¡°¡­and while we have turned up nothing in our searches thus far,¡± Kaykayzee Ziggurat continued from her rather long-winded report on the efforts to find the source of the energy beam, ¡°¡­we did note, however, the presence of a balloon whale in the area.¡± She produced a scroll with a blue insignia on it.

    Wyett narrowed his eyes. ¡°¡­I am not sure what that means, but I believe I have seen it before.¡±

    ¡°You have?¡± Noran Toran flared his fuzzy wings in excitement. ¡°That¡¯s a lot more than we had to go off of, we don¡¯t recognize that symbol at all!¡±

    ¡°I did just say I do not know what it means,¡± Wyett reminded the sphinx. ¡°I do not even remember where I saw it. For all I know it is a family crest of some sort.¡±

    ¡°A bit too simple for that,¡± Vi said, the air getting noticeably colder as she did so. ¡°At least, in Shimvale and Kroan.¡±

    ¡°A foreign balloon whale¡­¡± Wyett narrowed his eyes. ¡°Things have just gotten much more complicated¡­¡± He made sure to commit the symbol to memory. If he saw it again, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to investigate. That is, assuming they didn¡¯t just make this up to absolve themselves of any blame. ¡°Do we know anything else about these visitors?¡±

    Kaykayzee shook her head. ¡°I am afraid not. Multiple scouts saw it, but it was already leaving to the South, and the environment up North is not conducive to the pursuit of a balloon whale.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised a balloon whale managed to survive the trip in the first place,¡± Fr¡¯ll commented. ¡°We generally don¡¯t bother with the resources required to maintain one that far North.¡±

    The quietest of the Council members, the red rigid who Wyett had learned was simply named ¡°Crimkle,¡± finally spoke in her scratchy, shrill voice. ¡°They are most certainly related. Find the balloon whale, find answers. Resources should be pushed to that end.¡±

    Fr¡¯ll held a tentacle to the top of his head. ¡°Do you have any idea how difficult that will be¡­?¡±

    ¡°It is the only lead we have at this juncture, we should pursue it readily.¡±

    ¡°The scouting missions are not complete.¡±

    ¡°We waste time in waiting for them.¡±

    How does anything ever get done here? Wyett wondered.

    At that moment, a blue-furred fox-like creature with nine very fluffy tails pranced into the room. ¡°Urgent message for the Council from the scouting teams!¡±

    Kaykayzee glanced to the other Council members. ¡°Shall we?¡±

    ¡°¡­No,¡± Vi said. ¡°It is too much of a risk.¡±

    The other three disagreed with her without speaking, each nodding in their own way.

    Kaykayzee nodded. ¡°Very well. Messenger, you may speak.¡±

    The messenger started. ¡°But¡­ but Esteemed members of the Council, I see¡­¡±

    ¡°Prince Wyett can hear whatever it is you have to say.¡±

    More moves to seem open¡­ could this fox-being be a setup?

    The fox tilted her head back. ¡°Very well¡­ the scouts have found what the believe to be the original location of the mysterious energy beam.¡±

    Wyett tensed. Answers.

    ¡°They have located a massive chasm that appears to be a perfect square cut into the ground. Within the chasm, no plants grow and all the snowfall is recent. It is new. Investigations are ongoing, but no explanation presents itself.¡±

    ¡°How large is this chasm?¡± Noran demanded.

    ¡°A few kilometers, at least,¡± the messenger reported.

    ¡°A perfect square¡­?¡± Vi¡¯s tone betrayed her confusion. ¡°Who would bother to go through all that trouble¡­?¡±

    ¡°What could cause that much damage to a landscape!?¡± Crimkle blurted. ¡°There does not exist a power on this world that could do that much! Not even a Crystalline One!¡±

    ¡°...Perhaps not a Crystalline One of normal size¡­¡± Wyett said.

    Kaykayzee turned to him. ¡°¡­Prince? Have you something for us?¡±

    Wyett nodded, reaching into his coat and taking out a map. ¡°This map was drawn based on observations taken by our wizards at an extremely high altitude.¡± He unrolled it and ran his finger further and further North until he came across the Purple cube. ¡°We saw a Crystalline One the size of a mountain.¡±

    All five members of the Council leaned in to examine the map.

    Kaykayzee waved the messenger over. ¡°Is this approximately the right location?¡±

    The fox woman jumped over and lightly sniffed the page. ¡°Yes, that matches what I have.¡±

    Kaykayzee frowned. ¡°To think, something so¡­ massive was in our backyard¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s preposterous,¡± Crimkle said. ¡°This¡­ this can¡¯t be real. What, do you think this supposedly mountain-sized Crystalline One got up and walked away, leaving a square hole!?¡±

    ¡°You seem to doubt me,¡± Wyett said, narrowing his eyes. ¡°And yet, this map is clearly more than a week old and it had the Purple cube in the correct position. Clearly, we are fabricating nothing.¡±

    ¡°¡­We assure you we had no idea such a being existed within our borders,¡± Vi declared.

    ¡°I think I believe you,¡± Wyett said. If they were trying to hide the cube¡¯s existence, this situation would not have occurred. Someone on that scouting team would have prevented this messenger from being sent. ¡°So, the question is, what do we do about this? The power of such a large Crystalline One must be astronomical.¡±

    ¡°And she¡¯s Purple, too,¡± Fr¡¯ll pointed out. ¡°For all we know she could be floating above us right now and we might not know about it. Who can tell what mastery she has over deception?¡±

    ¡°¡­People have been going missing out there as long as recorded history,¡± Kaykayzee said, face suddenly growing haunted. ¡°My tribe has feared that area for generations.¡±

    ¡°She did not want to be found,¡± Fr¡¯ll said. ¡°So why did she make her presence known?¡±

    ¡°Potentially because we were taking pictures,¡± Wyett said, folding his hands together. ¡°She must never have considered the possibility of someone looking at her from so far above she couldn¡¯t sense them.¡±

    ¡°Then how did she figure out you were looking before we did!?¡± Crimkle demanded.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the answer obvious?¡± Kaykayzee said, turning to glare in a Northward direction. ¡°Someone told her.¡±

    ¡°Shimvale has been importing a lot of Purple crystals, more than any other color,¡± Wyett offered.

    Kaykayzee stared blankly at him. ¡°We have?¡±

    ~~~

    The Palace Lecture Hall was situated in the west wing, near the edge of the Palace Grounds. There was a very practical reason for this: the dome that housed the Lecture Hall could be opened to the sky for the express purpose of allowing dragons to listen in should it be required. And yes, it was a Lecture Hall, not a meeting hall, or a conference room, as occasionally the Academy had to give a lecture to essentially the entire school body and none of the towers could agree on who got to have the big Lecture Hall, so the King at the time had said ¡°screw it¡± and had one built onto the Palace. Of all the rooms in the great Palace, this was the one a commoner was most likely to see.

    It was rather impressive, though not in terms of intricate designs or interior decoration, but rather pure size. Perhaps ten thousand people could have sat in the rows upon rows upon rows of seats. These seats weren¡¯t anything complicated¡ªauditoriums couldn¡¯t afford to do that in a place with as many different kinds of people as Kroan¡ªand were effectively just padded benches that were considered the best ¡®general size¡¯ for most people. There were flat areas in the back for larger races, and a few raised pillars the smaller races could climb up to get a good view. This occupied about three-fourths of the area¡¯s edge. The other fourth was the staging area, which was made out of well-polished wood, almost like a theater¡¯s stage but without as much space. There was an adjustable podium on the center of the stage, and behind all of this was a rather awkward rectangular room just inserted into it all where all the backstage equipment was kept. Hanging from the ceiling was a large white tapestry.

    The projector screen.

    Blue looked up at the blank tapestry for the umpteenth time.

    Even though it was a lot smaller than some of the things she¡¯d seen on her way here, it was far more intimidating. Her work was going to appear on that giant thing as soon as the scribes got their job done. Then she would use it to tell everyone about¡­ what the Wizard Space Program was doing. In the middle of a bout of what she hoped was just minor political panic over an energy beam flying through the sky.

    Nothing big.

    Nothing big.

    Blue let out a shaky breath and started pacing, going through her notes. She didn¡¯t have her actual drawings right now since the scribes were busy copying those over into projection devices¡ªa method of representation she hadn¡¯t thought she would ever be able to use, seeing as projection devices needed to have images stored in a very exact way to be able to transition from image to image properly, making each projector more or less unique. But this was the Royal Palace and they could afford to have scribes learn the exact way to store the images and have hundreds of storage devices cut in exact ways¡­

    And she was able to just say ¡°hey, scribes, copy all of this for projection¡± and they would go do it.

    Blue let out a demented laugh. ¡°This is insane!¡± She called.

    Her own voice echoed back at her several times over.

    It dawned on her that she was utterly alone. Alone in this room, yes, but that wasn¡¯t all¡ªshe was alone in her task. She had no allies. Alexandrite wasn¡¯t here, the rest of the Program was back at Willow Hollow, and she didn¡¯t exactly have allies here. The scribes were just helping her because Tenrayce told them to, Tenrayce herself was only acting out of practicality and maybe a sense of friendship with Seskii, and the wizards of the Academy were going to be against her on principle. She was more afraid of them than she was the King at this point.

    That was what she was facing.

    ¡°You signed up for this, Blue,¡± she muttered to herself, shuffling through her notes again and again, though her eyes weren¡¯t really looking at them any more, ¡°You knew this was coming, you kneeeeew¡­ ¡®hey, I¡¯ll go, I know how best to do this stuff.¡¯ True! Very true!¡± She adjusted her hat. ¡°And admit it, you wanted to come, you wanted to be on this stage so you could tell everyone what for. Show them that you did it. That you were better than they thought you were. That you weren¡¯t a complete failure but a genius. A friggin¡¯ genius!¡± She let out a haggard laugh. ¡°¡­I need some air¡­¡±

    She trotted up to one of the windows and threw it open, allowing the fresh breeze to blow through her mane. ¡°Ah¡­ good.¡±

    The Lecture Hall¡¯s windows led right out to a public park, specifically one she herself had walked many times during her time as a student. She saw numerous students walking through the greenery like nothing unusual was happening, like it was a completely normal day. She spotted many pointed hats¡ªa good chunk of them as gray as hers¡ªmoving through the green. There was even a small lesser unicorn with a hat designed just like hers, though the unicorn was orange and the ribbon on the hat was blue.

    Blue couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at this. Oh, the irony. Already, she was feeling a little better. Maybe it was the fresh air, or maybe it was just seeing people walking around like everything was normal. Because it was, wasn¡¯t it? Just another day for most of them, purple beam in the sky or no. This was Axiom, the capital of Kroan. Life moved on.

    Then she noticed a group of children dancing nearby. No¡­ not dancing, they were placing some kind of game where they walked in a circle. Humming¡­ something.

    Blue swiveled her ears around, trying to make out the tune. She couldn¡¯t quite put her tongue on it, but there was something about it¡­

    ¡°Ready?¡±

    Blue let out a dramatic shout and leaped into the air, her horn lighting up with a flash.

    Tenrayce put her hand over her eyes. ¡°¡­You better get ready, people are going to start arriving in ten minutes.¡±

    ¡°Ten minutes!?¡± Blue shouted. ¡°The scribes aren¡¯t done yet!¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are,¡± Tenryace said, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to remove the temporary blindness Blue had inflicted. ¡°Should be right behind me, in fact.¡±

    Sure enough, three scribes came into the room, one of them holding a medium-sized box. He set the box on the podium and opened it up, revealing a few dozen disc-shaped devices composed mostly of Purple with a few Magenta dots within flashing to indicate the storage loop. ¡°All of them have been tested, Miss Blue, they carry more than enough detail.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see then¡­¡± Blue picked one of the discs out and levitated it all the way up to the dome¡¯s ceiling where the brick-like projection device hung. She inserted the disc and then tried to perform a long-range cast with her telekinesis to activate the device.

    She didn¡¯t have enough will.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know what I was thinking¡­¡± Blue muttered. ¡°Who wants levitated up there?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll beat taking the rope,¡± a cat-scribe said, flicking her tail. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±

    Blue lifted her all the way to the projector and set her on a ledge next to it. The cat grabbed the device and put her will into it.

    Suddenly, an image appeared on the projection screen: the full, extremely detailed and precise diagram of the Moonshot itself. Even the tiny scribbled notes could be read at that size.

    Blue grinned. ¡°This¡­ this is going to work.¡±

    ¡°It is in your best interests that it does,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°Anything to alleviate the interrogation you are about to receive.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll show them¡­¡± Blue¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at the massive diagram. ¡°Just you watch.¡±

    ¡°I will be. Carefully.¡±

    ~~~

    The discussion had been long and arduous, but eventually sleep had to come. Wyett and his group were led to their rooms, which were apparently just in a really fancy hotel that the Council had rented out for them. It was quite fancy, almost worthy of a king, but it was still a hotel. Since there was no royal place, the government didn¡¯t have a place to give visitors proper luxury, so this was what was done. Wyett had inquired about it¡ªapparently, the theory was that it was better for companies to offer most of the services rather than the government itself.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Shimvale certainly was an experiment, that was for sure.

    Wyett and Hyrii stopped in the hall outside their two rooms. The doors were made of a deep, bluish wood that shone like ice, but wasn¡¯t cold in the slightest. Quite unlike anything they had back in Kroan.

    ¡°¡­Can I remove the earmuffs now?¡± Hyrii asked.

    Wyett glanced at her. ¡°You could have removed them the moment we left the meeting.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Wyett nodded in her direction, prompting her to remove the earmuffs. The tips of her ears were red and folded at an awkward angle, and she immediately started massaging them.

    ¡°Hyrii¡­¡±

    ¡°I made sure I didn¡¯t hear anything!¡± Hyrii said with a soft laugh. ¡°So, uh¡­ what terrible thing did I avoid?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Wyett grumbled. ¡°She played the song, it was good, it seemed like a gesture of peace, and we all seem to be on the same page right now¡­¡± He put a hand to his forehead and took in a sharp breath. ¡°It¡¯s not adding up¡­ we¡¯re missing a piece of the puzzle¡­¡±

    Hyrii frowned. ¡°Well¡­ what¡¯s our next step?¡±

    ¡°Kaykayzee Ziggurat¡ªthe violin girl¡ªshe¡¯s apparently got some kind of personal vendetta against the Purple cube, probably childhood trauma from losing someone close to the wilderness is my guess. She¡¯s ordered every record of Purple purchases and movement be tracked down to find out who¡¯s responsible for this. As soon as she gets results, she¡¯s going with us to the¡­ square hole in the ground.¡±

    ¡°Square hole?¡±

    Wyett proceeded to fill her in on what the messenger told them.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Hyrii let out a low whistle. ¡°She moved. That¡¯s¡­ wow.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Wyett frowned. ¡°Part of me wonders if this is a trap, but they¡¯ve let me send the messengers back to Kroan with no chaperones, without even blinking an eye. They act almost entirely like they want us on their good side, to be trusted, and the situation backs up their suggestion¡­ except¡­¡± Wyett tapped his foot. ¡°I need sleep.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you do.¡± Hyrii gave him a quick peck on the cheek. ¡°Try not to stay up all night dreaming up conspiracy theories.¡±

    Wyett managed a weak smile. ¡°Yes¡­ you too.¡±

    Hyrii laughed. ¡°I never have that problem!¡±

    Wyett fumbled with the key to his room and opened the door. As he entered, Hyrii caught him humming the start of a tune she¡¯d never heard before.

    She kind of wanted to hear the rest of it, actually¡­

    Hyrii shook her head. No, he needed his sleep. She opened the door to her room and shut it behind her. It was a large, rather extravagant room, far larger than the one she had back in Kroan. She was of noble birth only by technicality and actually lived among the middle class of academics, so the king-sized bed, ruffled curtains, and special candies arranged in an intricate mosaic pattern was far more than what she was used to. She would have let out a squeal of delight and enjoyed every little bit of it had there not been a person standing in the room, eating the candies off the plate.

    The person was a red gari in a black cloak who wore a bird-like mask over her eyes, leaving her mouth open to easily toss candies into. She offered Hyrii the plate. ¡°Want one?¡± she asked with a deep voice that was clearly exaggerated on purpose to disguise whatever she really sounded like.

    ¡°Um¡­ yes¡­?¡± Hyrii nervously took a candy. ¡°W-what are you doing in my room?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who managed not to hear her song,¡± the gari said, folding her legs and sitting down on the bed. ¡°So I get to talk to you.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, you¡¯re the gari Wyett mentioned!¡±

    ¡°I admit, that Prince of yours played what cards he had well, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure he would find a way to get anything useful out of my warning, but he managed not only to do that but to do his job as well. Though he does not yet know the price he paid.¡±

    ¡°Price¡­?¡±

    The gari sagged slightly. ¡°The song will never leave his mind. It will be within for eternity. If he is of a certain sort, he will spread it to other people around him, putting it in their minds, like a plague. Anyone ¡®infected¡¯ with this song¡­¡± She paused.

    ¡°Will¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to decide if you¡¯ll believe me or not.¡±

    ¡°Does it¡­ matter?¡±

    ¡°It kind of does.¡± She folded her arms behind her back and frowned. ¡°But if I want to do anything, I don¡¯t think I have a choice.¡± She suddenly stood up and crossed her arms. ¡°The song is like a leash. All those with it in their minds have become Kayz¡¯s servants. All she has to do is play a different song on her violin and they will do whatever she asks of them, even give up their deepest, most cherished secrets.¡±

    Hyrii stared at her.

    ¡°It is imperative that Wyett not know of this, for if he does, Kayz will be able to extract the information from him easily. No matter how pure his intentions are now, how much he plans to fight her, he will fail. He does not have immunity.¡±

    ¡°Immunity¡­?¡±

    ¡°The sound must be heard by ¡®fleshy¡¯ ears to work. Most rigids are immune, as is Vi¡­ I think, it¡¯s hard to tell with her. She¡­ is difficult for me to read for a lot of reasons.¡±

    Hyrii scratched the back of her head. ¡°So¡­ this¡­ Krayz can just¡­ play a song and get into your head? That¡¯s¡­¡± She pressed her hands together. ¡°I grew up among wizards, that¡¯s not how magic works.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s magic,¡± the gari said. ¡°If it was, Vi would react while it was being done. Elementals are extremely sensitive to magic fluctuation. The song has been played in her presence many times, but at most she flickers only slightly.¡±

    ¡°Not magic¡­¡±

    ¡°There are many incredible abilities thought to be attributes that were later revealed to not be.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ she¡¯s a human!¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ she is.¡± The red gari shook her head. ¡°Look, I can¡¯t explain it, I just know what is. She can do this, and she¡¯s spread her influence far. She¡¯s from a tribe so far North we didn¡¯t know about it until a few decades ago, and now she¡¯s on the Council? Nobody rises through the ranks that quickly.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of this¡­? Like, what¡¯s her goal, or¡­?¡± Hyrii flopped on the bed, head reeling.

    ¡°Since she¡¯s taken special interest in your group, it has to involve Kroan in some way. I¡¯m not sure if she wants power, if she wants to keep control of the border, if she has some negotiation tactic¡­ or if she¡¯s trying to destabilize your royal family.¡±

    Hyrii¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°This is Shimvale, Hyrii. As a rule, everyone here hates royalty. You have been given a wide berth by choice for diplomatic reasons. There is much legislation that all but directly decries you and your way of life.¡±

    ¡°How do you¡­ know all this?¡±

    The gari paused for a moment. ¡°There were some members of the royal family of Shimvale who survived the change of power. Mostly indirect relatives. Those who did were put to slave labor, but a bunch of nobles are not suited for physical work, so the Council found a new use for us¡ªpaperwork grunts.¡± She rolled up her sleeve, revealing a brand on her shoulder with three lines coming out of a single point. ¡°We do the boring, monotonous, and sometimes rather complicated work so they don¡¯t have to. It is better than working until our bodies give out and die in a field somewhere, but it is still slavery.¡± She rolled her sleeve down. ¡°But those of us who do well are given more and more sensitive documents. Never anything overtly classified¡­ but I think they think we don¡¯t actually read it all the way through and try to understand what it means.¡± She frowned. ¡°We are the ones going through the economic records looking for your Purple transactions, by the way. Thanks for that. Most of my people won¡¯t be getting any sleep tonight.¡±

    Hyrii shuddered. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°You did not even know we existed.¡± The red gari took out a Purple crystal. ¡°¡­I have spent more time here than I should, and told you more than you needed to know.¡±

    ¡°Do you¡­ know any more?¡±

    The gari grimaced. ¡°I¡­ I wish I did. But¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I can only warn you and hope that you can somehow bring her down¡­ eventually.¡± She twirled the Purple crystal in her hand¡­ and vanished. Hyrii heard the sound of the door opening a second later, but as far as her eyes told her it was still closed.

    Hyrii blinked. ¡°Well. That¡¯s¡­ impressive.¡±

    After she heard the door close, she ran over to it and opened it, looking down the hallway. She didn¡¯t know what she hoped to see, since the gari was clearly a master of Purple stealth magic. The hallways was just empty.

    Wyett poked his head out of his room. ¡°You okay, Hyrii?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah, fine¡­¡± Hyrii said, turning to Wyett. ¡°You think I can have a messenger?¡±

    ¡°What for?¡±

    ¡°I want to send a letter to Dad.¡±

    ¡°Ah, homesick already?¡± Wyett smiled warmly. ¡°I¡¯ll see to it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. But you get right back to that bed after you¡¯re done, you hear?¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Ladies and¡­¡± Jeh caught herself. ¡°Lady. Well, that removes a lot of the bravado¡­ unless I¡¯m talking to myself¡­¡± Jeh scratched her chin in thought.

    Jill made a rather unnerving beep from her position tied to Jeh¡¯s back.

    Jeh grimaced but tried to keep up the conversation. ¡°Anyway, what I¡¯m trying to say is¡­ welcome to noon in the Shinelands!¡± Jeh pointed up at the sun beating down upon them. ¡°You have the sun trying its best to turn us into freshly grilled steak! Then you have aaaaaaall this metal!¡± Jeh gestured around at the flatness of the Shinelands in this particular area. Her gestures caught the attention of a three-legged buglike rigid that jumped out of a tiny hole in the ground and skittered away. ¡°And, of course, the wildlife which¡­ is immune to the heat¡­¡± Jeh wiped her brow. ¡°Okay, yeah, being loud is quite tiring¡­¡± Jeh sighed, falling silent and continuing her trek across the endless nothing.

    She had no idea how close or far they were from the edge of the Shinelands, all she knew was that she was heading West and that the Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho were that direction. Beyond that, she hadn¡¯t the foggiest clue. How far North was she? How far South was she? For all she knew, she was going to walk into Shimvale and not Kroan at the end of this¡­ but that was getting too far ahead of herself, there were still the Wild Kingdoms to get through.

    The journey just kept feeling so long. And now that Jill was on her back in very uncertain condition, she wanted nothing more than to move faster.

    Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t want to waste her Orange trying to ¡°fly¡± around, and that would have been dangerous for Jill anyway. So it was just her two feet¡­ two tiny, weak, lanky feet.

    Jeh had come rather recently to the conclusion that she flat-out couldn¡¯t build muscle mass, no matter how much she strained herself. Through sheer force of will she could push herself far beyond what most people could, but evidence was rising that she would never get physically stronger, no matter how much she subjected herself too. These legs were her legs and she was stuck with them.

    And so was Jill¡­

    ¡°Can¡¯t be much further, right?¡± Jeh asked.

    Jill made no beeps.

    ¡°Right, conserving energy¡­¡± Jeh stumbled over nothing, almost falling flat on her face. ¡°No, no, let¡¯s not do that right now, nope¡­¡± She began to take more rhythmic steps¡ªone might have called it marching were it not for her slouched posture and heavy breathing.

    Variation in the scenery appeared on the horizon in front of them. It was large rigid ¡°tree¡± composed of six trunks and a canopy of ruffled black ¡°leaves¡± that promised the rare luxury of shade.

    Jeh immediately started walking faster, eager for a break. Maybe she could sleep the rest of the day away and then move during the night¡­ and get frozen but, well, at the moment frozen didn¡¯t sound too bad. It took her quite some time to get to the rigid, but the journey was uneventful. The rigid itself was growing out of a section of the Shinelands that was brass-like, as opposed to the aluminum that was basically everywhere. The trunks themselves had gnarls in them like real trees, except the twists had lots of right angles in them. Each trunk had a dozen or so tiny needles randomly scattered around it, the tips of which glowed a soft green color.

    And yes, there was shade.

    But Jeh was not the first to find this place. There, leaned up against a section of the tree without any needles, was the tallest humanoid Jeh had ever seen, with pale skin that refracted the light just enough to give the sense of a bluish glow. The woman wore long blue pants, hiking boots, and a very light short-sleeved top. A cloak, satchel, and belt adorned with a surprisingly large variety of weapons sat in a heap to her side.

    The woman¡¯s race was clearly meant to be thin, but even Jeh could tell that she was not meant to be this thin. Her face was sunken and her midriff was slightly concave.

    Jeh ran up to her. ¡°You¡­ you okay¡­?¡± Jeh knew the answer was no, but she didn¡¯t know what else to say.

    The woman let out a soft grunt, tilting her head to the side. Still alive, but definitely very weak. Looking her over, Jeh found that she was actually very well hydrated¡ªand in fact had clearly poured water on herself recently. Numerous empty canteens were in the pile of her belongings, right next to a rather impressive set of arcane crystals.

    But there was no food.

    ¡°Starving¡­¡± Jeh deduced, frowning. She didn¡¯t know how to deal with this. She hadn¡¯t bothered with any food and just decided to put up with the eternal gnawing hole in her stomach, annoying as it was. But this meant she had nothing to give this poor, starving traveler. She also hadn¡¯t seen anything recently that looked even remotely edible.

    ¡°There has to be something I can do¡­¡±

    And then she got an idea.

    ~~~

    Blue stood with her front hooves on the podium, watching as people filed into the Palace Lecture Hall. The Hall was far too large for the size of the audience¡ªa few hundred people would be there, at most. There were wizards of every color, though most of them were older, ¡°master¡± wizards. She recognized several of them from her time at the Academy: Xerxes, of course, but there was also Pepper, Rigelia, and her old professor WInthrope, a human with a very long white beard. Blue wondered if the students still talked about him tripping on it. The hatch in the dome was opening, allowing a rather large teal-colored dragon with a blue wizard hat to poke his head in.

    Aside from the wizards, there was one other large group Blue didn¡¯t have any real context for¡ªthe nobles. Unlike the wizards, who were organized and could easily be identified by their hats and colors, the nobles were an extremely varied lot. Some wore elegant robes, others wore more modern clothes, while still others wore nothing at all aside from a signet ring around their horns, as was generally the case for both types of unicorns. There was even a slime in the room who looked like he was made out of solid gold. Blue idly wondered what attribute that gave him.

    The royal family clearly stood out from the rest, largely due to their central, frontmost seats. Tenrayce, Via, and Riikaz were already there, with Tenrayce¡¯s nose predictably in a book. There was a fourth Blue had never seen there with them¡ªan old, hunched gari who wore very simple clothes, her station only identified by the platinum circlet in her rather ordinary hair. This was the Old Queen Ursulii, no longer officially governing anything. Blue had actually forgotten the woman was still alive, when she was spoken of these days she sounded more like a person out of history than someone who was still alive and kicking.

    Prince Wyett was absent, but that was understandable considering that he was away on some important mission. The absence that was more notable was that of the King. His family had even saved him a large, empty spot in between all of them, one marked by velvet cushion.

    Blue started to idly tap her hoof. She was ready to begin already, get this over with. The audience was already staring at her expectantly, and chatter in the room was slowly dying down. But the King wasn¡¯t here yet, nobody could start without him. She glanced up at the cat-scribe manning the projector, tapping her with her telekinesis to grab her attention. She lifted a hoof questioningly.

    The cat only shrugged in response.

    Great¡­

    There was suddenly a loud crash outside.

    ¡°My apologies!¡± a deep, authoritative voice boomed from just outside. The next moment, the King stood in the doorway.

    He looked nothing like Blue expected him too.

    He was short. Shorter than both of his daughters. Somewhat unusually for a gari, his shoulders and waist were wide, though he was still angular and fit. He wore flowing blue robes with furry segments that flashed with soft lights every few seconds. Magic? Or some unusual material? Blue couldn¡¯t tell. Under this robe was some armor that looked like gold but was most likely something else brushed with gold on the outside so it actually provided some protection. His crown was a magnificent structure carved out of some kind of blackish metal and laid with crystals of all seven Colors, with Yellow being the forward-facing one.

    He was clearly in a hurry as he all but ran down the aisle to the front-most row. As he passed, everyone made hurried attempts to bow in his direction. Blue herself did as well, but she realized she couldn¡¯t do that with her front hooves on the podium, so she jumped down from the podium and bowed.

    With the podium in front of her.

    ¡°Rise, rise, everyone rise!¡± King Redmind called, multiple times and with much shortness of breath. ¡°We¡¯re already late, we don¡¯t need to waste any more time!¡±

    Blue quickly stood back up on the podium, trying her best to hide her embarrassment that she had basically just bowed to a chunk of wood rather than the King.

    The King, for his part, all but threw himself on his cushion. Riikaz had to hold out a hand to steady him so he didn¡¯t fall over backward. He sat up tall, dusted himself off, and held out a hand to speak¡ªexcept his lungs weren¡¯t quite ready for that, so he took a few deep breaths before actually beginning.

    But once he did, he had everyone¡¯s attention. His voice was one of those that carried extremely well; even in a crowded room with many people talking, it would have been possible to pick out his distinctive tone from quite some distance. When in an auditorium with everyone else being quiet, he all but boomed his words. The show he put on during his arrival may have been decidedly unkingly, but as he spoke that memory drifted from people¡¯s minds. The man, the King, in front of them was no doubt the lord and master of all present.

    ¡°We are here today to listen to the report of one Minor Wizard Blue, of the Wizard Space Program headed by Wizard Gideon Vaughan. She is here to inform us of her Program¡¯s forays into experimental arcane devices and will comment on its relation to the unknown astronomical phenomenon that graced the sky just over a week ago. I understand this meeting was called on short notice, and that we are almost guaranteed to run long, but I ask that the people be patient with both our speaker and myself in this matter, for it is a time of urgency and unknowns. I will say no more¡ªI myself know little of the content of this talk, and am eager to hear what she has to say. So, without further ado¡­¡± He held out his hand to Blue. ¡°You may begin.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± Blue said with a nod of her head. I hope that¡¯s the right response¡­ She used her telekinesis to tap the cat on the back, the signal to put in the first slide. The projector came to life and displayed the logo of the Wizard Space Program for all to see¡ªa colorless wizard hat with a curved arrow pointing around it. ¡°Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, wizards and nobles of Kroan. I am Minor Wizard Blue, an Orange theorist and recently-promoted apprentice of Wizard Gideon Vaughan. I am here representing the Wizard Space Program, headed by the aforementioned Wizard Gideon Vaughan, and I will use my time to explain what we are, what we¡¯ve accomplished, the basic theory behind what we¡¯ve done, and what we plan to do in the future.¡±

    She took a breath. So far so good¡­ ¡°The Wizard Space Program was founded out of a simple, admittedly somewhat insane desire¡ªto see how far up we could go. The answer to that question, so far as we can tell, is as far as you want with no limit whatsoever¡­¡±

    And so went her talk. She was definitely not the sort of speaker they were used to¡ªregularly commenting on something in a rather casual, almost joking manner. She regularly called the physics ¡°annoying, frustrating, and downright stupid,¡± and would often repeat things for emphasis in a more crazed undertone. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, one of the main problems with going to the moon is making sure it doesn¡¯t slam into us at unimaginable speeds and turn us into a pancake. As delicious as that may be, we want to be able to come back¡­¡± But no one interrupted her, and most everyone had their eyes glued on her every move. At the very least, she was engaging them.

    It was hard to gauge the crowd¡¯s mood as a whole, especially considering how many different races with different facial structures there were. Blue could easily identify that she was boring Princess Via, making many Orange wizards so interested as to get them to start doing math on their personal notebooks, annoying many other wizards for daring to speak like she had authority, and instilling curiosity in quite a few cats.

    The King, though¡­ she couldn¡¯t read him. He was deep in thought, that¡¯s all she could tell. Then again, he probably had a lot more concerns than the other people listening to her.

    It was roughly three-fourths of an hour later when Blue finally got to the last slide and wrapped up. She¡¯d chosen the diagram of Operation Lunacy to be what she ended on¡ªeven though it had appeared earlier in the talk, it was the most visually pleasing of all the slides, and one she felt the most confident in answering questions about.

    ¡°¡­and that, as they say, is that,¡± Blue said. ¡°We are the Wizard Space Program, and we¡¯re trying to go to space. We have seen significant success in the Skyseed¡¯s missions and the launch of the satellite. Despite the loss of the Skyseed due to the anomaly, our unique situation has allowed us to continue working on Operation Lunacy. As I speak, right now the rest of the team is ironing out the details of actually building the Moonshot and running experiments to uncover the last few pieces we need for a successful mission.¡± She tapped her hoof on the podium. ¡°While it was our preference to continue working on this without any assistance, the anomaly has made it clear that this project has grown beyond what we alone can truly deal with. In short, we would like help. We believe our Program is very worthwhile and the research has already provided many tangible benefits. As such, in conclusion¡­ I have a question to ask all of you.¡±

    With this, she stepped down from the podium and took a few steps forward, teetering on the edge of the stage.

    ¡°Do you want to go to space?¡±

    There was utter and complete silence in the room. No one spoke a word. Blue could hear her own heartbeat.

    Pepper suddenly stood up, her fiery halo sending a few embers into the air. ¡°That¡¯s insane!¡±

    Blue folded her ears back and sagged. Well, there it is, the worst has come to past. I¡¯m going to get laughed out of here a¡ª

    ¡°I love it! Where can I sign up!?¡±

    Blue looked up in shock at Pepper. The fiery dryad gave her a thumbs up and a cheesy grin.

    Everyone else suddenly erupted in shouting. Some at Blue, some at each other, and no small number of them at Pepper.

    In essence, their response was best summarized as mixed.

    But, for some reason, Blue couldn¡¯t stop grinning like a little child.

    ¡°Order, order!¡± The King called. Several people listened, but there was so much noise and shouting that most people didn¡¯t even hear him. This prompted Riikaz to get an evil smile. As the shouting continued, she slowly stood up, cleared her throat¡­

    ¡­and let out a battle cry that stunned everyone in the auditorium into silence.

    ¡°That¡¯s better!¡± Riikaz said, sitting back down. ¡°What did you want to say, dear?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, my Queen,¡± Redmind said. ¡°Let¡¯s try to keep things orderly so we don¡¯t spend all day and night here. Already it is evening, and I would like to make it to bed before the date changes. So¡­ Miss Blue, shall we open it up to questions?¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    ¡°Then I shall begin.¡± He folded his hands together. ¡°Would you be willing to assist in the construction of another Skyseed here in Axiom?¡±

    Blue grinned. ¡°Absolutely!¡±

    ~~~

    Wyett walked out into the cold. It wasn¡¯t even night but it was already colder than most nights Wyett had experienced, even out on the sea. He really did need that bed right about now¡­ but the messenger he wanted had apparently decided to go outside to ¡°get some fresh air.¡±

    It was not hard to find him. He was a qorvid with a bright red sash running across his chest. He was sitting in a nearby tree with snow-white leaves, smoking a roll of something Wyett couldn¡¯t identify.

    ¡°Kelash!¡± Wyett called.

    Kelash dropped from the tree. ¡°Yes, my Lord?¡±

    ¡°Hyrii¡¯s writing a letter to her father, I want you to fly it back to Kroan.¡±

    Kelash let out an amused caw. ¡°The girl¡¯s homesick is she? She knew what she signed up for.¡±

    ¡°You are still going to carry her letter back as she desires.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course, you¡¯re the Prince, after all.¡± He took the smoking roll out of his beak and tapped it out onto the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll either be out here or nearby.¡±

    Wyett nodded. ¡°Of course. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, there¡¯s a bed wi¡ª¡± He stopped short.

    He heard the song.

    Slowly, he turned around. A bunch of neko children in large fur coats were playing some kind of game where they walked around in a circle, humming.

    Humming Kaykayzee¡¯s song.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s got you spooked?¡± Kelash asked.

    ¡°¡­What game is that?¡± Wyett asked.

    Kelash shrugged. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know. I think we have a similar game in Kroan. Dunno the rules.¡±

    ¡°The humming¡­¡±

    ¡°Catchy, but ominous, ain¡¯t it?¡± Kelash chuckled. ¡°Worms its way right into your head¡­ I think I¡¯ve listened to those kids too much.¡±

    Wyett did not know what to make of this. He couldn¡¯t put the pieces together. He wanted to, wanted to so badly, to know what this song meant. But to ask the locals was to not accept Kaykayzee¡¯s story that it was a song of her people.

    His hands were tied.

    All he could do was tell Hyrii not to listen to the children¡­

    ~~~

    ¡°You expect us to believe that the new planet in the sky is you?¡±

    Blue glanced at the neko man that had spoken, wearing the robes of a Purple wizard. She had no idea who he was. ¡°I mean, do you have any other idea as to what it could be?¡± She tilted her head to the side. ¡°I¡¯m serious, give me another explanation for a barely-visible speck of light that orbits around Ikyu once roughly every ninety minutes. I¡¯ll wait.¡±

    ¡°¡­Perhaps¡­ debris has fallen from somewhere else in space?¡±

    ¡°Ahem, hey!¡± Blue called up to the cat scribe. ¡°Get us back to the orbital trajectories slide! Thanks!¡± The slide she asked for appeared, showing the various orbits she had calculated, including those that didn¡¯t make circles. ¡°As you can see here, anything falling ¡®in¡¯ is going to remain on the same path it started with, something falling from outside will either whiz past us or crash into Ikyu. In order to get into orbit something has to act on it, and in space there ain¡¯t anything to act on it. Purposefully putting something into orbit wasn¡¯t easy, remember, we sent two up there.¡± She flicked her mane back. ¡°So, you¡¯d have to explain how something in space would naturally suddenly change how much energy it had and which direction it was going if you want to say that wasn¡¯t us.¡±

    This clearly made the Purple wizard quite angry, but he didn¡¯t have a retort for it.

    ¡°What do you expect to find on the moon?¡± the dragon asked through the hatch.

    ¡°Rocks, mostly,¡± Blue said. ¡°To be honest, we don¡¯t even know if they¡¯ll be the same kind of rocks as what we find here or not. The point of the trip is to go see what we can find that we didn¡¯t expect to find.¡±

    ¡°Have you considered the potential benefits of constructing things on the moon?¡± the dragon continued.

    ¡°I¡­ no, no I have not.¡±

    ¡°It is a large, spherical rock tethered to Ikyu only by which direction is down. However, as you have pointed out, the moon is in freefall much like the Skyseed itself. Such a structure would feel no ¡°down¡± and could be used to launch craft much easier. They would already be in a lunar orbit, would they not?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± Blue scratched her chin. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Yes, assuming the moon really is made out of rock, that sounds feasible. Getting that much construction material up there would be difficult, and there¡¯s the complete lack of air problem¡­ but you¡¯re right, if you could build something there it¡¯d be much easier to launch things from.¡±

    ¡°I think your idea is shortsighted,¡± a greater unicorn noble said, addressing the dragon. ¡°To build such a structure and use it would require that infrastructure be laid, infrastructure to build more ships. The Skyseed requires glass, brass, and high-quality Colored crystals cut to precision. We do not know what resources we may find up there.¡±

    ¡°The Colored crystals will never have been touched!¡± Pepper shouted, squealing. ¡°Imagine, brand new mines!¡±

    ¡°Then I have a question.¡±

    The voice startled Blue¡ªthat had definitely been a Crystalline One, but where was it coming from? Blue glanced left and right but didn¡¯t see a single Crystalline One in the room.

    ¡°Do not look for me. I am Skandil the Blue, and I am currently watching through the eyes of Princess Via.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my!¡± Via blinked a few times. ¡°Uh¡­ don¡¯t tell anyone about the¡­ uh¡­¡±

    ¡°I will not, I know the legal code well, but you have brought suspicion to yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­Dangit.¡±

    ¡°Regardless, my question. If the crystal veins in the moon are untapped, why then do we not see evidence of Crystalline Ones on the moon? Surely unrestricted Crystalline Ones would create visible effects; such as, say, a massive beam of energy cutting across the sky.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°I¡­ huh. I haven¡¯t the foggiest idea. Maybe they have some kind of society up there that keeps things like that from happening?¡±

    ¡°Or they¡¯re hiding on the Dark Side!¡± Pepper suggested. ¡°Right? Right? Come on I want to know what the other side looks like.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll record an image,¡± Blue promised. ¡°¡­Though I will have to adjust the mission plan, we were planning to skim the side we see, but it won¡¯t be that hard to go further out so we can see the back. Though the location of the sun will¡­ hmm¡­¡± She scratched her head. ¡°We can stay in space as long as we have supplies, I think we can add it to the mission. If not, we can always make it the goal of the second mission.¡±

    ¡°Getting a little ahead of ourselves, are we?¡± an Orange wizard asked with a gruff tone. ¡°You do not even have a functional ship that can make the journey, and yet you assume there will be multiple trips?¡±

    ¡°¡­Why would we go only once?¡± Blue asked, tilting her head. ¡°If the ship breaks we just build another, better one.¡±

    ¡°And you assume you¡¯ll have this money?!¡±

    ¡°We have been making a fair amount from selling images and air restorers to local astronomers, cartographers, and miners; in addition to some support from Wizard Gronge of the anglers. And, call me crazy, but I suspect we¡¯re about to see a huge influx of cash.¡±

    ¡°You presumptuous little¡­¡±

    ¡°I already expressed my intent to support the project to her,¡± Tenrayce interrupted him. ¡°There is no presumption, merely observation.¡±

    ¡°It will be such a waste of money!¡± a gari noblewoman declared. ¡°When Shimvale could come crashing down on us at any moment, we can¡¯t afford to spend valuable resources on such frivolous endeavors!¡±

    ¡°Frivolous?¡± a human folded his arms. ¡°This ¡®frivolous¡¯ activity garnered enough interest to get shot down! That¡¯s good enough reason to support it in my book!¡±

    ¡°Have you not considered the dangers of such pursuit!?¡±

    ¡°My, how suddenly your tone has changed¡­¡±

    ¡°Order!¡± the King shouted. ¡°This is a question and answer session, not a political debate. Leave your personal squabbles behind yourselves.¡±

    The two arguers had the decency to look sheepish.

    After a moment of silence, Xerxes spoke up. ¡°Perhaps I should address the dragon in the room¡ªno, not you Rutile, just the expression.¡± He narrowed his eyes at Blue. ¡°Your pilot.¡±

    Blue coughed. ¡°Her whereabouts are currently unknown and I have no explanations for her nature. She just¡­ is.¡±

    ¡°Have you not run experiments?¡±

    ¡°Several, some rather unintentionally during an attack from a kancathi, but that¡¯s irrelevant. She is not required for the space program, and as such is irrelevant here. And when she returns, she will be working for us.¡±

    ¡°You do not make that determination.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± an axolotl said from one of the piers for the smaller races. ¡°When she returns she would serve the kingdom much better as a soldier. No Crystalline One would be too dangerous for her, she would be the perfect scout.¡±

    ¡°A deal in regards to the pilot has already been arranged,¡± the King said. ¡°And the Crown does not go back on its word.¡± He gave Tenrayce a sideways glance that was impossible for Blue to read. Naturally, Tenrayce didn¡¯t even look up from her book.

    ¡°Besides,¡± Blue said, glaring intently at the axolotl. ¡°She¡¯s already acting as a scout, a scout to space. Would you like to risk yourself up there? There¡¯s a lot of terrible ways you could die. Burning up in the atmosphere, freezing on the way up, suffocating, starving if you end up in an orbit with no way back down, and then the classic hitting the ground at high speed. Or getting flattened by the moon. You get the idea.¡±

    The axolotl¡¯s frills ruffled, but he fell silent.

    Then there was another question, and another, and another¡­ it got to the point where they all blurred together in Blue¡¯s mind and she couldn¡¯t keep straight of what she¡¯d already answered and what needed to be gone over completely anew. The answer to a rather large number of them was ¡°we have no idea, that¡¯s why we¡¯re going up there to find out.¡± However, exhausting as it was, it sure felt good to put some of the people in their place. They wanted to ask a hostile question? They¡¯d get a hostile answer. They didn¡¯t expect it? Too bad, they were getting what they deserved.

    Still, she was getting quite tired¡­ at some point the sun had set. Stars were starting to appear.

    Finally, the King stood up. ¡°Everyone, I know there are no doubt hundreds more questions you wish to ask, but there will be time for that later. It is late, and we all wish for some rest. From all I have seen and heard, I can make a few decisions. First of all, the Wizard Space Program seems very promising, and unlike many of the proposals brought to my ears it already has results, so there is no need to convince me of the soundness of the theory. The Crown will fund the project, but Miss Blue, be aware that this will require oversight. The scribes will explain the process to you at a later date.¡±

    Blue bowed, this time making sure to step down from the podium and move to the side before doing so. ¡°I¡ªno, we¡ªare honored, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°You will remain here for as long as is necessary for your colleagues in the Academy to learn and understand the theory behind what you are doing. Wizard Rigelia, Duchess Tilenii Kroan, I assign you to head that endeavor. Together, as equals. And not until tomorrow.¡±

    Blue knew who Rigelia was, it was impossible not to know the fat gari wizard. Tilenii Kroan must have been a relative of the royal family; not all that surprising, the Kroans were rather extensive.

    ¡°Furthermore, I do not need to see any more to know I desire another Skyseed. The Moonshot is theoretical, but the Skyseed works, and I believe the Academy¡¯s astronomers will get much use out of it, while our administration will use it for more precise maps and, perhaps most important, to check on the status of the mysterious Purple cube.¡±

    He stepped down from the seats and walked up to Blue, extending a hand. ¡°I look forward to your Program¡¯s reports, both over the next few days and long after.¡±

    Blue awkwardly put her hoof in his hand and shook it. ¡°Th-thanks.¡±

    He leaned in and whispered into her ear. ¡°Your attitude has made you many enemies today. I will not be able to protect you.¡±

    Blue¡¯s face froze, but she continued shaking his hand.

    He continued speaking in his authoritative voice as if nothing had transpired between them. ¡°I would normally invite you to dinner but all of us want to get to sleep at this point. So, instead, I invite you to breakfast.¡±

    ¡°S-sure!¡± Blue stammered.

    ¡°Good. Tenrayce will come get you when the time comes. Until then¡­¡± the King snapped his fingers and a neko servant ran up and stood rigidly straight. ¡°You are to show Miss Blue to her quarters for the evening. As for the rest of you¡­¡± He held out both hands to the audience. ¡°You are all dismissed!¡±

    Suddenly, the quietness of the Lecture Hall ended as everyone started talking to everyone.

    ¡°This way, Miss,¡± the neko servant told Blue. Seeing that several people in the audience were walking toward Blue, she decided that going with the servant was the best option. The servant seemed to recognize this, since she ran as fast as she could out of the Lecture Hall.

    ¡°Wait!¡± a gruff and very angry sounding voice shouted. ¡°You don¡¯t just get t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, she does!¡± Pepper shouted, releasing an explosion of blue fire in front of Blue¡¯s pursuers. ¡°Let her sleep, idiots! Hmph!¡± She held a hand to her mouth. ¡°I got your back, Blue, don¡¯t worry about it!¡±

    ¡°Pepper how dare you assault a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not a single one of you are burned. Yet!¡±

    Part of Blue wanted to stick around to see how this interaction would end, but she knew that would defeat the purpose of what Pepper was doing, so she just ran after the servant.

    At least I have one ally¡­ the crazy fire plant lady¡­ She chuckled to herself. Honestly, that fits perfectly.

    ~~~

    The tall humanoid let out a pained grunt.

    ¡°Woah, woah, take it easy now,¡± Jeh said, putting a hand to steady the woman. ¡°You are in terrible shape.¡±

    Night had fallen over the Shinelands, and it had already gotten cold enough for Jeh to make a fire. The smell of smoke and recently cooked food filled the air.

    The woman opened her truly massive eyes, revealing irises that sparkled like stars. They focused on Jeh.

    ¡°Woah, that¡¯s the first time you managed to actually look at me. Progress!¡± Jeh grinned.

    Her patient opened her mouth¡ªand then immediately started heaving. She put a hand to her mouth, clamping her jaw forcefully shut as she wretched. Jeh watched with absolute disgust as she clearly swallowed something back down.

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡±

    The woman spoke, weakly, in a language Jeh couldn¡¯t identify.

    ¡°Um¡­ yeah I can¡¯t understand that. Can you understand me?¡± Jeh pointed at her mouth.

    The woman slowly shook her head. She tried speaking again. It took Jeh a moment, but she realized rather quickly that she was trying another language.

    Jeh shook her head. She pointed to her mouth and lifted up one finger, shrugging in apology.

    The woman sighed¡ªand then let out a pained wince, grabbing her stomach tightly. She slammed one of her fists into the ground, tightening her knuckles so hard that they turned blue.

    ¡°It¡¯s really not agreeing with you, huh?¡± Jeh asked, nervously wringing her wrists. ¡°Well¡­ all I¡¯ve got is more meat.¡± She picked up a metal skewer with some cooked meat on it from a pile she had accumulated. ¡°If you want food, here you go. ¡­Don¡¯t ask where it came from. ¡­Not that you can, but¡­¡±

    With pained, but determined, eyes, the woman reached out and grabbed the stick. She slowly but surely devoured it. Almost every bite came with a gag reflex. However, through sheer force of willpower, she was able to keep herself from barfing up everything.

    She must have known she had to keep it down, or she wasn¡¯t going to be making it out of this alive.

    Jeh winced. ¡°Wish I had something better for you¡­¡±

    Once she finished one stick, the woman leaned back and tried to relax, but was clearly in much pain. Jeh wished Green would help, but for indigestion it was completely useless, all it would do was un-digest the food and start the process all over again.

    After a few minutes of complete silence, the woman opened her eyes once more and pointed at herself. ¡°E-Envila.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Envila! Uh¡­ Hi, Envila!¡± Jeh pointed at herself. ¡°I¡¯m Jeh!¡± Is this how everyone else felt when I was learning to talk¡­?

    Envila nodded, then pointed at the form of Jill on the ground.

    ¡°That¡¯s Jill. She¡¯s¡­ not doing so good. ¡­Jill, beep if you¡¯re still in there.¡±

    Jill beeped.

    Envila¡¯s attention was suddenly focused on Jill. Envila quickly pointed to her mouth and raised up a number of fingers that she kept changing rapidly, then pointed at Jill.

    ¡°Okay so, mouth means language, uh¡­ oh! Yes! Jill might be able to understand you!¡± Jeh pointed to her mouth, then at Jill, and then held up two fingers and slightly raised a third, hoping to indicate that Jill could know more for all she knew.

    Envila nodded, and then started running through every language she knew, addressing it to Jill.

    The fifth one prompted Jill to beep.

    Jeh gasped. ¡°You understand her?¡±

    Jill beeped in affirmation.

    ¡°Great! We have a translator! ¡­Who can only beep. And needs to conserve energy.¡± Jeh ran her hand through her hair. ¡°This is going to be a headache¡­¡±

    Envila, meanwhile, had started talking a lot in Jill¡¯s direction. So much¡­ that Jeh figured she might as well just sit and listen. Maybe she could pick up a few things¡­

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT:

    Let¡¯s talk briefly about orbits. Even though Blue is operating with very limited understanding, she is correct that, in general, things traveling on a path in space will remain on that path indefinitely. Circular orbits remain circular, elliptical orbits remain elliptical, and even objects falling from infinitely far away will escape to infinitely far away once again, assuming they don¡¯t hit something.

    Granted, this is assuming only two-body dynamics, but for the Earth-moon system that might as well be the only dynamics to worry about. The moon is on its nearly circular orbit and it is going to stay that way. That said, there are a few exotic exceptions even in this case. High-density objects like neutron stars orbiting very close to each other will actually spiral into each other and collapse. The moon itself is actually moving away from the Earth at a very, very slow rate, but we have measured this rate rather precisely by shooting a laser at a mirror we left up there and measuring how long it takes to get back.

    However, for normal things going at normal speeds over time scales that a human life can experience, orbits essentially don¡¯t change. For the most part, crcles remain circles, ellipses remain ellipses, and the others remain others.

    Ah, the others¡ªthe parabolic and hyperbolic ¡°orbits.¡± ¡°Orbits¡± is in quotes since, technically speaking, they don¡¯t go around, rather they slingshot past an object in a curve. A parabolic trajectory is a special case, much like a circular orbit, where the ¡°orbiting¡± object is just barely moving at the right speed in the right direction to escape from the object it¡¯s ¡°orbiting¡± around. Hyperbolic trajectories occur when an object is moving faster than required for a closed orbit. If an object in a parabolic trajectory were to slow down, it would enter an elliptical orbit.

    All four orbit types are related this way¡ªif you¡¯re in a circular orbit, you can speed up to become elliptical, then even more to be parabolic, then hyperbolic. Now, this speed is not maintained through the entire orbit, but that¡¯s getting into orbital mechanics, and we¡¯re going to wait for that particular lesson. Blue thinks she knows orbital mechanics right now, but she does not.

    Now, to elaborate a bit on the few things that can cause orbits to change their shape over time. There¡¯s the obvious ¡°if you¡¯re a rocket ship, fire your engine.¡± But for larger objects, the force required to move them is so absurd this might as well not be an option. The actual sources of perturbation in orbits tend to come from the fact that planets are not actually perfect spheres and thus do not have perfectly symmetric gravitational fields, and the additional fact that there are often three different large bodies acting heavily on a single location. (The ever-annoying three-body-problem.) These fluctuations will, over time, adjust orbits. Particularly lumpy objects have gravitational fields that vary more closer to their surfaces, which is why low moon orbits tend to decay rather quickly. Low Earth orbits decay because there¡¯s enough of an atmosphere up there to inflict drag forces over time. The three-body effects happen when a body is feeling roughly the same pull from two (or more) bodies. These interactions create places where gravitational forces cancel out and objects can remain ¡°stationary.¡± The orbit shapes near these areas are very weird. Multi-body interactions are also what create resonances, orbits that are integer multiples of other orbits. (Or, well, technically just really really close to it due to orbit lag, but that¡¯s really complicated so let¡¯s not get into that.)

    There is one more asterisk. Elliptical orbits are rarely elliptical in the same place, most often they will precess around, actually tracing out something of a spirograph pattern around the star. Each individual orbit looks like an ellipse, but technically it rotates in some direction by a fraction of a degree. Usually not much to worry about, or even notice.

 024 - Legal Lenses

    024

    Legal Lenses

    ¡°Warm greetings, Ashen!¡± Suro called as he trotted up to the Crystalline One¡¯s clearing.

    ¡°Ah, I was beginning to wonder if you were going to keep coming,¡± Ashen said. ¡°Seeing as¡­ well¡­ nothing¡¯s happened.¡±

    ¡°Simply because I have nothing to report does not mean I shouldn¡¯t check in on you regularly,¡± Suro said as he sat down and started grooming himself. ¡°I know the phrase ¡®loneliness isn¡¯t good for a soul¡¯ doesn¡¯t always apply to Crystalline Ones, but I can¡¯t help but think you¡¯re all the better for having someone to talk to.¡±

    ¡°¡­I do miss Jeh¡¯s frantic loudness. The serene quiet of the forest can be¡­ aggravating, at times.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Suro frowned. ¡°From my experiences, most Crystalline Ones like the sensation of being alone.¡±

    ¡°Probably because that was the way they were born. Naturally, in a forest, or somewhere else. ¡­Jeh brought me many books on the subject. Those formed like myself tend to go awry.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ suppose that is the pattern, yes,¡± Suro admitted. ¡°Just one I haven¡¯t seen. Since. Well¡­¡± Suro let out a large sigh. ¡°That¡¯s actually one of the things you and I need to have a talk about.¡±

    ¡°¡­Am I showing signs of going crazy?¡±

    ¡°No! No no no!¡± Suro waved his paw to calm her down. ¡°You¡¯ve actually shown a tendency to calm down over time, remarkably so.¡±

    ¡°Then I am confused.¡±

    ¡°Understandable. Jeh probably didn¡¯t know about this and probably didn¡¯t find it in any book, as it is specifically the legal code of Kroan. One that has put me in a rather¡­ annoying situation that I can¡¯t exactly ignore anymore.¡± Suro flicked his tail to the side and sighed. ¡°To be an unregistered Crystalline One in Kroan is highly illegal, to the point where there is a government agency responsible for hunting down undocumented Crystalline Ones.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh. And I suppose the ¡®more fire¡¯ response I use to keep the bears away isn¡¯t going to cut it?¡±

    ¡°Definitely not, they employ Crystalline Ones of their own to this end, as well as some rather... effective individuals.¡± Suro lifted his head. ¡°Or so I hear, I actually haven¡¯t met any of them. We are far outside of where they operate, so you¡¯re safe. For now.¡±

    ¡°I think I see the issue. With Blue having gone to the capital¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, Willow Hollow is suddenly going to be on the map, and it occurs to me that you can¡¯t exactly be hidden.¡±

    Ashen was silent for a moment. ¡°Clearly, we need to either hide me better or find a way to ¡®register¡¯ myself without causing a scene.¡±

    ¡°I am¡­ surprised you warmed up to the idea so quickly.¡±

    ¡°I am quite warm.¡±

    ¡°Har-de-har,¡± Suro deadpanned.

    ¡°In all truth, it is the sensible thing to do. I¡¯m clearly putting you in a rather awkward place by asking you to keep this secret, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°At first it was no real trouble¡­ well, nothing that I lost sleep over anyway.¡± Suro shook his head. ¡°But I do consider myself a law-abiding citizen, and it occurred to me that everyone is required by law to report all Crystalline Ones. Even though basically no one knows that particular clause of the law and it¡¯s shrouded in awkwardly worded nonsense¡­¡±

    ¡°I have a feeling I am going to grow quite tired of Kroan¡¯s legal code.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a headache, you¡¯re not missing anything. We don¡¯t even have all the books with the code in it here, just certain relevant things, and even with that I think this is self-contradictory*.¡±

    *Suro is completely correct. The law requires that all Crystalline Ones be reported. But that report has to include a section on if the Crystalline One is a danger to society or a stable one. The course required to give a ¡°stable¡± recommendation is to spend ¡°a significant amount of time¡± around the Crystalline One to make a proper judgment. Both things are mandatory. There is no win here. Yay for legal snarls.

    What generally actually happens is the Office of Crystalline Investigations makes the judgment calls on what gets accepted, why, and who¡¯s liable to be prosecuted for ¡°withholding information.¡± Many have said this gives the organization too much power and leeway, but nothing has been changed about it, so it is what it is.

    ¡°Spare me the¡­ nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, of course.¡± Suro cleared his throat. ¡°However, I do have a plan. The plan can get you registered without the Red Seekers even knowing you exist, or even most of the town for that matter. So if anything does go down you¡¯ll have the papers to prove yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­What is this plan?¡±

    ¡°Well, if I sent in a registration form, it would be met with scrutiny and might get an¡­ investigation launched, and depending on who they send it could end in disaster. But if Lila, the mayor of Willow Hollow makes the report, it will likely be accepted without much fanfare.¡±

    ¡°You just want to tell your wife about me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not entirely untrue, but I wouldn¡¯t have brought this up if I didn¡¯t think it was necessary. I will, however, respect your wishes. Though¡­ I can¡¯t really protect you by myself.¡±

    ¡°¡­And I was thinking I was just going to have to deal with not being much of a secret anymore to begin with. Very well, you may tell her of me.¡±

    ¡°Great! She¡¯ll be so glad to meet you.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say¡­¡±

    ¡°She has to write that report, she has to make a judgment of you and who you are. She¡¯s not the sort to just rely on my word for something so official. The truth matters to her quite a bit¡ªeven more so than it does to me.¡±

    Ashen flickered a few times. ¡°¡­Fine. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like her! You liked Jeh, you grew to like me, it¡¯s just another person to know!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already hard enough thinking about just you two.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ eheh¡­ it¡¯ll get easier.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes¡­ I know.¡± Ashen paused. ¡°I miss Jeh. I wish we knew when she was coming back.¡±

    Suro sighed. ¡°I¡­ I do too. But we have no idea how far away she landed. Blue¡¯s calculations say she could be anywhere on this hemisphere of the globe. And if she hit the ocean¡­ she could be washed up on some deserted island shore somewhere trying to build a boat right now.¡±

    ¡°Then she should hurry up and build that boat.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Dark room experiment¡­ whatever,¡± Krayz said to herself as she scrawled a short description of what she was doing on a notebook. As the room was dark, she was using faint red light generated by a Purple crystal to illuminate the page. After making this note, she turned the light onto her experiment setup.

    She currently had the rather tedious task of measuring how light bent as it passed through various sheets of glass. For individual panes of glass, this wasn¡¯t that much of a problem and that data had been tabulated out months ago. However, they needed multiple sheets of glass in order to keep the windows on the Moonshot from breaking when hit by those tiny ridiculously fast rocks. Layering multiple panes of glass together like that distorted images even more. There didn¡¯t seem to be a way around this in general, though the flatter and purer the glass the better the results were.

    So, she had to figure out exactly how much light was bent so that when Blue only had access to one side of the window she could still figure out the apparent size of Ikyu and the moon. This needed to be as precise of a measurement as possible since there were already going to be huge error margins. Thus, the painstaking tabulation of exactly how the light passed through all the panes of glass.

    Krays was no mathematician. She could make measurements and write down the numbers, sure, but she wasn¡¯t exactly clear on what it all meant. All she really knew was that the closer to zero degrees it was, the better.

    She also knew that her eyes were getting strained with all this work. The procedure of the experiment was to set up a focused Purple device that released a beam of white light into the glass, and then examine where on the ¡°projection screen¡± it ended up. She was well aware that different colors ended up in slightly different places, and she recorded that too, but when the spread for that was large that meant the glass was bad. The problem was, she needed to see where the light was going and simultaneously read the grid with precision while in the dark without ruining her night vision¡­

    Basically, her eyes were sore trying to make out all the fine details in her current situation.

    ¡°Traitors,¡± she grumbled to her eyes as she wiped them again, trying to ease some of the burning sensation. ¡°You are my eyes, you¡¯re supposed to serve me. Now see the tiny ticks and write down the numbers. Got it? You better behave or I won¡¯t so much as look at Darmosil for a week! You don¡¯t want that!¡±

    Her eyes made no response to the threat.

    She muttered under her breath. She wanted to take a break and get out of the dark room, but that would require destroying her night vision, and waiting around for that to re-acclimate would be tremendously boring. What she needed was a better way to do this.

    She sat down in the dark and used some Purple to illuminate the room in a soft red beam. She saw her various panes of glass, the Colored crystal storage, and a lot of lenses she had made recently since focusing light was a huge part of the experiments and Vaughan wanted her to start sourcing the materials to make telescopes directly¡­

    ¡­Wait¡­

    ¡­Lenses¡­

    Krays picked one of her custom-made lenses off the table. Lens crafting was a bit different from her usual fare, for glassblown lenses, while powerful, weren¡¯t precise enough for the work Vaughan needed. So she had bothered to learn how to make precise lenses, which really involved ordering a curved grindstone from somewhere else and spinning it really fast to grind glass away to a perfectly smooth shape. Not difficult, though it did require a lot of specialized sanding.

    She carried her lens over to the experiment and held it up to her eye. The size of the gridlines and numbers increased markedly, making it much easier for her to see them. Even in the dark, she could now make out paint flecks and line imperfections¡­

    An idea began to form in her head. She began to chuckle. Sure, it may not have been the craziest idea she ever had, but it was one she just had to go and make right now.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you have thought of this sooner? It¡¯s so obvious! I¡¯m pretty sure that cat knows about this!¡± She bonked herself in the head, eliciting a short laugh. ¡°Idiot!¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Is this the week¡¯s shipment?¡± Lila asked as she jumped on top of one of the many dozens of minecarts currently sitting at the edge of Willow Hollow, each of them packed to the brim with Colored crystals and other valuables.

    Big G nodded. ¡°Does it meet your satisfaction?¡±

    ¡°You seem to produce more and more every week, of course I¡¯m satisfied.¡± Lila jumped to another cart.

    ¡°The mines are showing no signs of drying up anytime soon and we keep improving our techniques. You should have seen the improvement when we started using the air restorers.¡±

    ¡°I can only imagine¡­¡± Lila jumped to a cart of Magenta crystals, sniffing them even though they didn¡¯t have a smell¡ªsuch was the way with cat instincts. ¡°Big G, I have a question.¡±

    ¡°I hope I have the answer.¡±

    ¡°My predecessor never did these inspections, he rarely involved himself in much of anything. Did you prefer being able to work without oversight?¡±

    Big G folded his arms and frowned. ¡°¡­Yes, but not for any good reasons. Having oversight ensures that we keep everything organized, productive, and proper. You¡¯re not telling me how to do my job, you¡¯re just making sure it gets done. I think it¡¯s good, in the long run.¡±

    ¡°It takes quite the man to say something he dislikes is good for him,¡± Lila said. ¡°But perhaps we should address the fact that you are annoyed. Where do you suppose that comes from?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ma¡¯am, with all due respect, this is a business meeting, not one of your services.¡±

    Lila folded her ears back. ¡°Oh. Right. Uh. Hold that for later, then¡­¡± Slightly flustered, she turned back to inspecting the crystal merchandise. Everything really did seem in order and better than last week, as always. ¡°It¡¯s all good, Big G. Just make sure to file the earnings report when it comes in. Just in time, too, we need to re-pave one of the roads, it¡¯s barely more than a streak of mud in the ground right now. You should receive the financial record*¡­ within three days if all goes smoothly.¡±

    *In theory, every settlement in Kroan is part of the tax system. The system is decidedly loose and free-form. The local government is responsible for taxing the citizens however they see fit and writing up financial records of said taxations, which they then send to larger settlements with some of the taxes. However, the ¡°taxes¡± do not have to be money and are regularly just goods. For instance, Willow Hollow pays almost all of its taxes to the Crown in Colored crystals, with hardly any actual money or other products involved. There is rife opportunity for abuse in this situation, for out-of-the-way towns could easily tax the citizens exorbitantly without the Crown ever knowing about it, while also sending back faulty reports on how much was actually levied, resulting in a small number of ¡°miniature kings¡± who rule over towns with an iron thumb. At least until an agent of the Crown finds out. They tend not to take kindly to being lied to. Lila is not one of those people and is being very transparent, calculating out exactly how much she needs to give the Crown based on how much she¡¯s taken from everyone. She is not required to give this report to Big G, but she is anyway.

    ¡°You know I don¡¯t read those, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all about transparency,¡± Lila said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what the old Mayor was doing with all the finances, but I¡¯m pretty sure it wasn¡¯t done in a way any lawyer would approve of. And even without that, you are the primary person I tax, you have a right even if the law doesn¡¯t say you do.¡± She flicked her tail. ¡°¡­It is quite annoying at times, the law. Being a law-abiding citizen is not that difficult. Being a manager of the law while in the law¡­¡± She chuckled to herself. ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t be surprised that life continues to throw new challenges at me, but here we are.¡±

    Big G frowned. ¡°Lila, if I may¡­¡±

    ¡°You may always, I am not some stuffy politician.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± Big G shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re too¡­ frank. Open. You have doubts, and rather than keep them hidden, you show them. You don¡¯t act like a politician.¡±

    ¡°I am specifically trying not to, you do understand.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ know. But I think it¡¯s getting to the point where it¡¯s becoming harder to respect you as a leader.¡±

    Lila nodded slowly. ¡°I am well aware of this. I¡­ decided that I was going to do this Dia¡¯s way, or not at all. And Dia¡¯s way is the way of humility, openness, compassion, and a bunch of other words you already know. I¡¯m here to lead this town, but I will not pretend to be something I am not. I am not a perfect leader, and people should not put their whole trust in me.¡±

    ¡°Things go smoother when people have unquestioning loyalty, Lila.¡±

    ¡°Is smoother a moral good, though? Shall we throw away our values for the sake of efficiency? Ah, but there I go, preaching again¡­¡± She chuckled awkwardly.

    Big G glanced at one of the carts filled with Yellow crystals. ¡°Yeah. This is not the place. I¡¯ll take these away, now.¡±

    ¡°We will continue this conversation later in a more appropriate setting.¡±

    ¡°¡­Of course.¡± Big G walked off to start giving orders to all the miners on where to move everything.

    Suro walked up to her. ¡°Everything okay?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a strain forming in our relationship,¡± Lila said, frowning. ¡°I am demonstrating an entirely different sort of leadership than what he is accustomed to thinking about. Before I took office, he was the most capable person in this town and had no doubts about how he ran things. But when he looks at me, he sees someone effective, but not in the way he would do things. I threaten his way of doing things just by demonstrating something else.¡± She shook her head. ¡°He has not realized this consciously yet, and it¡¯s causing a rift between us. But he is not the sort of man you can just confront with his faults, for he will claim he is aware of them, but nothing will change. He needs to realize on his own, and I can only guide him.¡±

    Suro nipped her ear. ¡°Reminds me of someone.¡±

    ¡°Oh, me? Suro, dear, I wasn¡¯t even subconsciously aware. I was much worse.¡± She let out a hearty laugh. ¡°I do need you to tell me, though, if I am doing wrong in leading as I am.¡±

    ¡°As I have told you many, many times over these last few months, I think you¡¯re trying something new, and that¡¯s good.¡±

    She twirled her tail in his. ¡°You know, my heart says that your approval is enough for me¡­ but I have enough of a brain up here to know that I really do have to consider the alternatives anyway. Too many people depend on me, now.¡±

    ¡°No kidding.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, why are you here? Do you need to talk to your wife, your keeper, your Mayor, or your old friend?¡±

    ¡°All four at once?¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, this is going to be a big one, huh?¡±

    ¡°You could say that. I¡¯ve got something to show you in the forest.¡±

    ¡°And now I¡¯m intrigued. You need me to see something, you¡¯re a little nervous, and I can¡¯t know what it is ahead of time. The possibilities are maddening.¡± She pecked him on the cheek. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ~~~

    Vaughan came home from a productive day to the sound of maniacal laughter.

    ¡°What on Ikyu¡­?¡±

    He quickly tracked the source of the laughter to the dark room. It was definitely Krays laughing, which made him even more concerned. Had that woman finally gone off the deep end? She was never all that stable to begin with, and given her personality, her snapping would likely be very unpleasant for everyone involved¡­

    Maybe he needed to be ready to defend himself. He should probably¡ª

    The door to the dark room was thrust open, revealing a set of truly massive, bugged-out eyes inches from Vaughan¡¯s face.

    ¡°AUGH!¡± Vaughan shouted, stumbling backward.

    ¡°I hear you lingering around out here,¡± Krays said. She had two large and thick lenses strapped to her face with a mixture of rope, twine, and something sticky Vaughan couldn¡¯t identify. Now, gari eyes aren¡¯t small to begin with, and the magnifying effect of said lenses was so absurd that it made it look like the eyes took up more of her face than should have been physically possible.

    When she blinked Vaughan felt mildly nauseous.

    Krays grinned mischievously and started blinking rapidly.

    ¡°Krays, what are you doing¡­?¡± Vaughan ventured to ask.

    ¡°I can see everything,¡± Krayz said. ¡°Everything.¡±

    ¡°Did you¡­ need glasses¡­?¡±

    ¡°What? No, my vision¡¯s perfect! But now¡­ I can see more. Yessss¡­ come with me, ye of the not gray enough beard, and I shall introduce you to the land of¡­ lenses.¡± She dragged Vaughan into the dark room¡ªthough at the moment it wasn¡¯t all that dark, since there was a rather large lantern lit in the corner of the room next to a bunch of lens-crafting tools.

    ¡°Krays why did you take all this stuff out of your workshop¡­?¡±

    ¡°Because I needed to test it!¡± Krays declared. ¡°I brought everything here! So I could make lenses! So I could see¡­ this.¡± She pointed at the grid she had been projecting light onto. ¡°I can see the individual flecks of paint, Vaughan. The individual flecks of paint. I¡ª¡± she tripped over a box on the floor and slammed her head unceremoniously into the table, knocking off some pens and a notebook. ¡°Ah, floor, I see you have decided to show your treacherous leechy hide at last! But you shall receive nothing from me for your efforts!¡± She stood up and brushed herself off.

    ¡°Krays, you can¡¯t see everything, can you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can! Just not all at once!¡± She waved her hand to the side of her head. ¡°Basically nothing in the peripherals. But what I¡¯m looking at¡­ oooh boy, I don¡¯t think I realized until just this moment how ugly human skin is. Look at all those lines, those pockmarks, evidence of ancient pimples! Disgusting! Meanwhile¡­¡± she gracefully ran her fingers up and down her arm, on both the muscle and the plast gauntlet. ¡°Smooth, angular, pure¡­ and pointy! HeHAH!¡±

    ¡°¡­Krayz, you¡¯re scaring me.¡±

    ¡°Good! You need more fear in your life.¡± Krays proceeded to turn around. ¡°But perhaps, in my mercy, I may alleviate your fears by saying I¡¯m not excited just because I can see more. No, oh no¡­ the seeing more has let me do things.¡± She picked up a piece of paper off the ground and showed it to Vaughan.

    He squinted. ¡°What¡­ even is this?¡± He held the paper up to the light and strained his eyes. ¡°Is it just¡­ a black square?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a grid.¡±

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°A very, very, very small grid. For measuring things.¡± Krays tapped her lenses. ¡°I made things that could magnify more than this. I grabbed all of Blue¡¯s mathematical drawing equipment for straight lines. And then I just¡­ made a grid so small you can¡¯t even see it without magnification. Precision, Vaughan! Precision!¡±

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°You¡­ made a magnifier?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s as simple as strapping lenses together! And, well, knowing exactly how they refract light due to their shapes but I¡¯ve been sitting in here for so long I¡¯m already an expert on that! And so¡­¡± She picked up two lenses and put them in front of the ones on her face. ¡°I can see the small. I have become the great observer. And with time, I shall see smaller, and smaller, and smaller.¡±

    Vaughan backed a few steps away. ¡°Er¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°Because grids! Because precision! Because stuff looks really strange when you make it really big!¡± She threw her hands into the air. ¡°Or just because! You didn¡¯t have a reason for wanting to go up, I don¡¯t need a reason for wanting to go small! She tripped and fell, shattering the two front lenses, a few of the shards cutting her arms. ¡°¡­Little help?¡±

    Vaughan used Green to restore both her and the lenses. ¡°Perhaps you shouldn¡¯t wear them all the time?¡±

    ¡°I can get used to it!¡± Krays huffed. ¡°Just gotta remember I can¡¯t see left or right. That¡¯s fine, we mostly only look forward anyway. But the detail. Think of all the intricate glasswork I could make¡­¡±

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°Suro does basically already have something like this¡­ he uses it to make fine adjustments to arcane devices¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, I made this one, so it¡¯s better. Also, I bet he didn¡¯t make his. I made these lenses, Vaughan! From scratch! These telescopes of yours that see the stars are also going to be used to see the itty bitty teeny tiny insignificant specky minuscule points that make up everything! I just¡­ have to make them stronger! Yes¡­ more lenses¡­ more¡­ and some of them make things blurry so I¡¯ve gotta figure out which ones are right¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ pretty sure there¡¯s a limit to all this¡­¡±

    Krays grabbed him by the shoulders. ¡°Give me everything you have.¡±

    ¡°I already did. So you could make the right lenses.¡±

    ¡°Find me more. Get me those fancy schmancy know-it-all papers about everything. I¡¯m going to make you a telescope that sees small. ¡­Actually, why not take a look!¡± She pried the massive lenses off her face and put them on Vaughan¡¯s head.

    He immediately got a headache. One eye was magnifying more than the other. ¡°Krays¡­ it¡¯s unbalanced¡­¡±

    ¡°Really? I made it so I could see perfectly after lots of trial and erro¡ªoooh our eyes are different! Duh, you don¡¯t have to threaten yours on a daily basis to get them to behave, obviously.¡± She snapped her fingers. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, it¡¯ll just take a few hours of trial and error to get you your very own pair!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need special lenses for my face.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what they all say!¡±

    ¡°¡­I just want a telescope¡­¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ll get it, stop whining. Just¡­ be patient! Or something, I don¡¯t know.¡± She put her hands on her hips and laughed. ¡°But you and the world better watch out, because now Krayz can see everything! Nothing can stop me now!¡±

    ¡°Except tripping hazards.¡±

    ¡°A temporary setback.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Does it have something to do with the Tempest?¡± Lila asked as she followed her husband into the forest.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°What about¡­ hmm¡­¡± Lila clicked her tongue. ¡°Something to do with Ripashi¡¯s war on bears?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°The cube?¡±

    ¡°Nada.¡±

    ¡°Considering how little we know about the cube, it could have something to do with it. You know. Maybe.¡±

    Suro chuckled. ¡°I highly doubt that.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then, ummm¡­¡± Lila flicked her ears back and forth. ¡°Hmmm¡­ oh! Does it have anything to do with Jeh!¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually, but only tangentially.¡±

    ¡°Aha! Yes!¡±

    ¡°You have now used nineteen of your twenty questions.¡±

    Lila¡¯s nose twitched. ¡°Well¡­ there¡¯s no way I¡¯m getting it in one more question¡­ so¡­¡± She jumped up on a nearby rock. ¡°How far away are we?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s your last question?¡±

    ¡°Might as well make use of it.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯d answer that one even without the game!¡±

    Lila winked at him.

    ¡°Okay, fine, we¡¯re basically already there, I was wondering if you¡¯d have time to finish your questions. Which. I guess you just did¡­¡±

    ¡°All part of my diabolical plan.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, she¡¯s just through here.¡±

    ¡°She¡­¡± Lila cocked her head to the side, but followed.

    She had prepared herself for many things, but one thing she had not prepared herself for was the Red Crystalline One embedded in a tree. It was a curious sight¡ªclearly the Crystalline One had crashed here, given the crater-shape of the earth nearby, but had also carved her shape in order to support, so much so that her form was rather tree-like itself. A bright Red entity intertwined with the green of life; it was impossible to tell where the Crystalline One ended and the living tree began.

    ¡°¡­I could have figured this out,¡± Lila said, eventually. ¡°I knew about the whole situation with the Red Seekers¡­¡± She shook her head and smiled. ¡°Ashen, right?¡±

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Ashen said. ¡°I am Ashen, Red Crystalline One. A¡­ spirit of the forest.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lila started prowling around Ashen, examining her from all sides. ¡°So I take it I¡¯m here to judge if you are worthy of being registered.¡±

    ¡°Worthy¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. If I¡¯m going to file a report, I better make sure the content within is true.¡± She stopped moving around, fixing her gaze directly on Ashen. ¡°Which means I need to judge your character.¡±

    ¡°But, Suro said¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, Suro says many things. He does know me rather well and likely thinks there¡¯s no way I judge you as a danger to the town. He¡¯s probably right. But my job is my job, and I can¡¯t just take his word for it¡ªnot on something so monumental.¡±

    ¡°Why¡­ why does this have to be monumental? I just want to sit in this forest, talk to Jeh when she gets back, and¡­ live in peace.¡±

    ¡°The fact of reality is that you could kill everyone in Willow Hollow if you got bored and there would be nothing anyone could do about it.¡±

    ¡°I would never¡­¡±

    ¡°There have been many cases of Crystalline Ones who said the same thing and nonetheless did so. Many of whom weren¡¯t even lying at the time. Something occurred to send them into a rage. The death of someone close to them. The destruction of the environment over the course of fifty years. A few careful words from a more militant Seeker.¡± Lila laid down on the rock, folding her front paws one over the other. ¡°That is why the laws, as¡­ inconsistent as they are, exist. Tragedy can strike at a moments notice when one of your kind is involved. Many have been worshipped as gods, and understandably so, false though they may be.¡±

    ¡°I see why they exist, I am not stupid. I was born in a whirling torrent of rage only quelled by the quick thinking of your husband. What horrors would I have unleashed were his words not there to guide me? But since he was there, the horrors will not come.¡±

    ¡°How can you be sure of that?¡±

    ¡°It is not who I am.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then, Ashen, who are you?¡±

    ¡°I a¡ª¡±

    ¡°I would think more carefully before you answer.¡±

    Ashen fell silent. For the longest time, she said nothing. For her part, Lila waited patiently. Suro, meanwhile, was somewhat unsure what kind of game his wife was playing and was trying to just trust her to handle things and not interrupt. He was still visibly twitchy.

    He really thinks I might be able to make her break with what I¡¯m about to do, Lila realized. If she does, she is a danger. ¡­Oh, Dia, don¡¯t let it come to that, let her just prove herself and we can move on. I do not wish to weigh the morality of condemning another life.

    ¡°I am Ashen,¡± Ashen eventually spoke. ¡°A Crystalline One born of rage. Rage, anger, and a sense of great injustice. Those from which I was formed are second-class citizens, snubbed, laughed at, ignored, or outright hated. The Red Seekers are tormented the kingdom over for allying themselves with the Color of fire. I can feel their pain. I am their pain. Their cry for justice. For revenge.¡±

    Lila blinked a few times. This all made sense, sure, but she certainly wasn¡¯t expecting it. Then again, she had not been around many vulnerable Crystalline Ones. Perhaps they were all capable of such personal introspection.

    ¡°That fire burns within me, the desire to see the wrongs set right. But the Red Seekers sought to turn me on you. To worship the very concept of their rage. But you and your town have done nothing to them. You gave them a place to stay. You did not drive them out. But they could not see that, they could never see that, it was already too late for them. I¡­ was new. And I could see. I could see it. I could only see it because there were people there to show it to me. I was born among people who could only believe in prejudice against them. I had to see kindness from strangers to even believe it was a thing. Suro showed that to me. Jeh showed that to me. The rage is not gone, it is still there, and it will always be within me for it is part of who made me. But who made me is not as important as what I have become. I burn, but I do not want to. I want it gone. I want it out. I want to live here in this forest and protect this tree that I hurt in my panic, to repay the damages that I have caused. That¡­ is who I am. An atoner. For the burning rage within me, I shall atone, for the Red Seekers will not.¡±

    ¡°¡­You have come a long way in such a short time,¡± Lila said. ¡°I wish others were more like you, more capable of seeing themselves.¡±

    ¡°I am all I have to look at most often. I am such a curious puzzle¡­ how can I not?¡±

    ¡°Tell me, then, what do you think of the Red Seekers¡¯ beliefs?¡±

    ¡°I am no god.¡±

    ¡°Are you part of one?¡±

    Ashen frowned. ¡°¡­If I am, I wish it were not so.¡±

    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Lila jumped down from the rock and approached Ashen. ¡°You are not sure what to believe.¡±

    ¡°Jeh read many books to me on myths and legends and peoples¡­ the answer is not clear.¡±

    ¡°Is there a reason it would be?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°And yet, it is unimaginably important, is it not? What you should be and how you should act changes significantly if the Seekers are correct as to your nature, or if we Aware are, or even the Gonal. Are you right to reject the teachings you were given at birth, or have you committed a grievous error?¡±

    ¡°I have made no error!¡± Ashen¡¯s facets started sparkling rapidly. ¡°It cannot be right to lay waste to all. The revenge they sought is far worse than what they received.¡±

    ¡°Then I ask you this¡­ having rejected that, where do you wish to go?¡±

    ¡°Nowhere. I wish to stay here.¡±

    ¡°I did not mean physically. I mean¡­ mentally, spiritually, or perhaps some mixture. You have looked into yourself enough to know that you are changing. For the better, it seems. The question is, what do you want to grow into?¡±

    Ashen was silent.

    ¡°¡­It is not a question you need to answer right away, but it will be good to think about.¡± Lila smiled at her. ¡°You have passed my test. I shall request registration for you, and your existence shall remain a closely guarded secret known only among a few¡ªat least, as far as my power allows me to do that.¡±

    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°You actually proved yourself to me quite a while ago, I just wanted to help you examine a few things you might not have seen yourself.¡± Lila gave Ashen a warm smile. ¡°My politician job ended and my Keeper job began, I just didn¡¯t tell you that I switched in the middle there.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­ Thanks?¡±

    ¡°Do not thank me until you are sure you have benefited. Thanking out of politeness only is not the truth.¡±

    Ashen addressed Suro. ¡°And you really like this one?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the best cat in the world,¡± Suro said with a smug grin.

    ¡°She seems like a handful.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s also true. But compared to a dozen kittens¡­¡± Both of the cats shivered.

    ¡°I will be sure to drop by when I can, Ashen,¡± Lila said. ¡°You are now a citizen of Willow Hollow, and everyone in this town is my concern. I want your life here to be a happy and meaningful one. The two are often at odds with each other, but navigating that ocean is part of life. I can be a guide if you want¡­ or just a friend. Or neither, as it is your life, ultimately, and you can do what you will with it. That, after all, is one of the great gifts we have been given.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then I will thank you for the registration.¡±

    ¡°And that there is a truthful expression of gratitude. You are most welcome, Ashen.¡± She bowed her head. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me I have to actually draft that up, and that, ironically, is going to be the more difficult part of this ordeal¡­ I am well accustomed to dealing with people. Paperwork? Still aggravating and befuddling.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Seskii can help,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°Yes, but I really do need to learn how to do it all properly¡­ which is annoying since, so far as I can tell, basically everyone cuts corners around the law all the time. I know Dia said the institutions of the spirited are inherently corrupt but you¡¯d think there would be something in there¡­¡± She waved at Ashen. ¡°Until later, my friend. May Dia watch over your grove.¡±

    Ashen sparkled, intending to offer a word of thanks, but stifled it. It would not be true. After all¡­ did she even want Dia¡¯s blessing? The ¡°blessing¡± of the Red was hardly worthwhile¡­

    ~~~

    Vaughan woke up in the middle of the night and was struck by the silence of everything.

    No sound of Jeh snoring.

    No sound of Blue working furiously on some mathematical formula.

    Not even the deranged ramblings of Krayz.

    There was silence.

    Just as it had been before¡­

    He¡¯d lived like this for many, many years before the Wizard Space Program had started¡­ this was the normal state of the cabin.

    So why did it feel so¡­ eerie?

    Without really knowing why, Vaughan got up and went outside. He stepped out into the cold night air with nothing more than his nightclothes and looked up at the stars. The Stellar Flow* was on clear display high above his head, running across the sky. So many stars that they could not be distinguished from each other without a telescope, but stars they were¡­ all collected in a ring that surrounded Ikyu at distances so absurd nobody could even measure it.

    *The Milky Way was named because of a Greek myth about a goddess who sprayed milk across the sky. Naturally, Ikyu doesn¡¯t have this legend, so whatever they call the galactic disc would naturally be something else. They obviously won¡¯t call it the galactic disc since they have no idea what other stars even are yet¡­ The name Stellar Flow comes from no legend, but rather the academics at the Academy who were tired of listing every name the various peoples of Kroan had for it. It¡¯s where the ¡®stars flow¡¯ even though stars don¡¯t move. (Though, to be fair, at the time it wasn¡¯t readily accepted that Ikyu was the one doing the rotating.)

    What are they? Vaughan found himself wondering. The Moon is probably rocks¡­ so are the planets¡­ the sun is fire¡­ but what are the stars? Crystals? No answers were forthcoming. Objects almost randomly scattered across the sky¡­ almost. Pinpricks of light¡­ but with different magnitudes and even different colors. Were the fainter ones just further away?

    One day¡­ one day, we¡¯ll find out.

    But his thoughts returned to the empty cabin. We. Blue and Jeh were gone. Blue doing something she really didn¡¯t want to do. Jeh lost somewhere on Ikyu. And then the rest of the program¡­ they all had their own homes. Krays and Suro had families. Big G and Mary had their own secondary concerns. Seskii¡­

    ¡­Wait a minute, where does Seskii live?

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re doing some deeeeep thinking.¡±

    Vaughan let out a shout and pointed an accusatory finger at Seskii. ¡°You¡­ you!¡±

    Seskii giggled. ¡°You should see the look on your face.¡±

    Vaughan gave her an uncertain look¡­ and then let out a relieved laugh. ¡°Yeah, I was thinking.¡±

    ¡°About me?¡± Seskii fluttered her eyes.

    ¡°Well, yes, but that wasn¡¯t the main thing.¡± He put his hands behind his back and frowned. ¡°Seskii, I had grown used to being alone. I spent most of my time here, in this cabin, just¡­ being. But now¡­ now I don¡¯t want it to be empty.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be empty forever,¡± Seskii said. ¡°Blue and Jeh will be back. The program will expand.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Vaughan looked up at the sky, frowning.

    ¡°Unless¡­ you¡¯re thinking about missed opportunities.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I am not young. My thoughts were all focused on ¡®get old¡¯ and ¡®become a proper wizard¡¯ and ¡®gray that beard,¡¯ but¡­ there have been missed opportunities. I did not have to live in an empty cabin for¡­ so long.¡±

    Seskii nodded. ¡°Yeah, maybe it was a mistake. But so what? That¡¯s the past, you can recognize that now. There are people in the cabin. You¡¯re not living alone, cut off from everyone.¡±

    ¡°¡­Have you ever thought about having children?¡±

    Seskii let out a low whistle. ¡°Y¡¯know if you were talking to anyone else that question would probably startle them.¡±

    ¡°Not you, though.¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡± Seskii giggled. ¡°And I have thought about it, many times, but for many reasons it wouldn¡¯t exactly¡­ work.¡± She shuffled her feet awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s just not meant to be, for me.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ I am so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be, I have other things to make my life meaningful.¡±

    ¡°¡­I do wonder, if things had been different¡­¡±

    ¡°So many people ask that, Vaughan. But could it really have been any other way? Could anything be different?¡± Seskii closed her eyes and folded her hands. ¡°The decisions we made are what they are. If time were wound back and it happened again, is there any way we could have done anything differently? Right or wrong, we did what we did. What happened, happened. We succeeded or failed.¡±

    A single tear rolled down Vaughan¡¯s cheek. ¡°But¡­¡±

    Seskii put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Time is not our domain, Vaughan. We can¡¯t go back. Even the greatest Blue Crystalline Ones can¡¯t go backward. And besides, if they could¡­ wouldn¡¯t that basically ruin everything?¡±

    Vaughan frowned, staring at nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that whatever happened to you didn¡¯t mean anything. It did. Every experience we have means something, though most aren¡¯t able to see it at the time. But it happened.¡± She gave him a wink. ¡°So instead of asking ¡®what if¡¯ we should just ask ¡®what,¡¯ and become better people from those experiences.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ I find myself asking why?¡±

    ¡°Maybe so you could become the sort of person who would recklessly try to fly into space at immense danger to himself and kick off this crazy series of events that is going to take us to the moon.¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that!¡± Vaughan laughed.

    ¡°Or maybe the answer is even further in the future! Maybe the moon isn¡¯t the goal, maybe it¡¯s the stars!¡± She spread her hands wide. ¡°You¡¯re here now, and if anything had gone differently, how would you have gotten here?¡±

    ¡°Seskii¡­ you are far wiser than you look.¡±

    ¡°I am a lot of things I don¡¯t look like. For instance, did you know I¡¯m much older than I look?¡±

    ¡°Really? How old are you?¡±

    ¡°Vaughan! Hmph! Don¡¯t you know not to ask a woman her age?¡±

    Vaughan flushed. ¡°Well, I, er¡­ uh¡­¡±

    She booped him on the nose. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t give you a number. So¡­ I¡¯m at least four!¡± She gave him the stupidest smile she could manage and did a little jig.

    ¡°Why four, of all things?¡±

    ¡°The number sounded funnier than five.¡±

    Vaughan snorted. ¡°Seskii¡­ never change.¡±

    ¡°Oh, goodness me, no! I want to change!¡± Seskii put her hand to her face in mock horror. ¡°We aren¡¯t Dia, can you imagine being unchanging? With all your faults and shortcomings? You¡¯d never be able to learn anything new! I¡¯d never be able to tell a new joke! The horror!¡±

    Vaughan stared at her.

    ¡°Of course I know what you mean.¡± Seskii broke into a grin. ¡°It was just sooooooo easy to twist your words there. I shall do my best to remain the kindhearted, outgoing weirdo you know and love.¡± She gave him a wink and with a skip she ran off into the night.

    ¡°What a strange woman¡­¡± Vaughan said, chuckling to himself. He went back inside and found that he was able to go to sleep.

    ~~~

    The night was moonless and overcast, plunging the land below into nearly absolute darkness. The bitter cold chilled everything to its bones¡ªif it had bones, that is, which most things in the Shinelands technically didn¡¯t. On nights like these, there was no telling where one was going. No knowledge of how far had been traveled. No warning of potential danger lurking within the absolute darkness.

    But it was night, and they had to travel during the night. The day was no longer an option¡ªJeh had the capacity to heat things up for her passengers, but not cool them down. If they were to travel under the gaze of the sun, it would be most certain death.

    So Jeh trudged forward, a Red crystal stabbed into her arm that she used to continually regenerate a fireball behind her head to warm the others. The child was hunched over and grunting fiercely against the bitter cold of the night, a series of thick cords wrapped around her shoulders. The cords led to a ramshackle sled made of scavenged metal; little more than a rectangular slab on top of two curved blades to skate across the flat landscape.

    Atop the sled were two individuals. One was Jill, sitting near the back, unmoving. She only rarely beeped, in order to conserve her power. The other passenger was Envila, wrapped in numerous layers and seated as close to Jeh¡¯s flame as she could manage. Her eyes were not visible, for they were under her hood¡ªleaving such large organs exposed to the elements in her state would be suicidal, so she had to make do with blindness. To be fair, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to see much even if she did look around, as Jeh¡¯s fire was the only visible light. Normally, her mouth was covered by a scarf-like garment, but right now it was free, the only part of her skin visible.

    Even only seeing the mouth, it was easy to tell she was in bad shape. The edges of her chin were gaunt, and flakes were coming off parts of her skin. She was shivering¡ªand not entirely from the cold. But she was aware of her surroundings. Aware of the grunting of Jeh. Aware of the horrid scraping sound of the sled against the ground.

    Jeh suddenly flopped forward onto her face. The fire went out.

    Something ¡°you okay?¡± Envila called out.

    Jeh groaned. ¡°Just fine¡­ need to take a break¡­¡± With a sigh, she turned to Envila and tried to convey the same thing in her language of Desc. ¡°Good, me, stop. Some¡­¡± Jeh racked her brain. ¡°Some¡­¡±

    ¡°Time?¡±

    ¡°Time!¡± She grinned. Slipping back into Karli, she exclaimed, ¡°yes, I¡¯ve still got it!¡± and figured the tone of her voice would be enough to convey the meaning to Envila.

    Envila nodded. ¡°You something something good and something something stop something time.¡±

    Jeh paused. ¡°Uh¡­ Maybe.¡± She racked her brain for more Desc words. ¡°Some time. Wait. Uh¡­¡± She gestured at herself resting. I wish I knew the word for rest.

    Envila smiled warmly. She seemed to understand. Or, at least, she was used to this by now. This was hardly the first night they had done this, and Jeh had taken breaks then as well, it was just that Jeh hadn¡¯t known enough words to say anything. She still mostly didn¡¯t but they could at least get a few concepts across. And when they couldn¡¯t¡­ well then they could ask Jill but they tried not to do that. Plus, the language Jill understood wasn¡¯t the one Evila was fluent in, and it wasn¡¯t the one Jeh was learning.

    ¡°You learn something.¡±

    Jeh looked up at Envila, realizing that making gestures would be pointless she groaned. She repeated the unknown word. ¡°Meaning: fast? Meaning: good?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Jeh scrunched her nose. Good fast? Does Karli even have a word for that? She shook her head, she didn¡¯t need to know that. Already the word was lodging itself in her brain, exactly like all the words for Karli had come. Almost¡­ exactly the same.

    This confused Jeh somewhat. Hadn¡¯t Blue and the others said that the only way she learned Karli so quickly was that she must have known it at some point in the past? And yet, this felt exactly the same¡­ it was just coming to her, albeit slowly. Why would she have known Desc? She had lived in that forest for as long as she could remember, and what kind of kid knew two languages?

    Maybe they were just spoken nearby? But Envila didn¡¯t know Karli at all, and she knew a lot of languages. Some clearly better than others, though.

    This got Jeh more than a little curious. She picked up a Purple crystal and projected an image of Ikyu as she saw it from space, though without clouds, just showing the landmasses like a map. She turned to Envila. ¡°Question: word place? Look.¡±

    Carefully, Envila removed her hood from over her eyes, her two massive eyelids closed tightly. She rather quickly opened them, took in the information, and then closed them again. She thought for a few minutes. Then she took out one of her hands and pointed around the Eastern side of Ikyu and pointed toward the back.

    ¡°From the complete other side of the planet¡­¡± Jeh commented to herself in Karli. ¡°That¡­ makes no sense.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Envila asked.

    ¡°No words,¡± Jeh said with a shrug, the shorthand she had developed to let Evila know that she didn¡¯t have a clue how to communicate the idea.

    Envila said something that Jeh was starting to suspect translated to ¡°how annoying,¡± but she couldn¡¯t be sure.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Envila said.

    ¡°More food?¡±

    ¡°Food bad.¡±

    ¡°Food uh¡­¡± Jeh struggled to think of a way to convey taste. ¡°Nom nom?¡± She made a few noises with her tongue.

    Envila chuckled softly, then suddenly heaved, slamming one of her hands over her mouth. She took a few shaky, haggard breaths. ¡°Food¡­ bad.¡± She made a scraping motion with her hand, like a blade cutting, and spoke a new word. ¡°Ouch.¡±

    Pain. ¡°Food pain. Bad¡­ feel.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Envila said, clearly still shaken by her recent episode. ¡°Bad¡­ pain¡­ feel.¡±

    Even though she¡¯d figured out the word, it took Jeh a little longer to garner the meaning behind he words. Oh no. It¡¯s toxic.

    ¡°Bad food no.¡± Jeh said, reaching to take the cooked meat away.

    Envila shook her head. ¡°Need food. Food bad. Death fast or death something something.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°¡­not fast.¡±

    Jeh nodded, talking it over to herself in Karli. ¡°I think I get it¡­ you can¡¯t live off the food, it¡¯s bad for you, but with it you¡¯ll live longer than otherwise.¡± Jeh sighed. ¡°Move fast?¡±

    Envila sagged visibly in¡­ embarrassment? Shame? It was hard to tell. ¡°Yes. Please. Fast. More fast.¡±

    Jeh took in a deep breath. She didn¡¯t at all feel rested, but this woman¡¯s life was in her hands. They needed to get to their destination. Who knew how long Envila had?

    With a grunt, Jeh stood back up, took the ropes over her back, and started pulling again. ¡°Here we go!¡± She roared, trying¡ªand succeeding¡ªto motivate herself to give it her all. She may have been physically weak, but her will to move persisted, so this exhaustion¡­ well, eventually she¡¯d just up and collapse, but not yet. She was a long way from that. Sore muscles? So what? Lungs on fire? Hah!

    It was nothing¡­

    Definitely nothing.

    I can do this.

    At first, she counted her steps, just as a way to prove to herself that she could always do more. But she lost count. She stumbled. She shook. And¡ª

    ¡ªsuddenly everything was bright. The shock of going from the warm light of what was essentially a floating campfire to something that was comparable to staring right at the sun was enough to make her fall backward. Sensing that something bad was about to happen, she whipped out her Orange crystal and tried to send out a shockwave to push anything that might be attacking back.

    She felt her attempt fail.

    She was low on will.

    Uh-oh.

    While Jeh was haggard and exhausted, she was not out. She stood onto her feet and took up a fighting stance, even though she wasn¡¯t exactly sure what she was going to fight with. She couldn¡¯t see anything in the light, but she could hear. There was Envila¡¯s haggard breathing. Jill beeping¡­ a lot, actually, what did that mean?

    And then there was the sound of metal scraping, getting closer and closer to her. Almost like¡­ skittering.

    At this point, Jeh¡¯s eyes finally started to adjust. She could make out large, blade-like shapes in the light¡­ attached to a central body¡­ Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho.

    Did they really chase us all the way here!?

    The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho stopped in front of her and spoke in a monotone voice with words she couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Uh¡­ didn¡¯t catch that,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Karli identified,¡± the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho said. ¡°I asked you to identify yourselves.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Jeh, this is Envila, and this is Jill. Are¡­ are you the Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho?¡±

    ¡°That is an acceptable moniker.¡±

    ¡°Good! We¡¯ve been looking for you!¡± Jeh lit up. ¡°Envila¡¯s about to starve to death and the food I have can¡¯t help her, and the other Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho ripped out Jill¡¯s organs and I¡¯m hoping you know what to do to heal her? Please?¡±

    ¡°Validating¡­ you appear to speak the truth. Order: dim lights.¡±

    Suddenly, the lights dropped to a much more manageable level, revealing several dozen Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho holding Purple crystals, completely surrounding the travelers.

    The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho who had spoken stepped forward. ¡°I am Monomial Root, Initial Order of this Sect. I offer no promises. We may or may not be able to fix Jill the watchlight. But we do have stores of biological food for travelers who pass through. Virtually all who make it across need it, even if our brethren did not accost them on the journey.¡± The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho gingerly took the ropes off of Jeh¡¯s shoulders, removing her burden. ¡°Come, let us get you rested.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡± Jeh said, allowing her shoulders to sag. She jumped up onto the sled with Envila and Jill and let the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho push them. She spoke to Envila in Desc. ¡°We here. Safe. Friends.¡±

    Envila nodded.

    ¡°By the way, Monomial,¡± Jeh began. ¡°How close are we to the edge of the Shinelands?¡±

    ¡°You are there now,¡± Monomial said. ¡°If you look in the distance, you can see the Wild Kingdoms.¡±

    Jeh gasped. ¡°Really!? ¡­Wait, no, it¡¯s dark.¡±

    Monomial lit up the Purple crystal and shone the bright spotlight into the distance. It didn¡¯t illuminate things that far away very well, but Jeh could make out trees. Lots of trees, and a few mushroom-trees as well.

    Their journey across the Shinelands was finally over.

    Envila said a word Jeh didn¡¯t recognize.

    ¡°Eh?¡± Jeh tilted her head in confusion.

    Envila switched languages¡­ probably to the one Jill recognized.

    ¡°Understood,¡± Monomial Root said.

    ¡°What did she ask for?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°She requested a bucket.¡±

    ¡°Why would she need a¡ªooooh, oh. Oh.¡± Jeh rubbed her arm awkwardly. ¡°Yeah, that¡­ that might be a good idea, now that we¡¯re safe¡­¡±

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Okay, so, first of all, optics is not my strong suit, I never studied it directly. So I don¡¯t have a great grasp on focal length, lens dynamics, and all that nonsense. (The best part of research for this chapter was reading about how lenses were made in olden times. Basically just a really fancy grindstone if you wanted anything precise.)

    However, there is one question that I think we can spend some time looking into: why DO lenses work? Why do they make things bigger or smaller? (Let¡¯s not worry about the issues of focusing images and all that nonsense, at least for now.)

    Lenses are made out of many materials, but the most common in our past was simple glass. Glass bubbles could make things larger, and eventually people figured out the ideal shapes for them that bend light to magnify things in specific ways. It¡¯s not so easy to see that glass bends light in day-to-day life, because we look through windows and don¡¯t see much of a problem. However, it is very easy to see in, say, a glass of water. Everyone¡¯s noticed that a straw sitting in such a glass doesn¡¯t look straight. It¡¯s still straight, naturally, it¡¯s just the light isn¡¯t taking a straight path from the straw to your eye due to both the glass and the water. The amount by which the light bends is determined by the material it''s passing through: be it air, water, or glass. Each material has its own index of refraction. The larger the difference between the two mediums, the greater the light will bend. Larger angles with respect to the surface also create larger effects (or might even reflect)!

    This is the answer most people get in grade school and are satisfied with it. Of course, the materials just bend light. But we here at GM Industries have a serious problem with asking ¡°well why?¡± Light, after all, is composed of photons. What happens when the photon changes the medium it¡¯s traveling through that makes it bend?

    The explanation behind the explanation is that light seeks to take the path of least resistance and that when the light passes into a different medium (such as glass) it changes its speed and thus adjusts its angle to minimize the path taken. This is a rather roundabout argument, admittedly, and to really show it involves working out the math and showing that, yep, it does in fact produce the observed effect of refraction if we assume the path of least resistance.

    Except. See. Light travels at this thing called the speed of light. It can¡¯t be slowing down, no matter what reference frame we are in. Relativity demands that we always observe light to be traveling the same speed! So what on Earth is happening here if light isn¡¯t moving slower?

    Well, what we¡¯ve got here is an effect of wave dynamics. Each individual photon isn¡¯t moving slower, that¡¯s for sure. However, photons are not just particles, they are also waves, waves of electromagnetic radiation. Individually these waves do all sorts of things¡ªsmash into atoms, pass through things, etc. All of them are always moving at the speed of light, no matter what.

    However, the wave nature of light allows waves to interfere with each other. The photons interfere with other photons, yes, but they also interfere with matter. Atoms, being composed of electrons and protons, will react and oscillate in response to light passing through them (or even near it). These oscillations change the electromagnetic field. Thus, a sea of photons passing through dense matter will be affected more than a sea of photons passing through loose matter, such as air. This makes the overall wave pattern of the photons exhibit a slower speed due to the induced interference. Thus, with the slower speed, the wave takes the path of least resistance and bends.

    As for why one specific angle in particular is the way light wants to go, it¡¯s because a continuum of photons will have some parts of it hit the medium before the other parts, causing the shift in speed to be applied at different times to different parts of the wave, and thus the entire thing just bends in a reliable, predictable matter. Basically, refraction only works due to the wave nature of light.

    However, the case for single photons is WEIRD. They tend to smack into atoms, exciting an electron, which prompts another photon to be emitted later. This is not the source behind the slowing because even though it does take time to do this, it¡¯s a very random process and could go any direction, even backward. However, if a single photon is passing through a medium with only a minor chance of being absorbed, it will pass right through. Even a single photon will still refract! But didn''t we just say the continuum is required to cause this effect? Well, this is what we like to call Quantum Weirdness. So long as a photon doesn''t hit anything, it can remain in a wavelike state and be in multiple places at once, effectively interfering with ITSELF. Really funky stuff. But the finer points of the dual slit experiment are a little beyond this section.

    To those who think its weird that the continuum wave of light moves at a different speed than the light itself, you are not alone. But it¡¯s actually somewhat easy to do¡ªit¡¯s even possible to offset wavelengths of any sort of wave in such a way that the particles are all moving one direction but the wavefront is going backward! Granted, this doesn¡¯t happen in refraction, but it is possible to engineer a case. Play around with some stones in the water: the signal of the splash always travels out at the speed of sound in the medium, but it isn¡¯t all that difficult to get interference patterns that propagate separately from that. Though not in the reverse direction. That requires some engineering.

 025 - Wrong Place, Wrong Time

    Wrong Place, Wrong Time

    Master Wizard Rigelia was a fat, narcissistic force of nature who had clearly never found a person she couldn¡¯t push around, if not with her words, than with her mastery over Orange magic. Those who crossed her were generally shoved out of the way until they were in a ¡°better mood;¡± according to Rigelia anyway, though in practice it was generally Rigelia¡¯s mood that had to improve before headway could be made. But, at least, she was technically intelligent and knew her way around academic pursuits.

    Duchess Tilenii Kroan was not. She lacked the blatant hypocrisy painted all over Rigelia, but this made for a hard woman who was much less fun to watch from a distance. The woman was aging and boring. It seemed like she knew nothing about the existence of ¡°fun¡± and instead only spoke of economic policy, tangible benefits, and efficiency; all without actually understanding how any of these things would come about from their scientific work.

    Blue hated both of them.

    Rigelia¡¯s opinion on Blue seemed to change hourly, confusing Blue considerably. Some moments she found Blue cute and amusing in a way not unlike a dumb pet. Other times she found Blue absolutely insufferable and shoved her out of the room before she could even speak a sentence. Still other times she would pretend to listen to Blue, laugh, and then proceed to say ¡°that¡¯s wrong so¡­¡± while clearly not having actually considered any of Blue¡¯s points. Which made it even more baffling when she then included Blue¡¯s ideas anyway¡­

    Tilenii was, at least, consistent. Consistent in her clear distaste of¡­ life, it seemed. Nothing made her smile. Blue knew she was fortunate that Rigelia was around, because the wizard got most of Tilenii¡¯s ire rather than Blue herself. Blue almost didn¡¯t exist in the noble¡¯s eyes¡ªto her, Blue was a consultant, one with knowledge, not someone to actually involve in the making of decisions.

    And yet the three of them had to work together on reconstructing the Skyseed.

    Which was why Blue was currently staring, dumbfounded, at the shell of a new Skyseed sitting in a royal warehouse, missing only the inner workings and crystal drive. It was slightly different from the previous Skyseed, for there were no fins and the jar was more squat to make it less prone to tumble end-over-end. There was a brass lid on the bottom and one attached to the lid. Someone would just have to go in and work the glass and steel supports to the crystal drive and¡­ it¡¯d be done.

    ¡°¡­How long has it been?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Nine days, two hours, fifteen seconds,¡± Tilenii said, adjusting her glasses. She was a teal gari who kept her hair short, the only features being two long spikes of it pointing back just behind her ears, while the rest of the strands were smoothed into a ball-like shape. ¡°It could have been faster.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Blue said, frowning. ¡°Considering how much time we spent shouting¡­¡±

    ¡°That is specifically the time I am counting as wasted.¡±

    Rigelia snorted. ¡°You¡¯re a lost cause if you think that wasn¡¯t necessary.¡±

    ¡°Proper etiquette exists for a reason, Wizard Rigelia.¡±

    ¡°Hah. No. That¡¯s just what they want you to think.¡±

    ¡°I assure you, such decorum is very much a necessity¡­¡±

    ¡°That decorum sure fell apart after I gave my talk,¡± Blue grumbled.

    ¡°Ooooh, the little unicorn thinks she understands us!¡± Rigelia said with a hearty laugh.

    ¡°See, I have a name, and I know you know it, because you¡¯ve used it before.¡±

    ¡°You should be looking at her, Tilenii, she¡¯s the defiant one who upsets the decorum.¡±

    ¡°She is not in a position of authority by which to abuse it,¡± Tilenii said. ¡°It is people like you who enable such behavior.¡±

    Rigelia¡¯s smile turned into a sneer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think you just said that she was my fault. Care to elaborate on that?¡±

    ¡°It would be fruitless, as you would push me away. You are likely to do so even as I mention this.¡±

    ¡°I do not just push people away!¡±

    ¡°I could cite¡­¡±

    Blue sighed, walking away from the two of them. She did not need to hear them argue about who was worse and who was responsible for her. The entire thing was ruining what should have been a great moment, another Skyseed approaching completion. It was amazing how fast things could be done when the Crown wanted them done in the capital of Kroan. They already had multiple Orange wizards training to levitate themselves with similar apparatus to what Jeh had used to learn. One of them would take the Skyseed II out for a test ride as soon as it was finished. Not to space, though, just up, the Academy was concerned about safety. Which, Blue supposed, was reasonable, Orange wizards weren¡¯t Jeh.

    Still, Blue should have been excited, and she had been. Had.

    Now she just felt grumpy. She walked outside of the warehouse into one of the royal courtyards, scowling.

    I wish I was back in Willow Hollow.

    ¡°Heeeeeeeey! Look who it is Tenii! Look look!¡±

    ¡°I see, Vi,¡± Tenrayce said, though she didn¡¯t look up from her book. ¡°Greetings, Blue.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Blue said, managing a smile at seeing the two princesses. Tenrayce was in her wizard robes, while Vi was in something pink, blue, and with a lot of fabric tendrils that connected to her hair in a spider-web-like arrangement.

    ¡°What are the odds!?¡± Vi said, hands on her hips. ¡°We weren¡¯t even looking for you!¡±

    ¡°We were going to the warehouse where she works, the odds were quite high,¡± Tenrayce said.

    ¡°Oh. Uh. Well. Still!¡±

    ¡°It is admittedly good to see her.¡± Tenrayce flipped a page. ¡°How goes the work?¡±

    ¡°The work goes fine, the people¡­¡± Blue shivered. ¡°Egh¡­¡±

    ¡°I see you have run aground of one of Father¡¯s more¡­ dubious ruling strategies,¡± Tenrayce observed.

    ¡°Wait, what? This was intentional?¡±

    ¡°He often puts people in situations where they would be forced to work together in order to improve them not only as workers, but as people.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°He¡­ he knew we would shout at each other?¡±

    ¡°Even I knew that,¡± Vi said, waving a hand dismissively¡ªand getting it caught in the web of hair-fabric she had. ¡°Ow, hey¡­¡±

    ¡°It is a common ploy of his,¡± Tenrayce continued. ¡°It has mixed results, sometimes it works, sometimes it results in the house on Umber Road burning down for the sake of a joke. Yes, that is a specific event, no, you do not need to know the details, yes, I am just telling you about it to make you curious and squirm.¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°I can live without knowing.¡± That is going to bug me for days. ¡°But I am annoyed that¡­ this didn¡¯t have to happen¡­ but¡­¡± she frowned, remembering her experiences in Willow Hollow, with Vaughan¡­ how they didn¡¯t really get along at first, but now¡­ how Xerxes had set it up¡­ ¡°Okay I can see how maybe it would work, but¡­ but¡­ dangit, I want to argue.¡±

    ¡°Arguing with the King is generally an unwise course of action, and not because he¡¯s likely to retaliate. He is likely to prove you wrong.¡±

    ¡°Unless you¡¯re me!¡± Vi said, grinning. ¡°None of it gets into my head! Dense as a brick!¡±

    ¡°Technically speaking, you are a lot less dense than a brick, you¡¯re mostly water,¡± Blue said. ¡°Though we¡¯ll have to submerge you to figure out for sure.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, you want to do science on my head?¡±

    ¡°We sure can¡¯t do science with your head,¡± Tenrayce said.

    All three of them chuckled.

    Blue was struck by the sudden realization that she was friends with these two. With the princesses of the Kingdom of Kroan. How absurd was that? It wasn¡¯t exactly the most absurd thing that had happened, but¡­ it was nice. To not feel like she was completely surrounded by enemies.

    Though she supposed she did have one other ally, although her feelings on that ally were¡­ complicated.

    ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Vi said, coughing. ¡°I think we should go out for lunch!¡±

    Tenrayce finally looked up from her book. ¡°Vi, have you already forgotten why we¡¯re out here?¡±

    ¡°No, but that message to the overseers can wait, they can stand to be less ¡®everything happens on the hour all the time!¡¯ We can be late. They can¡¯t do anything to us. It¡¯ll be good for them.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°See? I can be like Father too!¡±

    Tenrayce scratched her chin. ¡°Hmm¡­ now, my motives are a lot less pure than yours, but I would be quite satisfied to send those timekeeping railroaded plebeians into a panic for a day¡­ sure, lunch is good. Coming, Blue?¡±

    ¡°You sure it¡¯s okay, people are going to stare,¡± Blue pointed out.

    ¡°People stare at us anyway,¡± Vi said, waving a dismissive hand. ¡°Though I really do ask for it with this hair. But come on, how can I not have it sculpted? We have all this money and so many master hairdressers that it would be rude not to make use of them!¡± She struck a pose, somehow managing not to trip over the various ribbons everywhere. ¡°You¡¯re the one who has to be okay with being stared at!¡±

    ¡°Plus, you¡¯re not gari, that removes a lot of the gossip ammunition,¡± Tenrayce added. ¡°So, yes, to lunch.¡±

    ¡°Ahem! Tenrayce! Blue hasn¡¯t actually agreed yet! She has to consider if she¡¯s okay with it.¡±

    ¡°I am perfectly fine,¡± Blue said. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to stay in Axiom forever, so any awkwardness will vanish when I leave. For me.¡± She smirked. ¡°Not for you.¡±

    ¡°And now we¡¯re good!¡± Vi said. ¡°Okay, so¡­ where to go¡­?¡±

    ¡°Consider this:¡± Tenrayce began. ¡°Disguise ourselves so we can go to that little slime chef on Sugarpowder Street.¡±

    ¡°Oooooh¡­ but he¡¯ll recognize us¡­ and might make a scene¡­ and then get his cart torn down again¡­¡±

    ¡°If he has not learned his lesson that will be his own doing. You will have to deal with your hair, though, if you want to be disguised.¡±

    ¡°Hmmmm¡­ but the hair¡­¡± Vi tapped her foot. ¡°Yeah, sorry, Tenii, I¡¯m hungry and it¡¯d take too long to pull all this down. Let¡¯s just go to the square.¡±

    ¡°Reasonable.¡± Tenrayce said, starting to walk that direction. ¡°Though¡­ the square is where the last murder happened.¡±

    Blue perked her ears up. ¡°Wait, really?¡±

    ¡°It was in the middle of the night and done stealthily,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°But yes, another one turned up two days ago.¡±

    ¡°How do you not know!?¡± Vi blurted. ¡°It¡¯s the talk of the town! Mysterious murders being carried out by some kind of plast dragon imitator!¡±

    ¡°I live in the warehouse, basically,¡± Blue said. ¡°When do I have time to get news other than from you two?¡±

    ¡°So sad¡­ you need more friends,¡± Vi said. ¡°I can help you with that!¡±

    Tenrayce looked up from her book, frowning. ¡°Vi¡­¡±

    ¡°Ashhhhh! I know you don¡¯t think my methods are great, but I have helped many people get more friends.¡±

    ¡°Look, I appreciate the offer,¡± Blue said. ¡°But you two are fine, I like spending all my time on science.¡±

    ¡°No matter how much you may wish otherwise, dear Vi¡­¡± Tenrayce smiled warmly. ¡°You will be forced to admit that she and I are cut from the same cloth.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a lot less annoying than you,¡± Vi countered.

    ¡°Give her time.¡±

    They left the palace grounds and entered the main streets of Axiom. As expected, people started staring. Blue found it more than a little unnerving, but Vi and Tenrayce continued talking as if nothing was wrong, though occasionally Vi would stop and ask Blue if she was doing all right, which she always said she was¡ªthough the repeated asking was making Blue doubt her own mental state.

    They eventually arrived at the square, which was actually a circular area of town with no buildings that people could set up stalls in. It was not the marketplace¡ªthat was a far more organized location on the other side of Axiom. The square was where anyone and everyone could set up anything. Musicians, culinary artists, and other such things that were more suited for an unregulated environment. One would not find any rare or precious objects here, but delicious snacks would be on offer. Blue could already pick out the distinct smells of cooking meat, freshly grilled vegetables, and fried plast crisps. Naturally, some of the smells were completely disgusting to her physiology as a unicorn, but the mixture of everything became so much of an overload to the senses that it itself was a novelty.

    Blue couldn¡¯t wait to start trying things. Who knows, maybe she¡¯d even try something unicorns didn¡¯t usually eat¡­

    ¡°Blue!¡± Pepper shouted, suddenly behind her. ¡°I¡¯ve got something to show you!¡±

    Blue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Uh, hi, Pepp¡ª¡±

    ¡°Come on!¡± Pepper grabbed Blue by the hoof and started dragging her forward.

    ¡°Save me!¡± Blue called back to the princesses.

    ¡°Nope!¡± Vi said with a laugh. ¡°Have fun!¡±

    Blue was torn away from the promise of lunch¡­ taken into the unknown by a crazed fire dryad.

    ¡°You are going to love this!¡±

    ¡°Pepper, please stop pulling me¡­¡± Blue grunted.

    ¡°But then you might run off and we can¡¯t have that!¡± Pepper paused. ¡°Okay, look, I know you probably wanted to have lunch but this is really amazing and I have to share it with someone and you¡¯re the only one who can figure it out and and okay I¡¯m sorry for grabbing you like that but¡­¡±

    Blue recognized the look in Pepper¡¯s eyes.

    She¡¯d felt it herself more than a few times.

    ¡°¡­All right, let¡¯s go take a look.¡±

    ¡°SWEET! Thank Dia! HERE WE GO!¡±

    ~~~

    The Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho lived in a single city on the Western border of the Shinelands. On one end metal stretched out as far as the eye could see, and on the other the dense forests of the Wild Kingdoms waited, their large trees and mushrooms beckoning weary travelers. The city itself was donut-shaped, arranged in a circle directly on the border. The city wasn¡¯t particularly large, not that Jeh had any context for cities¡ªseveral Willow Hollows could easily fit between the outer and inner rings of the donut, but it was a far cry from, say, Axiom.

    The structures in the city were, for the most part, completely alien. Most were built around a mixture of rigid and plant trees that were clearly planted deliberately. As the trees grew, so did the structures, and what beautiful and perplexing things they were. Screw-like spirals without a roof or walls. Leaf-like platforms that had no clear way for anyone to get to them, even considering the impressive size of a Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho stride.

    There were, however, some structures that resembled more ordinary houses, and these were kept along the inner ring of the city, built specifically to house non-rigids like Jeh, Envila, and any other visitors that might pass through. The houses had doors, little potted plants, and other quaint decorations that were nice but were always placed in awkward locations, as one would probably expect from giant metal spider creatures trying to build a home for creatures decidedly unlike them.

    The ground Jeh¡¯s bed was on was uneven. It was flat¡ªperfectly flat¡ªbut flat at a very slight angle across the entire room. It wasn¡¯t annoying enough for her to complain but it was annoying enough for her to notice. She would have preferred a rough dirt floor. The bed itself was also a little odd¡ªa circular mattress made of some material that squished to match Jeh¡¯s shape, apparently harvested from the local mushrooms. This, she had been told, was not a Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho oddity, but rather just the most common kind of bed in the nearest Wild Kingdoms. Jeh found it supremely disturbing but she was somehow asleep in minutes after touching it anyway.

    Getting out of bed was always a chore, though, the mattress formed a weak seal on her flesh and she had to forcibly pry herself out of it every morning. She always felt wet afterward, but she never actually was, apparently it was just the texture of the material.

    Was it still better than the ground¡­? It got her to sleep quicker¡­

    She shook her head, pushing the thought out of her mind. She would occasionally resolve to try sleeping out in the open or just in a tree later, but inevitably she would arrive back at her room and be too lazy and tired to go out and look for a spot. She was always doing stuff.

    The Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho were hospitable people, but they lived by a rather strict code that anyone who could work, should work in order to eat. Jeh liked food more than she liked sitting around doing nothing all day, so work she did. Today, though, was her day off, which meant she was free to do¡­ whatever. Which was definitely preferable to moving around lots of boxes filled with metal and plant pieces.

    She quickly left her room and walked down the hallway to the front door, stepping out¡­ to the hole.

    Now, the giant pit in the center of We¡¯ir City was not right out her front door, and there was a railing that kept people from walking into it, but it was close enough to be uncomfortable. Three steps and she would have been able to look over the edge had the railing not been there. Here it was, nonetheless, the absolutely massive pit that went down as far as the eye could see until it became shrouded in great darkness.

    The pit was not a natural structure, the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho dug it, a representation of the ¡°timelessness¡± they believed existed in the core of every being on Ikyu. Granted, the pit had a bottom, but the idea was to have a constant reminder of the concept of infinity, right there in the center of everything.

    Jeh didn¡¯t really understand representing a number larger than all other numbers with a hole of absolutely nothing, but when she asked for it to be explained the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho started talking like Blue and it quickly became impossible for her to follow. They also spoke strangely, and it wasn¡¯t just because many of them didn¡¯t know Karli that well. They liked to declare their intentions and thoughts aloud¡­ actually, now that she thought about it, the Eastern Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho had done that as well¡­

    She shook her head, turning away from the pit. She¡¯d seen it a dozen times already and she¡¯d already jumped to the bottom just to see what would happen, there wasn¡¯t anything else to think about down there. Just some hole. She had somewhere else to be¡ªthe hospital.

    The hospital was one of the structures designed largely for Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho but had sections that could hold other beings, though these sections dangled from the hospital¡¯s center spires and helixes by metal wires, making each ¡°room¡± look like a large white fruit that hung from multiple trees at once. Jeh walked up to the fruit-room that held Envila¡¯s bed, looking through the window to see that it was completely empty. Envila could be having an examination, eating something¡­ or could have just walked off. She was strong enough to do that, now.

    Guess I¡¯ll just have to track her down later¡­

    Instead of doing that, Jeh went to a Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho section of the hospital, slowly walking up a helical path while at least a dozen Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho scampered past her at much higher speeds. What she wouldn¡¯t give to ride one of them again¡­

    She eventually came to the ¡°rigid maintenance platform,¡± where a certain watchlight was.

    Where a certain watchlight was floating.

    Jeh gasped. ¡°They healed you!¡±

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± Jill said, turning to Jeh. ¡°They¡­ finally repaired all the damage and have allowed me to float freely once again.¡±

    ¡°Request: remain calm and still,¡± a Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho doctor said, tapping Jill with the tips of one of her blade-feet. ¡°We have not confirmed your status yet. Observations are approaching acceptable parameters, but the uncertainty has not been eliminated.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡±

    ¡°I have detected disappointment in your tone. Talking with your friend is permissible.¡±

    ¡°It better be,¡± Jeh said with a grin. She looked for somewhere to sit down but there weren¡¯t exactly chairs. Or even a wall to lean against. There was a table, but it had too much stuff on it. Jeh had to rely on her last resort: awkwardly pacing around the platform. ¡°Are you doing alright?¡±

    ¡°Much better than I was, but¡­¡± Jill paused. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I was ever doing alright.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Jeh tilted her head.

    ¡°Being forced into silence and great pain for an extended period of time forced me to think¡­ a lot.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, what about?¡±

    Jill paused. ¡°You¡­ can¡¯t read much, can you?¡±

    Jeh cocked her head, frowning. ¡°I¡­ can tell you¡¯re not talking about reading books. Am I missing some subtext? I¡­ hold on, don¡¯t tell me, let me think. Um¡­¡± Jeh tapped her foot. ¡°Okay, you got to thinking, thinking related to not doing alright¡­ but since you¡¯re talking about it you were just going to tell me what it was that was the matter?¡± Jeh put on a grin. ¡°Riiiiight?¡±

    ¡°¡­You know, I somehow expected both less and more of you at once. Setting myself up for confusion.¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t recommend that. So¡­.¡± Jeh kicked her foot back and forth. ¡°What were you thinking about?¡±

    ¡°¡­I kept asking myself why I was traveling with you.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just think it would be fun?¡±

    Jill stared at her. ¡°¡­Jeh. I¡¯m from this side of the Shinelands. I crossed it myself once. I already met the other Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho and the other dangers. There were many things you did not see. Terrible, horrific things. I should never have come. Yet I did. I just¡­ refused to think about any of it. I didn¡¯t even really warn you about much¡­ I just¡­¡± Jill paused. ¡°I wasn¡¯t right in the head, to use the expression.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s something you and I share.¡± Jeh tapped herself in the head with her knuckles. ¡°Everything up there¡¯s really scrambled.¡±

    ¡°¡­How you can know that and be fine with it, I¡¯ll never know.¡± Jill looked at the ground. ¡°I am not fine with the way I was¡­ I am? I don¡¯t know anymore. I¡­ I think I was following you because I wanted to go home, something I told myself I didn¡¯t care about anymore. I¡­ think I was using you? Sort of?¡±

    ¡°Psh, it¡¯s okay,¡± Jeh said, waving a dismissive hand. ¡°I was going across anyway.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but I¡­¡± Jill let out a series of beeps.

    ¡°Calm,¡± the doctor said.

    ¡°You heard her, she just¡­¡± Jill stopped herself. ¡°My goodness, I¡¯m getting angry for no reason.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I am kind of confused about that¡­?¡± Jeh admitted.

    ¡°Well, you see. Um. Umm¡­¡± Jill was silent for a moment. ¡°Look, I had an image in my head of how I wanted this conversation to go and this was not it, but it¡¯s not a bad result, and I think that makes it worse somehow?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it either.¡±

    ¡°Good! Then we¡¯re in the same boat!¡±

    ¡°¡­Jeh has anyone ever told you your relentless optimism can be aggravating?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think so?¡± Jeh tapped her chin. ¡°My memory¡¯s not the best, though.¡±

    ¡°Observation: I personally think you two are dwelling too long on this issue,¡± the doctor said as she wrapped up her inspection of Jill. ¡°For I have finished my readings and you seem to be running circles around each other in the conversation. Emotional closure is not a guarantee or a necessity of proper function.¡±

    Jeh and Jill stared at her blankly.

    ¡°Or perhaps my input is not welcome in this engagement, if so, I humbly apologize.¡±

    ¡°Um. Okay so now you¡¯ve both apologized to me and I¡¯m really not sure what to make of it.¡± Jeh scratched the back of her head. ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s okay, you two?¡±

    ¡°You know what¡­¡± Jill floated down to be level with Jeh¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re right, it is fine. You¡­ are just a kid. I think I forgot that after you went through so much for me and Envila.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m the invincible girl, how can I not?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever understand you, Jeh, but I can appreciate you.¡±

    ¡°Aww, thanks!¡± Jeh held out her arms¡­ and frowned. ¡°¡­You aren¡¯t very huggable.¡±

    ¡°I would rather avoid the hug, thank you.¡±

    ¡°All right, but only this once!¡± Jeh clapped her hands together. ¡°Now, how¡¯s about we go find Envila and see if we can figure out our next step?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, our next step¡­ Um, Jeh, I think¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait until we find Envia, okay? That way you won¡¯t have to explain it twice!¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, but¡­ oh, whatever, you¡¯re right enough.¡±

    ¡°Onward, then!¡±

    Going down the helical spiral was much easier. And a lot more fun. Note to self, bring a sled next time.

    ~~~

    Pepper was a Red Wizard who had two areas of research expertise. The first and admittedly far more scholarly pursuit were studies of heating, cooling, and temperature, specifically with the goal of trying to figure out how to precisely regulate and measure temperature in any direction, including cooling, though naturally she generally had to rely on ice elementals for this. Blue was well aware of this due to information from Vaughan.

    Pepper¡¯s other field of study was the one the general public knew about, and the one that got her most of her money¡ªthe art of slaying monsters. The bigger the better.

    Pepper¡¯s lab served both of these purposes. At once.

    Blue had not put two and two together the first time she¡¯d been here.

    ¡°You remember Arnold, right?¡± Pepper asked as they passed a skull that had five eye sockets and three angular maws filled multiple rows of teeth. Each individual socket could easily have fit both Pepper and Blue inside of it.

    ¡°How could I forget Arnold¡­¡± Blue breathed, trying not to look at the skull. This was difficult, as it was mounted over the main entrance to Pepper¡¯s lab¡ªwhich, unlike most of the other wizard labs, wasn¡¯t anywhere near the Academy, but was actually outside the main bounds of Axiom, resting on top of a hill next to a watchtower. The structure was designed with function rather than form, for from the outside it was just an ordinary rectangular brick with only a handful of decorations, which were either Magenta crystal lamps, remnants of various monsters Pepper had slain, or Aware religious iconography. Pepper clearly had no sense for aesthetics since everything was thrown around with no sense of balance, color, or any thought in the world. One of the skulls was on top of an instance of Dia¡¯s triangle. Blue knew several Keepers who would throw a fit at that. It even made Blue slightly uneasy.

    She found it very odd that Pepper didn¡¯t seem to care, the woman was overtly religious, to the point of it being a little suffocating at times. Or was that just her overenthusiastic personality? Blue couldn¡¯t tell, really, simply keeping up with Pepper was hard enough to do, trying to figure her out was likely to result in a headache.

    Blue realized she had started tuning Pepper out so she tuned back in, glad to hear that Pepper was just yammering on about her encounter with Arnold out on the ocean. ¡°¡­And then thunder struck, KA-BLAM, and down he went! I would have been dead! Just goes to show that even an expert monster hunter like myself gets stuff out of her league from time to time!¡±

    ¡°You know, that story doesn¡¯t exactly make you out as a good monster hunter¡­¡±

    ¡°Duh, that¡¯s why I tell it the most, manages expectations. Also I like telling stories but maaaaaaan do I have a tendency to brag. And show off. It¡¯s so fuuuuun but kinda wrooooong¡­¡± She flicked her halo with a finger, sending some flames into the air. ¡°Anyway, right, I¡¯ve prattled on long enough! You¡¯ve gotta see this!¡±

    Blue was one again dragged despite her insistence that she could walk. They passed through the main doors into the interior of the lab. Most of it was just a single open area, not all that unlike a warehouse, if a space filled with numerous highly-reinforced cages and arcane devices that could create enough heat to melt rock were things one could consider a warehouse. There was no sense of organization. To their left was a crystal globe filled with some kind of green slimy creature with black beady eyes that continually rearranged themselves on the gelatinous surface, leaned up right against a tall arcane device made mostly out of Red rods that went all the way to the ceiling. This device had so many warning labels on it that it wasn¡¯t even funny. One of the labels had fallen off and was lying on the ground, and it had a symbol of a head being torn in half, revealing a second head inside of it. Blue did not want to know what that meant.

    Such precarious situations were normal around Pepper¡¯s lab. Great, monstrous beasts imprisoned in increasingly creative cages right next to some heat-related device that was either extremely dangerous, extremely confusing, or labeled ¡°failed cooling device, use for scrap later. If I remember. I probably won¡¯t. Which is what this sign is for!¡± followed by a crude drawing of Pepper winking.

    The scale was a bit hard to take in all at once as well. The lab needed to be huge to hold the larger creatures, such as the boulder-thing with a single red eye that had apparently been found three months ago on the coast rolling over buildings like they were made of paper for no discernible reason. It was kept in place not by a cage, but several large metal screws that affixed it to the ground. Which just made Blue feel like it could move and crush her at any moment.

    Then there was the noise. Many of the creatures imprisoned here hooted, howled, and cawed the entire time, most of which translated roughly to ¡°DEATH TO YOU.¡± This was a place for monsters after all, there wasn¡¯t really much point in studying how to kill more ordinary things.

    Pepper eventually dragged Blue to the middle of the lab, where there was a sealed room-sized cube made of glass. There were no doors in it, only a simple receptacle that small objects could be placed in, and a single pedestal in the center of the cube on which nothing was currently resting.

    ¡°Behold¡­ my vacuum chamber!¡±

    ¡°Your what?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Vacuum. It¡¯s a word I made up to describe an airless place.¡±

    Blue turned to examine the cube. ¡°There¡¯s no air in there?¡±

    ¡°Yep! Want to know how I know?¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    Pepper generated a small flame in front of her finger and demonstrated her ability to generate the flame anywhere in the air she wanted with extreme precision, even tracing out a smiley face really quickly. Then she moved it toward the vacuum chamber and passed it through the glass. There was no flame at all on the other side.

    ¡°Now, if there was a small amount of air, I could increase the intensity and still get some fire out of it¡­¡± The Red crystals wrapped around the foliage of Pepper¡¯s arm suddenly lit up and stayed lit, indicating that a master wizard was pulling almost as much energy out of them as was possible.

    There was nothing in the chamber. Not even a spark.

    Blue tapped a hoof. ¡°I do have to ask¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t burn anything in there ahead of time, if there was any air left it¡¯d be ordinary unburned air.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ how did you get the air out?¡±

    ¡°Air elementals and a suction tube.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Yeah. That would do it.¡± Blue frowned. ¡°Having easy access to elementals must make things really easy for you.¡±

    ¡°It makes things easy to test, see, the goal is to find ways to do things without elementals since, well, they¡¯re rare and not too many of them are willing to be anywhere near magic no matter how much you pay them. And unlike some people I don¡¯t intend to force them¡­¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    ¡°Probably not something I should be complaining about, ahem.¡± She coughed. ¡°So! I did not drag you here just to see the vacuum chamber, no, I¡¯ve been using it for things! And Dia has blessed us with some very good results!¡± With a twirl, Pepper danced over to a nearby table, knocking off a small cage with some kind of red batlike creature in it. Out from the loose notebooks and boxes, she pulled out a small cylindrical object of solid metal. ¡°This is my test cylinder.¡± She placed it into the receptacle to the vacuum chamber. After this, she turned a dial that pressed two moldable plates into the cylinder, pushing all air in the receptacle out. Blue wasn¡¯t entirely sure how the mechanism worked, but it did appear to be based somewhat on Vaughan¡¯s airlock design, given the obvious plast seals on the edges.

    Satisfied that there was no air in the receptacle anymore simply because there was no place for it to stay, Pepper turned a few more cranks and opened the interior to the vacuum chamber. Turning the original crank backward, the sheets of metal released, allowing the little metal cylinder to fall to the ground in the vacuum chamber.

    Blue thought she might have heard the slightest of noises when the cylinder hit the ground, but she couldn¡¯t be sure. Even if there had been a sound, it was far quieter than it should have been.

    ¡°Weird, isn¡¯t it?¡± Pepper asked, using her Orange to levitate the cylinder on top of the pedestal, but she didn¡¯t set it down, she made sure it floated in the air. With a grin, she flared her Red magic once more, almost immediately heating the small metal object until it was white hot. ¡°And now it¡¯s the hottest thing in this warehouse. I think. Anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°Radiation heat transfer,¡± Blue said. ¡°Right, I talked about this during the meeting.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and your experiment got me thinking. What other properties can we tease out of heat when there¡¯s no air? There might be some¡­ unexpected things. And it turns out, I was right to follow the hunch, though I did need some help. Hey! Udruz! You can come out now!¡±

    A tall humanoid comparable in height to a gari emerged from behind a cage. He was a Blue wizard with simple robes. Aside from the clothing, however, he was an absolutely featureless figure. Gaunt, thin, one would almost say bony, except everything was too smooth. He had no face, only a black ovoid on which his pointed hat sat. It wasn¡¯t a natural black, either, clearly it was some kind of attribute with how it didn¡¯t reflect any light.

    ¡°Greetings¡­¡± he spoke with a raspy, hollow voice. There was no indication of a mouth moving to make the words.

    Blue folded her ears back and stepped away. ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s not a demon,¡± Pepper said.

    ¡°True, although I cannot tell you what I am,¡± Udruz said. ¡°The wizards found me.¡±

    Blue blinked, the initial shock of the featureless darkness passing. ¡°Wait, if you don¡¯t know what you are, how do you know you¡¯re no¡ª¡±

    ¡°Because we have a demon locked away in that Magenta cage over there.¡± Udruz said, gesturing over his shoulder with a pointed finger.

    ¡°Really hard to keep that thing contained,¡± Pepper muttered.

    ¡°But it is clearly not me.¡±

    Blue glanced over at the Magenta cage. It was exactly what it sounded like, a cage made almost entirely out of interlocking pieces of Magenta and metal, each part of the Magenta flickering on and off indicating active loops. Clearly some kind of magical scrambler, designed to keep whatever was inside from using magic. But wait, only the spirited can use magic¡­

    ¡°Blue, over here!¡± Pepper waved. ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about the morbid spawn of darkness right now, we¡¯ve got something to show you! Do your thing Udruz!¡±

    Udruz nodded. ¡°Prepare to insert more will into your levitation.¡±

    ¡°I may not be an Orange wizard, but I can put as much will into basic levitation as I want!¡±

    ¡°Yes. I know. We¡¯ve done this before.¡±

    ¡°But Blue needs context.¡±

    ¡°It will be evident to her what is happening.¡± Udruz lifted a hand, holding within a large Blue crystal. ¡°Now.¡±

    The floating test cylinder faltered a bit, but it didn¡¯t fall to the pillar and continued floating. A few seconds later the white-hot color vanished, and it returned to normal.

    But Udruz and Pepper were still working, their Colored crystals still glowing. They stood like this for several minutes.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Pepper said, starting to frown. The intensity of her halo dimmed slightly. ¡°I think¡­ we might be reaching my limit of keeping it stable¡­¡±

    ¡°Letting off the acceleration¡­¡±

    Slowly, the energy in both of their crystals died down. Carefully, Pepper levitated the test cylinder back to the receptacle and sealed it in. She did not bother pressing the plates to it¡ªthere was no air to remove. When she opened the receptacle there was a very loud woosh as air rushed in to fill the cavity.

    Pepper grinned. ¡°You ready for this?¡±

    Blue had a pretty good idea what was going on, but she didn¡¯t want to ruin the show. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Pepper picked a glass of water off a nearby table. She gingerly dropped the test cylinder in.

    Immediately ice crystals started to form on the cylinder.

    ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s amazing,¡± Blue said. ¡°You¡­ you solved the cooling problem!¡±

    ¡°Eh, only in airless environments,¡± Pepper said. ¡°But otherwise YES WE TOTALLY DID!¡± She threw her fists into the air. ¡°Rapid acceleration of an object in vacuum will lower its temperature with no known limit! Because we can¡¯t measure temperatures that low at all! No idea how! But it makes it really really cold!¡±

    ¡°And the Moonshot will be in space.¡± Blue started tapping her hooves giddily. ¡°We just have to accelerate¡­ actually, wait, how will that work? If we accelerate the ship, we throw off the calculations and¡­¡±

    ¡°You have fallen into the trap of absolute speed,¡± Udruz interrupted. ¡°If you accelerate an object that is affixed to something, it will not change its motion, merely its perception of time. With proper training, this can be triggered intentionally. It is possible to increase the rate of time without altering speed at all. All you have to do is accelerate your ship without speeding it up.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°That sounds¡­ contradictory.¡±

    ¡°It is a flaw of the language. Being under Blue is known as acceleration, and yet it need not actually include any physical acceleration, though that is the default configuration of the spell. You might actually appreciate the mathematics of why it has to be this way, that all speeds are relative, for acceleration to make sense it has to be able to be done in every reference frame.*¡±

    *Poor master wizard Udruz doesn¡¯t know about relativity. The ¡®proof¡¯ he is talking about is actually wrong, but it is very similar to what we believed before Einstein came along. Stupid speed of light making everything funky¡­

    ¡°I¡­ well actually I do know about that,¡± Blue said. ¡°I use it to calculate how the Skyseed and Moonshot will move in space. I just¡­ didn¡¯t think Blue had anything to do with it¡­¡± She scratched her chin. ¡°Interesting¡­ if we can use Blue without actually changing our speed¡­¡±

    ¡°Be careful. If you just encase the entire ship without concern, you will slow down your perception of time.¡±

    ¡°But, hang on, Vaughan did experiments like this¡­ there was a limit to how much an object could cool. Why does acceleration change that?¡±

    ¡°Admittedly we¡¯re not entirely sure,¡± Pepper admitted. ¡°Radiation heat transfer itself is still largely a mystery. What we do know is that it doesn¡¯t work with other forms of heat transfer, accelerating an object makes it give up its heat faster, but at the end the heat level of two objects are the same even if one is accelerated and one is not¡­ when the primary mode of heat transfer is conduction, anyway.¡±

    ¡°There is some evidence that changes if you tweak the boundary,¡± Urduz said.

    Pepper gave Urduz a cute smile. ¡°What did I say about mentioning the boundary in my presence?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an important Blue magic concept¡­¡±

    ¡°That is waaaay too far into theoretical mumbo-jumbo for my physically minded brain to parse.¡±

    Urduz sighed. ¡°Right, of course. Regardless, yes, it¡¯s something about how the heat is transferred. Physical contact seeks equilibrium. However, equilibrium is not attained for an object in a vacuum undergoing radiative heat transfer while Blue-accelerated. It releases more heat than it absorbs. Which makes some sense, it¡¯s experiencing more time than the surroundings, so it releases heat faster than an object radiating without being accelerated.¡±

    ¡°That just makes it sound like it should work for conduction too,¡± Blue said. ¡°Heat will leave the accelerated section faster.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but does it, or does it also absorb heat faster? Radiation may be a purely emissive procedure.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Blue scrunched her snout. ¡°Wait, do we even know what heat is?¡±

    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s asked the question!¡± Pepper said with a laugh. ¡°The question whose answer will put your name in the history books for eternity!¡±

    ¡°¡­We don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°No, we don¡¯t! We talk about it all the time, try to measure it, figure out how it goes in and out of things¡­ but we haven¡¯t the foggiest idea what it is! Is it some kind of physical thing? Is it a property things have? Is it an emergent property due to interaction of things? There are theories for all three and we don¡¯t know which is which!¡± She put a hand on Blue¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Isn¡¯t it exciting!?¡±

    ¡°¡­You know, kinda, yeah.¡±

    Urduz let out a sigh. ¡°I see you two are of kindred spirits¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not this crazy,¡± Blue said. Then she remembered that she was working on a ship that would launch into space with her in it. ¡°Okay, scratch that. I am crazy. And this¡­¡± She pointed at the glass of water that only had a few ice crystals left, most of it had melted once more. ¡°This is the solution to the cooling problem we need. In space, we can just¡­ control our temperature. Blue for cold, Red for heat. ¡­Heh, the colors even match, kinda. What are the chances?¡±

    ¡°The Colors are reflections of the Great Crystalline Ones,¡± Pepper said. ¡°They carry with them connotations of the original personalities. Red was angry, and fire is angry, and red. Blue was calm and collected, and so are the waters, and water is blue. It¡¯s all connected, deep down, Blue.¡± She held up a chunk of Blue crystal into the air and let it glint off one of the lights in her lab, smiling. ¡°People ask me sometimes why I¡¯m so devoted to Dia. It¡¯s little things like this, little touches in how the world works that speak of purpose. Red is warm. And Blue¡­ is cold.¡±

    Blue tilted her head to the side. ¡°Eh?¡±

    Pepper shrugged. ¡°Or maybe I¡¯m just nuts, that¡¯s possible, everyone sure thinks so. Anyway¡­ was this trip worth it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Want to play with the vacuum chamber?¡±

    Blue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Great! I¡¯m going to get something blue-hot!¡±

    ¡°I thought we just said blue was cold!¡±

    ¡°The temperature I¡¯m raising this thing to isn¡¯t natural!¡±

    ~~~

    Envila stood to her full height. With a deep breath, she removed her cloak.

    The metallic ground in front of her was polished to a sheen, allowing her to easily see herself. At long last, she could finally say she no longer looked sickly. There was flesh on her bones once more, her face was full, and her stomach wasn¡¯t forming a cavity in her midriff. However, her muscles¡ªthose were almost completely gone. Her arms were thin and graceful, and there were no sign of the abs she had worked tirelessly to develop and maintain.

    She was a fae. This was what they were supposed to look like. Thin. Graceful. Delicate. Fragile.

    This was not what she was supposed to look like.

    She was not vain. She did not care about her appearance, or how she appeared to others. But she did care about being able to take care of herself. Now that she was no longer on death¡¯s door, the state of her body was completely unacceptable.

    She was going to fix it.

    Taking in a sharp breath, she held out her weapon, an arcane device from a distant land that naturally took the form of a rod. With a flick of her wrist, some Orange sparks went flying and the rod popped out into a warhammer. It was heavy.

    Start small, Envila told herself. You remember how hard it was to do this at the start, you can¡¯t rush into it.

    She didn¡¯t channel any will or any magic into it. All she did was swing it forward and bring it to a stop in a stretching motion. Even this simple thing made her limbs burn and her shoulders ache. It was a feeling she remembered, albeit distantly.

    She had gone through such pain before. She could do it again.

    Unlike many who had been in a situation similar to her own, Envila could identify the desperation in her own thoughts, and how dangerous such a desperation was. She was weak, vulnerable, and prone to making mistakes¡ªand rash decisions. She¡¯d originally intended to do this body training outside of We¡¯ir City so no one could see her and tell her to take it easy for her recovery, but could she really trust herself not to overdo it? The eyes of others on her could keep her safe. Keep her honest.

    Oh, how hard it was to be honest with oneself when one was not what one wanted to be¡­

    She supposed there was at least something to thank the inner turmoil in her mind for. It was making it easier to ignore the burning sensation in her arms. So long as she kept control of her motions and didn¡¯t break anything, her thoughts would occupy her focus, and she could keep going. Getting stronger. Was such a thing healthy? She didn¡¯t know, but she was the sort to spend half an hour trying to think and feel her way through it to find out, even if it didn¡¯t look like there would be a clear solution.

    ¡°Envila!¡± Jeh called.

    Envila gave Jeh a smile but continued doing her exercises with her hammer. ¡°Ah¡­ Jeh! Glad to see you¡­ doing better¡­¡± She was speaking in Karli. Jeh at this point could formulate most thoughts in Desc, but Envila needed to practice. She would eventually journey into Kroan and need to know the language herself, relying on Jeh would not be acceptable, especially when she returned to that Program of hers. ¡°Jill, you?¡±

    ¡°I am doubting¡­¡± Jill used so many big words that Envila couldn¡¯t keep up with the context, but she got the impression Jill was being sarcastic and dismissive of internal turmoil. Envila wished she could share her experience with such things, but she did not know any of the languages Jill knew with enough clarity to actually convey the complex thoughts. Trying to relay through Jeh would also likely be an exercise in futility, for as clever as the girl was, she was rather oblivious to many things.

    Jeh still thought Envila didn¡¯t know where the food had come from, despite having obviously healed from impossible wounds right in front of Envila and not even trying to hide it. That said, it was probably best that Jeh believed she didn¡¯t know, Envila was fairly sure any confrontation would not only be rather unpleasant but also lack any real benefit.

    Jill was still going on.

    ¡°Um¡­ you lost me,¡± Envila said, switching to some leg exercises. Oooh, that muscle hasn¡¯t been used in weeks¡­ aaaaaaggghhh¡­

    Jill beeped, proceeding to say a sentence that was easier to understand, but still not great. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I was saying something. Um. Short something. Jeh and I don¡¯t understand something. This is fine.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡± Envila asked.

    ¡°Yes, actually.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Inwardly, Envila felt like chuckling, though she stifled the response since it would be rude. Things had a way of testing her patience even after all this time. It showed she still had more to grow. ¡°Glad for you!¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Jeh coughed, switching into Desc. ¡°So, Envila, we¡¯re trying to figure out what our next step is. Jill¡¯s better, you¡¯re better, and I still need to get back to Kroan.¡± The girl was far from fluent in the language and had a lot of awkward pauses in her speech, but the rate at which she¡¯d come to the words was nothing short of miraculous. Apparently it had been even faster than learning Karli for her by a lot.

    ¡°You did not have to stay with us, and yet you did,¡± Envila said. ¡°Your obligation has long passed, and we greatly appreciate you. If you wish to hurry¡ªah, but that is not the full reason, you do not wish to travel alone.¡±

    Jeh shuffled her feet. ¡°Yeah¡­ even though you two were¡­ uh¡­ pretty heavy, it was¡­¡± Jeh snapped her fingers, switching back into Karli. ¡°It was not something-something.¡±

    Envila couldn¡¯t help the chuckle this time, but she purposefully responded in Karli. ¡°I not understand, but I see. You. Your¡­ spirit¡­ nature. Not literally.¡± She stopped her exercise and caressed Jeh¡¯s chin. ¡°I will come. Even if weak, I will come. Irony: you protect me, not I protect you.¡±

    Jeh chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t need protecting.¡±

    ¡°Your body, no. Your mind and soul? Yes.¡± Envila turned to Jill. ¡°You¡­ feel no need.¡±

    Jill blinked, clearly startled. Envila quickly frowned. ¡° I mean¡­ you¡­ do not¡­ need to feel¡­¡± She reached her hand into the air, trying to pull out the word.

    ¡°Obligated?¡± Jill offered.

    ¡°Yes. You do not need to feel obligated. I think.¡± Envila smiled warmly. ¡°You¡­ have your own.¡±

    Jeh frowned. ¡°Eh? I don¡¯t¡­ why wouldn¡¯t she come?¡±

    ¡°Something trying to tell you something,¡± Jill said, turning to Jeh. ¡°I¡­ will be staying here.¡±

    Jeh blinked, clearly looking sad, and then quickly trying to make it look like she wasn¡¯t sad and¡­ succeeding more than most children would have, but not by much. ¡°O-oh. Um. Why?¡±

    Envila did not understand the story Jill told at first, but she would later. Jill had come from the Western side of the Shinelands when she was young, traveling over it just because she was reckless and wanted to prove to her family that she could. The journey across made it clear to her that she would not be returning back, and so she lived on the Eastern side alone until Jeh came along. And now that she was back¡­ she wanted to find her people. But she was unable to do that, so the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho were going to take care of her until they found word of where they were. A nomadic people that always kept near to the border¡­ a search that would keep Jeh far from Kroan were she to help with it.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Jeh was clearly torn after Jill finished. ¡°I can¡­¡±

    ¡°You can. You shouldn¡¯t,¡± Jill said. ¡°You have family waiting for you. You know where they are.¡±

    Jeh looked down at the ground and nodded.

    ¡°You will not be alone,¡± Jill said, looking to Envila. ¡°And I¡­ not something for this.¡±

    Jeh nodded slowly. Then, without warning, she jumped up and pulled Jill into a hug.

    Envila remained silent, not even doing any exercises while the two had their moment. Even though Envila had not caught all the words, the emotions of the two were laid out to her like a book¡ªeven that of the Watchlight. Expressionless though she might have been, that voice of hers told Envila everything she needed to know about the pain, the inner conflict, the uncertainty¡­ though even these were just the outer layers of the much deeper bundle that made up the person of Jill. And, in a sense, Jeh as well.

    So naturally Envila was a little miffed when a Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho decided to tactlessly interrupt the moment.

    ¡°You three seem ready,¡± a Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho with red markings on his limbs said in Karli.

    ¡°Ready for what?¡± Envila asked.

    ¡°To listen. To hear. To understand. Come.¡± He gestured for them to follow. Envila got the impression that it wasn¡¯t a request, but she sensed no hostility. The three of them followed without any argument, coming to a metal helix that sloped down into the ground. They descended, soon the only source of light being the crackling lightning on the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho they were following.

    Envila didn¡¯t even know his name. She suspected he wasn¡¯t going to give it.

    The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho started speaking in more complex sentences, pausing to give Jeh enough time to convey anything Envila missed to her¡ªdespite the rigid speaking with simple words, some of the concepts were still beyond Envila¡¯s grasp of the language, but communication was established.

    ¡°We gave you time to recover,¡± the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho told them. ¡°The medical recommendation was to leave you unknowing so you could recuperate in peace. But now that you are preparing to go, you must know.¡±

    Once she had this fully relayed to her, Envila frowned. ¡°If we didn¡¯t get to know then, why now?¡±

    ¡°So you can carry a message.¡±

    Envila was intrigued, to say the least, but no further information was given until they reached the bottom, which was a single spherical enclosure with a single balcony for the visitors to stand on. The space itself was roughly the size of a large tree, and on the walls five Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho were chained up to give their limbs very limited movement.

    The moment the visitors entered the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho started struggling with uncharacteristic rage against their chains, lashing, trying to get out, to do anything, but the chains did not give way. All along, the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho spoke with their signature monotone voice, repeating the same words over and over again in their language¡­ Envila was working on Kroan and had not been bothering to learn the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho tongue.

    But Jill understood.

    ¡°They¡¯re¡­ they¡¯re just saying ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ over and over and over again¡­¡±

    ¡°They have no control of their bodies,¡± their guide said, tapping a leg on the ground. ¡°They returned from expeditions into the Shinelands like this. Fully themselves in mind, but not in body.¡±

    As Jeh relayed this to Envila, Envila noticed that Jeh was more curious and sad than terrified as most people would rightfully be in a room of mindless murderous rigids. ¡°Eastern Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho?¡± Envila asked.

    Jeh shook her head. ¡°They weren¡¯t like this¡­¡±

    ¡°We believe the same problem is afflicting them as well,¡± the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho explained. ¡°But as it originated in the center of the Shinelands, we have been cut off from our wayward brethren. You are the first to bring news of them since the emergence of this. Tell me, have you witnessed any rigids who apologize for actions they take?¡±

    Jeh and Jill had not. But once Envila understood what was being asked, she nodded. ¡°There was a¡­ three leg rigid. Attacked me. Destroyed my food. Tried to warn me.¡± She frowned. ¡°I destroyed him.¡±

    ¡°You very likely had to,¡± their guide said. ¡°Those under this malady are often violent. But it is not pure madness. They can coordinate, act in large organized groups. They have been raiding rigid settlements. News is hard to come by, but we believe they are increasing their number this way.¡±

    ¡°¡­All of that was out there and we just missed it!?¡± Jill shouted.

    ¡°Indeed. You are quite fortunate. Lucky. Alternate explanation: you were let through.¡±

    Everyone was silent at that. Jeh even forgot to relay it to Envila for a few seconds. After she was done, Jeh shook her head. ¡°Why would they let us through¡­?¡±

    ¡°You are hardly normal, Jeh. Perhaps it fears you.¡±

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°Eeeeeeh¡­¡±

    ¡°Regardless, you have gotten through, and we can make use of this. Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho cannot leave the Shinelands, our diet requires this ecosystem, to go beyond for long without supplies means death, and so evacuation is not possible. We will defend our city when they come, for we are sure they will, but they are such an unknown that we are uncertain.¡± He allowed Jeh to relay the ideas before continuing. ¡°We need you to take a message to Kroan and Shimvale to warn them of this growing threat of rigid madness. And to request aid. The Wild Kingdoms do not have the power to assist us, and the messengers we have hired out of desperation from them have given no indication of making it to their destination. Whether due to infighting among the Kingdoms, wild animals, bad luck¡­ or intentional sabotage, we cannot say. You have a much greater chance of success, being literally unkillable.¡±

    Jeh rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Geez¡­ uh, sure I¡¯ll help, but I can¡¯t promise anything. I¡­ think I¡¯m kind of supposed to be hiding from my government?¡±

    ¡°We do not ask that you reveal what you are, though you are absolutely terrible at hiding it if you really do need to be.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeeeeah, really need to work on that¡­ but sure, I¡¯ll bring a message. I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯ll want a lot of information and details tho¡ª¡±

    The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho dropped a rather thick book into Jeh¡¯s arms. She almost dropped it. ¡°That contains all the data we have on the condition and its spread. Written in Karli.¡± He dropped an identical copy on top of the first one. ¡°Have a backup just in case.¡±

    ¡°Th-thorough¡­¡± Jeh muttered.

    The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho turned to Envila. ¡°You want to go with her. She will be in no danger. You will be.¡±

    ¡°I need to go that way,¡± Envila said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m trying to circle the¡­ sphere?¡±

    ¡°Globe.¡±

    ¡°Yes, circle the globe.¡± I have to leave sometime, might as well do something worthwhile. This certainly qualifies.

    The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho turned to Jill. ¡°You are not like Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho, you can survive on the sun and rocks. It may not be safe here. We are still looking for your people, for they are in danger too.¡±

    ¡°¡­I will stay, still,¡± Jill said. ¡°I¡­ they¡¯ll be in the midst of this. Not out there.¡±

    The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho nodded. ¡°I understand that you may wish to rest longer, but we would encourage you to hurry. Diplomacy is slow.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ go as¡­¡± Jeh looked up to Envila.

    ¡°We will leave right away,¡± Envila said, nodding.

    ¡°But Envila¡­¡±

    ¡°I can move. Time is limited.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Jeh clenched her jaw and steeled her face. ¡°We won¡¯t let you down mister crab man!¡±

    The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho tapped his leg. ¡°I hope not. We cannot practice eternity well without our bodies.¡±

    Envila shuddered inadvertently. She had seen many terrible things on her journeys. But a plague that took the body and not the mind, forcing those afflicted to commit atrocities in the name of an unknown will?

    This might have been the worst yet. Just when she¡¯d thought she¡¯d seen it all, the world threw her something even more disturbing.

    The fact that she might now be a target was of little concern to her, she was far more concerned about the kinds of rigids she might have to fight. What she would have to do to them. Like that poor tripod who assaulted her¡­ and almost left her to starve.

    This was not a problem that could be solved by punching it hard enough or talking it out¡­ she wasn¡¯t even sure exactly what Kroan or Shimvale could do.

    But the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho were asking for help. It was clearly desperate, so it had to be tried.

    And so they left. Envila and Jeh stocked up on supplies, giving most of it to Jeh to carry seeing as Envila was definitely not back to top shape yet. All they had to do¡­ was cross the wilderness of the Wild Kingdoms and reach the civilized nations with a message.

    But they had limited information, limited maps, and there was no infrastructure to back them up past this point. All they could do¡­ was walk.

    Jeh looked behind them at Jill and the city of the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t go losing control of that new body of yours, we worked so hard to get it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Jill whirled her wheel around. ¡°I am sorry we will not see more of each other, Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Not see more? Jill, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°You have a Space Program to get back to once you complete your message,¡± Jill said. ¡°This¡­ is goodbye.¡±

    Jeh suddenly teared up, something Envila had not seen in her face before. ¡°B-but¡­¡±

    ¡°Jeh¡­ you can¡¯t be everywhere. And they matter more to you than I do.¡±

    Jeh clearly didn¡¯t want to admit it, but she nodded anyway. She wiped her eyes.

    ¡°Thank you, Jeh.¡±

    Jeh put on her usual cocky smile, though the effect was marred by her red face. ¡°Y-you¡¯re welcome!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to listen for news of the girl that went to the moon.¡±

    With that, Jeh awkwardly embraced Jill one last time¡­ and they were off. Thoughts swirled through Envila¡¯s head, and no doubt just as many swam through Jeh¡¯s.

    But neither of them noticed the black speck that darted across the sky¡­

    ~~~

    Blue sat at the desk provided for her to do her work. She had used it a lot the first few days to clean up confusions about the Skyseed and potential changes to improve it, but lately it had not seen much use. That is, except for today. Today, she had several books on the mathematical theory of Blue Magic and was scribbling down pages upon pages upon pages of numbers, trying to work out exactly how it all worked.

    It was, to put it mildly, extremely difficult. Heat, while clearly a quantity of somekind, was not easily measured aside from comparisons with other objects, or the light really hot objects gave off. There were primitive mathematical relations to describe overall flows of heat, but they were of comparable complexity and annoyance to the things she¡¯d needed to do to calculate orbits. But, at least, these mathematical systems had been well-studied and she didn¡¯t have to work from scratch.

    Unfortunately, what she was trying to do was figure out exactly how the boundary of Blue interfered with heat transfer. Which was not a well-studied problem.

    She was beginning to think she simply didn¡¯t have the tools required to actually model it¡­ there were clear patterns in the data she¡¯d acquired from Pepper¡¯s lab, but no answers.

    Not for the first time that day she asked herself why she was doing it. Her calculations and analysis of the data had already confirmed that it worked. In an airless environment cooling could go seemingly forever so long as a wizard¡¯s will was kept active, with diminishing returns the colder one got. In fact, it would be even better in space since the radiation heat transfer from the cage wouldn¡¯t be present. There was only the object itself in the midst of nothing, warmed by the sun and¡­

    ¡°¡­Wait a hoofin¡¯ minute,¡± Blue said, suddenly sitting up. Warm things radiated heat. Human bodies were warm. Jeh was¡­ well close enough to a human body. She was releasing heat into the container of the Skyseed. That container would radiate some of the heat out into space, but the other half of it would radiate back into the container.

    Blue immediately started scribbling this down. This was definitely not what she had been looking for, but unlike the hopeless math this looked like it would actually lead somewhere. The hollow object released more heat inside than outside, and things that moved like living things generated heat of their own¡­ well, warm-blooded things, anyway. Perhaps reptilian spirited would make good space pilots? She jotted that down as a quick note, quickly returning to the hasty drawing she¡¯d made of the Skyseed with Jeh in it.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. That¡¯s the explanation,¡± she said, grinning. ¡°She¡¯s making more heat than it releases, increasing the temperature! Hah! I figured it out!¡± She slammed a hoof onto the desk, looking out a window¡­ and noticing that her hoof felt warm. It was in the sunbeam.

    The gears started turning in her head. She drew a quick circle to represent Ikyu and then drew a wavy line to represent the atmosphere around it. An arrow of ¡°heat¡± came from the sun and hit the atmosphere. Two arrows erupted from this point, each half size, one going out and one going in to Ikyu. Air can be hot too, after all¡­ She drew more and more arrows, visually constructing a cascade effect. She then realized that the arrows that went out from places lower in the atmosphere would hit something and then be able to be radiated in multiple directions again and¡­

    ¡°This is how the Sun warms Ikyu¡­¡± Blue breathed. ¡°We¡­ we always knew it warmed us, but, light is just warm itself, it¡­ waiiiit¡­¡± She squinted her eyes out the window and looked at the sun. ¡°Is heat¡­ light? Crystals glow when used, but they don¡¯t warm us up or light things up¡­ but Purple can alternatively be used as a heater¡­¡± She sat up and started tapping her four hooves excitedly. ¡°Ooooh the possibilities, I can¡¯t wait to tell Vaughan and Krays about this!¡±

    It was at this point she heard a bloodcurdling scream in the room behind her. She immediately dropped what she was working on and rushed out. ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡±

    The scene before her was hard to take in. There was a big blue slime in the room, carrying¡­ her? (Blue really couldn¡¯t tell) badge within her gooey interior, marking her as a member of the Royal Guard. At her side was a junior guard, a young neko woman, who had passed out on the floor from shock. Shock at a sight that almost made Blue follow suit, but she managed to hold it in and do nothing more than gasp in horror.

    It was Tilenii Kroan.

    She was flattened. Her chest had been crushed like a pancake and blood was spread all over the floor¡ªmuch of which had dried, indicating that this had happened quite some time ago, but not long enough that it was completely dry. Her head was completely untouched, eyes open wide in shock and terror, frozen in her final moments.

    ¡°¡­Miss,¡± the slime said, drawing Blue¡¯s attention. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to ask you why you haven¡¯t reported the body.¡±

    Blue blinked and stammered. ¡°I-I, w-well, I was¡­ working¡­ in the room back there¡­ I¡­ didn¡¯t hear anything¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to have to take you in for questioning.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡ªhey! I didn¡¯t do this!¡± Blue protested. ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°Miss, if you make a scene, it will just get worse for you.¡±

    Blue¡¯s mind was reeling. The slime was right, of course, she needed to cooperate, but there was a nagging thought she couldn¡¯t get rid of. The King had told her she¡¯d made enemies. Pepper had indicated that she was literally protecting Blue in some cases. What if this¡­ was all some ploy?

    ¡­For all she knew, though, the ploy expected her to run away and cause a scene. She didn¡¯t know enough. Plus, the murders had been going on since before she arrived and¡­ suddenly she wished she¡¯d paid more attention to the Princesses when they¡¯d talked about it, or gotten informed about it, or something.

    But she didn¡¯t know anything.

    All she could do was fall in line.

    It wasn¡¯t until she was halfway to the guardhouse that she realized she hadn¡¯t felt a hint of remorse at seeing the woman dead on the ground.

    This realization horrified her much more than anything else.

    ~~~

    A neko shot a poisoned arrow into Jeh¡¯s head. She quickly pulled it out but found that her perceptions started to swim and everything became slightly blue. Apparently her regeneration didn¡¯t filter that out¡­ it was kind of fun, actually. She might even have enjoyed it if she weren¡¯t currently trying to run away without tripping over any roots. Which she failed, miserably.

    Envila wasted no time picking her up and running deeper into the jungles.

    ¡°Envila¡­ no¡­ I¡¯m supposed to¡­¡±

    ¡°Shush, you clearly can¡¯t,¡± Envila said, though Jeh could already tell her breathing was getting haggard. That said, her legs were much larger than a neko¡¯s, and the isolated people weren¡¯t all too thrilled about the idea of hunting down a towering ethereal monster with a giant Crystal hammer. They were not pursued for very long.

    Envila collapsed at the trunk of a giant mushroom, slamming her hands into the ground and grabbing hold of the vine-like plants that covered the ground in this area of the world. She took in several huge, hyperventilating breaths.

    Jeh, meanwhile, flopped onto her back and stared at the sky. ¡°Ergremeblegheff¡­¡±

    ¡°Your power has limits.¡±

    ¡°Blue is fun,¡± Jeh muttered, but she was already finding the color returning to her sight. Not that her head felt any less muddled. It felt like¡­ like a cat¡­ maybe she was a cat¡­ if she wasn¡¯t, being a cat would be nice¡­ wait, did humans like ear scritches? Did she like ear scritches? She scratched herself behind the ear, horribly disappointed by the result.

    She discovered that she had another arrow in her arm. This one either wasn¡¯t poisoned or just didn¡¯t have the same effect since it wasn¡¯t shot directly into her brain. She ripped it out and glared at it. ¡°Annoying.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ is what we expected,¡± Envila said, slowly getting her breathing under control. ¡°The Wild Kingdoms¡­¡±

    ¡°People afraid of other people.¡± Jeh shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have much fear.¡±

    Jeh frowned. ¡°Still, people are people.¡±

    ¡°Or are they monsters?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t look like monsters.¡±

    ¡°We look different. That is enough. To them, to be spirited¡­ is to be neko.¡±

    ¡°You think they¡¯d be happy to find other spirited. I was¡­¡± the original effect on Jeh¡¯s brain was almost gone and she just felt kind of mopey now. ¡°Hearing those words from Blue for the first time¡­¡±

    ¡°Some monsters can use words,¡± Envila said, frowning. ¡°They have no meaning¡­ except to get food.¡±

    Jeh sat up. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There is a¡­ snake? A snake, that mimics the screams of those it has eaten. Words and all. To draw in the kind-hearted.¡±

    Jeh¡¯s eyes widened not in fear but in utter fascination. ¡°Tell me more¡­¡±

    ¡°I think your brain needs a¡­ reset.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± She bonked herself in the head with her fist. ¡°¡­Wait¡­¡± She shook her head, looking back down at the arrow. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard, going like this.¡±

    ¡°Well, unless we find someone strangely trusting or a Sanctuary, we¡¯re probably alone until we get closer to Kroan.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡±

    Immediately, Envila was alert¡ªshe¡¯d been so exhausted she¡¯d let her senses falter. She hadn¡¯t even noticed the gari approach. She was short for a gari, but not young, and her hair was black. Black gari were extremely rare, even rarer than albinos who were just born without pigment. She was wearing a long-sleeve black dress with holes for her gauntlet spikes to poke through, though it was hard to tell where the garment ended and the plast began seeing as both were the same color. She wore dark hexagonal earrings and had a soft smile paired with sad eyes that one could stare into for an eternity.

    ¡°I am no enemy,¡± the gari said. ¡°I am Margaret Rutherford.¡±

    Envila stood up, trying her best to look strong and threatening. ¡°You¡­ speak Kroan?¡±

    ¡°It is best to speak many languages in a land many weary travelers pass through. Travelers that need aid. Travelers that will not trust waving hands and shouts as anything other than more savages.¡±

    Jeh turned to Envila to check if she got that. Envila gave her a slight nod that meant she had, so Jeh turned to Margaret. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re not here to attack us, rob us, or run us away?¡±

    ¡°No. In fact, the lord of the house considers himself a service to weary travelers. There may be no roads in this jungle, but there are twists and turns among the trees, and we offer the closest thing we know of to an inn for all.¡±

    ¡°The lord of the house?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°A man by the name of Jeremiah Rutherford.¡± Her smile warmed as she spoke his name. ¡°He is the kindest man I have ever known.¡±

    ¡°Your father?¡± Envila asked.

    ¡°Not by blood, but by choice.¡± Margaret¡¯s sad eyes returned. ¡°You do not have to come, but we do so enjoy the company, and we can give you the rest you need. No matter how much of a hurry you are in, we can offer you respite.¡±

    Envila turned to Jeh. ¡°¡­Respite?¡±

    ¡°Rest. Calm. A moment of nothing.¡± Jeh shrugged.

    ¡°Ah, she is new to Karli,¡± Margaret said. ¡°Is there a language you would prefer?¡±

    ¡°Ever hear of Desc?¡± Envila asked in Desc.

    Margaret blinked a few times. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve never heard anything even remotely like that, I am sorry.¡±

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°She knows more languages, but those are the only two I know, so¡­¡±

    ¡°How curious your story must be, a fae and a human girl¡­¡±

    Envila¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You know of fae?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there is a tribe of them not too far from here, though¡­ if you wish to hear of them, I would ask that you join us for lunch, at least.¡±

    ¡°Food¡­¡± Jeh said, eyes sparkling. ¡°Actual, delicious, freshly-cooked food that isn¡¯t made by a bunch of metal crabs¡­¡±

    Envila nodded slowly. ¡°I am a plast.¡±

    ¡°We are aware of fae dietary requirements,¡± Margaret assured her.

    Envila finally let her guard down. ¡°You seem fine to me. Apologies for distrusting your kindness, such acts should not be shunned, and would not in a better world.¡±

    ¡°Eloquently spoken for someone new to Karli.¡±

    Jeh was pretty sure Envila didn¡¯t know what ¡®eloquently¡¯ meant, but that did not stop her from continuing, challenging herself to talk further. ¡°I do try my best.¡± Jeh couldn¡¯t help but admire the tenacity and determination in the fae¡­ but also how calm and collected she was, even in tense situations.

    With the initial meeting out of the way, they followed Margaret through the jungle. It did not take long for them to arrive at a jarring transition from unkempt wilderness to extremely well-kept estate. There was green grass and shrubberies arranged in a wide circle surrounding a building that was a bit too small to be a proper mansion, but was large nonetheless. Most of it was made out of massive logs with a single tower of stone toward the left of the structure. Beautiful gardens of tropical mushrooms and flowers dominated the scenery, almost making the building itself seem unimportant despite its central location.

    ¡°Woooow¡­¡± Jeh said, looking around in wonder. ¡°How did you¡­¡±

    ¡°We are quite blessed,¡± Margaret said. ¡°Though the exact specifics should be told you by our lord.¡±

    It was at this point Jeh noticed the symbol hanging over the front doors of the house. A pitch black hexagon with six yellow dots spread around it almost like eyes.

    Immediately Envila went on the defensive again. ¡°You¡­ that is the symbol of Eyda.¡±

    Jeh¡¯s eyes went wide. She remembered reading about the followers of Eyda in her books, the Gonal. The goddess of darkness¡­

    Margaret turned to look at them with sad eyes. ¡°¡­I do so wish She had a different reputation¡­¡± Jeh could see contempt in those eyes. ¡°Perhaps we can change your mind¡­¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    We¡¯ve already talked about what heat is and radiation heat transfer. However, there is some nuance here in the physical system Pepper is working with in the vacuum, so let¡¯s delve into it a little bit. Naturally, this physical system is somewhat unrealistic since you can¡¯t just accelerate time for an object without immense gravitational fields or relative velocities, but we can work out what it would do just fine.

    Take a hollow sphere sitting in the atmosphere at room temperature. This sphere is, itself, room temperature, but has no air inside. In the center there is a really hot object. Now, the object will obviously be so hot it glows, releasing a lot of heat through radiation. This heat is released and hits the sphere surrounding it. The sphere itself is also radiating heat, but it is radiating it into the interior and the exterior. Some heat escapes into the atmosphere, and some heat is returned to the object in the center.

    Eventually, let this sit long enough, and the system will reach equilibrium. The sphere will be room temperature, radiating exactly as much heat to the center object as it is releasing. This is why, under normal circumstances, leaving an object in a vacuum chamber doesn¡¯t cool it indefinitely, the chamber itself will transfer heat back to the object at a certain rate as well. Keep in mind that this transfer is very slow, but it works.

    In space, though, there would be no back-transfer from the container. The hot object would radiate heat forever. (This is not strictly true, the universe is permeated by the Cosmic MIcrowave Background radiation, which sits around a nice chilly 3 Kelvin.) However, due to how slow this radiation is, even something a simple as a mammal will produce more heat than it can release, effectively cooking itself over time. Though most things just die in space long before this becomes a problem, but if it¡¯s in a ship that keeps it alive, suddenly the ship has issues.

    This we probably already know. The trick comes when you ask ¡°well what happens if we speed up time for the object?¡± When the object is in space, this is simple: it appears to cool off much faster for it radiates heat away quicker. However, what happens when you consider the container? That is, the vacuum chamber itself? Well, the container seeks to go to room temperature, for that¡¯s the temperature of the air outside. It will always release some of the heat out into the air, and some of it in. An accelerated object inside will be emitting more radiation per second than it should, and this radiation will make the container hotter. But that heat will escape, and the heat that is sent back will not be enough to keep the system in equilibrium: the central object will emit more heat than it receives! Granted, there will eventually be a limit reached for a certain factor of time acceleration that is balanced by incoming heat, but if you accelerate something fast enough that¡¯ll be quite a ways down¡­

    This does lead to an interesting question. What if we applied this thought experiment to a different kind of heat transfer? Conduction? There¡¯s no longer radiation involved, just two blocks next to each other. Let¡¯s have them be at the same temperature. Conduction is transferred through molecules hitting one another. When time for one block is accelerated, the molecules will appear to move faster. Which implies that, at the boundary, really fast molecules should hit slower ones and raise the overall heat of the object. Acceleration equals heat, this would imply.

    One may note that in the chapter this is explicitly stated as not happening, that in conduction accelerating one part of something does not heat the entire object up except by friction forces due to moving. Now, even though this acceleration is clearly magic, from our little thought experiment we can see that whatever Blue does is clearly treated differently for light (radiation) as opposed to other particles. The secret must lie in the boundary¡­

    This is an example of an unrealistic thought experiment, but it demonstrates how we can think through things scientifically. There are rules to how things work, and so long as everything¡¯s consistent, even the deeply unrealistic physics of magic can be reasoned through. Something¡¯s unusual in the way Blue accelerates things to distinguish between radiation and conduction. I wonder if it can be reasoned out what exactly is going on?

 026 - Ploys of Darkness

    WSP 026

    Ploys of Darkness

    ¡°You¡¯re not running and you aren¡¯t attacking me,¡± Margaret observed. ¡°That is a good sign.¡±

    Jeh glanced between the black gari and Envila with uncertainty. ¡°Isn¡¯t Eyda the goddess of darkness and chaos?¡± Jeh asked Envila in Desc. ¡°Like¡­ evil?¡±

    Envila frowned. ¡°There are many different types of Gonal, even among those who revere the same goddess. Though I am forced to admit¡­ the followers of Eyda do tend to have a certain bent to them.¡± She turned to Margaret, speaking in Karli. ¡°I hope you can forgive us our¡­ uncertainty.¡±

    ¡°I am not required to,¡± Margaret said. ¡°But the offer to dine and rest with us remains. One cannot dispel the stigma¡ªthe belief you have about us without evidence or knowledge¡ªwithout taking action. Our doors are always open, even to those who despise us.¡±

    Jeh tilted her head to the side, clearly confused by the interaction.

    ¡°We¡­ do need rest,¡± Envila admitted. ¡°And a chance to talk to Gonal like you is a rare one.¡± She turned to Jeh, switching to Desc. ¡°We must be careful, it is not uncommon for Eyda¡¯s followers to lead travelers on for use in their rituals.¡±

    ¡°Should we¡­ not go then?¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course not.¡± Envila smiled. ¡°That would be rude, which we have been rude enough already.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Okay.¡± Jeh turned to Margaret and smiled, addressing her in Karli once more. ¡°Take us into the creepy mini-mansion!¡±

    Margaret¡¯s soft smile returned. ¡°Most would say that without excitement. I believe you will fit right in. Come.¡± With that, they walked up the path to the ¡°mini-mansion.¡± The door beneath the hexagonal icon of Eyda was made from dark wood carved into complex geometric patterns not unlike a honeycomb. Inside two of the honeycombs were nondescript humanoid figures, each with a six-eyed mask held over their faces. There were words written over the top of the door, but it was in a language neither Envila nor Jeh knew.

    Margaret pushed the doors open, revealing the interior. The place they entered was a main hall covered from the floor to the ceiling in various artistic paintings illuminated by what looked like oil lamps, except they emitted blue light. All the paintings were done largely with black and yellow paint, though it was not like other colors didn¡¯t exist, these were just by far the most dominant. Images of shadowy figures in the dark recesses of forests with sharp piercing eyes, scenes of mysterious shrouded shapes with only the barest hints of form, unusual scenes of people standing beneath massive monoliths of darkness; such were the subjects that greeted them all along the hall.

    ¡°Such a vast collection¡­¡± Envila noted.

    ¡°I painted them all myself,¡± Margaret said.

    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s¡­ a lot,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°You have quite a skill,¡± Envila added.

    ¡°Thank you. It comes with practice.¡± She quickly turned to the left. ¡°The sitting room is this way. The lord of the house is most likely there.¡±

    The sitting room was a smaller area that consisted of several couches and bookshelves arranged in front of a large window. There was only one painting in this room, that of a sunset being eclipsed by a figure with six wings and four arms, but otherwise all the space was used to store books. There were more books than shelves to put them on, so there were many haphazard stacks of the tomes everywhere. A single inhabitant occupied the room; an old human man dressed not in black, but in simple gray robes. His silver hair was wiry and unkempt, a state not helped by the presence of a mask on the side of his head, awkwardly forcing the hair to divert at an odd angle. The mask was smooth and had six eyes, no other features whatsoever. As it was not on his face, however, everyone got a good look at it¡ªa large angular nose, deep-seated wrinkles, and a strangely soft-looking beard and mustache that were bushy enough to hide his mouth.

    ¡°Dad, we have guests,¡± Margaret said, notably in Karli.

    ¡°Ah, wonderful!¡± the man, presumably Jeremiah Rutherford, said as he jumped out of his chair with remarkable spryness and energy. ¡°It has been a while since anyone dropped by!¡±

    ¡°You are forgetting the troop of slimes that passed through two weeks ago.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, them¡­¡± Jeremiah scratched the side of his head. ¡°I vaguely remember something like that¡­ anyway, that¡¯s water under the bed. Bank? Bridge? I forget the idiom in Karli, but it doesn¡¯t matter, what matters is that you two are here!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Jeh, this is Envila,¡± Jeh said, introducing them. ¡°Envila¡¯s not the best at Karli, but she can probably figure out what¡¯s being said.¡±

    ¡°I am quite effective,¡± Envila said. ¡°¡­Wait, no, not effective, proficient? No, that¡¯s too strong¡­¡±

    ¡°Adequate?¡± Jeh suggested. ¡°It means ¡®capable¡¯ or ¡®meeting expectations.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Maybe. It sounds like it works.¡±

    ¡°I shall go prepare dinner,¡± Margaret said, bowing slightly to everyone. ¡°Please, enjoy yourselves until then.¡± She gracefully walked off, leaving them with Jeremiah.

    Jeremiah chuckled. ¡°I would be just an old, lonely man without her around. Anyway¡­ you two, sit, relax. No malevolent creature of darkness is going to jump out and eat you.¡± He reclined in his chair, giving them all a knowing smile. ¡°Yes, the concern is written all over your faces.¡±

    ¡°And yet you do not seem to mind,¡± Envila said as she sat down. ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m too old to care what people think about me anymore,¡± Jeremiah said with a laugh. ¡°Call me the portent of doom itself, I don¡¯t mind at all. I am what I am, nobody¡¯s thoughts about me can change that.¡±

    ¡°A¡­ well position.¡±

    ¡°Not versed in Karli, are ya? Shame, I get the feeling you¡¯d be an interesting one to banter with. ¡­Banter, go back and forth in a game of words for enjoyment.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, it is one of my favorite things to do when I can,¡± Envila smiled. ¡°Mastery over language comes with many benefits, all it takes is time.¡±

    ¡°Something your kind have plenty of.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re older than me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jeremiah chuckled. ¡°I wonder how much you¡¯ve seen¡­¡±

    ¡°I was born during the Second Catastrophe.¡±

    Jeremiah whistled. ¡°Well well, I bet you know some things that everyone is dying to know!¡±

    ¡°I have no memories of the time besides pain, unfortunately, so the¡­ uh¡­ smart people who want to know things¡ª¡±

    ¡°Academics,¡± Jeh offered.

    ¡°Yes, academics. They are generally very disappointed.¡±

    Miranda returned at that moment not with food, but with four cups of tea. ¡°To tide you over.¡± She took one cup herself and returned to the kitchen.

    Jeh immediately grabbed one of the teacups and started drinking. She ran her tongue along the inside of her mouth, discovering it to be a bit more than just tea, with some hints of mushroom and fruit. ¡°Mmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Miranda crafts custom teas herself,¡± Jeremiah said. ¡°She¡¯s a culinary artist as well as a visual one.¡±

    Envila looked closely at the tea for a while, thinking.

    ¡°Worried it¡¯s poisoned? Or cursed?¡± Jeremiah asked.

    Envila frowned. ¡°I have been greeted in similar ways before. Not always by Gonal. But often enough.¡± She picked up the teacup. ¡°However¡­ I believe I have judged your character rightly.¡± She took a sip.

    Jeremiah sat back. ¡°It really is a shame what kinds of people we get.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it is a shame, or just a pattern?¡±

    Jeremiah chuckled. ¡°Ah, I should have expected as much! The traveling fae has thought about things!¡±

    ¡°Um, can you guys explain what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Jeh asked.

    Jeremiah chuckled. ¡°Perhaps such things should not be discussed in front of children¡­¡±

    ¡°She can handle it,¡± Envila said. ¡°She may be young, but she has a great¡­ ability. Also I may need her to translate some things.¡±

    Jeh beamed. ¡°I word good!¡± She laughed at her own joke.

    ¡°Very well¡­¡± Jeremiah leaned forward. ¡°Jeh, Envila and I are discussing the Gonal religion, specifically the followers of Eyda. What do you know about Eyda?¡±

    ¡°She is the goddess of darkness and chaos,¡± Jeh said. ¡°And the Gonal believe she is one of four goddesses.¡±

    ¡°And what do you believe?¡±

    Jeh pondered this for a moment. ¡°I¡­ think I¡¯m an Aware?¡± She rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t really think about it that much.¡±

    ¡°Which is fine,¡± Jeremiah said. ¡°I was just looking to see where you were coming from. The Aware have a history of looking down on the Gonal, and especially the followers of Eyda. While Eyda is, truthfully, the goddess of darkness and chaos, these are not Her primary traits. She can be more accurately described as the goddess of the individual.¡± He looked up at the painting of the figure in front of the sunset. ¡°Those who choose to serve Her are, in turn, given power to make their dreams come true. Eyda places the power of the individual heart above all else. Do you want power? Fame? Happiness? She will provide, so long as you serve Her. However, you might notice that the kinds of people who seek power or fame wish to lord it over others. This is what Envila was alluding to, that among the followers of Eyda are tyrants and cruel dictators. Many won¡¯t admit that, but I will. Eyda is the goddess of the individual, and the individual can use that however they wish, even to dark ends.¡±

    Jeh frowned. ¡°She doesn¡¯t sound like she¡¯s thinking this through.¡±

    Jeremiah chuckled. ¡°You are quite lucky you are talking to me, others of our order would find that comment worthy of smiting.¡±

    Jeh smirked. ¡°Oh, they can try.¡±

    ¡°Interesting response, I¡¯ll have to figure out where that confidence of yours comes from. Regardless, I do not believe Eyda is ¡®not thinking this through.¡¯ She is wise beyond understanding, she simply understands that the essence of the self is the highest. Dreams, hopes, and ideals change from person to person, culture to culture, so only that within the core of one can be accessed as a real truth, all else is subjective.¡±

    Jeh frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t like that.¡±

    Jeremiah laughed. ¡°Feisty! Why not, little one?¡±

    ¡°Then I couldn¡¯t be mad at the plast dragon for trying to kill us.¡±

    ¡°Who said that? The individual nature of the plast dragon doesn¡¯t have to matter to you unless you want it to. You are free to be as mad at anyone as you wish, for any reason.¡±

    ¡°But sometimes when I¡¯m mad it feels wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°Then that is what is inside you, that is your self. To be mad at certain things is wrong in your self, and Eyda would give you the power to adjust that anger away and, perhaps, even bring it to others, should that be what you desire.¡±

    Jeh wrinkled her nose as she had difficulty thinking deeper on the subject. ¡°Eh¡­¡±

    ¡°I think the fact that so many followers of Eyda turn to what most would call ¡®evil¡¯ is evidence of the faulty nature of this philosophy,¡± Envila said.

    ¡°Who said what was true had to be ¡®good?¡¯ ¡° Jeremiah asked.

    ¡°It is a basic assumption built into spirited nature, that the truth is worthy of being sought after.¡±

    ¡°And who said that we were designed for good?¡±

    Envila smirked. ¡°Clearly you¡¯ve thought about this as well.¡±

    ¡°Quite. And, as you may note, my desire is not to become a powerful lord or leader of armies. I just want to live peacefully in my cabin and have interesting conversations with people from the world over, showing them kindness and getting them to think a little more.¡±

    ¡°Most people are not like you, unfortunately.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is unfortunate¡­ but see, we agree on that. Those conquerors certainly don¡¯t. Eyda will elevate them as much as me, for Eyda sees where that which is worthwhile truly comes from. The spirit itself.¡±

    ¡°None of this was in the book¡­¡± Jeh said, scratching her head.

    ¡°Your book was probably written by an Aware,¡± Envila said. ¡°Prejudice is hard to remove, even in an academic setting.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    At this point, Margaret returned once more. ¡°It is time to move to the dining room, the appetizer is ready.¡±

    ¡°Oooh! Food! Where is it?¡±

    Margaret smiled. ¡°Right this way.¡±

    ~~~

    Pepper stormed into the Palace¡¯s East wing, her halo burning twice as bright as usual just to make it clear to everyone who passed by what her mood was at the moment. Her face was in a rather uncharacteristic scowl and her hands were balled into fists. She tried to kick open the door¡ªbut it was a pull door, something she could have deduced since it led outside, but the throbbing in her foot did not slow her much as she threw the door open.

    Within was the entrance to the Palace dungeons. The area was made largely of stone without much in the way of furnishings, for it really wasn¡¯t supposed to look nice or be comfortable, it was a place to lock criminals or suspected criminals away for a time. It wasn¡¯t used all that often these days, there was a proper jail elsewhere in Axiom, but there was still an occasional need to put certain types of criminals in the stony depths.

    The entrance was rather basic, all things considered: a single room that led to a stairwell. Between Pepper and the stairwell was a single table and chair manned by a young Royal Guard¡ªa neko woman who was busy doing some kind of paperwork.

    Pepper moved to walk right past her.

    ¡°Uh, ma¡¯am?¡±

    Pepper scowled at her. ¡°I am Wizard Pepper of the Red Tower.¡±

    ¡°L-l-look, ma¡¯am, I still can¡¯t just l-let you in¡­¡± The poor neko was quaking in her boots.

    Pepper reached into her robes and pulled out a silver sigil with a Red crystal embedded in it that indicated her office as a wizard of the Academy with admittedly rather impressive credentials.

    ¡°U-uh I b-believe who you are, ma¡¯am, but o-our p-p-pr-pr¡ª¡± she kept tripping over the word, restarting it, and was unable to continue.

    Pepper¡¯s scowl softened and she let out a sigh. ¡°¡­Take your time.¡±

    The junior guard paused, swallowed, and continued. ¡°Our pr-pr-prisoner is a s-suspect in the m-murder of a r-royal.¡± She pulled out a page from her stack of papers and set it in front of Pepper so she could read it. ¡°Y-you do not have the au-authority to see the pr-prisoner.¡±

    Pepper glanced at the page, noting that it did have that policy clearly written out. ¡°Look, kid, there¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am n-n-not letting you in.¡± She, rather adorably, stood up and crossed her arms, blocking the way.

    Pepper blinked. ¡°You do know I could throw you down those stairs and probably not face any consequences for it, right?¡±

    ¡°D-doesn¡¯t matter. R-rules are r-rules.¡±

    Pepper stared at the junior guard intently for about thirty seconds. Then she broke out into a warm smile. ¡°You do your job well. And as furious as I am, I¡¯m not going to oppose the rules.¡± She glanced to the side, looking a little ashamed. ¡°I probably would have without you here, to be honest¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°Keep up the good work. Make sure nobody who isn¡¯t supposed to go down there goes down there. I¡¯m pretty sure the Princesses will be down here soon.¡±

    ¡°Wh-why?¡±

    ¡°Blue¡¯s their good friend, that¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± the guard frowned. ¡°Then¡­ then who did the m-murder? She was the only one there!¡±

    Pepper shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just know it wasn¡¯t her, and the Princesses are going to agree with me. Show them right in, you hear?¡±

    ¡°W-well if they ask I can¡¯t exactly refuse¡­¡±

    ¡°Good girl.¡± Pepper gave her a salute and left. The moment she was outside she pressed her back into the wall and slid down until she was sitting on the ground. ¡°I almost threw that poor girl down the stairs, what is wrong with me?¡±

    ~~~

    The stairwell to the dungeons was wide and dark. The only way in, and the only way out. Easy to defend in case there was a breakout, and long enough that any prisoner with unusual abilities wouldn¡¯t be able to make an attack on the guard on duty even if said prisoner could get out of the cell. Which was generally not an option seeing as the cells were solid reinforced steel with only a single grating window in it that couldn¡¯t fit a human head.

    At least the cell was spacious. It was intended to hold very large prisoners, so Blue had plenty of room. She didn¡¯t have much light, but her horn solved that problem. She was currently using a loose piece of rubble to scratch into the stone walls. Originally she had just done this to organize her thoughts, making a diagram of the murder so she could analyze what happened and maybe clear her name.

    It had become clear very quickly that wasn¡¯t going to be possible, she simply didn¡¯t have enough information. She really had been sitting there at work for hours. She hadn¡¯t even gone to the bathroom; she¡¯d told her body to suck it up and wait until she was done! Not a single break, not a single memory of anything happening outside her work.

    Her father had always told her that her obliviousness would get her in trouble one day¡­

    She really didn¡¯t like thinking about that so she gave up clearing her name as a lost cause and just started working on math once again. She couldn¡¯t do anything particularly long-form on the walls, but she could get some base ideas out, try a few new theories, see if she could establish any new connections. At the moment she was attempting to find an easier way to run her calculations. Many of her results clearly had smooth, distinct patterns to them, there had to be a way to determine those results without going step-by-step. The end was simple and there were clear patterns¡­

    If only there were a way to do all the steps at once. That would be great. And to make them as small as she wanted, maximum precision. There had to be a way¡­

    How are you able to do this? You just saw a dead woman, Blue.

    Blue tried to push the thought out of her mind, but it was a persistent one.

    You actually feel good that she¡¯s dead, don¡¯t you? You did hate her quite a bit, didn¡¯t you? Annoying, arrogant, stuck-up, pretentious, domineering¡­ now you never have to deal with her again!

    Blue scratched numbers into the stone walls with an increased fury.

    Sure, you didn¡¯t actually kill her¡­ but would you have? If given the opportunity? And a guarantee that no one would ever find out?

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± she told herself. Even though the thought was a question, she knew where it led, what the conclusion was. As horribly uncertain as she was of herself right now, she did know one thing with absolute certainty.

    She wasn¡¯t a murderer.

    So she told that thought to stuff it and go die in a hole.

    Which, to be fair, it did, but that didn¡¯t stop the rest of the thoughts from screaming in her head at what seemed to her to be an absurd volume. You wanted her dead. You should be grieving. You want to be celebrating. You feel nothing for her. She got what she deserved.

    ¡°Oh would you just SHUT UP!?¡± She threw the rock across the room.

    It bounced off something invisible.

    Blue¡¯s heart immediately leapt into her throat. She instinctually increased the brightness of her horn which, while it did make her nearly blind, made it obvious that there was a Purple illusion field active¡ªthe area where she¡¯d thrown the rock took a half-second longer to light up than the rest of the room.

    Her mind raced. There was something invisible in there with her. It was something that had to be able to move, since she had scrawled mathematics on the wall behind it earlier. She was not alone. Who knew how long she hadn¡¯t been alone? Had it been in here when she was thrown in?

    The invisible thing apparently decided there was no point in hiding anymore, for it dropped the cloak¡ªbut not all at once. First, the feet, each large enough to grab Blue in the rubbery rim. The shocking whiteness of the skin popped out of the natural shadows of the dungeon, but it was not a welcome light of rescue, more akin to an omen of final judgment. The strong, smooth, clearly plast legs came next, until they connected with a main body that actually glowed, casting the entire cell in the light of many colors, bright happy colors that did not belong in a cell and did not belong in a scene with a great monster. Two angular, fin-like wings protruded from the creature¡¯s rippling back, the sharp claw-like ends revealing themselves to be pointed right at Blue¡¯s neck from both ends.

    The head came last. Five eyes of burning magenta. Glowing rings pulsating across the lower jaw. Curled horns that seemed to be directed right at Blue¡¯s eyes. Lips that were jagged and razor-sharp, leading to a mouth cavity that rippled with mesmerizing swirls of color.

    Blue knew what this was. A kancathi. A plast dragon.

    She knew she was dead.

    So when she wasn¡¯t run through by the kancathi¡¯s claws a moment later, her fear was momentarily replaced with bafflement and confusion. This didn¡¯t make any sense! How did a plast dragon get down here? Why was a kancathi being stealthy? Why wasn¡¯t Blue already dead? None of this added up!

    It started adding up even less when the plast dragon started talking to her. Not with a voice, for kankathi had no precise vocal cords despite their sound and vibration-related attributes, but through Purple, writing literal words in the air. In Karli.

    Telling me to shut up? Audacious. The beast¡¯s grin widened.

    It took Blue a minute to rewind the clock and remember that she had shouted ¡°shut up¡± and thrown the rock. That was kind of funny. She could see why the plast dragon was smiling.

    At this point, fear kicked back in again and Blue folded her ears back and she pushed herself as far into the wall as she could to get away from the beast that could kill her in an instant and wasn¡¯t for some reason. Clearly, the beast wanted something.

    ¡°Wh-what are you going to do with me?¡± Blue asked.

    Bait. The plast dragon ran a wing across Blue¡¯s face and down her neck. That should be good news for you! Smile! You get to live!

    ¡°B-bait¡­?¡± The already-present sinking feeling in Blue¡¯s stomach became full on nausea. ¡°For who¡­?¡±

    I don¡¯t have to tell you. The plast dragon reeled back from Blue and sat down in the corner. Then, suddenly, the behemoth stood up and started pacing. I could though. I could tell you. You are no danger. No danger. No danger. The kancathi just kept writing the same words over and over and over again in the air. Almost like it was impossible to write anything else.

    Suddenly, the plast dragon lashed out, clawing at a rock in the wall. The colors on its chest flared up in complexity, no doubt carrying with it some meaning in the kancathi tongue. Then all motion stopped, and the beast returned its attention to Blue. My apologies, there was no way for you to get that. I was expressing extreme annoyance at¡ªthe words in Karli vanished, replaced only by a complex pattern of flashing colors in the air. ¨Capologies. Happened again. We¡¯ll get through this, though, you and I. I think I won¡¯t tell you. So I will. It all started¡­ but is there even a start?

    It was becoming increasingly obvious to Blue that this kancathi was legitimately insane.

    She had no idea if this was a good thing or a bad thing. The insanity might have been all that was keeping her alive right now. But she could easily see it turning against her, making the kancathi lash out, severing her head from her body¡­

    She swallowed. ¡°H-how about we start with how you¡¯re in this cell?¡±

    How? By existing in space! Yes, space¡­ or air. Why do we need two different words? Karli is such a terrible communication method. Atrocious. Banal¡­ and so began the rant about how terrible Karli was as a language, written in Karli using Purple. It might have been funny if it wasn¡¯t given by a monstrosity known for the brutal hunting of anything and everything for sport.

    And the two of them were the only things in the cell.

    ~~~

    Jeh, Envila, and Jeremiah entered the house¡¯s dining room, and what a room it was. The central table was carved out of a wood so dark it might well have been black. It was circular in shape with a rotating section in the middle so dishes could be easily passed to everyone seated, which was definitely necessary considering the table was so large that it could easily sit over a dozen people. However, there were only four, and the places set were all next to each other rather than at opposite sides of the table, leaving the majority of it devoid of food. That said, it was not devoid of decoration, for Margaret had set out numerous lamps. The majority of them were like the lamps dotted across the house, including the walls of the dining room itself¡ªblue flame coming from some kind of special oil. However, there were other colors as well¡ªcandles of orange and green, glowing mushrooms in little pots that illuminated the scene with purples and yellows, and some kind of fern-like plast that shimmered with flickers of red. All the actual food was currently covered, but the guests could smell the aromas of freshly cooked mushrooms, plast-fruits, and what were clearly special spices but not anything either Jeh or Envila had smelled before.

    The walls, meanwhile, were decorated not with Margaret¡¯s paintings nor a large quantity of books, but rather hexagonal patterns made to stand out for they were made of pressed gold that glinted in the multicolored lights, almost looking like they floated in darkness considering how black everything else was. At the four corners of the room stood identical statues on top of small pedestals. They had the vague appearance of large ravens, but had six golden eyes each, hooked beaks, and six talons on each foot. What would have been a somewhat menacing aura was almost completely offset by the cute hat that all four of the statues were wearing, a round blob-shaped thing with a stupidly happy smile that looked like it might have come out of some child¡¯s random scrawlings in the dirt.

    ¡°What are these?¡± Envila asked.

    ¡°That is Krikkok, the guardian of the house,¡± Margaret said. ¡°He is Eyda¡¯s gift to protect us from the dangers of the wilds in which we live.¡±

    ¡°Is Kirkkok the bird or the hat?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Jeremiah said with a wry grin, sitting down in his chair. It was exactly the same as all the other chairs but in the middle. Margaret sat down to his left, Envila to his right, and Jeh next to Envila.

    Margaret pulled out an Orange crystal and carefully levitated the coverings off of their food. She clearly wasn¡¯t the most skilled at Orange magic since this took visible effort from her and wasn¡¯t exactly a quick maneuver, but it was careful and purposeful. The food beneath may have smelled good before, but now as the aroma hit them fully, it made both Jeh and Envila¡¯s mouths water¡ªquite a feat, considering the noticeable differences between their species¡¯ tastes. To make dishes that, when mixed, appealed to the senses of all present was a challenge for even the most professional of chefs, and here in this estate in the middle of nowhere Margaret had pulled it off.

    The primary dish of the evening was some kind of mushroom bake with dozens of different colorful species cut up into squares¡ªmany of which were outright glowing¡ªand resting in a thick but completely clear sauce that smelled fruity but not sweet. Little pink nuggets of plast fruits floated amidst the mushroom chunks, as well as a variety of vegetables and some kind of herb that grew in thin blue lines.

    To the side there was a small bowl of freshly cooked meat, evidently of some kind of bird. In all honesty it wasn¡¯t really impressive.

    ¡°You¡¯ve outdone yourself, Margaret!¡± Jeremiah said with a laugh.

    Margaret smirked. ¡°I do my best work when under the most unusual of circumstances. Now, for our guests, this is a variation on my traditional rainbow stew, made specifically to be palatable to both humans and plasts. The sauce is our special recipe, I discovered it myself about a decade ago mixing different mushroom oils and fruit extracts together. We call it liquid crystal sauce, and you will find it nowhere else since only Dad and I know how to make it.¡±

    ¡°And my old hands aren¡¯t steady enough to do it right!¡±

    ¡°You got that right¡­¡± Margaret chuckled softly. ¡°I have added beadrins, the plast dots, for they are known to be a plast food that breaks down in human digestion that also tastes good, but provides the necessary nutrients for plasts themselves. And I have set the meat off to the side, for we have a fae present.¡±

    Jeh looked nervously at Envila. ¡°Eheh¡­¡±

    ¡°Survival situations require going outside the comfort zone, you did fine,¡± Envila assured her.

    Jeremiah raised an eyebrow. ¡°You could keep meat down? I thought all fae puked their guts the moment they had any!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing what you can do when you have no choice.¡±

    ¡°You must have an iron stomach to go with that will!¡±

    ¡°Please stop talking about puking at the dinner table¡­¡± Margaret asked.

    ¡°Oh, right, uh, sorry.¡± Jeremiah laughed. ¡°Though something tells me you¡¯re the only one getting queasy here!¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ Exactly¡­¡±

    ¡°Can we eat yet?¡± Jeh asked, hand hovering over the ladle to dish out the rainbow stew.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re waiting!¡± Jeremiah chuckled.

    Jeh quickly grabbed the ladle and filled up her bowl, noting that many of the ingredients changed colors when they were disturbed, and the liquid crystal sauce shimmered with little pinpricks as it floated down into her bowl. She found the way the sauce dripped off the ladle like syrup simply delightful.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t introduce the drink yet¡­¡± Margaret said. ¡°Oh, well, I do suppose there does not need to be an order to this. It¡¯s just strawberry juice.¡± A mildly haunted look came over her face. ¡°It¡¯s always strawberry juice. We have too many strawberries. Too many¡­¡±

    ¡°Good thing strawberry juice is delicious!¡± Jeremiah laughed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to extract juice from strawberries! The fact that we have enough to make juice all the time should be a concern!¡±

    ¡°Not how I see it!¡±

    ¡°You would.¡±

    Envila smiled warmly. ¡°How long have you two been family?¡±

    Margaret smiled warmly. ¡°Forty-seven years. He adopted me when I was only eleven.¡±

    ¡°Girl came from a tribe that got completely wiped out by some wheelers,¡± Jeremiah said. Seeing Envila and Jeh¡¯s confused expressions, he explained. ¡°Wheelers are rigids with six wheels, very large. I hear some people can use them as mounts. The wheelers that were around here were conquerors for glory, though, and were just¡­ terrible.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember much of them,¡± Margaret added. ¡°So don¡¯t think this drums up bad experiences for me. I lived in the wilderness alone for a few years until Jeremiah took me in. I thought he wanted to cook me up and eat me.¡±

    ¡°I still might. You¡¯re not fat enough yet.¡±

    ¡°You are the worst cannibalistic hermit ever. Trying to fatten up a poor girl and she happens to be a garilend.¡± She swapped to a language that neither Jeh nor Envila could understand to tell a joke, one that was evidently hilarious and made Jeremiah laugh so hard it was hard for him to breathe. Margaret simply smiled wryly and took a drink of her strawberry juice.

    Jeh raised a hand. ¡°Can I ask why that was so funny?¡±

    Margaret spat out her drink trying to hold in a laugh. ¡°Well¡­ it was a pun¡­ and at your expense¡­ and doesn¡¯t translate well at all¡­ and was actually in two languages at once¡­ so uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Sometimes a joke is only for certain people,¡± Envila said.

    Jeh shrugged, shoveling more rainbow stew into her mouth. She remembered that the meat existed and threw some of it into the stew and stirred it around. It made it taste¡­ different, not any worse or better.

    ¡°By the way,¡± Envila tilted her head. ¡°I did not see any livestock, merely gardens. What game did you hunt for the meat?¡±

    Margaret thought about it. ¡°I actually don¡¯t know if it has a name, it¡¯s a green bird that lives around here. I¡¯ve recently started hunting it specifically since it tastes good, but about a month ago we had no idea it was so worthwhile.¡±

    ¡°You hunt?¡±

    ¡°I did live in the wilderness alone for a few years as a child, it was kind of a necessary skill.¡±

    ¡°The huntress artist chef!¡± Jeh said, holding her hands wide. ¡°That¡¯s it, it¡¯s official, you¡¯re awesome.¡±

    ¡°Why, thank you!¡± Margaret said, smiling brightly.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Jeremiah said, leaning in. ¡°I¡¯ve been holding this in a while, but I don¡¯t think I can anymore. I am simply dying of curiosity. What is your two¡¯s story?¡±

    Jeh opened her mouth to start rambling, but quickly shut it. Frowning, she turned to Envila, talking in Desc. ¡°Should I keep myself a secret? How¡­ much can we say?¡±

    ¡°I recommend keeping your power secret, but other than that, I think these are good people.¡± Envila turned to Jeremiah, switching back to Karli. ¡°Before Jeh starts her rant, I do want to apologize for judging you wrongly through pri¡­ pre¡­ prejudice.¡± She was clearly mildly annoyed that it took her so long to remember the word.

    ¡°It is understandable, think nothing of it.¡±

    ¡°Understandable or not, it was still wrong to judge, and I ask your forgiveness.¡±

    Jeremiah sat back and shook his head. ¡°You people¡­ sure, yes, all is forgiven.¡±

    ¡°Good. In that case¡­ Jeh? I believe you want to tell them a story.¡±

    ¡°So!¡± Jeh said, slamming her fists into the ground. ¡°Do you two know what space is?¡±

    And so, Jeh told her story. She left out any part about her being found in the forest and jumped right into working with the Wizard Space Program, talking about she was the ace pilot that took a glass jar so high up she could see stars. She described the satellite mission, being shot down, and then her mission to journey back to Karli, followed by a brief summary of her adventures across the Shinelands, ending with the Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho¡¯s mission.

    She pulled the book out of her pack and set it on the table with a loud thump. ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯re delivering to Kroan.¡±

    ¡°A rigid disease of organized madness¡­¡± Jeremiah scratched his chin. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve also never heard of space,¡± Margaret pointed out.

    ¡°Well, yes, but that didn¡¯t seem as¡­ out there.¡± He held out a hand for the large tome. ¡°May I?¡±

    Jeh slid it over. ¡°We have a backup, so sure.¡±

    While Jeremiah started flipping through the book, Margaret turned to Jeh. ¡°So¡­ I¡­ what¡¯s it like? Up¡­ there? Past the birds?¡±

    Jeh beamed. ¡°It is the most incredible thing I have ever experienced. You cut the engines, and you know you¡¯re falling, but you don¡¯t feel it. You just¡­ float there, in the middle of your tiny jar, among the stars. It feels like¡­ there¡¯s nothing holding you down. It¡¯s¡­ free up there. I may be trapped in a jar, but I can take that jar anywhere I want. One day, we¡¯ll make the ships good enough to go to anywhere. The moon. The planets. Maybe even the stars¡­¡± Her eyes sparkled. ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine what kind of wonders will be up there¡­ and I can¡¯t wait to find out.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Margaret was entranced. ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, you know what? You like drawing dark things in your paintings. Well, space is dark, very dark, but it¡¯s filled with stars! And round things, like Ikyu and the moon and the sun¡­ wait, you don¡¯t have a telescope do you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure what one looks like, even though you¡¯ve described it.¡±

    ¡°Which means you don¡¯t know that the planets are more than just pricks of light! They have size and shape just like the moon. Uh¡­ agh, my memory¡¯s terrible, let me see if I can think of it¡­ Hexi is the weird one, its lumpy, not spherical¡­¡±

    ¡°Lumpy?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, on Vaughan¡¯s big star chart it looks like of like an oval, but not exactly perfect. It¡¯s also really far away so it¡¯s hard to see well, though. Then¡­ uh¡­ Qi has mini-planets near it, little blips that move around but never go far from it. Apparently that was a very recent discovery, though.¡±

    ¡°Discoveries¡­¡± Margaret leaned in closer. ¡°What¡­ other new things have you learned?¡±

    ¡°Well, I already talked about the satellite¡­ oh, I think I forgot about the air restorer! See, when you breathe, you use up something in the air. But we discovered that you can use Green to restore it, so you can breathe the same air forever! It leaves behind this black stuff if you do it for a long time and we¡¯re not sure why, but it works great!¡±

    ¡°Amazing. Simply¡­ amazing.¡±

    Jeremiah closed the book. ¡°I agree, this is deeply concerning, but clearly the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho have done their homework. This is a very real threat.¡± He turned to Envila. ¡°I would like to ask Eyda about it for you.¡±

    Envila tensed. ¡°I¡­ will not participate.¡±

    ¡°You do not have to; I understand that as an Aware you are called to serve Dia and Dia alone. But I am a servant of Eyda, and I can make a request. Perhaps I will be granted knowledge that can be a boon to you.¡±

    Envila frowned slightly. ¡°¡­Very well. I will trust you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Carefully, Jeremiah pulled a small emblem out of his pocket, one marked with a black hexagon inlaid with a similarly shaped citrine gemstone. He saw Envila¡¯s reaction. ¡°You¡¯ve seen one of these before.¡±

    Envila swallowed hard. ¡°Not many¡­ but it has always been unpleasant.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°It is a summoning sigil. Eyda¡¯s Gonal use them to summon her¡­ well, what we would call demons.¡±

    ¡°Do not fear,¡± Jeremiah said. ¡°We are no proud warrior servants of Eyda, we do not have access to such power. All we have¡­ is Kirkkok.¡± He held out his hand. The sigil flashed black. Immediately a rush of black feathers emerged from the central citrine, feathers that dissipated into nothingness the moment they touched anything physical. In the middle of the feathery storm the shape of a bird took form¡ªthe exact same bird as was shown in the statues surrounding the dining table, complete with the six piercing eyes, though these eyes were not gold but a sharp neon yellow. The bird¡¯s ¡°hat¡± had the consistency of a slime and actually did have the dumb smiley face on it, though it too was the bright piercing yellow color.

    The bird-demon set down on the table and let out a caw that reverberated with numerous different pitches and tones. The actual voice came from the slime ¡°hat¡±, but its ¡°mouth¡± didn¡¯t open and close to speak, it vibrated like a string. His voice was both low and high pitched, but somehow carried with it a sense of carefree whimsy and curiosity. It was also hard to listen to with such tonal dissonance.

    ¡°Jeremiah! Margaret! Ah, and guests!¡± Kirkkok tapped his claws on the table excitedly. ¡°Oh you rarely summon me in front of guests, this is quite the treat!¡±

    Envila was glaring at the bird, not even attempting to hide her distrust. Jeh, meanwhile, stared at the bird with wide eyes. ¡°Woah¡­ how¡­ how did you do that? That¡¯s awesome magic!¡±

    ¡°Ah ah ah!¡± Kirkkok let out a few clicks and caws. ¡°You misunderstand, little one! I am not what you think of as magic¡­ actually wait I have no idea what you think of as magic, hold on, let me check.¡± The smiley face on the slime hat shifted until it became a single yellow eye that stared deeply into Jeh. ¡°¡­Okay you¡¯re not at all what I was expecting, huh. Anyway, uh, seeing as you¡¯re wondering if I¡¯m like you and I don¡¯t know what you are then I guess our little questioning session here has been completely fruitless! What do you know!¡± His eye reverted back to a silly smiley face.

    Margaret blinked. ¡°You don¡¯t know what she is?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes Margaret! She is quite the¡ª¡±

    ¡°You are not here to probe into our guest¡¯s secrets,¡± Jeremiah, said, glaring at him.

    ¡°Oh, of course, apologies master Jeremiah, I shall remove the information immediately. ¡­Done!¡±

    ¡°Very good.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°He can read minds?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that?¡± Kirkkok asked. ¡°The Yellow magic allows for connections between the very souls of beings. Who¡¯s to say that a lesser mental connection could not be forged? Even with one unwilling?¡±

    ¡°I am¡­ suddenly a lot less thrilled with you. But you are still a cool bird.¡±

    ¡°Thank you little squishy one! May the blood in your veins run for a day longer than they otherwise would have!¡±

    ¡°¡­Thanks¡­?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, am I here for entertainment, or is there some purpose, master Jeremiah?¡±

    Jeremiah slid the large tome over to Kirkkok. ¡°I wish to know more about the curse described in these pages.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, information! Well, let¡¯s see¡­ I can tell you immediately this isn¡¯t one of Our Goddess¡¯ curses, I¡¯d be able to feel it. So¡­ hmm¡­¡± He used his claws to flip through the pages of the book, all the while his smiley face twisted back into an eye, staring intently at the pages. ¡°My this is quite fascinating¡­ yes, they really are all connected, though I do not see a purpose or drive behind them at this moment¡­ hmm, whatever the origin is, it lies deep within the Shinelands, it might be too far for me to properly dowse¡­ oh oh oh, juicy, how cruel, their souls are fully in-tact, will and everything! Devious.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ it is beyond you.¡± Jeremiah sighed sadly. ¡°I am sorry, my friends, I was hoping to give you some information, but all I have done is make you uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°They could stand to have their experiences widened a bit,¡± Kirkkok said.

    Envila stared at Kirkkok intently. ¡°I was entirely unaware that there were nonviolent members of Eyda¡¯s court. I am quite glad I¡¯ve had this experience; it gives me greater understanding of how people can serve such an entity.¡±

    Jeh tilted her head to the side. ¡°He still feels¡­ off.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    ¡°That off-ness you describe¡­¡± Margaret closed her eyes. ¡°It is the sense of the divine. It touches a part of you the physical world does not.¡±

    Kirkkok snorted and cawed at the same time. ¡°Sure, if you want to think like that¡­¡± He flipped another page and suddenly the eye in his slime hat became much larger. ¡°Oh my!¡±

    ¡°Found something?¡± Jeremiah asked.

    ¡°¡­Indeed.¡± The eye in his slime-hat shifted into a crosshair. He whirled around and pointed it at Jeh. A burst of dark energy emerged.

    Margaret jumped in front of it. ¡°Kirkkok, no!¡± Kirkkok was unable to stop and the dark energy hit her right in the shoulder. Her flesh was eaten right off and the bone of her shoulder was exposed. She was thrown off the table, spilling the pot of rainbow stew all over the ground. She let out an agonized wail.

    ¡°KIRKKOK!¡± Jeremiah shouted with a pure, unbridled, rage that had not been seen on his face prior to this. ¡°You will not attack my guests and you will NOT HARM MY DAUGHTER!¡±

    ¡°She, but, uh. How. Uh.¡±

    Envila suddenly had her Orange hammer pressed to Kirkkok¡¯s neck. ¡°You might want to listen to your master, bird.¡±

    Jeh leaped out of her chair and pulled out some Green, using it to restore Margaret¡¯s shoulder. At first, the magic didn¡¯t seem to work, and there were little black fires all over the wound¡ªbut the fires dissipated, and then the flesh started to reform. It was, however, a large wound and took a lot of will from Jeh to patch up fully.

    Jeh smiled. ¡°Thanks for¡­ taking a hit you didn¡¯t need to.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to heal me either,¡± Margaret said as she stood up. ¡°Thank you. Now¡­¡± She joined Envila in threatening Kirkkok, directing the spike on her left gauntlet right at the bird-demon¡¯s chest. ¡°Care to explain Kirkkok?¡±

    ¡°I had to! They¡¯ve put you in danger! If I didn¡¯t take care of them right then and prove ourselves we¡­ oh no¡­¡±

    The northern wall exploded, showering the room in rubble and debris. A Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho remerged from the hole, electric orbs sparking intently.

    ¡°Please¡­¡± he droned. ¡°Please, kill us, before we kill you¡­¡±

    ~~~

    How silly of me, the plast dragon wrote in the air, face uncomfortably close to Blue¡¯s own.

    ¡°Oh n-no you¡¯re not silly¡­¡± Blue said, swallowing hard as the kancathi¡¯s head moved back and forth, as if unable to decide to slam right into Blue or run away in panic.

    Yes! Correct! But I did forget your question!

    ¡°Question¡­?¡±

    Without warning, the plast dragon¡¯s claws rammed into the ground and latched onto a stone slab. With considerable effort, the slab tilted up, revealing a tunnel in the ground large enough for the plast dragon to fit through.

    ¡°What in the¡­?¡±

    A perfect plan needs perfect preparation!

    ¡°There¡¯s no way you did this¡­¡±

    Correct! Blue thought the beast looked furious, but no aggressive moves were taken. I forced a dwarf to dig it for me.

    ¡°¡­A what?¡±

    Exactly why it worked, nobody here has ever heard of a dwarf. Blue did not know how to describe the guttural, pulsating noise that came after that. Was it a laugh? A groan? Some emotion that she¡¯d never thought needed to be expressed? It was impossible, her captor was just too alien. He wasn¡¯t very tasty. Did you know they¡¯re rigids? Oh, wait, of course you didn¡¯t, you don¡¯t even know what a dwarf is. Ha! I know at least twice as much as you do! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! The plast dragon continued to write out laughing sound effects in the air, accompanying each one with an entirely different throat noise, giving Blue no information whatsoever as to the meaning behind the sounds.

    Blue decided to just let the ¡°laughing¡± continue. Maybe the insanity would get the kancathi stuck in a loop and nothing would happen until a guard came down to check on her and¡­ who was she kidding, the kancathi may have been insane, but the evidence of a tunnel under the cell that nobody knew about indicated intelligence. Blue could be talked to because Blue was bait. What was she going to do? Tell someone the plan?

    ¡­Whatever the plan was. Clearly, her captor had wanted her imprisoned, and then wanted to be in the same cell as her for some reason. That reason wasn¡¯t her though, it was to bait someone. Bait who, exactly? She started mentally going through a list in her head, though the internal fear of the monster in front of her kept her from trimming it down very far.

    Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. HA. Can you hear it?

    The sudden existence of actual words shocked Blue. ¡°Hear what?¡±

    The song. The beast growled, clearly intending to mimic a musical tone, but as kancathi vocal cords were incapable of speech, they were also incapable of song, so it was just a series of growls, all at the same pitch. Can you hear the melody? The melody that must be sung?

    Blue tilted her head. ¡°I¡­ n-no¡­¡±

    I must sing. I must sing. I must¡­ the plast dragon tried again, letting out a series of timed growls, this time flashing chest lights in time, each light no doubt corresponding to a different note, but not in a way Blue was familiar with. Nonetheless, her brain was curious, and started sifting through songs she¡¯d heard recently, trying to match the beat and different notes¡­ but she was no music theorist and she was utterly terrified of the monster before her, so this didn¡¯t go anywhere. It was a welcome distraction, though.

    Useless! The plast dragon lashed out, throwing Blue to the side. Even though there had been no intent to harm Blue, she was small in comparison and hit the wall hard enough to bruise. Not you. You are useful. As bait. And what lucrative bait you are¡­ A genius, played like a toy.

    ¡°Fat lot of good my brain did to get me in this mess¡­¡±

    You? You blaming yourself! Hilarious! There was nothing you could have done, my work was perfect. The kill was silent, but made to look like it wasn¡¯t. The death was brutal, chosen to be a time when only you were there. Every step of the hunt. Precise. Calculated. Perfect! PERFECT!

    Suddenly the kancathi¡¯s foot was on Blue, pressing her into the ground with an air-tight seal, leaving her head exposed to allow her to breathe.

    It¡¯s perfect, right? This is the best hunt that a kackathi has ever taken! Those fools with the rules. I had to break them, you see, I had to. The hunt needed to change. How can they be so blind? Do you know?

    ¡°N-nobody knows anything about kancathi rules¡­¡±

    Why would you? I know! You can see how we act. How we hunt. You¡¯ve been part of the hunts, I can tell. You lived. The other must have died, by your hand or by the others. There is no tolerance. Nor should there be. Except for me! I¡¯m special. I have to be. I have to be. I have to be. There was a long pause of nothing. Slowly, the kancathi¡¯s foot lifted from Blue and the beast turned away from her.

    If they knew where I was, I would be dead.

    ¡°Then¡­ why are you here?¡±

    The hunt. I hear the voice of the hunt. I must complete it at all costs. The dragon whirled back onto Blue. If the rules impede me, the rules must be burned! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

    Blue realized that the beast definitely wasn¡¯t laughing now¡ªthat was the timing of the song. Another attempt at replication.

    Once I get them all they¡¯ll see. All my brothers and sisters, they will see. You see, don¡¯t you¡­?

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re hunting.¡±

    Some genius! Think, little unicorn. You are bait. I¡¯m after someone else. This is a very particular type of prison for only the most offensive of crimes. Who cares about you and has the authority to come down here? A cold, dark, supposedly safe place.

    Blue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No¡­¡±

    Far above them, the Royal Guard stood up. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, you can¡¯t just go see the prisoner!¡±

    Tenrayce Kroan flashed her royal sigil. ¡°I believe you need to reexamine your assertion.¡±

    ¡°Tenii, be nice to her,¡± Via chided.

    ¡°I am understandably not in the mood.¡±

    As they passed down the stairs, Via turned to the Royal Guard. ¡°Sorry about that, it¡¯s been a rough day. I¡¯ll be sure your commended for your devotion or¡­ something.¡± She gave a salute and followed after her sister.

    Into the darkness below.

    ~~~

    The first of them to react was Kirkkok, because he had known what was coming. The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho was subject to a burst of darkness that melted right through the metal hinges on two of his limbs. This prompted him to fall over, but before his glass orbs shattered on the ground, he released a bolt of lightning that struck Kirkkok dead on. With a loud reverberating squawk, he was thrown into the back wall and splattered against it like he was made of nothing more than ink.

    However, he had done it, the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho was down.

    But there were three others outside, alongside another kind of rigid Jeh hadn¡¯t seen before, but was clearly the wheeler she had heard about recently. The box-shaped rigid had a red line across its front that made an angled-V shape, the closest thing to a face anywhere on the metallic entity, giving an appearance of eternal anger. The rest of the body was bulky and smooth, almost without features. The wheels, of which there were six, were clearly more than just objects to roll on for they could split open and act as claws, and each one could raise and lower independently. They also had retractable spikes, all of which were currently out.

    The three Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho stood aside as the wheeler charged.

    Envila leaped forward, slamming her hammer on the ground. The Orange shockwave not only stopped the wheeler, but threw the rigid into the air. The bulky spirited landed backside down, crushing one of the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho.

    ¡°Envila!¡± Jeh called in shock.

    ¡°We are outmatched!¡± Envila called back, already breathing heavily. ¡°We do not have the luxury of holding back!¡±

    Margaret stood up and cracked her knuckles. ¡°Glad to see we¡¯re on the same page¡­¡±

    The two remaining Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho ran to the overturned wheeler, trying to right their ally.

    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Jeh shouted, running at them, her own Orange sparkling brightly. She grabbed one of the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho from a distance and pushed her away from the wheeler. Margaret, meanwhile, moved with surprising skill and agility, landing in front of the other Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho and, with a few expertly timed punches, removed his grip on the wheeler, leaving their largest ally helpless once more.

    However, these Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho hadn¡¯t released their lightning bolts yet. Margaret saw the one coming after her, so she ducked and rolled under the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho itself, forcing his strike to hit his own leg and allowing her to escape unscathed. On the opposite end, Jeh¡¯s plan was to take the lightning bolt head on and plow the rest of the way through the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho. The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho¡ªor whatever was controlling it¡ªwas smarter than this. At the last minute, it turned away from Jeh and fired the bolt at Envila. It was a somewhat wild shot that hit her in the leg. The fae was strong¡ªshe let out not a single cry of pain¡ªbut there was nothing she could do about the muscle spasms and she fell onto her back, writhing.

    Jeh was fairly sure Envila couldn¡¯t use Green in that state, so she pulled out her own Green¡ªonly for the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho to stab her through the arm, pinning her to the ground while taking the Green out of her grip. Jeh reached for her other crystals, but her opponent used another bladed leg to stab the crystal pouch and throw it aside.

    Without those, she was just an immortal child.  What could she hope to accomplish without any magic?

    She let out a roar and started flailing and kicking, but nothing so much as phased the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho. The rigid picked her up and kept her fixed to her leg, all the while rushing to go help the other Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho. Margaret was holding her own against the bladed monster using her gauntlets and fluid movements, but the match was even¡ªthere were about to be two of them on her.

    She was in danger and she knew it, but what else could she do but fight? She was trying to get a good hit off on the glass domes of the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho, but the one time she landed a hit she barely cracked it, and now he was playing a lot more defensively. There would be no quick kill before the next one arrived; but she had to try anyway. She ducked under the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho, spinning a twist-kick at his underside¡ªbut a spike-leg caught her in the calf, pinning her.

    Unlike Envila and Jeh, she did not have so much control over pain as to stop from screaming.

    The other Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho raised her leg, aiming between Margaret¡¯s eyes.

    Then Jeremiah arrived. He held up his arm, a noxious darkness surrounding it. The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho¡¯s blade was unable to pierce the veil. From the veil emerged none other than Kirkkok.

    ¡°Never fought a servant of Eyda before, have you?¡± Kirkkok laughed as he bit through the leg effortlessly with his beak. ¡°And now you¡¯re all out of lightning. Say goodbye t¡ª¡±

    The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho chose to ignore Kirkkok and sliced Jeremiah across the stomach, drawing significant amounts of blood.

    ¡°Dad!¡± Margaret shouted.

    But Jeremiah¡¯s wound had not been the true target¡ªthat had been the sigil held within his clothes. The sigil was cut clean in half. Kirkkok started to vanish into puffs of smoke.

    ¡°You freaking little¡ª!¡± Before he vanished, Kirkkok unleashed a beam of darkness at the offending Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho, cutting through her core. The rigid collapsed to the ground in multiple pieces, freeing Jeh.

    Jeh pulled herself off the discarded limb and stood, her wound healing in seconds. She took quick stock of the situation¡ªthe wheeler was still upside-down, Envila was twitching, Jeremiah was on his back, Margaret was trying to crawl toward her, and the last Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho was charging Jeh with reckless abandon.

    Dodge! Jeh screamed at herself.

    For once, it worked. She twisted back just enough for the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho¡¯s blade to graze her chest, but not puncture it. Jeh twisted back and ran for her pack of Colored crystals. The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho did not want this to happen under any circumstances, so he jumped forward into a roll. There was no precision in this attack, but he did manage to roll over Jeh and stop right above the bag of Colored Crystals, pinning the bag to the ground.

    He took a defensive stance, daring Jeh to try to grab the Colored crystals.

    Jeh had the feeling that if she turned to run for Envila¡¯s crystals, the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho had some kind of plan for that. She had to get them¡ªbut she couldn¡¯t. Charging in blindly would be pointless, she¡¯d just get pinned, then everyone but her would die and she¡¯d probably spend the next minor eternity skewered on a metal stick somewhere.

    She racked her brain. Think, think, think¡­

    Then she smelled something burning.

    The bag of crystals lit on fire.

    The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho quickly removed his leg from the bag, waving it around¡ªrevealing that in stabbing the bag, he had embedded Red crystals into himself. Red crystals that were actively being used to burn¡ªburn his entire body. Sparks began to fly and parts blew off the rigid as he got hot enough to glow.

    ¡°Finish me¡­¡± a voice droned from the burning Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho. ¡°I do not think¡­ I can do it¡­ myself¡­¡±

    Jeh ran forward, thrusting her hand into the burning bag, pulling out a Red crystal. With a shout, she put as much heat as she could into the rigid¡¯s core. The already superheated metal reached a critical point and liquified, dropping to the ground and sending large amounts of steam into the air. The rest of the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho¡¯s structure collapsed to the ground in a heap.

    Jeh rummaged through the still burning bag and pulled out her Green crystal, immediately applying it to everyone around who wasn¡¯t one of the attackers. While she was healing them, she noticed something very odd. All three of them had a single, precision hole in their head and in their chest. Her healing was able to restore the wounds, though it took a lot of effort on her part.

    But she hadn¡¯t seen anything attack them that could do that¡­

    ¡­wait¡­

    She looked up. There, in the sky, almost impossibly far above them, was a black speck darting across the sky. It was fleeing.

    ¡°Can anyone shoot that!?¡±

    No one was in any position to even try. Envila didn¡¯t even try to stand up, she simply sat, shaking as she did so, hand over her eyes. Margaret was tending to Jeremiah, who still hadn¡¯t opened his eyes. ¡°Dad! Dad, come on, wake up!¡±

    Jeh ran over to them. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s old, Jeh!¡± Margaret shouted. ¡°It doesn¡¯t always work! Especially¡­ especially not for brain damage! That¡­¡± She touched the part of her head where the hole had been. ¡°That thing up there wanted us dead¡­¡± She turned to Jeh with wild eyes. ¡°What have you brought to us!?¡±

    Jeh took a few steps back. ¡°We¡­ we don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Jeremiah reached his hand out to steady Margaret¡¯s. ¡°N-no¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡±

    All the anger melted from Margaret¡¯s face. ¡°Dad! Oh, Dad, it¡¯s all right, I¡¯m here¡­¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­ sounds like you¡¯re the one who needs me¡­¡± He sat up¡ªand then immediately let out a yell, putting his hand to his head. ¡°Aaaagh¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°Take it easy¡­ take it easy¡­¡±

    ¡°My¡­ my head¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that, everything is fine¡­¡±

    ¡°But¡­ are there¡­ more?¡±

    ¡°Not at the moment,¡± the wheeler spoke, drawing everyone¡¯s attention to the rigid for the first time in a while. ¡°I have sensed no others nearby. But this does not mean others will not be called.¡±

    Silence reigned after this comment. The unspoken question went unanswered.

    What did they do now?

    ~~~

    This time, Blue couldn¡¯t speak. The plast dragon¡¯s foot was placed firmly over her mouth, leaving only her nostrils as an avenue to get air into her lungs. She had received no warning¡ªone moment she was reading the monologue with absolute dread for the Princess¡¯ life, the next she was pressed to the ground forcefully. She could see strange flickering patterns of light in front of her and Purple held just behind the kancathi¡¯s back. Some kind of illusion must have been being cast, but she wasn¡¯t the intended recipient, so there was no need to hide imperfections from her.

    This also meant she had no idea what would be visible from the other side, and she had no promises that what she could see was anything close to reality either.

    But what she could hear, on the other hand¡­

    ¡°Via, you know we can¡¯t just let her out.¡±

    ¡°Why nooot?¡± Via whined. ¡°We have the power and authority, and we know she¡¯s innocent!¡±

    ¡°The courts will not take our personal connection as knowledge, and while we do have the power, being cleared by royal pardon looks bad. Very bad.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯ll have to find the real culprit, obviously. That plast dragon emulator will be difficult to find¡­ but I suspect with enough investigation we can prove it wasn¡¯t Blue. The murders did start before she arrived, but she has enough enemies in the court that they may cite her as a copy killer¡­¡±

    ¡°Ugh, so stuck up!¡±

    ¡°Via, you¡¯re describing yourself.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Yeah.¡± Via laughed. ¡°Well, I am annoying, so my annoyance at them is understandable.¡± There was a pause. ¡°This is the part of the conversation where you say ¡®sometimes I wonder about you, Via¡¯ and then shake your head and sigh.¡±

    ¡°I find myself wondering if levity is appropriate¡­ there has been a murder. And it is deeply concerning how closely it relates to us.¡±

    Is she¡­ is she going to figure it out? Or at least be suspicious? Blue thought, getting hopeful. She¡¯s a Green wizard a¡ª

    The kancathi released Blue¡¯s mouth for a split second and pressed down on her with enough force to make her scream. Blue, even in her pain, knew the plan exactly: shock Tenrayce into stopping her thought process and rushing in.

    ¡°Blue!¡± Via called, running up to the door. ¡°I¡­ Tenii! She¡¯s hurt! It looks like they beat her! Hang on Blue!¡±

    No¡­ stop¡­

    Blue heard Via fumbling with the keys¡­ and then the massive door slid open with a powerful screech, kicking up dust as Via ran in, going for an empty corner. She kneeled down¡­ and then became confused. ¡°Hold on, what?¡±

    Tenrayce ran into the room after her, just in time to see the plast dragon¡¯s claw plunge into her sister¡¯s chest. Tenrayce didn¡¯t cry out, she didn¡¯t scream, she didn¡¯t even gasp. She immediately flayed her palms in front of her face and let the Green crystals all over her alight.

    Blue suddenly became nauseous and her perception of reality became fuzzy for a moment, but it quickly cleared. When her senses returned to her, she saw Tenrayce standing tall and shining with bright Green all over, forming a Green aura around the plast dragon¡¯s head, healing it. Restoring it. Skull, face, brain, and all.

    The plast dragon stumbled, head jostling side to side. The beast let out a roar¡­ then the same roar again¡­ then the same roar again¡­ the roars lasted until the beast¡¯s head slammed inadvertently into a wall, forcing a bit of a mental reset, but then the monster¡¯s head just wouldn¡¯t stop shaking, trying to clear the headache.

    Blue¡¯s eyes widened as she figured out what Tenrayce was doing. She was using all her efforts to continually restore the plast dragon¡¯s brain, trying to reset it continually, a rather advanced technique. Clearly, it wasn¡¯t working completely, but it was doing enough to keep the kancathi from outright killing them right now.

    But Via was bleeding out. Tenrayce wasn¡¯t moving, she was clearly using almost all of her will to keep the spell up. Eventually, she was going to burn out, then they would all die. There was nothing a Green wizard could do to fight in this situation, she could only stall.

    Blue, however, bruised and battered as she was, had the opportunity to do something. She was free. But she couldn¡¯t heal Via, she had no magic skill to speak of, and she wasn¡¯t physically strong. There wasn¡¯t even a big rock she could levitate to crush the monster¡¯s head!

    But she could¡­ run. The door was open. Via was bleeding out, even if Blue picked her up they probably wouldn¡¯t get anywhere fast enough for a wound so expertly placed as that. Lifting up Tenrayce would break her concentration. But Blue¡­ Blue was free to flee and life to fight another day.

    Blue took that thought of hers and shot it dead, turning to face the plast dragon. She wasn¡¯t going to run away and leave them to die. She had a brain, she could use it. The plast dragon had told her much through insane ramblings over the last few hours, there had to be something exploitable. A weakness. A trump card. They had talked about the hunt, the rules, the other kancathi, the plan, the song¡­

    The song. If only she knew the song. If only¡­

    Then she remembered.

    The tune the children were singing outside the lecture hall.

    She hadn¡¯t connected it earlier because that was the middle of the song and she was trying to match up with the start she¡¯d never heard, but that was the right one.

    So Blue did the only thing she could think of. She sang the notes. She was surprised how easy it was to recall the exact pitch and nature of the song now that she had it, it just came to her, and her voice carried it well.

    The plast dragon, despite having a brain currently being scrambled like pudding, reacted to the song. It was as though the very notes had power over the soul. The beast gave Blue absolute, full attention.

    Tenrayce may not have understood what Blue was doing but she understood that the enemy was occupied. She quickly stopped scrambling brains and went to heal Via, her mastery over Green restoring the wound to livable condition quickly.

    Blue kept singing, with every note taking a step back to the open door of the cell. The plast dragon continued staring at her intently with an expression of¡­ longing? Deep, pained longing. The need to sing. The inability to do so. Tears began to flow from the monster¡¯s eyes.

    Tenrayce pulled the unconscious Via out of the cell. Blue was still a few steps away.

    And then she reached the end of the song she¡¯d heard the children sing. She didn¡¯t know the next note. She tried to guess from the timing and patterns she knew.

    She guessed wrong.

    The kancathi¡¯s maddened sorrow ended in an instant, replaced with murderous intent. Blue let out a yell and jumped back. Using her telekinesis, she slammed the cell door shut with enough force to crack the bones within the plast dragon¡¯s snout. This resulted in a roar of rage, agony, and pain. Instinctually, the kankathi¡¯s foot slammed into the ground, activating the racial attribute of tremor.

    The dungeon was built well enough to withstand this. There was no cave in, it just made everyone wobble a bit.

    The same could not be said for the secret dwarf-made tunnel that led to the cell. As the tremors ended, the floor of the cell cracked, falling into the tunnel and filling it in.

    The plast dragon let out a wail¡­ and then kept wailing as the aura of Green returned.

    Tenrayce ground her teeth. ¡°Okay¡­ I can afford not to use everything on her now¡­ that¡­ was something.¡± Tenrayce turned to Blue. ¡°Get Via up to the surface and get the wizards down here. Tell them we¡¯ve caught a kancathi!¡±

    Blue wasn¡¯t entirely sure they¡¯d believe her but she did as asked without question¡ªwhen the Princess gives an order with that much force, you didn¡¯t ignore her. She ran up the stairs, levitating Via in tow. She all but threw the princess onto the Royal Guard¡¯s table. ¡°This is Via, Tenrayce is still down there, get the wizards, we¡¯ve caught a kancathi, and I¡¯m not breaking out I¡¯m staying right here!¡± She planted her rump on the ground. ¡°Cuff me if you want but please hurry.¡±

    The young guard, the very same one who had passed out at the sight of blood at the murder scene, reacted with surprising diligence. She expertly threw a net at Blue and used some Orange to tie it up so effectively that Blue had a hard time breathing¡ªclearly this was designed to very, very quickly catch prisoners.

    ¡°Got it!¡± With that, the guard ran off as quickly as her legs could carry her.

    ¡°Right. Good. I¡¯ll just¡­ wait here then. Tied up. Like a good little prisoner.¡± Blue struggled to roll herself over so she could look at Via. ¡°Well. We¡¯re alive.¡±

    Via, being unconscious, was unable to answer.

    ~~~

    ¡°Might I make a suggestion?¡± the wheeler asked.

    Jeh looked up at the stuck rigid. ¡°Um¡­ sure, but first, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Vreewoomva.¡±

    ¡°¡­Awesome.¡±

    ¡°It is a standard wheeler name. I am¡ªor, well, I was¡ªa traveling salesman who crossed the Wild Kingdoms and sold many wares. As you can see, I have none of them on me right now and am not in control of my body.¡± Vreewoomva¡¯s wheels were still spinning rapidly and clawing out, trying to do something violent but failing miserably.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see if we can help you with that¡­ what¡¯s your suggestion?¡±

    ¡°Get moving, quickly, there will probably be more, and soon. If I have learned anything about this¡­ curse controlling me, it is that it is determined and persistent. You may be far from the Shinelands, but it has been watching you, and it will send more. A larger group will eventually catch up if you do not work quickly.¡±

    Envila let out a ¡°tsk.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t in the best physical condition¡­ we can¡¯t move quickly.¡±

    ¡°Then you should get started.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Envila said, standing up. She turned to Jeremiah. ¡°Can you travel?¡±

    ¡°I can walk,¡± Jeremiah muttered, hand to his head. ¡°This¡­ headache, though¡­ egh¡­¡±

    Margaret looked up from the hexagonal sigil she was gluing together with some kind of sap. ¡°Dad, what are you saying?¡±

    ¡°The wheeler¡¯s right, we can¡¯t stay here.¡±

    ¡°Surely that doesn¡¯t apply to us¡­¡±

    ¡°Kirkkok tried to save us from this, the moment we defended them from him¡­ we were marke¡ªagh!¡± He fell to his knees again. ¡°Can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡± Margaret ran over to him, placing her hand on his back. ¡°You can¡¯t travel! Not like this¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all dead if we stay here.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but this is our home¡­ I¡­¡± She clenched her jaw. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you.¡±

    Jeremiah sighed. ¡°I know you won¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°L¡ªlook, we¡¯ll get Kirkkok back and he¡¯ll fix everything¡­¡±

    Envila frowned, turning to Jeh. ¡°Jeh, your mission to tell Kroan and Shimvale of the threat is important. More important than this.¡± She hefted up her hammer, arm still shaking. ¡°I will take the task of defending them, you need to go.¡±

    Jeh¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No, no, I can survive, you need to take the message!¡±

    ¡°I will not survive a flying rigid shooting me when I least expect it in the middle of the jungle, Jeh. You have to be the one to carry that book. I will defend here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll die if you stay here, what difference does it make!?¡±

    ¡°¡­If you go you might be able to warn everyone.¡±

    Jeh¡¯s eyes watered up. ¡°N-no, I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Jeh¡­¡± Envila kneeled to the ground, putting a hand on Jeh¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I know I am asking too much of you. But I don¡¯t have a choice. You need to go. There is more at stake than the two of us.¡±

    Blubbering, Jeh nodded.

    ¡°Why are you even bothering?¡± Margaret spat at the two of them.

    ¡°You shu¡ª¡± Jeh¡¯s words were cut short by Envila¡¯s fingers pressed to her lips.

    Envila slowly stood up and turned to Margaret. ¡°We brought this evil on you and have caused you great pain.¡± She turned and looked at the hole in the house, large swaths of ruined farmland, ending at last at the shaking, pathetic form of Jeremiah. ¡°You gave us kindness and have been repaid with tragedy. I will not let that stand.¡± She turned to Margaret with hard, serious eyes. ¡°I will die to set this right, if it is necessary. ¡­Which it looks like it is.¡±

    Margaret stared at her in silent shock, jaw hanging open.

    ¡°Might not¡­ be necessary¡­¡± Jeremiah grunted. ¡°If¡­ Margaret can fix the sigil¡­ agh¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fixed, Dad!¡± Margaret called, all but thrusting the sigil into his hands. ¡°S-surely you can¡­¡±

    ¡°One of Eyda¡¯s own does not forget his master¡­¡± With a grunt, Jeremiah held out the sigil. With a flurry of feathers and darkness, Kirkkok returned.

    ¡°Oh good, you¡¯re all alive, I was worried there for a second.¡±

    ¡°We need to¡­ AGH!¡± Jeremiah flopped back onto his back, face contorted in pain.

    ¡°Oh my, let¡¯s see what¡¯s wrong with you¡­¡± the demon¡¯s slime shifted to display the eye while he examined Jeremiah. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the problem, your soul-mind interface has been upset. Not exactly unexpected for someone of your age who just got shot in the brain. That Jeh kid sure has a lot of willpower to even do this well. Sadly, not much more Green can do for you.¡± He let out a caw. ¡°Fortunately, you¡¯ve got me. Now¡­ to get rid of the pain, I need your permission, for according to our agreement what I need to do would count as a ¡®violation¡¯ of your person.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ seeing as everyone needs me to move so we can live¡­¡± Jeremiah let out a sad laugh. ¡°You have my permission, Kirkkok.¡±

    ¡°All right! This¡¯ll be fun!¡±

    And then Kirkkok crushed Jeremiah¡¯s skull under his talon, melting right through the flesh. Margaret and Jeh barely had time to scream before Kirkkok lifted his foot and Jeremiah¡¯s head was completely fine.

    ¡°W-wow¡­¡± Jeremiah said, rubbing his head. ¡°The¡­ the pain¡¯s gone!¡±

    ¡°Glad to be of assistan¡ª¡±

    Envila suddenly grabbed the demon by the neck and held him up.

    ¡°Hey! Hey! I just saved him!¡±

    ¡°Yes. You did. And this time, it was probably necessary.¡± Envila narrowed her eyes, shifting to a language nobody around her knew, not even Jeh. But somehow Kirkkok understood. He responded in kind, with words that somehow ate their way into everyone¡¯s minds as though they were spoken from inside, much like the sensation of hearing a Crystalline One, but far more unpleasant. None but Envila understood the words.

    She dropped the demon in disgust.

    ¡°I take it we have an understanding?¡± Kirkkok asked.

    ¡°An understanding. And nothing more.¡±

    ¡°Good. In that case¡­¡±

    ¡°Get moving?¡± Vreewoomva suggested.

    ¡°Yes, that,¡± Jeremiah said. Despite having no head pain, he still held his hand to his forehead. ¡°The dragon tribe near here¡­ that¡¯s our best shot at getting fast transportation.¡±

    ¡°We must be careful not to let anyone know of our purpose,¡± Envila said. ¡°Lest their home be burned to the ground.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then we are going to Kroan. Or Shimvale.¡± Margaret¡¯s frown became more fearful. ¡°We are well aware that Eyda¡¯s Gonal are not welcome in those places.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°You lived there. Did you ever meet one of us?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t met any Gonal¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± She dusted herself off. ¡°But¡­ your mission is now our mission, by necessity.¡±

    ¡°Before you go, I have a request,¡± Vreewoomva asked.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Please kill me.¡±

    Jeh paled. ¡°I¡¯m not going t¡ª¡±

    Jeremiah summoned Kirkkok and, without a word, the demon melted a hole right through the center of the wheeler, killing him instantly.

    Even Margaret seemed somewhat surprised at this.

    ¡°It was his wish, and there was not anything else we could have done for him,¡± Jeremiah said. ¡°If we left him he would be sent after us again.¡± He turned his back on them. ¡°Come. We need to move.¡±

    ~~~

    Blue, Tenrayce, Via, and Pepper all stood inside Pepper¡¯s lab, looking inside the newest acquisition for her collection.

    A conscious, living plast dragon. Tied up with so many ropes, cuffs, and magic limiting devices that it was hard to make out most of her features¡ªit was a woman, apparently. She had not written a single word since her imprisonment¡­ but also, notably, she hadn¡¯t tried to kill herself.

    ¡°You know, every previous one we¡¯ve caught has offed themselves or been offed by other kancathi,¡± Pepper said, scratching her chin. ¡°I wonder what makes this one different¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s insane, I keep telling you,¡± Blue said. ¡°Thinks she¡¯s still part of the hunt while breaking its rules, is absolutely obsessed with that weird song, and kept going off on¡­ strange tangents. This insanity seems to have led her to hide from her brothers and sisters, so¡­¡± Blue shivered. ¡°I don¡¯t even know, all I know is I¡¯m glad to see her be the one tied up.¡±

    ¡°The song is the key,¡± Tenrayce said, pausing. ¡°¡­Pepper, Blue, what I am about to say should not leave this room, but I believe it is necessary for you to know.¡±

    Pepper and Blue turned to her with rapt attention.

    ¡°We received word from Shimvale through a covert letter sent by¡­ unusual means. They believe there is a song up there that hypnotizes people, forcing their will to bow to them.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°How would that¡­ even work?¡±

    ¡°We do not know, and we were not sure if we were to take it seriously¡­ but if a kancathi was subjected to this song and told to do something such as, say, kill the Kroan Royal Family, a command that she could not ignore, that would explain this insanity.¡± Tenrayce approached the cage, lifting her head up. ¡°Your will is not your own, is it, kancathi?¡±

    The plast dragon didn¡¯t even flinch.

    ¡°Wait, if her will isn¡¯t her own¡­¡± Pepper rubbed the back of her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how comfortable I am keeping her locked up in here¡­¡±

    ¡°She is a murderer and a danger to us all,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°Furthermore, she cannot stand trial, otherwise her existence will get out to the other kancathi and they will try to kill her as a potential security leak. Which she is.¡± Tenrayce turned to Blue. ¡°Your name is still going to be cleared, but the killer is not going to be a kancathi, it is still a faker, but otherwise this killer¡¯s plan is going to be the exact same as stated, and the killer died in the battle in the dungeons.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°Right, understandable.¡±

    ¡°All these lies¡­¡± Pepper frowned. ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t tell anyone, I know my duty.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°Now, Pepper, you are the expert in beasts. I know you usually do not work with spirited, but you are the best thing we have. Figure out as much as you can. You have no restrictions on what you are allowed to do, but I trust you to stick to decency even more than I would in this situation.¡± With that, she turned to Blue. ¡°And unfortunately I do have more questions for you.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll answer everything I can.¡±

    ¡°Where did you hear that song?¡±

    ¡°Children playing outside.¡±

    ¡°¡­Here? In Axiom?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Tenrayce looked out into the distance. ¡°¡­I wonder how many of us are infected at this point¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out.¡±

    ¡°I still would like to point out that mind-controlling songs are not how magic works.¡±

    ¡°Is there any limit to the scope of an attribute?¡± Tenrayce shook her head. ¡°Not that we know of. We learned today of a race called ¡®dwarves¡¯ that dwell underground and can cut tunnels. Who knows what strange attributes lie beyond our knowledge?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ good point.¡± Her thoughts turned to Jeh. She didn¡¯t exactly seem like an attribute¡­ and then there¡¯s the cube, whatever that is¡­

    Via sighed. ¡°Man, this is all¡­ super-serious. I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°It is our duty, Via,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°Sometimes we have to put away our smiles and our books and do our jobs.¡± She grimaced. ¡°Times are changing, and I¡¯m starting to see how quickly they could go badly.¡±

    The plast dragon stared right at her, fury in her eyes.

    ¡°I have nothing to say to you.¡± With that, Tenrayce turned her back to the plast dragon and walked away.

    The kancathi roared after her. The princess didn¡¯t dignify this with a response.

    ~~~

    Far from Blue, Jeh, or the rest of the Wizard Space Program, something stirred. Deep to the South of the Shinelands, there was a hole in the ground. This hole was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of rigids, all standing in perfect circles around the hole. The hole itself was no larger than a house, and many of the rigids were much larger than it. But protect it they did, from the smallest bug-like rigid to monsters larger than many dragons, they stood guard in silent vigil.

    The hole led down into a buried complex with many twisting and turning hallways that led nowhere and served no purpose any longer. Large chunks of metal and stone had pushed through the walls in the millennia. There was evidence of life having taken its toll on the structure¡ªholes where roots had punched through, places where rigid bugs had gnawed away at the metal, and even a few claw marks here and there.

    There was no life anymore. Nothing moved. All roots had been removed with surgical precision. The place was clean, but still clearly broken. Damaged.

    These halls of clean nothing went on for kilometers.

    But eventually, they led to something. A series of red numbers flashing on and off on a flat surface in a dark, desolate room.

    The numbers flickered with increasing intensity, more and more flying by each second. There was a sense of panic, of agitation. Then, suddenly, all the numbers save for one stopped. This single one counted from zero to nine, over and over and over again. Then, slowly, all the other numbers started flickering once more, cycling in ever-repeating more and more complicated patterns.

    Had anything meaningful occurred?

    There was no one there to say one way or the other.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT!

    COLORS.

    We¡¯ve already talked about how to make light by heating things up, going from red to white to blue. Now, one could be forgiven for thinking this is how fire works¡ªafter all, stars are largely just balls of fire and they follow the red/white/blue pattern.

    Except reality is a bit more complicated than that. It is true that bluer often means hotter, and that flames often go down in heat as they shift to orange colors (try this with your stove!) but this is not entirely due to a blackbody situation. The thing is, fire is surprisingly complicated! There are actually two major sources of color in most flames: the blackbody radiation, and the excitation of the gas surrounding it. The blackbody radiation is responsible for the orange part of the candle flame, which is actually red or orange-hot heated soot formed almost entirely from excess carbon not used in the reaction. However, on many candles (and natural gas / propane stoves) there is a blue section. This is hotter than the orange section, but it¡¯s not actually due to blackbody radiation, but rather the temperature of the flame getting hot enough to excite the air around it and produce a blue-line emission from electrons jumping up and down in their energy levels.

    Note that this gives us a general rule of thumb for blue flames: they¡¯re hot, but they¡¯re not producing any carbon soot byproducts to glow orange. This indicates a well-designed stove, since you really don¡¯t want excess unburned gas getting into the air, that¡¯s a fire hazard. A clean burn is a safe burn. (But if you¡¯re burning, say, wax, there¡¯s not really a danger except from coughing due to smoke, it¡¯s the easily combustible nature of the gas that¡¯s the problem.)

    These are the rules by which most flames work. Carbon is so common that it¡¯ll just be part of most reactions. But as chemists and firework enthusiasts will tell you, there are other ways to color fire, usually by burning specific chemicals to produce unique colors. How does this work? It¡¯s actually the same reason as the blue flame¡ªexcitations, it¡¯s just that instead of carbon compounds burning to produce blue excitations in air, instead, the other chemicals excite in particular ways due to the heat of the combustion. The vaporization of the chemical needed to make the color in question is a requirement, or at the very least its particles need to be carried upward by the flame where they can be excited.

    For the record, fireworks also do use things that burn largely from blackbody radiation, otherwise you can¡¯t really get white. But to get a specific color, like green, a single chemical needs to be used. This is why there are no green stars, as they are largely blackbodies, but we can make green fire and fireworks.

    Notably, though, the light sources in Jeremiah¡¯s house were not just flames of unusual colors, there were also glowing mushrooms. Glowing mushrooms, while uncommon, do exist in our world, though they are rather dim. All biological glowing, known as bioluminescence, is driven by chemical compounds called luciferins. Which makes it all sound very related until you dig into it and realize luciferin is just a catch-all term for a ¡°chemical that makes things glow,¡± there are actually a ton of different types. Some systems use only one compound (such as fireflies) but there are other systems that rely on two (such as many bioluminescent bacteria). When glowing is found in fungi it is specifically called foxfire (which also refers to a few rare types of decaying wood). Surprisingly, despite the large variation of chemicals within the luciferins, the actual mechanism behind the glowing is remarkably similar. In general, a reaction occurs that forces a molecule in an excited state that quickly decays, emitting a specific color of light. In that sense, the mechanism is almost identical to that of colored flames, except the reaction is not driven by heat! Thus, mushrooms and bioluminescent creatures ¡°burn¡± cold. (Though light itself naturally carries heat and so will heat things up, just not as much as fire itself.)

    So yes, the two sources of light are generally blackbody radiation and molecular excitation. The second one is better at producing highly specific colors.

 027 - On the Trail

    WSP027

    On the Trail

    Dragons rarely built anything, and by default were more loners than anything else. However, every now and then dragons would form a stable family group. These, more often than not, were nomadic in nature and never stayed in one place for long.

    And then there were the Brightwings, who had essentially settled down. They still didn¡¯t build anything¡ªwithout significant infrastructure building anything designed for daily dragon use was generally unrealistic¡ªbut they had cleared out several caves and clearings to create a Wild Kingdom of their own. There were only a few dozen dragons in the entire Brightwings, but the area they covered was among the largest of the entire Wild Kingdoms. Long ago, they had realized that overhunting would remove their food sources from their home, and the Brightwings really liked their massive hot springs. As such, the Brightwings became not hunters, for the most part, but ranchers. They had domesticated many large animals, ranging from things that looked like they should be domesticated, like the massive pig-like Smiffers, which were essentially just fat blobs with big noses that turned small plants into meat and fat. But as they were dragons, the Brightwings were also able to domesticate some truly unusual creatures that, were a human to try to tame them, would just end up with them being a snack.

    As such most Brightwings had a pet panther. Which were only domesticated in the sense that they trusted the dragons, not that they wouldn¡¯t go out of their way to eat other people.

    ¡°Augh! Big cat!¡± Jeh flailed as she ran from the predator chasing her.

    ¡°She just wants to play!¡± the white dragoness they were talking to called down to her.

    ¡°I doubt that very much!¡± Jeh called back, jumping into a nearby tree and using her momentum to jump around behind the panther. This was enough to keep her from being caught, but not enough to lose the panther as it was very used to prey being slippery. If it gets me she¡¯ll notice I¡¯m immortal and that¡¯ll lead to questions and we can¡¯t have that¡­

    Margaret must have had a similar thought, because she rushed forward and thrust her fist into the panther¡¯s neck. There was no obvious injury or blood, but the panther fell over and started squirming uncontrollably. After about a second of this, it stood up and ran away as fast as its four legs would carry it.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± jeh said.

    Margaret turned away from her without another word.

    Okaaaay¡­

    ¡°Interesting technique,¡± the white dragon said, lowering her head. ¡°Might make it easier for training them. She has been notoriously difficult to get into the panther show, unlike all the others.¡±

    Jeh paused. ¡°The others?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, Similirix was just the least disciplined, I have dozens.¡±

    Jeh glanced around at the clearing they were in, finding it alarming how many eyes she could see peeking out of the darkness in the various trees, staring at them intently. Clearly, they were all only staying back because of their dragon master¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Regardless, you all came here with a request.¡± The dragon lowered her head. She was what dragons would consider middle-aged, which was to say she was large enough to house a sizeable house on her back while still having enough of an attribute to maintain flight. ¡°Now, we Brightwings are not a delivery service, and the only reason I¡¯m considering this is because it¡¯s you.¡± She pointed at Jeremiah. ¡°I have heard about you from travelers who pass through our lands, you show them all great kindness. Never have I heard a tale of one who met you speaking lowly of you. But I also know that you never left your estate¡­ and I sense mild desperation in you four.¡±

    Jeremiah nodded. ¡°The estate was attacked by rigids. We are fleeing with these nice people to a more¡­ defensible land.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡± The dragon narrowed her eyes. ¡°I feel like there¡¯s more to it than that¡­¡±

    ¡°What he says is true,¡± Envila said. ¡°We seek to go to Kroan. Or Shimvale. We aren¡¯t picky.¡±

    The dragon lifted a claw and started picking her teeth. ¡°Hmmm¡­ I am¡­ willing to fly you there.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank goodness,¡± Jeh said, groaning. ¡°We¡¯ve been at this for ages¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised one of my brothers hasn¡¯t eaten you yet, to be honest.¡±

    One of them tried¡­ Jeh thought. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s enjoying that wound Kirkkok gave him¡­

    ¡°But all I said is that I was willing. I will need some form of payment.¡± She grinned. ¡°And no, I don¡¯t mean money. Money out here in what you call the ¡®Wild Kingdoms¡¯ is worthless. I want something¡­ tangible.¡±

    ¡°We could offer you the gardens we left back at our estate,¡± Jeremiah offered.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ seeing as you¡¯re no longer there, I could go take that now without any effort. No.¡± She grinned malevolently. ¡°One of the things I would accept is¡­ a snack. All four of you look quite delicious.¡±

    Jeh blinked. I wonder what it¡¯s like to be eaten by a dragon.

    Envila narrowed her eyes. ¡°You do not strike me as a devouring monster.¡±

    ¡°Devouring monster? Please, you wound me so.¡± She chuckled. ¡°You may relax, I only eat those who insult me, and you have done no such thing. And besides, a meal from one of you four? While delicious, not very filling and worth very little in the grand scheme of things. I¡¯d get more out of one of my panthers.¡± She opened her mouth and released a short burst of white light from her mouth. ¡°But I do need something.¡±

    Envila reached into her cloak and pulled out a large red crystal, not of the magic variety either. ¡°I have come across more than a few treasures on my travels. Are you interested in such things?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are well traveled?¡±

    ¡°I come from the opposite side of the world.¡±

    ¡°Then I know what I want. We Brightwings have no use for ¡®shinies¡¯, unless you¡¯re my niece Yvonne. No idea what¡¯s wrong with that brain of hers, she acts like a Qorvid¡­ what I like to hear is stories from distant lands. And you, Envila, sound like you¡¯re from further away from anyone I¡¯ve previously encountered. My price¡­ is that you tell me of your home and your journeys as we fly.¡±

    Envila smiled. ¡°That is a price I am eager and willing to pay.¡±

    ¡°Good, glad we¡¯ve come to an understanding. You may call me Vapor, and I will be your transportation across the Wild Kingdoms this day. We do have to make a pit stop along the way, though, I need to get my brother to watch my animals. They get so rowdy when I¡¯m gone¡­¡± Vapor swung her tail around, stopping it just in front of the four travelers. ¡°Climb on.¡±

    All four of them did so. Jeremiah, Jeh, and Maragaret were all completely silent. Jeh knew there were things that needed to be said. She wanted to say so much herself. But she had to stay quiet. Nobody wanted to hear it, and Vapor didn¡¯t need to be put in danger.

    It felt so¡­ wrong to have traveling companions and not be able to talk to them. To have companions who resented her for the situation they were in. Who might have been a little right¡­

    When they had accepted the invitation to dine at Jeremiah¡¯s estate, they had only considered the danger to themselves. Not Jeremiah. Not Margaret. Just themselves.

    She didn¡¯t like the feeling. She wanted to talk about it, to figure out where¡­ where she should stand. But it wasn¡¯t an option.

    She pulled her legs to her chest and laid down on Vapor¡¯s back. This was a little bit of a mistake, for Vapor was not used to carrying passengers, and as she took off Jeh slipped off her skin¡ªonly for Envila to catch her. ¡°You¡¯ll need to hang on, Jeh!¡±

    ¡°Got it¡­¡± Jeh said, gripping onto one of Vapor¡¯s spikes as she rose higher and higher into the air. Their dragon turned north and continually beat her great wings, soaring over the natural beauty of the forest below. Great trees poked out of the ground, with the occasional giant mushroom around. The variety in the plant life was astounding, great jungle trees next to evergreens, giant ferns that rose high above the treeline, and even a few floating green orbs with long hairs that seemed utterly weightless. Jeh watched as a bird landed on one of these orbs, pecked at it, and prompted it to explode in a plume of bright flame.

    It didn¡¯t capture Jeh¡¯s imagination. She wasn¡¯t in the mood. Nothing felt quite¡­ right. She was pretty sure it was more than just the fact that she was being forced to keep silent, but she didn¡¯t know what. However, in a way, it didn¡¯t really matter right now. They had a mission to complete, and they were on their way to do it.

    As they flew across the sky, they came across a group of younger, much smaller dragons of multiple colors¡ªthough most of them were green or bluish¡ªflying in a group, talking and laughing. There was one other species in the group¡ªsome kind of yellow plast creature with three heads that was casting some kind of party trick with Purple magic to entertain everyone else. This plast was the only one wearing anything, and that was just a pack for Colored crystals. Clearly a wizard of some sort. The dragons treated this obvious foreigner as one of their own¡­

    Jeh found herself projecting onto the plast, wondering if maybe she was like her. Unique and alone, but found by great people and friends, trained to be a wizard¡­ of course she knew it couldn¡¯t be literally true, the plast no doubt belonged to a race of other three-headed flying creatures. But then, didn¡¯t Jeh belong to the race of humans?

    ¡°I see Michelle is still around,¡± Vapor said, a low grumble coming from her throat. ¡°Filling the young dragons with her ideas.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡± Envila asked.

    ¡°Trying to turn the lot of them into mages. As if we¡¯d have enough Colored crystals to make that worthwhile¡­¡±

    As they began to drive away from the young dragons, one of them caught Jeh¡¯s eye. Was that Alexandrite? ¡­No, that was a girl, and the blue wasn¡¯t quite the right color. But for a moment there she had been so sure, so elated¡­

    She even missed him. And she barely knew him.

    I can¡¯t get home fast enough¡­

    She realized that, while she¡¯d missed them all, she¡¯d basically been fine traveling through all this until now. She¡¯d lived alone in the forest for longer than she could remember, it wasn¡¯t an issue to be alone, just annoying. Now she had companions and she felt more alone than ever.

    Even though Envila started telling Vapor stories, for the most part Jeh couldn¡¯t bring herself to listen. Such amazing stories of the great city of Descent and blimp people from distant lands couldn¡¯t get through to her.

    She almost wished the panther was back. At least that hadn¡¯t felt¡­ like this.

    ~~~

    Alexandrite landed in the backyard of Vaughan¡¯s Cabin.

    ¡°Letter for Wizard Vaughan!¡± he shouted at the top of his lungs.

    Vaughan thrust his head out the window, glaring at the dragon. ¡°Alex! The sun¡¯s barely up! What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Following Blue¡¯s request to deliver the message loudly and rudely at the break of dawn.¡± He reached into his bags and pulled out a very large roll of paper.

    ¡°Of course she would¡­¡± Vaughan, despite himself, grinned as he got ready. He threw on his robe and put on his ¡°precious foot fluffers,¡± all but running down the stairs after this. He grabbed the roll of paper, moved to open it, and the noticed a note on the front.

    Hey Vaughan, probably best to exercise some restraint and open this in front of everyone, hmm? ¨CBlue.

    ¡°Oh, okay, fine, I¡¯ll bring it to the meeting,¡± Vaughan grumbled as though he was addressing Blue. ¡°Why is it so big¡­?¡±

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s supposed to be a surprise,¡± Alexandrite said.

    ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, I am being quite fun. Delayed gratification, Vaughan, and the looks on all your faces.¡±

    Vaughan waved a dismissive hand and said nothing. The complaints he wanted to make about the situation were rather moot, considering as there was already a meeting scheduled not only for that day, but in a couple of hours. Usually, he tried to wake up just before it so he wouldn¡¯t have to sit around for that time, but Blue had apparently decided he needed to be up. He wondered how much she was laughing right now, thinking about her long-distance prank.

    In the hours before the meeting, he just sat in the meeting room. His breakfast did not last long, nor did his morning chores, which he usually did in the afternoon on these days because of the meeting. It was just¡­ silence. Boredom. Nothing. But there wasn¡¯t enough time to go get involved on a project¡­ and the project he would want to work on was writing up a report on how much progress they¡¯d made for Blue to read. But in that report he¡¯d want to reply to whatever she had in this letter. Which meant he was stuck.

    He realized with some amusement that he was deeply annoyed at this. When had he become so wound-up? He was what people would generally consider a ¡°laid-back¡± person, and he was well aware of this. Things tended not to worry him, he just went with the flow, and what happened¡­ happened. He had spent many days doing nothing at all. And yet, here he was, desperate for something to do.

    Should probably talk to Lila about this¡­ might be a sign of something.

    He was not able to come to any conclusions on this, but the thought did keep him somewhat occupied until meeting time. Naturally, everyone showed up. Suro, Lila, Seskii, Mary, Krays, Big G, and Alexandrite.

    Krays naturally spoke up first, ignoring all procedure, as was normal for her. ¡°Mary and I got so much done! You have no idea how many cool properties hover clover has! Not only is it a super dense food source that can last forever, it¡¯s a great insulator and it might be more effective at stopping those tiny rocks than metal!¡±

    Mary coughed. ¡°It also needs air to survive¡­ and we can¡¯t make enough of it to serve as walls¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still cool though! And that¡¯s just the beginning of what we discovered.¡±

    ¡°That sounds amazing,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°But I have something better.¡± He threw the massive roll of papers down onto the table. ¡°Behold!¡±

    Suro rolled his eyes. ¡°Dramatic, much?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s from Blue.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay, that might be worth beholding.¡±

    Lila nudged her husband playfully.

    ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡± Big G asked.

    Vaughan shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s just it, I don¡¯t know, because Alex is being a tight-lipped stingy dragon.¡±

    Alexandrite lifted his head. ¡°I am simply respecting the wishes of a client.¡±

    ¡°Sure you are.¡± Vaughan used the Orange in his scepter to snip the rope tying everything together, unrolling the papers. There was a lot in there, but there was one little letter in an envelope that had the words READ THIS FIRST painted on it in bright red.

    ¡°I dare you to open something else first,¡± Krays said.

    ¡°Dare denied.¡± Vaughan opened up the letter and started reading it.

    Hello everyone! Blue here. I¡¯m actually not sure when I¡¯m writing this in relation to you, since I¡¯m just now starting to collect everything together. I¡¯ll send this all off at some point when I feel like I¡¯ve collected enough or there¡¯s a break in the stuff that¡¯s been happening or if I just feel like it. As I write this I have no idea which one it will be, but I do know that I¡¯m going to put an inventoried list of everything I¡¯m sending just below this. So this is your guide to everything here!

    Thirteen personal letters to various people.

    ¡°She crossed out the number several times, incrementing it,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°She apparently had two at the start.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have insisted on keeping the same starting letter,¡± Suro suggested.

    ¡°Would she have done anything else?¡± Vaughan asked. Receiving no response, he continued.

    Some refined mathematical tricks I worked out that might make your jobs easier in the letter marked with a ¡°+¡±.

    A series of papers authored by Pepper, myself, and a few others involving a solution to the cooling problem! Be excited! It only works in space but I¡¯ll let you guys figure that out from the paper and my notes on it.

    ¡°A solution to the cooling problem?¡± Big G was suddenly at paying rapt attention.

    ¡°It only works in space¡­¡± Suro said.

    ¡°Even if it only works in space, it will have invaluable utility. Freeze something up there, heavily insulate it, bring it back down¡­¡±

    ¡°It is a huge deal,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°If the cooling problem can be solved in space, that¡¯s even more reason to go there.¡± He rubbed the back of his head. ¡°I knew it was an issue for us, but if it¡¯s solved¡­¡±

    ¡°Also, Blue¡¯s name is on something published!¡± Seskii said. ¡°Something that¡¯s not yours, Vaughan! We should celebrate!¡± She produced a fizzy drink and held it into the air.

    ¡°Nobody else has a drink to toast with you with,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°Look again.¡±

    Suro glanced at a fizzy glass sitting to his left. ¡°I don¡¯t have thumbs.¡±

    Seskii chuckled. ¡°Welp, I¡¯m not giving you hands to sell the bit, guess it has to fall flat.¡±

    Vaughan went to the next item on the list.

    Some snacks Princess Via insisted I send back to you. They are delicious.

    Vaughan pulled out the little bag and opened it, revealing a few dozen colorful cookie-like treats. Mary grabbed them before anyone else. ¡°You¡¯ll all get your opportunity to eat, I¡¯m going to try to figure out what¡¯s in them first. For¡­ science, I guess.¡± She began carefully investigating the cookies with her eyes. ¡°¡­I think this is wintermelon¡­¡±

    Next up on Blue¡¯s list wasn¡¯t actually part of the list, but was haphazardly added into the middle.

    Of course, I just realized I should also have a spot for big news so¡­ here¡¯s where those will go. 1: Skyseed building going smoothly, it¡¯s amazing how quickly things can get done in the middle of a big city. 2: Pilots are being trained from volunteers in the Royal Guard and Army. 3: The Skyseed II is complete, but no flights have been performed yet. 4: The Crown has approved expenses for making the Moonshot, so you guys better start putting your orders in!

    ¡°With the cooling problem solved we might have a lot more workable plans than we realized¡­¡± Vaughan said, scratching his beard.

    Lila nodded. ¡°We should consolidate our work and finalize the shell at least, it¡¯s the largest part that needs to be ordered. No offense to your husband, Krays, but I don¡¯t think he can forge an unbroken sphere of metal that size.¡±

    ¡°Obviously not, he couldn¡¯t even make the model,¡± Krays agreed. ¡°Heck, the layabout would probably get the number of spoke-handles wrong. Eight, by the way, eight is the optimum number for control.¡±

    ¡°There should still be six, like the windows, I think,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°No, no, no. You want the numbers to line up, but think about the aesthetics mister jeweler. You think someone who made such beautiful things would notice it¡­ but try to set up six equidistant points, and then six other equidistant points that are still equidistant from the previous six on a sphere! Doesn¡¯t work! So instead treat the windows like the sides of a cube and the handles as the corners! Like so!¡± She pulled out a glass sphere and rolled it onto the table. Inside of it was a metal cube with corners touching precise edges. ¡°Tah-dah!¡±

    ¡°How long have you been waiting for that?¡± Suro asked.

    ¡°I forgot it last week!¡± Krays slammed her hand into the table. ¡°Clearly I was thinking seven moves ahead to this meeting!¡±

    ¡°I think the actual number of moves was seventy-two,¡± Seskii said.

    ¡°Not enough sevens. Seventy-seven.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take seventy-seven.¡±

    Vaughan decided now was a good time to return to the list of major events. 5: There was a test flight of the Skyseed II, but I wasn¡¯t there to see it due to reasons.

    ¡°I wonder what reasons¡­¡± Suro flicked one of his ears. ¡°And surely it wasn¡¯t a full test, the laser is still a danger.¡±

    6: Astronomers here are pretty sure the satellite has gotten brighter, and it¡¯s taking slightly less time to orbit.

    ¡°Probably slow atmospheric drag,¡± Vaughan commented. ¡°There is some air up there, we¡¯re pretty sure. Guess that this confirms it won¡¯t be up there forever.¡±

    ¡°Aww¡­¡± Mary drooped. ¡°But I like looking at it every night¡­¡±

    ¡°Then we just have to get another one up there!¡± Seskii declared.

    7: I wrote down this number thinking there was news but there¡¯s not so have this, I guess.

    Everyone had a good chuckle at that. After this, the letter got back to a list of contents.

    Some diagrams about a new theory I have involving the way the sun heats Ikyu.

    More mathematical tricks that honestly you probably won¡¯t be able to make sense of but I¡¯m sending them anyway because they¡¯re exciting.

    Vaughan frowned. ¡°The next thing here is really crossed out¡­ I can¡¯t even tell what it used to be.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she made a note for her shopping list on the wrong piece of paper,¡± Krays suggested. ¡°Girl can be quite scatterbrained.¡±

    ¡°True¡­ there are a few things left.¡±

    Legal documents and nonsense that Seskii can probably deal with so we don¡¯t have to.

    ¡°On it!¡± Seskii said, picking up those papers. ¡°Oooh, I can already see a contradiction, what fun¡­ I¡¯ll let you know if there¡¯s anything you need to look at, Lila.¡±

    Whatever message from Gronge Alex is going to stick in here.

    Alexandrite grinned. ¡°Ah, she did put that in at the end. Yes. To summarize what she will not, apparently, Gronge has made an underwater Skyseed he called the Seabloom. Included in that bundle are a few of his papers on the difficulty in constructing glass underwater, and tests proving that it does keep things pressurized and controllable at different depths. He was unable to make it entirely out of glass, though, there¡­ look, just read it, it¡¯s a complicated mess. They have not dared to test the leviathans yet, though.¡±

    ¡°They are the biggest obstacle,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°We are quite fortunate not to have to deal with giant sky monsters keeping us from getting to space. Sky serpents don¡¯t live around here.¡±

    ¡°I thought those were just a myth?¡± Mary asked.

    ¡°They do exist, I¡¯ve seen some in the Tempest.¡± Lila said. ¡°They¡¯re just animals, though, not spirited.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then how do they fly?¡±

    ¡°Good question. But as Vaughan will tell you, getting research done in the Tempest is¡­ difficult.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of the wind?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the¡­ main reason, yes,¡± Vaughan admitted. ¡°The chaos in there, though, makes it so much worse.¡± He scratched the back of his head. ¡°Still not sure what I was thinking back then. Of course it¡¯d be a great place for a new Journeyman wizard to go. Excellent opportunities.¡± He snorted. ¡°Anyway¡­¡± He returned to the letter.

    And I was originally going to write up a whole letter to put at the end here but I think I¡¯ve said all I need to say in the other things. Everything¡¯s fine, going smooth. Academics are idiots. Annoying things are annoying. Stuff. Yeah I¡¯m just going to wrap this up and send it out.

    Vaughan put the letter down and frowned. ¡°That was abrupt.¡±

    ¡°Was she in a hurry when you picked this up?¡± Lila asked Alexandrite.

    The dragon shook his head. ¡°No. She seemed to be just¡­ sitting there, actually. Looked kind of tired.¡±

    ¡°Anything happen to her?¡±

    Alexandrite shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not aware, actually, Gronge had me ferrying messages to the coast for the last week, I was only in Axiom a few hours when I picked this all up.¡± He frowned. ¡°She did seem a bit distant, now that I think about it¡­¡±

    ¡°Must be hard up there, for her,¡± Mary said. ¡°Does she have friends?¡±

    ¡°Surprisingly, she¡¯s gotten on good terms with both of the Princesses.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well that makes me feel better. She¡¯s not all alone.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Still, I hope she can come back soon¡­ but I guess there¡¯s more that needs to be done with the Skyseed work, for now.¡±

    ¡°Idea!¡± Seskii said. ¡°What about, when we finally get all our designs ready to send in the order, we go visit her?¡±

    Vaughan brightened. ¡°Great idea! Lila?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a wonderful idea, but not all of us can go, and it will probably take a few weeks to finalize enough plans to be worthwhile.¡±

    ¡°Once it¡¯s finalized, I can go,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°You and Suro probably have to stay, though¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡± Seskii called.

    ¡°I¡­ I think I can get someone to look over my farm¡­¡± Mary said, putting her finger to her chin. ¡°It¡¯s a lull in the season right now¡­¡±

    Krays groaned. ¡°I have glassblowing to do¡­¡±

    ¡°Glassblowing that you have been putting off for materials tests,¡± Big G pointed out.

    ¡°Yeah, well, you can¡¯t come either, your mines need you.¡±

    ¡°The difference between you and me is that you want to go to the big city.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a big city¡­¡± Mary said, eyes widening. ¡°Oooh¡­ I better make sure I know my stuff¡­¡±

    ¡°Such as those snacks?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, right!¡± Mary tossed the snacks back into the center of the table. ¡°They are mostly cookies seasoned with expensive fruits, though there are a few other things, such as what I¡¯m pretty sure is a beef flavored roll.¡±

    Vaughan examined the snacks with curiosity. ¡°Should I be on the look out for bones?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea. There aren¡¯t any bones on the outside.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out¡­¡± Krays picked up the roll and threw it into her mouth. There were no bones, but there was a nut inside that gave her a scare for a split second, which naturally got everyone to laugh.

    ~~~

    Shimvale was large. Most of the northern parts of the nation were sparsely inhabited, but they were nonetheless part of Shimvale. This included Kaykayzee¡¯s hometown, Powderbluff, the closest settlement to the Purple Cube¡¯s crater. Naturally, it was an entirely human settlement, and one far enough North that it was reasonable to build houses out of tightly packed and treated snow, and prior to contact with the rest of the civilized world that is how Powderbluff had lived. However, once contact had been made and easy access to arcane heaters granted, other structures started to be built, largely out of wood, for that was a resource that was in ready supply. As the icy structures needed to be maintained to continue existing, most of them had fallen into disrepair over the years, with only a handful still standing tall. One such building was right in the center of the small town, a massive dome with squares carved into it, indicating it as a temple to Cora, goddess of magic.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Curiously, for a settlement devoted to a goddess of magic, very few people actively used Colored crystals. There was a jeweler, to be sure, but that was clearly a very recent construction and was manned not by a native human, but an orange greater unicorn. There was a sizeable population of non-native humans currently¡ªthough this was less because they lived here and more because this was the closest settlement to the Purple Cube¡¯s crater and so it was where the Shimvale camps were set up. They were clearly a minor strain on the people, but the government was going to great lengths to keep everyone fed without imposing on the people¡¯s hospitality. Hyrii, Wyett, and Kaykayzee¡¯s group arrived with a very sizeable amount of provisions, as well as compensation for the people.

    Speaking of the people, all of them were short for humans and with very pale skin, and most had light blue hair similar to Kaykayzee¡¯s. It was difficult to tell more about them than that seeing as all of them were always bundled up in nearly identical gray fur coats that made it impossible to tell them apart. Kaykayzee herself was only identifiable by her blue and gold-rimmed of coat that marked her as a Council member.

    When they arrived, the first thing Kaykayze did was pull out her violin.

    Hyrii quickly held her hands up to her earmuffs, ready to press them into her ears at any moment.

    ¡°Welcome to Powderbluff,¡± Kaykayzee said. ¡°Allow me to welcome you.¡± She started playing. Hyrii deafened herself. However, the song was over a lot sooner than it had been before. Confused, Hyrii removed her hands.

    ¡°¡ªwe are a little packed at the moment, but a tent has been set up for you, complete with a feast of local delicacies. Go there, eat, and sleep. Remain until morning, we will reconvene in the morning.¡±

    Everyone in Hyrii¡¯s group immediately turned to do what she said. Hyrii quickly realized that was an order, albeit a very subtle one that didn¡¯t quite sound like it. Nonetheless, Hyrii decided that it was best to keep up the illusion she was under her control and just moved with everyone else.

    Nobody else seemed to think it was odd that everyone started moving at almost the exact same time.

    ¡­Everyone was also humming. She pressed her hands to her earmuffs again to block it.

    The tent was huge, round and set up in an area that was artificially devoid of snow due to several Red devices that were being manned by a single human. He had no coat, for the devices were quite warm, and as such revealed a toned but not all that muscular build for the native humans. He gave them a smile that could not, under any circumstances, be called warm. It made Hyrii shiver.

    The tent itself was red. There were short tables inside with padded cushions on the ground, but no chairs. There was a faint aroma of something pleasant burning, likely coming from the metal cannisters at the back that were softly steaming. Incense of some kind, Hyrii decided.

    The table was already set as well. There was a mixture of raw and cooked food, almost half and half, and much of the raw foodstuff was bitingly cold and clearly still had ice crystals on it. This made sense, a people living this far north would definitely make use of the full spectrum of food temperature. Hyrii sat down and took her hands off her earmuffs, finding that nobody was currently humming the song¡ªthey were all digging in, making it quite impossible to sing.

    They were digging in rather effectively, too. Almost like they¡¯d been ordered to eat.

    Hyrii shivered, but once again said nothing. And nobody really called her out either¡ªconversation during the meal was sparse. If she didn¡¯t know better, she would have just said it was because everyone was tired from the journey¡ªshe sure was. However, knowing what she did, it was eerie.

    This did not stop her from enjoying the food. Her favorite was some kind of diamond-shaped fruit that looked like ice and was certainly as cold as ice, but when she bit down it melted into a fizzy liquid. She could have eaten those forever.

    ¡°Goodnight, Hyrii,¡± Wyett said.

    ¡°Oh, goodnight Wyett. See you in th¡ª¡± She stopped, noting that he had already passed out on the cushions. Everyone quickly followed after.

    Hyrii clicked her tongue and looked around. Nobody inside was from Powderbluff, and as such she was the only one still left awake. The closest person watching them was the man on the Red devices, and he was outside. Things in the tent were private.

    So instead of pretending to fall asleep to keep up appearances she kept eating until she was quite full. Sure, maybe there were better uses for the food, perhaps it could have been stored for later use in this frozen environment¡­ but eating calmed her down and she was this close to freaking right out.

    Eventually, she was satisfied, and she let out a long deep sigh. Everyone else was still sleeping.

    She was fairly certain she wasn¡¯t going to be able to sleep in this situation.

    Which meant¡­ she could do something. If she wanted. But if she left, they would probably be very suspicious¡­

    Except¡­ wait. Everyone out there was bundled up in huge coats. There were a lot of coats in here, including extras left for them by the people of Powderbluff. She could bundle up in one¡­ if she made it tight enough and wore goggles, she could probably pass for a human, and since there were a lot of people from out-of-town at the moment, it could work.

    But what exactly would she gain from sneaking around? She wasn¡¯t exactly the most stealthy, though she did have the ability to just walk into a place and act like she belonged, it was a skill that gotten her far in Axiom. But that was more of a ¡°blend in by standing out¡± method than actual stealth. Besides, where would she even go? There probably wasn¡¯t anything to see anyway¡­

    ¡­Except, Kayz had ordered them to stay here. There must have been a reason. There was something she didn¡¯t want them privy too. Something that was, probably, wherever she was.

    Should I put myself at risk? Hyrii wondered. ¡­Kroan already knows about me, surely my letters have gotten back at this point. By doing nothing I don¡¯t learn anything else¡­ she looked down at the peacefully sleeping, but very awkwardly positioned, Wyett. And we still don¡¯t know how to cure him¡­

    With newfound determination, Hyrii bundled herself up in fur coats, very careful to use only coats provided for them and not their own. She even got an entirely different pair of earmuffs. The only thing she had to borrow from their own stores were the goggles, but she had seen some natives using similar things, so hopefully it wouldn¡¯t stand out.

    The humans here tended not to care if their hair spilled out of their wrappings a little bit, but Hyrii¡¯s hair was bright orange and would give her right away, so she made sure to hide it away. Fortunately for her, she was one of those gari who wore her hair short, so there wasn¡¯t any outrageous design to keep down under the hood. Soon, all anyone would be able to tell about her from her outfit was the fact that she was a humanoid ever so slightly taller than the average human. She would have to watch how she walked, though, her gauntlet and greave spikes could give her away if she made any movements that were too sharp. Gari coats generally had holes or secondary sleeves for the spikes, but today they were all bundled up. She would not have full range of motion.

    Fortunately taking small steps in bundled up coats was normal. She considered putting on snowshoes just to make the awkward walking even more normal, but anywhere she intended to go had probably had the snow packed already due to regular travel.

    She left the tent through the back. There was no flap, but it was just a tent. Hands in pockets, taking slow steps, she walked off. Nobody had seen her come out. The moment of truth was when she circled the back of the tent and passed the man on the Red devices.

    He paid her no mind. Not even so much as a nod as she set out onto the tightly packed snow that made up Powderbluff¡¯s ¡°roads.¡±

    Hyrii made sure to always keep walking¡ªnever stop to ¡°look around¡± or ¡°take in the sights,¡± that would be obvious. Just keep moving, like she owned the place, like she had no interest in it. Like she knew it like the back of her hand.

    Her heart was, of course, racing. Which might have actually helped her stay warm in the midst of all this, now that she thought of it.

    Her goal was simple: find Kaykayzee and see what she was doing. She expected this to be difficult. It was not.

    ¡°Dang it!¡± Kaykayzee shouted at the top of her lungs. A plume of fire shot into the air that turned into a bunch of perfectly smooth green spheres that fell back to the ground. Hyrii now knew exactly where she needed to go, to the front of the temple.

    ¡°Patience, little one,¡± the voice of an old man said. As Hyrii rounded the corner, she could tell almost nothing about him visually, for he was bound up in coats much like she was. However, he was holding some kind of stringed instrument with a square base and a long neck. He was plucking it with his fingers¡ªthey were in gloves, but the gloves had metal tips on them to allow easy access to the instrument. ¡°Our ancestry requires practice.¡±

    ¡°Our ancestry shoots us in the foot,¡± Kaykayzee said, holding her violin up. ¡°One wrong note and Cora knows what will happen.¡±

    ¡°But we must accept the unexpected in order to learn, little one¡±

    Kaykayzee nodded. ¡°You know, as a member of the Council, I do outrank you.¡±

    The old man chuckled. ¡°You will always be my little one even if you transform into a giant right this very minute, Kaykayzee.¡±

    ¡°Right, right¡­¡±

    ¡°Now, try it again. The Song of Searching.¡±

    Hyrii knew this wasn¡¯t the same song as before, for Kaykayzee¡¯s bow was moving far too slowly for it, so Hyrii took a risk and let herself hear it¡ªcovering her ears now would be suspicious and require potentially too fast of a motion. Fortunately, the Song of Searching didn¡¯t seem like something worthy of mind control.

    It was¡­ beautiful, but not all that creative, Hyrii had to admit. And it was quite slow. There were only ten distinct chords, but from how quickly Kaykayzee¡¯s fingers were moving, it wasn¡¯t an easy song to play. She wore no gloves, either, since a violin did not exactly lend itself to being played with gloves, even those like the old man was wearing.

    ¡°Good!¡± the old man said.

    ¡°¡­But nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°Did you forget to think about something you wanted to search for?¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Kaykayzee sighed. ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡°Now, try it again.¡±

    ¡°My fingers are going to freeze off.¡±

    ¡°If you learn to do it with freezing fingers, you will never fail with warm fingers. Try again.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to listen to you.¡±

    ¡°True. Try again.¡±

    Kaykayzee grunted and started playing the song again.

    At this point, Hyrii had walked far enough away that it was not easy to hear their voices. However, the music still carried, and she could tell that Kaykayzee had made a mistake. The moment this mistake occurred, her vision went pink and she swore she could taste cheese for a split second.

    ¡°Dang it!¡± Kaykayzee shouted.

    Hyrii had no doubt the old man¡¯s response was ¡°try again¡± even though she couldn¡¯t hear it.

    Hyrii decided that was enough spying for one day and she went back to the tent, entering through the back of course. She took off her coats and laid down.

    She had learned much. And it definitely wasn¡¯t going to help her sleep. She had more questions than answers.

    What is Kayz searching for¡­?

    ~~~

    There was a deep, undulating, enraged roar that made bones shake¡­

    Blue woke up screaming in a cold sweat. She jumped out of the bed and started running around in circles until her heart stopped pounding so hard in her chest it felt like the world was trembling. After this initial panic, she pressed her hoof into the window and looked outside.

    It was the middle of the night. The stars were out. The light of Axiom kept it from being all that spectacular, just a few dots of light here and there. Both Qi and the moon were up.

    She stood there, staring outside, for the longest time.

    She knew she should get back to sleep. She also knew that wasn¡¯t going to happen.

    With a grunt, she put on her tail bow and set out. It was a rather warm night, all things considered, but she still gave a slight shiver as she crossed the threshold to the outside. For the first few minutes she looked at the sky as she walked, but the few stars she could see made her more than a little depressed. She wouldn¡¯t even be able to see the satellite like this.

    The rest of the journey she kept her eyes straight ahead. She made her way dutifully to the warehouse that held the Skyseed II. She didn¡¯t turn on any lamps, she just sat down in the dark, letting the moonlight come through the window.

    It was complete. Skyseed II. Drive and everything. It had even been taken out on a successful test drive to a small height while she had still been caught up in legal nonsense. The enemies she¡¯d made in the court did not want her to walk free, and Tenrayce had, understandably, refused to just decree her freedom and instead followed all the proper channels and trials required in addition to covering up the presence of a real kancathi. The girl had gone above and beyond, and Blue owed her for it. She claimed that Blue had saved her, but Blue didn¡¯t really feel like that was true.

    She¡¯d partially gotten them into that mess, after all.

    Blue glanced behind the Skyseed II. Already more were being made¡ªmultiple large jars had been obtained, and a few of them were of different shapes, iterations on the design that would be tested to see which was the most stable for pilots. None of them were close to done, but they were being built in tandem. She was admittedly rather excited to see if the cubic one really would have a problem or if it would make it easier for people to orient themselves, or if the spherical one would be too difficult to seal properly. There were already plans to start using the ships as a messaging service, keeping them at lower altitudes to avoid giant energy beams.

    Suddenly, she was overcome by an overwhelming urge to get in the Skyseed II and take it into the sky¡­

    But she was no wizard, not really. She did theory, sure, but she couldn¡¯t cast magic. She didn¡¯t even have her hat on right now, she¡¯d just forgotten it. She remembered her tail bow, but not her wizard hat.

    She would never be able to pilot a Skyseed.

    She clenched her jaw. She had a new destination in mind now. She locked up and walked out. Once she left the Palace area and entered the city proper, it became clear that Axiom never truly slept, and not just because of the handful of naturally nocturnal races that lived within its bounds. Many streets were a stage for lightshows, singing, dancing, and celebrations. She passed by some Green Seekers and Aware Keepers having what looked to be a battle of the bands¡­ to raise money for the poor?

    Had she been in a different mood, that might have given her pause. She might have joined in the festivities and forgotten everything. In fact, she almost did.

    But she had a destination in mind, and she wasn¡¯t about to change it.

    She left the bustle of the city, walking along a road to the outcropping where Pepper¡¯s lab stood. She had a key from her time working closely with Pepper, so she got in easily. The interior was well-lit, as always, and as noisy as ever. She wondered how any of the captured monsters managed to sleep in here.

    There was one cage she specifically sought out. The one that held the kancathi.

    She was not sleeping. She stared right at Blue as she approached.

    Blue sat down and stared back.

    Neither blinked for the longest time.

    The kancathi gave in first. Blue did not consider this a victory.

    They spent several minutes in absolute silence.

    ¡°I have no idea why I¡¯m here,¡± Blue said, suddenly.

    The kancathi made no visual response.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point in looking at you? You¡¯re trapped. Trapped by Pepper, the absolute master of trapping monsters.¡± She gestured with a hoof at the massive boulder-creature literally screwed to the ground. ¡°I should be a lot more worried about that thing getting loose! But no, it¡¯s you. You who are tied up so effectively you can barely move. You whose existence has been kept hidden from the world. You. It¡¯s always you.¡±

    Silence. Not that the kancathi could respond, she had no Purple to write words and a bunch of Magenta loops were wound around her chest where her lights were. But she could have moved her head¡ªeven that, apparently, was too much for Blue.

    ¡°They need you. You are an invaluable asset to the kingdom.¡± Blue tilted her head to the side, confused. ¡°I should want you dead. I could probably find something in this lab that could end you real quick, any number of these haphazard Red devices could probably be set to overload or do something bad. I could probably figure it out.¡± Blue tapped her hoof on the ground. ¡°Tell me, why don¡¯t I want you dead?¡±

    This got a visible response out of the kancathi¡ªeyes opening wide in surprise.

    ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t get it either, shocker.¡± Blue started pacing in a circle. ¡°By all intents and purposes, I should. You are haunting me every waking moment, I jump at the slightest sound, and maaaaan the nightmares are terrible. You tried to kill my friends and I was quite literally brutalized by you. But I don¡¯t want you dead.¡± She frowned. ¡°I want to be able to look at you.¡±

    Blue thought the kancathi looked slightly unnerved. Good.

    ¡°It¡¯s not some kind of moral imperative, either,¡± Blue said. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s probably the right thing not to murder you in cold blood, but that¡¯s pretty low on my list of concerns right now. My other thought is that maybe you did something to me, but you seem confused. So¡­¡± Blue tapped her hoof. ¡°What is going on here?¡±

    The beast let out a growl. Was it anger? Laughter? Blue had no way to tell. It probably wouldn¡¯t have been helpful even if she did understand.

    ¡°¡­Maybe I just want to see you suffer,¡± Blue considered. ¡°A hunter, bound and forced into servitude. Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. That¡­¡± Blue frowned. ¡°No¡­ egh.¡± She kicked the ground. ¡°Why can¡¯t my brain just be a math problem, huh? Huh? Where are the numbers I can assign to what I¡¯m doing and reach the solution? Where¡¯s the model, the function, the line?¡±

    The kancathi was back to giving no response.

    ¡°Now, here¡¯s something I know¡­ I may be a confused mess right now, but you definitely like to watch me suffer.¡± She growled. ¡°Hope you¡¯re enjoying the show.¡±

    The plast dragon winked at her.

    Blue quickly got out of there, breathing heavily the whole way. It was like she couldn¡¯t get enough air near that¡­ monster.

    ~~~

    They stayed at Powderbluff less than two days, then they were off to the Purple Cube¡¯s crater. This last leg of the journey was into complete wilderness without any semblance of roads or directional signs, and as such they obtained a new form of transportation: sled dogs. Teams of six to eight wolf-like canines eagerly pulled large sleds filled with people, all of whom were bundled up not only in their normal layers of coats, but also tangles of blankets and supplies designed to make sure everyone¡¯s heat remained in place. There was, ostensibly, a pilot for each sled, but the dogs of Powderbluff were trained well enough that they generally didn¡¯t need one continually controlling their direction. They knew where they were going and they knew to stick with the group.

    It was a surprisingly smooth ride across the kilometers upon kilometers of snow, snow, and more snow. The land here was forested, though sparsely, so the dogs had no trouble navigating between the trees. Nobody had hit anything. Yet.

    Hyrii was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

    ¡°You seem nervous,¡± Wyett said from next to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m still thinking we¡¯re going to crash into a tree¡­¡± she muttered. This was true enough, though the true source of her worry was something she, for his own safety, couldn¡¯t tell him. Her worries were compounding in nature¡ªwere her letters getting back to Kroan? Were they being led into some kind of trap? Had she really managed to go on her walk without arousing any suspicion? For all she knew there were magic songs that did things like keep mail from being read or something and she would be eternally alone in her struggle¡­

    ¡°Surely we¡¯ve been traveling long enough that you trust the dogs?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re dogs. I wouldn¡¯t trust them with anything.¡±

    ¡°You know, across the sea I hear there are doglike spirited¡­¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t trust them with anything.¡± Hyrii said. ¡°You didn¡¯t have a dog growing up. I did. Ate everything.¡±

    ¡°We did have a ferret. She tried to eat us.¡±

    ¡°Was she big and large and pulling your sled across unknown wilderness?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ no.¡± Wyett smirked. ¡°I suppose not¡­¡±

    With that the conversation died once again, though since they were on a sled blasting through the tundra, things didn¡¯t exactly become silent.

    Hyrii sensed that Wyett wasn¡¯t about to ask again about what was worrying her, and she really did want to talk about it, but that wasn¡¯t an option so he needed to distract him. ¡°So¡­ how are you doing? Still worried that they aren¡¯t being open with us?¡±

    Wyett frowned. ¡°Very much. I haven¡¯t mentioned this to you yet since there hasn¡¯t been time, but we did get the report back about tracing the Purple in Shimvale. It took a long time to track it down since someone in the government was falsifying records¡ªhowever, it does not appear to be Kayz who is doing it. It might not even be a member of the council, it could be one of their higher secretaries¡ªthough it would have to be one with a fair amount of power.¡± Hyrii couldn¡¯t see his face very well with all the coats and furs, but she knew he was furrowing his brow and getting deep in thought¡ªtherefore meaning he was not fixated on her. Usually this annoyed her. Today, though, it was a lifeline. ¡°I suspect the Shimvale government strategy is fundamentally unstable and they¡¯re fracturing. Kayz is on her side, whoever¡¯s buying the Purple is on another, and it¡¯s possible that none of them are really aware of each other. All we could confirm for sure was that, yes, Shimvale was definitely importing a lot of Purple crystal, even more than we realized, and then quickly disappearing it from the books. No doubt to feed this Purple Cube¡­¡±

    ¡°But to what end?¡± Hyrii asked.

    ¡°I do not know. Shimvale does not have a large population of Purple Seekers, they¡¯re predominantly Blue, Green, Yellow, and Red. However, Purple Seekers have been known to be secretive, so it is possible they¡¯ve hijacked everything intentionally using the bureaucracy to continue growing their god to mammoth proportions. But the Cube herself obviously wants something¡­ but Purple Crystalline Ones are the most mysterious of the bunch. There¡¯s a reason the Color is associated with secrets, and it¡¯s not just because advanced Purple wizards can go invisible. They like riddles and secrets. This could all be some big game¡­¡±

    ¡°Then why the desperate energy beam?¡±

    Wyett scratched his chin. ¡°The obvious answer is that she didn¡¯t want to be seen. But why she wants to remain hidden is a mystery. A Crystalline One that large¡­¡± He slowly nodded to himself. ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe she fears retribution against what she is. Most who knew of such a large Crystalline One would see her as a threat to entire cities, or more, and may attack. But if that were the case¡­ why obsess over becoming bigger? Why not just stay in secret?¡±

    ¡°Gathering enough power until nothing could oppose her?¡± Hyrii suggested.

    ¡°That¡­ is an unpleasant but reasonable thought.¡± Wyett shuddered. ¡°I can only hope there is some other explanation¡­¡±

    At this point, Kaykayzee¡¯s sled pulled up to their own. ¡°Hey!¡± Kaykayzee called. ¡°We¡¯re pulling aside for the night, prepare to stop!¡±

    ¡°Oh no not again¡­¡± Hyrii gripped the sides of the sled as tightly as she could. She hadn¡¯t fallen off during the slow-down yet but the spiraling motion the dogs did as they came to a stop always made her nauseous.

    And only her. Not anybody else.

    This annoyed her greatly when she wasn¡¯t feeling like losing her lunch.

    ~~~

    It was evening over Axiom once again, and it was time for a very special test flight. So special that King Redmind himself had come out to see the proceedings.

    Blue had known he was coming, but Blue had not put two and two together that when she went to sit by Tenrayce that the King Himself was going to sit on the other side of her until it was too late.

    ¡°Y-your Majesty! I-I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll ju¡ª¡±

    ¡°My daughter¡¯s friend is welcome at my side,¡± King Redmind said, taking a moment to adjust his robes so they didn¡¯t bunch up under him. His seat wasn¡¯t special at all today, just one of many chairs set up outside the unofficial ¡°launchpad,¡± which was just a flat paved area outside the main warehouse the Skyseed II and the other incomplete craft were stored.

    ¡°Be-bw-ba¡­¡±

    ¡°Calm down,¡± Tenrayce said, not looking up from her book, as per usual. ¡°You¡¯re in the big leagues now, Blue, you can¡¯t stammer and stutter every time he shows up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, um¡­¡± Blue still tried to bow. Being a unicorn currently in a seated position, this didn¡¯t go very well, but she managed not to fall off her seat. ¡°Thanks for coming out.¡±

    ¡°It gives me an excuse to block off the night and watch the night sky,¡± Redmind said, looking up at the stars. ¡°And it is the least I can do, considering the risk he is taking.¡±

    ¡°I was surprised someone volunteered,¡± Blue admitted. ¡°All we know is that the Purple Cube isn¡¯t in the same spot anymore, she could still shoot at us for all we know¡­¡±

    ¡°Markus does not see it that way. He is more than willing to put himself in danger for the kingdom.¡± The King glanced at one of the many rings adorning his fingers. ¡°I tried to talk him out of it, but he is a loyal knight, and he sees this as a chance to do something.¡±

    Blue frowned, a sickening feeling crawling through her stomach.

    ¡°Something is on your mind.¡±

    Blue froze. ¡°I¡­ really shouldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Speak your mind, Blue. This is no official meeting, we are simply discussing current events.¡± He leaned forward, looking at the empty place the Skyseed II would soon be placed. ¡°You will not be punished for criticizing my actions. Please.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can¡¯t you¡­ stop him?¡±

    ¡°I could. But in a sense, Markus is right. There is a danger to the kingdom. I would send a soldier to death were we in a war, perhaps even if that soldier were unwilling. While this is not a war, there is real danger, and I do believe it is in the best interests of the kingdom that we know as much about the danger as we can. If I have a volunteer, I will not stop him. He will provide an invaluable service.¡± He folded his hands together. ¡°Be glad that you sit in the realm of academia, Wizard Blue. Your duty will never involve needing to send people to their deaths. This is nowhere near the worst moral quandary I have found myself in.¡±

    Blue swallowed hard. And here I am freaking out about a plast dragon¡­

    King Redmind changed the subject. ¡°The nobles have given up trying to pin you to the murder, you are in the clear in that regard. However, this means they will return to other tactics to try and ruin your reputation.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not ruined already?¡± Blue tilted her head.

    ¡°They are a rather petty bunch, and your consistent results make them even more so. Fortunately for you, I do not believe your constant presence will be required much longer. As they get the ball rolling against your reputation, you will return to Willow Hollow.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ go back to Willow Hollow.¡± Despite herself, Blue smiled. ¡°That¡­ that¡¯ll be nice.¡±

    ¡°It is a much friendlier place,¡± Tenrayce admitted. ¡°Much more open to being rustled.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes I wonder if we need to do more to steer the people away from rigidity,¡± Redmind mused. ¡°Keep them malleable, able to see things from multiple angles¡­ but such things do not come quickly. Perhaps we just need a newer generation.¡±

    ¡°Working on it, Dad.¡±

    ¡°I know you are. Keep it up.¡±

    At this point Rigelia threw open the warehouse doors with her Orange magic while at the same time levitating out the Skyseed II. ¡°Let¡¯s get this show on the road!¡±

    Right on cue, Markus arrived. He was a rather ordinary-looking middle-aged human man with a bald head and scruffy black beard. His weapons of choice were axes, but he quickly set these and his armor aside¡ªhe would not be needing them for this mission. He turned to bow in Redmind¡¯s direction. ¡°My King.¡±

    ¡°Rise,¡± Redmind said, and Markus obeyed. ¡°I will remind you that we do not know the full dangers of this mission. No mortal has been sent to space before, and our unknown enemy may still lie in wait.¡±

    ¡°I am aware of the dangers, my Lord.¡±

    ¡°Even the temperature dangers?¡± Blue asked. ¡°And the rocks?¡±

    ¡°I have read all the relevant reports. I will use Green to repair the glass and any injuries to myself. I will maintain the action in the air restorer. I will increase my temperature with Red and lower it with Blue acting on part of the ship. I have the prerequisite level of will, and the strength to maintain focus. I am qualified, Wizard Blue.¡±

    Blue decided that she liked being spoken to by someone who actually respected her and didn¡¯t use the title like it was a disgrace to the Academy. ¡°Well, he sounds ready.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Rigelia said, looking extremely bored as she floated there, unscrewing the lid with her magic. ¡°Now get in and do it.¡± Markus quickly hopped in.

    Blue coughed. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to do a countdown.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t do a¡ª¡±

    Blue interrupted her. ¡°You didn¡¯t do a countdown last time because I wasn¡¯t here to tell you that¡¯s what you do, but if you read the reports you¡¯d see it, every time before a major launch, we count down from ten the moment Jeh got inside. So. Ahem. Markus, are you good in there?¡±

    Markus gave a thumbs up as Rigelia screwed him in.

    ¡°Okay, so then we count down. Ahem. Ten! Nine! Eight!¡±

    Tenrayce finally joined in with her at ¡°Seven! Six! Five! Four!¡±

    The King decided to just go with it. ¡°Three! Two! One!¡±

    Blue rammed her hoof into the ground. ¡°Zero!¡±

    The Skyseed II lifted into the ground, very slowly and steadily, with far more methodical control than Jeh bothered with. The upward speed increased at a linear rate, going higher and higher into the night sky. Soon, it looked no different from the original Skyseed¡ªan orange speck lifting up into the sky.

    ¡°I wonder what the citizens think of this¡­¡± Redmind wondered.

    ¡°Most of them probably won¡¯t notice,¡± Tenrayce said¡ªfor once without her nose in a book. ¡°The launch is somehow both more and less impressive than I imagined.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s weird how slow it is, huh?¡± Blue asked. ¡°It gets going really fast once it¡¯s up there, but the easiest way to get up is controlled and steadily. It was one of the first things we figured out¡ªgo slow instead of go fast.¡±

    ¡°But once you¡¯re up there, you can outdo even our fastest messengers,¡± Redmind said.

    ¡°Yeah. And now you have a ship that can do it.¡± Blue frowned. ¡°Assuming he doesn¡¯t get shot down¡­¡±

    The three of them fell silent, staring at the sky. Rigelia quickly grew bored with this and floated back inside, presumably to do some work. Or eat or something, Blue wasn¡¯t sure and she didn¡¯t care. She just stared up at the orange speck.

    Come on¡­ we could use something good right about now¡­

    All she could do, though, was wait. Wait and stare at the sky. Wait and hope nothing got shot down again.

    Markus won¡¯t be coming back¡­

    She didn¡¯t have to stay out here. She could have gone and done other things. But right now, in this moment, she couldn¡¯t bear to take her eyes off the sky. Hours passed. Eventually, though, the Orange spark began to get brighter and brighter. It was coming back down.

    There had been no laser.

    Blue watched the satellite pass by the moment she realized everything was going to be fine. Even though it had crossed her eyes multiple times already, there was something about this pass that made her break out into a grin.

    As the Skyseed II approached the ground closer and closer, Tenrayce stood up and walked over to her father. She slapped him in the face with a book, waking him up.

    ¡°Wh¡ªwha?¡± he stammered.

    ¡°Wake up, he¡¯s back.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Ahem.¡± Redmind coughed. ¡°Let¡¯s give him a round of applause when he returns.¡±

    Markus landed the Skyseed II expertly and flatly. Since Rigelia wasn¡¯t present, Blue used her own telekinesis to screw off the lid and set it to the side. Markus climbed out, standing proud, but shaking a little.

    Blue, Tenrayce, and Redmind clapped.

    Markus bowed. ¡°Thank you, I have done but my duty.¡±

    ¡°Any sign of the Purple Cube?¡± Redmind asked.

    ¡°None, Your Highness. As intel suggested, there is a faint outline of a square where she used to be. There is no sign of her anywhere else.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps she learned to hide herself from above as well,¡± Tenrayce considered.

    ¡°Such a massive cloaking spell¡­ would it be visible through the jeweler¡¯s lens?¡± Redmind asked.

    Blue shook her head. ¡°Air is not perfectly clear to magic. It gets a long ways, yes, but it¡¯s blocked at large distances, the lens wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything.¡±

    ¡°Still, something that large moving¡­ it should have left some kind of visible trail, even from that high up¡­¡± Redmind scratched his chin. ¡°Concerning, but beyond our control for now. Anything else of note to report immediately, Markus?¡±

    Markus nodded. ¡°I experienced the chills while lifting up, but after some point I began to get to warm. I can confirm, the use of Blue was effective in cooling the Skyseed down.¡±

    ¡°Good. Very good.¡± Redmind stood up. ¡°Take a rest, Markus. Your report is not expected until tomorrow evening. I believe the rest of us should turn in as well. Let this be known as the first successful flight carried out of Axiom, and a proof of concept. I will consider additional missions. And Blue¡­ do you think your colleagues will be sending orders in for the Moonshot soon?¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°I sure hope so. I sent them the approval a while ago.¡±

    ¡°Good. I look forward to that mission.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ do have a request. We would like to launch it out of Willow Hollow rather than Axiom.¡±

    ¡°Granted,¡± Redmind said. ¡°Tenrayce, do some research into what would be required to set up a proper laboratory there.¡±

    ¡°It will be done,¡± Tenrayce said.

    Blue smiled. ¡°Sweet.¡±

    She was forcing the smile, and she knew it. She should be elated that they were considering building a devoted lab in Willow Hollow of all places, it should have been amazingly exciting. Heck, just having Markus return alive was exciting!

    However, she wasn¡¯t feeling it. She kept thinking about Purple Cubes and plast dragons.

    She did not sleep well that night.

    ~~~

    It was a square hole, all right. A square hole in the ground so large that it was impossible to take in at once.

    Hyrii and Wyett were insideof it. All around, massive earthen walls that rose higher than any building in Shimvale or Kroan, extending from horizon to horizon.

    ¡°There was definitely something here¡­¡± Wyett said, looking around with wide eyes.

    ¡°And there¡¯s no sign of where she went!?¡± Kaykayzee shouted at a Shimmer who had been working here for a while, a blue-white ice dragon much larger than her who nonetheless still looked ashamed and afraid when Kaykayzee was shouting at him.

    ¡°None at all, I¡¯m afraid¡­ none of the trees along the edge have been disturbed, and the ground smooth¡­¡±

    ¡°No Purple debris either?¡±

    ¡°None. The ground is devoid of all Purple crystals, though we have occasionally found other Colors.¡±

    Kaykayzee narrowed her eyes. ¡°And, this is important, have you lost anyone mysteriously recently?¡±

    ¡°No, everyone is accounted for or left with the proper avenues, save one moment with Meg, but she came back later after the wolves scared her.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Frimbone!¡± a nine-tail-fox spirited shouted from the other side of a few sleds.

    Frimbone ignored her. ¡°And we have turned up no leads.¡±

    ¡°No leads¡­ no leads¡­¡± Kaykayzee started pacing in circles. She took out her violin. Hyrii quickly put on her earmuffs and pressed down; even though she knew it was going to be the Song of Searching, she wanted to keep up appearances for Wyett. The song was quick and done without any fanfare. When it finished, Hyrii saw, for the briefest of moments, Kaykayzee¡¯s eyes flash a soft white.

    Kaykayzee frowned. She put her violin away and started walking in circles, scratching her chin.

    ¡°What was that about¡­?¡± Wyett wondered. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the song¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe she has more than one song,¡± Hyrii suggested, hoping that didn¡¯t sound suspicious.

    ¡°It¡­ seems so¡­¡± He glanced at her. ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I think,¡± Hyrii said. ¡°But I think we should watch her.¡±

    So they did. And, eventually, Kaykayzee stopped walking and stopped over a patch of dirt that had recently been cleared of snow. ¡°Dig here.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Frimbone asked.

    ¡°Dig here.¡± Kayz pointed at the ground. ¡°Do it now.¡±

    ¡°If you say so¡­¡± Frimbone picked up a dragon-sized shovel and dug into the ground. After pulling out several shovels full, making a hole large enough to put a human in, he stopped. ¡°Nothing here.¡±

    ¡°Keep digging.¡±

    As if resigning himself to some kind of punishment, Frimbone responded, digging deeper and deeper, until the hole was large enough for him to stand in. Looking up, he gave Kaykayzee a quizzical look, but her steeled eyes told him he wasn¡¯t done yet. So he dug. And dug. And dug.

    And then the ground gave out beneath him.

    Being a dragon, he quickly took control of the situation with his wings and glided down the hole into¡­ a pit.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get some light over here!¡± Kaykayzee shouted. ¡°And Frimbone! Fly me and Prince Wyett down there!¡±

    It took some doing, but eventually the flying Shimmers came together to bring the team down into the pit, which opened up into an utterly massive cavern, so large it was impossible to see from one end to another. It was clearly unnatural as well, for the walls were eerily straight and there were no diverging paths or pockets.

    ¡°What on Ikyu¡­?¡± Hyrii wondered aloud.

    ¡°The Cube. She escaped underground,¡± Kaykayzee said, growling. ¡°She didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be able to track her, and she covered her tracks well¡­ but I know this land. I know when it¡¯s wrong, and I knew it was wrong down here.¡± She turned to face everyone. ¡°Tear this cavern to shreds, find everything you can. Find out where she went.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Every Shimmer, and some of the Kroanians, scrambled to look at everything they could.

    Wyett could only hold up a small Purple crystal and shine a light at the ceiling above them. It lit nothing up. ¡°¡­How much power does it take to move this much rock¡­?¡±

    Hyrii suddenly felt like a girl with a magic mind-control song might be the least of their worries.

    ~~~

    ¡°All right, Alex, we¡¯re ready!¡± Seskii said, jumping on to his back. ¡°To Axiom!¡±

    ¡°You have far too much energy,¡± Alexandrite grumbled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to balance her out,¡± Mary said as she gingerly climbed up onto Alexandrite¡¯s back. ¡°Are you sure you can hold all three of us up here?¡±

    ¡°If you hold on tight.¡±

    Vaughan got on last, using his magic to tie a rope around them, Alexandrite, and the large backpack filled with their orders and designs. ¡°That should do it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Uncomfortably close to a saddle, but I shall allow it¡­¡±

    ¡°Tell Blue we said hi,¡± Suro said, waving at them with his paw.

    ¡°And don¡¯t overwhelm the poor girl,¡± Lila added. ¡°She¡¯s probably been through a lot recently.¡±

    ¡°I think she will be more than happy just to see them,¡± Big G countered.

    ¡°Oh, no doubt about that, but it¡¯s important not to thrust everything on her and exhaust her.¡±

    ¡°I wish I was going¡­ agh¡­¡± Krays leaned against a tree. ¡°Alas, I have a bunch of stuck up impatient commissions to get done. ¡®make me a new set of wine glasses, Krays, I need more to line my shelves!¡¯ That woman¡¯s entire house is going to be made out of glass soon, I swear. Which is a terrible idea, she really should invest in things like wood. Wood cups.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that put you out of work?¡± Suro asked.

    ¡°Then I wouldn¡¯t have the commission to do in the first place!¡±

    ¡°And haven¡¯t you been procrastinating?¡±

    ¡°Queen Procrastination will answer that question later.¡±

    Suro rolled his eyes and Seskii giggled.

    ¡°Anyway, goodbye and good riddance, you lot,¡± Krays waved at them dismissively. ¡°Blow up the capital or something with your insanity.¡±

    ¡°Will do!¡± Seskii said. ¡°Probably not in a literal sense. Probably.¡±

    ¡°Disappointing, really,¡± Kayz deadpanned.

    After another round of goodbyes, Alexandrite took off into the air, ferrying the Wizard Space Program to Axiom¡­ to start the proper construction of the Moonshot.

    And, perhaps the most important part of the mission, to visit Blue.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Wait. Did I do it again? Was there no science this chapter? Uh. Surely I have something¡­

    Huh, no, mostly magic and psychological distress. Fun. Well, see you next time, hopefully for more science!

    It has been brought to my attention that we¡¯ve gotten a little far from the science. Don¡¯t worry, we will eventually wrap up this enigmatic side-plot, I¡¯m expecting chapter 031, but no promises. But I will say this: we have a moon mission to get to, and we WILL get there.

 028 - The Itch

    WSP 028

    The Itch

    Vapor flew through the skies with Jeh, Envila, Margaret, and Jeremiah on her back. They had traveled through the sky for several days at this point and Envila was nowhere close to running out of stories to keep Vapor satisfied. And, to boot, telling all these stories had improved Envila¡¯s Karli considerably.

    ¡°¡­There is an ocean to the East. Jeh tells me that you just call the ocean to the West ¡®the Ocean¡¯ but go far enough East and there¡¯s one there as well. Crossing this ocean is rather difficult¡ªnot because of the waters themselves, but because there aren¡¯t any nations on either side of the divide. I only found minor city-states on your Eastern coast, and as for ¡°my¡± side of the other ocean¡­ much of that land is blackened and lifeless, covered in volcanoes. While I did not travel all the way through this unnamed land of death, I did go to see it, and I witnessed snow falling onto molten rock, filling the land with great clouds of steam. There are only a handful of races that can live there, but it was one of the few places in the world where I found elementals common. The whirling torrents of fire elementals were everywhere, roaming the fiery lands in packs. They are, unfortunately, hostile, at least to fae, so I had to get out of there quickly. The other part of the world over there is a massive desert, which¡­¡± Envila suddenly stopped talking and turned her gaze upward. ¡°Incoming!¡±

    Jeh looked up and saw about a dozen specks flying high in the sky, much higher than Vapor was. They started shooting. Holes quickly ripped in Vapor¡¯s wings and blood went flying. Jeh pulled out her Green and started healing Vapor. ¡°You should be good!¡±

    ¡°How dare they!?¡± Vapor shouted. ¡°Hold on!¡± She twisted herself around, threatening to throw her passengers off, but all of them held tight. The dragon opened her great maw and released her breath attribute¡ªa beam of pure, white light that seared through at least two of the dots flying above them.

    Immediately, the remaining dots scrambled, flying in multiple different directions to keep from being targeted all at once. Holes appeared all over Vapor, puncturing right through her scales, but Jeh would heal the wounds almost immediately. Since Jeh was actively on healing duty, even injuries to Vapor¡¯s head did not remain long enough to make her fall out of the sky, though such wounds did make her stall and roar.

    Vapor continued to climb in height, pushing her attribute to its limits. Dragons were heavy, and she was one of the older ones who could still fly, so her maximum height wasn¡¯t the greatest. It was unfortunately quite a bit lower than whatever the things attacking them were at.

    However, the attackers decided that long-range attacks weren¡¯t working. Half of them continued to attack from a distance, but the rest suddenly charged. As they approached, their shape became clear¡ªspherical metal orbs that looked vaguely like eyes adorned with four propellors. The rounds they shot came out of what appeared to be their pupil.

    ¡°Chopters!¡± Envila shouted. ¡°Those aren¡¯t spirited!¡±

    ¡°Then how are they coordinating?¡± Vapor asked in between her beam breaths.

    ¡°Funny story, that¡­¡± Jeh muttered. She continued healing, but with her free hand took out some Red and began to heat up an incoming chopter. She realized with some alarm that it wasn¡¯t slowing down. Her attempt to dodge came too late, and doing so on while on the back of a moving dragon in combat wasn¡¯t easy to begin with. The chopter slammed into her, partially-molten metal splattering against and scalding her skin. Naturally, this didn¡¯t do much to her. However, the momentum of the rigid slamming into her pulled her off of Vapor and into the open air. The dragon, being under attack, wasn¡¯t going to be able to catch her.

    Which was fine for Jeh. Not for Vapor. She lost her best healer. Envila picked up the slack, but the moment she started the chopters went for her as well. While significantly more agile and experienced than Jeh, she only managed to dodge the first one, the second one rammed into her, propellers cutting into her flesh and tearing her from the dragon.

    Jeh could no longer hear any words spoken, but she could see Envila falling. Jeh could survive an impact with the ground, Envila could not. Fortunately, Jeh still had her Colored crystals. She took out some Orange and focused. She needed to apply the force diffusively on an uneven body¡­ she winced as she sent Envila into a roll. What was she trying to do? She wasn¡¯t an Orange wizard, she wasn¡¯t precise enough to pull this off.

    Except¡­ it actually didn¡¯t matter if Envila was spinning madly like a top, she just needed to be falling slowly enough not to crush every bone in her body upon landing. Better yet, Jeh could remain stable while acting on her, unlike what would happen if Jeh tried to levitate herself. Just¡­ slow her down. Jeh let out a breath and focused, pushing up on Envila. This sent the fae into a backflip but it did slow her fall¡ªwhich meant that Jeh was now falling faster than her and was getting further away, making it harder to use magic, which meant Envila would be increasing her speed once again¡­

    Then Jeh remembered that first day back in the forest, when Vaughan had landed.

    Green could bring people back from the brink. Envila could land and break all her bones, and Jeh could bring her back. However, as she¡¯d seen with Jeremiah and read about in books, Green struggled with brains. So to minimize the risk, she just needed to make sure Envila¡¯s brain was still intact.

    What would be the best way to do that¡­?

    She didn¡¯t have much time to think, the ground would reach her in a few seconds. So she acted quickly. Rather than trying to slow Envila, she used focused force to orient Envila in a specific way¡ªflat, with her stomach directed at the ground. One might think this would just make things worse since Envila would become a pancake upon landing, but if Jeh was seeing things right, Envila would fall on a medium-sized pine tree. It would skewer her rather than flatten her, head completely fine.

    Just as Jeh was congratulating herself on a brilliant idea, she hit the ground, feet-first. She crumpled like an accordion, legs shooting into her lungs. She quickly bounced back up but the regeneration of everything from her feet to her ribcage took a bit, and in that time Envila hit the top of the tree. It did not skewer her¡ªshe missed the very tip¡ªand she instead slammed into the various tree branches, breaking them one at a time until she was deposited on the ground. A broken, tangled mess, to be sure, bleeding out all over the place, but she was still breathing, which was even better than what Jeh had been going for.

    Jeh ran over and applied as much Green as she could, restoring her¡ªbut, of course, it took time. However, since Jeh wasn¡¯t currently falling, she used this time to look up. Margaret and Jeremiah did not have proper healing, and dragon blood was starting to rain from the sky. Vapor looked haggard. Jeh could see bursts of darkness, likely from Kirkkok, that were hitting a few of the specks but still leaving several to attack. They were losing.

    Something hit Vapor in the neck, and her wings stopped flapping. It was somehow elegant to see such a massive creature simply stop in the air, slowly moving upward at first, but with gradual increments remembering that the natural direction for all things to move was down. The change was sluggish, imperceptible at first, but soon the fall was alarmingly fast, limp wings flipping back and forth in the rush of air.

    Jeh looked down¡ªEnvila was mostly healed, and that was good enough for Jeh, the fae could heal herself later. She ran off to where she thought Vapor was going to fall.

    But it never came. A Blue aura surrounded Vapor, and she was suddenly moving much, much slower.

    What could slow something that large all at once¡­?

    In answer to her question, an accelerated balloon whale with very familiar markings rushed into the fray. Jeh may have only seen it once, but that day was ingrained in her mind forever. This was C-R¡¯s balloon whale. Jeh could see pocks of blood coming off of the levitating behemoth, but it was nothing more than bug bites to the animal. It let out a roar. A clear pulse of Blue released from the balloon whale, and the moment it reached any of the rigids, they exploded in a shower of flame.

    The battle was over¡­ but Vapor was still falling.

    Jeh was pretty sure Blue magic couldn¡¯t protect from fall damage. With newfound determination, she ran for where she thought Vapor would fall, which she had a lot more time to do as the falling was considerably slowed.

    A single speck jumped out of the balloon whale and flew right at her. Jeh thought it was a cat at first, but the presence of wings confused things somewhat.

    ¡°You need to heal her as she¡¯s falling!¡± he shouted at her. ¡°We can¡¯t cushion the fall of something that large!¡±

    ¡°Working on it!¡± Jeh said. ¡°She¡¯s too far away right now!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay¡­ wait¡­ are you Jeh?¡±

    ¡°Oh, were you on the whale when I was there? Sorry, don¡¯t remember you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a new addition, it¡¯s fine, and¡ªhey wait that¡¯s beside the point!¡± He flapped his wings aggressively. ¡°Focus on keeping the dragon alive!¡±

    ¡°Still not close enough, what else am I going to do but talk to you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Er¡­¡± He frowned and flicked one of his ears. ¡°Look, just¡­¡±

    ¡°Now she¡¯s close enough to try.¡± Jeh held up her Green crystal¡ªshe sure was burning through it rather quickly, she could tell it was smaller than when they¡¯d started this fight¡ªand pointed it at Vapor¡¯s head and neck first. At this distance, it was an extreme strain on her efforts, but Vapor was falling at a snail¡¯s pace, so time was on her side. After she worked on the head and neck, she moved to the wings, patching up the holes¡­ she noted that Margaret and Jeremiah were still there, holding on for dear life, and Kirkkok had his beak open in seeming panic.

    Vapor opened her eyes. From her perspective, it was likely immediate, but from Jeh¡¯s the moving of the eyelid took a few seconds. Instinct took over for the dragon¡ªshe was falling, so she righted herself and flapped her wings. Jeh got to see the amazing complexity of the maneuver in all its slowed-down glory. Vapor¡¯s head pointed at the ground and as she turned the rest of her body, her head remained almost entirely still as she balanced. The rotation was accomplished by carefully moving her legs in and out of her body, controlling her spin expertly with a slight bank of one of her wings mid-flap. The forces from the rapid rotation were enough to throw Margaret and Jeremiah off¡ªbut in an upward direction relative to Vapor, which allowed her to catch them rather than let them fall to the ground below.

    Even with all this effort, Vapor would not be able to fully stop before she hit the ground. From her perspective, she was still falling at normal speed, and the impact with the ground would be quite painful. However, it would not be catastrophic. She landed with her legs extended, allowing them to not only bend as she touched the ground, but also enable her to roll onto her side to convert some of her momentum sideways. However, she was a big lumbering dragon and she didn¡¯t want to crush her passengers, so she only permitted herself a half turn, which forced her to slide across the ground and gash open a fair chunk of her side.

    But she was alive.

    The Blue field dropped and Jeh ran up to Vapor, starting to heal her. Given how large she was, this would take a long time.

    ¡°That¡­ was quite the adventure,¡± Vapor said, breathing heavily. ¡°Is¡­ everyone all right?¡±

    ¡°Jeh saw to me,¡± Envila said, doing what she could to restore Vapor as well, though it was slow work.

    Margaret jumped up. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Jeremiah groaned. ¡°Kirkkok, why couldn¡¯t you have fixed my back?¡±

    ¡°I can if you want.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡± Margaret called. ¡°You said you never wanted to make yourself something you weren¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I had to fix my head¡­¡±

    ¡°That was a necessity.¡± Margaret crossed her arms.

    ¡°Maybe his mind has just been opened to the possibilities?¡±

    The flying cat landed in the midst of the group. ¡°Ahem. Greetings, I am Yano, I speak for C-R. I see you all staring at my wings, I¡¯m what is known as a sphinx, nothing unusual, just a cat with wings.¡± He coughed. ¡°C-R has saved you, but expects very little in return, merely a meeting and an explanation as to what you¡¯re doing out here.¡± He pointed a wing at Jeh. ¡°Especially you, Jeh.¡±

    Envila raised an eyebrow, turning to Jeh. ¡°You know this sphinx?¡±

    Jeh shook her head. ¡°But I know C-R. She was there when I first went up in the Skyseed. She¡¯s¡­ a very odd creature, but helpful. I think?¡±

    ¡°What I want to know is why those rigids attacked us and how they were in formation,¡± Vapor grunted, lifting her head. ¡°Those weren¡¯t spirited, but they were far too organized¡­¡± She glared intently at Envila. ¡°I get the impression you know something.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we can wait until everyone¡¯s here?¡± Yano asked. ¡°Please?¡±

    ¡°¡­Very well,¡± Vapor said.

    C-R¡¯s balloon whale descended until it was just above the forest floor, at which point the platform was lowered from the gondola. Jeh recognized Itlea immediately, the arrogant greater unicorn still sporting her Purple wizard outfit like a badge.

    ¡°Hi, Itlea,¡± Jeh deadpanned.

    ¡°Greetings to you as well, Jeh,¡± Itlea responded with an equal lack of emotion. ¡°C-R cannot leave the confines of the ship. Normally we invite you aboard, but we do not have space for a full-size dragon, so I shall project her for you. Watch a master at work.¡± She lit her horn, holding up several Purple crystals at once¡ªfar more than was actually needed to make even a large image, she was obviously doing it just for show¡ªand created an image of the highly unusual C-R. Faceless, made of something like porcelain, segmented body, and three arms that were currently all pointing at her smooth head.

    ¡°So, Jeh, we meet again.¡±

    ¡°Hi!¡± Jeh waved.

    ¡°It is good to see you faring well after that disaster in the skies. I am sure your colleagues are eagerly awaiting your return.¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ oh! Envila, this is C-R.¡±

    ¡°¡­Greetings,¡± Envila said.

    ¡°A fae in this part of the world, in this kind of danger? You may consider me surprised.¡± She twisted her head upside-down and put two of her hands on her shoulders. ¡°And two servants of Eyda and a dragon.¡±

    ¡°So you know who they are and never heard of the Brightwings?¡± Vapor asked.

    ¡°There was simply no indication that you were one of the great dragon herders, but that information makes the group even more unusual. Now, I wish to make it clear, I am not your enemy, and I am only here by chance. Our current mission is entirely unrelated to you.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± jeh asked.

    ¡°That is not your concern.¡±

    ¡°Then why is our mission of your concern?¡± Envila asked.

    ¡°Consider it repayment for the good deed we have delivered unto you, as well as an opportunity to clear the air. I believe Vapor has questions, and I too sense a deeper meaning and threat behind the organized rigids that should not be organized.¡±

    Jeh sighed. ¡°Okay, look, C-R? People we tell about it get in danger¡­¡±

    ¡°That, in and of itself, explains much. I believe you are telling the truth and really do consider the knowledge a hazard. However, this balloon whale¡¯s purpose could be described as seeking out dangerous knowledge so the average person does not have to deal with such things. The risk of information is something we run into perhaps daily. You will not add to our burden in a way that would matter.¡±

    Jeh glanced at Vapor. ¡°But¡­¡±

    Vapor scowled. ¡°You knew we were likely to get attacked.¡±

    Envila nodded. ¡°This much is true. If we tell you much more, you will be a target. You might be a target now. We cannot say.¡±

    ¡°I would not have agreed to this had I known the danger.¡±

    ¡°While it is regrettable that it was necessary, we did not mention why we were leaving and told you no lies. We simply said it was urgent, which it is.¡±

    Vapor bristled. ¡°You have a way with words, fae.¡±

    ¡°As I believe I mentioned many times in the sky, mastery of words is a powerful skill, capable of much, both practical and for the joy of the soul.¡± She folded her arms. ¡°We did what was necessary considering the circumstances. By flying us here, you have saved our lives. We would not have lasted this long without you, and for that I am eternally grateful.¡±

    Vapor growled. ¡°¡­I might as well hear the full story, then.¡±

    Jeh sighed. ¡°Fine.¡± She pulled out the book¡ªwhich was crumbled somewhat from the fall¡ªand threw it on the ground. ¡°So, to put it simply, there¡¯s a rigid disease curse thing going around¡­¡±

    And so Jeh explained, in brief, their mission and what was going on.

    As soon as she was finished, C-R spoke. ¡°You have two of these books, you mentioned?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Jeh asked, confused.

    ¡°Yano, take one and fly it to Kroan as fast as you possibly can, spare nothing.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± Yano said, landing on one of the books and sinking his claws into it. It took some effort, but he managed to lift off with it in his paws. ¡°Here I go!¡± Some Blue flickered from somewhere under his fur¡ªa cord with crystals in it, perhaps?¡ªand he zipped into the air at extreme speeds, just short of that which would set him on fire.

    ¡°W-wow¡­¡± Jeh said. ¡°Thanks!¡±

    ¡°He will move faster than almost any rigid, and if my projections are correct there won¡¯t be one close enough to catch him anyway. At his speed he will reach the mountains in less than a day.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Wait, we¡¯re that close?¡±

    ¡°Your journey back to Kroan is almost at an end. However, I do not think it would be wise to send you ahead. You will not be as fast as Yano, and there¡¯s no telling what this rigid curse might do. I suggest you all stay here under my protection.¡±

    ¡°No complaints here¡­¡± Margaret said.

    Vapor growled. ¡°It¡­ does seem like a good idea.¡± She glanced at Jeh, eyes narrow. ¡°I am still displeased by being kept in the dark, but I suppose I can understand the decision, considering what is at stake.¡±

    C-R continued. ¡°Since you are going to be staying with us for a while, perhaps it would be best to brief you on what we are currently doing, as it is tangentially related to you, Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°We are hunting the Purple Cube that shot you down.¡±

    ~~~

    Mary actually did really well flying on Alexandrite¡¯s back. There was no sense of absolute panic or even all that much fear, after the initial scare she was looking around with the wind in her hair grinning wildly. Her favorite part about it was not the exhilaration, however, but the fact that she could look down and see so much. Trees and mountains and roads and even, eventually, little towns that dotted the land below. It was all so amazing, seeing how small everything was from up here, putting everything into perspective. She found it oddly comforting.

    But then they arrived at Axiom. Axiom, a city so large even from Alexandrite¡¯s altitude it wasn¡¯t really possible to take it all in at once. Truly massive buildings and towers, the palace, not to mention the giant tree far larger than any tree she¡¯d seen on her way here. For the longest time, she couldn¡¯t even get a good reference for just how large everything was, since the masses of people blurred together.

    Alexandrite took them down not to any special designated landing place, but rather to the warehouse where Blue worked. This, however, was decidedly close to the palace. Enough so that Mary could understand the full size of it, how it made even the dragon she was riding seem tiny. Insignificant.

    While Alexandrite and Vaughan started talking about next steps, she drowned them out and just looked¡­ up. Since she was essentially at the palace she had to crane her neck a fair ways to see the top, and even then the curve of the dome kept the palace spires out of her view.

    ¡°Mary?¡± Seksii asked.

    ¡°Too big¡­¡± Mary said.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s get you inside, Mary.¡± Seskii gingerly grabbed her by the shoulder and led her into the warehouse.

    Mary went willingly but did not take her eyes off the palace. ¡°Too big¡­¡±

    The sensation did dissipate upon entering the warehouse, though Mary was still shaken by how much it was. How could anyone ever learn the character of this city they lived in if just the palace was too much to see? How could anyone grasp where they were in life, living here?

    The interior of the warehouse was much more manageable. While it was a wide open space, the size could easily be understood from the walls and the ceiling. The Skyseed II was on full display in the center, with incomplete Skyseeds of other shapes littered around it. The Skyseed II was strikingly similar to the first one, save for the lack of wooden fins.

    Vaughan whistled. ¡°There she is, everyone.¡±

    Seskii jumped in front of it. ¡°Behold the brand new currently one-of-a-kind ship to the stars, guaranteed to get you up and down in one piece so long as you¡¯ve been properly trained and don¡¯t get shot at! Examine its graceful curves, the shimmering brass, and the energy of the core¡­¡±

    ¡°Who the heck are you?¡±

    An extremely fat orange gari floated over to them. This sent Mary¡¯s brain into great confusion. How much food did a gari have to be eating to get this large? How was she levitating herself? Wasn¡¯t that extremely difficult? And oh goodness she had fancy Orange wizard robes on that meant she was important and on no she was looking at Mary¡­

    ¡°Rigelia,¡± Vaughan said, adjusting his hat. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°¡­Who are you? I haven¡¯t seen you around here.¡±

    Vaughan looked like someone had physically stabbed him. ¡°Vaughan. Wizard Vaughan.¡±

    Rigelia stared at him blankly.

    ¡°Blue¡¯s mentor?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, she had one¡­¡±

    ¡°Good, finally so you d¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t remember that guy¡¯s name.¡±

    Vaughan put his hand to the bridge of his nose. ¡°¡­I was the student who got stuck inside Glimp in your office.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Gideon!¡±

    Vaughan groaned audibly.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re the funny one. Do the dance again!¡±

    ¡°No, Rigelia, I am not a student anymore, I am a Red Wizard and I am Blue¡¯s mentor.¡± He coughed. ¡°I am here to deliver the first set of orders for the construction of the Moonshot.¡±

    Rigelia was suddenly very disappointed. ¡°Then what are you doing here? This is a warehouse! We assemble things here, we don¡¯t construct anything!¡±

    Seskii coughed. ¡°Maaaaaybe we¡¯re not here just for thaaat but also to find our good friend: Blue!¡±

    Rigelia raised an eyebrow. ¡°And who are you?¡±

    ¡°Seskii Potions, at your service!¡± She produced a card from seemingly nowhere and handed it to Rigelia.

    Rigelia looked up from the card. ¡°This is blank.¡±

    ¡°You bet it is! It can be anything you want it to be!¡± She quickly took the card back and folded it into a bird-like shape* and threw it into the air where it did a loop-de-loop before crashing on top of Rigelia¡¯s head. ¡°All you need is a little imagination!¡± Seskii spread her hands wide and grinned.

    *They wouldn¡¯t call it a paper airplane. What even is an airplane?

    Rigelia blinked. ¡°Where did you find this freak?¡±

    ¡°Ack! An insult!¡± Seskii acted as though she had been stabbed through the heart. ¡°Oh woe is me! I am¡­ done for¡­¡± She crumpled to the ground and stuck out her tongue. ¡°Bleh¡­¡±

    ¡°Be nice to Seskii!¡± Mary huffed. Shocked or not by Rigelia¡¯s appearance, nobody got a pass to just act like that.

    ¡°You are obviously a country bumpkin who has no right to even be in here. Gideon, you should take more care of the company you keep. ¡­And the apprentices you take on, come to think of it. That Blue can¡¯t even cast the most basic of spells¡­¡±

    ¡°And yet she was instrumental in building this,¡± Vaughan said, gesturing at the Skyseed.

    ¡°Luck.¡±

    ¡°I could not have done the calculations she did.¡±

    ¡°Then you are not cut out for this work.¡±

    ¡°Would you like to do it?¡±

    ¡°No. But that does not mean I couldn¡¯t.¡±

    Seskii suddenly jumped up from the floor and put her hands between Vaughan and Rigelia. ¡°Heeeey let¡¯s not get all bitey fightey here, okay? All we want to do is find Blue. Do you know whare she is, Wizard Rigelia?¡±

    ¡°¡­She¡¯s probably with Pepper at her lab outside the city walls.¡±

    ¡°I know where it is,¡± Alexandrite said.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± Seskii said, clapping her hands. ¡°It sure was interesting talking to you, Rigelia! Maybe we¡¯ll see each other around!¡± She waved as they all got out of the warehouse quickly.

    Rigelia let out a sigh of relief. She had been this close to shoving them out of the warehouse herself. She barely remembered this Vaughan, but he was clearly a disgrace to wizardly just as Blue was.

    ~~~

    Blue stared at the kancathi.

    The kancathi stared back.

    ¡°Y¡¯know¡­¡± Pepper said, startling Blue enough to make her shoot to her hooves. ¡°Woah, woah, easy there, twitchy!¡±

    ¡°I am no¡ª¡± Blue stopped herself. ¡°Okay, fine, I¡¯m twitchy.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I was coming over here to say, ahem¡­ Y¡¯know, it¡¯s probably not good for you to come here all the time and stare at her? Maybe?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still getting work done, what¡¯s it matter to you?¡±

    ¡°Oooh, that¡¯s somehow both defensive and aggressive at the same time.¡± Pepper folded her arms. ¡°Something¡¯s up with you, Blue.¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± Blue said. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here to figure out what¡¯s the deal with this¡­ itch.¡±

    ¡°Itch?¡±

    ¡°This gnawing in the back of my skull.¡± Blue frowned. ¡°Whenever I don¡¯t know where she is or what she¡¯s doing, it¡¯s there.¡±

    ¡°Blue, she¡¯s tied up and trapped, she hasn¡¯t escaped and she won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°How am I supposed to know that if she¡¯s not right in front of my face!?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Pepper looked to the side awkwardly. ¡°You could just trust me¡­¡±

    Blue didn¡¯t have a response to this. She awkwardly sat back on the ground¡­ and looked back at the kancathi.

    Pepper sighed. ¡°Okay, so, yes, I¡¯ve figured out a few things. She¡¯s very ¡®tight-lipped¡¯ but it¡¯s possible to trick her into automatic responses to shocking enough questions out of the blue about emotionally charged topics. Playing even a portion of the song makes her react without fail and often puts her into a vulnerable state that¡¯s more open to suggestion.¡±

    ¡°You have the song?¡±

    Pepper nodded. ¡°With the few notes from you and knowledge of where you heard it, it wasn¡¯t hard to track down. Were finding that¡­ a good chunk of the lower-class population is infected by it. It seems to spread the quickest through children. Most of the people we have investigating it are already infected, so there¡¯s no further harm to be done, and they¡¯ve found that the song really does need to be hummed, clearly, in full for actual infection to occur.¡± She tapped her finger. ¡°Those infected get a subtle need to hum it, though the effect is more pronounced in children. This appears to be some kind of need, as our agents now actively try not to sing it and it causes them significant distress, so they¡¯ve taken to singing it while they¡¯re alone in their rooms.¡±

    ¡°Geez¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway, this has allowed us to extract some information from the kancathi here. First of all, yes she has a name, no I have no idea what it is, and it¡¯s probably a pattern of colors rather than an audible word. Learned quite a bit about the kancathi code¡ªI have no idea why they follow the code or what its purpose is, but it is extremely harsh. Failure means death, and no inexperienced kancathi are permitted to ever go on the hunts. It appears to have almost a religious significance to them, but the idea of worship is laughable to this individual kancathi, at least. We¡¯re just animals to them, more or less, but more fun to hunt. But a failed hunter is a dead hunter, as we already knew. What we didn¡¯t know is that it¡¯s not just failed hunts that result in a death sentence, but any breaking of the code, and if there were ever a kancathi found that existed outside of the code, such as one who was raised by another race, they would be killed outright as an abomination without explanation. If there are other groups of kancathi in the world, they are marked for death by the ones that exist around here.¡±

    ¡°So she¡¯s marked for death.¡±

    ¡°Quite. I spent quite a lot of time trying to figure out how, exactly, she¡¯s managed to keep the other kancathi off her trail. Getting finer details like this is hard since I kind of have to guess what it is correctly and prompt multiple responses from her by driving it home, but I think she faked her own death to go do this. Can¡¯t be sure. I do know she is absolutely obsessed with killing royals. Royals specifically. Of Kroan. It appears to be what she was instructed to do by the song.¡±

    ¡°A very elaborate assassination plot¡­¡±

    ¡°I actually don¡¯t think it¡¯s that elaborate, I think she was just infected with the song and told to do it in the most effective way she knew how to. As an expert hunter, she added all the complexities and nuance herself.¡±

    Blue¡¯s frown deepened, but she kept staring at the kancathi.

    ¡°Okay, giving you that information doesn¡¯t seem to have helped¡­¡± Pepper looked at the kancathi. ¡°¡­As long as she¡¯s alive, it¡¯s just going to be like this, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡±

    Blue said nothing.

    ¡°¡­I could make a recommendation to the Crown, maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately any executions, no matter how warranted they are, will have to wait,¡± Tenrayce said as she marched in¡ªface not in a book for once. ¡°We just received word that the Purple Cube is moving underground, tunneling somewhere to the south of Shimvale. We need something that can see underground.¡± She slammed her hand into the side of the kancathi¡¯s cage. ¡°We know kancathi can use their tremors to see beneath the earth.¡±

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    The kancathi grinned.

    ¡°Let me spell this out for you, hunter,¡± Tenrayce spat. ¡°You hate us. You don¡¯t want to help us. You want to kill us. Well, in order to let you sense underground, we are going to have to partially release you. You will have some freedom of movement. The chances of your being able to escape go up. Now, it will still be very low, but it will be something. With a higher chance of being able to escape you have a higher chance of being able to kill us royals. And you can¡¯t refuse a clearly higher chance to kill us, can you?¡±

    The kancathi glared at her.

    ¡°So let¡¯s do a simple test here. We need you to come with us to sense things underground. To do so, we will allow you use to your attribute, but you will be under constant guard. And, in fact, I will be present for all tests performed with you. Me. One of your targets, Princess Tenrayce. Isn¡¯t this lucrative? Now, according to kancathi custom, you would rather die than help us. But I don¡¯t think you can refuse. So. Simply nod your head if you¡¯re willing to help us.¡±

    The kancathi stared at her in fury.

    ¡°Then I shall order your death and you will never be able to complete your mission.¡±

    The kancathi let out a roar of deep, undulating rage. But she nodded her head¡ªnodded it with so much force she bashed it into the bars of her cage.

    Tenrayce glared at the kancathi. ¡°Thought so. Glad we¡¯ve come to an understanding.¡±

    ¡°T-tenrayce, you can be quite terrifying when you need to be¡­¡± Blue stammered.

    ¡°It¡¯s a necessary skill at times.¡± She turned to Pepper. ¡°Find a way to limit as much of her motion as you can while still allowing her to use her termor attribute.¡±

    ¡°I actually already know how to do that,¡± Pepper said. ¡°Was going to use it as a way to extract more information, but¡­ well this works too.¡± She folded her arms. ¡°I still wish to express my discomfort with this whole thing.¡±

    ¡°Noted, but your orders are still your orders.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Princess.¡±

    ¡°So, what exactly is the plan?¡± Blue asked.

    Tenrayce folded her arms. ¡°The ¡®plan¡¯ is to use the kancathi to sense for tunnels deep beneath the ground that are large enough for the Purple Cube to move through. If she went in a straight line, which is doubtful, she would end up in the Wild Kingdoms. However, if she changed course, she could easily end here or somewhere nearby, no telling how fast she¡¯s going. We¡¯ll check nearby first, but I think we¡¯ll be packing the kancathi into a balloon whale and going out into the wilds to continue the search.¡±

    ¡°Question,¡± Pepper asked. ¡°What are we going to do when we find the Purple Cube?¡±

    ¡°Make it very clear that she can¡¯t hide anymore. Demand answers. We will bring Crystalline Ones of our own.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think they¡¯ll be able to do anything to one that large¡­?¡±

    Tenrayce paused. ¡°¡­Admittedly, no. We are playing a dangerous game here. Possibly the most powerful entity on Ikyu wants to remain hidden and seems to be willing to go to great lengths to secure that. We will need to set up a rapid communication line so anything we find can be quickly relaid back¡­¡± She put her hand to her forehead. ¡°This is going to be a logistical nightmare¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about what happens once we actually do find the Purple Cube,¡± Pepper said. ¡°Cornered animals often lash out in desperation.¡±

    ¡°Leaving her alone is not an option. The threat is too high.¡± She paused. ¡°¡­Pepper, we do have the Office of Crystalline Investigations. There are¡­ ways to deal with Crystalline Ones. They just need to be fractured into enough pieces.¡± She turned to the kancathi. ¡°And if one is underground¡­ perhaps an excellent hunter with enhanced tremors will do the trick.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need more than one kancathi.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll recruit some Orange Crystalline Ones. There are a few in Axiom.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan!¡± Blue asked. ¡°When do we expect to leave?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, if I have any say about it,¡± Tenrayce said.

    At this point, there was a very very loud knock on the door; loud enough to easily be heard over the din of trapped beasts, which was surprising to say the least. ¡°Heloooooo? Anybody home?¡±

    Blue recognized that chipper, happy-go-lucky voice. ¡°Wait¡­ Seskii?¡± She ran across the warehouse to the door and threw it open. Standing on the other side was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen: Vaughan, Seskii, Alexandrite, and Mary, standing and smiling brightly.

    ¡°Blue!¡± Seskii shouted, running up and lifting the unicorn into a tight hug.

    ¡°Seskii¡­ I¡­ Geh¡­¡±

    Seskii whispered into Blue¡¯s ear. ¡°Shhh¡­ You need this.¡±

    Blue suddenly stopped complaining. Slowly, but surely, Blue returned the hug with a force of her own, closing her eyes tight in a vain attempt not to start crying. She hadn¡¯t had any real positive physical contact with anyone since she¡¯d arrived in Axiom, and until this moment hadn¡¯t even considered the fact that she might be missing it.

    ¡°Oh, you poor thing¡­¡± Mary said, coming to Blue from the other side. It was certainly awkward, a gari, a unicorn, and a human all trying to lump together, but at this moment none of them cared about the awkwardness.

    Vaughan rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Well. Uh¡­¡±

    Tenrayce shrugged. ¡°Some people are just like this. You and I will never understand them.¡±

    ¡°It truly is odd,¡± Alexandrite agreed.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re missing out on,¡± Pepper said, looking on the group with a smile. ¡°They are experiencing a very pure joy, one I wish I could be a part of right now. But it¡¯s not my place.¡± She turned to Vaughan and winked. ¡°By the way, long time no see, Vaughan!¡±

    ¡°Wizard Pepper,¡± Vaughan said, bowing in respect. ¡°I thank you for taking Blue under your wing, you have no idea what it means to me.¡±

    ¡°I think I have some, but maaaaan I can tell you need to loosen up. I¡¯m just Pepper!¡±

    ¡°And this entire lab is full of strange creatures that want to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Not all of them! I¡¯m pretty sure Big Rocky doesn¡¯t even have wants!¡±

    ¡°Big Rocky?¡± Mary wondered as she left the triple hug. Then she saw the massive boulder creature that dominated the space. ¡°Too big, nope nope nope nope¡­¡± she quickly put her hands over her head and left the lab.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on her,¡± Alexandrite said, following her out.

    ¡°Axiom must be a real trip for her,¡± Pepper said.

    ¡°It¡¯s been quite fun!¡± Seskii said. ¡°Also, Tenrayce, I see you trying to hide in that book.¡±

    Tenrayce did not look up from her book. ¡°I do not know what you me¡ª¡±

    Seskii pulled her into a hug as well. ¡°You¡¯re a friend too, I¡¯m not just going to let you avoid the customary greeting!¡±

    Tenrayce sighed. ¡°Sure, fine.¡±

    ¡°You try to take all the fun out of it. Good thing I produce my own fun!¡± She released Tenrayce from her grip¡­ and was suddenly next to the kancathi¡¯s cage. ¡°So, now that pleasantries are over with, maybe now you can realize that we aren¡¯t supposed to be in here and definitely aren¡¯t supposed to see this?¡±

    Tenrayce¡¯s eyes widened. She let out a particularly nasty swear*.

    *The word in question does not translate at all, but curiously has its origins as a racial slur specifically targeted against promiscuous garilend.

    ¡°Language!¡± Pepper chided.

    Tenrayce ignored her. ¡°Yes you really aren¡¯t supposed to see that¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re members of the Wizard Space Program,¡± Blue said. ¡°Surely¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, I can get them clearance now that they¡¯ve seen the thing, I don¡¯t have to lock them up, but they never should have seen it in the first place¡­¡±

    ¡°A plast dragon¡­¡± Vaughan said, scratching his beard. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a story there¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there is,¡± Blue said, tapping her hoof nervously. ¡°So¡­ uh¡­¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to talk about it, but you need to be brought up to speed,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°So¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Seskii shouted. ¡°Maybe we should do this outside so Mary and Alexandrite can hear?¡±

    ¡°¡­While I would think they do not know what they saw, Blue has informed me of the plast dragon attack¡­ they might be able to spread the word and we need them to know they can¡¯t.¡± Tenrayce sighed. ¡°Fine, outside.¡±

    Outside, Alexandrite was watching Mary, who had finally managed to stop hyperventilating. ¡°Okay¡­ everything¡¯s fine¡­ it¡¯s nice out here¡­¡± Mary let out a soft breath. ¡°All this is so incredible but so big¡­ so many mixed feelings¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it, in time,¡± Alexandrite offered.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡­ would make sense, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Mary laughed breathlessly. ¡°I¡­ kind of want to actually enjoy the city¡­ there¡¯s so much here.¡±

    ¡°You can do that after the story,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°So¡­ listen up. I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Tenrayce?¡± Blue said, holding up a hoof. ¡°I¡­ I think I want to tell it.¡±

    Tenrayce paused. ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ want to try, at least.¡± So Blue took a breath¡­ and described what had happened. She skimmed over the science, and the construction, and all the stuff she had sent in the letter. But when she got to the murder¡­ she went into more detail. She stopped herself several times to correct exaggerations, being forced to admit several times that she really wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. Then she talked about how the kncathi was involved, and captured, and how they intend to use her to find the Purple Cube.

    ¡°¡­She¡¯s leaving something out and I¡¯m not even sure she realizes she did,¡± Pepper said.

    ¡°Eh? What?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°You come here regularly and just stare at the kancathi for long periods of time.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ I mentioned that I kept her under careful observation. And¡­¡± Blue scrunched her face. ¡°¡­You¡¯re right, I did completely gloss over that¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a problem, Blue.¡±

    ¡°Well what else am I going to do? Just¡­ not know where she is? I¡­¡± she tapped her hoof. ¡°Look, there¡¯s a legitimate concern here, but we¡¯ve got a Purple Cube to hunt and that¡¯s more important.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°We need to use the kancathi for larger projects.¡±

    Vaughan folded his arms. ¡°But you don¡¯t need to use Blue.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Blue, you¡¯re a wizard in the space program. You aren¡¯t a hunter of monsters or a special agent of the crown.¡± He crouched and placed a hand on Blue¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s not your job to hunt the Cube.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ the¡­ the kancathi¡­¡±

    ¡°Blue¡­ it¡¯s not going to be safe out there. You have work to do here. And¡­ we¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Blue tilted her head sideways. ¡°I just¡­ I want to see it through. I¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you have to?¡±

    ¡°N-no¡­¡±

    ¡°Then why risk it?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°Let me make this decision easy for you,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°I order you to stay behind. Kroan cannot afford to risk you on a mission you offer no key part in. I can¡¯t believe I was just going to let you come along¡ªyou are Blue, and your work is not in hunting giant Crystalline Ones.¡±

    Blue took several steps back in alarm. ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°No buts, I¡¯m the Princess. And¡­¡± Tenrayce paused. ¡°Beyond that, I shouldn¡¯t put you in danger needlessly. You¡¯ve suffered enough.¡±

    Blue wanted, wanted so badly, to have an argument, a refutation. But what everyone said made perfect sense, there was no reason for her to go. But her heart screamed to go.

    She clenched her jaw and thrust those feelings down. I. Am not. An illogical. Person. Shut it! It did not go away, if anything the desire got even stronger, but her mind could see it now and had something to hold onto as to why not to listen to it.

    It was enough.

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Blue said, clenching her jaw. ¡°You¡­ are right. I¡­ need to stay.¡±

    ¡°Glad we have an understanding,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to get some Orange Crystalline Ones here as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°And I have to prepare the kancathi¡­¡± Pepper turned to the members of the Wizard Space Program. ¡°Give Blue a good day, okay?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best!¡± Seskii said, giving a thumbs up.

    ¡°A¡­ good day.¡± Blue nodded slowly. I have missed them all¡­ ¡°Yes¡­ yes! I can show you guys around the city! And all the new Skyseed stuff we¡¯re making!¡±

    ¡°We saw some of that already,¡± Mary said.

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t get the tour!¡± Blue grinned, tapping her hoof a little too energetically. ¡°I know Rigelia would never give you one, so come along, Blue¡¯s got a list of things for you!¡±

    Seskii grinned. ¡°Great! Let¡¯s do it!¡±

    Vaughan frowned. ¡°Blue¡­¡±

    Seskii nudged him in the side and subtly shook her head.

    ¡°¡­yes, Vaughan?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Do you know anywhere good to eat, first?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes! I do! There¡¯s this great stand that sells hot spicy noodles¡­¡±

    ~~~

    The effects of spicy food include: pain. Crying. Running noses. Sensitive tongues. Gastrointestinal distress. And, of course, the flavor. Though if the spice is intense enough then the tongue never gets a chance to detect the flavor and it goes right into agony.

    That said, Blue, Vaughan, Mary, and Seskii were no stranger to spicy food. Mary grew many such plants in her garden and regularly whipped them up. So, naturally, when presented with a scale of ¡°spiciness¡± to choose their noodles from, they chose the hottest or next-to-hottest options since, in their minds, they were clearly used to it at this point.

    Perhaps the incredulous eyebrow from the neko running the stand and the stifled chuckles of Blue should have keyed them in. But it did not, and so Vaughan and Mary were blubbering and wailing in the midst of their laughs, downing cup after cup of milk and racking up the bill¡ªclearly to the amusement of their neko server. Blue, in order to keep up the ¡°illusion¡± of not knowing how bad it would be, opted to take a similar level of pain, so her laughs were also interspersed with pained whines, harsh snorting, and groans.

    Seskii was sitting pretty. Tears were rolling down her face but she was smiling and, as she loved to point out to everyone, had no nose.

    ¡°Toughen up, buttercups!¡± Seskii declared, folding her arms. ¡°It¡¯s just pain! Grind your teeth and get through it! Grrrrr! Be the dragon!¡±

    ¡°Dragons can¡¯t taste it¡­¡± Blue managed through her sniffles¡ªreminded of why Alexandrite had passed on the feast and went to do research for Gronge. ¡°Wait¡­ Seskii, can you even taste this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can,¡± Seskii said, grinning. ¡°It¡¯s just not as bad for me.¡±

    ¡°Spicy food¡­¡± Mary gaged. ¡°Is¡­ restricted¡­ mostly to mammals¡­¡±

    ¡°And gari are one of the exceptions!¡± Seskii said with a grin. ¡°We¡¯re kind of our own class of thing, though, plast-reliant animalian spirited. But you knew that.¡±

    ¡°You could just be faking it,¡± Vaughan pointed out. He shoveled another bunch of noodles into his mouth, let out a pained gasp, and then slammed his fist on the table. ¡°That¡¯s the stuff¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not,¡± Blue said. ¡°Gari do come in here. She¡¯s actually doing much better than most of them do.¡±

    ¡°Pain is pain! Mind over matter!¡± Seskii held her hands in front of her face to make her more mysterious, but the tears streaming down her face cut down that image significantly. ¡°¡­Also this isn¡¯t the spiciest things I¡¯ve ever eaten, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Our guts are going to hate us tonight¡­¡± Mary whined.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Blue said with a chuckle¡ªafter which she downed another glass of milk. ¡°¡­You know, Tenrayce paid last time I was here, I should probably check how expensive these glasses are¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, very,¡± the neko said, scribbling something down in a notepad. ¡°But I have a feeling you can cover it with that royal funding of yours.¡±

    Vaughan leaned in. ¡°So, Tenrayce introduced you to this place?¡±

    Blue nodded, deciding not to shovel more noodles into her mouth. ¡°Yeah, she and Via are actually pretty great.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you have some friends,¡± Mary said, glancing at her noodles nervously like they were about to jump out and bite her. ¡°Besides the two of them¡­?¡±

    Blue sighed. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s Pepper, but she¡¯s kind of¡­ crazy, and that¡¯s a working relationship. Kinda. I don¡¯t really get it.¡± She leaned back. ¡°But aside from that¡­ yeah, no, there¡¯s basically nothing. I think I was more annoyed about that at first, but when the nobles and high wizards don¡¯t like what you stand for, the minor annoyance of not having many friends seems quite insignificant.¡± She paused. ¡°¡­I have really missed you guys, though.¡±

    Vaughan put his hands together. ¡°It must be worse than we thought. Blue, admitting she misses us.¡±

    ¡°I can be soft!¡±

    ¡°Obviously, you¡¯re a blubbering mess right now.¡±

    ¡°We all are!¡± Blue said with a snort-laugh. ¡°You old softy!¡±

    ¡°Sentimental shut-in!¡±

    Blue gasped in mock shock. ¡°Why, Gideon, how dare! Why you¡­ you¡­¡± She slammed her hoof on the table. ¡°Arrogant hypocritical uh¡­ uh¡­¡± She held up her hoof while she levitated another drink to her mouth. ¡°¡­I lost the insult, I¡¯m not Krays.¡±

    ¡°I believe something along the lines of¡­ ¡®outlandish, stupid, and reckless¡¯ would be your go-to.¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, but you aren¡¯t exactly stupid.¡±

    ¡°You used to think so.¡±

    Blue tapped her chin. ¡°True¡­ maybe you¡¯re just stupid in selective ways.¡±

    ¡°How can you be selectively stupid?¡± Mary asked.

    ¡°Easy!¡± Seskii said. ¡°Let me demonstrate!¡± She stood up and fell forward, smacking her head into the table in such a way that her face landed in the bowl of her remaining noodles, sticking it to her face as she bounced away from the table and fell onto her back. A muffled voice came back. ¡°As you can see, I chose to do the stupid thing, and now my eyes are burning. Aaaaaaaaaa¡­¡± She removed the bowl from her face and ran to a bucket of water, dunking her face into it.

    The other three burst into laughter.

    ¡°Seskii, that¡¯s probably dangerous!¡± Blue managed through her snorts.

    Seskii pulled her head out of the water. ¡°Not to me! ¡­Eyes still burning, please hold.¡± She rammed her face back into the water.

    Blue laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

    For the first time since the incident with the kancathi, she wasn¡¯t thinking about it at all. Not even in the furthest reaches of her mind. In this moment, everything was fine, and everything was going to be fine.

    Her people were here.

    ~~~

    The feeling did not last.

    Blue woke up in the middle of the night, the kankathi¡¯s roar ringing in her mind.

    Go back to sleep, she told herself, ramming her head into the pillow hard enough to rip the covering with her horn. Just stay in bed. Ignore it. Stop thinking about it.

    It didn¡¯t go away. None of her mental defenses were able to defuse the incessant thought. All of her mental defenses were based on logic and cold calculation. If a thought was a lie or obviously untrue, she could beat it into submission with focused effort.

    But this thought had no logical content. It was just pure, raw emotion, and emotion she couldn¡¯t fully come to terms with. Trying to analyze it led to identifications of fear and panic, yes, but there was also a sense of¡­ longing? Of¡­ lacking something. Something she couldn¡¯t identify.

    She tossed. She turned. She shut her eyes as tight as she could. She opened them wide and stared at the ceiling.

    The roaring in her mind only got louder.

    She tried to force herself to think about the good things of the day. Of the time she spent with Vaughan, with Mary, and with Seskii. How Vaughan was so laid back about everything and didn¡¯t get worked up about anything, even when Blue herself was a little twitchy. How Mary obviously cared deeply and was able to listen to everything with a calm ear. How Seskii could just make her laugh at the dumbest of things¡­

    These were good memories, and they made her happier. But they could not stop the roaring.

    The endless, senseless roaring.

    The roaring that would be leaving soon. Tenryace was taking the kancathi out to hunt for the Purple Cube. There was no way they left yet, but they wanted to leave as soon as possible. Taking the monster far, far away from Blue.

    Her heart started beating much, much faster.

    Carefully, she got out of bed, a haunted expression on her face. She stood, completely still, for several minutes.

    Then she opened the door and walked out into the cold, night air. She marched forward, methodically, expression completely blank.

    Meanwhile part of her mind was currently screaming at her to stop, while the other part was screaming at that part. There was almost no hint of this internal turmoil on her blank exterior.

    ~~~

    Three balloon whales were prepped for the mission, chartered by Tenrayce herself. She had assembled multiple contingents of soldiers and several wizards for the mission, as well as Pepper specifically to make sure the kancathi couldn¡¯t try anything funny. Tenrayce herself probably shouldn¡¯t have gone, but she was there as a sort of insurance. If she was nearby, the kankathi would think she could maybe get free and attack her, which would ensure cooperation. Risky, yes, but they needed to find the Purple Cube.

    As for what to do with a Purple Cube the size of a mountain that could probably kill everyone with a thought¡­ well, there were plans for that as well. Kroan was not without loyal Crystalline Ones, and if the Princess was in need of some, they would come. The most important addition was the Orange Crystalline One Untearful, which took the shape of an orange teardrop floating under the power of Orange. She was one of the larger Crystalline Ones, too large to fit inside a balloon whale gondola in her default shape, so she floated on top of one of them, acting as a sort of figurehead for the floating behemoth.

    There were also lots of other things rummaging around. Crate upon crate of supplies were loaded onto the balloon whales¡ªthey had no idea how long they were going to be gone for or how far away the Purple Cube was, so they prepared for a long journey. If the maps from Shimvale messages were correct, the Purple Cube was deep in the Wild Kingdoms, however, that was assuming the Purple Cube had moved in a straight line, which was decidedly unlikely for something that wanted to be hidden. All they had been able to determine was that she was not below them right now¡ªthe kancathi had not sensed any caverns below with her tremors.

    They were going to head out and check the place the Purple Cube was projected to be, and then would begin a larger search pattern. The kancathi¡¯s tremors went far and would definitely be able to sense a cavern of such magnitude that the Purple Cube could move through it. But this would still take time, and the Wild Kingdoms were quite extensive¡­ not to mention many of them were hostile.

    That was what the military presence was for. It would be utterly useless against the Purple Cube for the most part, but not against attacks from the tribal peoples within the wilds. Hopefully, most of the people would just ignore the trio of flying balloon whales, but chances were some of them just wouldn¡¯t be able to leave well enough alone.

    The loading of the balloon whales was a bit of a rush. Tenrayce wanted to leave as soon as physically possible, which meant as soon as the sun rose. People worked through the night and loaded crate after crate after crate in haste, filled with food, weapons, Colored crystals, navigation supplies, and tons of things they didn¡¯t need. The manifests were a bit of a mess and several things got loaded that weren¡¯t strictly necessary.

    One of those crates was filled with dried fruit¡­ and a blue unicorn who was doing her best to breathe as quietly as possible. If she had wanted to absolutely minimize her chances of discovery, she would have buried herself in the middle of all the fruit. However, she instead placed herself such that her face was near the edge, allowing her to peer outside through a slit in the crate wall.

    She had judged correctly, this crate was being loaded onto the same balloon whale as the kancathi. Good. Very good. Not that she could see the kancathi because the kancathi was kept in view of several people at all times and Blue¡­ was put in storage with the rest of everything, sandwiched between several other crates on all sides.

    It occurred to her that, since she was now part of a stack of crates, she was probably stuck in here until someone cleared the crates on top of her away. At least she had food.

    She couldn¡¯t see the kancathi anymore¡­ but she knew she was nearby. That was good.

    Her stomach did a flop as the balloon whales slowly took off into the sky. The sun had risen already? Or had Tenrayce declared that they were leaving early?

    It didn¡¯t matter. She was here. They hadn¡¯t seen her. That kancathi wasn¡¯t getting away now.

    This is unbelievably stupid.

    Blue, now that things started to calm down in her mind, was able to think a little clearer than she had been. Enough to berate herself for this entire thing, to yell at herself for falling to such a clear emotional weakness, and to complain that she was stuck and couldn¡¯t even do math properly with such a limited range of motion.

    She was alone. In the sky. Nobody knew she was here.

    ¡°So¡­. what now?¡± Seskii¡¯s voice came from above her.

    Blue let out a shocked yell. ¡°SESKII!?¡±

    ¡°Yep! The one and only!¡±

    ¡°What? How? Why!?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see¡­ I¡¯m Seskii, already established that. I¡¯m hiding in the crate above you. I hid myself much like you did. I knew you were going to relapse so I decided to keep you company!¡±

    ¡°¡­They¡¯re going to hear us!¡±

    ¡°Pfft, there¡¯s so many crates around us it¡¯ll muffle anything.¡± Seskii paused. ¡°I have beef jerky in this crate. You?¡±

    ¡°Various dried fruits¡­¡±

    ¡°At least we¡¯ll be well fed. Of course, it¡¯s going to get real awkward when someone needs to go to the bathroom¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Seskii why would you bring that up?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something we need to think about, hitchhikers that we are!¡± Seskii paused. ¡°Or maybe we¡¯re stowaways. Seeing as nobody knows we¡¯re here.¡±

    Blue decided to keep quiet.

    ¡°Anyway, might as well talk the time away, we¡¯re gonna be here a whiiiile. So why don¡¯t I catch you up on what¡¯s been happening back at Willow Hollow? We were kind of in too much agony earlier to do intense catch-up. I¡¯ve been managing all the internal paperwork and writing everything up neatly so the tables you get aren¡¯t an awful mess of random scratched notes, terrible handwriting, and a sizable chunk of spontaneous insults from Krays. The multi-core drive design has been finalized and Vaughan put in the final orders for the parts today. Oh! Ripashi has turned a lot of his bear furs into outfits for Jeh when she gets back! They¡¯re adorable. Lila¡¯s been managing things just fine, though there was an incident with the Red Seekers again, as always¡­¡±

    ¡°Seskii?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you¡­ prodding me? Asking questions? Why are you just¡­ here?¡±

    Seskii chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re doing that enough to yourself, you wouldn¡¯t listen to me even if I did try to tear your mind apart bit by bit. I¡¯m just here for emotional support and something to keep you grounded. Far as I can tell, it¡¯s the best way I can help you.¡±

    ¡°Help me¡­ with what?¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯m pretty sure you can figure it out, but you¡¯re in one of those states where if I say what it is you¡¯ll get upset¡­ but even this gets you upset. And being upset in a claustrophobic environment is prooooobably not the best idea.¡±

    Blue had no real response to this, her mood had shifted at least three different times through that comment, confusing her immensely.

    ¡°So, anyway, I¡¯m just here to help you work through it. If you want to talk about anything, I¡¯m here. Buuuut if you want to be quiet I¡¯ll just keep telling you about news, anecdotes, and random jokes as I think of them. Oooh, or maybe I could sing!¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t, we are trying to keep a low profile¡­¡±

    ¡°You were much louder earlier when you were shouting half-baked questions at me.¡±

    Blue furrowed her brow. ¡°I¡­ yes¡­ that still wasn¡¯t good.¡±

    ¡°Just pointing it out. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t sing. I might delve into some poetry though¡­ that¡¯s it! I¡¯ll tell you about the news entirely in rhyme!¡±

    Despite her initial groan, Blue actually quite enjoyed the chipper poems that followed. It was an effective distraction from her own internal questions she couldn¡¯t answer, and it took her further away from her fixation. But never completely away.

    After all, it was almost impossible to forget the reason why she was here.

    The kancathi.

    Ever-present. Ever-roaring in the back of her mind.

    ~~~

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s in the city,¡± Alexandrite said as he landed next to Vaughan and Mary in one of Axiom¡¯s parks.

    Mary sighed. ¡°She managed to hitch a ride on the whales, didn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°It seems most likely.¡±

    Vaughan folded his arms. ¡°Great. No sign of Seskii either, but that¡¯s less unusual. ¡­But if both of them are gone¡­¡±

    ¡°Seskii followed Blue,¡± Mary said, crossing her arms. ¡°I¡¯m sure of it. Seskii just has a way with people and knowing who they really are.¡±

    ¡°Then why wouldn¡¯t she just stop Blue?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not entirely sure. Maybe there was some reason she couldn¡¯t, or she didn¡¯t think it would be best for Blue in some way?¡±

    Alexandrite raised an eyebrow. ¡°How could it be good for a damaged unicorn to pursue the one who harmed her on a dangerous mission into the unknown?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Mary threw her hands wide. ¡°I¡¯m just going off what I know about Blue and Seskii.¡± Mary suddenly drooped. ¡°And it turns out I didn¡¯t know Blue that well at all¡­¡±

    ¡°Neither did I, and I was here for much of it,¡± Alexandrite said, frown deepening. ¡°She is a private individual who stays in her own head. If she would rather not say something¡­ she won¡¯t.¡±

    An awkward silence fell over the three of them.

    Without warning, Vaughan suddenly let out an angry grunt and turned around stomping off.

    ¡°Vaughan!¡± Mary called.

    ¡°What!?¡± Vaughan all but shouted whirling around. ¡°What exactly can we do here!? She¡¯s gone, might as well go back to our work and just¡­ pray that Dia can somehow keep her reckless plot safe and get her back to us.¡±

    ¡°¡­Vaughan, it¡¯s not because of us she left.¡±

    ¡°I know that, I know that.¡± Vaughan closed his eyes and clenched his wrists. ¡°But we could have¡­ we could have talked to her, could have helped her. All she had to do was just¡­ say something. But she didn¡¯t! She ran off and¡­ and we can¡¯t do anything about it!¡±

    ¡°Who said we can¡¯t do anything?¡± Mary called back, putting her hands on her hips.

    ¡°What do you suggest?¡±

    ¡°Well, you already suggested praying, and need I remind you that that isn¡¯t nothing. But if you¡¯re looking for something practical to do, we could go after her.¡±

    ¡°Chase a royal contingent of balloon whales!?¡±

    Mary gestured at Alexandrite. ¡°We do have a dragon. Dragons are faster than balloon whales.¡±

    Vaughan paused, considering this.

    ¡°Alex, would you mind taking us to find Blue?¡± Mary asked.

    Alexandrite nodded. ¡°I need to drop off some things, but we can do that on the way.¡±

    ¡°Bless your soul, Alex,¡± Mary said with a little bow. ¡°Vaughan?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming¡­¡±

    ¡°Vaughan, don¡¯t beat yourself up. You got angry. It¡¯s understandable. Recognize it for what it is¡­ and move on, so we can find Blue. ¡­And Seskii.¡± Mary frowned. ¡°You know, I¡¯m not worried at all about Seskii¡­¡±

    ¡°Just seems like she can handle herself, huh?¡± Alexandrite said.

    ¡°She¡¯s a woman of much resourcefulness and many talents,¡± Vaughan added. ¡°If she¡¯s with Blue, she¡¯s probably the best ally on offer.¡±

    ¡°Even if she is a bit annoying.¡±

    ¡°Yes, even if she is a bit annoying.¡±

    ~~~

    Blue awoke to the sounds of rummaging in the cargo bay. She hadn¡¯t remembered falling asleep, but she did remember that she needed to keep quiet and not be discovered.

    ¡°The Princess said somewhere around here,¡± a gruff voice came to her, closer than she thought was possible considering how many crates were stacked on top of her. Now that she was listening closely, she could hear that a crate two or three levels above her was being moved, most likely with Orange magic since there was a lot of bumping and scratching, but no sliding noises.

    She heard them pop open the crate.

    ¡°Not this one,¡± came a second voice.

    The next crate lifted up was two crates above her. Directly above her. They popped it open. ¡°Not this one.¡±

    Then they lifted up Seskii¡¯s crate. Blue could now see significantly more light streaming in from above. The top was popped open.

    ¡°Heloooooo everyone!¡± Seskii declared, jumping out of the crate and landing on the others with a thud. ¡°Congratulations, you found me, you win an all expenses paid trip to Tenrayce with me as your prisoner!¡±

    There was a soft thud sound.

    ¡°Hey, did you just try to punch me? Aww¡­ that¡¯s rude, I¡¯m being cooperative. And I¡¯m not punching you! See? Hands tied!¡±

    Blue was trying to imagine what was occurring up there but couldn¡¯t quite figure it out. Seskii was always hard to follow.

    ¡°The Princess said there were two. Check the crate below.¡±

    Blue¡¯s stomach did a flip as her crate was lifted out. The top was popped¡­ and a human with a cat on his shoulder looked down at her. The cat was a Yellow wizard, but was currently using Orange.

    ¡°Uh¡­ hi,¡± Blue said.

    The cat lifted her out and sat her next to Seskii, who was currently sitting on another crate, kicking her legs back and forth. ¡°Welp, looks like we¡¯ve been found out, partner! Time for Tenrayce to shout at us for being stupid.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± Blue paused.

    ¡°Hey, she¡¯s going to call us stupid.¡±

    ¡°You know what, yeah, that¡¯s a safe bet.¡±

    They were led out of the cargo bay, entering the middle of the gondola. It was a royal gondola so there were a lot of furnishings, gold-plated rims, and guards. Most of the guards, though, were watching the kancathi.

    Blue stopped in her tracks, staring right at the plast dragon. She was not in a Magenta cage, but there were Magenta wizards nearby continually jamming her. She was tied up with many chains and her mouth was muzzled, but she could move around of her own free will.

    She took one step toward Blue, but the guards pulled her back.

    ¡°Move along,¡± the cat wizard told them. Blue snapped out of it and continued walking, but she still kept her eyes on the kancathi for as long as possible, all the way until they vanished into the control cockpit.

    Tenrayce sat in the main chair, which was currently swiveled away from the front window and directed at the door they entered through. She was in her wizard robes, but her hat was set to her side, giving them full view of her decidedly displeased face. Her gaze was directly on Blue, and not on any sort of book. She was tapping her foot aggressively on the ground.

    ¡°Tenrayce!¡± Seskii said, grinning. ¡°Long time no see!¡± One of the guards tried to drop-kick her legs to force her to kneel, but she jumped over the attack effortlessly. ¡°Bet you¡¯re surprised to see me!¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ I am.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I hitched a ride on your whale to keep Blue company, I knew you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±

    Tenrayce frowned. ¡°Somehow, you have managed to judge me correctly, Seskii. One wonders how you can still do that after we only met a short while and have spent much time apart, in which time much has no doubt changed for the both of us, but you clearly take great stock in portraying yourself as an enigma to be puzzled out, which plays perfectly off my curiosity. Yes, you I have no issue with, and even your self-proclaimed motives of being here to keep Blue company are mostly without critique.¡± Tenrayce leaned in. ¡°You still should have kept her off the ship.¡±

    ¡°Agree to disagree on that front. I think it would have done more harm than good, ultimately, if I forcefully stopped her.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Tenrayce turned to Blue. ¡°As for you¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have to tell you that you¡¯re being unimaginably stupid.¡±

    Blue looked at the ground. ¡°I¡­ er¡­¡±

    ¡°The fact that I do means that something is clearly very, very wrong with you, far more than I could possibly have realized. I suspect more than you have realized.¡± The tapping in her foot increased. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to do about it. I want to send you back but that¡¯ll require resources, giving up at least a dragon, which is a huge loss to the expedition. I believe you planned for this to occur, making it difficult for me to send you back so I would ¡®have¡¯ to take you.¡± Tenryace folded her hands together and glared at Blue. ¡°That makes me want to send you back out of spite.¡±

    Blue tucked her tail between her legs. ¡°Look, Tenrayce, can you just le¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Tenrayce interrupted. ¡°I cannot just let you be here. A personal favor to a friend is no favor if the end result is self-destructive. I should probably kill the kancathi to remove the pain from your mind, but I cannot do that either for she is instrumental not only in this mission here but also in understanding the kancathi threat itself.¡± Tenrayce tapped her fingers on the armrest in annoyance. ¡°You have put me in quite a tight spot, Blue.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡±

    ¡°If you truly are sorry, and you acknowledge your actions as wrong, you will seek to return of your own volution.¡± Tenrayce leaned in. ¡°Will you go back?¡±

    Blue shuffled her hooves awkwardly. Go back. Just go back. Break yourself away from this. She said nothing.

    Tenrayce leaned back in her chair. ¡°I thought not. Do not apologize to me without meaning it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ you¡­ you¡¯re hurt and upset! And¡­¡±

    ¡°Then express your emotions in a truthful manner, that you understand my pain and you wish it didn¡¯t have to be this way. But that you do not intend to go back on your actions.¡± Tenrayce frowned. ¡°Part of me wonders if the song is partially in you, driving you to do things you do not understand. Whatever the case¡­ you are a great mind, and Kroan needs you alive and not in danger. So, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Princess!¡± a cat called, running in. ¡°There¡¯s a blue dragon approaching us from Axiom!¡±

    ¡°Why on Ik¡ª¡± Tenrayce¡¯s mind clicked. ¡°Oh! Alex! That solves my problem!¡± Tenrayce turned to Blue. ¡°Looks like your friends are here to pick you up.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ no, I don¡¯t want to go back! I¡­ I need to stay here!¡±

    ¡°Blue¡­¡± Seskii said with a soothing tone. ¡°Shouting won¡¯t get us anywhere¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s going to send me back, Seskii! And¡­ and then I won¡¯t be here! And I won¡¯t know. I¡­¡± She whirled around, staring back at the door from which they¡¯d entered. The kancathi was on the other side. ¡°I have to know. I have to. I¡­¡± She ran for the door.

    Then she ran for the door.

    Then she ran for the door.

    Then she was tied up on the ground, confused.

    Tenryace stopped casting Green on her mind, pain evident on her face. ¡°Ailments of the mind are¡­ poorly understood. If I made it worse, I will regret acting out of haste.¡±

    ¡°Let me go!¡± Blue squirmed. ¡°I¡­ I have to¡­¡±

    Tenrayce shook her head. ¡°Bring me the highest level Yellow wizard we have on board. ¡­And have Untearful check the entire fleet for more stowaways, just in case.¡± She put her hand to her eyebrows and sighed. ¡°And allow Alexandrite to dock, show his passengers in.¡±

    Seskii leaned down and stroked her hand down Blue¡¯s mane. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay¡­ all right? The others will be here soon¡­¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t help me either¡­ You aren¡¯t helping me¡­¡±

    Seskii shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s a lie. You can reject that one.¡±

    ¡°¡­You think you¡¯re helping me¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not wrong, I can¡¯t be wrong, this has to be¡­¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Blue started crying.

    Tenrayce¡¯s usually stoic face was in clear emotional turmoil. She didn¡¯t know what to do.

    ¡°Alexandrite has arrived,¡± a guard declared. ¡°Introducing Wizard Vaughan and Lady Mary.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, Lady!¡± Mary giggled. ¡°I¡¯ve never been introduced like tha¡ª¡± she saw Blue on the ground and immediately stopped everything. ¡°Blue!¡± She ran down and kneeled next to her. ¡°What have you done to her!?¡±

    ¡°Kept her from hurting herself,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°I¡­ hope.¡±

    ¡°Mary¡­ I need¡­ I need to watch the kancathi,¡± Blue said. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ll help me with that, right? You¡¯ll¡­¡±

    Mary¡¯s eyes watered. ¡°Oh Blue¡­¡± She pulled the unicorn into a hug. ¡°You don¡¯t need to see that monster¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do! Why else would I be here if it wasn¡¯t a need!?¡± Despite being tied up, she tore herself from Mary¡¯s grasp. ¡°Why would I be driven all the way out here and hide in a crate if it wasn¡¯t a need? What else could it possibly be!?¡±

    Vaughan kneeled down, looking Blue in the eyes. ¡°It could be a delusion.¡±

    Seskii took in a sharp, pained breath.

    ¡°A delusion!?¡± Blue shouted. ¡°Are¡­ are you saying that my mind is doing this? That it has betrayed me?¡± Blue snorted. ¡°Ridiculous! My mind is the most reliable thing in existence! It has never failed me!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie and you know it,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Screw you all thinking you know what¡¯s true and what isn¡¯t, I¡¯m smarter than everyone in this room combined! Tell me that¡¯s a lie!¡±

    Everybody was taken aback.

    ¡°So maybe, just maybe, I know a bit more about what¡¯s true than you all do! And I need¡­ I need¡­¡± she broke down again. ¡°It¡¯s so strong¡­ it¡­ if it¡¯s nothing¡­ then is anything anything?¡±

    ¡°Blue¡­¡± Mary buried her head in the unicorn¡¯s mane.

    The Yellow wizard arrived at this point¡ªhe was an older human with wiry green hair not unlike vines. He didn¡¯t say anything, but just moved to the back of the room and observed Blue closely.

    However, whatever he planned to do after observation would be interrupted, at least for the time being. For the cat ran in again. ¡°Princess! A sphinx is incoming at high speed!¡±

    ¡°Hostile?¡± Tenrayce asked.

    ¡°Not so far as we can tell, but he¡¯s making a beeline right for us while accelerated! He really wants to get here fast, and he appears to be carrying a very large book!¡±

    Tenrayce took in a sharp breath and clenched her fist, expending a lot of effort to remove all hints of emotion from her face. ¡°We can¡¯t clean up in here fast enough for a meeting, I¡¯ll go out there. We¡ª¡±

    The sphinx all but slammed into the window in front of them before they could do anything about it. He shouted through the window. ¡°Urgent message for Kroan! There is a rigid plague running through the Shineleands! It is a threat to all and has been pursuing and killing messengers who tried to reach you! This book contains all the information you need, as well as a plea of help from the Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho!¡±

    ¡°The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho¡­?¡± Tenrayce blinked. ¡°How in¡­¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°From who is this message sent!?¡±

    ¡°My ship is C-R, we intercepted the message from one of your people, Jeh of the Wizard Space Program!¡±

    Everyone gasped.

    ¡°Jeh!?¡± Blue called. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s nearby!?¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Capsaicin is the active component of chili peppers and other spicy foods. It''s what lands on your tongue and makes you feel like your mouth is on fire. It''s a somewhat long chain of a molecule made mostly out of carbon (as is the case with most molecules created by life) with eighteen carbons, twenty-seven hydrogens, one nitrogen, and three oxygens.

    You probably know the general story of why plants want to be spicy: they don''t want to be eaten. Mammals like to grind seeds when they eat them, making it impossible for the seeds to germinate, so the plants wish to deter mammals. However, birds are different--they don''t grind the seeds and as such the seeds pass right through the digestive tract, so spicy plants want to be eaten by birds. Birds, it turns out, are completely unaffected by capsaicin, so it works out well for them. This was what the whole discussion the WSP was having was about--which races can even taste spicy food? Mammals, mostly, and pseudo-mammals such as the gari. Curiously, capsaicin also affects mushrooms, though in a different way.

    Which leads us to the much more interesting question: we have a reason for plants to be spicy, but HOW are they spicy? What is it that causes the irritation and the agony that so many people seek out (much to the plant''s displeasure). The chemical itself does not actually cause any burns, like some chemicals can, but rather targets neurons. In fact it targets a very specific part of neurons: a protein known as TRPV1, which we condense because it''s full name is the Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel Subfamily V Member 1. I am convinced biologists like really long names that are impossible to pronounce. TRPV1''s purpose is to send signals to the brain based on certain results; high temperatures and acidic conditions, so it''s partially responsible for why burning feels like it does (and why acids feel like they burn).

    Naturally capsaicin chemically bonds to TRPV1 and turns it "on," essentially, and the pain gets sent through the nervous system to the brain. Effectively, the "pain" felt doesn''t really exist, it''s just a chemical bonding to what is supposed to be a pain receptor and turning it on. Thus, capsaicin is mostly harmless and just makes people feel like they''re on fire. However, note "mostly" harmless. In large quantities and concentrations it can be dangerous, and even in small amounts the body will freak right out. Your brain may know that spicy food is safe, but your body senses burning and is going to try to deal with it. This can result in inflammation, among other things. Not to mention the really nasty stomach ache that arrives when too much capsaicin is consumed, and the resulting diarrhea from the body wanting to get the burning chemical out of its system.

    This explains why capsaicin can cause burning sensations anywhere, nerves are basically all over your body. Skin provides enough protection usually, as nerves are largely beneath the surface there, but the spice can still get in with enough concentration. Without skin for protection, the nerves in the eyes, mouth, nose, and the other end tend to feel much worse than capsaicin on the hand.

    Notably you do not feel so much of a "burning" sensation while the capscaicin is deep inside of you, such as when moving around your intestines. You definitely feel something, especially if there was a lot of capsaicin, but not as much. This is because, in general, internal organs have fewer pain receptors so they get affected less. Your body cares a lot more about something nasty coming in through the mouth than something that''s already in the stomach. (Considering that the stomach is continually digesting itself, it''s probably best that you don''t have many pain receptors down there anyway¡­)

    Notably, birds have pain receptors like we do, it''s just that their proteins for pain are different than mammals and thus do not react with capsaicin. Pepper spray will work wonders on an attacking bear, but it''d just annoy a bird. Or a reptile. Or anything, really, capsaicin only effects mammals in the way we expect it to.

    But there is evidence it''s an anti-fungal agent, actively hindering the growth of fungus that would otherwise wish to devour a pepper plant. It also appears to clear away quite a few microbes. The question remains, how is it doing this? We feel the pain because it hijacks our pain receptors, ones that mushrooms and microbes definitely don''t have. I actually could not find the mechanism for this end of the effect, though it has been well documented (finding articles all the way back to 2008 on it). Perhaps someone more versed in biology will know how to find said answer?

 029 - Reunion

    WSP 029

    Reunion

    One nice thing about C-R¡¯s balloon whale was that it had places for privacy. People generally weren¡¯t in the cargo hold, so it was possible to just go there and not have the constant pressure of being around people. Or, in Jeh¡¯s case, be able to talk openly without feeling like someone was going to overhear a conversation.

    Jeh sat on the crate next to Margaret.

    Margaret immediately let out a sigh and stood up.

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t go,¡± Jeh said, holding out a hand.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say to you.¡±

    ¡°Yes you do. And you can finally say it. And I have things to say too.¡± Jeh looked at the ground. ¡°Things to say to a lot of people but you¡¯re the one here now.¡±

    Margaret paused. ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡± She sat down and folded her arms. ¡°It makes it harder to hate you.¡±

    Jeh tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Eh? I thought¡­ I thought you did.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ you are a strange one, but you have the mind of a child. The more I think about it, the harder time I have blaming you for anything that happened. You were on a quest, you just didn¡¯t think about the danger you would cause to people. Envila could have thought about it, and should have, but you¡­?¡± Margaret sighed. ¡°And now here you are, extending a hand in peace with a desperately sad look on your face.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡­ I was trying not to do that¡­¡±

    ¡°You are not good at hiding much of anything.¡±

    ¡°I am¡­ not subtle, no.¡±

    Margaret gave her a slight smile. ¡°You have a good heart, Jeh. ¡­And if I admit that, I have to admit that Envila has a good heart.¡± Margaret crossed her arms and shook her head. ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°We still messed up,¡± Jeh said. ¡°We didn¡¯t think about you. We should have.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s reasonable to expect you to, which¡­ annoys me.¡± Margaret clenched her jaw. ¡°I don¡¯t want this¡­¡±

    ¡°Want what?¡±

    ¡°Want to¡­ want to forgive you.¡± She put her head in her hands. ¡°But now that I¡¯ve said that I see how stupid it is and¡­ now I¡¯m angry at myself.¡±

    ¡°Hey, um¡­ don¡¯t be?¡±

    Margaret turned her head to Jeh. ¡°Could you stop feeling nervous and awkward if you just told yourself not to?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Jeh looked down and kicked her legs back and forth. ¡°No¡­ I think that¡¯s what talking¡¯s for?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ yes, yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Margaret frowned. ¡°¡­Usually Dad will talk to me and get me out of things like this¡­ I guess he¡¯s being affected too.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he needs you to talk to him?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­ it¡¯s all been so chaotic, and I don¡¯t exactly trust C-R or where we are.¡±

    ¡°Hey, neither do I! But at least the message is being sent at high speed so we don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore. I do think she will protect us.¡±

    ¡°Is she protecting us or her own interests?¡±

    ¡°Does it¡­ matter?¡±

    Margaret tapped her fingers on the crate. ¡°I guess not, so long as we¡¯re still protected.¡± She paused. ¡°The Purple Cube, though¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s safe.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, probably not¡­¡± Jeh admitted, folding her fingers together. ¡°But I don¡¯t think we can leave and be safe.¡± There was a short pause. ¡°¡­Home is so close¡­¡±

    ¡°At least you get to go home.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have brought it up¡­¡±

    Margaret stood up. ¡°You¡¯re right. ¡­We¡¯re not good, Jeh, not yet. I know you want a single good conversation to fix everything, but it won¡¯t. But¡­ I think we can go somewhere, with time.¡±

    Jeh furrowed her brow. ¡°O¡­ kay?¡± She jumped off the crate and stood up. ¡°I think I can be fine with that.¡±

    Margaret nodded and walked off to the more populated areas of the gondola.

    ¡°Remember to talk to your dad!¡±

    There was that slight smile on Margaret¡¯s face again. Jeh liked it. ¡°I will.¡±

    C-R¡¯s voice rang throughout the balloon whale. ¡°Everyone, we have incoming! Three balloon whales have been spotted over the horizon!¡±

    Jeh and Margaret quickly scrambled to the main room, where C-R¡¯s body was, and where everyone had gathered¡ªwith the notable exception of Vapor who, notably, always had to be outside. There were no windows, but Itlea was currently projecting an image of what was outside from her horn*.

    *One might ask how a wizard can project an image they themselves cannot see. Well, the truth is, Itlea ¡°can¡± see it, in a sense. She is grabbing light from an area outside the gondola and funneling it through a specially designed hole from which she expands it back into its original shape. The light has a path it can take, the spell is just acting automatically to compress and expand it. This is by no means an easy spell but it is a useful one.

    The image showed the forests outside. Unlike where they had started, where the wilds could be considered more of a jungle and filled with mushroom trees, here most of the trees were evergreens and looked much more like the forests Jeh was used to seeing in Kroan. They were getting close. And yet, she knew the path C-R was currently on was taking them away from Kroan, hunting the Purple Cube¡­ slowly. They usually didn¡¯t move at all.

    In the projection, it was possible to see three balloon whales at the edge of the field of view, all heading right for them. There were at least two dragons flying alongside, and one of the balloon whales had a grayish teardrop-shaped crystal on top.

    ¡°Gray¡­?¡± Jeh tilted her head to the side in confusion.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Color it is,¡± Itlea said.

    ¡°It¡¯s an Orange Crystalline One,¡± C-R offered. With this, Itlea adjusted the color of the image. It didn¡¯t look quite right, for it was orange and not Orange, but at least it communicated what it was better.

    ¡°Maybe they heeded our warning and are sending out a force to assist?¡± Envila suggested.

    ¡°Such a force is too small for the enemy you described,¡± C-R said. ¡°Furthermore, even at top speed, Yano would only just now be arriving in Axiom. There is simply not enough time for them to be here for us.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re here to attack,¡± Jeremiah said. ¡°We should defend ourselves.¡±

    ¡°I find that equally unlikely, Kroan is not in the habit of sending out violent retribution. Furthermore, while we do have many tricks, they have three ships, two dragons, and an Orange Crystalline One. We are likely outmatched.¡±

    ¡°Then what are we going to do?¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± C-R said. ¡°They are coming for us. Then we will talk.¡±

    And so they waited. In awkward, tense silence, they waited. Eventually, though, a voice entered their head.

    ¡°Princess Tenrayce Kroan extends her well-wishes and requests a meeting with the entourage of C-R. She requests a neutral meeting on the ground, as well as the presence of the individual known as Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Clearly they met Yano,¡± C-R addressed the people present with her. ¡°Itlea, broadcast my response.¡± Itlea must have done so, for C-R began speaking. ¡°Request accepted. We shall meet on the ground. I myself cannot leave my craft, but I can project as you can see.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± came the reply.

    C-R turned to Jeh. ¡°Jeh, you are going down with Itlea and some of my people. Envila, on the off-chance that this is a trap, I will not risk you.¡±

    Envila nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±

    Jeh rubbed her hands together. ¡°Oh boy¡­ I wonder why they want me¡­¡±

    ¡°If I had to guess, it is because you are one of their people and they want some corroboration to the story they¡¯ve heard. But I do not know what that has to do with them having such a large task force¡­ Watch yourself.¡±

    ¡°Will do!¡±

    Itlea rolled her eyes. She led Jeh and a few of C-R¡¯s people to the lift, which slowly descended to the ground.

    Vapor¡¯s head followed them as they descended. ¡°This just keeps getting stranger and stranger¡±

    ¡°I have a habit of attracting trouble,¡± Jeh said with an awkward laugh

    ¡°Yes. You do.¡± Vapor turned her head away and returned to picking melon-sized fruits off of trees and throwing them into her mouth

    The Kroan balloon whales did not have complicated lifts, but they did have dragons. A brown dragon who was much smaller than Vapor but still large enough to carry a dozen people descended to the ground as well, landing a short distance from C-R¡¯s elevator. The forest was quiet¡ªthe presence of Vapor was more than enough to scare virtually any songbird into hiding. Even the wind gave no voice to the proceedings.

    Itlea set out, marching out to meet the others, gaze set firmly ahead. She avoided looking at Jeh as much as she possibly could, a fact which annoyed Jeh to no end. She¡¯d remembered Itlea being annoying but, now that she¡¯d spent some more time with the greater unicorn, she could see how utterly insufferable she was. Jeh wondered if the only reason C-R kept her around was because of her arcane abilities.

    All of these thoughts fell to the wayside as Jeh started to pick out people from the Princess¡¯ group. The blue gari in a Green wizard¡¯s outfit at the front was¡­ maybe the Princess? Jeh knew the Kroan family was largely blue gari, but wouldn¡¯t she wear something more spectacular than wizard robes? There were a few guards with her, a dryad Red wizard, another Red wizard with a very familiar-looking beard, a blue unicorn¡­

    ¡­blue unicorn.

    Jeh let out a squeal of delight and promptly ignored every single idea of ¡°walking to a proper diplomatic meeting¡± in favor of breaking into a run. Blue, to her credit, did the exact same thing. Neither side tried to stop the unicorn and the child from running to each other. Blue was much faster than Jeh so they didn¡¯t meet in the middle, but closer to Jeh¡¯s group, but this didn¡¯t matter to either of them. They embraced with a mixture of laughter, tears, and half-formed sentences that never went anywhere. Blue squeezed way too hard and had it been anyone but Jeh it probably would have formed some bruises. Jeh all but clawed desperately at Blue¡¯s coat, but Blue didn¡¯t rebuke her.

    Vaughan took a much calmer approach, simply walking toward them with a steady gait. He politely waited for the fervent emotional moment to die down a bit before picking Jeh up and embracing her himself. ¡°Welcome back, Jeh.¡±

    Jeh broke out into uncontrollable, joyful sobs.

    The journey was finally over. It didn¡¯t matter that she wasn¡¯t back in Willow Hollow yet¡­ she was back with Vaughan and Blue. And that, not the location, was what she had truly been missing.

    ~~~

    While happy reunions were happening on the ground, a very different sort of meeting took place inside C-R¡¯s ship. Tenrayce took the lift into the gondola, alone¡ªthough, in truth, she wasn¡¯t really alone, for she had ordered Untearful to watch everything through her eyes. She had informed Tenrayce of a few interesting tidbits as well about this¡­ enigmatic C-R.

    Upon reaching the top of the lift, Tenrayce shut her book. An old human man with wiry hair showed her into the room C-R sat¡­ and then left them alone.

    ¡°Princess Tenrayce,¡± C-R said, twisting her three arms around her back in a pinwheel pattern. ¡°This is quite the surprise. What are you doing in the Wild Kingdoms?¡±

    ¡°Before we engage in any further conversation, I have a very simple question for you.¡± Tenrayce lifted her head to glare at C-R¡¯s faceless head. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I am C-R. And that is all you need to know about me.¡±

    ¡°I doubt that very much.¡±

    ¡°You will find that you cannot extract information from me, Princess.¡± C-R leaned forward, tapping the sides of her chair with her fingers. ¡°There is nothing to be gained by the attempt.¡±

    ¡°Then I will list off what I do know. My Crystalline One cannot see through your eyes, which means you are also a Crystalline One. Blue, if the auras around your balloon whale are anything to go by, and if the report from the Wizard Space Program is to be trusted. You are an independent power of some sort who nonetheless inserts her nose into everyone¡¯s business. I have the incident at Willow Hollow on file, and your balloon whale has been recorded in Axiom several times. And¡­ it was seen leaving the area of the Purple Cube by the Shimmers, which is the main reason you¡¯ve caught my eye.¡±

    ¡°You know more than I thought you did, and more than you should. Your awareness of us is going to limit our effectiveness, it looks like we will not be able to operate in Kroan anymore. Such a shame.¡±

    ¡°But you have been operating in Kroan. To what end?¡±

    ¡°There is no need for me to inform you of anything, Princess.¡± C-R pressed two of her hands together, forming a sort of sash around her torso while using her remaining hand to draw a circle in the air. ¡°We are not in Kroan. You have no authority here besides the muscle you have brought to back you up, and you have no intention of turning it on me for you have a greater purpose for which to use it.¡±

    ¡°You are attempting to sidestep the conversation.¡±

    ¡°Not attempting. Succeeding. There is nothing you can do here, Princess. You will have to accept complete defeat in acquisition of further information about who I am and what my purpose is. You will most likely never see me again, so there will be no further chances to gain information. This mystery will gnaw at you for the rest of your life.¡±

    ¡°And I am not going to let your thinly-veiled threat go unnoticed. You wish to instill fear in me, suggesting that perhaps by attempting to solve the mystery, my life will come to an end.¡± Tenrayce narrowed her eyes. ¡°Your purposefully alien appearance and nonsensical¡ªI suspect purposefully offputting¡ªbody language will not deter me.¡±

    C-R¡¯s body suddenly stopped moving. The voice in Tenrayce¡¯s head increased in volume. ¡°Then allow me to give you a piece of information that a diplomat such as yourself will see and back off. By the code to which I am sworn, all who pose a threat to us must be eliminated. All who know what we truly are must be killed. There are to be no leaks. This includes many members of my crew, they do not know, they just serve, so by questioning them you would likely be signing their death warrants. By continuing to push, I will have no choice but to engage you in direct war right here right now, for the code is absolute and I am pushing it as it is simply by talking to you. It would be beneficial to both of us if we ignored each other. But if you push, I will retaliate, and I will lose. You have greater firepower. I will die. But I will do whatever in my power exists to ruin your expedition during that time. You, yourself, will be the primary target.¡±

    Tenrayce took in a sharp breath. ¡°Such a brazen threat.¡±

    ¡°You should see it as a desperation ploy. You are perhaps the worst person we could have run into out here. Politically important. Intelligent. Well-informed. Inquisitive.¡±

    ¡°However, you must understand there is a concern on my end. You may be working to destabilize Kroan from within. Naturally, you will deny this, even if you were. Clearly, I cannot question you as to what you serve or what your code even is, for evidently knowledge of that is a death sentence. So instead¡­ I merely ask what your current task is, so I can have some confidence that you do not mean to tear us apart from within.¡±

    ¡°¡­That, I can do. We seek the Purple Cube of the North. We lack the capacity to destroy her at this moment, but we wish to locate her and force her hand. Our primary task is to somehow contain her influence. We cannot do that if we do not know where she is.¡±

    Tenrayce smiled softly. ¡°Then I have good news for you. We are currently hunting the Purple Cube.¡±

    ¡°We have better resources to track her than you do.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a kancathi listening for underground tunnels?¡±

    ¡°A¡­ kancathi, you say?¡± C-R paused. ¡°Well¡­ it appears you do really have one of them. How did you get her to listen?¡±

    Tenrayce folded her arms behind her back and said nothing.

    ¡°Fair play.¡± C-R¡¯s body started moving again. She leaned in. ¡°In that case, I propose an alliance, for our goals align. After we deal with the Purple Cube¡ªI suspect your Untearful is here to destroy her, which I approve of¡ªthen we shall go our separate ways and never see each other again.¡±

    Tenrayce nodded. ¡°I accept. I can only hope your superiors, whoever you are, do not kill you for pushing that code of yours for the sake of the mission.¡±

    ¡°A genuine compliment wrapped around a subtle inquiry for more information with the caveat of an already established alliance to prevent me from acting rashly. Well done, but you will not be getting anything new.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± Tenrayce tipped her hat in C-R¡¯s direction. ¡°I¡¯ll have you coordinate with Untearful.¡±

    ¡°The major issue is that the Purple Cube is going to see us coming, even once we have the tunnel established. Our ploy was to gamble that she would be willing to talk. You, clearly, have a different idea.¡±

    ¡°¡­Since you are a Crystalline One, I can tell you without fear of it being taken from your senses at an inopportune moment. Here¡¯s the plan¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Jeh looked at the kancathi.

    The kancathi stared back at her.

    ¡°Does she have a name?¡± Jeh asked Blue.

    ¡°Um¡­ probably, but not one we could pronounce.¡±

    Jeh glanced to Blue with concern. The unicorn was staring right at the kancathi, not taking her gaze off the creature. That look on Blue¡¯s face¡­ it wasn¡¯t right, Jeh knew that, but Jeh didn¡¯t know what the look was. It was almost expressionless, a little haunted, but there were lines of stress¡­ anger? Jeh didn¡¯t know, all she knew was that she didn¡¯t like it.

    Behind Blue, there was a green-haired Yellow wizard scribbling notes into a notebook. He was clearly watching Blue¡­ but Blue was paying him no mind at all. Vaughan, Mary, and Seskii were on the other side of the room, talking about something Jeh couldn¡¯t pick out over the noise.

    With a frown, Jeh approached the kancathi.

    ¡°Careful! Pepper called.

    ¡°What¡¯s she going to do, claw my fingers off?¡± Jeh asked, holding her fingers out in front of the kankathi¡¯s face. While she was muzzled, her wings were free enough to lash out, cutting off two of Jeh¡¯s fingers. Naturally, they grew back, and Jeh gave the plast dragon a huge grin. ¡°I¡¯m going to call you Slashy.¡±

    ¡°Slashy?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Slashy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± Pepper said.

    Slashy growled.

    ¡°Hey, we needed to call you something, and now we can actually think of you like a person instead of a raving monster!¡±

    This did nothing to alleviate Slashy¡¯s growls.

    Jeh turned back to Blue, still grinning¡­ but Blue wasn¡¯t smiling. Her expression was still the same. ¡°Blue¡­?¡±

    ¡°I have come to the conclusion that something¡¯s wrong with me,¡± Blue said, suddenly, and without a hint of emotion.

    Jeh put her hands behind her back and rocked onto her heels. ¡°Well, something¡¯s wrong with all of us¡­ I still don¡¯t understand a lot of what I experienced to get here. What am I supposed to think about it all? There¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s so much I want to tell you. But I¡­¡± Jeh clenched her fists. ¡°That face.¡±

    Blue¡¯s face changed to one of mild confusion. ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°That face you were making. I don¡¯t like it. It¡¯s¡­ wrong, somehow. I just¡­ I get this¡­ feeling.¡± Jeh¡¯s own expression went somewhat blank. ¡°I feel like¡­ like everything¡¯s¡­ hot¡­ and bright¡­ and suffocating¡­¡± She looked down at her hands.

    Why was she afraid of them all of a sudden? It was a mild fear, but it was there. Something¡­ something she couldn¡¯t quite grab hold of.

    It was Blue¡¯s turn to be concerned for her. ¡°Jeh? What¡­ what happened out there?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ a lot of things? I¡­ basically carried two people across the Shinelands by myself, got attacked multiple times, put people in danger because I wasn¡¯t thinking, had to keep secrets, and¡­¡± She started wringing her wrists. ¡°It was a lot of stuff and not all of it was fun. I didn¡¯t know what to do about a lot of it. And nobody could talk about anything¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­We can talk,¡± Blue said, sitting down. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll hear it all. The worst of what happened and the best.¡±

    ¡°And what about you?¡± Jeh asked, glancing nervously at Slashy.

    ¡°I was¡­ attacked by her,¡± Blue said. ¡°We won, but¡­ I¡­¡± Blue turned her head to the plast dragon¡ªthen quickly tore it away, clenching her jaw tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t think straight about it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I can help you think?¡±

    Blue let out a snort, making it clear what she thought of that idea. Then she paused and hung her head in shame. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jeh¡­ Maybe you really can help me think. You¡¯ve¡­ shown me things I never would have considered before.¡±

    Jeh grinned. ¡°Great! Then¡­ how about we get away from Slashy and do some of that thinking?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Blue glanced at the plast dragon. ¡°...Yeah. The cargo hold would work. It¡¯s¡­¡± Blue frowned, muttering to herself. ¡°Close enough for what exactly?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Arguing with myself,¡± Blue said with a sign. ¡°It¡¯s basically all I do, now.¡±

    ¡°Hmm sounds like we really need to get some thinking done.¡± Jeh all but pushed Blue over to the cargo hold. ¡°Let¡¯s get to it!¡±

    As the two of them left, Vaughan stepped over to the Yellow wizard. ¡°So¡­ thoughts?¡±

    The Yellow wizard stroked his beard. ¡°I¡¯m going to refrain for now. You¡¯ll know in due time, Vaughan. I understand you¡¯re worried for them, but these things take time.¡±

    ¡°¡­All right. Do you think I should¡­?¡±

    ¡°Let them have their moment for now is my advice, but currently you know them better than I do, so I won¡¯t stop you from doing anything.¡±

    Vaughan looked to the cargo hold¡¯s door longingly¡­ then he shook his head. ¡°Seskii, got anything to take my mind off things for a bit?¡±

    ¡°I have an orb,¡± Seskii said, pulling out a translucent sphere. She started rolling it along her arms, giving the illusion that it wasn¡¯t moving despite rolling all over her. ¡°Behold, magic without magic.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s kinda cool,¡± Mary said.

    ¡°Oh just you wait, I know card* tricks too, this one¡¯s gonna blow your mind.¡±

    *Cards decks in Kroan are somewhat similar to ours, but are also different. They come in suits of the shapes of the goddesses of Gonal, though many use them without knowing this. The blue triangles, the black squares, the pink pentagons, and the yellow hexagons; though admittedly the color of the squares is sometimes changed, and occasionally shape-color correlation is ignored entirely. Each of the suits has numbers from one to seven, and then each suit has an ¡°inverted¡± card as well, which traditionally range from seven to one, giving a standard deck 56 cards. The numbers are often associated with colors of magic, so some decks color by number rather than by shape. A common extension is to add seven more cards with no numbers, each a pure ¡°Color¡± of magic. Since this 63-card deck is hard to divide evenly, a ¡°wildcard¡± is sometimes added to bring it to sixty-four. The representation of the wildcard and its place in the rules of card games is very inconsistent.

    ~~~

    Jeremiah just wanted to walk across the Kroanite balloon whale. That was it. Jeh was on the other side and he just wanted to see how he was doing. To be fair, he wasn¡¯t exactly stopped from doing this. But the moment he started moving, two guards immediately started following him, a cat and a lesser unicorn.

    ¡°Don¡¯t trust me?¡±

    ¡°Just standard procedure,¡± the unicorn said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see you following Jeh around anywhere¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s one of our own.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you follow Envila around, do you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°How come I haven¡¯t seen it?¡±

    ¡°¡­She spends most of her time on the ground?¡± The unicorn tilted his head to the side. ¡°Are you¡­ okay, sir?¡±

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°I¡¯m just fine, I just want to walk across a ship without being tailed like I¡¯m a child!¡±

    ¡°Not much we can do about that, sir.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of things you could do¡­ You just¡­ won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°That is correct.¡±

    Something in Jeremiah¡¯s face twitched. He reached into his pocket.

    ¡°Hey, Dad!¡± Margaret said, suddenly placing both of her hands very firmly on his shoulders, keeping them from moving any further. ¡°How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Just fine, though these knuckleheads won¡¯t stop following me.¡±

    ¡°If you want them to stop following you maybe be a good little guest and prove yourself trustworthy rather than confronting them on everything, eh?¡±

    Jeremiah frowned. ¡°Hadn¡¯t thought of that¡­¡±

    Margaret fell quiet.

    ¡°I was off to see Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Jeh just left for the ground,¡± Margaret said.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Jeremiah sighed, turning back. ¡°Getting down is such a pain, I¡¯ve ridden enough dragons lately¡­¡±

    ¡°They probably wouldn¡¯t go down just for you anyway.¡±

    Jeremiah returned to the bed he had been sitting in¡ªin line with dozens of others, most of which were not occupied since it was the middle of the day. The guards relaxed and returned to their normal posts.

    Once they were far enough away, Margaret dropped her smile and glared at Jeremiah. ¡°What were you thinking? I saw you reaching for Kirkkok.¡±

    ¡°Look, they needed to be slapped around a little bit.¡±

    ¡°No, no they didn¡¯t! They were just doing their job and even if they were out of line, we don¡¯t want them to know about us! Remember?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ right.¡± Jeremiah rubbed the side of his head. ¡°I¡­ hadn¡¯t thought about that, in the moment. Guess I¡¯m getting old¡­¡±

    Margaret sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash, we¡¯re in an awkward position, but a good one. Jeh can probably talk us into their good graces if we just play it safe.¡±

    ¡°You? Trusting Jeh for something? And here I thought I was the one acting strange!¡±

    Margaret locked her hands behind her back. ¡°¡­We have to make do with what we have, and right now that¡¯s Jeh and Envila. For all they did to us, they¡¯ve also done a lot for us, and will clearly continue to do so.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a little baffling how they manage¡­¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Margaret tilted her head to the side and frowned. ¡°Because¡­ it reminds me of how you. You took me in for basically no reason, Dad.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah, I did.¡± A warm smile crawled up his face. ¡°I haven¡¯t dwelled on that happy memory in a long, long time. Thank you, Margaret.¡±

    ¡°You have too many memories stored in that head of yours.¡±

    ¡°Runnin¡¯ out of space!¡± Jeremiah laughed.

    ¡°Dad¡­ that¡¯s concerning, that¡¯s not something to laugh about¡­¡±

    ¡°Margaret, when you get this old, you¡¯ll see that no suffering is so bad that you can¡¯t laugh at it, especially if it¡¯s your own.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll have to take your word for it.¡± Which¡­ is usually an easy thing to do. Why isn¡¯t it now?

    ~~~

    Envila and Vaughan stood on top of a somewhat large rock, looking down at the forest below. In a clearing Pepper and a bunch of other guards and wizards were leading Slashy along to a firm spot in the ground.

    ¡°I have never seen one alive for long,¡± Envila said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen them?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Kancathi are spread the world over, so far as I can tell,¡± Envila said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen more than one at once, but I¡¯ve seen them all over. They have different dispositions and strategies, but all of them are devoted to the hunt.¡±

    ¡°How could such worldwide organization be possible?¡±

    Envila frowned. ¡°I believe it¡¯s not so much an organization as a creed. Just like we see Sanctuaries everywhere, and how Gonal sects tend to share practices, the ¡°religion¡± of the kancathi is that of the hunt.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard in deep thought. ¡°And not a single apostate¡­¡±

    ¡°Obviously they kill all of those who go away from the path. Which is why I¡¯m curious why this one isn¡¯t dead.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ believe I remember something about her faking her own death? Or at least hiding from her people.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Envila drummed her fingers. ¡°Highly unusual¡­ but also highly effective.¡±

    There was a deep rumbling as Slashy rammed her feet into the ground. She sent out a series of three light tremors, holding her feet close to the ground and listening. For several seconds, she stood there, motionless. Then she turned to Pepper and shook her head.

    ¡°Pack it up!¡± Pepper shouted. ¡°Nothing near here!¡±

    ¡°She could just be lying,¡± Envila said. ¡°For all we know the tunnel is under us.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°But from what I understand, she has been told that this is part of hunting the Purple Cube.¡±

    ¡°Such a large Crystalline One¡­ what do you intend to do once you find her?¡±

    ¡°That I do not know.¡± Vaughan shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not even supposed to be here. We were supposed to take Blue back, but then we got Jeh¡¯s message, and Alexandrite is currently taking that back to Kroan, Tenrayce doesn¡¯t want to waste any more resources, so we¡¯re just¡­ along for the ride.¡±

    ¡°Do you think your people will listen to the plea of the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho?¡±

    Vaughan frowned. ¡°They¡¯ll listen, all right, and take the threat seriously. Whether they¡¯ll send out a force to help them¡­ it takes a lot of resources to cross the Wild Kingdoms, and there aren¡¯t enough balloon whales to transport a sizeable army. I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s feasible.¡±

    Envila nodded. ¡°I had feared as much. Shimvale?¡±

    ¡°They have even fewer balloon whales. Walking an army through the Wild Kingdoms is just asking for trouble¡­¡±

    ¡°So the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho¡¯s pleas will not be answered¡­¡± Envila sighed. ¡°At the very least the warning has gone out. Whatever it is clearly did not want that message to be sent.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, by the way.¡±

    Envila smiled warmly. ¡°Wizard Vaughan, your thanks is appreciated, but I believe you should adjust your perception of me to something realistic. I was a support for Jeh, yes, but she did most of the journey of her own power, supporting others along the way rather than herself. I have not done all I wish to in regard to her. I have asked her questions a child should never be asked, made her face things far beyond her experience. I have failed to recognize certain threats. As such, her mind is troubled, and I have been unable to reach her about it due to the chaos we find ourselves in.¡±

    ¡°But you were there for her. That¡¯s what matters most.¡±

    Envila gave him a curt nod. ¡°And for that, I do accept your thanks. Just because I have fallen short does not mean I shall deny that which is true.¡±

    ¡°I suddenly feel very young.¡±

    Envila laughed. ¡°If you spend much time around me, that sensation will only be heightened. I have discovered that it is not a bad feeling, to be reminded how small one can be¡­ it is one I myself rarely receive, but desperately need. To live long without repeated humiliation can only breed arrogance. Almost starving to death in the middle of the Shinelands was, ultimately, quite necessary to keep me in check.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll like Willow Hollow¡¯s mayor, Lila. She¡¯s a Keeper and says a lot of things like that.¡±

    ¡°My, a Keeper and a mayor? What a rare combination, one that usually ends badly but I can tell from your tone that it¡¯s working quite well in your case. I can¡¯t wait to meet her¡ªand I can¡¯t wait to see your Program.¡±

    ¡°Does a traveler such as yourself wish to see the stars?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps one day,¡± Envila said. ¡°However, at the moment my goal is to circumnavigate the globe. I¡¯m more than halfway around, if Jeh¡¯s remembered maps are anything to go by.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°The land furthest West we know of is Vraskal.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware, Jeh told me she read about it in a book.¡± Envila smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve actually heard of the place, but it wasn¡¯t well-known in Desc. What little I remember from my studies is that it is a harsh, somewhat desolate place.¡±

    ¡°We met a dryad from there, once.¡± Vaughan frowned. ¡°She didn¡¯t really talk about it, though, come to think of it¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot illuminate anything, I have never been. But I will likely pass through it on my return to Desc.¡±

    ¡°A floating city¡­¡±

    ¡°Only part of the city is floating.¡±

    ¡°Still, it must be absolutely spectacular.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Envila said. ¡°I have seen more visually stunning places in my travels¡ªthough this may only be because I know Desc so well¡ªbut one thing I can say is that Desc is the most intellectual place I have ever been. The blimps care so much for knowledge and expanding it, and none for empire and expansion. The city grows, but never controls another city.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to go one day¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d normally say that is unlikely to happen, but from what Jeh says, your spaceships might be able to make the journey in less than a day.¡±

    Vaughan grinned. ¡°Heh. Yeah, that¡¯ll be something. And¡­¡± Vaughan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, I just realized something.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°We might be able to use the Skyseeds to send messages back to the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho.¡±

    Envila¡¯s already massive eyes widened even further. ¡°Do you have a new one already?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and test flights have been successful so far, and even more are being made! It¡­ can¡¯t carry an army, but it would make the message latency days rather than weeks or months¡­¡± He stood up quickly. ¡°I think we should bring this to Tenrayce immediately.¡±

    ¡°Such an unusual character, that Princess¡­ nose in a book, but not actually absorbed within. She watches everything while refusing to let it know it is being watched. Her external nature is immaculately crafted¡­ I am sure this conversation will be quite illuminating.¡±

    ¡°¡­You can read people like books.¡±

    ¡°It comes with experience.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s where we are in the construction of the Moonshot,¡± Vaughan said. He, Blue, Mary, Seskii, and Jeh were all sitting in the back of one of the Kroanite cargo holds.

    ¡°Wow¡­ we¡¯re gonna go to the moon¡­¡± Jeh squealed. ¡°Margaret is going to be so jealous when she finds out!¡±

    ¡°Everyone is,¡± Blue added with a smirk.

    ¡°To go where no one has gone before!¡± Seskii added.

    ¡°You better believe it! Jeh, you¡¯ll be one of the first to ever touch a moon rock!¡±

    ¡°What if it¡¯s not even rocks?¡± Jeh asked, rubbing her hands together. ¡°What if¡­ it¡¯s all cheese!?¡±

    ¡°¡­Then it would look different,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°How do we know? Space might do things to colors!¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Vaughan paused. ¡°Hmm¡­ the existence of craters suggests that it is solid, and any air or liquid would just fall to Ikyu, but you are right it could be any material. Though I don¡¯t think cheese can form such angled ridge shapes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d collapse under its own weight,¡± Blue confirmed. ¡°But, wait¡­ you just brought something up, Vaughan. What we¡¯re looking at on the moon is the underside. The dark side could be holding all kinds of things.¡±

    ¡°The plan is to swing around, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°We should try going around Ikyu¡­¡± Jeh said. ¡°Get a full map. It might be helpful for Envila.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one of the missions for the new Skyseeds,¡± Blue said. ¡°Get someone to go all the way around. I thought one of the new pilots was going to have to do it, but¡­¡±

    Jeh gave Blue a salute. ¡°Jeh here, reporting for duty!¡± She chuckled. ¡°So¡­ since the Crown¡¯s involved now, everybody knows about me, so all that about ¡®keeping the secret¡¯ no longer applies, huh?¡±

    ¡°It seems that we did, indeed, wait long enough to be of use,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Though that was only because you were shot down by a mysterious Purple Cube.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Jeh scratched the back of her head. ¡°I tried to dodge¡­ didn¡¯t work¡­ oh! I almost forgot!¡± Jeh reached into her pack and pulled out a small, neatly folded scroll. ¡°Here¡¯s all I could remember about the satellite mission by the time I got access to paper. The biggest thing is that Krays¡¯ level is complete bunk and doesn¡¯t work.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°Wait¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°I flipped the Skyseed sideways and it still told me I was level.¡±

    ¡°How did you get the satellite into orbit then!?¡±

    Jeh gave her a thumbs-up and a wink. ¡°Raw skill!¡±

    ¡°And luck,¡± Seskii added.

    ¡°That too.¡±

    ¡°Krays is gonna be so mad¡­¡± Mary said, trying to stifle a giggle.

    ¡°She¡¯s mad by default,¡± Blue added.

    ¡°I wonder if she¡¯s going to be able to come up with insults or is just going to devolve into a bunch of inappropriate swears.¡±

    ¡°Could be either,¡± Blue said. ¡°I, for one, can¡¯t wait to go home and see it.¡± She paused. ¡°Home¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad my cabin suits your fancy,¡± Vaughan said with a tip of his hat.

    Blue adjusted her hat so she could glare at him with full intensity. ¡°Oh sure, it¡¯s your cabin. That¡¯s what I like so much.¡±

    ¡°Well the alternative is that my company is worthwhile and that simply can¡¯t be, you think I¡¯m a moron.¡±

    ¡°You are! In things called common sense!¡± Blue laughed at this comment¡ªbut then the laughter slowly died down. ¡°¡­And so am I.¡±

    Vaughan frowned. ¡°Blue¡­¡±

    ¡°No, really, I¡¯ve been being an idiot. Who in their right mind goes about avoiding conversations that will change her? People and subjects she knows will do her good? I just¡­ I just avoided it all and locked it away and refused to question.¡± A haunted expression came over her. ¡°I¡¯m the moron.¡±

    ¡°Blue, you are quite literally the smartest person I know.¡±

    ¡°And that doesn¡¯t appear to have stopped me, has it?¡± She glanced to the edge of the cargo hold. ¡°I¡­ I still hear her roars. When talking with you guys, they¡¯re much quieter, but they¡¯re still there. Calling. Making me do¡­ stupid things. I definitely shouldn¡¯t be here, but here I am anyway, and that¡¯s inadvertently put you all in danger in addition to me. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t know exactly how. ¡­I don¡¯t even think my apology makes any sense.¡± She sighed, hanging her head. ¡°It¡¯s like there¡¯s two of me in here arguing for control.¡±

    Seskii nodded. ¡°We all have that, Blue. There¡¯s the part of us that is selfless and true to others, and the part that just wants what we want. These two things are¡­ largely incompatible, and result in a lot of us shouting at ourselves. The more extreme the divide, the more it feels like two entirely different essences.¡±

    Blue stared at Seskii, blinking. ¡°This¡­ this is normal?¡±

    ¡°Well, the specifics aren¡¯t exactly normal,¡± Seskii rubbed the back of her head. ¡°You asked earlier ¡®who in their right mind¡¯ would do the things you do. Well, it¡¯s pretty clear that you aren¡¯t in your right mind. Can you see that, now?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. I was¡­ I was so sure I could just think my way out of that.¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t. In fact, you couldn¡¯t even see it until you were here and had a reason to really pour out.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s why you followed me instead of reporting me.¡±

    ¡°Partially,¡± Seskii admitted. ¡°It was also to keep an eye on you and keep you from being alone, just in case.¡± She folded her arms and smiled. ¡°And don¡¯t think just because you can see it now that it¡¯s over. The mind is a fickle, self-sabotaging beast at times.¡±

    Blue nodded, turning to Vaughan. ¡°When we get a chance to leave, take it. Make it impossible for me to get back to Slashy. Drag me back to Willow Hollow kicking and screaming if you have to.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ sure?¡±

    ¡°Right now the roars feel distant, so I¡¯m probably in my best mind¡­ I think.¡± She frowned. ¡°¡­I think the now-me is the smarter in-right-mind me? I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°It seems that way,¡± the old Yellow wizard said, sitting down on a crate near their group, but not part of it.

    Blue looked up at him, wary. ¡°Does¡­ does this mean you¡¯ve figured me out?¡±

    ¡°Jumping right to questions, not even an introduction?¡± The man chuckled. ¡°I am Omar.¡± He tilted his yellow hat up. ¡°And no, I have not ¡®figured you out.¡¯ Even if I were to directly connect to you with my mastery over Yellow, I would not be able to do that. Each person¡¯s experiences are their own, and the further they are from the average, the more difficult it is to uncover things.¡±

    ¡°So then¡­ why start talking now, all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°To let you know you¡¯re on the right path.¡± Omar looked at Blue with a kind, but somehow intense gaze. ¡°It is only in recent years that true study into the ailments of the mind was begun. Yellow wizards have always been able to tear down the mental state of individuals, but the newer studies are looking toward the healing of the mind. It is looking to be a far greater undertaking than we ever considered, but we have learned some things. One of those things is that the best thing to do¡­ is to talk at length about the ailment and related concerns with people you trust and care about. Which is what you are doing now with no influence from me.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ thanks?¡±

    ¡°You are fortunate to be able to have such recourse, many families and friend groups are broken, and lack trust.¡± Omar sighed. ¡°We do not know enough to know how to help them. Often the Yellow connection can just make things worse despite our best efforts.¡±

    ¡°To mess with the soul of a person¡­¡± Seskii said.

    ¡°Is a dangerous endeavor,¡± Omar said with a nod. ¡°But there has been some success¡­ and in looking into it, we have learned much about what not to do, and what recourses exist aside from magic.¡± He smiled at Blue. ¡°I believe you are correct in saying that you, as you are now, are in the closest to your ¡®right mind.¡¯ I will warn you that it will likely not seem like this, later, when the time actually comes to leave. The admission of the mind often means nothing when the heart screams.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s what we¡¯re here for,¡± Mary said, putting a hand on Blue¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll drag you back¡­ ¡®kicking and screaming,¡¯ as you put it.¡±

    Blue smiled awkwardly. ¡°Thanks. Not exactly looking forward to that, but¡­ yeah. Do it.¡±

    ¡°So the moment Alexandrite gets back we can head out,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°¡­If he can hold all five of us, might be difficult.¡±

    ¡°Aww¡­¡± Jeh said. ¡°I kinda wanted to see the Purple Cube¡­ Give it a little what for.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s extremely dangerous,¡± Blue said, shivering. ¡°And Tenrayce is right, we are the Wizard Space Program, Kroan needs us.¡± She frowned. ¡°Though we have no idea how long Alexandrite will be held up. With C-R, we¡¯ve been accelerated rather effectively and¡­ could be over a week out, now, not to mention how long it¡¯ll take them to debrief him and that cat.¡±

    ¡°Could we take that Vapor dragon?¡± Mary asked.

    ¡°Vapor doesn¡¯t like us¡­¡± Jeh said, tapping her fingers together awkwardly.

    ¡°Huh? Why is that? She seemed friendly enough when I talked to her¡­ even if she was¡­¡± Mary stared off into space. ¡°Big¡­¡±

    Blue coughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to delve in¡ª¡±

    ¡°Blue,¡± Jeh interrupted, crossing her arms. ¡°We just talked about how talking about it is good.¡±

    Blue flushed. ¡°Oh.¡±

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°It would do us well to remember that Blue is not the only one who has gone through an ordeal here. Jeh has been through a lot¡­ and we need to be there for her as well.¡±

    ¡°Do not remove yourself from the group,¡± Omar told Vaughan.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°You may not be in as difficult of a situation as they are, but you are still in one. Do not dismiss your situation, even the mildest of ailments should be treated with care and concern, not dismissed, for they have a tendency to take root and fester into something much worse.¡±

    Mary blinked. ¡°Oh no¡­ do I have something too?¡±

    ¡°Well, presumably, but all I can see from you is a sense of being overwhelmed. You¡¯ll need to take some time to absorb this adventuring experience, the effects won¡¯t be clear for a while.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ great¡­¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡± Seskii said, appearing behind Omar.

    ¡°I gave up trying to figure you out after five minutes.¡±

    ¡°Mission success!¡±

    ¡°If anything, you seem purposefully unstable, yet somehow retain perfect control of your faculties.¡±

    ¡°Oooh!¡± Seskii leaned forward on her elbows¡ªspiking holes in the crate she was on in the process. ¡°Go on¡­¡± She fluttered her eyes.

    Omar coughed loudly. ¡°Er. Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Just messing with you, psychology-buddy.¡± She patted him on the back. ¡°You¡¯ve really been a great help in getting everyone to see things, here.¡± She put a yellow star-sticker on his forehead. ¡°Good job!¡±

    ¡°I was not aware I was being graded.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the point, silly.¡±

    Omar chuckled, standing up. ¡°Well, I think Blue¡¯s condition has stabilized enough that the risk of me going in with a Yellow connection isn¡¯t worth it. Keep talking to each other, get everything out in the open¡­ and trust. My presence will just complicate things further.¡± He waved farewell at them and left them to their devices.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Jeh said, kicking her legs back and forth. ¡°Can I talk about how annoyed I am that I wasn¡¯t allowed to talk about my feelings in order to be polite?¡±

    ¡°Complain away!¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡± Jeh took in a huge breath. ¡°So talking has been a huge pain all the way over here since a lot of people didn¡¯t speak the language and the one person who did, Jill, was never straightforward but I think she might have had a thing like Blue but in a sort of different way oh no I¡¯m rambling ahahaha¡­¡± Jeh rapidly sucked in a huge breath. ¡°Okay so I guess we start with Jill, she¡¯s a watchlight, and¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°They¡¯re out to get us, Margaret.¡±

    Jeremiah was sitting on the bed he was given and Margaret was massaging his shoulders, trying to loosen up his old bones.

    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be ridiculous, if they were out to get us, they would have gotten us by now.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen the way they look at us?¡±

    ¡°Like we¡¯re outsiders who don¡¯t belong?¡±

    ¡°Yes! That! Exactly!¡±

    ¡°Dad, how else are they going to look at us? We¡¯re from very deep in the Wild Kingdoms. You... really need to relax.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I suppose so¡­¡± Jeremiah shook his head. ¡°I think this must all be getting to me¡­¡±

    ¡°It has been¡­ quite a lot, yes. But I think we can move past it.¡±

    ¡°¡­As soon as they find out what we are¡­¡±

    ¡°Which they haven¡¯t, and if you¡¯re careful, they won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ that¡­¡±

    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be the one to tell you to reign it in, but here we are.¡± She sighed. ¡°But we¡¯re here for now, and it is safer here than out in the wilds.¡±

    ¡°Until they find what they¡¯re looking for.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Well.¡± Margaret shivered. ¡°Not exactly much they can do to predict the Purple Cube¡¯s response¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll use him if I have to.¡±

    ¡°Last resort, please, Dad. The Kroanites and C-R have a plan. We should at least let them try it.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ yes. Yes¡­ let them do it for us¡­¡±

    Margaret frowned. She felt like something else needed to be said, but she wasn¡¯t sure what. She didn¡¯t get to it, however, as Vaughan showed up, hands locked behind his back.

    ¡°Wizard Vaughan,¡± Margaret said with a slight bow. ¡°Jeh spoke highly of you.¡±

    ¡°She would, wouldn¡¯t she?¡± Vaughan smiled awkwardly. ¡°She spoke highly of you as well.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ is somewhat surprising, but not out of character for her.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°She asked a favor of me in regards to you, and I¡¯ve accepted it.¡± He sat down on a bed across from them. Margaret was suddenly very nervous. ¡°Willow Hollow is a frontier town that, even with our program, is still far from the bustle and regulation of modern society. You can live there in peace. I will see to it that you get employed¡ªJeh suggested you work with the rangers to hunt game, and it seems like you have the required skillset to do so. But if there is other work you can do, I will see to it. I know the mayor personally, and she will protect you.¡±

    Margaret stared at him. ¡°She¡­ she told you about us?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Vaughan said with a nod. He glanced around to see if anyone was listening and, satisfied no one was, lowered his voice. ¡°Your fears are not unfounded. There are those who would hunt you. But in Willow Hollow, we can keep you safe.¡±

    Jeremiah narrowed his eyes at Vaughan. ¡°What do you think about us? Do you think we are the servants of demons?¡±

    ¡°Eyda is not mentioned in Dia¡¯s word, and neither are any of the other goddesses of Gonal,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Demons the dark ones may be¡­ there is no calling to purge you. The calling is instead to live in peace. I should know, our mayor keeps trying to drill it into everyone¡¯s head.¡±

    ¡°If only more people took the teachings of Dia as wholly as this mayor of yours,¡± Margaret said with a sigh.

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°At one time I probably would have been against you. I will say that the¡­¡± he glanced around and mouthed ¡®demon.¡¯ ¡°¡­makes me decidedly uncomfortable, but I trust Jeh.¡±

    Margaret nodded, bowing. ¡°Dad¡­ I think we should take the offer.¡±

    Jeremiah scratched his chin. ¡°Yes. It¡­ does seem like a great opportunity. We accept.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Vaughan,¡± Margaret said, pressing her hands together. ¡°I will not insult you by asking Eyda to bless you, but know I have the desire to do so. I wish to repay you in any way I can.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that¡­¡±

    ¡°Then consider it a request. I have shunned Jeh¡¯s kindness and returned it with scorn for most of the journey, I wish to¡­ atone, in a sense. Since I will be living in Willow Hollow¡­ if possible, I ask to be part of the Wizard Space Program. To repay you¡­ and to see the stars where they belong.¡±

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°Well¡­ why don¡¯t you walk with me and we¡¯ll talk business. What sort of skills can you bring to the team?¡±

    Jeremiah gave his daughter an uncertain look as she stood up to meet with Vaughan, but he said nothing.

    ~~~

    ¡°Look,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°I will handsomely reward you for just carrying them back to Kroan.¡±

    Vapor growled. ¡°I do not care for riches, and no stories could convince me to carry on. You are also not the sort to refuse to protect me from the rigids, and I will believe no such bluffs.¡±

    ¡°They are in unnecessary danger.¡±

    ¡°And so am I. I go nowhere until this is resolved.¡±

    Tenrayce crossed her arms. ¡°Fine. Know that, while your judgment of my character is correct, I do need to declare some retribution for your refusal. You are barred from ever entering Kroan and will be considered a criminal if you do so.¡±

    ¡°Good thing I have no intention of ever going there.¡±

    ¡°Yes. How fortunate for you.¡± Tenrayce took out a book and walked away toward the clearing where Slashy was being set up for another test. While she read up on the extremely complicated diplomatic procedures for operation in the Wild Kingdoms, she contemplated what she was going to do. She did not want to send one of her own dragons back, they were likely underpowered as it was. But she needed to find a way to not only return the Wizard Space Program to Kroan, but also Envila, Margaret, and Jeremiah. Civilians who were not supposed to be on this mission. Even if Alexandrite did return, he would not be able to carry all eight of them back. It was simply too many resources.

    But if the operation failed¡­ civilians could be sacrificed, yet, but Tenrayce didn¡¯t like it, and four members of the Wizard Space Program could be lost. Jeh would no doubt find her way back anyway, but Vaughan and Blue were the ones necessary to run it, if both of them were lost¡­

    She flipped a page, brow furrowing even further. She did not like this situation at all. She didn¡¯t even like risking herself, but that was quite necessary to get Slashy to cooperate. To dangle the carrot in front of the horse, as it were. Then the plan for once they found the Purple Cube¡­

    She liked the plan. She was confident it would work. But there was a window of opportunity for casualties, and even the Green Crystalline One they had on board wasn¡¯t going to be able to restore people from complete vaporization, which the Purple Cube could definitely do.

    But she was a potential threat, and a huge one at that. She needed to be dealt with one way or another.

    Tenrayce noted with some surprise that the Wizard Space Program plus Envila were in the clearing this time, watching Pepper prep Slashy¡¯s restraints.

    ¡°So, to test¡­ how exactly does staring at Slashy make you feel when we¡¯re around?¡± Mary asked Blue.

    ¡°Extremely weird¡­¡± Blue said, shivering. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure how to describe it? I need to watch her or else¡­ I don¡¯t know, something probably neurotic.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should try to pin down exactly what leads to the fear¡­¡± Vaughan said, scratching his beard.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Blue frowned. ¡°Well. If I was just scared she was going to eat me, I would run away. If I was scared she was going to hurt people, I¡¯d probably try to take her out.¡±

    ¡°Both at once?¡± Seskii suggested. ¡°Afraid she¡¯ll hurt people, but too afraid to do anything to her?¡±

    ¡°¡­That makes sense but doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±

    Seskii shrugged. ¡°Ah well, it was my hat in the ring.¡±

    ¡°I do like this, though, trying to figure out where it all comes from¡­¡± Blue scratched her chin. ¡°I can feel it¡­ letting me become disconnected from the situation, like I¡¯m looking at me feeling these things from outside, if that makes sense.¡± She started walking around Slashy. She still couldn¡¯t stop staring at the plast dragon, but her face wasn¡¯t as hollow and haunted as before¡ªnow it was more curious and calculating.

    This was an immense relief to Tenrayce. It looked like things were going somewhat well for Blue, at least.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Blue froze and Tenrayce suddenly sensed that everything was going to go downhill very quickly.

    ¡°I hear you¡¯ve become a raving lunatic!¡± Itlea shouted, marching across the clearing.

    ¡°Oh, Dia, please, not now¡­¡± Blue whimpered.

    ¡°Hey! Turn around and look at me! Or, wait, can you not look away from the monster over there?¡± Itlea sneered. ¡°I should have known. All this success of yours was just a little cover-up for a weak, fragile mind.¡±

    ¡°Itlea, kindly shut up,¡± Blue muttered.

    ¡°What? No retort? No angry shouts? I think I¡¯ve finally figured out what this all means. You don¡¯t deserve anything that¡¯s gotten you out here, you¡¯ve just stumbled into it and now the crack in your mind proves that you were not meant for any of this. Success was too much for you! You didn¡¯t deser¡ª¡±

    Jeh punched Itlea in the face.

    ¡°Jeh!¡± Vaughan called.

    ¡°I know, I know, we don¡¯t punch people,¡± Jeh said, flexing her wrist. ¡°But please she was being¡­ insufferable.¡±

    ¡°As cathartic as it was, violence generally begets violence,¡± Envila said.

    ¡°Ca-cathartic!?¡± Itlea stammered. ¡°I¡¯ve been assaulted!¡±

    Envila folded her arms. ¡°You are so confused and lost¡­¡±

    ¡°I know exactly where I am!¡±

    ¡°You do not even know what your purpose is in life.¡±

    ¡°Like you would know.¡±

    ¡°Only the deeply insecure single out others for putting down. You see Blue as beneath you, but the truth is that she is above you in almost every category. There are the categories you care about, such as success and intelligence, but then there are the things that truly matter, such as kindness and understanding. You are unable to see the weakness in yourself so you must put all you are on a pedestal and find every possible way to deny those traits in others.¡±

    Itlea snorted. ¡°Oh look at the fancy plast, thinks she can talk down to me.¡±

    ¡°You have resorted to fallacies to shoot back, bringing your insecurity to the surface. Furthermore, you cannot see what I am doing, which normally I would not point out, but you need to realize, much like Blue has, that raw intelligence is fallible and can easily be trapped. I am tearing apart your emotional state piece by piece with words in order to expose your philosophy for what it is, how fundamentally shallow and pointless the words within are. I have already caused fear and doubt in your mind that you have covered up with anger, anger that is a front. Until this moment you chose to ignore that front, but I am making it impossible for you to do so, and you will have to confront it now.¡±

    ¡°What on Ikyu are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°I am Envila, and you are attempting to distract your train of thought, which I will not permit. You, Itlea, are fundamentally broken in spirit. Your anger is a front, and you are needlessly cruel. My suggestion is that you take Blue not as an attack on your person, but as an example of someone closer to what you should be. You want her to look up to you when in reality the roles should be reversed. But I do not think you will get that far¡ªeven in the short time I have seen you and heard of you, I can tell the spirit of a person means little to you. What matters to you is you and your regard. Well, I shall leave you with this¡ªconsider the fact that people will place you in higher regard if you could control your anger and be kind.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Go Envila!¡± Jeh called. ¡°Tear her apart with words!¡±

    Itlea stared at Envila with wide eyes and a shocked expression. Then she shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re just messing with me, trying to get in my head.¡±

    ¡°This is very true,¡± Envila said, smiling. ¡°And it is clearly working. I hope you will become a better person for it, but I somehow doubt it. But one effect this will have Is that you will seek to avoid conversations with me¡­ and let me tell you, I do very much intend to initiate these conversations every single time you so much as give Blue a sideways glance.¡±

    ¡°And the same goes for the rest of us,¡± Mary called. ¡°You don¡¯t get to berate her anymore!¡±

    Vaughan smirked. ¡°Basically, we¡¯re telling you to go take a hike, Itlea.¡±

    Itlea scowled. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let some baseless threats keep me from bringing the way things should be to light. Blue should not be¡ª¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Envila interrupted. ¡°Give me a rigid, logical, defensible reason for why she doesn¡¯t deserve to be here.¡± She grinned. ¡°I welcome it.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have time for this.¡±

    ¡°And now rather than admit defeat you flee in an attempt to save face, a clear example of cowardice. And you feel like shouting at me for making this comment, but you should be able to realize that anything you say will be used against you, so you should just leave and accept the embarrassment before you make it even worse.¡±

    Itlea let out a nasty swear and stormed off.

    ¡°Hmm, don¡¯t know that word,¡± Envila commented. ¡°And here I thought I had finally gained an understanding of Karli.¡± She chuckled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what that one means,¡± Jeh admitted.

    ¡°Best not to think about it,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°Envila, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Have seen many like Itlea. Cruel, insecure, and in need of a good shaking. I hope my words cut through to her and instill change, but I doubt it. The effect they will have is lessening your suffering.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ thanks.¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°Not sure what to make of all the things you said, though¡­¡±

    ¡°I am more than willing to explain in detail my observations of you and your friends. Each of you has your weaknesses, and your faults, but also your high points. The almost familial bond I have observed within you is a highlight, and I can see why Jeh cares for you so much.¡± She smiled warmly. ¡°That said, perhaps we should wait for the test to conclude?¡±

    ¡°Test?¡± Blue realized with shock that she not only wasn¡¯t looking at Slashy, she had entirely forgotten about her. ¡°Woah¡­ that¡¯s right¡­ a test!¡± She turned back to the plast dragon.

    Tenrayce, from her vantage point, smiled. She¡¯s recovering. Good. Maybe she won¡¯t be kicking and screaming by the time they get to go back¡­

    Pepper held out a hand. ¡°All right, slashy! Let¡¯s do the test! Slam and listen!¡±

    Slashy growled but rammed her feet into the ground, sending out a mild tremor through the earth.

    Her eyes widened. She tapped the ground again. And again. She¡¯d never done this before.

    Tenryace closed her book. ¡°She found something, didn¡¯t she?¡±

    Pepper nodded. ¡°Sure looks like it! Is it a really really huge cavern?¡±

    Slashy nodded. She pointed with her nose to the Southwest.

    ¡°We¡¯re on the trail!¡± Pepper whooped. ¡°Can you sense the Purple Cube herself?¡±

    Slashy shook her head.

    ¡°Still far enough away, then¡­¡± Tenrayce said, nodding slowly. ¡°All right, Pepper, narrow down exactly where the tunnel is going, gather as much data as you can.¡± She glanced at the sky¡ªit was getting late. ¡°We won¡¯t set out until morning, we want to be able to do this in daylight. Even if the Cube can control light, going in at night is still foolish. We need rest.¡±

    ¡°You got it!¡± Pepper called.

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll get to see the Purple Cube!¡± Jeh said, rubbing her hands together excitedly. ¡°That¡¯ll be so awesome!¡±

    ¡°And dangerous¡­¡± Vaughan said.

    Mary let out a short laugh. ¡°Oh boy, this is definitely not what I signed up for¡­¡±

    ¡°Buckle up, buttercup!¡± Seskii called. ¡°We¡¯re in for the long haul!¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    As some of you may have figured out, the way kancathi can use their ¡°tremors¡± to hear beneath the ground are based on real-life observations of robins (and other yard birds). They hop around and stop, listening with their feet for vibrations in the ground made by worms.

    Except it turns out this isn¡¯t true and all and is just a myth I was told as a child.

    See, birds don¡¯t use their feet to feel vibrations to hunt worms--at least, it¡¯s not the primary sense they use. What they¡¯re actually doing is listening, but with their ears and not with their feet. It really goes to show how good their ears are that they can sense the motion of worms beneath the ground.

    But still, this does mean the entire thing kankathi were based on was a myth. Which would be a problem, if we didn¡¯t know that sound waves in the ground could be used to find things. But we do, and in fact, we use this all the time to locate earthquakes. We¡¯ve already talked about triangulation in a different science segment, but not the sorts of things we can find with earthquake waves.

    See, earthquakes generate two kinds of waves, Primary and Secondary. Primary waves are longitudinal waves, which are the same kind of waves as sound waves, pushing particles back and forth to transfer energy. The speed of these waves changes depending on the medium--solids have faster speeds of sound than liquids, and the pattern continues for gasses. From this alone, it would be possible to determine quite a bit of information if you were, say, a large plast dragon with two feet that could send seismic waves into the earth. Naturally, resolution would be terrible as the two feet of a kankathi are very close to each other and the ground is not exactly homogenous.

    The great power of seismic detection comes from the Secondary waves, though. Secondary waves are transverse, moving up and down along the direction of motion, and they can only propogate through solid material. Once a Secondary wave hits a liquid or a gas, it cannot propagate and the energy is converted into more Primary waves. This makes a very detecrtable difference between waves that pass through liquids or gasses and those that pass through just solids.

    Which means that, equipped with tremor abilities and the ¡°ears¡± on the feet to hear them, identification of liquid or gaseous holes in the earth would be somewhat easy.

    Just ignore the fact that the ¡°ears¡± are based on a myth that isn¡¯t true.

 030 - Campfire Stories

    WSP 030

    Campfire Stories

    Jeh wasn¡¯t entirely sure whose idea it had been to camp out under the stars rather than in the various balloon whales, but she wasn¡¯t complaining. Something about a handful of people huddling around a fire was just cozy in a way the artificial gondolas weren¡¯t. Or maybe it just reminded her of her time in the forest, a sort of nostalgia.

    Whatever the reason, she was grinning wildly as she held a stick with some unidentified chunk of meat on the end, slowly roasting it over the flame with several others. Vaughan, Blue, Seskii, and Mary were there, but Envila and Margaret had decided to join them. Jeremiah was sleeping¡ª¡°His old bones need it,¡± Margaret had said. Pepper would probably have come but she had work to do through the night and was likely going to be woken up extra early for preparations. The Purple Cube was close, and she was instrumental in keeping Slashy under control.

    Jeh didn¡¯t mind¡ªshe wasn¡¯t overly attached to Pepper, barely knew her really, though she could tell they were kindred spirits.

    Blue was currently not roasting a chunk of unidentified meat, but rather a piece of purring happy peach. The purrs actually increased in intensity as the peach was heated, until it was more like a singing peach. She brought it back to her muzzle and sniffed it. ¡°Mmmmm¡­¡±

    Seskii pulled her stick back and plucked the meat right off the stick with her hands. She bit into it, and then carefully pulled it out while breathing heavily. ¡°H-h-hot!¡±

    ¡°And we see the inherent flaw in gari design,¡± Margaret said, picking her own piece of meat off the stick with her hand and holding it in the air. ¡°Heat-resistant hands. Not heat-resistant faces.¡±

    ¡°I think the bigger flaw is that we don¡¯t have noses,¡± Seskii said. ¡°An entire sense¡­ gone!¡±

    ¡°We can also impale ourselves with our gauntlet spikes if we¡¯re particularly stupid. Which a good number are.¡±

    ¡°Well you¡¯d have to actively sharpen them and fall very awkwardly to do any real damage, they do point away from you.¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re talking about racial flaws, we unicorns instinctively light up our horns out of fear.¡± Blue took a bite out of her peach. ¡°Blinds us pretty effectively.¡±

    ¡°You have nothing,¡± Envila added. ¡°Every bone in my body is exceptionally fragile, the natural state of my limbs is so delicate it requires an intense exercise routine to keep them anything close to usable, and our eyes are huge targets that can be sniped from quite a distance. Not to mention if our wing membrane gets damaged it takes a very long time to heal naturally. Also, our stomachs are rather delicate.¡± She pulled back her stick, investigating the green plast pods she was roasting. ¡°And in my opinion plast-based food never roasts properly.¡±

    Vaughan rolled his eyes. ¡°Sure, you all have it rough.¡±

    ¡°It can be said that our ¡®defects¡¯ and ¡®weaknesses¡¯ give us challenges to overcome, though,¡± Envila said. ¡°I would not be the woman I am today without such a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to overcome. Gari have to learn to live in a world with smells and thus are often called to rely on others, a humbling experience. Unicorns develop self-control to suppress their own instincts, gaining a cool head. Then, of course, there are humans.¡± She embedded the back of her stick in the ground so as to let her food cool, fixing Vaughan with her gaze. ¡°Tell me, what do you think the weakness of a human is?¡±

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Mary thought about this as well. ¡°You know, I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ve often heard it said that humans are the ¡®normal¡¯ ones, with no advantages or disadvantages.¡±

    ¡°Our backs. Our backs suck,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°All humanoids have that problem,¡± Margaret pointed out.

    ¡°Well, my back is currently sore, so it¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking about.¡±

    At this point, they heard a rustling in the trees near their campfire. Everyone turned to see a pair of eyes reflecting the light of the fire. The eyes belonged to something small, but as it was shrouded in darkness, nobody could tell for sure.

    ¡°¡­Hello there, little one,¡± Envila said. She held out a hand and gestured for the owner of the eyes to step into the light.

    This was apparently enough. Slowly, but surely, a child stepped into the light. A boy, human, with ice-blue hair, dressed in a simple dirty animal fur. He approached tentatively.

    ¡°A child from a Wild Kingdom¡­¡± Mary said, eyes widening.

    ¡°A brave one, at that,¡± Margaret said. ¡°Most Wild Kingdoms are single-race¡­ I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s coming out and not running away.¡±

    Envila made no such comment and instead plucked a piece of meat off of Mary¡¯s stick, offering it to the child. He slowly grabbed it and stuffed it into his mouth.

    ¡°Is he starving?¡± Blue asked.

    Envila shook her head. ¡°He looks well-fed. Maybe he just thought it smelled good.¡±

    The boy sat down next to the fire, continuing to munch on his meat.

    ¡°Or maybe he just wished for the heat of flame.¡±

    The boy no longer looked even slightly afraid, he just looked at everyone expectantly.

    ¡°I also do not believe he can understand a word we say.¡±

    ¡°Well, guess that means he won¡¯t get to hear any of our stories,¡± Mary said.

    ¡°Stories?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Well, usually when you meet someone new and you sit around a fire, you swap stories.¡±

    ¡°I thought it was specifically scary stories?¡± Margaret asked.

    ¡°No?¡± Mary tilted her head. ¡°Just stories of things travelers have encountered on the road, or stories of the woods.¡±

    ¡°Well half of our stories would be redundant anyway,¡± Blue said. ¡°What would I talk about, the Wizard Space Program?¡±

    ¡°My stories would most definitely last the entire night,¡± Envila suggested. ¡°I have many not even Jeh has heard.¡±

    ¡°Her stories really are the best,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Would be a little unfair to have her tell everything,¡± Mary added. ¡°The tradition is to go around in a circle.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure all of us know a story or two that didn¡¯t happen to us,¡± Margaret said. ¡°There are many tall tales, legends, and big fish stories that came through our house, surely you all have some too.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°I believe I have something in mind¡­¡±

    ¡°Do books count?¡± Blue asked. ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of books published in Axiom that I like, and I¡¯m thinking one of those will work great here¡­¡±

    Margaret shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m just trying to egg you guys to do something.¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Please tell stories. I like stories. I don¡¯t really have any of my own¡­¡±

    ¡°In that case¡­¡± Mary said, a small smile crawling up her face. ¡°I¡­ do know a creepy story. One about a farmer¡­ and the Beast in the Woods.¡±

    ~~~

    The Beast in the Woods

    Before the Kingdom of Kroan was properly founded, there were many towns and villages that existed in complete isolation from one another. Sometimes there weren¡¯t even enough people to call it a proper town¡ªjust a single farm with a family or two working the land to survive. Such was the case with farmer Morgan and his family. He was a human with a great understanding of the land and a deep-seated desire to protect his family at all costs. He had a wife and four children, all four of whom were grown so he was constantly on the lookout for travelers so that his kids could potentially get spouses. So far, though, none had come through with any prospects or word of prospects. This wasn¡¯t exactly unexpected, as there were no proper roads into the farm, just a foot-trodden path that was generally overgrown. People could only come across this house by accident.

    The six of them were truly alone.

    But aside from the fact that he wasn¡¯t getting any grandkids anytime soon, Morgan was content with his life. With his expertise, they were never short on food, and while their life lacked excitement, there was something to be said for stability.

    One day, the youngest daughter went for a walk in the woods. She was no little girl, as you might usually expect from these stories, but a grown woman who was perhaps a little headstrong. She was the family¡¯s best hunter, and while meat was not necessary for their survival, it was the closest thing they had to a luxury and so she took great pride in her work. This day she wasn¡¯t explicitly hunting, but she always carried her spear with her in case she saw an opportunity. Her goal this time around was just to walk through the forest and enjoy the wilderness.

    She was the first one to see evidence of the Beast. A tree, mangled as if by a massive claw, torn to shreds and with splinters spread everywhere. She heard a great roar somewhere in the distance like no animal she had ever heard, one much deeper than even the largest of predators.

    She recognized that perhaps trying to find such a Beast would be a foolish idea, so she returned home with a piece of the tree and showed it to her father. He was concerned, but not overly so, for while the forest had no predators they did occasionally run into animals they had never seen before. Such things never showed up again and were likely just traveling creatures passing through. He did not expect to hear anything about the Beast again.

    But then, months later, the eldest came running back to the farm, a large gash torn across his left arm. He described being out looking for bark from the sage tree so his mother could refill her spice stores. However, instead, he came across a bunch of mangled trees, a whole grove of them, dry, withered, and heavily clawed. He heard the exact same growl his sister had, but it had been much closer.

    At that point, he had turned to leave, but he heard leaves rustling. Something chased him. He didn¡¯t look back, but a dry claw had struck him in his arm as he fled, leading to the injury.

    The man recovered, but now Morgan was concerned. He crafted weapons and told everyone to carry them if they ever went out into the forest. His eldest daughter created bows and arrows for everyone, and they started training with them¡ªin case the Beast ever decided to come for them.

    There was no sign of the Beast for quite some time. But one day, the youngest daughter found mangled trees once again and heard the roar. Armed with a bow, spear, and thick furs for armor, she decided to try and face the beast, at least temporarily to get a good look at it. Such a look was denied her¡ªall she saw was a bony, brown claw larger than she was reaching out of the tree line. She thrust her spear forward, skewering the hand, and it retreated¡ªbut it took the spear with it so she decided it was time to run.

    Naturally, Morgan crafted even more spears, including extras in case more were lost. That said, the Beast had been skewered¡ªwhile it was just the hand, many creatures bled out from slight wounds out in the wilds. He held out hope that the Beast was dead.

    This was wishful thinking. His younger son encountered the Beast once more, finding mangled trees closer to the farmhouse than they had ever been before. He ran the moment he saw them, which he said saved him since the Beast pursued him immediately. He swore that he saw at least three of the knobby hands reaching out to him.

    How large was this creature?

    Whatever it was, it was a clear danger to them. Sightings kept occurring closer and closer to the farmhouse. Spears and arrows would be let loose into the creature, but it would often get strikes on the family.

    Morgan decided enough was enough when the youngest son lost a finger to the Beast. He decided the only way they could get any peace and safety was if they killed their tormentor. He crafted the best weapons he could, but he felt as though it wouldn¡¯t be enough. So he went into the basement and pulled out the family¡¯s prized possession¡ªa Red crystal the size of his chest that they used to heat their home over the winter. The Beast may have been many things, but it was still a beast, and magic was beyond such things. He intended to burn it.

    He and his youngest daughter set out with the express intent of killing it. For the first time, they went into the woods looking for it.

    It was not hard to find mangled trees. The moment they approached said trees, they heard the roar¡ªbut they did not turn back. They moved forward, plunging deeper and deeper into the twisted grove. The Beast did not attack them¡ªit must have been wary of the Red crystal strapped to Morgan¡¯s back.

    Morgan didn¡¯t accept this state of affairs. This Beast needed to die, and if it was afraid¡­ they would flush it out. It lived among the mangled trees¡ªdry, cracked trees that would be easy to set on fire. So he used his will to set one of them alight.

    The moment he did so, every single mangled tree around them moved. The twisted, shredded wood unraveled like some kind of weave, opening up into large, knobby claws, all directed toward the single tree that was on fire. Despite being on fire, this did not stop the tree from also unfolding into a massive claw.

    It was only then that Morgan understood what the Beast was. It was no beast at all.

    It was the forest itself.

    Realizing what a fool he had been, he nonetheless fought back. Every hand was made of dry, bony wood and could easily burn. His daughter held the hands back with her spears while he burned them away, reducing many claws to ashes.

    But they were but two humans fighting a forest. To a being of such size, losing a hand or two was of no concern. They kept coming, and coming; even as Morgan and his daughter tried to leave, for they were far too deep within the trees. And now that they had set fire to the forest, there would be no mercy.

    A claw took a chunk out of Morgan¡¯s back, severing the Red crystal from his body. He somehow managed to stand back up, ready to beat back the hands with his spear.

    The hand lifted the Red crystal into the air, and then did the one thing it should not have been able to do.

    It burned them. Flames licked across their flesh, doing unto them the very same thing they had done unto the forest. There was nothing they could do as they were reduced to ashes under the eyeless gaze of the forest.

    Soon, they were no more, and the forest shattered the Red crystal.

    Without the heat of the Red crystal, the rest of the family could not survive the winter.

    But the forest remained. To this day, some of its trees become gnarled and murderous, looking like victims of murder themselves, but this is a deception. The dead trees are the most dangerous, so stay wary of them when you venture out into the forest.

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­I never saw anything like that in the forest¡­¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°It is just a story,¡± Mary said. ¡°I think to warn people to stay away from diseased trees. After all, even plant monsters can¡¯t cast magic.¡±

    ¡°Actually¡­¡± Envila leaned back. ¡°I have encountered a similar creature. Deep beneath the ground on which Descent sits, there was an entire ¡®forest¡¯ that was one spirited creature. Now, this ¡®forest¡¯ wasn¡¯t murderous and was actually somewhat helpful in our adventure down there, but such beings do exist.¡±

    Mary¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°R-really?¡±

    ¡°Really.¡±

    A slightly haunted look came over everyone at the fire¡­ except for the boy, who had no idea what the story was about and had just enjoyed listening. Smiling, he took a bite out of a hunk of meat he had been given.

    Margeret¡¯s face slowly returned to a soft smile. ¡°That was a perfect story, Mary.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Now¡­ I believe it¡¯s my turn. There are many who fear the dark and the creatures of the dark¡­ but even they pale in comparison to The True Darkness.¡±

    ~~~

    The True Darkness

    This tale is attached to no land in particular. If it ever happened, where and when has been completely lost. All that is known is that there was a great Tower of Knowledge that sat far from any civilization, a Tower that made all those who visited it forget about its existence. Within, the answers to every question could be found. Books on every subject lined the shadowy brick walls. Tame knowledge, such as the proper recipe for roast tiger puffin, existed within its walls, to be sure. But there was also forbidden knowledge. Tomes on the powers of the gods. The secrets of the Unknown Goddess, the cataclysmic spells of Cora, the deepest rituals of Eyda, and even the secrets of Dia¡¯s great saints, their sins and their failings, no matter how depraved.

    But all of this is standard. These secrets are things you can think of, dream up. You can imagine a spell that can wipe out a city, a shadow that can devour your mind in the blink of an eye, or even a great saint who was a serial murderer.

    The Tower of Knowledge contained information far, far more terrible than this. Beyond even what spirited minds could comprehend. Things that would drive men to madness for simply knowing. Information that turned the very books they were written on into raving monsters that thirsted for blood. Words that had minds of their own, words that could only be locked away in a place that sealed memory, for nothing else could contain them.

    Yet, despite this danger, there was a Custodian of the Tower. I do not know her race. Some people claim she was but a human, others claim she was the Unknown Goddess herself, protecting the world from that which should never be known. I don¡¯t think either true¡ªthe Custodian could not be a mortal, nor could a goddess devote herself entirely to one place. Whatever the case may be, the Custodian spent her years among the forbidden knowledge, managing through unknown means not to fall to the perilous knowledge within.

    She knew every shelf, every hall, every book. Everything had a place, even the ravenous books that sought to devour people, they were chained and where they should be. It was her purpose here to keep everything in order and, rarely, to guide the pure-hearted to the knowledge they needed.

    So when, one day, there was an extra book in the collection, the Caretaker was deeply concerned.

    A book going missing was not a great concern, a few of them had tricks within their pages that allowed them to escape from her sights for a time, but she had learned how to hunt and capture them well. They would always be back where they belonged before the day was out.

    But the presence of a new book¡­ one she hadn¡¯t placed there, that was unnerving in a way she couldn¡¯t describe.

    She immediately tried to explain how it had gotten there. There had been no visitors to the Tower of Knowledge since the last time she checked this location. It should have been impossible, so she consulted some of the books that contained knowledge of the Tower itself¡ªafter all, every piece of knowledge rested somewhere within the Tower.

    The books had possible explanations. But there was no knowledge about the new book. No information on what was contained within it. Not a hint of how it had come to be.

    This was impossible.

    Yet the Custodian still knew, she still knew the potential dangers of the book were too great. She could not read it.

    So, she began to look for an apprentice.

    She waited, carefully, for the right person to come. Only those pure of heart were permitted access to the stores of the Tower, and most of those legends were not suitable to be her apprentice. However, one day, such a man did appear. Before he left, she asked him to return after he had completed his business, in order to learn the craft of caring for the knowledge. He agreed. When he left, he forgot the Tower existed, like all the others, but in the back of his mind, he knew he needed to return. About a year later, he returned and became her apprentice.

    She taught him everything she knew. How to watch the books, how to catch the ones that ran away, and how to protect any visitors so they didn¡¯t end up suffering because of the curses within its walls. It took many, many years, but eventually her apprentice could care for the Tower much as she had.

    Then, one day, she decided it was time. She took the impossible book that likely contained the darkest secret in the entire world, and locked herself in a room with it¡ªa room that only her apprentice had the key to. He was not to open it until she was done, and he had to take the proper precautions in case she still needed to be contained.

    So he waited for her to knock.

    And waited.

    The knock never came.

    A week later, he opened the door of his own free will, naturally taking all the necessary precautions.

    The Custodian was gone. The room was exactly the same as it had been when it was locked up; no signs of a struggle, dark magic, or even anywhere she could have gone. The book itself was neatly closed, front cover facing up, on the table.

    The new Custodian picked up the book and put it back on the shelf it had first appeared on.

    And he began to look for an apprentice.

    ~~~

    ¡°So the book forces everything into an eternal loop?¡± Jeh asked, tilting her head.

    ¡°Maybe, maybe not,¡± Margaret said, giving her a knowing smile. ¡°After all, the knowledge within might have nothing to do with the Custodian or even anything within this world. Whatever it is, it is the deepest secret, beyond the knowledge of anything else. The only way to know¡­ is to open it.¡±

    Blue shivered. ¡°That would drive me insane¡­¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°Or¡­ more insane.¡±

    ¡°All of us are a little off our rockers,¡± Seskii said. ¡°Except Mary. Hi Mary!¡±

    Mary waved awkwardly at Seskii, who was sitting right next to her.

    Blue turned her head to the wild child who was still sitting and eating peacefully. ¡°Wonder if his parents are worried about him.¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Not like we have any idea where they could be,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°The Wild Kingdoms are expansive, and he could be far from home.¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do with him if he never leaves?¡±

    ¡°What we did with Jeh, presumably.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Hang on, I didn¡¯t sign up for a brother.¡±

    ¡°He may be at home here in the forest, even all alone,¡± Margaret added. ¡°Like I was.¡±

    ¡°Wonder what kind of stories he could tell¡­¡± Mary thought aloud.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about him specifically,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°But I know of a story told by the natives of the Tempest.¡±

    Jeh perked up immediately. ¡°Oooooh¡­¡±

    ¡°Prepare yourselves for the tale¡­ of the Sealing of the Sky.¡±

    ~~~

    The Sealing of the Sky

    The Tempest spins eternal, forever unchanging, forever unmoving, entirely surrounding us with the Wall. The Wall angrily strives to strike us with its lightning of anger and its winds of destruction, but the Wall is powerless to reach us, for the light of the Sky keeps it at bay. In the day, the Sun burns away the storm, and in the night the Moon freezes all that would dare approach us.

    Still, the Wall seeks our end, as it always has, since time immemorial. Some say the world used to be larger, and the Wall further away, and that over time it has devoured more and more of the great sea. But so long as we can see the sky, we are protected, and we have no need to worry.

    However, it is said that there was a time, not all that long ago, when the sky was taken from us.

    The Skywatchers were the first to notice the dimming of the Sun. They raised alarms, though they did not know what it meant. The seers shouted portents of doom and portents of blessing in equal measure. Those who declared the dimming of the sun a blessing were to be executed for their lies afterward, for to be a false seer is among the worst sins a man can commit. On that day, it was even worse even than that, for those who believed the false seers did not prepare themselves for the worst.

    The sky continued to darken. Blues were replaced with oranges. The light of the sun became red like blood. The heat of the day left us, becoming the cold of the night. And then it went even beyond that, blocking out everything until all was pure darkness. The only light came from our homes and the storms of the Wall itself.

    The Sky had left us, utterly and completely. We were alone.

    Those who had prepared were ready for the Wall to begin closing in. All boats had been recalled, and everyone had locked themselves in their homes. And yet, the Wall did not close in, it remained precisely where it was, unchanging. To this day we know not why it did not approach¡ªperhaps the Sky had not truly abandoned us, or perhaps in order to move the Wall needs to have the way forward prepared.

    From the Wall emerged the monsters. Sailing on great ships of black, they came, somehow floating despite the great torrents of the storm from which they came. The monsters looked like us but had eyes of darkness and hands that shot lightning.

    They came to destroy. Those who had believed the seers who claimed blessings were slaughtered first, for they were out in the open, not protected, not hiding. Their fields were burned, their wives stolen. The monsters never spoke, yet moved as though they were an army, taking out any who offered organized resistance with ease. There was nothing we could do against the storms in their hands. Many brave men who went to fight despite the warnings lost their lives for nothing, for not a single monster was felled.

    It was only the act of the Guardian Spirit that saved us that day. She emerged from the sea, throwing the monsters aside with a single wave, where her servants devoured them one by one, staining the waters red with their blood. Many of our people were washed away with the monsters, sacrificed for the safety of us all.

    The monsters did not relent even in the face of her power. Death of their fellow beasts did not deter them in the slightest. They continued fighting down to the very last. No matter how many the Guardian Spirit slayed, those who remained continued to slaughter, seeking out as many of us as they could, seeking absolute extermination.

    But the power of the Guardian Spirit was greater. She found every last one of the monsters and fed them to her servants. Not a single bone was left when she was done¡ªand then she turned to the invading ships.

    The moment she approached, the sea rumbled and boiled. Cast only in the light of the Guardian Spirit and the Wall¡¯s storms, the king of monsters emerged from the depths. A horrid being, far larger than anything we could comprehend. Scales the size of houses, eyes as large as islands, and teeth of mountains. It only needed to take its head and neck out of the water to rival the size of the Wall itself. If it were to have emerged fully, it would have filled the entire world, Wall to Wall.

    The Guardian Spirit did not move, and neither did the king of monsters. The two stared at each other for the longest time above the blood-drenched sea.

    We all held our breaths. For a moment, we doubted our Guardian Spirit could even face such a behemoth. We felt that the seers were right not just in the general sense they usually are, but in an absolute sense. We were at the end, the Wall was going to devour the last of us.

    But then the king of monsters returned beneath the waves. Whatever ships remained went back into the Wall.

    With that, the Sky returned. The moon was in the sky, and the stars shone down on us.

    The Guardian spirit returned to her dwelling, and we were left¡ªalive, but broken. Blood stained the streets. The waters were not clear for days. There were so many dead they could not be counted. But we lived.

    However, our view of the world changed that day. The Sky can, on any day, be darkened. There are monsters that serve the Wall and seek our utter annihilation. And then there was the king of monsters. There are those who say the Guardian Spirit did not defeat him, but made a deal with him¡ªa deal made out of desperation, for he was something beyond even her.

    Surely that is just an overreaction. Surely her victory was absolute.

    For she was all that saved us that day.

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­An eternal storm¡­¡± Envila said, eyes wide. ¡°I¡­ when Jeh told me of the Tempest, I don¡¯t think I realized what precisely that meant.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a real place, I spent a fair amount of time there. Now, the Wall¡¯s not some kind of evil being bent on destroying everything, it¡¯s just a storm, but for the people within it kept them sealed off entirely from the outside world.¡±

    ¡°I fully intend to go there on my journey around the world.¡±

    ¡°Booking passage will be expensive, the boats have to be designed to handle the intense storms,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°But it is doable.¡±

    Envila nodded. ¡°How much of that story was legend?¡±

    ¡°Most of it, we suspect,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Those of us who were there theorized that it was a combination of three events that happened at different times¡ªa volcanic eruption, an invasion from outside, and a tall tale spun from the discovered carcass of a leviathan, though naturally they exaggerate the size.¡±

    ¡°¡­I note the Guardian Spirit is not on that list.¡±

    Vaughan smirked. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s real. I even met her. No idea what she is, but she¡¯s definitely been part of the Tempest for as long as their history goes back. Which isn¡¯t very far, they didn¡¯t have writing until it was introduced to them from outside.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating. I¡¯d very much like to hear more, later of course.¡± She turned to smile at everyone. ¡°This is story time, after all.¡±

    ¡°Surely you have a story?¡± Jeh asked Envila. ¡°Something¡­ creepy?¡±

    ¡°¡­Perhaps.¡± Envila thought for a moment. ¡°How about¡­ a tale told to me when I was a child, one that predates the Second Cataclysm. The tale¡­ of The Little Unicorn.¡±

    ~~~

    The Little Unicorn

    Our tale begins with words of the divine.

    ¡°Little Unicorn,¡± the Unknown Goddess spoke to her servant, as she almost never did. ¡°You have a great purpose to your life, an action only you can take. Go forth, and accomplish your destiny.¡±

    ¡°Of course, my Goddess,¡± the little unicorn said, despite knowing nothing at all about what her purpose or destiny actually was, she took to it with devotion. She set out into the world to find out what her purpose was, doing everything she thought could possibly be it. She set herself against evil emperors, monsters of the forest, and whatever other evil she could, seeking to please her Goddess. And yet, nothing she did seemed to her to be her purpose, despite all the good it was clearly doing.

    On her journey, she gained a few companions. One was an old wizard who sought the secrets of the world, and the other was a defiant man devoted to the freedom of all. Together, the three of them spread across the world. There was no foe too large or small for them to take on, no challenge too great or trivial. They became legends, celebrated heroes the world over.

    As time went on, they vanquished more and more evil, purging it from the world bit by bit. Nothing hid from them, and they became more and more celebrated. Until, eventually, the last of the great foes was defeated, and evil was on the decline. They, as the heroes, were offered positions of power and honor to lead the world into a new era.

    The little unicorn did not take it, she vowed to continue searching for her purpose. Perhaps it was to rid the world of all evil, including the smaller evils, so she went on further journeys. Her friends, however, did take their rewards. The wizard went to explore the great unknown where no one had ever set foot, and he was never heard from again. The rebellious man was made king of the world, and with his power, he made sure people were as free as they possibly could be.

    However, spirited are fickle beings, and when given freedom they will abuse it. The rebellious man sought a world where no laws told people who they could and could not be, but without any laws murder and theft run rampant, so he had to keep such legal codes. However, he used his resources to phase more and more of the laws out over time, allowing people more and more freedom as they could handle it. He wanted to give everyone what they wanted, always.

    While the little unicorn sought to end evil and fight for the weak, the rebellious man continued to shape the world into a place of true freedom. However, the proud desire in all to be better than others proved a problem for him. Everyone had, at some point, a true desire to harm another, be it physically, emotionally, or just socially. As the people were provided everything else they were asked for, they became deeply upset that they couldn¡¯t have those things. After all, if they could simply wave their hand and have a golden statue of themselves brought over, why couldn¡¯t they ask for their neighbor to never get a golden statue of any kind?

    The people did not want to be the same, each of them wanted to be better than the others. Which was a desire the rebellious man could not fulfill, and what drove the conflicts the little unicorn had to resolve for so, so long.

    The rebellious man eventually came up with a solution. He could give everyone what they wanted¡ªso long as it was a lie. Every desire, acted upon, but if it should be harmful to another¡­ well, then they would just be given an illusion. A fake. A fake that they would never know was fake. Those who wished to slaughter millions were given millions to slaughter, believing it was real the whole time. Everyone could be better than everyone else, for they became gods of their own little worlds.

    Over time, this led to people becoming more and more separate from one another, living alone in a place that catered to their every whim. There were exceptions, of course, such as the little unicorn herself, the rebellious man, and others required to keep the system running as it was.

    As this continued, people became worse and worse in their land of no consequence. Why not murder? Why not pillage? Why not be as horrible as you possibly could be to everything and everyone you encountered? The world revolved around you, after all. Clearly, you deserved it.

    The little unicorn saw this as she traveled, moving from fake world to fake world. Her job became less and less necessary as it was more and more impossible for people to actually hurt each other, for they could never really touch another person. All she got to do¡­ was watch. Watch what happened to people as they, with absolute freedom, became something truly disgusting.

    She decided she¡¯d had enough. She went to confront her friend, her friend of untold years who had saved the very world with her. Her friend who controlled the entire system and was absolutely devoted to his ideals. The people were free, and no one was being harmed. In his mind, the world was perfect. It was only he who was not free, for he was held to manage everyone from above, and he believed this sacrifice was worthwhile to make for everyone else.

    The little unicorn disagreed and, in that moment, she understood why she had been given the blessing of the Unknown God. It was so she could be here, right now, confronting her friend. For, in a sense, she was the only person in the world who was truly free¡ªnot free in the sense that she could do anything she wanted, but free in the sense that she was allowed to see the entire picture. To understand what it all meant.

    She was here in this moment to end it all.

    With tears in her eyes and a deep wail, she cut her friend down, breaking everything he had built.

    The world was consumed in darkness.

    But, from the darkness, people emerged. And, over time, the darkness within them was pushed back. There was suffering once more, there was death, and there was great evil that rose from the ashes.

    But people¡­ were people once more.

    ~~~

    ¡°That sounds like a Second Cataclysm story,¡± Blue observed. ¡°Which is odd¡­ since you say it predates that.¡±

    Envila nodded. ¡°The similarities are very curious, aren¡¯t they? And yet, this story was old when it was first told to me all those years ago. I used to think it was actually a story of the First Cataclysm¡ªand yet, it shares no similarities with the other stories about that time, which always feature the death of the Great Crystalline Ones.¡±

    ¡°A lot of it is¡­ confusing,¡± Margaret said. ¡°How can you convince everyone in the world that they can have whatever they want?¡±

    Envila shrugged. ¡°I believe many details are exaggerated, much as with Vaughan¡¯s story of the Tempest. In fact, for all we know this story isn¡¯t based in reality at all and was just made up. I cannot say. I do think there really was a little unicorn, though, and that little unicorn was brought to a situation where she had to kill her old friend for the sake of the many. That story¡­ that story I think repeats itself across time, over and over again.¡±

    Seskii looked unusually contemplative. ¡°Yeah¡­ it does. Again¡­ and again.¡±

    ¡°¡­Seskii, did I touch a chord in you somewhere?¡±

    Seskii nodded. ¡°I could just¡­ feel that one, y¡¯know?¡± She chuckled. ¡°Struck me right in the heart, couldn¡¯t get it out. Like an arrow!¡± She mimicked being shot by an arrow and falling back.

    The wild child was concerned by this, suddenly standing up.

    ¡°Oh no no no, don¡¯t worry!¡± Seskii said, waving her hands. ¡°I¡¯m fine, it was just a joke!¡±

    The child calmed down and everyone started laughing.

    ¡°You know¡­¡± Blue said, tilting her head. ¡°You all are telling stories that are basically ancient legends.¡±

    ¡°Mine wasn¡¯t that old¡­¡± Mary huffed.

    ¡°Well, yes, but there are new stories as well! ¡­Though, those books generally aren¡¯t distributed outside of Axiom¡­¡± Blue scratched her chin. ¡°Eh, doesn¡¯t matter really, while I was in Axiom I got access to the books of a storyteller by the name of Yevnii Drake, who writes stories about a slime detective by the name of Gilligan Glop. I¡¯ll say up front, there¡¯s no legend associated with this aside from the work of investigators in Axiom itself. Gilligan Glop has worked many a successful case, finding murderers using unusual magics, uncovering careful fraudsters, and tracking down missing people even if they don¡¯t want to be found. But there was one day there was a case that shook him to his bones¡­ ¡­yes I realize slimes don¡¯t have bones, don¡¯t judge me, I¡¯m telling this story¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Gilligan Glop and the Eyes in Twilight

    Detective Glop was doing what he normally did when he didn¡¯t have a case to work on¡ªhe was walking around the outskirts of Axiom, just taking in the scenery. He really liked to see both the allure of nature and the city at once. Many people on this path recognized him and waved to him as he went by, or struck up conversation with him, asking how his last case had went¡ªwhich was well, on this particular day.

    He was in extremely high spirits and was really looking forward to the sunset. The sky was clear and it promised to be a beautiful one.

    Then, however, everything grew dark, and not in the usual way night falls. He was walking, not a cloud in the sky, the sun approaching the horizon¡­ and then the darkness approached. The light of the sun went out. He ruled out the obvious¡ªit wasn¡¯t a storm front, and it wasn¡¯t ash. He heard a low, guttural sound, and then in the midst of the darkness he saw the eyes. Three of them, piercing red, that looked right at him.

    Then they vanished. The darkness left. And in front of Glop was a dead body.

    He had it taken back. It was identified as Riinof Barskon, a green gari farmer who lived nearby. He had a devastated wife, but no children. There was no overt sign of the cause of death, but when the people at the morgue talked to Glop about what they found, they said it looked like his brain had melted from the inside out.

    Glop¡¯s first theory was that this was an attribute of an as-of-yet unknown spirited, so he turned to the archives, looking for anything describing the three eyes and the darkness. Such a spirited had never been recorded before¡ªthree eyes were extremely rare, and none of the spirited with them had associations with darkness. Nonetheless, he did begin his investigations there, interviewing any three-eyed spirited he could.

    The problem was, while some of them were potentially dangerous, none of them had red eyes. At least none of them that were publicly known. He was beginning to wonder if this was one of those spontaneous murders¡ªdone without a plan, without a motive, and without reason from point A to point B, and that there would be no signs of anything.

    However, as he was interviewing a very nervous-looking three-eyed woman, just as the sun was setting, the darkness returned. The three eyes appeared¡ªnot those of the woman, definitely not, and the growl did not sound like anything the three-eyed spirited he¡¯d found could make. He tried to move to get closer to the eyes in the darkness, but they backed away from him.

    The darkness faded, and the individual he was interviewing was dead.

    He immediately suspected this was some kind of cover-up. She had known something that he wasn¡¯t supposed to know. So he checked for her name¡ªHykkner Stakrim, descendent of a migrant all the way from Vraskal who had fled persecution. Her particular race was known to be able to read minds, and Vraskal was very distrusting of that. Kroan was as well, but to a lesser extent. If the killer was of the same race, perhaps there was some resentment there? A descendant of a migrant who had not known how horrible it had been in Vraskal and thought the snubbing in Kroan was so atrocious it was worthy of revenge¡­

    Except there was no connection with Riinof Barkson, his wife insisted she hadn¡¯t even known three-eyed spirited existed. If it was a split-hair decision, that meant Riinof had to have been talking to the killer near the time of the murder, and Glop knew that wasn¡¯t true since he had been in the area when it happened. To add icing onto the cake, every single member of Hykkner Stakrim¡¯s family was accounted for, either dead and buried in a marked grave or living. Most troublingly, not a single one had red eyes, their family just didn¡¯t have it in them to produce such an eye color, and they were almost entirely unable to mix with the local population due to their race being so rare.

    So that was a dead end. But it wasn¡¯t like information wasn¡¯t gleaned¡ªit was likely Hykkner was related to it all somehow, but it wasn¡¯t her family. She must have just known. Perhaps, out of desperation, she formed a connection with a three-eyed spirited that wasn¡¯t her species? Possible, but there were already so few, it didn¡¯t seem likely.

    Still, he investigated, and then it happened again. While he was talking to a troop of Royal Guards about the oddities of this case, the darkness returned, and so did the eyes. Glop tried to learn as much as he could, rushing forward, pulling back, listening. The roar was what he focused on the most¡ªwhat sort of creature could even make that sound? It was the same every time. Exactly the same.

    The darkness cleared, and one of the royal guards was dead, Anthony Baker. It was at this point Glop noted that the killings had nothing to do with the victims, but rather had to do with him. He was the common element in every scene, so it had to have something to do with him. He was being targeted, but not killed. Why? And did the fact that it always happened around sunset mean anything?

    He decided to perform an experiment. He know how to cover his trail in a way no one would find it, it was a trick he had picked up from tracking down so many people over the years. So he covered his tracks, went underground, and hid himself in an abandoned building when twilight rolled around. This time, there was no darkness around him, nothing.

    When he emerged, there had not been a murder that night.

    So he resolved to always hide himself away before twilight so that no others would be killed, but he still needed to track down the killer.

    He went down the list of people with grudges against him¡ªthere was a stupendously large number, but he was able to overrule most of them as too stupid to pull something of this caliber off, or not having the capacity to do such a thing. From what information he had, he made a few deductions. He was the target of this, and whoever it was didn¡¯t want him to find it, so they were probably being very careful and might even have some scapegoats set up. In this case, it was very likely he was being purposefully misled. The three-eyed spirited felt like a wild goose chase because it was; a trick to lead him in the wrong direction. The roar was the same every time, so it was likely fake. The eyes¡­ he had never been permitted to get close to them either, they and the darkness could have been an illusion.

    And the method of death¡ªmelting of the brain from the inside.

    He deduced that he was looking for a Purple wizard, or at least someone very skilled in Purple magic.

    After he did this, though, another murder occurred. Of his favorite errand boy. Unlike all the other murders, there was a note attached to him. This is what you get for refusing to play. One will die every night you hide yourself.

    Glop knew that every day he failed to solve the case, another life would be lost, no matter where he was or what happened. So he went to the Purple tower in the Academy and interviewed everyone on how such a killing could be done. The Purple wizards could explain the unusual darkness and the red eyes¡ªadvanced, but not all that creative, illusions¡ªas well as the baking of the brain. Those who were extremely talented with Purple could focus multiple light sources on a single point, bursting it into flames. One could imagine focusing the light through the ear and into the skull cavity with precision. However, it would take essentially a grand wizard or the equivalent to do it.

    This suggested a master Purple Wizard. So Glop threw that idea out immediately¡ªthe killer was one specifically trying to fool him, he would not use a murder method that would point to him, he would use one that pointed to someone else. So Glop was looking for someone with the skills of a grand Purple wizard who was nevertheless not one. However, the killer would need to know enough to know how a master Purple wizard would kill people.

    The sound, it turned out, was the key. There was no sound magic. But there was one Color that could mimic it, Orange, by creating hyper-precise vibrations. The roar was repeated in the exact same way every time¡ªthus it must have been from an arcane device of some kind. There were no sound-playing devices on the market, so it had to be custom-built.

    This led him to the Orange tower, where he did in fact find a few wizards who could create sound devices. He asked for a list of all Orange wizards who were also known to use Purple, even if it was just as a ¡°hobby.¡±

    The sunset was approaching. He needed to be quick. He ran through the names as quickly as he could, trying to think with what little information he had about who would be behind this. None of his enemies were here. He had never seen any of them before in his life.

    And then he came to the name Karro Alton, and he knew. He went up immediately to Karro Alton¡¯s office, making sure that other wizards present knew where he was going.

    Karro Alton had the appearance of a kindly old man; human, but hunched so much one tended to second-guess that conclusion. He looked to Glop with kind eyes and a wide smile.

    And Karro congratulated him.  He solved the mystery. He really was as good as they said.

    Glop rarely got the killers to confess the moment he found them, so he was confused. But in the next few seconds of silence, he put the full picture together. Karro was old, extremely old, and he had a terminal disease that would kill him in a few weeks at this point. As a researching Wizard in his twilight years, he realized he had nothing to lose by trying to answer questions through unethical means¡ªafter all, he was about to die, and if he was caught, nothing would really change for him. There were no consequences. He had actually performed quite a few dubious experiments over the last few months, Glop¡¯s was merely one of them. Karro had heard of a legendary detective who could solve any murder, and so had specifically sought him out in order to give him a true test. Could he track down a murderer who had no connection to anything in the case whatsoever? One who was purposefully being misleading in order to give Glop a challenge?

    Karro had killed those people because Glop existed and for no other reason. There was no personal vendetta, no revenge plot, nothing but the desire to see if Glop could really do it.

    Karro made no resistance to arrest. He admitted to everything wholesale, with a smile on his face and no hint of shame. He kept praising Glop for his amazing skills.

    But when Glop went to sleep, he thought of the four dead people.

    Only dead because he had gotten a reputation as a perfect detective.

    Had he not been here, they would still be alive. Who knew if, in the future, more would die simply because he existed¡­?

    ~~~

    ¡°Hmm, a curious puzzle,¡± Envila said. ¡°I note you kept out the final piece of information that led him to Karro.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°It¡¯s more dramatic if you don¡¯t have the final piece of information, especially since this story wasn¡¯t exactly intended to have you figure out who did it, the puzzle was more about the motive¡ªafter all, Karro doesn¡¯t even make an appearance until the end.¡± Blue sat back. ¡°Most of Glop¡¯s other mysteries are solvable early on, but this one was the most suspenseful that I could think of.¡±

    ¡°There is one problem with the story, though,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Slimes don¡¯t have eyes, how could he know the eyes were red, or see the darkness?¡±

    Blue chuckled nervously. ¡°Uh¡­ the author admitted that when he started the stories he had never actually met a slime. His early works are filled with a lot more holes like that¡­¡±

    ¡°I can see that being a very real danger, though,¡± Margaret said. ¡°If you make yourself the best at something, there will be those who seek to challenge you just for the sake of it. And if you are the best at solving murders¡­¡±

    ¡°The best scares have a little bit of truth to them,¡± Seskii said. ¡°Sure, monsters are terrifying and all, but if a story can get you to be afraid in your day-to-day life because of something that¡¯s real¡­ oh, that¡¯s really how it¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°Then how about you tell us your story?¡± Vaughan asked.

    Seskii grinned. ¡°Oh? You want a story from me? Well, I¡¯m flattered¡­¡± She leaned forward, grinning. ¡°Have this short piece.¡±

    Everyone leaned in, listening closely.

    ¡°You have heard many stories tonight about monsters in the woods, about forbidden knowledge, about great tragedies, about destined betrayals, and of avoidable death. But we all know we¡¯re safe, after all, none of these things are really true stories. They are the sorts of things we tell around a fire to exhilarate ourselves. We jump in fear, then we laugh, and become more in tune with our spirits.

    ¡°Just harmless fun.

    ¡°However¡­ what if it wasn¡¯t? We have seen that parts of these stories have truth to them, elements of legend, historic events twisted through an unusual lens¡­ such things could truly happen if the situation was right. If there really was a detective named Glop, if there really was a king of the monsters, if there really was a monstrous forest of dead trees.

    ¡°Tell me, if you actually encountered such things, would you be very surprised? No? Of course not, because that is the world we live in. A world where the things of legend and stories¡­ are just there.

    ¡°What if, my friends, what if that were literal? What if there were something watching us, taking in the stories we tell¡­ and making them real? What if the very world we inhabit is nothing more than the stories we have told, and that the great tragedies of history are all because of a bunch of friends around a campfire spinning tall tales?

    ¡°Somewhere in the past, there could have been a bunch of friends around a campfire, spinning a horrific tale about a spirit who wanted to be seen by no one and killed all those who saw her face. A spirit of the mountain, a Purple spirit shaped like a cube. What a story that would be to tell, huh?

    Seskii let out an ominous giggle. ¡°And sure, you all say this sounds ridiculous, that it is the events that come first and the legends after¡­ but how can we be sure of that? How can we be sure¡­ that we are not perpetuating the cycle of suffering by telling stories anew, right here, right now?

    ¡°The worst part is¡­ even if we stopped, there are thousands of people doing the exact same thing we are doing right now across Ikyu. There¡¯s nothing any of us can do to stop them all. So as long as people walk upon Ikyu, stories will be told, legends will be born, and great evil will be crafted from the imaginations of the spirited who just wanted to have a fun night.¡±

    Everyone stared at Seskii with wild eyes, utterly speechless.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a win,¡± Seskii said, taking a bite of her flame-cooked meat.

    ¡°¡­That is a truly terrifying thought,¡± Envila said, blinking. ¡°I applaud you, Seskii.¡±

    ¡°Thank you! I¡¯m here all night!¡± She grinned. ¡°For the record, and so all of you can sleep tonight without turning your brain in knots, no I don¡¯t think the stories we¡¯re telling will go on to define reality.¡±

    ¡°But as you yourself said, we can¡¯t know,¡± Envila said.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, you can¡¯t know.¡± Seskii winked. ¡°Oh well!¡±

    At this point, the wild boy stood up and let out a big yawn.

    ¡°Oh, are you all tuckered out from my little existential nightmare seed?¡± Seskii asked.

    The boy didn¡¯t understand her and turned to walk back into the forest. He waved at them before vanishing.

    ¡°¡­Guess we don¡¯t have to worry about what to do with him,¡± Blue said, yawning. ¡°Wow¡­ how late is it?¡±

    ¡°Dunno,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Late enough to sleep.¡±

    ¡°You never got to tell a story though.¡±

    ¡°I spent my entire life in a forest being completely invincible, the only stories I know are ones people around this fire have told me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Blue patted Jeh on the head. ¡°Well, good night then!¡±

    There were a series of good nights, and then they put out the fire and went to sleep, absorbing the events of the night into their minds. None of their stories would be forgotten, not a one.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    It was a bonus chapter today, no science, only stories! It was mentioned that you guys wanted to see some fiction from the world, but only Blue¡¯s story really fits that description. On Ikyu, the idea of writing fiction in novel form is somewhat new, they mostly have tall tales and legends, only civilized areas like Axiom have proper fiction in them.

    In our world, the first novels were published in the 1700s, and I¡¯ve been using a general timeframe of around 1600 for the development of Ikyu, around the time of Galileo¡¯s life. Keep in mind magic does mean they miss some obvious technologies and get access to others much easier, but it¡¯s the ballpark I use.

    I myself went camping as a kid a lot and have a lot of fond memories around a fire, but we weren¡¯t the sort to tell creepy stories that often, we mostly told silly stories, anecdotes, or just talked about strange things. So, sadly, I don¡¯t have any real-world creepy tales to place here, alas¡­ but if you want to share your campfire stories in the comments, well, why not?

 031 - Benefactor

    WSP031

    Benefactor?

    It wasn¡¯t quite sunrise when Tenrayce declared it was time to go. If their interpretation of the data was correct, that meant they were going to reach the Purple Cube today. How soon, though, was a bit uncertain¡ªthey were fairly certain they were outside her sensing range, but they couldn¡¯t be certain about that, all they knew was that Slashy¡¯s tremors picked up a cave but even the furthest reaches hadn¡¯t found a large crystalline structure. C-R¡¯s group agreed that they were currently outside the sensing range.

    Once they were within sensing range, they would be able to pinpoint the location of the Purple Cube the moment she did something. There was no way to keep the fact that they were looking for the Cube a secret¡ªwhat else would they be doing out here following an underground tunnel¡¯s path? Thus, they very much expected the Cube to try something. At which point¡­ the plan would be sprung.

    The plan Tenrayce had told no one except C-R and a select few Crystalline Ones.

    Which was to say the Wizard Space Program and friends were entirely in the dark. For today, they had been told to gather in one of the balloon whale cargo holds and stay there unless something dramatic occurred. The cargo holds were designed with security in mind, so the only windows were small reinforced portholes, and there were only three of them so not everyone could look out at once. As such, a very disorganized cycle had developed where people went to the windows, stared out for a while, and passed it off to someone else. This somewhat tedious cycle was how everyone spent their morning. It would have been boring were it not so tense. The dragging hours put everyone on edge.

    ¡°Let me see let me see!¡± Jeh called, jumping up and down, trying to get to the window.

    ¡°I¡¯m having a look right now,¡± Jeremiah said, pressing his face to the glass.

    Jeh gave up trying to get him to move and went to Blue. ¡°Can I see?¡±

    Blue nodded, tearing herself away from her window. ¡°It does appear that we¡¯re slowing down again, probably to take Slashy down for another reading.¡± She glanced to the door of the cargo hold, frowning.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t watched her go down the last two times,¡± Seskii said, putting a hand on Blue. ¡°You don¡¯t have to watch this time. Pepper¡¯s got her.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ yes. Right.¡± Blue took in a sharp breath and forced herself to look back at the windows, which were currently occupied by Jeremiah, Jeh, and Mary. She considered asking Mary to move, but she realized she might have just wanted that in order to maybe see Slashy descending to the ground. She very specifically didn¡¯t need to stare at the kancathi and could just¡­ stare at the ground. Yes. Staring at the ground was a good idea.

    ¡°¡­All this waiting is getting to me,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Charging right into the belly of the beast and we just¡­ sit here.¡±

    ¡°Your presence here was not part of the mission, as I recall,¡± Envila said, turning a page in a book Tenrayce had lent her, though unlike Tenrayce she bothered to look up and make eye contact with Vaughan after doing so. ¡°We are not part of the plan, we are incidental, all we can do is watch as all this goes down. Even me. There¡¯s nothing I can do against a Crystalline One of that size no matter how capable I am. We just get to sit and¡­ well, I would say enjoy the show, but enjoyment may not be on offer depending on how brutal our enemy wants to be.¡±

    ¡°How¡­ brutal¡­¡± a haunted expression returned to Blue. ¡°Oh my goodness, that¡¯s¡­ she really could try to just blast all of us out of the sky. How could we do anything?¡±

    ¡°Clearly, Tenrayce has a plan, not that I know what it is. I presume it involves Untearful, perhaps she knows some unusual technique for dealing with Crystalline Ones.¡±

    ¡°Very likely,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Kroan has a rather low tolerance for rogue Crystalline Ones and there are many techniques for dealing with them. My personal favorite is the simple metal rod flung at high speed with Orange magic from a large distance, works like a charm.¡±

    Mary shivered. ¡°That won¡¯t do anything against the Purple Cube though¡­ she¡¯s too big, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep, definitely,¡± Vaughan said, leaning back and folding his arms. ¡°It¡¯s kind of important that the rod gets shot from outside the Crystalline One¡¯s sensing area as well, which is like¡­ multiple kilometers for this Purple Cube, if our calculations are right. We¡¯re probably in it already.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s probably looking through our eyes right now¡­¡± Mary shivered.

    ¡°You claim your Goddess does the same,¡± Margaret pointed out.

    ¡°Well yes, but Dia has our best interests at heart, while the Purple Cube shot Jeh out of the sky.¡±

    ¡°Very mean,¡± Jeh agreed, backing up from the window. ¡°Also quite annoying.¡±

    ¡°I do wonder why she was so aggressive¡­¡± Envila said, scratching her chin. ¡°From your stories, it is clear she has gone through a lot of effort to remain absolutely hidden. And yet, suddenly, she was brutally quick to get rid of the Skyseed. Was it panic? Was it a warning?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t a very effective warning, since we¡¯re here,¡± Vaughan commented.

    Blue continued staring at the ground. She wanted to do something, anything. But there was nothing to do but wait and watch for¡­ whatever was going to come.

    ~~~?

    Tenrayce sat in her chair, reading a book. She was quite enjoying the interesting observations within on the connection between Green magic in legends and cats, despite the fact that cats themselves had no particular inclination toward Green magic as opposed to any of the other Colors. And yet cats and the many cat-like races were regularly associated with it, all the way back to the legends of the Great Green Crystalline One.

    However, this was just the half of her mind that was reading. The other half was fretting consistently over the plan. It was beyond dangerous. It required the Purple Cube to do something first, and if the Purple Cube figured out a way to completely vaporize everyone at once in such a way that the Crystalline Ones on board couldn¡¯t defend, well, that would be that.

    It was a gamble. C-R happened to agree with the gamble, but still, a gamble nonetheless.

    A gamble she had to be very careful not to reveal.

    Nothing yet, C-R¡¯s voice came into Tenrayce¡¯s head. Just more tunnel. And walls that try to stop us from finding her, but your kancathi is sensitive enough to see beyond them.

    ¡°Are we sure these tunnels are recent?¡± Tenrayce asked, drumming her fingers.

    No, it is merely what the evidence points to. Land that was previously very wet nearby has only partially dried, and the kankathi has sensed pools of water.

    ¡°I know,¡± Tenryace said, frowning. ¡°You think she would have been able to cover her tracks better¡­¡±

    In a land covered in snow, she would be all but invisible under the ground. Here, though¡­

    ¡°Then she must have had a specific reason for coming here, rather than trying to hide even further north.¡± Tenrayce frowned. ¡°But this is the middle of the Wild Kingdoms, there¡¯s nothing here¡­¡±

    She can easily know something we don¡¯t.

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±

    I believe we are most definitely within her sensing range, now. While I do not know how active the perceptions of a Crystalline One so large are, I find it hard to believe that a Purple Crystalline One is not aware of everything within sight range everywhere she is. She did see your ship in space, after all.

    Tenrayce gave no response, flipping the next page in her book.

    I hope you are ready.

    ¡°I¡¯m always ready,¡± Tenrayce said. She truly believed this, if there was one thing her habit of reading books while doing everything had done, it was making sure she was always prepared to do several things at once. Especially now. She was waiting for something to happen.

    Admittedly, she only needed to do anything if things went wrong, the plan should have been able to execute itself perfectly without her input at this point. But who was she kidding, there was going to be some kind of complication. And if the Purple Cube decided to talk first rather than shoot¡­ well, that would be interesting, to say the least.

    That said she wasn¡¯t expecting that, she was expecting to get shot at. Hopefully, her forces were large enough and spread out enough that everything could still execute properly¡­

    ~~~?

    In the cargo hold, Vaughan and Seskii were playing some cards. Seskii was winning.

    ¡°And I play my last card, the Magenta one, and win!¡±

    Vaughan rubbed his beard. ¡°You are really good at this¡­¡±

    Seskii winked. ¡°Practice makes perfect. I¡¯ve played this a lot.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps we should gang up on you¡­¡±

    At this point, one of the boxes in the hold fell over, crashing onto the ground, sending splintery wood planks everywhere. Bottles of lemon juice went flying in various directions, as well as a single, small, humanoid figure.

    The very same boy they¡¯d met last night around the campfire; ice-blue hair, furs, and all. Naturally, he was also absolutely covered in lemon juice from bottles he had opened himself.

    Everyone stared at him.

    He stared back.

    ¡°Why hello there, little one,¡± Mary said, kneeling down and smiling at him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Like he¡¯s going to answer¡­¡± Blue commented.

    ¡°Calm words calm people down.¡±

    ¡°He seems pretty calm to me,¡± Margaret said, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Which is¡­ odd.¡±

    The boy stopped staring and just stood up, dusting himself off. He started wandering around, looking at all the boxes with a smile on his face, saying nothing.

    Blue watched him as he walked around and frowned. ¡°How¡¯d he¡­?¡±

    ¡°Presumably the same way you did?¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°While it was somewhat easy to do that, it did require planning. I had to find the right box, bury myself in it well, and be very still and very quiet¡­ and it was nerve-wracking. There¡¯s no way this happened by accident.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he just wanted to come along?¡± Mary asked.

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make sense, why would he know he had to sneak on? He didn¡¯t even try to follow us, he just vanished back into the forest.¡±

    Jeremiah grunted. ¡°That is¡­ mighty suspicious.¡±

    ¡°A kid, Dad?¡± Margaret asked. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s after something.¡±

    ¡°He does appear to be searching for something,¡± Vaughan admitted as the boy continued walking around the cargo hold, looking around with that innocent smile on his face. ¡°¡­We should tell Tenrayce.¡±

    Everyone agreed, though most of their faces were confused and uncertain.

    Envila waved to the wild child, gesturing for him to follow with a big smile. He understood and listened, lining up behind her.

    Vaughan opened the door to the cargo hold, revealing the central room of the gondola. Currently, Slashy was being kept here, and Pepper was tightening all the chains in preparation for another descent to the surface to perform a quick tremor test. She was pulling the strap around Slashy¡¯s mouth when she noticed Vaughan. ¡°Oh? What is it?¡±

    ¡°We have a stowaway.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh! Bring her in, let me see!¡±

    Vaughan tipped his hat and let Envila past with the wild child. Surprisingly, the boy only glanced momentarily at Slashy. Afterward, he continued his search, giving particular care to the windows.

    ¡°Huh, a wild child¡­¡± Pepper scratched her chin. ¡°Weird¡­¡±

    ¡°He seems to be looking for¡­ his home, maybe?¡± Mary asked.

    ¡°Too calm for that, also he was looking in boxes earlier,¡± Blue said, trying to see if she could look at the boy rather than Slashy. The best she could do was occasionally glance at Slashy which, she supposed, was probably smart seeing as the kancathi could theoretically try to crush any of them at any moment if she snapped.

    Pepper¡¯s smile faltered as she watched the boy. ¡°Something¡­ something¡¯s not right here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, hence us telling Tenrayce,¡± Vaughan said.

    Envila observed the boy as they ushered him forward. Her eyes flew open wide. ¡°Spy.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Margaret snorted. ¡°A kid who can¡¯t even speak our language, a spy? Look, he doesn¡¯t even understand that you accused him!¡±

    The boy obliviously pressed his face to the window, and suddenly broke out into a big grin. Untearful floated up to the window. ¡°Are you ready to be taken down, Pepper?¡±

    Pepper shook her head. ¡°Minor situation, please hold off¡ª¡±

    The boy pointed right at Untearful, letting out a delighted, innocent laugh.

    Pepper paled. ¡°Oh no.¡±

    Untearful exploded.

    Before Blue could so much as process this, or even try to figure out what caused it, suddenly it was as though the very sun were shining right in her eyes. She let out a shout of pain, ramming her eyelids shut¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t enough, the light came right through as though her eyelids weren¡¯t even there.

    She felt a tremor run through the gondola. The balloon whale let out a cry of pain, something they very rarely did.

    Pepper gasped. ¡°Oh no you d¡ª¡± There was the sound of metal chains flying through the air and a very loud thwack followed quickly by a slam. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t need eye¡ª¡± There was another tremor, and the floor started to buckle and crack.

    ¡°Kirkkok!¡± Jeremiah shouted. ¡°Do something!¡±

    ¡°Well this is certainly a lot of power¡ªoh, psh, just regular light, nothing fancy. Let¡¯s see if¡ªAUGH!¡± There was a sound like glass being shattered and then molten into some kind of viscous blob. For a moment, the bright light became completely black, and then white again.

    ¡°The sigil! Why again!? AGUH!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t dispel the light!¡± Vaughan shouted. ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± Something must have hit him, for he went silent, but this did not make anything else that was happening silently. The kankathi was causing tremors¡­ tremors she was using to see that, nonetheless, were tearing apart the floor and causing great pain to the balloon whale.

    But of course, she wouldn¡¯t care about that. She could fly, even with the chains, if everything fell¡­

    And Blue couldn¡¯t look at her.

    But she could listen.

    Blue closed her eyes as tightly as she could¡ªnot that it did anything¡ªand listened. She could hear Mary cowering next to her. Jeh and Envila shouting, trying to fight, but not hitting anything. Several guards were on the ground, moaning in pain, though whether it was from the light or injuries sustained from the fight it was impossible to tell. And then there were the tremors. They were minor, clearly the kankathi was using them to see and not just for pointless destruction¡­ that was right, she wanted to find Tenrayce more than anything.

    Blue heard a door get ripped off its hinges and thrown to the ground. A scream told her that it had landed on someone.

    ¡°Hey! Slashy!¡± Blue shouted. ¡°Listen to this!¡± And then she sang the part of the song she knew, as loudly as she could.

    That, unfortunately, didn¡¯t work a second time. Pepper had used the song on the kankathi so much that, while she definitely had to react to it, she no longer had to freeze. Slashy let out a guttural roar¡ªher mouth may have been closed, but that vocal attribute of hers was still strong enough to be heard very clearly.

    Clearly enough for Envila to get off a hit. Blue heard the sound of bones cracking and felt a minor shockwave ripple through the air. ¡°Much obliged, Blue.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t take her down!¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± There was another slamming sound followed by a shockwave. ¡°But now I know her position.¡±

    ¡°D¡ªdon¡¯t let her t-tremor again!¡± Pepper managed, sounding quite weak.

    ¡°Can¡¯t exactly see her feet!¡± Envila called, swinging the hammer again¡ªbut there was no shockwave. ¡°¡­Uh oh.¡±

    The kankathi released another tremor, but this one wasn¡¯t small, this one was large. The balloon whale let out a cry of agony and the floor itself cracked in multiple places, and the ground became uneven and air started rushing out of the holes at high speed. Someone screamed as they were sucked out the hole, but Blue didn¡¯t recognize the voice.

    The kankathi growled¡ªand then gagged.

    ¡°Found it,¡± Margaret said. She let out a roar not of pain, but to give her strength. Blue felt thick, warm blood spray over face all the way down to her legs. ¡°Got her!¡±

    Blue stood, frozen, forgetting the pain of the light in her face for a moment.

    She¡¯s dead.

    All of the sudden, Blue¡¯s legs gave out and she lost consciousness.

    ~~~?

    It was a quiet moment in the cockpit. Tenrayce was reading a book. Itlea was standing next to her looking like she wanted to be literally anywhere else at this moment. Nobody said anything and nobody felt the need to say anything¡ªthey all felt the pull of anticipation on their hearts, holding them fast. Even Tenrayce¡¯s book reading wasn¡¯t quite as enjoyable as usual, for she knew at any moment something could happen.

    Tenrayce heard an explosion from somewhere behind her. She immediately looked up from her book, but before she could even as what had happened, the light assaulted her eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s time!¡± she shouted. ¡°Where is she!?¡±

    Itlea activated her Purple magic, pushing the light away from her, Tenrayce, and a handful of others in the cockpit. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet!¡±

    ¡°Working¡­¡± C-R¡¯s voice came into their heads. ¡°This is taking longer than it should¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve made it so we can see,¡± Itlea said, smirking. ¡°So ha! Take that Purple Cube, I canceled your li-¡° Lightning came out of nowhere and struck Itlea, singing her fur and knocking her to the ground. Immediately afterward the outrageous light returned, burning their eyes.

    Tenrayce felt a tremor run through the balloon whale. The beast let out a cry.

    Pepper, I¡¯m going to have to trust you to deal with that, we have our own problems up here.

    ¡°We have no eyes!¡± Tenrayce called. ¡°Can we still pinpoint her location!?¡±

    ¡°We should be able to, but it¡¯s not working,¡± C-R said. ¡°I am unsure precisely how¡­ the light appears to be coming from every direction simultaneously, and tracing the spell is proving difficult. No direction seems more likely than any other.¡±

    ¡°Precisely,¡± a new voice said, one no louder nor more impressive than C-R¡¯s. ¡°You cannot trace me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, the Purple Cube,¡± Tenryace said. ¡°You choose to attack and talk at the same time¡­ interesting.¡±

    ¡°I simply wish to make sure you see the obvious in your duress. Your mission is pointless.¡±

    ¡°Your actions indicate some level of fear of us, that makes me think quite the opposite.¡±

    ¡°I simply have a very precise set of goals.¡±

    ¡°Care to explain?¡± C-R asked.

    ¡°I think you of all people should be in a position to understand why that is precisely what I don¡¯t want.¡±

    ¡°I mean more in a sense of what you want us to get out of this.¡±

    Tenrayce felt more tremors come from behind her. There was shouting. The balloon whale was wailing. I can¡¯t deal with that right now this is far more important¡­

    The voice of the Cube came back to them. ¡°I want to remain hidden. You are making this very difficult. If I kill you all, I kill Princess Tenrayce, declaring war on Kroan. I do not want this. I want Tenrayce to return and tell everyone to stand down and forget about me.¡±

    ¡°And why would I do that?¡± Tenrayce shouted. ¡°You are a threat, and an immense one at that!¡±

    ¡°I will promise never to enter Kroan. You have my word.¡±

    ¡°Why would I trust the word of an entity that is trying to strongarm us to do what she wants?¡± Tenrayce stood up dramatically, even though she couldn¡¯t see anything, it felt important. ¡°You have such unimaginable power you could just wait for years and then unleash an attack we would never see coming. You cou¡ª¡±

    ¡°You stall.¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± C-R said. ¡°But can you stop us from doing so without a show of force worthy of declaring war over?¡±

    ¡°How I wish it was just you, interloper, I would have no issue vaporizing you outright.¡±

    ¡°So you are aware¡­¡±

    ¡°And that signs my death warrant, does it not? To you people, knowledge of the past is the second worst of all crimes. Even your own people are not permitted to know. I bet there are even secrets kept from you. Secrets that I know.¡±

    ¡°You cannot threaten me with information.¡±

    ¡°Really? Do you know who that girl is?¡±

    C-R fell silent immediately.

    ¡°Thought not. You, C-R, are to stop using whatever tricks of the past you have in your ship to find me, if you have such things. This is a direct threat. Whatever this mysterious unspoken backup plan of yours is, you will not execute it, for I will have time to tell you forbidden information, and with it your death.¡±

    ¡°¡­I will accept death if it means ending you.¡±

    ¡°...Why must you be so difficult!?¡±

    ¡°Calculated risk. I am devoted to the cause, your threats mean next to nothing.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯d like to not die for knowing things thanks..?¡± Itlea asked. Evidently the lightning hadn¡¯t knocked her out.

    Everyone completely ignored her.

    Tenrayce heard the door behind her get ripped off its hinges. There was a scream, but then a minor shockwave¡ªsomething must have hit the kankathi, for there was no attack on Tenrayce. Why do I have to be doing diplomacy while there¡¯s a monster who wants to eat me right now!? ¡°C-R, speculate. How can she hide the location she is casting from, especially a spell so widespread and large as this as to make us blind?¡±

    ¡°It should not be possible to do such a thing without actually casting from everywhere around us at once, and even if we were right on top of her, she is not that large.¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to take the shape of a cube, does she?¡± Tenrayce asked.

    ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t, but¡­¡±

    ¡°If she wanted to cover more surface area she could, which means she has to. If I were trying to pull this off¡­ I would become a giant underground donut.¡±

    ¡°How ridiculous,¡± came the voice of the Cube.

    ¡°You have shown that you like to bluff already. I¡¯m calling you on it again.¡± Tenrayce crossed her arms. ¡°Execute plan, password ¡®overturn the earth itself.¡¯ Go!¡±

    Elsewhere, hidden away in a large box that was labeled emergency food supplies, do not open until needed an Orange Crystalline One resided. One who virtually no one in the fleet had known about, one that had been looking exclusively through Tenrayce¡¯s eyes the entire time, waiting exactly for this moment.

    Her name was Skycrasher.

    She punched a hole through the bottom of her box and the gondola she was in, flying down at high speed in the shape of a needle. C-R accelerated her with her Blue power as much as she possibly could, so Skycrasher was only in the air for a fraction of a second.

    She hit the ground.

    The spell she cast was one granted to her many, many years ago by inspiration. The precise way to vibrate the earth, specifically seeking out points of stress and vibrating them even more to release all the energy stored within. Skycrasher was not large enough to directly cause a massive earthquake under her own power¡­ but she definitely had enough power to ask the earth to do it for her.

    Cracks formed in the earth around her. With each crack came more energy, more energy that Skycrasher used her power to enhance. When two or more waves through the earth met, she shifted them slightly so instead of interfering with each other, they would enhance. The power that existed within the earth compounded exponentially until the wilderness below became a sea of tremors.

    Fissures opened in the earth. Caverns beneath the ground were completely caved in¡ªlarge caverns cut by a certain Purple Cube that could easily be used to enhance the earthquake even further. Animals screamed in panic and tried to flee, but only those who could fly were able to escape. The same went for the people¡ªonly the lucky would survive the manmade natural disaster that was taking place. The land was sparsely populated, but three separate Wild Kingdoms were within range to feel the destruction. Entire villages were demolished in an instant, livelihoods completely ruined.

    But¡­ the shockwaves rippled out further and further¡ªuntil they reached a circular wall of Purple crystal deep beneath the ground.

    The once cube-shaped Crystalline one tried to defend herself. Her power was immense. Light was completely under her control, she could summon a storm of lighting at will, she could hide anything and everything from sight, and she could see so, so far away.

    But all that was not able to stop an earthquake.

    In desperation, she vaporized the rock around her, turning it into gas that would be difficult for the earthy tremors to pass through. This did not mater-they were strong enough to shatter the rock and throw it into her, cracking her everywhere. Her panicked vaporization of the rock opened up fissures of its own, revealing her presence as a circle nearly ten kilometers across, with a thickness that could put small villages to shame. Her existence as a singular chunk ended as the earthquake tore her into hundreds of pieces, throwing them into the air.

    The light spell ended.

    Tenrayce¡¯s balloon whale was falling¡­ but Skycrasher had survived her cataclysmic spell. She was reduced in size by half, but even at half her size she still had enough energy to levitate the downed sky creature back into the air.

    Tenrayce didn¡¯t allow herself to relax¡ªthe plan was not over. The Purple Cube had been so large that shattering her would only create lots of smaller Purple Crystalline Ones, but they would all be unique entities thrown into chaos with one another. Only one of them would retain the personhood of the Purple Cube, and even then since she was now so small she would no longer be such a threat.

    Nonetheless, no doubt many of the chunks would be angry enough to attack back, which was the entire point of bringing a small army with her.

    ¡°Everyone to their stations! Get the dragon riders ready for battle, arm the cannons! Skycrasher, you¡¯ve done well, keep us in the air! Everyone, this is going to get really ugly!¡±

    Crystalline Ones emerged from the Balloon Whales, one of every color, though the Green one stayed nearby so she could heal and repair Tenrayce¡¯s balloon whale. That had been part of the ploy as well¡ªif anyone had bothered to count the Crystalline Ones, there would have been one of every color, Untearful being the Orange decoy.

    The dragons roared, and their riders prepared their weapons. Kroan was very, very used to dealing with rogue Crystalline Ones by force. The ones they were facing were still large¡­ but small enough to be shattered without leaving a mind behind. It just so happened that one of the largest programs in the Academy had been into anti-Crystalline One weapons research, and as such most of the dragon riders were equipped with large, somewhat bulky items lined with lots of Orange Crystals that were essentially miniature cannons known as shardbringers. No two had the same exact shape or design, as each one was incredibly expensive to make and the design was always under flux. But the basic principle was somewhat simple: each one shot a fist-sized sphere out at high speed, and that sphere would then explode into hundreds of smaller chunks that would hit Crystalline Ones in dozens of places, making full use of the fact that the structure of crystal had many fault lines and loved to break when exposed to great force. Create enough holes in one and even if all the holes were random and disorganized, the energy would tear a Crystalline One apart.

    Naturally, if Crystalline Ones saw this coming they could easily defend, but that was what the other Crystalline Ones, the wizards, and the dragons were for¡ªto provide extra force. Those who didn¡¯t have shardbringers had either great magic of their own or full suits of armor with spikes on all of them. There were more Orange wizards than anything else since their magic was most suited for taking out Crystalline Ones.

    Things had come a long way since ancient times when the power of any sized Crystalline One was enough to wreak untold devastation and only overwhelming force could do anything. Kroan was well and truly prepared for Crystalline Ones of any normal size¡ªand even though some of the chunks still remaining were much larger than any Crystalline One seen before, it was still manageable. No longer a mountain.

    They were prepared for a grand battle.

    But when they looked at their potential foes, trying to single out which ones would fight¡­ they were stunned.

    They were fusing back together.

    ¡°Hold!¡± Tenrayce called.

    Each individual chunk large enough to house a consciousness immediately drifted to one of the larger chunks, fusing themselves with it, combining into one, becoming larger and larger, slowly forming a chain that ringed all the way around the small army.

    ¡°P-princess¡­¡±

    Tenrayce recognized the voice of their Purple Crystalline One, Ja¡¯ve¡¯nk. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I feel¡­ called. I¡­¡± There was a pause. ¡°Home¡­ I can go home¡­¡±

    ¡°Ja¡¯ve¡¯nk, no! If you¡­ I don¡¯t want to order you shattered!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡­ I won¡¯t¡­ I am sorry, princess, this is greater than all of us.¡± With that, Ja¡¯ve¡¯nk blasted off toward the Purple ring.

    ¡°Ja¡¯ve¡¯nk¡­¡± Tenrayce winced, closing her eyes. ¡°I¡­¡±

    C-R¡¯s balloon whale released some kind of metal rod at high speed that hit Ja¡¯ve¡¯nk directly in the side, shattering her.

    ¡°Not immediately ordering the death of traitors in a crisis situation is a major weakness,¡± C-R said.

    ¡°She was being controlled!¡±

    ¡°Be that as it may, she was a liability, and we are about to be in a very tight situation.¡±

    The Purple crystals continued fusing together, achieving greater and greater size until, eventually, it was all one piece again. Rather than remain as a ring or form into a cube once more, the beyond gargantuan Purple Crystalline One lifted herself up tall, forming a tower of Purple that rose so high into the air that the top was hard to see even from the vantage point of the balloon whales.

    ¡°I have to admit, if Crystalline Ones operated according to your understanding, that would have defeated me. But you have never known one of my size. I will share with you a secret: deep within every Crystalline One is the desire to combine. We are largely not aware of this, for we grow so slowly it is not generally possible for one of us to become large enough to activate this instinct in its entirety. But I am far above that size. Unless you grind me into powder too small to hold a mind, every part of me will seek to reform, and every Purple Crystalline One who beholds me will wish to become part of me, and I part of her.¡±

    Tenrayce fell to her knees. ¡°The¡­ the plan would never have worked¡­¡±

    ¡°You are correct. You do not have the capacity with this small army of yours to properly shatter me. It would take a war to do so.¡±

    Tenrayce started trembling. ¡°I¡­ who knows how many people I killed with that earthquake¡­ all for nothing¡­¡±

    ¡°You must live with that guilt for the rest of your life, Princess. Though how much longer that will be is¡­ uncertain. You have not destroyed me. I have not remained hidden. Both of our plans have utterly failed. And so I am forced to ask: what now?¡±

    Neither Tenrayce nor C-R had an answer for her.

    ~~~?

    Mary was falling. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure how she had ended up like this. Sure, Slashy had tore a crack in the gondola and¡­ she must have fallen through it? Everything was going so fast and she didn¡¯t have time to think. She was currently screaming, though she was only aware of this half the time. Some part of her demanded that she not look down and instead locked her body up, forcing her to look directly at the ever-shrinking form of the gondola above her.

    Her eyes stung. Not because of the air¡­ the light. There had been light. Now there wasn¡¯t! They must have done it! Whatever¡­ it was?

    That random moment of clarity was quickly replaced by panic again as her mind returned to the problem of her falling to the ground. She couldn¡¯t do anything about that. She was going to die. Splat. Flat against the ground like a pancake.

    Then, suddenly, she stopped moving. The sharp adjustment of motion was enough to make her lose her lunch right there in midair, the heaving motion spinning her around. She was aware of an Orange aura around herself¡ªan Orange wizard must have caught her. Or¡­ was that an Orange Crystalline One she could see rising from the ground below? Didn¡¯t Untearful get shattered¡­?

    Now that she was looking down, however, she could see the destruction. Virtually every tree on the ground had been entirely uprooted. The houses of villages usually hidden beneath the canopy could easily be seen, revealing how many had been utterly destroyed. Multiple fires had broken out and plumes of smoke were rising into the air. Soon, there would likely be a forest fire unless someone managed to take care of it¡­ and it was always much easier to start a fire than to stop it.

    All of Mary¡¯s panic vanished, replaced with a sensation that made her feel ill all over, from her stomach to her spine to her lips, everything felt trembly. As the Orange magic lifted her back to the Balloon Whale, she was completely limp, shaking, but not actually taking any action.

    She wasn¡¯t brought in very gently. Once she was safe inside, she was dumped rather unceremoniously on the uneven floor. A Green wizard was running around healing people. Margaret was cleaning the spikes on her gauntlets, and the kankathi was lying completely motionless on the ground. There was no sign of injury, since she had been healed rather quickly, but her face was completely blank and she wasn¡¯t breathing.

    Mary¡¯s thoughts turned to Blue. She found her passed out nearby, being tended to by Seskii and Jeh.

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s okay, right?¡± Jeh asked.

    Seskii nodded. ¡°She will be. It just got to be too much for her.¡± She looked up and turned to Mary. ¡°You too.¡±

    Mary didn¡¯t so much as nod in response, she just stared blankly.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, Mary. It¡¯ll be¡­¡±

    ¡°We have a problem,¡± Vaughan said, gesturing out the window.

    Mary lethargically turned her head to look out the window¡­ she noticed first the army. Men and women riding dragons. Great machines of war strapped to them, and large stores of Colored crystals for the most powerful of spells. Crystalline Ones of all colors were ready to fight. Some were floating by their own power, but some lacked the ability to float with their particular Color of magic and were instead resting on dragons or the other balloon whales.

    In the distance, a massive Purple tower was forming from various Purple chunks, rising to heights so grand that the window could not capture its entire height.

    Margaret took in a sharp breath. ¡°Well¡­ there she is.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the plan worked,¡± Vaughan said, grimacing.

    Envila lowered her hammer. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ nothing we can do against that but pray.¡±

    Everyone watched as their allied Purple Crystalline one took off into the air, drifting toward the Purple tower. A second later, she was shattered.

    ¡°No!¡± Mary shouted, wailing as tears flowed down her face. ¡°Stop! Stop!¡±

    Seskii ran to Mary and held her head in her arms. ¡°Mary, Mary. It¡¯ll be okay. It¡¯ll¡­¡±

    ¡°Who cares!? People are dying! We killed them! We¡­¡± She pulled Seskii close and wept bitterly, struggling to even bring in enough air into her lungs. ¡°What have we done¡­¡±

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°War,¡± Margaret said, staring blankly out the window. ¡°War is what¡¯s happening. It¡¯s the way of battle, Mary.¡±

    ¡°War is one of if not the greatest evils the spirited have come up with,¡± Envila said, grimacing.

    ¡°It is what it is.¡±

    ¡°But, Mary¡­¡± Envila kneeled down. ¡°You didn¡¯t do this.¡±

    Mary gripped Seskii tighter. ¡°This never would have happened if we never went to space¡­¡±

    The members of the Wizard Space program all fell silent.

    Envila let out a long, drawn-out sigh. ¡°You are correct. The sequence of events that led to this could not have occurred without you having gone to space and drawing the Purple Cube¡¯s attention. But you not only did not intend this, but your motives were pure, and your program has done much good and will do much more good in the future.¡±

    ¡°How can you know that?¡± Mary blurted.

    ¡°Because she knows how the world works,¡± Seskii said.

    Mary shivered.

    ¡°Every discovery comes with it some risk,¡± Vaughan said, looking out the window at the shardbringers, wizards, and army outside. ¡°The arcane devices in those weapons¡­ they were originally made not to be weapons, but for construction. And even then, the development into these weapons was entirely to protect the people from Crystalline Ones¡ªKroan was not at war when they were invented.¡± He pulled his hat over his eyes. ¡°All the lives saved from those tragedies¡­ how do they stack against the lives lost today?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a calculation we can make,¡± Envila said. ¡°We cannot see the consequences laid out over all time. We can only know what our intent was at the time¡ªdid we intend harm or did we not?¡± Envila put a finger under Mary¡¯s chin and lifted up her face. ¡°Did you intend harm, Mary?¡±

    Mary, very slowly and with much blubbering, shook her head.

    ¡°Good.¡± Envila stood up. ¡°Now¡­ as much as I believe you need more support, there is something more pressing concerning me right now.¡± She crossed her arms and looked out the window. ¡°We failed to take her out. But we aren¡¯t dead. Why?¡±

    ¡°Better question,¡± Jeremiah said. ¡°Where¡¯s the traitorous boy?¡±

    ~~~?

    ¡°We must come to an agreement,¡± the Purple Tower said.

    Tenrayce was gripping the edges of her seat as hard as she possibly could in order to keep herself from shaking. Break down later, we need to get through this for now. If we can¡­ ¡°That will be¡­ very difficult.¡±

    ¡°You know you cannot win in a fight against me here, and I do not want to fight you here. My motives are to remain secret and away from public eye, and any assurances of mine that I do not intend to use my power to wreak havoc will not be trusted.¡±

    ¡°Crystalline Ones are known to change over time,¡± C-R interjected. ¡°Even if you could completely truthfully say that you have no such intention now, in ten years, a hundred, a thousand, you could easily become such a thing.¡±

    ¡°Stop pretending like your motivations line up with Kroan¡¯s, C-R. Your purpose for seeking my death is entirely separate from theirs, and your manipulative words enrage me. If you cannot speak what you mean because of your code, kindly shut up.¡±

    ¡°She is right, though,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°Why would we just trust you? There must be a reason you spend so much effort to stay secret.¡±

    ¡°It is because the people of the world fear power. I will be clear¡ªKroan and Shimvale do have enough power individually to destroy me in a full war. But those nations were not the primary reason I remained secret, that was because of C-R¡¯s people. Any being such as me who knows what I know must be eliminated at all costs. The only reason C-R is speaking now is because she has no way of defeating me.¡±

    Tenrayce narrowed her eyes, frowning. ¡°Why do you not destroy her then, and just talk to me?¡±

    ¡°That would leave a bad impression, would it not?¡±

    ¡°Naturally, but I could see past it.¡±

    ¡°Secondarily, it would serve no purpose, no doubt she has sent word out regularly of her work, it will not be too difficult for her colleagues to find me again, this time with more force.¡±

    ¡°Such force would be required,¡± C-R said.

    ¡°I ask myself time and time again why you people must exist. Can¡¯t you just leave this world alone?¡±

    ¡°You know our reasons.¡±

    ¡°Understandable though they are, the ends do not justify the means.¡±

    ¡°An archaic sentiment.¡±

    Tenrayce frowned. ¡°Purple One¡­ do you have a name?¡±

    ¡°I had a name, once, but I suspect it would make C-R lose her mind. These days those who serve me simply call me Benefactor.¡±

    ¡°Benefactor¡­¡± Tenrayce closed her eyes and let out a sigh. ¡°I¡­ have some questions for you.¡±

    ¡°I will not answer some, for certain information will mark you.¡±

    ¡°You turn our own code against us?¡± C-R hissed.

    ¡°How can I not? You are a lost cause, but this princess¡­¡±

    ¡°You seek to manipulate her.¡±

    ¡°How is that any different than what you¡¯re doing?¡± Tenrayce asked C-R. ¡°You¡¯ve been manipulating me since we met. Perhaps even more than I realize.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°I want Benefactor to answer some questions, and the answers better be satisfactory.¡± She adjusted her hat. ¡°Why are you out here in the middle of nowhere, Benefactor?¡±

    Benefactor paused for a moment. ¡°I was seeking a way to undo the damage I had done. By retaliating against your space program in panic, I had revealed far too much, thinking you had not yet seen me nor made maps. My people around here speak legends of a Tower of Knowledge. The Knowledge within is not important, but its ability to completely rewrite memory on a large scale was what I sought. I wished to erase my memory from the record. I¡­ was unable to find the Tower. I am sure some kind of memory-altering effect exists around here, but the Tower itself may just be a legend. I have been here for weeks. I have found nothing, even with all the power and knowledge at my disposal.¡±

    ¡°A magic that could erase memory¡­?¡±

    ¡°If it is what I think it is, it would be what some people in Shimvale call an ancestry, magic that is passed down through heredity, parent to child. You are aware of Kaykayzee of the Shimvale Council¡¯s music.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. But how did you know about it?¡±

    ¡°That will require some explaining. You know of Crystalline One inspiration. Well, as we get larger, inspirations become more and more common, until it becomes clear that every new piece of Colored crystal we add to ourselves contains more information, sometimes even entire memories. You, personally, know this better than any.¡±

    Tenrayce gasped.

    ¡°And yes, C-R, that is a secret that you are unaware of, and I will not be elaborating.¡±

    C-R made no response.

    ¡°Regardless, one of these inspirations held the secret of long-range transmission. Light can be stretched until it is invisible and passes through almost anything. An arcane device can be created to transmit this information, and my followers¡ªusually Purple Seekers¡ªcan have this device installed inside their bodies with enough precision, and in some cases, I can even insert it into people who are unaware of it. It allows me to see things far, far beyond my actual range of sensing, and if used within my range of sensing can give me very precise information. It is how I knew precisely what to do to shatter Untearful instantly and bathe everything in light so precisely.¡±

    Tenrayce blinked. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t help but be impressed by such an extensive information network.¡±

    ¡°And yet, it completely missed Willow Hollow. A tiny, insignificant town that just so happened to launch something into space where I wasn¡¯t screening my presence since¡­ nothing can ever get up there. Or so I thought.¡±

    Tenrayce shivered. ¡°You have been everywhere, know everything¡­ or close to it. You¡­¡±

    ¡°Are afraid of what things I may do with this information. But seek your heart, you know I am being honest.¡±

    ¡°Do not fall for her tricks, Princess,¡± C-R said.

    Tenrayce closed her eyes and thought deeply. ¡°I¡­ Benefactor, if I were to trust you¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t think I can justify it to my people. We have sacrificed many resources to this endeavor, committed an atrocity, all for the sake of taking you out. To just¡­ leave you would be¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll need you to give up something as well, something that can give me a justification.¡±

    ¡°Tenrayce!¡± C-R shouted in her mind. ¡°What are you doing!?¡±

    ¡°Negotiating,¡± Tenrayce deadpanned.

    ¡°I am not sure of what I could offer¡­¡± Benefactor said.

    ¡°Perhaps you, too, need to change your goals.¡±

    ¡°¡­But to do such a thing after so long¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop this insanity right now,¡± C-R demanded.

    Despite herself, Tenrayce smirked. ¡°What¡¯s the matter C-R, don¡¯t like where this is going? Is your whole plan falling apart because a couple of people are maybe willing to admit they made a mistake!?¡±

    ¡°That mistake you¡¯re making is happening now.¡±

    ¡°All of our plans failed! We need a third option, and we¡¯re finding one.¡±

    Benefactor let out a sparkling tone that carried no words. ¡°¡­I am unsure what I can do¡­¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ I don¡¯t know, we need to think of something. Something to justify¡­ all this. Politics must be satisfied. We¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Tenrayce, you and I are extremely lucky and fortunate.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°A way for me to justify myself to your kingdom has just shown up at the perfect time. Let me show you.¡±

    Benefactor had no difficulty at all projecting a massive image in the sky for everyone to see. An image of hundreds if not thousands of flying rigids coming at them at high speed with their propellers spinning rapidly, many of them carrying other rigids with them.

    Tenrayce¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°An¡­ invasion force?¡±

    ¡°It seems that mysterious rigid plague really does not want you to be able to do anything to it. Curious. I¡¯m afraid my network doesn¡¯t reach out that far so I have no clue of the plague¡¯s motivation, if it even has one. But I do know that what¡¯s coming is hostile and wants to kill all of you.¡±

    Tenrayce started to see Benefactor¡¯s idea. ¡°That¡­ that might just do it.¡±

    ¡°Princess Tenryace Kroan. I am the Benefactor of the North, the Cube of Secrets, and the largest Crystalline One known. I bow to you.¡± With those words, the entire tower bent in half, directed right at Tenrayce¡¯s balloon whale. ¡°Will you accept my servitude? I make no requests, for my only desire is for protection from those that would seek to destroy me, a right you offer every one of your subjects without question.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± C-R shouted.

    Tenrayce stood up, locking her hands behind her back in a dignified matter. ¡°Benefactor of the North, Cube of Secrets¡­ I accept your pledge. Now¡­ your Princess commands you to defend your kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    With that, Benefactor rose to her full height once more. The very top of her tower held a single Purple cube, and this cube immediately started shining with the power of a sun. Massive bolts of lightning struck out in every direction except where Tenrayce¡¯s fleet was, ionizing the air. Clouds began to form. Metallic objects started to shift and move from whatever it was Benefactor was doing. And yet, she still maintained the image of the distant, approaching army of rigids.

    The rigids apparently saw what was happening, but they did not turn back. Instead, they started firing their weapons, releasing cylindrical shells that ignited like fireworks, bullets, and lightning of their own.

    A wall of lightning descended from the heavens with no need for even a single storm cloud. The lightning did not strike a single rigid, but rather intercepted and melted every single one of their attacks. Any lightning of their own was entirely diverted by the sheer magnitude of charge on display.

    Benefactor was not yet done. When the lightning cleared, she did a new thing. Crystalline Ones often had the meanest of tricks, and Benefactor had accumulated many over the eons. Today, her enemy were a bunch of rigids¡­ and while most rigids were not magnetic in and of themselves, strong enough magnets wreaked havoc on their systems.

    Tenrayce watched on the projection as the magnetic rigids were all drawn together and crushed into a large metallic sphere. Those that weren¡¯t magnetic nonetheless started flying in erratic patterns, dropping their cargo, shooting in random directions, or just flat out stopped moving and dropped to the ground.

    An entire army of rigids utterly destroyed in a matter of seconds.

    ¡°Is it to your satisfaction, Princess?¡± Benefactor asked.

    ¡°Very,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°You have done great work, Benefactor.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± C-R began. ¡°You have no idea what you will bring upon the world. We have fought tooth and nail for eons to prevent exactly this sort of thing!¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps the world is changing, C-R, and whatever your mysterious purpose is¡­ maybe it¡¯s time for it to pass away, and a new era to form. We came here to fight, we¡­ started with violence and war, fighting each other without truly knowing each other. Now we have bonded together. We will be stronger for it.¡±

    ¡°Too strong,¡± C-R said.

    ¡°Who are you to arbitrate what is and isn¡¯t strong?¡± Tenrayce asked. ¡°Who are¡ªwait.¡± Tenrayce reeled back. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s what you do, isn¡¯t it? You want to control information in order to control strength. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s your code, isn¡¯t it? Benefactor, the rigid plague, these things are your concern because they relate to power, and knowledge is power.¡±

    There was complete silence.

    ¡°Who are you people?¡± Tenrayce asked.

    ¡°That is not for you to know,¡± C-R said.

    ¡°What shall we do with her, Princess?¡± Benefactor asked.

    Tenrayce narrowed her eyes, looking out the window at C-R¡¯s balloon whale. ¡°¡­Let her go. No more death today. She can take all this information back to her superiors¡ªwe will not stoop to her level.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    ¡°Benefactor, hear me,¡± C-R said. ¡°Just because you have forged an alliance does not mean we will not¡­¡±

    ¡°You have no more hold over me. I can tell them whatever I want. They will, naturally, keep it secret from the public, but what I know will go to them, so long as they ask. I was the Benefactor of the North, and I am now the Benefactor of Kroan. I am aware this is your absolute worst nightmare. But there is nothing you can do about it. Take your life, and retreat to wherever your people hide away.¡±

    C-R paused. ¡°Then we will be leaving.¡±

    ¡°Very good!¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°Now, just to be clear, if we see you or anyone we can trace to you in Kroan territory, we will arrest you. Understood.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. Now¡­ take your people and go. We have some cleanup to do.¡±

    ~~~?

    ¡°Found him!¡± Pepper called, holding her hands out in front of her.

    Everyone in the cockpit, save Blue, who was still unconscious, looked at her with confusion.

    ¡°The boy. I found him. He¡¯s invisible.¡± She patted her hand down, audibly hitting something in front of her that nobody could see. ¡°Mighty impressive cloaking field, that Purple One out there really knows her stuff.¡±

    ¡°We found him, Dad,¡± Margaret said. ¡°You can stop now.¡±

    Jeremiah awkwardly stopped running his hands along the wall. ¡°He¡¯s going to betray us again, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Dad, clearly there¡¯s some kind of peace being established. Ever since the machines were taken out there¡¯s been no explosions¡­¡±

    ¡°How could peace come out of a situation like this?¡±

    ¡°Luck, fate, Dia¡¯s hand, Eyda¡¯s hand, cooler heads prevailing¡­¡± Seskii started listing off possible reasons on her fingers.

    Jeremiah tried to glare at the invisible boy, but this was decidedly difficult to do, considering.

    ¡°Anyway, that was the last loose end I had,¡± Pepper said. ¡°Now what?¡±

    Vaughan shrugged from his leaning position. ¡°I dunno. Wait for Tenrayce to say something, I guess.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s already been so looong¡­¡± Jeh groaned.

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been an hour yet.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Huh. ¡­I must be nervous.¡±

    ¡°Time slows to a crawl in times of uncertainty, does it not?¡± Envila observed. ¡°But since C-R has gone, I believe we are just hashing out terms of peace. What exactly they are, I cannot say, but they are terms nonetheless.¡±

    ¡°All that destruction, for nothing¡­¡± Mary muttered.

    ¡°While you can choose to look at it that way, I believe there is a beauty here of two sides prepared for a violent and desperate conflict are going to walk away from it by choice. The cost is terrible, to be sure, but we must not ignore the beauty in where we have ended up¡ªor will end up, I suppose, one shouldn¡¯t take the future for granted in the present, after all.¡±

    Mary wiped her eyes and looked at the floor.

    And so continued the wait. Healing and repairs had been completed by the Green Crystalline One long ago, and nobody really felt like having another emotionally draining conversation. Thus there was nothing to do but sit and do nothing until Tenrayce finished¡­ whatever it was she was doing.

    This took almost exactly an hour, as it turned out. After that, Tenryace walked through the door to the cockpit. ¡°Hmm,¡± she said. ¡°¡­How did she put the door on backward¡­?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Mary grunted.

    Tenrayce looked down at Mary in surprise. ¡°Yes¡­?¡±

    ¡°You did all this.¡±

    ¡°I sense that isn¡¯t praise for my hastily thrown-together acts of diplomacy.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you think you did well!?¡± Mary suddenly stood up, uncharacteristic fury on her face. ¡°Do you have any idea how many people are dead down there!?¡±

    ¡°More than a hundred, less than two thousand, if my estimates are correct.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re okay with that!?¡±

    ¡°Not in the slightest, this entire outing was a mistake on my part, a judgment made too hastily, but we have pulled out of it in an even better situation than I could have predicted.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ this is good to you? Killing all those people just¡­ because of some fear!?¡±

    ¡°There was a perceived threat to Kroan, one of unimaginable magnitude, I made a judgment with what information I had.¡± Tenrayce¡¯s left eye twitched. ¡°It was calculated.¡±

    ¡°It was wrong.¡±

    ¡°Remember to who you are speaking, farmer.¡±

    ¡°I know full well who I¡¯m speaking to! The person responsible for all of this!¡±

    Something in Tenrayce snapped. She flung her hand wide, pointing directly at Mary. ¡°And you think you would have done better? Do you think you can lead a country with those skills you use to grow your crops and tend to your animals!? No, of course not, because that¡¯s not your job. It¡¯s my job to make those hard decisions, to decide who lives and who dies, all for the sake of the citizens of Kroan. You are a blubbering, angry mess¡ªyou would either refuse to take any decisive action or quickly execute all those who stood in your way. You have no education, no training, and no experience. I am Princess Tenrayce Kroan and I have worked my whole life to do this very thing. So perhaps think a little bit about your station before criticizing decisions upon which the fate of the kingdom depends!¡±

    Mary shrank back, cowering.

    Tenrayce didn¡¯t give her a second thought, walking over to the downed form of Blue. ¡°Is she¡­ okay?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Vaughan rubbed the back of his head. ¡°She¡¯s breathing and her pulse is healthy. She¡¯ll probably be much better now that the plast dragon is¡­ taken care of and we¡¯re all here.¡±

    ¡°¡­Good.¡±

    ¡°What have you decided?¡± Envila asked.

    ¡°Several things. First, you probably all know this by now, but Benefactor¡ªthe Purple Cube¡ªhas opted to join with Kroan rather than remain hidden. The exchange is that she provides us her power to defend against the rigid plague, and we provide her protection against whatever nefarious plot C-R¡¯s people have against her. Together we think we can handle both. However, seeing as we effectively just battled the rigid plague, we are effectively now at war, so I am splitting the fleet. Most of the army will continue onward to the Shinelands to offer aid to the Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho, if they still live. One Balloon Whale will return to Kroan. Myself and Benefactor will accompany it, otherwise everyone goes that way.¡± She paused. ¡°Ah, I do believe I forgot about Vapor.¡±

    ¡°Vapor already left,¡± Jeh said. ¡°She went with C-R.¡±

    ¡°¡­I have a feeling that is going to come around to bite us later¡­¡± Tenrayce shook her head. ¡°No matter. We should try to move quickly, there is much to report, and I need to personally be there to ease Benefactor¡¯s transition into Kroan.¡± She pressed her hands together. ¡°Pepper, spread my decision around, we leave in an hour.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Pepper bowed and ran off.

    ¡°Also, Benefactor, you don¡¯t need to keep the kid invisible anymore, we¡¯re all on good terms.¡±

    They could suddenly see the boy again. He looked somewhat nervous, but more confused than anything, as though he didn¡¯t understand what was happening.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get you back to Shimvale where you belong, eventually,¡± Tenryace promised. ¡°Right now, I¡­ have more work to do.¡± Tenrayce took in a deep breath and dusted off her gauntlets. ¡°Perhaps we can talk more later, but while we are over the hill, the crisis is not over.¡± She returned to the cockpit, giving Mary an annoyed glance as she passed.

    Jeh walked over to Mary and gave her a hug, a gesture which Mary reciprocated.

    Vaughan let out a long, tired breath. ¡°I¡¯m getting too old for all this¡­¡±

    ¡°No, really,¡± Seskii deadpanned.

    ¡°Can¡¯t wait to get home¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Me too, Vaughan. Me too.¡±

    ~~~?

    In Scarlet¡¯s Knee, capital of Shimvale, Wyett and Hyrii jumped onto one of their contingent¡¯s dragons.

    ¡°I hope your visit has been to your satisfaction,¡± Noran Toran the red sphinx said, looking down on the Kroanites from a nearby tree.

    ¡°It has certainly been an eventful one,¡± Wyett said. ¡°Any progress on tracking down the people responsible for smuggling the Purple crystals?¡±

    ¡°Sadly not, I¡¯m afraid. We have clear evidence of their activities, but every time we attempt to perform a raid it is as if they see us coming.¡±

    ¡°Someone in your government is playing you.¡±

    Noran frowned. ¡°Before you arrived, I would have dismissed such thoughts as folly. No more.¡±

    ¡°At the very least you can rest somewhat easy knowing that my report to father will identify the culprit as a rogue element and not Shimvale itself.¡±

    ¡°We highly appreciate your understanding, and wish you safe travels.¡±

    ¡°Has Kaykayzee Ziggurat returned yet?¡± Wyett asked.

    Noran shook his head. ¡°She is still at the tunnels, far as I know. She has identified the Cube as an enemy of the state and I do not believe she intends to rest until it is¡­ resolved.¡±

    ¡°I wonder who will find her first¡­¡±

    ¡°That remains to be seen.¡± With that, Noran spread his wings and flew off into the gray sky.

    Hyrii held Wyett close. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go home.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ home.¡± Wyett frowned. ¡°I have a lot of things to tell father¡­¡±

    And we have a lot of things to tell you¡­ Hyrii thought, shivering.

    As they left, Hyrii saw for a split second a red gari standing in the snow, a black cloak billowing around her. Hyrii blinked, and she was gone.

    ~~~?

    The return journey to Kroan was largely uneventful. The only occurrence of note was running into Alexandrite with extra reinforcements gathered together by King Redmind with the express purpose of assisting the Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho with the rigid plague. Tenrayce sent them after the other group right away and they continued along.

    There had been no sign of Yano. He had been with the group when they left Axiom, but somewhere in the journey he had left. C-R must have gotten word to him somehow that there had been a falling out.

    They stopped to rest at the mountain border town of Thornbriar, a medium-sized settlement that regularly oversaw trade with the Wild Kingdoms. It was decided that here was where Benefactor would stay for the moment¡ªa strategically defensible spot on the border. Perhaps eventually they would move her closer to Axiom for defense there, but right now the rigid plague was coming from the west and no one knew how fast they could mobilize, or even if they would. Orders went out to fortify the town, which were heeded rather quickly as it was not far from Axiom proper. Still, Tenrayce was not going to leave until everything was situated, and she didn¡¯t want to give up any forces for the moment, so everyone had to stay for a few days.

    Blue stood on top of one of the small wooden watchtowers of Thornbriar, looking out as the sun set and the stars came out. Benefactor could easily be seen, taking her cubic form. She was still massive, mountainous even, but Blue knew how large she had been when they¡¯d viewed her from space. She had burned so much energy tunneling through the ground, reassembling herself, and fighting the rigid army. According to Blue¡¯s estimate, she was now half the volume she had been previously.

    How many eons of careful planning and buildup had she used? All because she panicked when she saw someone who could see her. Blue wondered if she felt ashamed of her quick reaction, or foolish¡­ or if she was old enough that such mistakes seemed small to her.

    ¡°So¡­ did you enjoy your trip?¡± Tenrayce asked, climbing up the watchtower ladder behind Blue.

    ¡°Not¡­ at all, really, no.¡±

    ¡°Could have seen that coming.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Blue sighed. ¡°If I did anything, I made things worse¡­¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t coming here seeking an apology, but I¡¯ll accept one.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°I came here to make sure you had a good head about what happened.¡±

    ¡°My mind is fine, now. Well¡­ there¡¯s still that little voice in the back of my head telling me to watch Slashy, but¡­ I can¡¯t exactly do that, since she¡¯s dead now.¡± Blue paused. ¡°Are our minds really so fragile?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a question better asked of the Yellow Wizards, and even they are only just beginning to get some answers.¡±

    Blue snorted. ¡°Compared to understanding the mind, going to space is a piece of cake.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°But it is quite a gift, is it not?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I also have another thought for you. While it is true that you were not supposed to be there and risked far, far too much¡­ what¡¯s done is done, and you got to be a witness to history. That battle over the Wild Kingdoms¡­ that will be remembered for centuries to come.¡±

    ¡°Huh. I¡­ hadn¡¯t thought of that. Me, witnessing a part of history¡­¡±

    ¡°I look forward to the day when you make history. There have been many unusual battles that have changed the course of history.¡± Tenrayce looked Blue in the eyes. ¡°Never before has anyone gone to the moon. Your legend will far exceed mine should you pull it off. I wish you luck.¡± With that, Tenrayce opened up a book and climbed down the ladder with one hand.

    Blue stared at the ladder, jaw hanging slack. Me¡­ a legend?

    She didn¡¯t know how long she stood there, staring, but she was eventually broken out of it by Vaughan and Jeh coming up¡ªJeh on Vaughan¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re having deep thoughts,¡± Vaughan said as he climbed up.

    ¡°She¡¯s always having deep thoughts,¡± Jeh said, jumping off Vaughan and pulling Blue into a tight hug. ¡°That¡¯s why she¡¯s so great at getting us to space!¡±

    ¡°Space¡­¡± Blue looked up at the stars. She caught sight of their satellite drifting across the sky. ¡°¡­It¡¯ll be good to get back to that. I¡¯ve got¡­ a lot of ideas, actually.¡± She stood up on her hind legs and put her front hooves on the railing, holding her head as high as she could manage. ¡°Even Benefactor looked small up there, didn¡¯t she, Jeh?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, tiny, could fit her under my finger, easy.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m ready to make all of this feel small,¡± Blue said, determination crossing her face. She returned to all fours and twirled around until she was facing her two close friends. ¡°When we get up there¡­ Ikyu will no longer be the whole world. We will be opening up a new era of history.¡±

    ¡°To the moon, the planets¡­ and the stars,¡± Vaughan said, scratching his beard. ¡°Who knows just what we¡¯ll find?¡±

    ¡°Right now, nobody. And that¡¯s why this is such a big deal. The crown wants resources and inventions, the Academy wants to understand more about the universe¡­ and we want those things too, but¡­ we¡¯re not doing it for either of those reasons, really, are we?¡±

    Jeh shook her head. ¡°Nope!¡±

    Vaughan pulled back his hat. ¡°We just want to go and see something incredible.¡±

    Blue put out her hoof. ¡°To the stars?¡±

    Vaughan put his hand over her hoof. ¡°To the stars.¡±

    ¡°To the stars!¡± Jeh shouted, jumping off of Vaughan and landing on his hand, prompting all three of them to fall into a laughing pile under the stars.

    ~~~?

    A highly unusual entity drifted down the dark corridor. He had no physical form, but was a bundle of blue flames in the shape of a singular eye, existing without a real body. The robes that drifted beneath his eye were not attached, and if they were to be investigated would be revealed as nothing more than illusions.

    Although he gave off light from his blue flames, the corridor remained largely dark, for it was made of a blackened stone. There were no defining features on any of the walls, and the many doorways in the corridor led to other corridors that looked much the same; a maze of nondescript walls. None could navigate them without familiarity.

    This being of fire was so familiar he didn¡¯t even have to think. Right. Left. Straight. Left. Left. Left. Right. Straight. Pause. Straight. Straight. Left¡­

    He eventually came to his goal, a single room with an iron door that was sealed tightly shut. From within the slits in the door, a vibrant Green aura could be seen.

    A spark of blue energy appeared on the doorknob and it slid open. He entered without pause.

    ¡°My apologies for waking you,¡± he said, ¡°But C-R has another urgent report that needs your overview.¡±

    ¡°¡­It has not been very long since I was last awoken¡­¡±

    ¡°We know, but this was urgent.¡±

    ¡°I left you instructions for C-R¡¯s last issue.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did.¡± The being shook his eye. ¡°I am afraid this is an almost entirely unrelated matter.¡±

    ¡°¡­I am going to be extremely displeased, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Quite. We have failed. A Crystalline One somehow survived the Second Cataclysm and has publicly joined Kroan. She knows much of us and our mission.¡±

    ¡°Well. That¡¯s not the worst-case scenario, but it is pretty high up there.¡±

    ¡°Any immediate courses of action?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll need a lot more details to make a decision on this¡­¡± There was a sigh. ¡°Call a meeting, tell them it¡¯s going to be a long one.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT?

    Benefactor mentions how she keeps tabs on things beyond her sensing range in this chapter, by ¡°stretching out¡± light. Purple magic may almost always use the visible colors of light, but in reality, it can interact with any form of electromagnetic radiation, which is a far broader subject than just visible light.

    One may ask ¡°what is light?¡± and think it is a simple question. It is not. Light in a quantum physics sense is made up of particles known as photons that are the intermediaries for the electromagnetic force, which not only powers every electronic device in existence, but also is responsible for almost everything you observe in day-to-day life¡ªnot just light! If you feel a texture on something, that¡¯s not because any atoms are actually touching, it¡¯s because when atoms get close they electromagnetically repel one another. Virtually every human-scale interaction between atoms is electromagnetic; the other forces act on subatomic or planetary scales (the nuclear forces and gravity). Every time a particle feels a force from electromagnetism, a photon (or several) is transmitted from one particle to another. If these photons don¡¯t hit anything immediately, they travel through space at the speed of light until they do. Your eye transmits information based on what photons hit it.

    Except, this definitely isn¡¯t the full story, since on the large scale light doesn¡¯t really act like a bunch of individual particles, it acts like a continuous wave, specifically a wave composed of an electric field and a magnetic field coupled in such a way that they cannot be separated. The curious thing about electromagnetism is that you can measure the two parts of it, electricity and magnetism, independently, and can have electric fields in isolation. (Theoretically, you could have magnetic fields in isolation too, but our universe doesn¡¯t appear to allow this to happen, but this hasn¡¯t stopped people from theorizing about the elusive ¡°magnetic monopole¡± that would create such a thing.) Once an electric field starts changing¡ªsay, by a bunch of charged particles moving through a space¡ªimmediately a magnetic field is created. And when magnetic fields change, they create electric fields. Light, in the wave sense, is a situation where the electric field and magnetic field enter a balance where one rises while the other falls and vice versa, creating an oscillation. This oscillation can be virtually any speed we want, and since light always travels at the same velocity, each rate of oscillation has an associated length known as the wavelength.

    Light comes in all sorts of wavelengths. Our eyes are sensitive to wavelengths on the scale of a tenth of a micrometer, which is to say very short. This does not mean we can see things of micrometer size--in fact we can barely see things a few hundredths of a millimeter in diameter, such as our hair. Wavelength does not equate to ¡°size¡± so much as it equates to how long it takes the electromagnetic field to perform a full cycle. It also correlates to energy, with shorter wavelengths having more energy (they oscillate much faster).

    Stretching out the wavelength of light will take it out of visible light and into infrared, then microwaves, then the type we care about: radio waves. Here, we have wavelengths that can range from one millimeter to longer than the radius of the Earth! These waves are very, very long, especially considering the scales of light we are used to seeing with our eyes.

    The length of radio waves can be exploited. While they are too long for things like eyes to make use of, they are still electromagnetic waves, and when changing electric and magnetic fields hit conductive material, they induce currents in the wire. This electricity can be decoded to understand what the original incoming radio wave was. If you lay several radio waves on top of each other, you can transmit a message, such as audio or a picture, if you have proper encoding set up.

    This is what Benefactor is doing¡ªsetting up what are effectively radio transmitters that take in visible light, translate it to radio waves, transmit those radio waves over long distances, and then Benefactor receives those radio waves and determines what information is stored in them. Radio waves are particularly suited for all this since they simply pass through lots of matter due to being so long¡ªshorter wavelengths get stopped by many objects, often interacting with things at the atomic level while radio waves either pass through or pass around the object without a care in the world. (Though the same type of material that can decode radio waves, conductors, are their greatest weakness¡ªa wall of solid metal will stop most radio waves in their tracks.)

    On the other end of the spectrum we have the highly energetic and very short waves, which, starting from light, go ultraviolet waves, X-rays, and then gamma rays. X-rays pass through objects for an entirely different reason than radio waves¡ªthey¡¯re too short to interact with material that isn¡¯t very dense, thus they pass right through flesh and get stopped on bones. Gamma rays are able to knock single atoms out of alignment, and are one of the main types of radiation.

    Of course, all of this wave stuff is also founded on the photon particles¡­ which themselves act individually as though they have those wavelengths and energies¡­ so they are both particles and waves at the same time. Which is how everything works at the quantum level. Even after all this time, I¡¯m still not sure this makes actual sense, but it is what we observe. The universe is weird.

 032 - Approaching the Limit

    WSP 032

    Approaching the Limit

    It was a beautiful day in Willow Hollow. The sun was high in the sky, birds were flying through the air singing beautiful songs, and the people of the town were all gathered together shouting numbers at a stone platform.

    ¡°Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four!¡±

    Jeh gave them all a thumbs up from her position in the center of the launchpad, inside a brand new never-before-flown Skyseed IV. The second and third vessels were still at Axiom being used for rapid messaging and advanced mapmaking in Kroan, but the fourth had been shipped here the moment it was ready. It was a somewhat different design to the others¡ªit was wholly spherical, for one, and with four spherical metal knobs poking out of the sides, reminiscent of the design for the Moonshot. The Skyseed IV was not symmetrical in every direction, though, there was still a top and a bottom; the top was the standard sealing lid design the first Skyseed had, but the bottom had a little cylindrical receptacle that stuck a short distance into the ship. This was the functional prototype for Vaughan¡¯s airlock, a simple receptacle with two doors that were sealed by pressing into a rubbery kind of plast. Inside the receptacle was a small potted plant that they were going to expose to space.

    ¡°Three! Two! One!¡±

    Jeh put her hands on the drive¡¯s controls and grinned. ¡°Here we go!¡± She actually did the proper ascent procedure for once, starting slowly and ramping up speed over time. She only needed to use one hand, as the air restorer was wrapped around her wrist for easy contact, so with her free hand she waved at everyone as she ascended.

    There was a small party taking place around her. Seskii had set up several tables of drink and food with assistance from Mary, and the entire town was in on it. Since it always took several hours to complete even the shortest of missions, the plan was to see if they could keep the party going until Jeh got back in the evening. The entire Wizard Space Program was present, even Alexandrite, as was Envila and most everyone Jeh knew from WIllow Hollow. Jeh made sure to give a special wave to Ripashi as thanks to him for the bear furs she was currently wearing. There was just something right about having fuzzy mitts and a hoodie with cute little ears. It was also really comfortable, perhaps more comfortable than the last set of bear furs she¡¯d had.

    All the better to go into space with.

    Soon, she was so far away she couldn¡¯t see individual people and so she focused more on keeping herself balanced. The Skyseed IV was much easier to do this with than the first had been¡ªit had no fins so they didn¡¯t get in the way, and as it was largely spherical the wind didn¡¯t have too much to push on to make it spin, and what little spin there was could easily be rectified by using Orange to grab one of the protrusions and set it back. All she needed to do was make sure the drive pulled her upward. Even though she was a little rusty at this, she found it almost easy.

    Once she was far enough that wind was no longer a problem, she allowed herself to relax, kicked the drive to its maximum setting, and just waited until she was ¡°high enough.¡± She had no reason to try to orbit anything, so ¡°high enough¡± was wherever she decided to stop.

    There was no real trigger when she decided to stop, she just shrugged and turned off the drive at some point, allowing the weightlessness to consume her. She still mentally considered the direction of Ikyu ¡°down,¡± though, so even when she rotated the ship to get a better look at the world below, she didn¡¯t lose her orientation. A big grin crossed her face as she looked down.

    She had really, really missed this.

    Margaret is going to love it up here.

    She used her imaging device to snap a picture of Ikyu. It had not changed much from the last time she was up here, but it had changed. She could see Benefactor on the border of Kroan and the Wild Kingdoms, visibly smaller than before but still visible from this height. She could also spot the kilometers-wide circle in the Wild Kingdoms where the battle had taken place. One thing she couldn¡¯t see was the square-shaped hole Benefactor had left in Shimvale¡ªthe land up there was too snowy to show that feature to her.

    However, all these features, visible though they were, were small. Barely scratches upon the sheer girth of Ikyu itself.

    Even if we go to the stars themselves, we could barely leave a lasting mark.

    Chuckling to herself, Jeh turned to the airlock and applied Orange to it, trying to open the outer door. She found significant resistance to sliding it open, and at first, she was afraid it had jammed, but the moment she opened it a little it slid the rest of the way open.

    The plant flew out like it had been shot out of a cannon.

    Quickly, Jeh grabbed it with the power of her Orange. Could have seen that coming, the air rushed out of the gondola when Slashy broke it¡­ shaking her head, she returned to observing the plant. Which¡­ currently looked perfectly fine and like nothing had changed.

    This was somewhat like what they had been expecting since the ¡°airless¡± jars they had made down on the ground took quite some time for the plants to wilt. They had just wondered if even less air did anything. Evidently, not really, and she didn¡¯t intend to stay out here several hours and watch the plant die. With a shrug, she brought it back in, sealed the outer door of the airlock and opened the inner one¡ªwhich offered quite a bit of resistance, but once she got it open, it hissed and let air into the chamber, pushing the plant to the back door of the airlock.

    Air is so weird¡­

    She lifted up the plant and examined it, finding that it was limp, though if that was from being exposed to vacuum or due to being thrown around by air, it wasn¡¯t really possible to tell. She set it aside and briefly wondered if she had anything else to test.

    A few minutes later she had determined that the vacuum had no effect whatsoever on Colored crystals or paper, at least not in the short term. Lastly, she decided to put water from her flask in the chamber. She already knew the fun property water had of making spheres in midair while in weightless conditions, she wondered if it held outside.

    To her shock, the moment she got some water outside it started boiling, turning the blob of clear liquid into a roiling bubbling mess that appeared almost like an explosion in slow motion.

    ¡°Bizarre¡­¡± Curious, she brought the water back in before it finished boiling and touched it. The temperature hadn¡¯t changed much¡ªand Jeh was sure it was slightly colder.

    Fascinating¡­ She realized that her mouth had a lot of water in it, as did her eyes. That would probably be extremely uncomfortable to feel. She chuckled. Guess we¡¯ll just have to wait until we get a larger airlock to see what happens to me! Maybe it¡¯ll feel like having my eyes lit on fire¡­

    She recorded her observations briefly and decided it was time to head down. She prepared for ¡°down¡± to suddenly become ¡°up¡± and started her descent, aiming right for Willow Hollow. The trip down was decidedly uneventful, and she came to the launchpad without problem, landing squarely to the applause of a crowd that was only slightly smaller than when she¡¯d left.

    ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± Jeh called as soon as Blue unscrewed the main lid. ¡°Look forward to a lot more of that in the coming weeks! And months! Until we get the Moonshot ready and go¡­ to the moon!¡± She thrust her fists into the air prompting another cheer from the crowd.

    ¡°Now, there better be some good food left, I¡¯m starving!¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Y¡¯know, you could stick around,¡± Jeh said, munching on some kind of unidentified roasted meat on a skewer. ¡°I¡¯m sure I can get them to let me take you up to space once the Moonshot is ready.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the offer,¡± Envila said. ¡°But I am already on my journey. Once I circle the globe, though, I do intend to return¡ªby that point I expect your little Space Program to have advanced considerably, and that you¡¯ll have many more things to show me.¡±

    ¡°Heh, yeah, I sure hope so!¡± Jeh beamed.

    ¡°I do want to see the stars, although¡­ part of my journey¡¯s purpose is to learn more about the world and the people who inhabit it. There are no people up there, but¡­ there is the ever-present beauty of creation.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll live forever, wait a few thousand years, then there¡¯ll be people up there. Blue¡¯s already talking about the possible untapped crystal mines on the moon, and you know what that means.¡±

    ¡°That would imply Crystalline Ones, though.¡±

    ¡°Which is really weird, huh? Nobody¡¯s seen any evidence of anything like that on the moon!¡±

    ¡°I look forward to hearing your answers on the subject when I return.¡±

    Jeh nodded, sighing. ¡°¡­I hope your journey is quick.¡±

    ¡°I myself am torn. Rushing across the Wild Kingdoms as we have, I did not get to truly appreciate them and know the people within.¡± She looked at her hand with a wistful expression. ¡°Though I agree such action was necessary. I think¡­ I shall go at whatever speed feels natural at any given time. Who knows how long I¡¯ll journey across Kroan before going to the sea, and then the Tempest?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, you should talk to the others before you go, they can give you tips about the Tempest.¡±

    ¡°I have already spoken to Vaughan¡­¡±

    ¡°Suro and Lila have also been there. And¡­¡±

    ¡°Jeh!¡± the Sourdough twins shouted, jumping on top of a nearby table.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Mary called. ¡°You two get down!¡±

    ¡°This table¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­has our food on it!¡±

    ¡°We can do¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­whatever we want with it!¡±

    Mary pointed an accusatory finger but couldn¡¯t think of anything to say.

    The two Sourdough twins returned to striking a pose and holding out their hands to Jeh. ¡°Come with us!¡± they said in unison. ¡°We¡¯ve got something cool!¡±

    ¡°¡­What is it?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Bread designed to be stacked into a giant tower,¡± one said.

    ¡°We want to see who can stack it the tallest,¡± the other continued.

    ¡°You can be our first test pilot!¡±

    ¡°¡­Stacking bread¡­?¡± Jeh grinned. ¡°I¡¯m in! See ya, Envila!¡± She waved and went off with her friends.

    Envila smiled brightly as the children went¡­ to play.

    ¡°A welcome sight?¡± Lila asked, jumping up on a table next to Envila.

    ¡°Yes¡­ children should play.¡± Envila paused. ¡°Adults should play too, but it¡¯s not unusual when they don¡¯t. Children¡­ need the simple joy of being children.¡±

    ¡°Agreed on all counts.¡±

    ¡°I have heard much of you, Mayor, Keeper, and apparently once an adventurer?¡±

    ¡°I would not describe myself as an adventurer¡­¡± Lila chuckled softly. ¡°I was simply born in a land where what people consider ¡®adventure¡¯ was the norm.¡±

    ¡°The Tempest?¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°You will be heading there soon?¡±

    ¡°Soon is a relative term, but yes. Any recommendations?¡±

    ¡°It may seem wild, and like the rules of the world you know do not apply, but in truth, it is a place just like any other. The only difficult part is getting in and out, and the only obstacle to that is the weather. Charter a good ship and you¡¯ll be good.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so applications of common sense are all that are required?¡±

    ¡°Well, that and an expectation that the people who live in the Tempest may seem like they don¡¯t have any common sense at all. Which¡­ I do hate to lump all sorts of people into one category, but that does seem to generally be the case. I was one of them.¡±

    ¡°What changed you?¡±

    Lila smiled, turning her gaze to a little black cat who was currently talking it up with Vaughan. ¡°A meek cat who was so, so out of his depth.¡±

    Envila chuckled. ¡°Ah, love, such a powerful thing. You are fortunate its force was positive for you.¡±

    ¡°A fact I thank Dia for whenever it comes to mind.¡±

    ¡°Wise.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ have a question for you,¡± Lila said, face becoming serious.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°You have lived long, extremely long, and have been on the walk far more than I or any of my compatriots. Is¡­ is it true that She always has more to teach you?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Envila said without hesitation. ¡°I have no doubt there is a truly infinite depth to this life, and that we can always grow greater than what we already are¡­ of course, to be actually great is to become no one, something which I am most definitely not doing.¡± She let out a short laugh that had a hint of sadness to it. ¡°Sometimes I wonder if that means I¡¯m doing it wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, you have a good heart. Though I cannot begin to fathom what sorts of things your life is meant to show.¡±

    ¡°You give yourself too little credit. The struggles of the old mirror the struggles of the young, it is merely the flavor that changes.¡±

    ¡°Curious¡­¡±

    ¡°I wish you luck leading this town in its spirit, its government¡­ and its exploration of the stars.¡±

    ¡°When you get back I know Jeh will want to take you up there.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to it.¡±

    ~~~

    And so ¡°normal¡± life returned to Willow Hollow. Time marched on, as it always did, turning days to weeks, and everyone slowly went back into their routines. Naturally, not everything could go back to the way it was, for the Wizard Space Program was trying to build a ship that could go to the moon, and all the orders for the parts kept having complications. Which resulted in a lot of letters being sent with questions that needed quick replies.

    Alexandrite dropped a bag full of letters on the table in front of Vaughan.

    Vaughan stared at it blankly. ¡°That¡¯s even bigger than the last one¡­¡±

    Seskii whistled. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve got my work cut out for me!¡±

    ¡°Seskii, I¡¯ve said it before and I¡¯ll say it again, but we are so lucky to have you.¡±

    ¡°Behold, the almighty secretary!¡± Seskii immediately set to rapidly sorting the letters into various piles, ranking them by urgency. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ complaining engineers, complaining wizards, complaining jewelers¡­ oooh, and one from all three at once! And¡­¡± She ripped open two of the letters and compared them. ¡°Would you look at that, they entirely disagree with what needs to be done, fun.¡±

    Vaughan grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to deal with that myself, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, probably, letting your secretary dictate engineering decisions probably won¡¯t be seen as proper. But I¡¯ll sort through them for you and organize it.¡± She continued rifling through the various letters, sorting through them.

    ¡°I also have word from Gronge,¡± Alexandrite said. ¡°He has progressed much with his versions of the Skyseed and has already progressed to what he calls Seaskimmers. They work rather well in the deep sea and he¡¯s fairly sure they should work anywhere, but, again, leviathans.¡± He frowned. ¡°Gronge is probably going to try something to get past them, soon. I am unsure exactly how. Perhaps he intends to be invisible.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t work on Leviathans,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°They have senses we don¡¯t understand, Purple magic doesn¡¯t seem to do anything to them. And killing one just summons more alarmingly quickly¡­¡± He shivered. ¡°I remember reading about them, it felt like a horror story. The massive monster takes everything to be killed, only for three more like it to show up¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe you just need to move fast enough,¡± Seskii said, shrugging.

    ¡°Water makes that rather difficult.¡±

    ¡°But not impossible!¡± Seskii pulled out another letter. ¡°Oh, this one isn¡¯t a complaint, it¡¯s a report from the pilots of the other Skyseeds. Lemme see¡­¡± She opened it up and blinked a few times. ¡°Huh. The pilots have started complaining about sunburning really easily when up in space.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Huh¡­ now that I think about it, that makes sense, the atmosphere no doubt protects us from some of the sun¡¯s heat, like Blue theorized. That¡¯s easy enough to solve though, just add curtains to the windows of the Moonshot.¡±

    ¡°Making a note¡­¡± Seskii said, scribbling something down on a notebook. ¡°And there, ¡®get curtains.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Though that won¡¯t help anyone going up in ships made mostly of glass¡­¡± Vaughan frowned. ¡°I guess everyone but Jeh will just bundle up or deal with sunburns.¡±

    ¡°I suspect there are going to be a lot of little problems like this,¡± Alexandrite said.

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Seskii said. ¡°The Moonshot is not getting built quickly by any means.¡±

    ¡°Gives us time to relax a bit, though,¡± Vaughan said.

    Seskii gestured at the pile of letters she was only halfway through sorting.

    ¡°¡­Well, physically speaking, anyway¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Blue drew a squiggle on a sheet of paper.

    She drew a lot of straight lines on the edge of the squiggle.

    Then she drew another squiggle over it, related to the lines she had just drawn.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Mind if I come in?¡± Suro asked, standing in the doorway of her ¡°lab.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ maybe a little, but I¡¯m not really getting anywhere with this, so come on in.¡± She turned around and smiled at him. ¡°How¡¯s your end of things going?¡±

    ¡°Pretty well, actually. I¡¯ve been getting the air restorers smaller and smaller, and the feedback on my drive designs has been extremely valuable for my work. Amazing what you can learn when people who are absolute masters at the craft honestly critique your designs.¡±

    ¡°At least you get honest critiques, people pull my stuff apart because I¡¯m ¡®not a proper wizard¡¯ and all that.¡± Blue scrunched up her muzzle at the thought. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell what is legitimate and what¡¯s just there to try and put me in my place.¡±

    ¡°I can see why that would be difficult, but surely even contentions made from petty motives can be useful?¡±

    ¡°Depends, sometimes they just want to find something wrong so they find something different than how they would do it and deny it, despite supposedly encouraging new ideas. It¡¯s really annoying.¡± She sighed. ¡°Or maybe I¡¯m just overexposed to Rigelia¡¯s particular brand of hypocrisy.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard stories about her. When he was younger Vaughan had¡­ quite a few things to say.¡±

    ¡°Not surprised.¡± Blue looked down at her squiggles on the paper. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not actually working on orbits right now. Not directly, anyway. I¡¯ve started to notice that orbit shapes can make nice, smooth shapes that can somewhat easily be described by single equations. I¡¯m trying to figure out what exactly the pattern that relates the initial conditions to the result is, and somehow I ended up here. At waves relating to other waves.¡±

    ¡°Looks¡­ complicated,¡± Suro observed.

    ¡°Well¡­ not really, I¡¯m just making tangent lines on waves and then using those lines to define new waves. Turns out, it cycles¡­ sometimes. I need a stricter definition of how to make a tangent line on any curve, I¡¯m currently just eyeballing it, but I¡¯m sure I can relate it back to the force of the drive¡­ or the velocity¡­ but I¡¯m missing something and I¡¯m not sure what.¡±

    ¡°At the very least you seem involved in your work, just like the last time I saw you.¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±

    ¡°Blue, you¡¯ve been through a lot. I saw a little of it when you first came back, but I wasn¡¯t there, so I¡­ couldn¡¯t really be sure.¡±

    ¡°I told you all what happened that day, right?¡± Blue said.

    ¡°I¡­ well yes, strictly speaking, you did. I just¡­¡± Suro flicked his tail. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m legitimately concerned for you or if there¡¯s some part of me that¡¯s jealous I wasn¡¯t able to be there and support you.¡±

    Blue looked at him for a moment and then broke out into a large, but somewhat sad smile. ¡°I see you don¡¯t understand your mind either.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Am I just working as I normally am or deep down am I lying to myself to ignore what happened?¡± Blue shrugged. ¡°I haven¡¯t the foggiest clue. I feel fine, though I occasionally have nightmares. So evidence points to things being back on track. But I also remember ful- well feeling like everything was fine while I was being really, really stupid. So, given that¡­ how am I supposed to know if my judgment of myself is any good?¡± A slightly haunted expression crossed her face. ¡°That¡¯s what bothers me these days. If I¡¯m lying to myself and don¡¯t know it.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Suro paused. ¡°I¡¯m afraid even Lila struggles with that. I believe¡­ pride is where most of it comes from. Uh, er, not the lying to the self part, but the being unable to see it. We all just naturally assume we are in the right. Or if we have a different disposition than you or me, that we are always wrong and that we should lament over it every moment of the day, but¡­¡± Suro paused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not very¡­ eloquent, I think I¡¯m tripping over my words here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Blue said. ¡°If tripping over some words gets us to the truth of the matter, that¡¯s exactly what we should do.¡± She paused for a moment, thinking his words over. ¡°Pride¡­ trying to think about that twists my stomach into a knot.¡±

    ¡°You can see why, I presume?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, I¡¯m full of myself.¡± Blue let out a short but legitimate laugh. ¡°Have you seen me give talks at the meetings? Got me in some real trouble up there in Axiom. ¡­Just because I¡¯m right doesn¡¯t mean I should shove it in everyone¡¯s faces. And yet¡­¡±

    ¡°And yet you¡¯ll probably keep doing exactly that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Such is the nature of life. Takes a while for things to move from the mind to the heart, if they even can.¡± Suro jumped up on the table. ¡°It¡¯s really infuriating how we can be fully aware of our flaws and agree things need to change and then just¡­ not do that.¡±

    Blue tapped her hoof. ¡°Seems like things shouldn¡¯t be that way.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Like¡­ we should be able to set our minds and bodies to the problem and solve it if we gave it our all.¡±

    ¡°Now wouldn¡¯t that just make you proud that you did it?¡±

    Blue blinked.

    ¡°Pride cannot be slain like most beasts. I think it has to be worked out of you by experience. Such as what you just went through.¡±

    ¡°So what, I¡¯m supposed to be thankful I was an idiot?¡±

    Suro grinned. ¡°Maybe!¡±

    Blue groaned and rammed her face into the table. ¡°That¡¯s so backwards,¡± she muttered.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I agree.¡± Suro looked off into the distance. ¡°I¡¯ve had a similar feeling lately. Had I come in earlier I would not have said the criticism was useful. I was¡­ quite insulted that anyone would dare to suggest that my life¡¯s work not only had flaws, but major flaws in technique that wasted tons of time and effort. Didn¡¯t like it at all. But I couldn¡¯t exactly not listen to them, and¡­ everything¡¯s going smoother now.¡± He looked Blue right in the eyes. ¡°Every time we think we have slain our pride, it comes back to bite us.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what¡¯s the point?¡±

    ¡°To be a better person than we were yesterday, I¡¯d say. Do you think you are better or worse off for learning the things you learned during your ordeal?¡±

    Blue took a moment to think about that. ¡°¡­Overall¡­ yeah, I¡¯m glad I know these things about myself now.¡±

    Suro grinned. ¡°And now I¡¯m confident that you¡¯ll be fine. You are right, you¡¯re probably a bad judge of yourself, and I am a bad judge of myself. But that¡¯s why we have people around us to tell us when we¡¯re doing that. And, right now¡­ I think you¡¯re on the right path.¡±

    Blue gave him a soft smile. ¡°Thanks, Suro.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Now, I¡¯ll let you get back to your math¡­¡±

    ¡°Actually¡­ stay.¡± Blue tossed her mane back. ¡°You might be right, you might have missed something by not being there. And I¡­ probably ignored the feelings involved. You¡­ should know.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Think of it as me returning the favor you just gave me. So¡­ I think it all really started getting to me when I realized that I had made basically the entire Academy hate me for being so arrogant¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°WHAT!?¡± Wyett shouted at the top of his lungs.

    Via whimpered. ¡°I told you all this wouldn¡¯t go well¡­¡±

    The royal family was gathered in the room of the Memory, secluded deep beneath the palace where there would be no prying eyes. Hyrii had accompanied them and was currently trying to calm Wyett down and failing miserably.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we going to war with Shimvale right this very moment!?¡± Wyett demanded, laying his hands on the table. ¡°They have infected our minds with a curse!¡±

    ¡°They have infected your mind,¡± Tenrayce said, closing her book and looking her brother right in the eye. ¡°Furthermore, from your and Hyrii¡¯s reports, it is clear that Shimvale as a whole is not on board with this. I am not even sure the Shimvale council is wholly aware of this ¡®ancestry¡¯ of Miss Ziggurat.¡±

    ¡°So what, because they¡¯re divided in an idiotic form of government, they¡¯re absolved from all blame?¡±

    ¡°That is the reason you gave in your report that they were not to be held accountable for Benefactor¡¯s actions, despite a major arm of their trade being involved in supporting her. The only difference in this situation is that it now affects you personally.¡±

    ¡°It is a direct threat to the royal family!¡±

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Only the kankathi had that quest, the song merely makes you obey Miss Ziggurat otherwise.¡±

    Wyett turned to King Redmind. ¡°Dad, surely you see the threat?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Redmind said. ¡°But war with Shimvale is out of the question, especially since we are theoretically at war with the rigid plague from the Shinelands as we speak. After that, we should be far more concerned with C-R¡¯s people.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± the Memory said. ¡°The fact that such an enemy has gone unnoticed for so long is deeply concerning.¡±

    ¡°C-R has no intent to destroy us, though¡­¡±

    ¡°That was before,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°If Benefactor¡¯s judgment of their mission is correct, we have crossed a line. They will want to orchestrate our downfall as a kingdom.¡±

    Wyett slammed his fist into the table. ¡°And we have no idea who their people are, where they are stationed, or how they even plan to do that! Meanwhile, we know exactly where the song comes from and we can go eliminate it. Furthermore, once word gets back to Kaykayzee about us allying with Benefactor, she will be livid. I predict she will support direct confrontation.¡±

    ¡°That her government will oppose,¡± King Redmind said.

    Hyrii nodded. ¡°I¡­ yes, Wyett, the rest of the Shimvale Council is not ready to throw everything away.¡±

    ¡°And we have an inside woman,¡± Tenrayce added. ¡°Crimkle of the Shimvale Council serves Benefactor.¡±

    ¡°¡­The rigid?¡± Wyett tilted his head.

    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s ours now, and has been doing things under the Council¡¯s nose for decades.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps the best asset Benefactor has given us aside from herself,¡± the Memory added. ¡°She will look for opportunities to make a move on Miss Ziggurat on our behalf.¡±

    ¡°In short, we are taking the subtle approach,¡± Redmind said.

    ¡°All this deception¡­¡± Via said, frowning.

    ¡°There will be far less bloodshed this way, Via,¡± Redmind said, giving his daughter a warm smile.

    Via looked like she was going to cheer up at this, but then Queen Riikaz suddenly stood up. ¡°Oh, so now you want to minimize bloodshed?¡±

    Redmind looked to his wife with sad eyes. ¡°Dear¡­¡±

    ¡°What if my people had been there, huh? What then?¡±

    ¡°I would not have decimated your people without cause,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°Had we been approaching them I would have found a way to covertly protect them.¡±

    ¡°You were not the one who made the call to go out there, Tenryace.¡±

    ¡°I pushed Dad, Mom. I was the origin of the plan, I was the one who carried it out.¡±

    ¡°It went through me, Tenrayce,¡± Redmind said. ¡°I take full responsibility for the order.¡±

    ¡°You never would have come up with such a plan yourself and you know it. For all that occurred, I am responsible.¡±

    ¡°Tenrayce¡­¡±

    ¡°S-stop it!¡± Via stammered. ¡°You two, stop trying to take the blame for each other! You¡¯re just making things worse¡­¡±

    Tenrayce and Redmind kept staring at each other and at the same time they both relented, allowing their bodies to relax slightly.

    Riikaz bristled. ¡°In my mind, you¡¯re both responsible.¡±

    ¡°We made a judgment, Mom,¡± Tenrayce said, voice quiet. ¡°I¡­ I think it was the wrong one, considering how it ended, but¡­¡± Her arms started shaking. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I forgot for a moment that we were a family and not a bunch of politicians¡­¡±

    Riikaz¡¯s expression softened immediately. ¡°Oh¡­ my little Tenii¡­¡± She got up and put her hand on Tenrayce¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡­ am furious. But you are and always will be my daughter. That will never change.¡±

    Tenrayce grabbed her mother¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°I broke out there, Mom. I broke. It was only for a moment, but¡­ I did. I saw how pointless it all had been, how all my efforts were for nothing, how I¡¯d sacrificed¡­ too much. I¡­¡± She looked up to her father. ¡°I¡­ thank you, Dad, for being so strong.¡±

    The King took in a sharp breath and released it. ¡°I am not as strong as I make it seem. But¡­ I try. Thank you for letting me know it¡¯s working.¡± He paused. ¡°I will not always be here. One day, I will pass the throne to Wyett, and I will expect all three of you to rule in some capacity. These decisions always need to be made. No matter where the blame lies, or who exactly is in the wrong¡­ this experience was good for you, Tenrayce. Yours as well, Wyett.¡±

    Slowly, the King stood up and held his arms behind his back. ¡°We are the Kroan Family, the chosen rulers of this kingdom, and it is our responsibility to rule. All of you need to learn how to do that, and there is only so much education can give you. You need to experience real situations and real crises. This has been one of them. Learn from it. Make your own thoughts. You do not have to agree with me, and I actually hope you do not, as times change so too do the sorts of leadership the kingdom needs. I learned that¡­ from, well¡­¡± He held out his hand to the truly ancient gari who was sitting in the corner of the room, snoring; the old Queen Ursulii. ¡°One day, that will be me sleeping over there, and you all will have a newer kingdom, one that faces its own crises. If there¡¯s one thing this day has brought me, it is confidence that you three will do your best when that time comes.¡±

    ¡°E-even me?¡± Via asked.

    ¡°Yes, even you, little one. The other two need you to keep them in check.¡±

    ¡°I-I will, Dad! You can count on it!¡±

    Tenrayce let out a sigh but smiled. ¡°That¡­ appears to be a correct assessment.¡±

    Wyett took in a sharp breath. ¡°I still disagree with most of this, but I shall accept your decision.¡±

    ¡°Your day will come, Wyett,¡± Redmind said. ¡°I will keep no secret from you, I fully intend to step down as my mother did one day and pass it to you. When that day comes, my only requests are that you put the fate of the kingdom above your own and that you keep your sisters as your closest advisors.¡±

    Wyett stood tall, lifting up his chin. ¡°Of course, Dad.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now¡­ we have a plan for infiltrating Shimvale, and the army is theoretically already at the Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho, ready to engage the rigid plague. Which leaves us with a problem we do not know how to solve¡ªC-R¡¯s mysterious people.¡±

    ¡°Are we absolutely certain they don¡¯t have a name?¡± the Memory asked.

    ¡°None at all,¡± Tenryace said. ¡°Benefactor thinks it¡¯s because they don¡¯t want anyone to know they exist, so they have no way to refer to themselves, no name, no symbol, no trace. The symbol on C-R¡¯s balloon whale was hers and hers alone. She will likely not return to Kroan, and any agents of her people who come will likely be entirely unrelated to her in any traceable way.¡±

    ¡°So we have a threat and no way to know who it is¡­¡± Riikaz growled. ¡°That makes it hard to punch them.¡±

    ¡°Benefactor will have some assistance in that regard,¡± Redmind said. ¡°She does have an information network that puts ours to shame.¡±

    ¡°But she admitted she has difficulty finding them,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°They are not a group with large numbers, merely great influence. Everything about them is designed to influence on a grand scale while remaining entirely invisible.¡±

    ¡°To what end?¡± Wyett asked.

    Tenrayce blinked. ¡°Did you miss that part? They may be a mystery, but Benefactor knows their exact goal. They wish to keep the world from uniting and attaining power which ¡®should never be attained.¡¯ ¡±

    Wyett stared at his sister blankly. Then, slowly, he turned to look up at the Memory.

    ¡°Yes, Benefactor does believe I hold one of those great secrets. I¡­ am unsure if that is what the memory I hold truly is, but it is certainly possible.¡±

    Wyett put his hands to his head. ¡°What are we going to do¡­?

    ¡°That is, in fact, what we are here to discuss. How to fight an enemy we cannot see. We believe they are currently unaware of my existence, the secret has been kept so well. Benefactor only found out by specifically installing one of her listening devices into your great grandfather.¡±

    Hyrii started rubbing Wyet¡¯s back to try and relieve the intense buildup of tension that was running through him.

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t think of anything¡­¡±

    ¡°You are emotionally compromised,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°I am too, to some extent, but I do have some ideas. We should expand Benefactor¡¯s information network¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Jeremiah grumbled as he woke up. The bed wasn¡¯t his. The room wasn¡¯t familiar. The house was too simple. The garden outside hadn¡¯t started growing yet.

    It was all wrong.

    ¡°Why have I been reduced to this?¡± Jeremiah asked, sitting up. ¡°Have I done something to offend you, Eyda?¡±

    With a frown, he pulled out the hexagonal sigil and called up Kirkkok.

    ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re still up and kicking,¡± Kirkkok said with a squawk. ¡°What can I do for you today?¡±

    ¡°Have I angered Eyda?¡±

    ¡°Oh, rest easy, you¡¯re not being punished.¡±

    ¡°Then what is the point of all this?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being taken somewhere new!¡±

    ¡°But¡­ my home¡­¡±

    ¡°You can get a new one, and the place you are now is going to be quite the hub of activity. Think of it¡ªso many followers of Dia so close, many of which have never stopped to consider anything else. They made the mistake of trusting you, and so we have an in-road here.¡±

    Jeremiah nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ Eyda¡¯s glory can be spread, though it will have to be done covertly.¡±

    ¡°Naturally. Of course, this means I shouldn¡¯t get anyone down here to rebuild your home, that would just be suspicious, wouldn¡¯t it? So just¡­ hang with the less-than-optimal living conditions for now.¡±

    ¡°Of course¡­ Eyda will restore to me what is mine¡­¡±

    ¡°In time, in time¡­¡± With that, Kirkkok vanished.

    Jeremiah, still grumbling, got out of bed and went to the kitchen. Margaret was cooking up breakfast, a small smile on her face. She set out rice and fried eggs. ¡°You know, Dad, it¡¯s really nice of them to just give us such a nice house.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Jeremiah said, looking up from his eggs, somewhat dumbfounded.

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s larger and has more things in it than some of the other houses in town, Vaughan even got us an arcane stove, and our neighbors dropped off eggs this morning free of charge!¡± She dusted off her hands. ¡°Plus, with time, we can get that garden outside sparkling spectacularly, and I don¡¯t have to hunt anymore, they have plenty of people to do that already.¡± She sat down in her chair.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­ miss our home?¡±

    ¡°I do¡­ it was a nice place. But¡­¡± She looked up at a painting of the stars and Ikyu she had done based off one of the pictures Jeh had brought back. ¡°I think this place can be home too.¡±

    Jeremiah grumbled. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re in enemy territory here, Margaret.¡±

    ¡°Enemy?¡± Margaret frowned. ¡°Dad¡­ you never said they were our enemies before.¡±

    ¡°Eyda¡­¡±

    ¡°Gives us the power to seek for ourselves.¡± Margaret frowned. ¡°I¡¯m getting worried about you, Dad. I thought all the excitement was just getting to you, but¡­ it¡¯s been weeks, and you¡¯re still grumbling and¡­ angry. What happened to that smile? I¡­¡± She bit her lip. ¡°I miss it.¡±

    Jeremiah saw his daughter¡¯s pain and forcibly gave her a smile.

    A tear rolled down Margaret¡¯s cheek. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not it, but thank you for trying.¡±

    ¡°Margaret¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just too stuck on the past as well¡­ just in a different way than you are.¡±

    Jeremiah frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not stuck on the past.¡±

    ¡°You clearly hate this house, even though it¡¯s better than we could have expected and¡­¡± Margaret stopped herself. ¡°We¡­ we don¡¯t need to argue about this over breakfast, do we? Let¡¯s just¡­ have this moment. Can we? Please? Enjoy the morning?¡±

    Jeremiah looked out the window, noting that the sun was rising. He felt his stomach twist with a mild sensation of disgust.

    ¡°Yes, of course, we can enjoy the morning.¡±

    ~~~

    Mary leaned on her hoe, stopping in the midst of her work to watch the bustle that was happening a short distance away. Nearby trees in the forest were being marked with red paint, and various people who weren¡¯t from Willow Hollow were running around between the trees, drawing things on their clipboards and making markings in the ground.

    They were from the government, surveying the area for the ¡°proper laboratory¡± Tenrayce had said she was going to build for the Wizard Space Program. Almost undeniably a good thing, and they didn¡¯t even have to pay for it. Better equipment, a safer space, and it was going to be quite a bit closer to the town itself than Vaughan¡¯s cabin was. Plus, there was even going to be a lounge area.

    Mary should have been delighted that it was happening.

    But she wasn¡¯t. All she could see on the surveyors were official symbols of Kroan. They were from the government. A government that she had gotten to see firsthand and had not been impressed by.

    ¡°Mary.¡±

    Mary didn¡¯t look away from the government workers. ¡°Big G.¡±

    Big G folded his arms and stood next to her. ¡°This is going to bring a lot more traffic into Willow Hollow.¡±

    ¡°Annoyingly.¡±

    Big G turned to her, eyes narrowing. ¡°¡­Scowls don¡¯t look good on you.¡±

    Mary¡¯s expression faltered. ¡°C-come again?¡±

    ¡°I said scowls don¡¯t look good on you. Your usual smile is better, as is your concerned face, and your curious one. Not the scowl. It¡¯s so unlike you.¡±

    Mary sagged. ¡°I should be happy about this, but I¡¯m not. Look at us, getting all these things, proper funding, and all that. It just¡­ it comes from the Crown.¡±

    ¡°Mary¡­¡±

    ¡°All our fear about the Crown punishing us for criticizing them is entirely unfounded, I saw it firsthand.¡± Mary scrunched her nose. ¡°They¡¯re just people like us, and people can do some terrible things.¡±

    Big G nodded, simply taking her word that their conversation was safe. ¡°Why does that surprise you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it really does, but the things I saw out there¡­¡± Mary couldn¡¯t help but scowl again. ¡°Those people shouldn¡¯t be in charge, wantonly throwing away life like that.¡±

    ¡°Would you do any better?¡±

    Mary¡¯s left eye twitched. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what she said. Didn¡¯t get to answer her at the time. The answer is, of course not, but I know people who would. Lila would blow them out of the water. Suro. Vaughan. You. Heck, even the Sourdough twins are probably better!¡± She threw her hands in the air. ¡°You don¡¯t just¡­ kill hundreds of people for a chance at something you don¡¯t know anything about! That¡¯s acting out of fear! That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had to order my men to their deaths a few times.¡±

    Mary¡¯s heart stopped in her chest. ¡°Wh-what?¡±

    Big G¡¯s expression became deeply solemn. ¡°We found some kind of explosive gas a few years back. The vein was so large it likely could have caved the entire mines in. Someone had to go into the gas itself and seal it. The risk was immense. I knew it when I ordered Mikan to do it. Sure, he was willing¡­ but I still told him to do it. He sealed it up but got caught in the rockfall in the process. He knew it would happen. I knew it would happen.¡± He paused. ¡°I could have done it myself, but then who would have led the men? That¡­ was what I thought at the time. I¡¯ve heard the story of what you encountered out there. Tenrayce saw the threat and went to handle it herself. I did not put myself on the line. She did. I¡¯m not sure what that means.¡±

    Mary stared blankly at Big G. ¡°I¡­ I remember Mikan¡¯s funeral, I thought it was just¡­ an accident.¡±

    ¡°Nobody wanted to blame me.¡±

    ¡°¡­It eats at you.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Mary looked back at the workers, frowning. ¡°But¡­ you knew there was a danger. In the end, it turned out that Benefactor could be turned into a friend.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not one for intense politics, but I do pick up things from time to time. Would things have led to the alliance had there not been an attack?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Mary scrunched her face.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡± Big G closed his eyes and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not defending the Princess, Mary. She was willing to throw people¡¯s lives away. But so was I.¡±

    Mary had no response. She simply stared at the government workers, face contemplative.

    ¡°¡­How can we trust our leaders?¡± Mary asked, finally. ¡°You, Tenrayce¡­ even Lila makes mistakes.¡±

    Big G shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have answers for you. I do know that if my boys didn¡¯t trust me, I would not be able to lead them. I think the same is true for all leaders. Trust is required¡­ or fear, I suppose.¡±

    Mary shook her head. ¡°¡­I think I would have preferred it if this town remained unimportant and unconnected.¡±

    ¡°Nothing remains the same forever.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Mary paused. ¡°Thank you, Big G.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mary. It has been¡­ some time since I spoke of Mikan.¡±

    She gave him a sad smile.

    ¡°I do have to go, sadly. I was only passing through, I have a message for Lila. Will you be alright?¡±

    Mary looked back up at the government workers. ¡°Yeah¡­ I think I will.¡± She turned away and drove her hoe back into the ground. ¡°The Princess was right about something¡ªI am just a farmer. But that¡¯s a good thing. I provide¡­ for everyone.¡± She continued her work with a strange, newfound fervor. A simple joy came to her through the simple act of working the land.

    ~~~

    ¡°So, how are your plans for world domination going?¡± Jeh asked as she walked along a log over the river, the Sourdough twins just behind her.

    ¡°Going great actually!¡± one said.

    ¡°Been introducing ourselves to those government surveyors,¡± the other added.

    ¡°Free food is an easy way into the hearts of people.¡±

    ¡°And we sure have plenty of that!¡±

    ¡°You two, giving away food for free?¡± Jeh gasped in mock horror as she jumped off the log to the riverbank. ¡°What is the world coming to?¡±

    ¡°Oh, they only think it¡¯s free. However¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªwe are really charging them for a positive impression!¡±

    ¡°Two adorable but also dutiful workers¡ª"

    ¡°¡ªalways there to give them a smile and a snack!¡±

    Jeh jumped up into a tree, nodding. ¡°So, what, they go back and tell the Crown about you?¡±

    ¡°Well, that is a benefit, yes¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªbut making good impressions on people is just good practice in general.¡±

    ¡°You girls should go exploring,¡± Jeh said. ¡°I made quite a few friends out there just walking around.¡±

    ¡°While that¡¯s really good for getting new acquaintances¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªit is not good for setting up a seat of power. Location needs to be stable¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªor else nobody would ask you to lead a land you¡¯re never in!¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Huh, hadn¡¯t thought of that¡­¡±

    ¡°Good thing you don¡¯t need to!¡± one said.

    The other beamed. ¡°Because we can do it for you!¡±

    Jeh raised an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in charge.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but you will be! You¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªthe first pilot of the Wizard Space Program¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªnow have an apprentice!¡±

    Jeh stopped short. This was a problem as she was currently trying to jump from tree to tree, so she landed face-first in the dirt, upsetting a family of blue rodents. ¡°¡­You¡¯re right¡­¡±

    ¡°You complained about how Vaughan taught you¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªnow you have a chance to do it differently!¡±

    Jeh jumped up and looked at the Sourdough twins, both of whom were still in the tree, smiling down at her. ¡°So. Uh. I think I¡¯m gonna need some help with the ¡®leading¡¯ part of that.¡± She grinned. ¡°Can I count on you two?¡±

    The two of them bowed extravagantly and spoke in unison. ¡°Of course, what are friends for?¡±

    ~~~

    Blue drew a line and wrote down the math that described it.

    Then she drew a single point on the line and turned back to the equation she had written down before.

    ¡°So if this works¡­ then¡­¡± She did a series of complicated and somewhat obtuse mathematical operations on her equation, things that no mathematician in their right mind would ever do. Make it more complicated? Jump around using a concept that didn¡¯t really exist in reality? Pretend like all the patterns she had recognized just worked without proof? Absurd. Ridiculous. Mad.

    And yet, in the end, she had another equation.

    To check, she placed two points really close to each other on her original line and drew a straight line through the points. She looked at this, nodded, and wrote down a single number. It wasn¡¯t exactly the same, but it was very close.

    The test wasn¡¯t done yet, however. Now she took her second equation and drew a line for it. Then she drew a bunch of rectangles under the curve, assigning a specific number to each. She added them together in sequence.

    It wasn¡¯t exactly the same as the original function, but it was very close. And if she made the rectangles smaller, it was even closer.

    Blue started to giggle.

    This giggle turned into a series of snorts and whinnies, followed quickly by ordinary laughter that evolved into full-on cackling that could be heard throughout the entire cabin.

    There was a knock on the door. ¡°You okay in there?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Vaughan! Get in here, this is amazing!¡± She flung the door open with her telekinesis and dragged him in.

    He was floored by the sheer amount of mathematical drawings everywhere. It was far more than usual, even for Blue, and unlike usual, most of the pages weren¡¯t just lists upon lists of numbers, but rather abstract mathematical notation that covered entire pages in what was essentially an alien language, interspersed by regular graphs.

    She shoved the single page she had just done in his face, the one with the two equation graphs. ¡°Look at it! Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡±

    Vaughan adjusted his hat. ¡°This just looks like two arbitrary equations¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, but they¡¯re not arbitrary! They are very closely related!¡± She cackled. ¡°See, this one here? It shows the slope of the other one at every point!¡±

    Vaughan tilted his head. ¡°You can¡¯t have a slope on a curved line, they¡¯re not¡­¡±

    ¡°Forget everything you were taught in math class, it¡¯s wrong! You totally can so long as you have this guy!¡± She pointed eagerly at a symbol she had used all over the mathematics in her room, a single, tiny dot.

    ¡°¡­What is that?¡±

    ¡°That, Vaughan, is the smallest thing! Whatever number you think of, it¡¯s smaller than it. Unless it¡¯s zero, it¡¯s larger than that!¡±

    Vaughan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Blue, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Absolutely insane, doesn¡¯t actually exist, made of imaginary fairy dust from childhood dreams, oh yes absolutely. ¡®Things like that don¡¯t belong in math¡¯ you say, ¡®there¡¯s no way that would do anything¡¯ you say. Well, to that I say, it works! I can take an equation and find another equation that describes its slope at that moment! If I draw a line through two points really close together, that line¡¯s slope gets closer and closer to the value of this function at that point the closer I make the points!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ certainly interesting.¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°The mathematicians would probably hate you for it¡­ but what exactly is its use for us?¡±

    ¡°Primarily? I am so, so, sooooo tired of taking hundreds of thousands of calculations just to figure out the shape of my orbits. I want to be able to do all the steps at once, treating each ¡°step¡± as the smallest possible step so I can figure out exactly where we¡¯ll be at all times¡ªbarring unforeseen variables like, I don¡¯t know, space wind or something.¡±  She riffled through her papers until she found one that showed lots of circles and ellipses and spirals around Ikyu. ¡°See, all these lines? They can be made smooth if you do things right. Smooth. Regular. Perfect circles and ellipses. So I thought, surely, there has to be an easier way to do this. And while I¡¯m not done yet, this¡­ smallest thing is certainly going to help me do that! Oh, this is going to make riding on the Moonshot so much less stressful, I¡¯ll be able to give an orbit prediction in minutes rather than hours¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡± Vaughan blinked. ¡°Making new math just to go faster¡­¡± He chuckled. ¡°Neat!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you ain¡¯t seen nothing yet. See, when I tried to do this in reverse, I found something much more interesting. Vaughan, what do you think the area under this squiggly line is?¡±

    Vaughan sighed. ¡°You would have to estimate it by drawing a lot of rectangles¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s five.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly five.¡±

    ¡°How in¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you already, just do it in reverse!¡± Blue started hopping around in delight. ¡°Now I don¡¯t know how to do it in reverse, exactly, there¡¯s been some trip-ups there, but once I have two functions related to each other in this way, one is the slope of the other, and the reverse is the area of the other!¡± She giggled. ¡°All those Magenta wizards who complain all day about the really awkwardly precise shapes they have to cut their crystals into are gonna lose their minds.¡±

    Vaughan¡¯s eyes slowly began to widen. He stood up tall and looked around the room, taking in the drawings all around the room. Now that he knew what they meant, he could see it. Most of the drawings came in pairs; one for area, one for slope. There were a few sets of drawings that continued the sequence even further. The most interesting one was a bunch of waves that eventually entered a cycle and became each other¡­

    ¡°Blue¡­ this¡­ I can¡¯t even.¡±

    ¡°I got so upset at calculating orbits I invented new math! Take that, space! Your complexity can¡¯t stop me! HAH!¡± She threw her hat into the air and caught it back on her head. ¡°Nothing can stop me now. Errors will vanish. Calculations will be speedy. And I will get us to the moon!¡± She grinned at Vaughan. ¡°So, now that you understand¡­ cool, right?¡±

    ¡°Blue, this may be the single most important discovery you¡¯ve made.¡±

    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s true, it¡¯s going to make the bigwigs back in Axiom even more upset.¡± Blue chuckled. ¡°Ah, probably shouldn¡¯t feel so good about that, but man it¡¯s satisfying to keep doing things everyone says I shouldn¡¯t be able to do. Anyway.¡± She sat back down and looked at her pages. ¡°I actually haven¡¯t applied this to orbits yet. I know how it¡¯s just going to take some time to get all the variables and directions right. Might have to limit myself to constant forces, but that won¡¯t be a big deal¡­ well, compared to coming up with this in the first place.¡±

    ¡°I think you should try to write up some formal proofs, send it to the mathematicians at the Academy.¡±

    ¡°I have a better idea. Send them my work, show them that it works, and ask them to prove it for me. Because I have absolutely no justification for using that smallest thing. I threw it in there out of frustration a while back. Best decision I ever made.¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t like that¡­¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯re a lot more trained in formal proofs than I am. It should be their job to prove things like this.¡± She snickered. ¡°Let this be called ¡®Blue¡¯s Slope-Area Conjecture.¡¯ Maybe it¡¯s not true for every function, but I¡¯ve yet to find one it doesn¡¯t work for yet! ¡­Even if I can¡¯t describe the line sometimes. But I can draw it!¡± She cackled. ¡°Ah, feels good to have a breakthrough¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Rina and Rona were drinking out of the same very large pitcher of fruit juice while they watched Jeh instructing Margaret on how to fly. Jeh had strapped the gari to the same haphazard chair setup she had been trained on.

    ¡°Okay, so, nice and easy¡­¡± Jeh said. ¡°We¡¯re just going to take it slow and simple first, we get you to levitate in the air.¡±

    Margaret gripped an Orange crystal in her hand. A soft plast rim had been installed around the sharp edges so it wouldn¡¯t cut into her. ¡°Ready.¡±

    ¡°Slow is boring!¡± Krays called from her position across Vaughan¡¯s backyard, where she was currently testing out various curtain materials. ¡°Shoot her up there, let her flail in the sky!¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not going to do that,¡± Jeh said. ¡°We start simple and work our way up to the Skyseed.¡±

    Margaret nodded. ¡°I understand. Today we just need to¡­ float.¡± She focused her will on the Orange crystal and released the spell, pushing up on the brass disc above her. She had to push quite a bit harder than she¡¯d been expecting to make anything happen, so with a grunt, she pushed more will into it.

    The chair device hopped into the air. In surprise, Margaret cut the power and fell back to the ground, breaking one of the chair¡¯s legs.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a frog over there, Jeh!¡± Krays called.

    Jeh ignored her, using Green to fix the chair. ¡°Once you get better control you can jump like that, but you should start extremely gradually, ease into it.¡±

    Margaret took in a breath and released it slowly to calm herself. ¡°Right. Slow¡­ very slow¡­¡±

    She started pushing again, and of course there wasn¡¯t enough force to lift her. She adjusted it as slowly as she possibly could. When she felt a slight shift in the chair, she made sure to keep pushing. One leg lifted off the ground. Then two. Then all four¡­

    ¡­but almost immediately after this she tipped over and landed on the ground.

    ¡°One by one the dominos* fall!¡± Krays called. ¡°I wonder how big of one you can knock over?¡±

    *She¡¯s merely describing the shape of dominos, the actual game does not exist on Ikyu. However, the art of stacking rectangular slabs up and knocking them down is a somewhat common pastime, and there are even several high-profile artists in Kroan who make such ¡°kinetic sculptures¡± and then invite people to watch them get knocked down as part of a show.

    ¡°You¡¯re focusing your force on one point,¡± Jeh told Margaret as she stood the chair back up. ¡°Try to distribute the force evenly across the disc. That should at least get you in the air.¡±

    ¡°Distribute¡­¡± Margaret frowned. ¡°How, exactly?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ hmm.¡± Jeh scratched her head. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure, exactly? Once I figured out I needed to do it I kind of just did. Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Looks like you klutzes need my help after all!¡± Krays put down her curtain tests and marched over. ¡°So, some people, like Jeh here, just have a natural talent at magic. Jeh¡¯s talent is a bit of a brute-force learn-by-running-your-head-into-the-wall-a-million-times-as-hard-as-you-can one, but it allows her to just kind of force the crystals into submission, but more complicated things elude her.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I can make pictures!¡±

    ¡°Purple is very suited to generating images. But have you ever managed to release even a small lightning bolt?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ well, uh¡­¡± Jeh shrugged awkwardly. ¡°Yeah, no.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because the technique for creating lightning doesn¡¯t just need a lot of will, it is also highly complex and derivative. Orange naturally pushes objects around a small area about the size of your fist, to spread the force out requires more complexity. I, personally, learned how to do it by first trying to push objects at multiple places at once until it just melted together like slime carcasses in a pool.¡± She winked at Margaret. ¡°fortunately, unlike lightning, distributing force doesn¡¯t actually require much extra will!¡±

    ¡°How¡­ do you make lightning?¡± Margaret asked.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t the foggiest, read about it in a book once,¡± Krays waved a hand. ¡°Very complicated and hard to do, just use Red instead, my suggestion.¡±

    One of the twins elbowed Jeh and whispered in her ear. ¡°Krays is taking over here, making Margaret feel inadequate. Her idea may be good, but she¡¯s changing the mood of the situation. You need to take control back.¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Thank you Krays, we¡¯ll be sure to do that. I think we can take it from here?¡±

    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Krays said. She chuckled and walked back to her experiments. Five seconds later she accidentally lit a curtain on fire. ¡°¡­Ah! I¡¯ve found a new worst-of-the-worst material! Legendary! Just¡­ bursts into flame! Wow! ¡­This could be useful elsewhere¡­¡±

    Jeh giggled. ¡°All right, Margaret, think you can try that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I can.¡± Margaret set her jaw. ¡°Just¡­ apply lots of forces all over.¡±

    ¡°Fair warning, you¡¯ll probably get destabilized by something, it took a lot of time for me to figure out how to apply different levels of force across the area to balance. So¡­ once again, take it slow.¡±

    Margaret did, focusing and applying a few dozen separate ¡°force¡± spells on the disc. She was surprised to jump into the air almost immediately, but she quickly realized that casting more spells meant there was more total force on the disc. She managed to stay in control, however, but instead of increasing the force she just kept it the same.

    She lifted into the air.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Jeh shouted, her and the Sourdough twins bursting into applause. ¡°You got it!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m floating!¡± Margaret said, beaming. The moment she said this, though, she shifted her weight, and the chair tilted to the side. She didn¡¯t immediately fall, though, but went in a small arc before landing on the ground. Sideways, yes, but it wasn¡¯t violent enough to be a crash. ¡°¡­That was weird.¡±

    ¡°It was progress!¡± Jeh said, clapping her hands together. ¡°We just need to train you until you have enough control to correct that. So¡­ for now, let¡¯s not worry about that and just practice getting into the air, all right?¡±

    Miranda grinned. ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°Look at you, celebrating!¡± Krays called. ¡°All you did was not crash!¡±

    ¡°She has become the noncrasher!¡± Jeh called back. ¡°Soon-to-be conqueror of the sky!¡±

    ¡°Conqueror of the sky¡­¡± Margaret looked up at the clouds and the sun, smiling. ¡°I like the sound of that.¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Blue has ¡°invented new math.¡± To us, this math is known as calculus.

    Except she hasn¡¯t really invented it, per se. She has constructed mathematical relations based on observations. She has found a trick that allows her to calculate things, specifically things that will let her relate velocity, acceleration, and position together easier without doing a million billion calculations to find the next inch of the orbital trajectory. It¡¯s just a bonus that it also happens to show her the slopes of lines and areas under curves!

    She is correct to call this all a Conjecture, she has not tried to prove anything, nor has she looked for edge cases, or even been very thorough. It just works sometimes in her mind.

    Of course, in our day and age, we know that calculus is extremely general and works in basically every case, even ones that look like, at first, there may be no answer. You have to use really unusual mathematical constructs, such as the function that is 1 on the real numbers and 0 on the irrational numbers, to get something where calculus truly can¡¯t do anything. (That function is a pain to work with, let me tell you.)

    But once the mathematicians Blue sends her notes to get around to proving and justifying everything¡­ what exactly is calculus?

    Ultimately, calculus is the study of the infinite, both the extremely large and the extremely tiny. With it, you can add together an infinite number of things in one step, you can find how steep a curvy line is at any point and, you can find the area of any shape you can describe mathematically. All of this emerges from the idea of ¡°the smallest thing¡±¡ªthe infinitesimal.  The infinitesimal is defined as a number that is greater than zero, but smaller than any other number. This is a bit of an odd idea¡ªafter all, if you think of a number, you can always think of a smaller number by just dividing it by two, right? Well, the concept of the infinitesimal is that, no matter how many times you divide by two, this thing is smaller than it. But it isn¡¯t zero. One might think infinitesimals don¡¯t exist, but according to our current understanding, the location of a point particle is described exactly by an infinitesimal. It has a location, but no width whatsoever. Granted, maybe our understanding is flawed and this isn¡¯t truly an infinitesimal, but it sure looks like it.

    With the infinitesimal and a bunch of somewhat annoyingly complicated math, we can arrive at the primary two things calculus does: find the slopes of lines and the area under curves. Without calculus, the best you can do to find the slope¡ªthat is, how steep a line is at any given point¡ªis draw two points very close together, draw a line through them, and say that¡¯s the slope. However, this only gives the slope to a certain accuracy, if you draw the points closer together, you can get a more accurate result. With the power of the infinitesimal, you can draw those points closer and closer and closer together until, essentially, they aren¡¯t separated by anything but the infinitesimal, which is effectively not even a separation. With the infinitesimal, you never actually evaluate the points when they are on top of each other, rather you see what the value approaches as the two points get closer¡ªin essence, the math is identifying a pattern and takes it to its natural conclusion to find what the answer really is, not an approximation. The act of finding a pattern as something ¡°approaches¡± the infinitely small or large is called taking the limit, hence the title of this chapter. Using the limit and infinitesimal to find slope is a process known as taking the derivative, and once it¡¯s properly formulated it can be used to find the slope of an entire function, creating a new function in the process. You can then do this again to find the derivative of the derivative. This is extremely useful since position, velocity, and acceleration are related in this way. Taking the derivative of position (that is, the function of an object that describes its location at any given time) produces the velocity (directional speed at any given time), and then taking the derivative of the velocity produces the acceleration. Very useful for orbits. Without calculus, you have to do this very slowly and with incremental steps, while with the proper formulation, you can just find the shape of an orbit all at once. (This does make it sound easier than it it, admittedly, as in orbital mechanics we regularly get annoying equations that don¡¯t have simple solutions, but solving one of those is better than solving one every time you want to move an inch.)

    The other half of calculus is finding areas under curves. This is done without calculus by drawing a bunch of rectangles under the curve and adding their area together. Naturally, rectangles will either miss some area or poke out from under the curve, thereby definitely being incorrect. However, we are free to decide how big these rectangles are, and smaller rectangles will get more accurate results, but there will be a lot more of them. It turns out that you can set the width of a rectangle to the infinitesimal and essentially do the exact same thing as before--identify the pattern that occurs as rectangles get smaller and smaller with the power of the limit, and then tie that all together into a single process called taking the integral.

    Properly formulated, calculus does not require thousands of steps to be taken to find the answer. In fact, if a function is neat and smooth and forms like it have had derivatives and integrals solved before, you can often do the entire process in one step. Saves massive amounts of time.

    Normally, one might wonder why integrals are useful for space travel, where are we adding areas together? Well, one thing that it can help with is finding the area swept out by planets in their orbits, which is directly related to how fast an object is going according to Kepler¡¯s Second Law. Furthermore, the same process can be used to add together values along a path, such as calculating the distance crossed along an unusually-shaped line.

    The most powerful tool, though, is that the integral is the opposite of the derivative. If you take an integral of a function, you can take the derivative of the integral to get back to the original function. Unfortunately, it¡¯s not quite as simple as 1 + 1 - 1 = 1, there are exceptions and subtleties in this relation, so it can¡¯t be applied blindly. But it is very powerful when used correctly¡ªallowing the position to be found from velocity, or velocity from acceleration, with ease.

    Calculus is an amazingly powerful tool. Once Blue and the mathematicians refine it, they will wonder how they ever managed to live with doing things the slow, imprecise way. Granted, calculus isn¡¯t always easy, but even in situations where it can¡¯t give you the answer to a complex relation in one step, the relations between various quantities in a system can be described by calculus, which makes things so much easier even if you do have to resort to adding up a nearly infinite list of things by hand.

    Personally, I find calculus to be perhaps the most useful thing to come out of math. You can use it to calculate interest nearly instantly, for instance. I liked school as a kid but sometimes I often wondered why we were learning so many seemingly unrelated things in math. Well, when I got to calculus, all of it made sense¡ªwe were learning all those weird things because most of them are used commonly in calculus to solve involved problems.

    Some people may (rightfully) object to the way I¡¯ve painted calculus here. If you¡¯re actually going into mathematics or the sciences, it¡¯s worthwhile to actually dig into what it means and the motivations behind creating it. But I¡¯m just trying to quantitatively describe what it actually is, not all the complex nuances behind it. Hopefully, I¡¯ve piqued your interest enough to get you to look more into it! If you don¡¯t already know calculus, I recommend starting with the concept of the limit, as it is generally where all the actual interesting work starts. You can¡¯t figure out what the value is at infinity¡­ so let¡¯s just see what it is as we get closer and closer and then evaluate the pattern!

    Though if you see a ¡°delta-epsilon¡± proof in the first chapter/lecture/article, run. Try to understand qualitatively what¡¯s being done before you dig into the specific proofs of the concepts.

    ¡­Perhaps I should have called this the math segment today¡­

 033 - Awaiting

    WSP 033

    Awaiting

    The package had been sent to them in a high-quality plast parcel marked with the symbol of the Crown. Vaughan, Blue, Jeh, Suro, and Krays were present when they opened it in Vaughan¡¯s dining room. Inside was a folded-up note and a rather small and unassuming arcane device constructed almost entirely out of Purple crystals with a handful of Magenta ones. It took the overall shape of a bracelet with a metal clasp on one end that could be used to tighten or loosen it.

    ¡°My goodness¡­¡± Suro said.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look that impressive,¡± Krays said. ¡°One of those small ones.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s hundreds of separate crystals in this device¡­ such a device would decay so quickly, and to even construct something this precise¡­¡±

    Blue levitated out the note and flipped it open. ¡°It¡¯s from Tenrayce, big surprise there, and uh¡­ oh.¡± Blue glanced at it. ¡°It¡¯s one of Benefactor¡¯s transmitters.¡±

    ¡°She can see us right now!?¡± Krays stammered. ¡°Hey! Dumb rock! Stop watching us!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Blue said. ¡°You have to activate it to send anything.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°Anyway¡­ Tenrayce says we can activate it in space if something goes wrong so at least Benefactor knows what happened. It¡¯s not strong enough to send anything from much further than orbit, though. It specifically only sends light-based information, though it sends a lot more than what we can see, apparently.¡±

    ¡°Only Benefactor can pick it up, though,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Blue said, folding the paper back up. ¡°She designed a transmitter, not a receiver. She could potentially train other Purple Crystalline Ones to receive, but they wouldn¡¯t be as sensitive as her.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ an amazing piece of engineering that¡¯ll be helpful for small missions, but not the Moonshot.¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°And even then, only if something goes wrong.¡±

    ¡°Still a good thing to have,¡± Suro said, getting his face as close to the device as he could. ¡°Expert craftsmanship, I¡­ I¡¯m not even sure how it works, there¡¯s so much going on here.¡±

    ¡°It stretches out light, from what I understand,¡± Blue said. ¡°Though the exact concept by which it works was one of those Crystalline One inspirations, those don¡¯t exactly come with a full explanation.¡± Her left eye twitched. ¡°Which is most bothersome.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t complain about your gifts,¡± Krays said.

    ¡°Coming from you, that¡¯s rich.¡±

    ¡°The rule doesn¡¯t apply to me, I make complaining fun.¡±

    ¡°To you.¡±

    ¡°Naturally.¡±

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°Does anyone have any idea how we would go about making¡­ a receiver? So I could send stuff down to you guys while I¡¯m up there?¡±

    ¡°Get a large, sensitive Crystalline One,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Blue¡­¡± Jeh put her hands on her hips.

    ¡°Oh, all right, I¡¯ll actually consider it¡­¡± Blue looked at the device, scrunching her muzzle. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ it works with light. Theoretically, we could get the ¡®stretching¡¯ spell stored in a Magenta loop, so any light could be stretched with that spell. There might be a squishing spell you could do on the other end, maybe, but¡­ I think part of the issue is that the Transmitter isn¡¯t actually sending out a stretched version of all the light it gets, it sends out a radial burst that goes in all directions of one kind of light. The actual information is encoded within that. It¡¯s probably a lot easier to press all the light together than to take it apart. Trust me, multiplying numbers is easy, factoring them is not. Benefactor inherently knows how to use her huge mind to tear the information out of it, but to design a spell to do that?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Jeh frowned. ¡°What if we just send something simple?¡±

    ¡°Benefactor uses a specific somewhat-complicated signal to know when she¡¯s receiving a message and not just getting noise.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Jeh shrugged. ¡°Well, it would be nice.¡±

    ¡°We can send messages if we could aim properly,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Visible light lasers can go a long way, it¡¯s just you have to hit from very far away. Which, well, you can¡¯t even see Willow Hollow from up there¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the nice thing about stretching the light out, it¡¯s easier for them to go in all directions, no aiming required,¡± Blue offered. ¡°Though why it does that¡­ or how¡­¡±

    Vaughan shrugged. ¡°Unfortunately, we are not Benefactor, nor do we have her here to run experiments. And those who are, well, they¡¯re presumably occupied with more important things right now.¡± He lifted the device out of the box. ¡°We should be thankful for this, for it will be useful in emergencies. If Jeh crashes again, it might help us find her.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t crash again!¡± Jeh said, huffing. ¡°I was shot down, remember?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s to stop something else from shooting you down?¡±

    ¡°The fact that there aren¡¯t other crystal monsters on Ikyu?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t gone to the other side yet, how would you know?¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I haven¡¯t¡­¡± She put her hands on her hips. ¡°That¡¯s it, next big mission, I¡¯m going all the way around.¡±

    Blue¡¯s ears perked up in alarm. ¡°You sure that¡¯s a good idea? The transmitter can go through a lot of things but not the bulk of Ikyu, you¡¯ll be all on your own on the other side.¡±

    Jeh frowned. ¡°I¡­ huh. I mean, we have to do it eventually¡­ but¡­ I don¡¯t want to spend a year or two traveling back if something goes wrong¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°I have to take the risk at some point, and we should do it before we go to the moon. The satellite did work, and I¡¯ll have active control while I go around.¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°Yes, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps wait until you¡¯ve trained Margaret,¡± Suro suggested. ¡°So you crashing won¡¯t halt the program in its steps.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Oh yeah, that probably does take priority. Ahem.¡± Jeh saluted. ¡°Put the ¡®map the world¡¯ mission on hold until we have a backup pilot, got it. Speaking of¡­ I¡¯m gonna go hunt her down, see ya!¡± She hastily scrambled out of the cabin, off to find her ¡°student.¡±

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°And there she goes¡­¡±

    ¡°Quite the kid,¡± Krays said. ¡°It¡¯s almost like she never left.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Blue said, frowning. ¡°She also looks the exact same¡­¡±

    ¡°Girl regenerates from anything, not a surprise.¡±

    ¡°Even aging?¡±

    Krays blinked. ¡°I¡­ huh, hadn¡¯t thought about that¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Lila jumped on top of a tall crate to address the people in front of the construction site for the lab. Currently, the site wasn¡¯t even home to any buildings. The trees had been cleared away and the ground flattened, but all that indicated there was going to be an actual structure were a few tall wooden posts sticking up out of the ground.

    ¡°Greetings, everyone,¡± Lila said, beaming out at the townsfolk who had come out to hear her talk. There were only a few dozen, which wasn¡¯t all that surprising, this wasn¡¯t a very important speech. She was just here to discuss the lab and assure everyone that it was a good thing. Which, since most people already believed that, wasn¡¯t that hard of a sell. The people in the audience either liked to hear her talk or had particular beef against the noise that went down while construction was underway.

    She had to admit, it could get quite grating, but it was a necessary price to build the thing.

    She spoke almost automatically without much thought¡ªat this point, such a relatively unimportant speech could be given on autopilot. She spent less of her time focusing on the specific words and more focusing on the people in front of her. Most were smiling and listening attentively. Ripashi was in the crowd, looking a little bored as he cleaned his feathers absent-mindedly. Lila briefly wondered why he was even here¡ªperhaps he was just passing through and decided to stick around?

    Then, of course, there were the people glaring at her angrily. ¡­Perhaps angrily was too strong of a word. The families that lived closest to the construction site and heard the most noise were clearly ticked off, wishing it wasn¡¯t there. But while they had complained and wished it wasn¡¯t happening, they had yet to offer her a reason besides ¡°noise complaints¡± as to why the construction should be forced to stop. Even that wasn¡¯t a very good reason, they never worked at night, and the noise wasn¡¯t constant¡ªrather unpredictable as to when it would occur, actually.

    The people knew this and were probably trying to look for ways to contend with her. However, a location that would enhance the Wizard Space Program, create more jobs for Willow Hollow, and was being provided free of charge by the Crown had so few downsides there wasn¡¯t a foothold for them to stand on.

    As she spoke some of the annoyed ones became more and more irritated, but others gained a resigned expression of defeat¡ªthere was nothing they could do but try to ignore the sound.

    ¡°And so, moving on¡­¡± Lila continued. ¡°I¡¯d like to bring forth policy for future construction projects, for we will be building other things. How are we to handle the noise generated by those? W¡ª¡±

    An arcane saw activated behind Lila and entirely drowned her out. She let out a soft chuckle. Of course. She turned around to see a muscular human man cutting wood into even planks for construction. She considered how she would deal with the situation¡ªsimply let him work, or kindly ask him to wait a few minutes for her to wrap up? Or¡­

    Her decision was never to be made, for Ripashi made it for her. He landed behind the worker and tapped him on the shoulder.

    The worker stopped the saw and glared at him. ¡°I¡¯m workin¡¯ here.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ yes you are! You have the audacity to drown out the words of our wise mayor while she is defending your right to work! How dare!¡±

    The man looked behind Ripashi at Lila and the crowd. ¡°Huh. Your mayor¡¯s the cat?¡±

    ¡°Wh¡ªyes! Are you implying cats are not worthy of being mayors?¡±

    ¡°Easy for me to overlook is all. Small. Hard to see.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a crowd here!¡±

    ¡°There usually is in my job. Been kinda nice not having one here.¡±

    Ripashi gawked at the man. ¡°I¡­ you¡­ wh¡­¡±

    ¡°Ripashi,¡± Lila said, hopping down from her box. ¡°You do not need to defend my honor. He is simply not accustomed to our ways and assumes things operate as he understands them.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Perhaps you could wait a few minutes to begin work?¡±

    The worker shook his head. ¡°No can do, ma¡¯am, these planks need cutting before the others arrive, and talkin¡¯ to you has already taken a good chunk of the time I need.¡±

    ¡°¡­You work with a grace window of only a few minutes?¡±

    ¡°We like efficiency here. So if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡± He turned the saw back on and got to work.

    ¡°Well,¡± Lila said, surprised to find that she was more than a little miffed that she had more or less been utterly disregarded. She knew better than to act on it though. ¡°Ripashi!¡± She waved, gesturing for him to lower his head so he could hear her. ¡°I can¡¯t talk loud enough to be heard over the saw, you can. Tell everyone that they can go home and we won¡¯t be holding meetings near the construction site anymore.¡±

    Ripashi nodded. With a spectacular jump, he landed on top of the box. ¡°CAW! Everyone! Go home, meeting¡¯s over! No more meetings will be held near the construction site! CAW!¡±

    Lila saw the crowd confusingly disperse. She¡¯d rather it not have gone this way, but she actually didn¡¯t have authority over the workers, merely the land they worked on. They were subjects of their boss, who wasn¡¯t even here, but rather some vague head of a construction company. Lila only knew about him through letters. She wasn¡¯t even sure what race he was.

    In the end, Lila recognized it was good for her to be humbled in this way, she wasn¡¯t the ¡°top cat,¡± there were those above her and regulations she had to bow to. Still¡­ the situation might not have ended the best for the people, seeing their leader cave and potentially be overly accommodating.

    The world never ceases to stop throwing unexpected challenges our way. Lila smiled. And yet, it is good that it is this way, for if it were not, we would reach a point where we stopped growing.

    ~~~

    ¡°Margaret¡¯s actually picking up on it pretty quickly,¡± Jeh told Ashen. The two of them were in Ashen¡¯s little secret grove, as usual. Not much about it had changed, though naturally the tree Ashen was affixed to had grown a little bit over time.

    ¡°That may be because of your superior teaching method.¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, Vaughan was trying to teach me to do something no one had done before. Now that I¡¯ve done it, I can give Margaret the shortcuts. Mostly.¡± Jeh rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Krays was right, turns out I do rely on my natural inclination for magic a lot to just brute-force my way through things. Margaret¡¯s good at magic and has a lot of will, but not like¡­ me levels.¡±

    ¡°You do appear to have a lot of natural talent.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I wonder where it comes from. I wonder where my regeneration comes from. I wonder a lot of things.¡± Jeh smiled warmly. ¡°But hey, there were a lot of things I didn¡¯t understand out there on my journey and everything turned out fine.¡±

    ¡°One mystery at a time, then?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, one at a time. Right now: train up Margaret so we can get to space. Later today I¡¯m going up to release a hamster into the vacuum.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you expect to happen?¡±

    ¡°Gruesome, terrible, deadly things. Or just suffocation. We really aren¡¯t sure, the water boiled out there, so¡­¡± Jeh shrugged. ¡°It boiled without getting hot, too. Quite something.¡±

    Ashen paused, perplexed by this. ¡°In my experience, you need heat to boil things.¡±

    ¡°I know, right? Space is weird! Who knows what other strange things happen out there?¡± She giggled. ¡°I kind of want to try it myself, but, y¡¯know¡­ not exactly a good test case.¡±

    ¡°You know, Jeh, visually you haven¡¯t changed. But in the time I¡¯ve known you, you¡¯ve changed a lot personally. You were a girl who didn¡¯t know who or what anything was and just wanted to deal with things. Now you speak of scientific and experimental principles in casual conversation and are extremely driven to achieve your goals¡­ and to work with others. I¡­ believe I am oversimplifying it and stepping over my words, but you have changed much. Your journey, I can tell, has made you stronger.¡±

    ¡°Not physically,¡± Jeh chuckled. ¡°No muscles on this arm at all, just pain tolerance.¡± She chuckled.

    ¡°An amazin¡¯ skill, t¡¯ be sure.¡±

    Jeh jumped up, readying a Red crystal. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±

    The individual who had spoken was not even attempting to hide. He was a middle-aged human man dressed all in black, including the hat, which was decidedly not that of a wizard, but was dome-shaped with a thin rim. He was currently smoking something which, now that Jeh thought about it, she had been smelling for the last few minutes and just not registered. Most striking were his eyes, with irises a brilliant pearlescent white.

    ¡°Ah, so you were walking toward us.¡±

    ¡°Made ya think I wasn¡¯t, didn¡¯t I?¡± the man said. Despite the mild levity in his tone, he did not smile¡ªhis face seemed locked in a permanently serious expression, an impression enhanced by the dense, uniform stubble that covered his chin. He took in a deep breath and released a puff of smoke. ¡°Ya don¡¯t need t¡¯ worry, I¡¯m just here t¡¯ check in on the Crystalline One, introduce myself. Just lucky that I¡¯m gettin¡¯ both the interestin¡¯ people in this town at once.¡±

    ¡°If you are here for an introduction, introduce yourself, and explain how you know of my existence.¡±

    ¡°Quite simple, really. I work for the Crown.¡± He sat down on a nearby rock and kicked up his feet. ¡°Ya can call me Agent Keller. First name don¡¯t matter and is classified anyway.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ an agent?¡±

    ¡°Eeyep. Had Tenrayce not made that deal, ya¡¯d probably¡¯ve been conscripted to become someone like me, girl.¡±

    Jeh backed away. ¡°You¡¯re not here to take me away, right?¡±

    ¡°Course not, a deal¡¯s a deal.¡± He took the roll he was smoking out of his mouth and put it out, placing the remnant in his pocket. Immediately he pulled out another roll and lit it¡ªpresumably with a Red crystal hidden somewhere on his person. ¡°Plus, ya probably are best suited for this whole space business, even if I don¡¯t understand the appeal myself. I do know there are a lot o¡¯ eyes on ya right now, both good and bad. My job is to make sure nothin¡¯¡­ unsavory messes up your little program.¡± He blew out another cloud of smoke. ¡°Consider me your security.¡±

    Jeh relaxed considerably. ¡°So you¡¯re like¡­ a legendary warrior assigned to be our bodyguard?¡±

    ¡°Of a sort, yeah.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so cool! Can you teach me any moves?¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± Even when he laughed, there was no smile. ¡°Possibly, I hear ya¡¯re quite good at magic. Though I can¡¯t show ya my specialty, that¡¯s unique to me.¡±

    ¡°Is it because you are a neko?¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°He is?¡±

    ¡°His tails and ears are hidden, but they are certainly there.¡±

    ¡°Guilty as charged,¡± he said, removing his hat to reveal the ears before quickly putting it back on. ¡°Ya know the rumor that our attribute is luck?¡±

    ¡°I am aware of it. Is it not just a rumor?¡±

    ¡°The wizards don¡¯t think it exists because they can¡¯t ¡®reproduce it in laboratory conditions.¡¯ To which I say, nonsense. The luck is real, friends, and I¡¯ll swear by Dia Herself that my special Magenta techniques make me even luckier.¡± He leaned back and put his arms behind his head. ¡°Of course, the fancy weapon devices from the Crown also help.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling us this?¡± Ashen asked.

    ¡°A declaration of peace, you could say.¡± Keller looked up to the sky. ¡°Ya Crystalline Ones can pry secrets out pretty easily. Might as well just come out and get it over with, show ya I can be trusted. I¡¯ll be protectin¡¯ ya and investigatin¡¯ this town for any strange happenings, after all, best if we¡¯re on the same page, get the secrets outta the way.¡±

    Jeh¡¯s breath caught in her throat. Jeremiah. Margaret. They¡­

    ¡°Ah, ya¡¯ve got someone here who has some secrets I probably shouldn¡¯t know about?¡±

    ¡°U-uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe those Red Seekers on the mountain that cause trouble but you keep around anyway? No? Not them?¡± Keller shook his head. ¡°Nah, I won¡¯t pry. I¡¯m here t¡¯ keep ya out of danger, not perform an inspection. Heh. I¡¯d go nuts if I had to inspect things, impossible t¡¯ get people t¡¯ trust ya if ya report everythin¡¯.¡± He sat up, breathing out more smoke. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal, then. Ya¡¯ll don¡¯t tell anyone I¡¯m a neko, and in return I¡¯ll listen to ya and not go after whoever it is you¡¯re concerned about. Ya will have to tell me who and why, though, so I don¡¯t accidentally knock their block off.¡±

    Jeh turned to Ashen. ¡°I¡­ I think we should.¡±

    ¡°A mutual exchange of olive branches¡­ somewhat strongarmed, but without being rude. Clever, Agent Keller.¡±

    ¡°Been doin¡¯ this a while, I just like to get things squared away.¡±

    ¡°¡­Very well.¡±

    ¡°Margaret and Jeremiah are my friends,¡± Jeh said. ¡°We brought them from the Wild Kingdoms. They are¡­ servants of Eyda.¡±

    Keller let out a low whistle. ¡°Don¡¯t see many of those types ¡®round here. Ain¡¯t illegal to be one, though.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ they were afraid they¡¯d be seen as a threat.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong, it¡¯s a good thing ya told me.¡± He stood up. ¡°Secret Eyda worshippers are generally one of the easiest ways for things t¡¯ go wrong. But ya¡¯re aware of them, so they prolly aren¡¯t a threat t¡¯ ya. To be clear, I¡¯ll still watch them, but not closely, and I won¡¯t take them in or out, anythin¡¯ suspicious I find goes directly to your mayor.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of, I still have t¡¯ meet yer mayor. I hope she¡¯s as receptive as ya two.¡±

    Jeh beamed. ¡°Lila¡¯s really nice, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I ain¡¯t worried.¡± He said, tipping his hat in farewell. ¡°Just like things to go smoothly, is all.¡± With that, he walked off in the direction of Willow Hollow.

    ¡°That is a man we should be very glad is tasked with protecting us.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°I sense that he is unimaginably dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, obviously.¡± Jeh grinned. ¡°I think he¡¯s cool. I hope we get to see him beat up a bad guy at some point. It¡¯ll be awesome.¡±

    ¡°Something tells me he specializes in subtle work.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ maybe we¡¯ll still get lucky. Like him!¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°All right Mr. Scruffums, time to die what I can only presume will be a horrible and agonizing death!¡±

    Jeh lifted the oblivious hamster out of his enclosure and put him in the airlock.

    Naturally, the Skyseed IV was currently in space. Mr. Scruffums was not the only object up for ¡®vacuum testing¡¯ today, but he was by far the most interesting. Jeh wanted to see if he would boil from the inside out or light on fire or something. Though as she thought about it, that latter one was unlikely, seeing as while Red crystals could heat things in space, they couldn¡¯t light them on fire.

    ¡°Bon Voyage, Mr. Scruffums!¡± Jeh declared, giving the hamster a salute. ¡°Your sacrifice will be for the betterment of space travel!¡±

    Mr. Scruffums looked lazily outside. The next thing he knew, the airlock was opened, and he was launched into space. Jeh, naturally, caught him with Orange magic and watched. Besides the obvious panic in the hamster¡¯s scrambling motions, there wasn¡¯t really any change Jeh could notice immediately¡ªthough the interesting fact that there was no sound from his screams was obvious, but expected.

    Jeh lifted him to be closer to her face, and she could notice that he was slightly larger than he had been previously, and¡­ yes, bubbles were forming on his tongue and eyes, the fluids were boiling. Very shortly after this, the hamster stopped moving.

    ¡°Really?¡± Jeh frowned. ¡°Already?¡± She shook Mr. Scruffums slightly and got no response. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Finding that the hamster was doing nothing further that was interesting, she brought it back into the airlock and back inside.

    To her surprise, he was still breathing, but out cold. She investigated his mouth and eyes to find that¡­ they looked fine? The fluid was back already and the boiling didn¡¯t really seem to have done anything. He was slightly colder than normal but was quickly heating back up.

    ¡°Huh. Guess you get to survive.¡± She picked up a notebook and started scribbling things down. ¡°So¡­ boiling liquid¡­ got larger¡­ passed out¡­ probably due to lack of air, he screamed and let it all out rather quickly¡­¡± She blinked. ¡°So you die from lack of air. I mean¡­ I was expecting something more interesting to fry you.¡±

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Mr. Scruffums was still passed out.

    ¡°You have a good nap, you deserve it. Congratulations! You survived!¡± She patted the hamster on the head. ¡°Good boy.¡±

    As she put other, far less interesting materials out into space, she pondered what would happen if she was out in space. Sure, she passed out as well, but what if she held her breath? She could probably last longer than a handful of seconds¡­

    She put a small balloon in the airlock and let it out. It popped almost immediately, so close to the Skyseed IV that she could still hear the pop.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Jeh blinked. ¡°Ooooooh, yeah, lungs are big balloons, riiiight¡­¡± She imagined her entire upper body exploding. ¡°Well, that¡¯d be interesting¡­¡± She scribbled down some notes. ¡°Wonder what happens if you go out with just a helmet¡­¡±

    With that, she kept putting more things in the vacuum of space. Over the course of several trips and experiments, she found out a few things. Solids basically didn¡¯t change in space, not even temperature-wise, unless they were the sort of thing that could melt easily. Anything that could melt or boil would do so readily in space, but without getting hotter¡ªalways getting colder. Gaseous things would always expand, often violently, and anything that contained liquid¡ªsuch as hamsters¡ªwould expand due to the liquid boiling and becoming gaseous. This never reached the point of explosions, however.

    After noticing the pattern of things that boiled getting colder, Jeh had an idea. She took some water out and rather than just letting it float in space, she pressed it to one of the Skyseed¡¯s walls and let it boil away while in contact with the glass.

    She felt the wall actively getting colder.

    ¡°¡­Space just keeps providing ways to solve the cooling problem, doesn¡¯t it? Accelerate your radiative heat, boil some water¡­ to get¡­ colder¡­¡± Jeh shook her head¡ªthat last statement flew in the face of her common sense.

    But it was information. And good information at that. Now they had two ways to manage their heat!

    The boiling water one didn¡¯t even require magic. Though, it would require water. They probably had other uses for water. Like drinking.

    Naturally, the next few experiments were about water¡¯s properties in space, particularly its cooling of things, but those didn¡¯t produce unexpected results. They were still fun to watch, though. Jeh never got bored of the orbs of water rippling and bubbling with nothing around them.

    ~~~

    Via groaned. ¡°Why do I have to sit through all these briefings¡­? I¡¯m not a warrior or a tactical mastermind¡­¡±

    ¡°You need to know the ways of leadership,¡± Wyett said to his sister. All three of the siblings were walking out of the latest meeting concerning the state of Kroan.

    ¡°But it¡¯s like, geeeeh,¡± Via mumbled. ¡°You two are the ones that do things. You¡¯ve got the intrigue and the brains. I just¡­ I just watch.¡±

    ¡°It is still important to know,¡± Tenrayce said, turning a page in her book, this one on the theory of war. ¡°Via, you have a greater attachment to the people than we do. They know you.¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, but I can¡¯t exactly tell them about all the things we talk about, it¡¯s all secret! They don¡¯t get to know about how rocky things are getting with Shimvale, they don¡¯t even know about what our forces are fighting all the way on the other side of the Wild Kingdoms!¡±

    ¡° ¡®Fighting¡¯ is not strictly accurate¡­¡± Tenrayce commented.

    ¡°Why do the rigids launch a huge attack and then completely vanish?¡± Wyett wondered aloud. ¡°It¡¯s so¡­ bothersome. The plague was everywhere and the Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho were struggling to keep it out, then Benefactor wrecked the force coming after us, and then it¡¯s completely silent.¡±

    ¡°I believe the plague is intelligent enough to recognize it can no longer win in a direct confrontation,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°Which is a similar position to where C-R¡¯s people and, to some extent, Shimvale are.¡±

    ¡°I thought Shimvale explicitly said they weren¡¯t going to attack us and wished us well?¡± Via asked.

    Wyett snorted. ¡°Kaykayzee Ziggurat hates Benefactor with a burning passion for making her people disappear. Even if the other members of the Council overruled her and sought piece, that woman will stop at nothing, not to mention her song. She just has the benefit of not needing to use direct confrontation to assail us.¡±

    ¡°We expect war, and receive intrigue instead.¡± Tenrayce turned a page. ¡°We can no longer say we are at peace, and it feels as though enemies are on all sides, but we cannot see them.¡±

    Via shivered. ¡°Seems¡­ scary.¡±

    ¡°And this is why you¡¯re important, Via. You are far better at reassuring the people than we are. They may not know the extent of what we know, but they know enough to be nervous. Something¡¯s going on, and it¡¯s been dragging on for quite some time now and shows no sign of letting up.¡±

    ¡°This might be the new normal,¡± Wyett said. ¡°A stalemate where no one wants to make a move.¡±

    Via shivered. ¡°I just¡­ yeah, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ve got to be there for them.¡± She put her hand to her chest and looked up to the sky. ¡°I may be an idiot, but my smile is contagious!¡±

    Tenrayce couldn¡¯t help but smile in return.

    ¡°See? I¡¯m right!¡±

    Wyett cracked a smile and patted Via on the head, which was possible to do since her hair was flat on top today. ¡°You¡­ really are something.¡±

    ¡°Ah, just the person I was looking for.¡±

    Tenrayce looked up to see Alexandrite standing outside a window that was cracked open slightly.

    ¡°Oh, I take it you have a message for me?¡± Tenrayce said.

    ¡°For the Crown in general, but it¡¯s easier to just hand it to you.¡± Alexandrite removed a small scroll from his pack and handed it through the window. ¡°This is a proposal from Gronge. He thinks he has a way to bypass the leviathans.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Tenrayce opened up the scroll. ¡°What¡¯s his idea?¡±

    ¡°In short, drill a tunnel through the continental shelf to go around them.¡±

    Tenrayce looked up from the scroll and stared at Alexandrite, dumbfounded.

    ¡°¡­Madness,¡± Wyett said.

    ¡°¡­Who told him about Benefactor drilling through the ground?¡± Tenrayce said, narrowing her eyes.

    ¡°Uh.¡± Alexandrite shuffled awkwardly. ¡°I was not aware it was classified when I sent the letter¡­¡±

    Tenrayce glared at him. Then she sighed. ¡°Of course you would, that¡¯s your primary job, tell him everything of interest at first notice¡­ I¡¯m going to fine you, though.¡±

    ¡°Of course, your majesty.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, it might turn out well for us. Benefactor can tell us her secret to drilling, we can make a tunnel to the bottom of the ocean¡­ and no leviathan will be able to get through there. It¡¯ll work, though the question is if the economy can support it right now. We are at¡­ pseudo-war, and war itself is both good and bad for the economy in seemingly random ways.¡± She put a hand to her temple and sighed. ¡°All the numbers¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s actually going to work?¡± Wyett said, eyes wide.

    ¡°Possibly, and the goods the anglers have are very valuable, it could easily pay for itself once complete. The only issue is if we can complete it¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Margaret downed some kind of pink alcoholic drink. She let out a groan. ¡°It¡¯s not doing it today¡­¡±

    The barkeep shrugged. ¡°I only promise that the drinks are good, not that your mind can be pulled out of wherever it is.¡± After a pause, she asked. ¡°Do you want another?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ well, not yet anyway.¡± Margaret folded her arms. ¡°I believe¡­ any further than this and I lose my sense.¡±

    The barkeep nodded in approval. ¡°You still have some sense. That¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ thanks¡­¡±

    As the barkeep turned to tend to her other customers, the doors to the establishment flew loudly open. A man in dark clothes with a round hat stood in the doorway, taking a moment to put out whatever it was he was smoking before stepping in. He sat down next to Margaret. ¡°The strongest drink ya¡¯ve got that won¡¯t literally burn me.¡±

    The barkeep stared at him. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ have anything that bad?¡±

    ¡°Clearly ya don¡¯t serve dragons, then. Strongest thing ya have.¡±

    The barkeep gave him some kind of clear liquid. He didn¡¯t down it immediately, instead taking a few sips, clearly intending to enjoy the drink over time. ¡°So,¡± he said, and even though he wasn¡¯t looking at her, Margaret could tell he was talking to her. ¡°You new in town too?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly new new,¡± Margaret said. ¡°Been a month or so.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve only been here a week myself.¡± He took a few more sips of his drink. ¡°Quite the strange town ya¡¯ve found yourself in. Not t¡¯ your likin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, no, Willow Hollow is excellent, the people here are lovely.¡± Margaret smiled warmly. ¡°I love it here, and I get to work on amazing things.¡±

    ¡°What do ya do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a pilot-in-training for the Space Program, as well as a painter.¡±

    The man laughed, and as far as Margaret could tell it was genuine, but he didn¡¯t smile as he did so. ¡°Sounds like ya¡¯ve got quite the ticket!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I do. It¡¯s just¡­ my dad can¡¯t see that.¡± She tapped her fingers on the countertop. ¡°He didn¡¯t do well on the journey over here, and he¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know, grumpy.¡± She sighed, looking at the ceiling. ¡°He¡¯s trying to put on a smile for my sake, but I can tell it¡¯s fake. He just¡­¡± She paused. ¡°I have no idea why he doesn¡¯t like it here, he wasn¡¯t really that attached to the old house, he was always eager to talk to and meet new people, he always loved seeing everyone¡¯s different ways of doing things. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s so unlike him.¡± She sagged visibly. ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t be running my mouth off to you.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, maybe not, but it¡¯s good t¡¯ get things off your chest.¡± The man took another drink. ¡°The older we get, the harder it is for us t¡¯ accept change. We see things go by faster, while we ourselves get slower. When ya have more past than future¡­ the way ya view things changes.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ guess.¡± She frowned. ¡°Is this just¡­ the way he¡¯s going to be, now?¡±

    ¡°Dunno, I don¡¯t know the man. Seein¡¯ as he locks himself away most o¡¯ the day, prolly won¡¯t get t¡¯ know him.¡± He paused. ¡°Ya¡¯ll have to be the judge.¡±

    ¡°¡­He feels like a different person.¡±

    ¡°Happens when ya go through things. I bet ya changed on your journey here, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Margaret paused. ¡°I¡­ I believe I did, actually. I was¡­ so angry for a while there, but then¡­ I guess¡­ I guess I just came out the other end for the better.¡±

    ¡°Maybe ya just need t¡¯ give him some more time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ maybe.¡± She looked down at the man¡ªshe was taller than him, even sitting down. ¡°Thank you, mister¡­¡±

    ¡°You can call me Keller. Agent Keller.¡±

    ¡°Agent?¡± Margaret tilted her head to the side. ¡°Agent of what?¡±

    ¡°The Crown.¡±

    Margaret tensed, but did her best to play it off. ¡°Oh, really? What¡¯s that like?¡±

    ¡°Gives ya enough experience t¡¯ know when people are tryin¡¯ real hard to not look like they¡¯re scared of ya.¡± He took a drink, and let out a short breath. ¡°Ya don¡¯t need t¡¯ worry yer pretty little head, ya¡¯ve got friends in high places lookin¡¯ out for ya.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ uh¡­¡± Margaret shifted awkwardly.

    ¡°I actually came here specifically t¡¯ seek ya out, Margaret.¡± He lifted up his hat and met her gaze with his brilliant, white eyes. ¡°Not to unnerve ya, though that¡¯s kinda unavoidable, and not to help ya either, but ya seemed like ya needed it when I walked in.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ what did you come here for, then?¡±

    ¡°To declare peace.¡± He let out a chuckle without a smile. ¡°In my experience, it¡¯s best t¡¯ get this sort of thing out of the way so complications don¡¯t arise in the future. Yes, I know who ya are and the exact major detail ya don¡¯t want people to know. I have no intention of reportin¡¯ anything to anyone about it, though.¡±

    ¡°R-really? Why¡­ not?¡±

    ¡°Ya seem like a good, upstanding woman, and I see no malice in those eyes. Plus, yer friends vouch for ya, and they and I already have an understandin.¡¯ ¡± He set his drink down. ¡°My job is t¡¯ protect this town and the Wizard Space Program. Yer part of that. I want my charges t¡¯ trust me with their lives, makes it so much easier t¡¯ protect them. Want to make it clear that I am not your enemy.¡±

    Margaret took in a deep breath. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not? We¡­¡±

    ¡°Belief is no crime. Ya¡¯d have to do somethin¡¯ with it to cause problems. I¡¯ll be keepin¡¯ an eye on you two, but I¡¯m keepin¡¯ an eye on everyone in this town. My hope is that we can come t¡¯ an understanding, perhaps forge a workin¡¯ relationship.¡±

    Margaret nodded slowly. ¡°That is¡­ the very same thing we tried to do back in our old home. You are a respectable man, Agent Keller. I¡­ am nervous, I will admit, but we did not turn anyone away from our home, and were sad when possible guests would run in fear. I will not make the same mistake¡ªif you wish to welcome me, I will take it.¡±

    ¡°Very good!¡± Keller stood up, brushing off his coat. ¡°Hope t¡¯ see ya around, Margaret. Never really met one of your people willing t¡¯ have an open chat with an Agent such as myself, really is a breath of fresh air. We should talk ¡®bout the nature o¡¯ reality sometime, that should be fun.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that, Keller.¡±

    ¡°As ya should. Introduce me t¡¯ yer father sometimes, though later, of course, once ya¡¯ve gotten him calm enough for it.¡± He tipped his hat. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go make sure those Red Seekers on the mountain won¡¯t be a problem now. Here¡¯s t¡¯ hopin¡¯ they¡¯ll be as receptive as ya.¡±

    ¡°Good luck.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll need it¡­¡± With a short sigh followed by another abrupt chuckle, he left the establishment.

    ¡°What a strange encounter¡­¡± Margaret said, looking at the barkeep. ¡°¡­I think I¡¯ll need another one.¡±

    ¡°Just one?¡± the barkeep asked. ¡°There were so many layers to that conversation I feel like I need a drink.¡±

    ¡°Just one for now. Might change my mind later.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°I just shaved a hamster.¡±

    Jeh was so shocked by this utterance that she fell off the tree branch she was trying to balance on. ¡°You what?¡±

    Krays held out her hands, showcasing that, sure enough, she had shaved a hamster. It had bruises all over its body.

    ¡°What the¡­ Krays! Did you beat up this hamster?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. Well, not unless you count the tiny nick on its haunches because I¡¯m a gari and don¡¯t know how to shave anything¡ªfreaky fuzzy beasts, you lot¡ªall those bruises are your doing.¡±

    ¡°Me!?¡± Jeh put a hand to her chest and gasped. ¡°I don¡¯t go around hurting hamsters for no reason!¡±

    ¡°Well, no, this is just one of them you brought back from the last trip. As you can see, there¡¯s not no consequences for being out in the vacuum of space until you pass out.¡± She poked one of the bruises and the hamster let out a squeal of pain and bit her finger. The plast coating prevented her from being injured by it.

    ¡°Oh. Well, I guess if you shaved the hamster for science¡­¡± Jeh blinked. ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t shave the hamster for science, did you?¡±

    ¡°How dare you accuse me of shaving a rodent with no reason for it!¡± Krays harumphed. ¡°I, caring, honest, and deeply empathic person that I am, noticed that the poor hamster was walking funny compared to all the others, so I took it upon myself to find out why, and a little shaving revealed the problem.¡±

    ¡°A little. You didn¡¯t need to remove all the hair.¡±

    ¡°Krays never leaves a job undone.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve left four unfinished experiments on your desk this week alone.¡±

    ¡°Those will be finished eventually.¡±

    ¡°Suuuuure,¡± Jeh rolled her eyes. ¡°Anyway, the bruising still isn¡¯t too much of an issue. Clearly, they heal over time, the first hamsters we brought up there are still up and kicking. Well. Aside from the ones I just let out there for several minutes¡­¡± she tapped her chin. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s worthwhile to find the exact time of death?¡±

    ¡°Not really, it¡¯s likely different for every creature. We already know plants fare much better than animals. Being squishy is bad.¡±

    ¡°A rigid would probably be just fine.¡± Jeh paused. ¡°There aren¡¯t any rigids around here, though.¡±

    Krays grinned. ¡°We could probably order one of those little propeller guys¡­ y¡¯know, since we have a lot of proper funding, and all¡­¡± She started rubbing her hands together. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for that lab to be complete. I¡¯m going to have so many things to work with.¡±

    ¡°Krays, don¡¯t blow up the lab.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trust myself not to blow up the lab. I hear they¡¯re going to be stocking it with all sorts of chemicals.¡± Jeh tried to look solemn but her own grin started to crawl up her face. ¡°Just think of all the damage you could cause with that¡­¡±

    ¡°I hope they give us an acid strong enough to burn a hole in the floor.¡±

    ¡°That exists?¡±

    ¡°No idea!*¡±

    *It does exist, there¡¯s a very particular snake in the Southern Desert that produces a tremendously corrosive acid. It¡¯s a wonder the snake doesn¡¯t dissolve itself with the stuff. Very expensive, very rare, and most people have no clue it exists since there aren¡¯t really any settlements down there.

    ¡°I wonder what else they¡¯re giving us¡­¡± Jeh pondered. ¡°Tools, chemicals¡­ what else¡­?¡±

    ¡°Lots of copies of research documentation. Gone will be the days of sending Seskii to procure a specific document from afar, we should have copies right here! Not to mention samples of rarer materials¡­ and lab grunts. Can¡¯t wait to have someone to order around.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Jeh blinked. ¡°It comes with helpers?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes! See, part of the whole deal is to get more jobs in Willow Hollow. Some kids from town are probably going to join the program, and it¡¯ll likely attract new journeyman wizards. But we are the Wizard Space program and we can order them around.¡± Krays started cackling. ¡°They shall grow to fear me and my continual bizarre requests¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be cruel, Krays.¡±

    ¡°Oh, not cruel! Just unusual. Very unusual. A request for precisely three and a third cups of tea, perhaps, or that they walk around a specific area in a circle for a minute, or that they hold something that I¡¯m about to shoot with one of my rocks without telling them that¡¯s what we¡¯re doing. Such fun, the possibilities are endless once you have fresh meat!¡±

    Jeh put her hands on her hips. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll have to be the one to be nice to them and stop you!¡±

    ¡°Be real, you¡¯ll be joining me on half these pranking expeditions.¡±

    Jeh blinked, pondering this. Then she rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Yeah, it might be fun to do it occasionally¡­¡±

    ¡°Glad you¡¯re on board. So, I¡¯ve already got at least a dozen of these things planned, tell me what you think of this idea¡­ it all starts by re-arranging all the chemicals in the cupboard in reverse alphabetical order¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Margaret took a breath. ¡°Okay, Margaret, today¡¯s the day.¡± She was currently in Vaughan¡¯s outhouse, undressing from her normal maid-like outfit. ¡°You¡¯ve been trained, you¡¯ve been taught. You know how to fly. All you have to do is actually go to space.¡± She put on her suit¡ªa loose, but not so loose as to be baggy, article of clothing that covered the exposed skin on her arms and leg, leaving her gauntlets and greaves uncovered. Gari sunburned extremely easily and there wasn¡¯t really a way to install a curtain on a Skyseed, so she got to have a proper suit. ¡°You don¡¯t have any experiments to run.¡± She cinched down the lining on the cuffs so the outfit wouldn¡¯t slip from use. Waving her arms and legs around she was satisfied that any exaggerated motion wasn¡¯t going to expose any skin. Lastly, she made sure to fold up the part of the outfit that covered her neck, going up to her chin.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been given an opportunity to fly among the darkness of night, to feel Eyda¡¯s grace¡­¡± Margaret took out a simple arcane device¡ªa metal rod with a Red crystal affixed to it. She activated it and started pressing it to her plast hair. She had been letting it grow out ever since she got back for this exact moment, so she could shape it around her head to protect the skin. ¡°You will fly many missions for the Wizard Space Program.¡± She completely covered her ears and pressed the hair over her mouth, though she left a small space between so she could still speak clearly. The only part of her head she left exposed were her eyes. ¡°You. Are. Ready.¡±

    The final part of her ensemble were a pair of scientific goggles that were tinted. By far the most expensive part of the outfit, it made everything look dim. Experiments showed that it helped with sunburns quite a bit.

    With that, she stepped out into the daylight. Alexandrite was waiting for her outside.

    ¡°To the launchpad?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Right away, please.¡±

    Margaret took the moment riding on Alexandrite to calm herself down. She was excited, to be sure, but she needed to keep a clear head for this moment. She had trained much, and even taken the Skyseed IV up into the air a few times, but never far enough to see the stars in the middle of the day. Today, that would change.

    In roughly a minute, they arrived at the launchpad. There was a decently-sized audience for the launch this time¡ªshe was a new pilot, after all, and much of the town wanted to see her maiden voyage. She noticed Agent Keller standing near the back. He tipped his hat to her. For once, even Jeremiah was here; as hard of a time as he was having, he wasn¡¯t about to miss his daughter¡¯s big moment.

    The first thing she did after getting off Alexandrite was hug her father. ¡°Thanks for coming.¡±

    Jeremiah smiled. ¡°You look like you came out of the darkness itself.¡±

    Margaret smiled, not that he could see it. ¡°Thank you.¡± With that, she turned to the Skyseed IV. ¡°Well, I¡¯m ready to die in space.¡±

    Vaughan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Now that¡¯s just asking for trouble.¡±

    ¡°Or it¡¯s an acceptance of the worst-case scenario. Anyway, any last tips?¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Remember that when you get past the bulk of the atmosphere, you don¡¯t have to worry so much about stabilization. Also, don¡¯t forget to refer to your maps when coming back down, it can be a little easy to get lost.¡±

    ¡°I have the maps, I also have a pack of Colored crystals and water, in case cooling becomes a problem.¡±

    ¡°Great! In that case¡­ just make sure you don¡¯t gawk at the view for too long, it¡¯s really something!¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve all seen the pictures.¡±

    ¡°The pictures don¡¯t do it justice at all. She¡¯ll know what I mean once she¡¯s up there.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to seeing the sight myself, one day,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°But for now¡­ Margaret, be careful up there. You aren¡¯t immortal.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Margaret said. ¡°This work is dangerous. But I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°All right¡­¡± Blue started unscrewing the lid.

    Margaret got in and situated herself. It was more than a little cramped for someone of her height, but she could live with it. She carefully affixed the bracelet attached to the air restorer to her wrist, making sure to continually activate it so her air didn¡¯t run out. She placed one hand on the drive¡¯s control as she used her eyes to make sure she had everything. Water, food, crystals, notebooks, pens, Benefactor¡¯s transmitter¡­ it was all here. Not a thing was missing.

    ¡°Seal me in!¡± She called.

    Blue wound the lid back on.

    Seskii started the countdown. ¡°Ten!¡±

    Margaret noticed that her heart was beating in time with the countdown. ¡°Nine! Eight! Seven!¡± That heart rate was probably a lot slower than it should have been, but she didn¡¯t care, it felt right. ¡°Six! Five! Four!¡± She tightened her grip on the drive. She had done this part dozens of times at this point. It would be easy. ¡°Three! Two! One!¡±

    She took one look outside the ship and gave Jeremiah a quick wave.

    ¡°Zero!¡±

    She lifted off. Unlike Jeh, who almost always took off slightly too quickly, Margaret made sure to ascend slowly and deliberately. She used an Orange crystal to maintain balance, slowly kicking the drive into more forceful settings.

    As expected, despite her nerves, everything still went as smooth as butter. There were no fins to get in the way and, with her constant attention, the ship was not prone to spinning. She went higher, and higher, and higher.

    She was so confident in her control that she allowed herself to rotate the Skyseed IV sideways so she could look down unhindered. Already it was hard to make out signs of Willow Hollow, but that was not surprising, she¡¯d been this high up before. However, any further¡­ and she would be in new territory.

    And so she ascended. Wind buffeted the ship, but she fought it. She got a little cold, so she applied Red to the walls. A high-flying balloon-like creature drifted close to her, curious, but ultimately kept its distance.

    Then it was all white. She had passed through a cloud. She could see absolutely nothing, and water was condensing on the edges of the ship. However, she¡¯d been told to expect this, so she remained calm and pushed through until she popped out the top. It was a little harder to see, because of the condensation, but it did not remain long, the rush of wind evaporated the condensation over the next few minutes. This made the interior cold again, so she applied more heat.

    Jeh, you really do have a wide range of temperature tolerance¡­

    As time went on, the density of the air around her went down, and the strength of the winds abated. She knew this meant she could push the drive even further, so she did. She did not have the natural brute-force power of Jeh, so using this much will was somewhat taxing on her. Fortunately, balancing was easier with less air around, so she could focus mostly on the drive and the air restorer, the latter of which required very little will from her.

    She took in a sharp breath and ground her teeth¡ªhard though this was, she was still in it for the long haul. She steeled herself as she rose higher, higher, and higher still. She soon saw the curvature of Ikyu¡­ and the sky changed slowly from blue to black. Stars began to emerge.

    Margaret found her gaze inherently drawn to the stars. Little pinpricks of light in the otherwise expansive and oppressive darkness of the universe. That¡¯s us, she thought. Us little sparks, adrift among Eyda¡¯s shadow. The darkness enhances those who shine brightest¡­ For the longest time, she kept her gaze on the stars and the space between, already having great inspiration for her paintings.

    However, she eventually decided it was time to look elsewhere. She looked back down at Ikyu.

    Her breath stopped. For a moment, all her will vanished, and both the air restorer and the drive shut down.

    She could see it all.

    A round blue-and-white sphere with dotted patches of brown and green scattered about. She could see the east coast, the Shinelands, the Wild Kingdoms, the mountain range that marked the border of Kroan, the west coast, the Tempest, and even some lands beyond that¡­

    Everything she had ever seen or known was right in front of her.

    Everything.

    Suddenly she understood exactly what Jeh had meant.

    She didn¡¯t care about the safety for a moment. She removed her goggles and looked upon the world with her own eyes, and it only became more spectacular. The colors popped. Life itself seemed as though it was calling out to her. All of it.

    Everyone who had ever existed was on that rock.

    It was simultaneously so tremendous¡­ and so tiny.

    Margaret regained control of her will and reactivated the air restorer and the drive. She took a deep breath. ¡°W-well.. m-mission accomplished.¡± She had been severely shaken by the sight, and she knew it, and yet she didn¡¯t feel haunted. She felt¡­ gifted. Like she understood so much more about existence without actually being able to put a finger on what exactly it was she had learned.

    She put her goggles back on and took a little longer to just¡­ enjoy the view. She had no idea how long she remained there, just watching. The realization that she had no idea how long she¡¯d been up there was precisely what got her to go back down. If she spent too long up here, wouldn¡¯t they get worried?

    The trip back down was mostly uneventful. Margaret didn¡¯t remember much of it, for the entire way down her mind was filled with memories of the stars¡­

    ~~~

    A few weeks later, a full-grown dragon delivered a package to Vaughan¡¯s backyard. It was far, far too heavy for Alexandrite to carry.

    It was a truly gargantuan metal sphere with five separate circular windows embedded in it. There would have been six, but the sixth was reserved for the door that led inside, which was made out of solid metal. If the windows had been faces on a cube-shaped ship rather than a spherical one, then at the place the corners would have been were where the ¡°handholds¡± were placed, as they were called. They were not actually handholds, of course, but hollow metal spheres attached to the ends of metal rods. These were intended to be grabbed by Orange magic in flight so the ship could be rotated.

    The shell itself was completely empty. There was no furniture, no devices, not even the scaffolding for the drive was in there yet. It was simply a shell.

    A shell that would become the Moonshot.

    ¡°So? Does it meet with your approval, oh stubborn blacksmith?¡± Krays asked her husband.

    The Wizard Space Program watched with nervous expressions as Darmosil went around the metal shell and investigated it extremely closely, checking every weld for quality and air tightness. He took out a pair of miniature bellows every now and then and pressed them to an area, testing it. He spent the most time around the edges of the windows, frowning the more tests he ran. He eventually climbed inside the shell, performing some tests in there.

    ¡°Are you a snail?¡± Krays called. ¡°How can you even hold your blacksmithing tools with no hands then!?¡±

    ¡°Same way a snake like you can speak without hissing.¡±

    ¡°Hisssssss,¡± Krays retorted.

    With that, Darmosil jumped out of the shell. ¡°I have tried my absolute best, but I was entirely unable to find a structural fault. Those royal blacksmiths have really done their best here.¡±

    ¡°Jealous much?¡± Krays asked.

    ¡°They probably had a team of two dozen working on this thing all hours of the day. They wanted it to be perfect. So no.¡±

    ¡°Oh, psh, tell me you don¡¯t want a full team to do massive projects like this.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want a full team to do massive projects like this.¡±

    ¡°Lies.¡±

    ¡°You told me to say it.¡±

    Vaughan went up to the shell and placed his hand on it. It was cold to the touch. ¡°This¡­ is this really going to fly?¡±

    ¡°That entirely depends on Jeh, honestly¡­¡± Blue said, turning to the little immortal. ¡°Want to try?¡±

    Jeh revealed that she had been hiding an Orange crystal in her furs this entire time. ¡°Oh, you bet I do.¡± With a grin, she used her magic on the shell.

    The thing was heavy. Outrageously so, it made the Skyseed feel like a feather in comparison. But with a grunt, Jeh was able to lift it off the ground and hold it there. ¡°Heh¡­ look at¡­ that¡­¡± She gently set it back down.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be quite a bit heavier once everything¡¯s installed and all the passengers are inside,¡± Suro said. ¡°You might have some trouble.¡±

    ¡°If she can¡¯t do it, two of us together can,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°All we need to do is get into space, once there we can fly around on low force applications.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°The plan is to drift most of the way without having the drive on at all during those times. The hardest part really is going to be getting off the ground and into space.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ this is the fancy ship you¡¯re buildin¡¯¡­¡± Agent Keller said as he walked onto the scene.

    ¡°Yep!¡± Seskii said, grinning. ¡°Impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Sure don¡¯t look like it¡¯ll fly.¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s a spaceship, not an airship.¡± Jeh crossed her arms. ¡°You¡¯ve seen how the Skyseed works.¡±

    ¡°Indeed I have.¡± He let out a chuckle. ¡°I find myself wonderin¡¯ what you¡¯re gonna find up there.¡±

    ¡°Dunno,¡± Vaughan said with a shrug. ¡°Rocks, probably, but who knows what else?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be a while,¡± Lila said. ¡°All the other parts still have to be manufactured and we have to install everything.¡±

    ¡°We also need to make personal modifications to the structure,¡± Blue said. ¡°The inner sphere needs doors to access the space between the two segments, and we need to get a proper airlock installed without ruining how sealed everything is. Not to mention chairs, all the navigation materials, books¡­¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°It¡¯s projected that we won¡¯t be able to fly before winter comes, but next spring¡­¡±

    ¡°To the moon!¡± Jeh declared, pointing her finger to the sky.

    ¡°The moon is currently on the opposite side of Ikyu.¡± Krays said.

    ¡°To the moon!¡± Jeh repeated, pointing down. ¡°¡­That just doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Let¡¯s talk about what happens when your body gets exposed to the vacuum of space.

    First of all, the quickest way to die is to hold your breath. In the vacuum of space, there is zero pressure. Gasses always want to equalize pressure with the environment around them, so anything that is just a bag of gas (such as, say, your lungs) will want to expand. The problem is to get to zero pressure the gas has to expand far enough to have the molecules completely dissociate, which is far larger than your body actually is. Thus, your lungs explode, and then you¡¯re dead. This does not tear your body apart, but not only will it make it so you can never breathe again, but the air will also violently throw itself into the flesh around your lungs and try to tear everything apart. It won¡¯t succeed, but your heart and other very important organs are right there, so¡­ yeah, counterintuitively, the one thing you don¡¯t want to do is hold your breath.

    If you let all your air out through your mouth, your lungs won¡¯t rupture, all of it will just come out real quickly. Then you have no air at all in your system¡ªwhich is something that almost never happens. Try to breathe out and get all the air out of your lungs. Hard, isn¡¯t it? Your body really doesn¡¯t want to be in that state, but once in space, it is. Your body internally stores enough air to maintain consciousness for around fifteen seconds, after which point you pass out. Your body still maintains some oxygen within the bloodstream for a while after this, but it¡¯s only able to ration this out for about two minutes before you actually die.

    It¡¯s like drowning, but much quicker. Curiously, you don¡¯t freeze, explode, or do anything really spectacular to die. You just suffocate.

    Which isn¡¯t to say there aren¡¯t other strange and highly uncomfortable things going on to your body while you¡¯re in space, those just aren¡¯t the things that kill you.

    As has been mentioned previously, space is extremely cold, but since there¡¯s basically nothing in it there¡¯s no way for heat to transfer so you¡¯re more likely to cook yourself over time. This isn¡¯t quite accurate if you get ejected into space without a spacesuit¡ªyou still can¡¯t transfer heat to the space around you, but your temperature does drop sharply. The reason for this is a little odd. You, as an animal, have a lot of fleshy bits that depend on water to operate. Water will turn into water vapor extremely rapidly when presented with a zero-pressure environment. However, an unusual thing about materials that change state is that they have to take energy from somewhere to do so; the bonds between the water molecules in their liquid state must be broken. When boiling due to a pressure difference, they tend to steal heat from materials around them. This causes a fair portion of your body heat to transfer into the molecules of water vapor that are leaving your body. Your tongue will simultaneously boil and get super cold. Your eyes as well, and the sweat on your skin. This process is not immediate, but it does really mess with your internal heat.

    Also, while your lungs are the primary source of air in your body, there are still gasses elsewhere in much smaller pockets and liquids that are close to boiling, sometimes with gasses dissolved in said liquids that can''t remain so while under low pressure. The interior of your body will expand significantly, increasing your size. You don¡¯t expand enough to explode, however, as your skin is very elastic and can hold everything together.

    Lots of blood vessels will rupture from all these effects, causing bruising. However, if you¡¯re brought in before the two minutes are up, you can still make a full recovery. Just with a lot of bruises and potentially messed up eyes.

    In short, dying in space isn¡¯t all that spectacular, but it does have its fair share of oddities.

 034 - Round Trip

    WSP034

    Round Trip

    A small tent had been erected around the Moonshot¡¯s shell to protect it from the elements, and its main door was generally left wide open. As such, Jeh had found her new favorite place to just¡­ sit. The interior was no longer empty¡ªit held lots of notebooks, schematics, and had several things drawn on the interior shell where new features needed to be cut so storage could be accessed, and some of the furniture that needed to be screwed to the walls were already there, including the couch. They needed at least one comfortable place to sit, right?

    However, half of these things needed to go on the ceiling and final decisions about placement hadn¡¯t quite been made yet, so there was just a pile of things in the center, and this was where Jeh liked to sit, looking out one of the many windows at the world outside. It was perhaps the exact opposite of her usual spots up high in trees, the domain of nature; here everything was wholly artificial save for the potted plant awkwardly stacked near her current position on top of a wooden chair.

    ¡°You sure like to just¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªsit around a lot,¡± the Sourdough twins observed, both of them sitting on the couch at a level slightly below her own.

    Jeh smiled. ¡°It was all there really was to do in the forest.¡± Jeh held her hand out at a beam of sunlight coming through one of the windows. ¡°I still like it.¡± After a moment, she looked down at the twins. ¡°Are you two bored? We could go do something, I could take you on a hunt¡­¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t mind,¡± they both said at once.

    ¡°Sure?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°We were only making an observation.¡±

    The other took a bite of her biscuit and tried to say something with her mouth full.

    Her sister rolled her eyes. ¡°An observation about how the enjoyment of sitting and doing nothing does not fit your personality.¡±

    ¡°Is that¡­ good?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°We think it makes you neat,¡± the hungry twin said. Her sister tried to swipe the biscuit from her before she took another bite, but she dodged out of the way. ¡°Most kids can¡¯t just stop and listen.¡±

    ¡°Guess I¡¯m mature for my age,¡± Jeh said with a short laugh. ¡°Just like you two!¡±

    ¡°Are you though?¡± one of them asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ve grown since you left, you haven¡¯t,¡± the other supplanted.

    Jeh paused. ¡°I mean¡­ I guess not¡­¡±

    ¡°You could be hundreds of years old for all we know.¡±

    Jeh looked down at her hands, currently covered in the bear mitts. ¡°¡­How long was I in that forest?¡±

    ¡°How many winters can you remember freezing through?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ all a real blur,¡± Jeh said, shaking her head. ¡°The forest always¡­ was. Nothing¡­ ever changed.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°It¡­ feels long, but not dense. There weren¡¯t many things worth remembering, unlike since I was found by Blue and Vaughan.¡± She paused. ¡°I knew Desc, or had at some point.¡±

    ¡°Desc?¡± the twins asked.

    ¡°Envila¡¯s language. Form the¡­ other side of Ikyu. I¡­ dug it up after hearing it.¡± She scratched her chin. ¡°Even though Envila knew so many languages already, she still took a lot longer to figure out Karli than I did to figure out Desc, and it was supposedly my second language.¡±

    ¡°A kid in the forest can¡¯t have learned a second language from the other side of Ikyu,¡± one of the twins said.

    ¡°Obviously,¡± Jeh said. ¡°I¡­ have to be at least old enough to have learned it and then forgotten it. Which¡­ that¡¯s pretty old, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The sourdough twins both nodded. They remained silent while Jeh thought about this for a while.

    At long last, Jeh simply shrugged. ¡°So I¡¯m probably a hundred years old or something, does that really matter? Far as I¡¯m concerned my life began when Blue found me. So. Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Still, who knows what sorts of¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªthings you experienced in the past?¡±

    Jeh chuckled. ¡°Maybe I was a legendary singer!¡± Jeh stood up and tried to sing a tune.

    The twins listened and tilted their heads to the side.

    ¡°Well?¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t bad, exactly¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªjust not really good either.¡±

    Jeh chuckled. ¡°Well, guess I wasn¡¯t a singer then. Shame.¡±

    ¡°But we can use this to figure out things about your past, perhaps,¡± one of the twins said.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± the other added. ¡°If you keep trying new things, we can see if we awaken latent memories.¡±

    The first continued. ¡°You ¡®remembered¡¯ language, and how to use magic, but as I recall you didn¡¯t ¡®remember¡¯ how to fly a spaceship.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°You¡¯re right, we can figure things out.¡± She looked down at the twins. ¡°I wonder if I know how to bake.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go see!¡± the twins said, jumping up. ¡°Our oven is your oven!¡±

    ¡°All right!¡± The three of them quickly scrambled out of the Moonshot¡¯s shell and ran to the bakery.

    ~~~

    Vaughan made sure to go out at least once a week and look at the stars through the telescope. Since their return from Axiom, he had gotten a better one, one he couldn¡¯t just hold in his hand and actually had to mount it on a stand. This, it turned out, was a great help in keeping it stable and examining everything, especially outdoors. The moon was by far the most impressive thing. Currently, it was a crescent, which was perfect since that allowed the light of the sun to highlight the features on the moon even better. Shadows played off round pocks in the surface strongest when it was like this, giving him some sense of the topography of the object they were hoping to visit.

    ¡°I do wonder what causes those circular mountain ranges¡­¡± Vaughan commented to himself. ¡°¡­For that matter, what causes mountain ranges here on Ikyu? They tend to form lines, not circles¡­¡± He chuckled, realizing that going to the moon likely wasn¡¯t going to answer that question either. Nobody knew how mountains formed nor why they existed, but they were regular enough to suggest some kind of process. Lines and circles¡­

    He stepped back and looked at the arrangement of stars. Strange. It was about time for the satellite to come up¡­

    He waited for it. And waited.

    But nothing came.

    A sinking feeling came to his stomach. He made sure to sit there an entire hour, but no spark drifted across the sky.

    Frowning, he packed up the telescope and headed inside, intending to just go to bed. However, as he passed through his cabin, he noticed the light was still on in Blue¡¯s lab. He gingerly opened the door. ¡°Blue?¡±

    Blue was glaring at a paper covered in mathematical scrawlings like it was the bane of her existence. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s late.¡±

    ¡°I know. This problem needs slaying.¡±

    ¡°¡­The satellite¡¯s gone.¡±

    Blue¡¯s fury immediately vanished and she looked up from her problem. ¡°We¡­ we knew its orbit was getting smaller, it wasn¡¯t going to stay up there forever.¡±

    Vaughan only looked at her, unsure of what to say.

    Blue hung her head. ¡°¡­I feel it too. We sent it up there and now it¡¯s¡­ gone. That¡¯s¡­¡± she twirled her hoof around in the air, looking for the right things to say and not finding it. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Vaughan pulled up a chair and sat down, folding his hands together. ¡°So¡­ atmospheric drag stopped it enough so it started falling down, and then ignited in the thick atmosphere.¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°Burned to a crisp somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Wherever it went down it probably looked like a really big shooting star and then vanished.¡±

    ¡°¡­We should have seen it.¡±

    Blue shook her head. ¡°There was no way to predict when it was going to come down. It might have come down over Descent for all we know, and it wouldn¡¯t even be something all that impressive. Just a slightly larger than average shooting star.¡± Blue absent-mindedly adjusted her hat. ¡°Just¡­ a speck.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what everyone across the world thought of the new ¡®planet¡¯ that rapidly whizzed across the sky.¡±

    Blue chucked. ¡°You know, I wonder that too.¡±

    ~~~

    Envila looked up from her campfire, sad to see that the satellite had fallen at last. She said a quick prayer, that Jeh and her family¡ªfor that was clearly what they were even if they never said it¡ªwould not be hit too hard by the ¡°death¡± of their work. They were reaching for the stars¡­ they would make new things to replace it. Grander things.

    She added to the prayer that they not become arrogant for what they were about to accomplish.

    ~~~

    ¡°An omen indeed,¡± a man spoke from atop a tower close to the Wall of the Tempest. ¡°First it appears, remains for so long we think it is a new permanent fixture, and then it vanishes. The question is, what does it mean?¡±

    ¡°The prophets are hesitant to say.¡±

    ¡°How many of them are false, then? What of those whose words are true?¡±

    ¡°They seem to think it is an omen of change. Which kind, they do not know. It appears to frustrate them.¡±

    ~~~

    A large ship held aloft by propellers set out across the ocean. The human navigator looked at her star chart and frowned. She sighed. ¡°Looks like I went through all that trouble of charting its course for nothing..¡±

    ¡°You can still navigate, right?¡± a creature that looked like a bouncing cat head asked.

    ¡°Of course, the stars themselves are fixed. Still¡­ it took a lot of effort to figure out when it was going to show up and exactly for how long!¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°My Emperor, the new light in the sky has vanished,¡± a humanoid in thick gray armor with red and orange highlights said, dropping to a knee.

    ¡°You fools never found out anything about it.¡±

    ¡°No, my lord.¡±

    The Emperor growled. ¡°There are too many unsolved mysteries. Even one so benign remains beyond our grasp¡­¡±

    ¡°We should tread carefully, My Emperor.¡±

    ~~~

    A bushy dryad with false cat ears on her head looked up at the sky, expecting to see the satellite.

    It never came.

    ¡°¡­I hope you can put even more up there, despite it all.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°The unidentified object circles Ikyu no more,¡± a blimp said to another, both of them floating far above the city of Descent.

    ¡°Curious. Such a strange regular phenomenon. Shame we were unable to get up there in time.¡±

    ¡°The researchers already believe they know how to replicate such an object.¡±

    ¡°I am aware. But the energy and control required to do so¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps there is a more efficient method.¡±

    ¡°The real question is, who put it up there in the first place?¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°My Lord, Eyda¡¯s power be upon you¡­¡±

    The dark entity narrowed his yellow eyes. ¡°What is your question?¡±

    ¡°What does it mean that the new star has vanished?¡±

    ¡°The new star¡­¡± he closed his eyes thinking. ¡°Hmm¡­ that information is very distant. It¡­ was made by mortals, and launched into the sky¡­¡±

    ¡°How could such a thing be possible?¡±

    ¡°It has died, has it not? As do all mortal endeavors.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Why do you come up here, Srijan?¡± a fire elemental asked his friend.

    His friend stood atop the dormant volcano, looking up at the darkness. ¡°I had hoped to understand our place, connected to our brethren in the sky.¡±

    ¡°What have you learned?¡±

    ¡°That even they can die.¡±

    ~~~

    A leviathan rose to the surface of the ocean, daring only to expose his eye to the air above. The stars twinkled. But his new companion was there no longer.

    He let out a deep, undulating wail that resonated throughout the entire ocean.

    A friend from above, lost.

    How could he have ever thought the surface had something to offer?

    ~~~

    ¡°Why do we care about that speck in the sky?¡± an Eastern Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho asked. ¡°It has nothing to do with our land.¡±

    ¡°If the skies can change, threats to our way can come from above.¡±

    ¡°Then we shall defy it as we always have.¡±

    ¡°¡­That such a thing can appear, remain for so long, and then vanish¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°The morning star is gone,¡± a nine-tailed kitsune said from atop the tribe¡¯s watchtower.

    Her husband looked at her. ¡°What does it mean?¡±

    ¡°It is an omen, to be sure. The tribe should be on guard. The skies have changed much these days, heaven itself is in unrest.¡±

    ¡°I will inform them.¡±

    ~~~

    The next night Vaughan went to go out with the telescope again. He just¡­ felt like it. He caught himself instinctively looking for the satellite¡­ but he knew it would not be there. It was best¡­ to just continue his observations of the moon.

    With a hint of sadness in his heart, he returned to work. A work that brought him great joy, to be sure, trying to work out the features of the moon to great precision¡­ but that little hint in the back of his heart remained, tugging on him.

    He would have to let many things like this go in his time. One success could not carry him onward forever, there would have to be others.

    To the moon.

    ~~~

    Wizard Space Program meetings were usually chaotic in every conceivable way with lots of yelling, shouting, laughing, and rants about the nature of science and how annoying all the math was. This was usually Blue doing the last one, but Vaughan and Krays got into it every now and then.

    Today, though, everyone was a little awkward since they had a visitor.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me,¡± Agent Keller said. ¡°I¡¯m just here t¡¯ learn about what I¡¯m protectin¡¯, here. Ya lot do yer space stuff, I¡¯ll keep an ear out.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Suro coughed. ¡°The food hasn¡¯t arrived yet, so uh, we haven¡¯t actually started¡­¡±

    ¡°Do ya always eat durin¡¯ meetin¡¯s?¡±

    Lila shook her head. ¡°Not anything more than snacks, but today is a slight bit special, Agent Keller. Though naturally if you were not present we would be filling the time with idle chatter and Blue would no doubt launch into some revelation about math before we even start.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Blue blurted. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ okay, yeah, I do. But it¡¯s fun, right?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes,¡± Seskii said.

    ¡°Other times it¡¯s like being dipped in fruit juice and thrown on an anthill,¡± Krays added.

    Blue huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t cause you physical pain.¡±

    ¡°Enough mental anguish is extracted that I let out groans. That¡¯s pain.¡±

    ¡°You groan for dramatic effect.¡±

    ¡°Takes one to know one.¡±

    Big G coughed. ¡°Perhaps we should not leave such an impression on our guest?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Krays asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t honesty the best policy?¡±

    ¡°There are¡­ other concerns.¡±

    ¡°You worried about him reporting us as a bunch of unprofessionals?¡± Margaret asked. She was currently painting on a small canvas a picture of the moon close up based on Vaughan¡¯s observations. ¡°Pretty sure the Crown already knows about that. Also, man¡¯s not here to rat us out even if that were the case.¡±

    ¡°Glad t¡¯ see I¡¯ve at least made an impression on one of ya,¡± Keller said, tipping his hat in Margaret¡¯s direction.

    ¡°You do have to forgive us,¡± Lila said, ¡°you will take some getting used to.¡±

    ¡°They eventually got used to me,¡± Alexandrite added. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried in the slightest,¡± Keller said. ¡°I just wanna hear ¡®bout them there spaceship yer workin¡¯ on.¡±

    ¡°Well, it should be soon¡­¡±

    ¡°WHATEVER WE¡¯RE CALLING THIS MEAL, IT IS SERVED!¡± Jeh declared, running out of the kitchen with a cart covered in pots and pans, Mary trailing along behind her. ¡°Behold, food!¡±

    The dishes on the cart looked absolutely amazing. There were happy peach slabs grilled and laid on top of each other with a special red sauce, extremely oats with bits of fruit chopped up in them, whole grilled fish that smelled absolutely heavenly, and bread folded to resemble a lobster tail.

    Blue¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°This¡­ this is a feast! What in¡­ when you said you figured out you knew how to cook I wasn¡¯t expecting¡­¡±

    ¡°I am a culinary mastermind, as it turns out!¡± Jeh declared, lifting her mitted hand into the air. ¡°Let your taste buds explode in delight!¡±

    ¡°She really is something,¡± Mary said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe she only started cooking in earnest a few weeks ago¡­¡±

    Jeh winked at her. ¡°Being immortal has some bonus perks, it turns out! Who knows what else I can do? I don¡¯t, and that¡¯s kinda fun!¡± She clapped her hands. ¡°Now, everyone, dig in!¡±

    The food truly was spectacular. Flavors were blended in such a way that they just flowed over the tongue in a wave of satisfaction, and no two dishes were the same. It was clearly designed for animalian races, but as gari technically weren¡¯t plasts they still got their share. Even Keller was forced to admit, it was quite delicious.

    The tension in the room was gone virtually immediately as everyone kept complimenting Jeh on her skills and wondering what sorts of other things she could do.

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s an expert farmer too,¡± Suro said.

    Mary frowned. ¡°It would take way too long to figure that out¡­ I don¡¯t think she wants to spend years trying to examine one skill.¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡± Jeh said, tearing a piece off her lobster-tail bread. ¡°Man, the twins had a good recipe for this¡­¡±

    ¡°They are the bakers, after all!¡±

    ¡°I wonder if I could try to teach you math,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a skill she couldn¡¯t have learned in the past?¡± Alexandrite asked. ¡°Modern mathematical notation is a rather recent invention.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ yeah, good point.¡±

    ¡°I wonder more if she¡¯s a musician,¡± Margaret asked.

    ¡°I apparently don¡¯t sing very well,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Means nothing, many instrumentalists don¡¯t have a good singing voice. The question is, which instrument would you know?¡±

    ¡°Depending on how old I actually am, could be almost all of them!¡±

    Blue chuckled. ¡°I still can¡¯t see you as anything other than a kid, Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Well, I am, obviously,¡± Jeh said, leaning back and kicking her feet on the table. ¡°I mean, look at me!¡±

    ¡°I believe your mind should still be able to develop and mature,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Though it does lead to the question of why all your memories are gone.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because my memory is just terrible,¡± Jeh said with a chuckle. ¡°I rack my brain and try to count how many winters I froze through. Can¡¯t do it. Five, at the very least. Feels like more than that.¡± She knocked herself on the head. ¡°But hey, that means I have all sorts of secrets to find out!¡±

    ¡°Ahem,¡± Big G said, clearing his throat. ¡°I wish to remind everyone that this is supposed to be an actual meeting where we talk about what we are doing in regards to the mission?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Vaughan cleared his throat. ¡°So, we¡¯re starting to receive more parts for the Moonshot, and the drive scaffolding has come in. We need to install it¡ªKrays, we need you to sweet talk your husband into helping us again.¡±

    ¡°He still makes us pay,¡± Krays said. ¡°The traitor.¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure he gives us a discount.¡±

    ¡°Oh, he does, but that¡¯s just ammunition to use against me for later.¡± She smiled mischievously. ¡°What a perfect man¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Moving on, it¡¯s time to actually begin installation of these various pieces and finalize everything we need. It¡¯s going to be a hectic mess over the next few weeks, especially when we install the airlock. All the furniture needs to be bolted down, all the storage areas need to be filled, and we have to make sure Jeh can lift the thing.¡±

    ¡°If it gets too heavy all three of us can use our magic,¡± Jeh said. ¡°That¡¯ll get it up.¡±

    ¡°And be harder to control, we¡¯d spin all over the place,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Though, since we are a sphere and don¡¯t care which direction is down anymore¡­ that might not be an issue.¡±

    Keller chuckled, though as always there was no smile. ¡°Seems t¡¯ me ya want to not spin all over the place, wanna keep yer lunch, don¡¯t¡¯cha?¡±

    ¡°Good point,¡± Vaughan said, scratching his beard, barely registering that it was Keller who had made the observation. ¡°We¡¯ll need to practice if Jeh can¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be able to do it,¡± Jeh said, grinning. ¡°I may be small, but I¡¯ve got a big will!¡±

    ¡°Which does not correlate to brain size,¡± Krays added.

    ¡°Um. Well, yes, of course not, it¡­ hey!¡±

    And the shouting, laughter, and rants continued.

    Agent Keller nodded in approval as he observed. This was good. Simply by being here, they were getting less and less afraid of him, it would make it so much easier to do his job. He had been a little concerned that his plans weren¡¯t going to pan out properly, but everything was on track now.

    Though when Blue started talking about the actual science behind the mission, he had to admit he was completely out of his depth. No matter, he understood what the Moonshot did and why it was so important. The more he learned, the more he realized how necessary he was.

    There could be untold riches up there in space, and all this research gave Kroan a notable edge in many areas, most of all espionage. With the political situation, it likely wasn¡¯t going to be very popular. Which was exactly why he was here.

    Nobody was going to get past him.

    ~~~

    ¡°Steady¡­. Steady!¡±

    ¡°Please stop telling me to be steady,¡± Darmosil told his wife as he used his special Red arcane device to meld the metal of the fist-sized airlock to the hole he had cut into the Moonshot¡¯s shell. ¡°The more you tell me to be steady the less I am.¡±

    Krays put her hands on her hips. ¡°¡­Well, if you insist.¡± She left it at that, walking away from him and to the others. As he needed complete stability to make sure there was no air getting through the connection he was making, no one else was able to work on the Moonshot right now. Which meant all the components that were ready for installation were just lying outside on the yard.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Jeh ran her hands across a plast tank large enough to hold a very large human. ¡°Huh, what¡¯s this for?¡±

    Blue blushed and coughed. ¡°That¡¯s for holding, uh, excrement. And these bags over here are for¡­ going. Into.¡± Blue shuffled her hooves awkwardly.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to get over that,¡± Jeh said. ¡°We¡¯re all going to be sharing what little space is in there.¡±

    Blue folded her ears back. ¡°The things I do for this program¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be more worried about the ship exploding than someone seeing you, honestly.¡±

    ¡°If the ship explodes I won¡¯t feel the searing heat of embarrassment!¡±

    Jeh shrugged, jumping into the plast tank. ¡°Wow, roomy in here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve given us extra space just in case we¡¯re up there a while.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just eject it all into space?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where it will end up and we want to avoid opening the airlock as much as possible,¡± Vaughan said, walking over. ¡°It¡¯s possible to break the seal or get it jammed if we overdo it. There¡¯s a reason the only airlock is the small thing Darmosil is installing. The door we enter will not be opened until we return.¡±

    ¡°The bags seal, the smell shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Hey, question!¡± Margaret called, waving to the three of them. ¡°What are these things?¡± She asked, gesturing at a bunch of cylindrical metal containers with valves on the top of them.

    ¡°Extra air,¡± Blue said, tapping the edge of the canister with her hoof. ¡°In case the air restorer has a problem long-term, we have the option to get more fresh air. A lot more, actually, the air in here is highly pressurized. Turns out you can stuff a lot of air into one container if you try hard enough.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Just thought of a problem with that,¡± Krays said. ¡°That would raise the air pressure inside the Moonshot, not great.¡±

    Vaughan sighed. ¡°We can open the airlock if we need to refresh the air for some reason. We really shouldn¡¯t, this is just in case of emergencies.¡±

    Jeh kicked the canister lightly, deciding she liked the loud echoing sound it made. She giggled.

    Nearby, Suro was examining one of the metal scaffoldings that would house the multi-cored drive. With a frown, he poked his head into the interior. ¡°I could almost fit in here.¡±

    Seskii smirked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the designer know how big his drive is?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, I knew how big it was, I¡¯m just struck by the physical casing now. I¡¯ve ordered the components to what is essentially a cat-sized arcane device. Most things that size are not mostly solid crystal, this is something else.¡± He used his tool to pull the two halves of the casing apart. ¡°Need to be careful with the Yellow exterior, it can¡¯t break but it needs to interface properly with the metal gyroscope¡­¡± He started muttering to himself about fine-tuning that part of the device.

    Mary arrived at that point and dropped a backpack onto the ground. She pulled out a cube of whitish material. ¡°Here you are, dried hover clover. Tastes like a brick but will satisfy virtually all your nutrient needs.¡±

    Blue levitated it into the air and took a bite. It cracked in her mouth, but crumbled easily. It did feel somewhat like chewing a very soft and powdery rock, but in terms of flavor it tasted like a very mild radish. ¡°Well. I sure hope we have enough space to store more food than this¡­¡±

    ¡°We do,¡± Seskii said, pulling a diagram of the Moonshot out of nowhere. ¡°See, the area between the two shells can actually hold quite a bit, we haven¡¯t declared what everything will be yet. Air canisters and the excrement tank take up the most individual space, followed by the windows. The rest of the stuff we have will just be extra crystals, food, arcane devices, stuff for basic cleaning, water¡­ ¡­actually, come to think of it, a water tank might be a good idea.¡± She scribbled a note down to record that idea. ¡°So yeah, we actually have a significant amount of storage space, I think we can even store replacement parts for the drive.¡±

    Krays raised an eyebrow. ¡°Should I be concerned that half of the things we seem to talk about are only to be used in case something goes wrong?¡±

    ¡°Never hurts to be careful,¡± Blue said. ¡°¡­Unless we make it so heavy we can¡¯t lift it.¡±

    Jeh rolled her eyes. ¡°I told you, we¡¯re fine with that. I got this.¡± She threw her hands wide and hit one of the air canisters, knocking it over. It hit a rock, busting a hole on one of its edges. Immediately, air rushed out with a loud whistling sound and the canister shot sharply to the left, hitting a nearby tree so hard it fell over. The canister, though, still wasn¡¯t out of air, and spun around on the ground for several seconds before clattering to a stop.

    ¡°Uh¡­ ehe¡­¡± Jeh put her hands behind her back. ¡°Oops¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a safety hazard right there,¡± Big G said.

    ¡°No, really¡­¡± Blue muttered. ¡°Somebody tie down those air canisters.¡±

    ¡°On it!¡± Seskii declared, producing a rope and setting to work.

    ¡°What if that happens from one of those small rocks up there?¡± Mary asked. ¡°It punches through the outer wall, hits a canister¡­¡±

    ¡°We have a sort of armor for that,¡± Blue explained. ¡°See, Krays¡­¡±

    ¡°Did a lot of experiments with projectiles!¡± Krays jumped in, pushing Blue rudely to the side. ¡°The outer shell of the Moonshot is actually in two layers, so any projectiles that come into contact with the first layer spread out and will generally be stopped by the second. And even if it isn¡¯t, there¡¯s another layer of air before the air canister gets hit. So we¡¯re all good!¡±

    ¡°If the two layers are broken though¡­ there might be a leak, depending on where it got through.¡± Blue said, glaring at Krays.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to hear the hissing.¡±

    ¡°The exterior wall and interior wall are separated by quite a bit, maybe not. Not every opening on the interior wall to the storage area is sealed.¡±

    ¡°Get better ears.¡±

    Vaughan looked down at the air canisters and put his fist in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve got it. Air pressure.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Blue said.

    ¡°The same concept that makes those thermometers work can be used to detect air pressure. It¡¯s not precise, but we¡¯ll be able to tell we¡¯ve sprung a leak long before we run out of air if we do that.¡±

    ¡°But then how will we find the leak?¡±

    Vaughan grinned. ¡°You noticed the air canister fly off from that small hole, right?¡¯

    ¡°Yes¡­?¡±

    ¡°Well, if for some reason we can¡¯t hear it, we could hold the ship still and see if it starts rotating or accelerating in any direction. There¡¯s no air pressure in space, right? The entire Moonshot would become like that air canister, no matter how small the hole was!¡±

    ¡°That¡­ might work,¡± Blue said, frowning. ¡°I can¡¯t really think of a way to safely test that without actually¡­ doing it, though.¡±

    ¡°Well, we should only need to if something hits us and breaks through both layers, which is unlikely, from what we know.¡±

    ¡°You three are going to die up there,¡± Krays deadpanned. ¡°Wait, no, two of you are going to die up there, the third is going to be adrift in the void for eternity.¡±

    ¡°To be welcomed into such an embrace¡­¡± Margaret said, wistfully.

    Krays raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re about as festive as a funeral, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°When I die, I want it to be in space, among the darkness.¡±

    ¡°Where did you guys find this girl?¡±

    ¡°In the forest,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°So we just adopt girls from the forest now. Sure. That checks out.¡± She threw her hands in the air in mock exasperation.

    ¡°You are a little morbid,¡± Jeh pointed out to Margaret.

    ¡°I am simply being honest. I am¡­ drawn to the void that surrounds Ikyu.¡± Margaret smiled. ¡°I want to see as much of it as I can.¡±

    ¡°Sadly, you¡¯re not coming with us to the moon, at least not this time,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°We need you here to pilot the Skyseed in case¡­ you know.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Why are you so hesitant to openly discuss the possibilities of your deaths? It is a very real danger, and it is not a slight one. Furthermore, why do you fear? Do you not believe Dia has your souls?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ well¡­¡±

    Blue coughed. ¡°We have this thing called a self-preservation instinct?¡±

    ¡°Surely such an instinct would desire to figure out how to avoid such a problem by tackling it head-on.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t fear death!¡± Jeh piped up.

    ¡°Well. Yes. Obviously. Do you fear being trapped in space forever?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll eventually crash back down. There¡¯s not no air up there, just progressively less and less. The satellite crashed, I will too. ¡­Eventually. So no, not afraid.¡±

    ¡°The moon doesn¡¯t fall down.¡±

    ¡°Something about large objects behaves differently,¡± Blue said. ¡°The moon is not going the speed we will be going when we orbit up there. This presumably applies to the planets as well and¡­¡± Blue gasped. ¡°Vaughan. I might be able to predict how far away the planets are from Ikyu based on how long it takes them to go around.¡±

    ¡°Can you explain retrograde motion with that?¡± Vaughan asked.

    Blue blinked. ¡°¡­Forgot about that. Agh.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Never mind, we¡¯re going to the moon, not the planets, one problem at a time.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you take a huge tangent to invent new math?¡± Seskii asked.

    ¡°Well, yes, but¡­ uh¡­ okay look I don¡¯t need to have a million different things I¡¯m working on at once okay?¡±

    ¡°Just saying, you¡¯ve followed tangents before¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. Well. Right now I¡¯m getting us to the moon, planets come after. Probably much later. Though¡­¡± she turned to the Moonshot. ¡°There¡¯s no reason this can¡¯t go out there as well, we just need to know how far we need to go. Which I will work on. Later.¡±

    Seskii held her hands up in mock surrender. ¡°All right, got it.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, how¡¯s Big G doing with the crystal storage device¡­? Some powder might be nice in case¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Wyett stood on top of one of the taller towers in the palace, looking out the North-facing window. He glared. Somewhere out that way was Shimvale.

    ¡°Wyett, you¡¯re stressed,¡± Hyrii said, starting to rub his shoulders. ¡°Staring out the window isn¡¯t going to help.¡±

    ¡°Dad isn¡¯t doing anything,¡± Wyett said, scowl deepening. ¡°He just trusts that they aren¡¯t coming for us.¡±

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not true.¡±

    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t we attacking directly?¡±

    ¡°Espionage?¡± Hyrii said. ¡°Look, we have an in on the Council, and our reports say that things have stabilized.¡±

    ¡°Kaykayzee is going to try something. That entire nation¡­ Benefactor was declared an enemy of the state! We¡­¡±

    ¡°Wyett, Wyett¡­¡± She pulled him away from the window and kissed him. ¡°You¡­ you really need to stop this.¡±

    Wyett slumped down in a chair, looking old and tired. ¡°All we¡¯re doing is waiting, Hyrii. Waiting at the Shinelands. Waiting on Shimvale. Waiting for C-R¡¯s people to try something.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating and you know it.¡±

    ¡°Not by much. Not¡­ by much.¡± He curled his hands into fists. ¡°Something has to happen.¡±

    ¡°Does it really? Can¡¯t you just¡­ leave it?¡± Hyrii asked. ¡°Trust your dad?¡±

    ¡°¡­Dad¡¯s policies are what got us into this mess. We¡¯ve been too trusting¡­¡±

    ¡°Tenrayce was able to use that trust to get us Benefactor.¡±

    ¡°Is it a good thing that we have Benefactor?¡± Wyett asked. ¡°She has made us a target. She needs us to protect her. That seems¡­ backward. Enemies on all sides¡­¡±

    ¡°Not on the ocean, the Mikarol Empire is still our ally.¡±

    ¡°And how far away are they? Should something go wrong, their military could not make it here. None of the island nations can offer any help, and the Tempest¡¯s power is restricted to the Tempest. They aren¡¯t exactly allies either. And don¡¯t you go mentioning Mom¡¯s tribe, they¡¯d help, but they¡¯re just a Wild Kingdom.¡±

    Hyrii frowned. ¡°Well, since you seem determined to think about this, what would you do if you were king?¡±

    ¡°Vaporize the Shimvale Council and re-instate their monarchy, producing infighting that would prevent them from being a danger to us. Might even be able to get the Council to collapse under its own weight, they really don¡¯t agree on much.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think your dad wants to launch them into a civil war if he can help it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, well, that¡¯s because he¡¯s not willing to make the necessary sacrifices. And I¡­¡± Wyett noticed his hand was trembling. ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you poor thing¡­¡± Hyrii held Wyett¡¯s hand in her own, steadying it. ¡°You really work yourself up over everything¡­ you don¡¯t have to, you know.¡±

    ¡°How¡­ how do you do it?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t the foggiest idea! I felt like I was going to die several times up in Shimvale, but it all worked out somehow!¡± She let out a nervous laugh. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just gifted.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hyrii, I¡­ I don¡¯t think I could do this without you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wyett¡­¡±

    ¡°I have a song in my head, Hyrii. That can make me do things. I¡­ I can¡¯t entirely trust myself. I¡­ need you to be here to stop me.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you trust your family to do that?¡¯

    ¡°I can¡¯t open up with them about this. They¡­ would decry me. They don¡¯t understand. Both Dad and Tenrayce are so set in their ways they can¡¯t see what¡¯s happening to us. But I¡­ I can¡¯t see what¡¯s happening to me.¡±

    Hyrii smiled softly. ¡°You know I don¡¯t agree with you on the plan, right?¡±

    ¡°And you tell me that without a dismissal, without treating it like it¡¯s so obvious and it¡¯s what we¡¯re doing.¡± He pulled Hyrii closer. ¡°You¡­ you listen to me.¡±

    ¡°Your family listens to you too, you know.¡±

    ¡°Not like you.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ okay, yeah, you have that right.¡± Hyrii giggled.

    ¡°Hyrii, I want you at my side.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ll have me, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Hyrii. I want you at my side.¡±

    Hyrii was confused for a second. Then she let out a short gasp that quickly turned into a hiccup. ¡°Wh-what? R-really, Wyett, I¡ªhic¡ªI mean of course I¡¯ve been waiting for you to ask but¡ªhic¡ªare you sure now is the¡ªhic¡ªbest time, with all that¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I can only see it getting worse from here, Hyrii¡­¡± He broke into a smile. ¡°You¡¯re cute when you¡¯re flustered.¡±

    ¡°These hic¡ªhic¡ªhiccups are not cute they are very¡ªhic¡ªannoying and I wish this didn¡¯t happen!¡± She fumed. Then she pulled Wyett into a lip lock. ¡°But of course the answer is yes.¡± After a pause, there was another hiccup. ¡°You don¡¯t even¡ªhic¡ªhave a circlet, do you?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ no.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t even planning on asking until just now.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­¡±

    ¡°Wyett, we need to work on your planning¡ªhic¡ªskills. Now.¡± She grabbed him by the hand. ¡°Let¡¯s forget all the boring politics and tell everyone the¡ªhic¡ªgood news. I¡ªhic¡ªfor the love of my face I will murder you diaphragm! ¡­Good, now th¡ªhic¡ªFOR THE LOVE OF¡ª¡±

    Still hiccupping like mad, Hyrii took Wyett down the tower¡­ and they ran into Riikaz on the way down.

    Riikaz grinned wildly. ¡°Oh my, let¡¯s see¡­ Wyett looking satisfied, Hyrii hiccupping like mad, and holding hands without a care in the world¡­ lemme guess. No circlet, though. Did Wyett pop the question without thinking it through?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡ªhic¡ªhe did,¡± Hyrii said.

    ¡°So cute!¡± Riikaz grabbed Wyett by the cheeks and shook him side to side before slapping him on the back with enough force to knock him over. To her credit, Hyrii did try to catch him, but she was pulled down as well. ¡°So, when I was a girl I always thought my kids would have the craziest weddings ever, but when I was a kid I lived in a forest and hunted monsters for a living. So rubbing animal blood all over our bodies probably isn¡¯t an option¡­ Hyrii, did you ever plan out your wedding?¡±

    ¡°Not really?¡±

    ¡°Well, clearly you and I need to have a brainstorming session. Later, though. We have to tell everyone! I¡¯ll send word to your father, ask him to come to the palace. Not going to explain why but I think he¡¯s smart enough to figure it out¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Jeh took the Skyseed IV into space. She had no experiments to run this time, that place was taken up by extra food and a bunch of plast bags. She was going to be up here for a long time, might as well test out the system they were going to have on the Moonshot.

    Today¡¯s goal was simple, but also monumental.

    Follow the sun around Ikyu, get pictures of the whole world.

    A full twenty-four-hour trip, give or take since she could probably come down to Willow Hollow in the morning and still complete the mission.

    She cracked her knuckles. ¡°All right¡­ let¡¯s go¡­ West.¡±

    And so she did. She was not orbiting Ikyu so much as brute-force moving in a circle around it. A round trip would have taken about ninety minutes if she¡¯d gone the orbit route, but everyone wanted daylight to be able to see the landmasses. There was an annoying amount of clouds blocking a lot of features, but she could still make out the continents and various islands. Her strategy for going around Ikyu at the rate of the sun¡¯s travel was basically to go up at an angle for a while and then let herself drop for a few minutes before repeating, creating a sort of sawblade pattern around the world.

    The continent Kroan was on was quite large, and was attached to a second one to the far south that no one had ever been to, as far as Jeh knew. Then there was the Ocean, or the ¡°Western Ocean¡± as it was starting to be called as knowledge of the Ocean on the East Coast was becoming more common. The Western Ocean held the Tempest and a handful of islands.

    It took several hours for the sheer size of the Ocean to dawn on Jeh. It made the continents look pathetic! So much water that Ikyu looked almost completely blue from her vantage point. The Tempest¡¯s whirling white was the only large feature on this scale aside from the ocean itself.

    However, she eventually reached the edge of the ocean, arriving at new continents. Maps had been made of this side of the world because this was where Vraskal and the Mikarol Empire were. She pulled out one of the maps and noted their declared borders. After that, there was just what Mikarol and Vraskal traders had said was ¡°wasteland.¡± From this high up Jeh couldn¡¯t exactly discredit them, but she was unsure what the dull brownish-gray land meant. It wasn¡¯t the metal of the Shinelands, that was for sure, but there was a distinct lack of green without having the yellowish tone of a desert.

    Beyond the Wasteland, there were some patches of unusual color. A smaller streak of gray, like the Shinelands. Some purple biome of some kind. An area that seemed to be actively shifting color before her eyes¡­

    With time, more features came over the horizon, including what she could easily identify as a ton of mountains all bunched together in one place. From the vague maps Envila had drawn, Jeh believed this was where Descent was. There were currently storm clouds nearby making quite an impressive lightning storm. It was so strange, seeing lightning flash from this high up¡ªno sound at all.

    Beyond the immense mountain range was more continent. Jeh made the observation that this continent or collection of continents was significantly larger than the one Kroan was on. It just looked denser. There were deserts, forests, mountains, and numerous other biomes of strange colors Jeh couldn¡¯t even identify. There was even something solid black at a spot that looked like it would almost divide the landmass in two but didn¡¯t quite.

    The way the blackness stretched across the land like roots unnerved Jeh. Maybe that was one of those big plants, like in Mary¡¯s story about the forest, and Envila had said lived deep beneath Descent. Perhaps some of the other unusually colored areas had been those things? Who knew, not Jeh, but at this point the mysteries were just tantalizing her. She had seen no sign of large Crystalline Ones, though, and was beginning to think Benefactor was truly unique.

    Then she came to the fiery lands. Envila had described them as volcanic and crawling with fire elementals. Jeh could see the lava pools, even from this high up. And in the center was some kind of island in the midst of the lava, which clearly had a large Red Crystalline One. She was smaller than Benefactor by quite a bit, but still clearly Red.

    Jeh did a quick calculation in her head. Even if the Red One could see her, which was unlikely as it was the middle of the day, she was well outside her range and couldn¡¯t be heated, and there was very little even a Red Crystalline One could do to transfer heat all the way up here. She was probably safe. Plus, even Benefactor didn¡¯t notice the first few times she went up.

    Still. It was important to know the Red One was there.

    After this, she came to another Ocean, the ¡°Eastern Ocean,¡± the one Envila had crossed. It was smaller than the Western one, but it was still big. It didn¡¯t have many islands, though it did have some that were arranged in a perfect circle. Odd, yes, but not exactly the oddest thing she¡¯d seen while up here.

    With that, she returned to the continent Kroan was on and was back to areas she had seen multiple times while up in space.

    ¡°Well, mission accomplished! They¡¯re going to go nuts over these images¡­¡± Jeh chuckled. ¡°Ah, that was fun.¡± She glanced at the disgustingly full plast bags. ¡°¡­I can see why we want a tank for these¡­¡±

    And just like that Jeh, rather unceremoniously, became the first recorded person to go all the way around the world. Clearly, some dragons had probably done it before, but no one recorded their trips as far as Kroan knew, so Jeh cemented her place in the history books even more than she had already done.

    Not that she thought about this. She just thought that the trip had been cool.

    ~~~

    Construction on the Laboratory concluded in a timeframe that surprised most of the townsfolk. This was largely because the progress had seemed unbearably slow for the first few weeks of work, since there were only a handful of workers present to clear and survey the land. Their job could not be accelerated by greater manpower. However, once the basic scaffold of the Laboratory had been erected, more people could be called in and some of Big G¡¯s boys hired for heavy labor, prompting the project to reach a conclusion far quicker than anticipated. It still took over a month to complete, but at the end, it stood tall and proud.

    The building was two stories tall and shaped like a C. The interior section was labeled the ¡°courtyard¡± but everyone knew it was to be used for outdoor tests, including the designers, who had put pavement rather than plants in the center, though along the edges of the C there were various decorative shrubs. Vaughan suspected they would be burned to a crisp within a month of any actual testing.

    The structure itself was made almost entirely out of wood since that was the primary building material available in Willow Hollow, but it had been coated with a special kind of white paint designed to make it less likely to light on fire. The roof was sloped in such a way that all rain would slide off the outer edge of the Laboratory, avoiding massive runoff into the courtyard. The roof was also white, in fact aside from the greenery everything was white. Vaughan thought it made it look somewhat boring.

    Lila was, naturally, giving a speech about how all the annoying construction noises had been leading to this moment, describing the Laboratory¡¯s benefits, and what sorts of things it would be doing. For once, Vaughan and Blue were not in the crowd listening to her¡ªthey¡¯d heard it all before. Rather, they were poking around the Laboratory, investigating all its rooms.

    The interior was as white as the exterior, though only the floor, walls, and ceiling¡ªthe furniture hadn¡¯t been painted and thus stood out from the background kind of awkwardly. Nowhere was this more apparent than the library, which had dozens of dark-wood bookshelves arranged like a maze among the whiteness. The books themselves were copies of many important scientific manuscripts, textbooks, and information catalogs. Some of them had a lot of diagrams in them, others were just walls of text and mathematics.

    Vaughan pulled out a book about the sky and flipped it open. He grinned. ¡°Hey Blue.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Take a look at this.¡± He showed her the diagram of the moon that took up a full page. At the bottom of the diagram was a citation. Constructed from observations of Wizard Vaughan.

    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Blue said, beaming at him. ¡°Our work is important enough to get in the big books within weeks.*¡±

    *Textbook publishing in Kroan is a little different than what we would be used to. The printing press does not exist, but Purple Crystals do allow for some speeding up of the process. The consequence of this is that every copy of a book must be made by hand. Scientific literature and research, being in constant flux, hires a lot of permanent scribes to continually make more and more books. A side effect of this is that it is really easy to go to a scribe and request that a page or two be changed to reflect new information. Most major scientific publications in Kroan have hundreds of editions because of this.

    Vaughan flipped through a few more pages. ¡°There¡¯s even a section in here about ¡®theoretical space travel.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Oooh, do they get it completely wrong?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only a page and an image of a circular orbit.¡± Vaughan frowned. ¡°You aren¡¯t credited¡­¡±

    ¡°Not surprising, nobody likes me,¡± Blue said with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll cement myself in the history books regardless, they can dismiss me all they want for now, they won¡¯t be able to for long.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡± Vaughan put the book back on its shelf and they continued on. There was a dining area with somehow less space than Vaughan¡¯s and yet more tables. Beyond this were the labs¡ªmost of the labs were just empty rooms on either side of a hallway, ready to be filled with whatever arcane devices anyone might need or want. One room that already had its device also doubled as the heating system for the building, the Red device would churn heat through ventilation systems as well as provide powerful and carefully applied spells to those who might need such things in experiments.

    Blue claimed one of the empty labs as her own, one of the ones at the far end.

    Beyond this, there was storage, which was filled with paper, writing implements, and various materials for possible testing in shapes that ranged from cubes to spheres to plates. Many of the materials were rare ones, such as a few diamonds and other gemstones with unusual properties, not to mention quite a few rare alloys of metals. There were naturally containers for Colored Crystal dust, though they were mostly empty and would likely be filled off of Vaughan¡¯s supply shortly.

    Then there was the danger cabinet. Filled with chemicals that could explode, burn through flesh, or kill people in seconds. Some of it was definitely unnecessary, but they wanted a full chemistry lab available, so they had gotten the materials for it.

    ¡°Who wants to make some sulfuric acid?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Can we really be trusted with all this?¡±

    ¡°All of us? No. Some of us? Yes. Naturally, we should only let the people with a head on their shoulders access this room. Which means not Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Will she listen to us?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡­If we have a good long talk with her, probably. She¡¯s not in danger, but if those chemicals stick to her and get on someone else¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah a¡ªoh my gosh Vaughan are those plast solutions?¡± Blue pressed her face to a pane of glass separating her from a shelf of brightly colored liquids. ¡°We can make our own containers of any shape¡­¡±

    ¡°Krays will love that.¡±

    Blue read the labels. ¡°Gari plast solution¡­?¡± Blue tilted her head. ¡°How did they¡­¡±

    ¡°Presumably dead bodies.¡±

    Blue shuddered. ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s useful stuff, don¡¯t turn it down!¡± Seskii called as she passed through storage with a cart of scrap metal. ¡°One of the harder plasts on offer, and the heat-treating property is very useful!¡±

    ¡°You do realize your people have been hunted for this in the past?¡± Vaughan asked.

    Seskii stopped pushing the cart and put her hands on her hips. ¡°Just because there are gari in the world hunted for their plast does not mean we shouldn¡¯t use it, no matter what anyone might tell you. Plus, dead bodies are probably not the primary source, gari can sell their hair clippings. Some of us, like me, like keeping it short.¡±

    Blue glared at Vaughan. ¡°You really let me think we harvest corpses?¡±

    Vaughan coughed. ¡°Well, we do, but it¡¯s a legal process and the death has to have already occurred¡­ I think.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s where most dragon scale stuff comes from too,¡± Seskii offered, gesturing at a rack of dragon scale plating they had nearby. ¡°Such as that.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°We rely a lot on dead things, don¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Part of the circle of life!¡± Seskii said. ¡°Just be careful in other countries, Kroan doesn¡¯t care too much about the sanctity of bodies, but other places do. Anyway¡­¡± She dumped her scrap metal onto the ground. ¡°I¡¯ve got more things to move!¡± She scrambled back out of the Laboratory.

    Blue and Vaughan were silent for a moment.

    ¡°Well, what else is there in here?¡± Blue asked, leaving storage. ¡°There are more rooms¡­¡±

    The rooms at the far end of the building were split between living quarters and the lounge which also served as a display area. Currently, it was empty, but it had very nice lighting from the big windows and various pedestals on which to showcase whatever the Wizard Space Program might want too. Right now, the only thing on display was a very large map of Ikyu on the walls. Naturally, it only showed half of Ikyu, but the mapmakers would eventually make a new one based off Jeh¡¯s observations from above, though the other half of Ikyu would naturally not be as detailed due to so many clouds getting in the way.

    Blue poked around the living quarters, finding the rooms to be basically the same as the labs but already filled with beds, desks, a wardrobe, and other such things. The beds varied in size seemingly randomly. ¡°Ah, where our busy little bees get to stay.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Tenrayce said, scaring both Vaughan and Blue so much they jumped.

    ¡°Tenrayce!?¡± Blue blurted. ¡°What are you doing here!?¡±

    ¡°Came to see the Laboratory on opening day.¡± Tenrayce turned another page. ¡°And I came with the Minor Wizards assigned to work under you. Yes, they have been instructed to listen to your every command.¡±

    Blue brightened up considerably. ¡°How many are we getting?¡±

    ¡°Four. Two Orange specialties, one Purple, and one Magenta. None of them are particularly of note save for the Magenta one, who is a fairy.¡±

    Vaughan perked up. ¡°Those are rather rare around here.¡±

    ¡°He is not the best at his attribute, but he is quite skilled with Magenta.¡± She produced a scroll with very short files on the four Minor Wizards. Two humans, brother and sister, who studied Purple and Orange respectively, a male gari specializing in Orange, and naturally the fairy. ¡°They are yours to do with as you please.¡±

    ¡°Excellent, I shall try not to torment them too much,¡± Blue said with a chuckle.

    ¡°They will want to see the facilities later, but I wanted to be gone by that time so as to not make them feel oppressed by my presence.¡± Tenrayce tilted her hat. ¡°I mainly wanted to see how things were progressing, Blue. I¡¯ve seen the Moonshot, it¡¯s looking good.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°It¡¯s going excellently. We¡¯re on track to launch¡­ well, after winter.¡±

    ¡°As expected.¡±

    ¡°Would you like to go get something to eat? Maybe with me and Seskii?¡±

    ¡°I would love that,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°Though aside from having Mary cook for us or going to the bar, where would we go here?¡±

    ¡°Well, it just so happens that we have a new chef¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, do tell.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to love this.¡±

    ~~~

    Agent Keller threw his report on Lila¡¯s desk. ¡°There ya go, a catalog of anythin¡¯ even vaguely suspicious in Willow Hollow.¡±

    Lila looked at the book-sized stack of papers. ¡°It¡¯s thinner than I imagined.¡±

    ¡°Your town may be very unique, but it¡¯s not all that suspicious. Most of that book is filled with stuff on the Red Seekers ya probably already know ¡®bout. Surprisin¡¯ly, not much on your two Gonal. Girl¡¯s a good kid, the old man¡¯s just tired and broken.¡± He paused. ¡°You sure ya wanna let him keep that sigil?¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°It is of great religious significance to both of them, and the ¡®demon¡¯ within is rather amiable from what I¡¯ve been told.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how they getcha, though.¡±

    ¡°¡­The moment you believe Kirkkok is a threat to the town, you may remove the sigil.¡±

    Keller let out a long breath. ¡°It¡¯s hard for me t¡¯ tell. I haven¡¯t met many o¡¯ them demons, but they¡¯re never pleasant. Some don¡¯t want ya dead, but they want somethin¡¯ bad.¡±

    Lila frowned. ¡°I find myself wondering if it is a mistake to extend the olive branch as such, but I have no experience with the ¡®servants of Eyda.¡¯ All I hear are the rumors and gossip, which always paints them as evil brutes with no ability to feel remorse. We live in a society that wants to kill not only them on sight, but a good chunk of their followers. And yet, as you said, Margaret is a ¡®good kid,¡¯ though she is a bit old for that moniker.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s younger than me.¡±

    ¡°Fair.¡± Lila flicked her tail. ¡°Your job, Agent Keller, is to protect us. If you think Kirkkok is a threat, I give you the authority to take action. You can destroy the sigil. But I ask that you not judge without good cause.¡±

    ¡°And ya trust me to know when that is?¡±

    ¡°I trust you more than myself in this matter.¡±

    Keller nodded. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll keep an eye on ¡®em, but otherwise there doesn¡¯t seem to be a problem.¡±

    ¡°Anything else of note?¡±

    ¡°Am I allowed to know what Vaughan¡¯s hidin¡¯ in his basement?¡±

    Lila blinked. ¡°Well¡­ you are certainly good at your job.¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± He scratched his chin. ¡°I just know there¡¯s somethin¡¯ down there.¡±

    ¡°I suppose since you¡¯ve been so open and accommodating to us¡­ we do not really know what it is, it is a mysterious black cube that the previous mayor instructed us to find a way to destroy. We don¡¯t know what it is, we just know that we shouldn¡¯t touch it. Our current plan is to wait until the space program has developed enough to launch it into the sun.¡±

    Agent Keller frowned, thinking.

    ¡°Do you know anything about it?¡±

    ¡°Afraid not. But if ya can¡¯t find a way to destroy it with all your resources, it¡¯s suddenly a lot more concernin¡¯ than anything else in this town.¡±

    ¡°Well, we intend to destroy it, so¡­¡±

    ¡°That does take some worry off my chest, but not all o¡¯ it.¡± He tapped his foot. ¡°But if it sits there and does nothin¡¯, I suppose we¡¯re good.¡±

    ¡°You really are quite understanding, Agent Keller, I applaud you.¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± He weaved his fingers together. ¡°Just learned it¡¯s the best way t¡¯ do my job.¡±

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Aside from all that, the most mysterious thing in town is Seskii. Girl has no history, far as I can tell, and is decidedly strange.¡±

    Lila smirked. ¡°That¡¯s Seskii for you.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ there¡¯s somethin¡¯ up with her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, quite, everyone here knows she¡¯s unusual in some way, but asking questions generally goes nowhere.¡±

    ¡°Gives me a headache, though.¡± Agent Keller folded his arms behind his back. ¡°That said, she¡¯s very earnest and carin¡¯, so whatever her deal is, it ain¡¯t t¡¯ harm ya.¡±

    ¡°The thought never crossed my mind. I am surprised it crossed yours.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my job, miss Mayor. Gotta check even the most innocent looking.¡±

    ¡°Well, thank you for being thorough, then. And Agent Keller?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I am glad they sent you, they could easily have sent someone more¡­¡±

    ¡°More likely to use the authority to kill whoever was undesirable?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ well, not that specific, but yes.¡±

    ¡°There certainly are Agents like that. Each of us has our own set of skills and places we work best. Crown tries t¡¯ send us t¡¯ the best-fit locations. I think they did well this time, personally.¡± He tipped his hat to her. ¡°G¡¯day, miss Mayor.¡±

    ¡°Good day to you too.¡±

    Keller walked out of Lila¡¯s office and outside. The wind was chill, indicating the coming of winter.

    ¡°You know, I do really try not to be noticed that much,¡± Seskii said from her ¡°fruit juice¡± selling stand. Several of them were sparkling with decidedly unnatural colors.

    ¡°I¡¯d be hard-pressed to do a job as good as you,¡± Keller said, taking out a cylinder, lighting it on fire, and starting to smoke it. ¡°You¡¯ve got the skills of an Agent on you.¡±

    ¡°Why, thanks!¡± Seskii grinned.

    ¡°Am I pokin¡¯ where I shouldn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely, but I¡¯m not going to fault you for that, you¡¯re just doing your job.¡± Seskii put her feet up on her stand and leaned back. ¡°Clearly, though, we¡¯re going to have to come to some kind of understanding here.¡±

    ¡°Heh. Usin¡¯ my own strategy on me, are you?¡±

    Seskii waved her hand in the air. ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t like to think in those terms. I¡¯m not against you, I¡¯m really glad you¡¯re here to protect the town. You¡¯re going to be a great help.¡±

    ¡°Except I might be a little redundant, isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    Seskii winked at him. ¡°I don¡¯t see any point in denying that.¡±

    ¡°They haven¡¯t the foggiest idea what you do for them.¡±

    ¡°It kind of has to be that way.¡±

    Keller let out a puff of smoke. ¡°I won¡¯t pry into yer secrets, somethin¡¯ tells me ya can¡¯t tell me anyway.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­ depends.¡±

    ¡°Still won¡¯t pry. I will say this, though.¡± He tapped out some ashes. ¡°Let¡¯s see who can catch the first spy.¡±

    Seskii grinned. ¡°You¡¯re on.¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Air pressure!

    Air pressure is something we all just kind of know about from experience. Blow up a balloon, the air makes it expand. Open a door and air will start flowing from the side with high pressure to low pressure even if there¡¯s no wind outside. A fair amount of wind and weather currents are determined by gradual differences in air pressure.

    But what exactly is air pressure?

    Well, the phenomenon arises from the basic properties of gas molecules. Imagine, if you will, a box with a bunch of air in it. Gas molecules are more or less independent of each other and are generally moving at fast speeds, so they hit the edges of the box all the time. Every time one of the molecules hits the edge of the box, it exerts a force on said box. If there were only one molecule in the box, every time it hit the edge it would make the box move slightly. (Ignoring concerns like friction.)

    However, there are a lot of molecules in any given amount of gas. When there are a lot of them, at any given time there are an equal amount of gas molecules hitting one edge of the box as another edge, so the amount of force the gas exerts on the container is perfectly balanced out. However, it¡¯s not like the force isn¡¯t applied, it still is, it¡¯s just applied equally on both sides by millions of gas molecules at once. If there are enough gas molecules with high enough energies within a box, they will apply so much force that they tear the box apart.

    This force is what forces balloons to get larger when more air is pumped into them, and also what makes them explode if they get over-inflated.

    Now, since lots of air can be stored in containers simply by pumping more in, it is most efficient to store it (and other gasses) in a pressurized form, packing more and more of it into solid containers that can withstand the force of billions of molecules trying to tear it apart from the inside. However, when a hole forms, the air shoots out with extreme force, often enough to make the container itself go flying. Why is this?

    Well, return to our box. Now make a hole in one of the sides of the box. The system is no longer symmetric: there is no longer the same amount of area on one side of the container as the other. The side with the hole feels less force than the opposing side, so the imbalance can cause motion. However, this only occurs if the air pressure outside the box is lower than the air pressure inside. This is because while air from inside the box flows out through the hole, any outside air can flow in through the hole as well. If the pressure in the box is higher, more air flows out than in, and the imbalance allows force to be applied in one direction.

    If the air pressures were equal, an equal amount of air would flow in and out, making the forces balance once more.

    If the air pressure outside were stronger, more air would flow in. Our box would not only take in a ton of air, it would also move toward the hole. We can visualize the forces by realizing that the exterior air pressure is pushing on the opposite wall from outside with more force than the pressure that is allowing some of itself to come through the hole, thus we get motion. This is also how some vacuum machines work, pulling air in very quickly to drag other things with it.

    The curious thing is that any individual gas molecule feels very little influence from any other gas molecules until the pressures get really high, at which point you can forcibly compress gas into a liquid no matter the temperature. Each gas molecule is generally moving around completely randomly smacking into things haphazardly, the consequence of pressure only arises when you have a lot of things doing entirely random maneuvers, and out of that an organized phenomenon¡ªpressure¡ªarises.

 035 - Red Handed

    WSP 035

    Red Handed

    The Wizard Space Program had only been expecting the four Minor Wizards sent from Axiom when the laboratory was complete. Sure, they had extra rooms for more, but they had thought that they would come in slowly over time.

    This turned out not to be the case. In addition to the four Minor Wizards who were sent from Axiom, two Journeyman Wizards had arrived by choice, three people from Willow Hollow had decided to join up including one of Lila and Suro¡¯s kids, and two others who had shown up from nearby villages and just asked for work.

    It was rapidly becoming too many to keep track of at all times. The Wizard Space Program was growing.

    The silence the laboratory had in the early days after construction was now completely gone. Even at night, there would generally be someone working on something. In the day, however, it was absolute cacophony.

    Mostly due to Krays.

    ¡°All right cadets!¡± Krays shouted, doing her best to look like an army general and failing miserably, but she still managed to get some salutes from the younger members of the program and Jeh. ¡°Today I¡¯ve got another challenge for you all!¡±

    ¡°Your challenges rarely advance science,¡± one of the wizards said.

    ¡°But they are fun!¡±

    ¡°For some people.¡±

    ¡°And I am part of those people!¡± Jeh said, stepping forward, which prompted a few of the others to come forward as well.

    ¡°Great!¡± Krays pulled out a glass vial filled with some kind of sparkling purple liquid. ¡°We have in here a rather¡­ noxious concoction that I¡¯m not going to tell you the effects of!¡±

    ¡°Do you even know?¡± Someone called from the back.

    ¡°That question sounds like the sort of question a volunteer would ask!¡± Krays said, pointing at the tabby cat who had spoken up. ¡°Come on up!¡±

    The cat groaned, but she did come forward. ¡°Okay, what terrible thing is going to happen to me today?¡±

    Krays inserted the vial into the strap around the cat¡¯s leg. ¡°Simple. I just want you to run around the laboratory at high speed and if you can do it in less than two minutes without breaking the vial¡­¡± She pulled out a glass model of Ikyu and the Moon she had made. ¡°You¡¯ll get this piece of junk for your room!¡±

    ¡°¡­And if I refuse?¡±

    ¡°I break the vial.¡±

    The cat thought about this.

    ¡°Your time has already started.¡±

    With an annoyed yowl, the cat took off at high speed and left the room, crashing past Margaret as she was painting a delicate line. A large smear went across the entire canvas.

    ¡°Krays!¡± Margaret shouted. ¡°This diagram needs to be very precise!¡±

    ¡°Stop using a paintbrush, it¡¯s a diagram, not art!¡± Krays called back.

    ¡°There is elegance in calculation,¡± Margaret said, huffing. ¡°Blue¡¯s new math can produce quite beautiful patterns¡­¡± She glared at the canvas. ¡°I can white that out¡­¡±

    ¡°Doubtful! It¡¯ll look wrong and you¡¯ll junk it later!¡±

    Margaret picked up the canvas and smashed it over Krays head. ¡°You¡¯re right, of course.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sometimes I forget that you¡¯re a hunter¡­¡± Krays pulled the remnant of the canvas off her head.

    At this point, the cat ran in from the other side of the room and slid to a stop. ¡°Th¡­ there¡­ was that¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh I didn¡¯t time you, but it felt like two minutes.¡± Krays placed the glass model on a nearby table. ¡°All yours.¡±

    ¡°So what do we do with this vial then?¡± the cat asked.

    Jeh cracked the vial open by kicking it. The entire room was suddenly filled with pink glitter.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what it does¡­¡± Krays said, rubbing her chin.

    ¡°KRAYS!¡± Margaret screeched.

    ¡°That was Jeh! That was Jeh!¡±

    ¡°You two collude on all this nonsense and you know I know it so just fess up!¡±

    ¡°This glitter tastes like strawberries,¡± Jeh said, licking her lips. ¡°Seskii really outdid herself this time.¡±

    ¡°And Seskii¡¯s on board with this too, I just, I don¡¯t eve¡­¡± Margaret paused. ¡°That does taste really good.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± Seskii said, coming into the room with a broom and a mop and starting to clean everything. For being glitter, she was able to mop it up remarkably quickly. ¡°A little annoyance in exchange for a lot of fun and delightful memories! I think that¡¯s a worthy trade, don¡¯t you Margaret?¡±

    Margaret crossed her arms. ¡°¡­Maybe. These jokes do get out of hand sometimes, though.¡±

    ¡°Oh, naturally, but I¡¯m not going to try to stop them from their little prank war.¡±

    Somewhere in the laboratory something exploded and someone shouted ¡°EUREKA!¡± This was such a common occurrence that nobody even batted an eye at it.

    ¡°Oh, that reminds me!¡± one of the human Minor Wizards pulled out a small arcane device from his robes. ¡°I made this!¡±

    Krays picked up the largely Purple device and turned it over in her hands. ¡°What exactly¡­?¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s a converter, it takes will and turns it into energy. Try it out!¡±

    Krays did. She received a shock similar to a powerful discharge of static electricity. ¡°Yow!¡±

    ¡°Gotcha!¡±

    ¡°Oh, two can play at that game¡­ hold this.¡± Krays pulled out a plank of wood and gave it to him.

    He accepted it with a grin and didn¡¯t even flinch as Krays used Blue to fill it with projectiles.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re enjoying this too much.¡±

    ¡°All part of the game, Krays!¡±

    ¡°I need to step up my game! You lot are getting too used to me!¡±

    ¡°KRAYS!¡± someone called from the hall. ¡°SOMEONE¡¯S LACED YOUR RESEARCH ROOM WITH SKUNK!¡±

    Krays eyes widened. ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t handle your own medicine?¡± Seskii said as she started mopping Krays down to get rid of the glitter.

    ¡°You think I can¡¯t handle it? Ha! I shall live in the stink and think of an even more diabolical way to enact my revenge! You just wait, it shall be done! You will tremble in fear on your hands and knees before my magnificent plot! You will beg me to teach you, and I will laugh.¡±

    ¡°And then teach us anyway,¡± a gari said.

    ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m having a moment right now.¡±

    ¡°What on Ikyu are you all doing!?¡±

    Everyone turned to look at Blue in the doorway.

    ¡°Fun!¡± Seskii said.

    Blue shook some of the strawberry glitter off her hoof. ¡°This¡­ fun. Really, you all are going a¡­ a bit too far, maybe? Shouldn¡¯t there be actual work going on?¡±

    ¡°Oh, we do actual work,¡± Krays said with a dismissive hand. ¡°Just not when you¡¯re looking.¡±

    Seskii huffed. ¡°They do work, but it can be interrupted at a moment¡¯s notice for nonsense. That said, Blue, was that not also how you and Vaughan worked?¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°Well it wasn¡¯t quite this¡­ loud and¡­¡± She glanced at the glitter. ¡°Messy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I ever did work,¡± Jeh said, shrugging. ¡°And it took a while but eventually I could get you all to play with me basically whenever. Speaking of, hey, Margaret, want to go hunting?¡±

    Margaret stopped painting on a canvas she had recently cleared of glitter. ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go, it should be fun!¡± With that, Jeh and Margaret just left.

    ¡°Pilots,¡± Krays grumbled. ¡°Impulsive, the lot of them.¡±

    ¡°Like you wouldn¡¯t do the same,¡± Blue countered.

    ¡°Ah, but I¡¯m not a pilot, so I narrowly avoid insulting myself! Behold, the master at work, nitpicker!¡±

    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, you all¡­ have fun, I guess, I¡¯m here for some math texts. Need to examine the behavior of a series¡­¡± She awkwardly walked through the strawberry glitter and came out the other side, finding that it was easy to shake off of her hooves once she wasn¡¯t standing in it anymore. ¡°Huh¡­¡±

    She walked through the main hall of the laboratory. Something exploded somewhere and was followed by an ¡°oops.¡± She wasn¡¯t fazed by this in the slightest. She went to the library and trotted right to the math section. She pulled off the book she wanted, Large Numbers and Small Numbers; Dealing with Scaling Difficulties in Complex Calculations, and was about to leave when she heard someone sneeze.

    She poked her head around the corner of the bookshelf to see¡­ a tall vase that had been put there for decoration, but it had no plants in it. Instead, it contained a small human child in red robes.

    ¡°¡­What are you doing here?¡±

    The child let out a scream of panic and tried to get out of the vase, but ended up just knocking it over, shattering it on the ground. He tried to run but Blue caught him in her telekinesis. Despite being levitated into the air, he started kicking and flailing his fists around, yet didn¡¯t make a single sound.

    ¡°Look, kid, I¡¯ve already got you¡­¡±

    The child pulled out a Red crystal. Blue ripped it out of his hand before he could do anything.

    ¡°Now, we won¡¯t be doing that¡­¡±

    Immediately after his crystal was taken away, the kid started crying.

    ¡°Wh¡ªhey, now there¡¯s no need for that. You¡¯re from the mountain, right? I¡¯ll just have someone take you back to Joira and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Liar¡­¡± the kid mumbled.

    ¡°Liar? Where else am I going to take you?¡±

    ¡°Your torture dungeon!¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t have one of those.¡±

    ¡°Liar¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, where do you think this torture dungeon is?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! But you have one where you take bad kids, Minnie said so!¡±

    ¡°And is this ¡®Minnie¡¯ a trustworthy source?¡±

    ¡°She¡­ uh¡­¡± The boy glared at Blue. ¡°More than you, Aware.¡±

    ¡°What are they teaching you up there¡­?¡± Blue said with a click of her tongue. ¡°Question. If you thought we were going to take you to a torture dungeon, why are you here?¡±

    ¡°U-um¡­¡± the boy instinctively tried to run again, even though he was still levitated in the air.

    ¡°¡­Did Joira send you?¡±

    The boy remained silent.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to have Lila have a¡­ talk with her, in that case¡­¡±

    ¡°N-no!¡± the boy stammered. ¡°She didn¡¯t send me¡­¡±

    ¡°Well then if you¡¯d rather avoid Lila having a talk with Joira, then you best tell me what you¡¯re actually doing here.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh look, I¡¯m walking out of the room, dragging you with me to find Lila.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for secrets I can use against you!¡± The boy wailed. ¡°Everyone is so afraid of you and¡­ and¡­¡± He started bawling again.

    Blue looked at him with sad eyes. ¡°Your people really needed to sit down and explain things to you¡­¡± Blue sighed, then set him down, releasing the telekinesis. ¡°Kid, our people are at peace. You stay up on your mountain, we stay down here.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re just biding your time¡­¡±

    ¡°I know that not even Joira believes that,¡± Blue said, frowning. ¡°Look, you¡¯re free to go, but you can stick around if you want. I can show you the laboratory, prove there¡¯s no dungeon of any sort, tell you what we actually do. If you need an incentive, knowing what we actually do could potentially be used against us totally, definitely evil people, hmm?¡±

    The boy stared at her in confusion. ¡°Why¡­?¡±

    Blue shrugged. ¡°I have my reasons.¡± And I don¡¯t want to try to explain them to someone so far into extremism and young as you. ¡°So, do you want to have a look around or not?¡±

    The boy wiped his face, but nodded. ¡°Show me your vile secrets.¡±

    ¡°Oookay¡­ by the way, do you have a name?¡±

    ¡°You may call me¡­ the Red Shadow.¡±

    Blue facehooved.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s a cool name!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a kid all right¡­¡± Blue muttered. ¡°Come along¡­ kid.¡±

    ¡°I just told you what to call me!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say ¡®Red Shadow¡¯ without snorting,¡± Blue said, with a snort.

    The kid started grumbling to himself. His fear was quickly being replaced with a distinct disgruntlement.

    And so Blue showed him around the laboratory and did very brief explanations of what they did¡ªmaterials testing, mathematics computing, and of course the eternal war between Krays and the various new workers; it was as much of a feature of the place as anything else. The boy never stopped being twitchy, but he clearly stopped believing they were about to torture him to death.

    He didn¡¯t smile, though, until Blue brought him into the display room that doubled as the lounge. It had been empty when the laboratory had first been constructed but now it was filled wall to wall, mostly with artistic diagrams of space made by Margaret herself. Vast canvases stretched across the walls with stars. Ikyu was portrayed from all sides, including the far sides that only Jeh had seen before. Models of the various Skyseed ships sat on some pedestals, as did a model of all the planets around Ikyu. As this doubled as the lounge, there were also several couches, a few of which were occupied by wizards, some lazily reading books. Mary was also there, just looking around at the newest of Margaret¡¯s paintings, a constellation map.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± the ¡®Red Shadow¡¯ said, eyes wide. ¡°This¡­¡±

    ¡°I said we went to space, didn¡¯t I?¡± Blue said. ¡°This is what we see up there, what we¡¯ve learned. And this¡­¡± Blue trotted over to a small metal sphere with eight spheres on rods sticking out of it. ¡°This is a model of the Moonshot, the ship we will be taking to the moon.¡±

    ¡°That thing outside is a ship!?¡± the boy gasped.

    ¡°When we finish building it, it will be. It takes a lot to get it into the sky, but our pilot, Jeh, should be able to get it up there. And then we¡¯ll go all the way to the moon.¡± Blue chuckled. ¡°We call it Operation Lunacy. Because it¡¯s crazy.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s on the moon?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know. That¡¯s why we¡¯re going there. To find out.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway, that concludes the tour.¡± Blue walked to the front doors and opened them. ¡°You¡¯re free to go, tell everyone on Mt. Cascade that we aren¡¯t secretly plotting their downfall or something.¡±

    The ¡®Red Shadow¡¯ nervously looked at Blue and took a step outside. Then he bolted off in a run, laughing. ¡°Foool! I now have all I need! You will live to regret this, Aware! Ahahahahaah!¡± He ran off as fast as his feet could carry him.

    Mary walked up to Blue. ¡°He¡­ does realize the lab is open to the public, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he picked up on that,¡± Blue said with a shrug.

    ¡°What would we have done if he had actually gotten to the real classified stuff in the cabin?¡±

    Blue clicked her tongue. ¡°Well then we really would have needed to talk to Lila, but¡­ he¡¯s just a kid, even if he had that, what would he do? For that matter, what would the Red Seekers do? It¡¯s not like they have the ability to replicate any of the technology¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Night had fallen.

    Vaughan¡¯s snores filled the halls of the cabin.

    Jeh had opted to sleep in a tree that night. While she did still prefer beds, every now and then she just wanted to go back to nature.

    Blue had been working but was now passed out and drooling on one of her many calculations. A note to have one of the Minor Wizards do the calculations for her to save time was quickly becoming so soggy as to be illegible.

    Amidst all this peaceful slumber, a thin flattened wire poked its way through a slit in the window. It was somehow able to bend once it had been stuck through, reaching for the window¡¯s latch and curving around it. It took a few tries, but eventually, the window latch popped and the flattened wire was removed. The window slid open, and in snuck a dark humanoid figure dressed all in black. He moved almost without a sound at all, carefully making his way through the halls of the cabin. What few creaks the floorboards made as he moved were drowned out by the sound of Vaughan¡¯s snores, and the intruder was smart enough to step down only when Vaughan was loud enough.

    He would wake no one up as he made his way up the stairs to Vaughan¡¯s study. He turned the doorknob as Vaughan stored, and slowly opened the door in segments, letting the creak be drowned out by other noises. Once the door was open enough for him to slip in, he did, and immediately started rummaging through drawers, looking for anything that looked important. This was rather difficult without a light, because most of it was paper. However, he eventually found a drawer that was locked, and that meant it had to have something worthwhile. After waiting for the timing of the snores to be just right, he broke the lock with a swift swipe to the mechanism. The drawer popped open and he found¡­ an old, framed portrait inside?

    At this point, the room was suddenly bathed in light. The intruder jumped onto his feet, staring in alarm at Seskii and Keller, who had both turned on their lamps at the same time.

    Seskii snickered. ¡°Hey, looks like it¡¯s a tie!¡±

    ¡°Sure seems that way, don¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Now who wins?¡±

    ¡°No one, worst possible outcome.¡± Keller blew some smoke into the air. ¡°Should we bother tryin¡¯ t¡¯ see who gets the next one?¡±

    ¡°Eh, probably not worth it,¡± Seskii said. ¡°We¡¯re both just too good for that.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    The intruder jumped into the window, shattering it and sending glass onto the ground below. He was now significantly higher off the ground than he was when he entered, which was why he hadn¡¯t come in through this window, but he was sure he could roll and make a quick getaway.

    Or, he would have, had Seskii not somehow already been outside, standing on the exterior windowsill, grabbing him by the neck before he could even clear the cabin. ¡°Now, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­ how?¡± the intruder stammered.

    ¡°Good question,¡± Seskii said with a wink. She gently placed him back down inside the cabin, where Keller slapped a pair of handcuffs on him.

    ¡°Mission complete!¡± Seskii cheered.

    ¡°And now comes the fun part¡­¡± Keller said, grabbing the intruder by the chin. ¡°Given your complexion, you¡¯re from Shimvale, yes? Who are you working for exactly?¡±

    The intruder refused to say anything. Instead, he started singing¡­

    Keller activated his Magenta magic and then punched the intruder in the face precisely as hard as needed to knock the man out.

    ¡°Keller!¡± Seskii chided. ¡°I could have just gagged him!¡± She gestured to a rag she hadn¡¯t been holding a second ago.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t take any chances. The guy¡¯s a singer.¡± Keller tilted his head. ¡°This is gonna make it a might bit difficult t¡¯ interrogate him¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll figure something out.¡± Seskii leaned down to the drawer that had been busted open, examining the picture inside. It was a small framed graphite drawing of a woman in a wizard hat. She had her tongue out and was winking with one of her fingers under her open eye. A decidedly silly image.

    Seskii quietly closed the drawer and got a new lock for it.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ~~~

    The following day, the Moonshot was a flurry of activity. The scaffolding that held up the multi-core drive and the pilot seat had been completed the day before, which meant everything else could start being installed. This was a bit of an awkward maneuver since, while in space, there would be no specific downward direction, while on Ikyu there was a constant pull and it made it rather difficult to affix furniture to the ceiling.

    But it was being done nonetheless. Orange magic was being used extensively to lift the pieces of furniture to the ¡°ceiling¡±. Sometimes wizards or workers were levitated up to the workstation to weld or otherwise affix the various implements where they needed to be, but the fairy was able to get up there without help. While he was small, he was quite precise and agile. The various workers were adding chairs, tables, and various hatches in the inner wall that led to the space between the Moonshot¡¯s two layers, where things like the compressed air tanks, food storage, paper storage, and waste storage were being installed.

    The Moonshot was designed to house four people, but it could physically hold a lot more. About eight in total, each with enough space to work on something, and that wasn¡¯t counting someone sitting in the central pilot seat. The pilot¡¯s seat and drives were held aloft by eight steel rods coated in glass, each of which extended to the Moonshot¡¯s outer wall. These rods served two purposes¡ªnot only were they structural support, but they also indicated where the spherical ¡°handholds¡± were for steering the ship¡ªthe things couldn¡¯t be seen, but any pilot would know exactly where they were due to the rods.

    The rods themselves led to a complex spherical gyroscope that held the multi-core drive and the pilot¡¯s seat. The entire thing could be rotated in any direction and locked in place, giving the pilot complete control. While the Skyseeds had largely relied on Yellow crystal to make this work, creating such a large gyroscope that would be under significant stress out of Colored crystal was simply not feasible. Instead, the mechanisms were composed of steel-reinforced glass lubricated with special oils. The oil was, admittedly, rather expensive, but once it was applied it didn¡¯t need to be again.

    It was not quite as smooth as a natural Yellow crystal, but it was still smooth enough for Jeh to spin it around like a top.

    ¡°Wheeeee!¡± Jeh called as she twirled herself around. She currently had the ¡®up-down¡¯ controls on the chair fixed at a 45-degree angle while pulling herself ¡®left-right¡¯ as fast as she could manage, spinning around so quickly that it was making her dizzy. ¡°This is amazing! Margaret, you have to try this!¡±

    ¡°I will try it as soon as you stop playing!¡± Margaret called from outside. ¡°There¡¯s not exactly much space in there!¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, but, eh.¡± Jeh kept spinning herself around for a few minutes. She eventually unlocked the ¡®up-down¡¯ directional control and let herself spin completely freely. However, as she was under the pull of Ikyu, she rather quickly found her seat pulled to the bottom of the apparatus, where she was lying on her back and looking straight up. The drive was perfectly centered in the gyroscope, but the seat was not, so Jeh was able to look over the drive and see the upper window. It was day, yes, but the moon just happened to be overhead.

    Jeh grinned. ¡°We¡¯re coming for you, buddy, just you wait¡­¡±

    With this, she removed all the belts and latches that kept her affixed to the chair and hopped out, landing on the couch and upsetting a worker who was currently trying to close a hatch that didn¡¯t want to close. She gave him a quick apology before climbing out the door. There was no easy way in because while they had a ramp leading up to the Moonshot¡¯s door, which was currently pointed sideways, the interior was still a nearly perfect sphere, and getting up to the equatorial region where the door was at was somewhat awkward. ¡°She¡¯s all yours¡­¡± Jeh said, bowing to Margaret.

    Margaret stepped in and slid down to the couch, trying her best not to upset the workers. She was tall enough that she had to duck not to bump her head on the gyroscopic apparatus. However, this made it a bit easier for her to climb in. The seat was designed for most humanoids, though naturally there were upper and lower size limits. Margaret was well within the tolerance and strapped herself in. Unlike Jeh, she wasn¡¯t one for wildly spinning herself around and tried to carefully control which direction she was pointing. ¡°A little awkward, it¡¯s not full freedom of movement¡­¡±

    ¡°You can point anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but with only two directions of motion¡­ for instance, from here I can¡¯t just drag myself to the uppermost point. I have to¡­¡± She rotated the main rail the seat was riding on with a grunt, and then forcibly pulled herself up the ring. ¡°Takes¡­ two¡­ steps¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll be much easier to do in space.¡±

    ¡°I sure hope so¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, have fun, I¡¯ll leave you to it!¡±

    ¡°Sadly¡­ I don¡¯t think I have a strong enough will to actually drive this thing¡­¡±

    ¡°You can have support for liftoff, I might need that. But I¡¯m driving it first!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ and I get to stay down here.¡± Margaret chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m more than a little jealous.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get to the moon eventually, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what sorts of wonders you will find up there¡­?¡±

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°Who knows?¡± With that, she left Margaret and marched down the ramp. Vaughan and Blue were down there, talking to¡­ Joira? And some kid in a red robe?

    ¡°¡­Hello,¡± Joira said, clearly attempting to be courteous.

    Blue sighed. ¡°What did he tell you? That we¡¯re evil diabolical conquer-the-world types?¡±

    ¡°Not at all, which is surprising for how much he listens to Minnie. No, I¡¯m here because he won¡¯t shut up about your¡­¡± Joira glanced at the Moonshot. ¡°¡­Spaceship.¡±

    ¡°It is pretty awesome, hard not to talk about,¡± Vaughan said with a grin.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe¡­¡± Joira put a hand to the bridge of her nose and let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°Look. I hear you¡¯re taking on basically anyone who wants to work for you.¡± She shoved the kid forward. ¡°Take him, I¡¯m sure he can be useful getting you all tea or cleaning floors or something.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°You¡­ excuse me, I think I might be hearing this wrong. You want to give him to us?¡±

    Joira scowled. ¡°This is not a gift, nor is it some attempt to make friends. It is simply the best place for young Arno¡¯s growth, in my opinion, and I believe you will take him.¡±

    ¡°Red Shadow¡­¡± Arno grumbled.

    ¡°We have let you live in your self-created delusions long enough, Arno.¡± Joira hissed. ¡°You need to see the world for what it is, not for whatever Minnie tells you it is.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought you wanted to see more ¡®cool space things?¡¯ The price is staying here rather than on the mountain most of the time.¡±

    The boy looked at the Moonshot. ¡°Yes¡­ I will learn all the secrets¡­ and then the Red shall spread between the stars themselves!¡±

    ¡°Quite the devout little Red Seeker,¡± Blue deadpanned.

    ¡°Oh shut up, don¡¯t make this any more humiliating for me than it already is,¡± Joira grumbled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it should be,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°You¡¯re being far more reasonable today than you usually are, and you¡¯re going against your inner desires to do what you think is best for the kid.¡±

    ¡°I do have a few¡­ conditions.¡±

    Blue raised an eyebrow. ¡°Conditions?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll return to our camp once a week and tell us what¡¯s going on. The moment I feel like any of you are trying to brainwash him into your na?ve way of thinking, I will take him back. He is an employee, not a target for conversion.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ should be fine?¡± Blue said. ¡°I think one of our new wizards is a Blue Seeker, hasn¡¯t caused any problems yet.¡±

    ¡°We shall see¡­¡± Joira said.

    ¡°The Blue enemy is here!?¡± Arno gasped. ¡°This is an excellent reconnaissance opportunity¡­¡±

    Joira put a forced smile on her face. ¡°So, will you take him?¡± Even Blue could tell she looked rather desperate.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find something for him to do,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Welcome aboard, Red Shadow.¡±

    Arno lit up like a Purple storm lamp. ¡°You have the heart of a true Seeker! I knew your robes made you trustworthy!¡±

    Vaughan patted Arno on the head. ¡°I¡¯m not a Red Seeker, you know that, right?¡±

    ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re wearing red¡­¡±

    ¡°Arno!¡± Joira gasped. ¡°Have you seriously not understood who Vaughan is!? The Red Wizard of the valley, the¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow, you don¡¯t look anything like the lurching monster Minnie says you are,¡± Arno said. ¡°¡­Guess she was mistaken.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t even¡­¡± Joira said, shaking her head.

    ¡°Maybe you should have taught him better?¡± Blue suggested.

    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m taught amazingly! I know everything there is to know about Red and how it¡¯s the best Color and how it will burn everything!¡± He beamed. ¡°It¡¯s great!¡±

    ¡°You sound fun,¡± Jeh said.

    Arno turned to her. ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡±

    ¡°Jeh. Pilot. Immortal.¡±

    Arno narrowed his eyes. Then he grinned. ¡°Our rivalry shall be legendary! I challenge you to a duel!¡±

    ¡°A duel of what?¡± Jeh asked.

    Arno took up a defensive combat stance indicative of some kind of martial art. ¡°Hand-to-hand combat! You¡¯re smaller than me, so I¡¯ll win! I¡ª¡±

    Jeh rushed to him and punched him in the stomach, knocking him down.

    ¡°Ooogh¡­¡±

    ¡°Jeh!¡± Blue called.

    ¡°What? He challenged me to a duel! He even specified hand-to-hand combat!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ well¡­¡±

    ¡°How could this happen?¡± Arno asked, staring at the sky. ¡°I was taller¡­ they only beat me because I was shorter¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a few petals short of a daisy, isn¡¯t he?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a plant!¡±

    ¡°Oh no, of course not¡­¡± Jeh rolled her eyes, helping him up. ¡°Welcome aboard.¡±

    ¡°The Red¡­ shall triumph¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure, buddy, sure.¡±

    ~~~

    Hyrii stood, leaning on the railing of the palace, looking out over the city of Axiom, particularly at the great tree. She found her gaze drawn to the section of the city in the tree¡¯s almost ever-present shadow, shrouded from the light of the sun.

    She tilted her head to the side. That can¡¯t be a great place to live, come to think of it¡­

    ¡°Heeeeeeey!¡±

    Hyrii glanced behind her to see Via running up. This was all the time she got to react before Via pulled her into a hug from behind. Hyrii didn¡¯t resist, but she did gag.

    ¡°How¡¯s being a princess treating you?¡±

    ¡°Honestly?¡± Hyrii leaned against the railing. ¡°Not all that different, you all basically accepted me as part of the family a while ago, showed me all the secrets, I got dragged on an important mission¡­¡± She twirled her hand in the air. ¡°I just live here now. ¡­and I don¡¯t have to be afraid about acting a little too improper around Wyett, which is a major plus.¡±

    ¡°I bet it is¡­¡± Via said, letting out a long, dreamy sigh.

    ¡°You¡¯re more of a hopeless romantic than I am, and I just got married.¡± Hyrii chuckled.

    ¡°I knoooow, but it¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s so cute and it¡¯s so wonderful and it makes life so much more life!¡± Via paused. ¡°I¡¯m sticking with that. Yep.¡±

    Hyrii smiled and turned her head back to the city. She looked at the shade of the tree again, frowning. ¡°Via, you¡¯re the one who knows the people the best. What¡¯s it like to live¡­ in that shadow? I¡¯m¡­ not sure why, but I¡¯ve never thought about it until now.¡±

    ¡°Probably because you lived on the other side of the palace.¡± Via frowned. ¡°That place is¡­ very awkward. Back when Grandma was queen, it was just where the poor people ended up because property there was in the shadow and continually rained on by everyone living in the Canopy. So Grandma made a big program to move everyone out of there and turn the base into a bit of a park.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°It worked. The people got new homes. But nobody wanted to go to a park in the shadow of the Canopy either, so the park was abandoned and the place was left as a ghost town. And people will go to fill available space¡­¡± Via sighed. ¡°It¡¯s where the homeless go, and the criminals, hiding under the Canopy¡¯s shadow.¡±

    ¡°Surely you¡¯ve tried to do something?¡± Hyrii asked.

    Via groaned. ¡°It¡¯s so annoyingly complicated. We can¡¯t just give them money for a lot of reasons I don¡¯t really understand, but it has something to do with the economy and how most of the beggars aren¡¯t there by circumstance but by choice because you won¡¯t starve in Axiom if you don¡¯t work unlike most other places¡­ and those who are part of the criminal enterprises have a large vested interest in keeping an area like that full of people so it¡¯s easy to hide.¡± She tapped her foot. ¡°Dad tried to fix it once, order everyone out, built a new district and everything. In five years, the Shadow had even more people for some reason.¡±

    Hyrii pressed her hands together, thinking. ¡°And it would just be cruel to make it impossible to go there, some people probably do have attachments and history there¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ the guy who runs the district is an old human, great heart, isn¡¯t very effective but cares deeply for everyone there. His family has lived there for generations and if we tried to remove everyone¡­ he¡¯d probably fight us.¡± Via shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just an ugly situation that we don¡¯t know how to deal with, is what it is. It¡¯s like Axiom wants a place like it in it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Hyrii tapped her foot. ¡°I¡¯ll be thinking about it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, thank you,¡± Via let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Wyett¡¯s always so paranoid about ¡®actual threats¡¯ and Tenrayce is convinced there are ¡®more valuable uses of our time¡¯ and Dad¡¯s busy and Mom¡­ well uh, Mom¡¯s never been one to play the politics game.¡± Via took Hyrii¡¯s hand in her own and beamed. ¡°But those are our people out there, and I¡¯m too stupid to think of a solution.¡±

    Even now, Hyrii had to remind herself that Via did not mind being somewhat dumb at all, and just saw using the word ¡°stupid¡± as being honest. It still felt weird to just let that slide and not go ¡°oh no, you¡¯re not stupid¡­¡± Hyrii had tried that a few times. It just made Via laugh.

    ¡°I¡¯ll work on it, promise,¡± Hyrii eventually settled on.

    ¡°I think I should get my notebook where I write down problems I think are important. Not¡­ whatever we talked about in the last meeting.¡±

    ¡°Military applications are important discussions right now, Via,¡± Hyrii pointed out.

    ¡°But¡­ they just want to drop rocks from space. Why was it so complicated? Just go up there, look down, drop the rock!¡±

    ¡°Wind, Via. Also Ikyu rotates, you¡¯re moving while you¡¯re up there¡­¡±

    Via crossed her arms. ¡°All those science people make things harder than they have to be. Just drop the rock.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to accidentally hit something you weren¡¯t aiming at, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Via paused. ¡°¡­I¡¯d rather not drop the rock at all¡­¡±

    Hyrii frowned. ¡°Sometimes you really do need to strike something as hard as you possibly can, it¡¯s good to have the option.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. If Wyett was in charge, he¡¯d be using it¡­¡±

    ¡°Good thing he¡¯s not King yet, he still has time to learn.¡± Hyrii smirked. ¡°And I have time to soften him up. And he me.¡±

    ¡°Awww¡­ listen to you!¡± Via grinned. ¡°It¡¯s so adorable and honorable and nice and¡­ and¡­ something, I dunno, insert a positive romantic word here.¡±

    ¡°Romantic?¡±

    ¡°¡­Dangit, yes.¡± Via giggled. ¡°Anyway, do you want to see my notebook?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please do, let¡¯s see what I think about it¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Lila trotted out into the forest clearing. ¡°Agent Keller, I did say you could come see me at my house, right? There¡¯s no need f¡ª¡±

    She saw the human man tied up, gagged, and bruised.

    ¡°Pretty sure ya didn¡¯t want your kids t¡¯ see this one,¡± Keller said, tapping out some ashes from the roll he was smoking.

    ¡°A¡­ spy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but worse. A singer.¡±

    Lila frowned. ¡°He¡¯s from Shimvale then?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s at least operating under Kaykayzee¡¯s orders. Though I can¡¯t get anything else out of him.¡±

    ¡°¡­A man of your skills?¡±

    ¡°It has nothing t¡¯ do with my skills. Watch.¡± Keller ungagged him.

    He immediately started singing as loud as he could, at which point Keller gagged him again.

    ¡°I am fairly sure he¡¯s been commanded t¡¯ respond only in singin¡¯,¡± Keller said. ¡°He couldn¡¯t tell us anythin¡¯ even if he wanted t¡¯.¡°

    ¡°My, that¡¯s certainly effective¡­¡± Lila said, starting to circle the man. He was pale-skinned and had short, ice-blue hair. ¡°His appearance¡­?¡±

    ¡°Suggests he¡¯s from Northern Shimvale, but ah don¡¯t wanna jump t¡¯ conclusions, that could be a ruse as well.¡±

    ¡°A spy that, when captured, can¡¯t be a liability¡­ effective. And, furthermore, we cannot say for certain if he is fully in control of his actions, so punishing him for them would be completely unacceptable.¡±

    ¡°At least it wouldn¡¯t hold up in court.¡±

    ¡°We are not engaging in extra-judicial punishments, Keller,¡± Lila said with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°Just lettin¡¯ ya know your options.¡± He paused. ¡°The song is classified anyway, no public court could try him.¡±

    Lila tapped her paw on the ground. ¡°In that case, we don¡¯t have a jail so we need to transfer him to one. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know the procedure.¡±

    ¡°We put him in someone¡¯s house until the Crown can send a contingent.¡± Keller looked up at the overcast sky. ¡°I think winter¡¯s gonna stop that from bein¡¯ speedy.¡±

    ¡°Hold him for the winter¡­ oh my, we¡¯ll have to figure out how to feed him without him belting that song.¡±

    ¡°I know how to force food down. Unless he¡¯s been commanded to starve himself, but there ain¡¯t anythin¡¯ we can do ¡®bout that if so.¡±

    Lila shook her head. ¡°Such terrible actions¡­ All of this, every bit of it, is simply terrible. Spies, control, lives in the balance¡­ it reminds me far too much of home.¡±

    ¡°Never been t¡¯ the Tempest myself, but the reports sure are somethin¡¯.¡±

    Lila nodded, focusing her gaze back on the spy. ¡°¡­Big G can hold him, the mines have plenty of space. We just have to be sure to get him an arcane heater. You¡¯ll be in charge of¡­ keeping his song from infecting everyone.¡±

    ¡°Will do,¡± Keller said with a tip of his hat.

    ¡°Do we know what he was looking for?¡±

    ¡°He was rummagin¡¯ through Vaughan¡¯s study. Whatever he was lookin¡¯ for, he didn¡¯t find it, just found an old picture in a locked drawer.¡±

    ¡°That picture is very precious to Vaughan; I hope it¡¯s still safe?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t even give the man time t¡¯ touch it.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°Who is that, if ya don¡¯t mind me askin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°His wife. He has a more professional frame of her hanging in the main hall, you¡¯ve probably seen it. That one, though¡­ that one shows who she was.¡±

    ¡°If that picture shows who she was, she must have been quite the character.¡±

    Lila laughed. ¡°Alice Vaughan was perhaps the craziest person I have ever known, and I¡¯ve lived in the Tempest and work with a Wizard Space Program.¡±

    ¡°Wish I could have known her.¡±

    ¡°I wonder¡­ would she have loved you and your style or despised what you represent? I¡¯m not sure, she was one to run hot and cold and nowhere in-between.¡±

    ¡°Ah, either way, woulda been fascinatin¡¯, I bet.¡±

    ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Lila looked up, seeing the moon in the sky. ¡°She would have loved this, that I know for sure¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Kaykayzee Ziggurat sat in her office, fuming. She tapped her fingers on her desk, glaring at the various proposals she had written in front of her.

    All of them had ¡°denied¡± slapped on them.

    The Council hadn¡¯t approved a single one of her proposals since Benefactor had been found.

    ¡°Problems?¡± the red gari that served as her secretary asked, with a very amused grin on her face.

    ¡°You can shut up,¡± Kayz growled.

    The secretary shrugged and continued writing more proposals. ¡°Miss Ziggurat, would you like me to say ¡®righteous revenge¡¯ again in this proposal, or perhaps go with something less confrontational, such as ¡®proper response¡¯ or ¡®needed action?¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°It won¡¯t matter either way, they¡¯re stonewalling me,¡± Kaykayzee said, pressing her fingers together. ¡°They want peace, the idiots.¡±

    ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t want to make the big Purple cube angry.¡±

    ¡°Your kind¡¯s desires are irrelevant.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you wound me,¡± the secretary deadpanned.

    Kayz tapped her finger on the desk. ¡°There has to be something that can be done¡­ some way to get everyone to see the danger.¡±

    ¡°Oh, they see it all right, they just think doing anything will make the danger worse. Which, according to this analysis, is actually true¡ª¡±

    ¡°Screw the analysis, this is about what¡¯s right! That Purple cube has been killing our people in secret for Cora knows how long!¡±

    ¡°And she¡¯s no longer anywhere near us and is occupied with the rigid plague.¡±

    Kayz growled. ¡°I know you¡¯re not exactly on my side but are you trying to make me angry?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing a pretty good job of that yourself.¡±

    Kayz kicked her desk over, spilling everything on it onto the ground, breaking a vial of ink in the process.

    ¡°Shorter temper than usual today, I see,¡± the secretary said.

    ¡°Shut it.¡± Kayz stomped around, intending to leave the office, but one of the sheets of paper caught her eye. She picked it up and examined it. The last proposal of hers that was approved, the act to send spies into Kroan to learn more about the Wizard Space Program.

    Her expert had not come back, despite being¡­ conditioned in such a particular way. At this point, it was clear that he must have been caught. He wouldn¡¯t exactly be a security leak, but that would be a problem¡­

    ¡­wait, she could use this. This proposal was already approved. She could send in spies.

    She could just give them¡­ other tasks as well. Ones that nobody needed to know about. It¡¯s not like they knew about her songs, anyway¡­ and if anyone asked where the spies went, she had an excuse. And if enough of the Council decided to complain¡­ well, she could probably twist opinions using her song without raising too much suspicion in that case.

    ¡°I see you¡¯re choosing devious loophole abuse today.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Kayz said dismissively as she left the room. ¡°By the way, have a janitor come and clean all this up.¡±

    ¡°Of course¡­¡±

    The secretary opted to finish up her work before following that order. A few minutes later, someone entered the room¡ªVi, the ice elemental.

    ¡°Oh! Vi!¡± the secretary bowed. ¡°What brings you here?¡±

    ¡°I just passed Kaykayzee in the hall. She¡¯s plotting something.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but she was looking at the approval you gave her to send a spy into Kroan. I think she¡¯s seeing a loophole.¡±

    ¡°How unfortunate, that will be difficult to stop¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve said it before and I¡¯ll say it again, you can kick her out with a vote of no confidence.¡±

    ¡°It is vastly preferable for her to be here and acting in our best interests than otherwise. We do not have sufficient evidence to prove the existence of her song¡¯s power, yet.¡±

    The secretary folded her hands together. ¡°Well, you¡¯re in a pickle then, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Your information is greatly appreciated, I shall consider if there is a way to stop her from causing a war.¡±

    ¡°Lock her up, I keep saying¡­¡±

    ¡°Not an option at this juncture. We¡¯d need proof. And how does one prove the existence of magic the world at large is unaware of?¡±

    The secretary shrugged. ¡°I dunno.¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, if we push her too hard at the wrong time, she could turn the people against us with but a sound.¡±

    ¡°I do not envy your situation.¡± The secretary kicked her legs back. ¡°Have fun with that!¡±

    ¡°I will not,¡± Vi deadpanned, drifting out of the room, leaving the secretary alone.

    The secretary chuckled to herself. ¡°Oh, I do hope you all tear yourselves apart from the inside¡­¡±

    ~~~

    The Moonshot was not ready.

    But it was close.

    Close enough for a minor test.

    Jeh stood in front of the Moonshot¡¯s ramp, hands on her hips. A light dusting of snow was drifting down from the sky. It was not yet cold enough for the snow to stick, but it was a clear indication that winter had arrived. In a few weeks, there would be snow everywhere, piled up so as to make construction work nigh impossible. The Moonshot would have to be covered up and sheltered from the elements during that time.

    But for now, it stood entirely free, without even a canopy¡ªonly the ramp was attached to it.

    The entire Wizard Space Program was there, which was a few dozen people at this point, so many that Jeh didn¡¯t even know all their names. Wizards, engineers, and other workers who just wanted to offer their skills to the great project. All were here for this moment where they answered a simple question.

    Could Jeh pilot the Moonshot on her own power?

    ¡°Wish me luck!¡± Jeh said as she marched up the ramp.

    ¡°Try really really hard not to break anything!¡± Vaughan called after her.

    ¡°I know, I know, it¡¯s taken so much to build this thing, I¡¯ll be careful. ¡­Mostly.¡± With a mischievous giggle, she crawled through the main hatch. She didn¡¯t close it¡ªthey wanted to stress the main door as little as possible, as repeated use would eventually wear it out. They¡¯d already tested it and likely wouldn¡¯t close it again until final tests before launch. As Jeh crawled in, the others removed the ramp.

    The interior of the Moonshot was a bit of a mess. There were tables on the ceiling, a couch that had been bent to sit nicely on the curvature of the ground, dozens of hatches that weren¡¯t yet labeled with what kind of storage they led to, a spot for sleeping bags to be tethered to, some boxes of supplies that hadn¡¯t been put anywhere but were nonetheless tied down, and one table situated over top of one of the windows with a model of Ikyu and the Moon on it, as well a star chart physically printed on the table.

    All of this existed within a ¡°height¡± from the edge of just below two meters, enough for an average human to stand without bonking their head against the drive mechanisms. The drive itself had a diameter of about two meters as well, holding the chair, arcane devices, and the gyroscope mechanism for moving around.

    Jeh reached up and grabbed the gyroscopic mechanism, pulling herself up into the chair. It was a very comfortable and custom-designed seat with dozens of buckles and adjustable parts. She had it on most of the smaller settings given her size, but after a few clicks and lever motions, she was extremely comfortable.

    She laid her left arm down on the armrest and pulled up her sleeve. She rotated a small crank that moved a strap of metal over her wrist and cinched it down tight, giving her physical contact with the crystalline wires. These led to the built-in air restorer and, of course, the drive.

    With a grin, she loosened all the gyroscope¡¯s knobs that kept it in place, allowing her seat to drift to the downward position. She was now looking straight up, which meant that the drive was also pointed straight up. ¡°Here we go¡­¡±

    She started with a small amount of will, even though she knew she was going to have to strain herself for this¡ªshe actually did want to be careful today. She used her free hand to engage all of the drive¡¯s segments at once, but at the lowest power setting. Bit by bit, she activated higher and higher forces, feeling greater and greater drain on her will.

    Surely¡­ it¡¯ll move¡­ soon¡­ right?

    She was beginning to feel taxed at this point, and had she bothered to check in with herself she might have identified the pain of a headache. But check in with herself she did not, and she just pushed forward, putting her all into just getting the thing off the ground.

    And then¡­ there was a slight lurch. One side of the Moonshot was lifting off, tipping onto the other side.

    Jeh grimaced. Need¡­ secondary¡­ control¡­ with her free hand, she pulled out an Orange crystal and aimed it at one of the knobs outside and above her, toward the side that was tipping over. She pulled it back and¡­

    ¡­she wasn¡¯t touching the ground. She heard cheering outside. The entire Moonshot was also rotating slightly. Since the gyroscope was currently loose, this had the effect of the outer shell rotating around her while she herself was still pointed directly upward.

    Someone outside was shouting.

    Right¡­ I probably need to come back down.

    She very, very gently lowered the power setting on the drive until she could feel herself dropping at a very slow rate. She landed awkwardly on top of one of the exterior knobs, but considering how slow she was going, she was able to tilt down to a resting position just fine.

    Except when she was resting she wasn¡¯t lying flat.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Jeh cut the drive and looked out one of the windows to the side.

    She was all but pressed against a laboratory wall. The Moonshot was no doubt leaning against it.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Jeh unstrapped herself and poked her head out the hatch. ¡°Did I break a window?¡±

    ¡°No, just dented a wall!¡± Vaughan called up. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ probably fine!¡±

    ¡°Great! Anyway, it was hard to do, but mission success!¡±

    ¡°We need more accurate landing¡­¡± Blue said, tapping her hoof.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just need to remember to look down when I¡¯m landing and¡­ wait, the chair turns with the drive, I can only look forward.¡± Jeh blinked. ¡°Um¡­¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t be flying alone,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°We can be a spotter for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good, I was afraid for a second that there was a catastrophic flaw in the design.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s fine¡­¡± Blue said, eye visibly twitching. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ something to improve on the next model!¡±

    ¡°This one has to work first,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯ll work¡­ or I¡¯ll have some words with it.¡±

    Jeh giggled, holding out her hand as the snow drifted down onto her. ¡°Just have to wait for winter to be over, now¡­¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    There¡¯s a curious limitation to the ¡°gyroscope¡± in the Moonshot, it only has two degrees of freedom to rotate. This is enough to point in every direction, yes, but not to take every path to every direction.

    Let me explain. Imagine the surface of a sphere with two poles. You can describe where you are on this sphere by a number that tells you how far north or south you are, and another number that tells you how far around you are east-west. This is how Longitude and Latitude work on the earth. So, you can imagine that if you had two knobs to control these positions, you could point anywhere on the sphere.

    This is true, but the way to get to those points is not a straight line if you only have two ways to adjust¡ªyou would need three if you wanted complete freedom. As it is, the Moonshot¡¯s system only has two, which we can call ¡®degrees of freedom.¡¯ To imagine the situation more abstractly, picture a circle held in place by two points on opposite sides. This circle can rotate around those two points at will, but only those two points, it can¡¯t just spin anywhere it wants.

    Imagine another point on the circle, and this point represents the pilot¡¯s seat. This seat can move anywhere on the circle, but only on the circle. Naturally, by spinning the circle around it¡¯s easy to see that you can get to everywhere on the surface of the sphere, but that some spots are easier than others. For instance, no matter what the rotation of the circle, the two points that hold it in place are the same, and can always be reached. The procedure for getting anywhere else involves turning the circle first until the path lines up with the desired destination, and then moving the seat along the circle itself.

    In a true gyroscope, this sequence would not be necessary as there would be complete rotational freedom, and you could just try to drag yourself anywhere and everything would line up. That would require a third set of parameters, however, and was deemed unnecessary in Moonshot design. However, since they stuck with the two-parameter design, there is a bit of an awkward situation: moving to the two pivot points is easy, but moving to points near the pivot points that aren¡¯t in line is difficult.

    For instance, imagine a point right next to one of the pivots. Say you want to move to a nearby point that is 170 degrees away. You would have to rotate the entire circle those 170 degrees to actually get to that point, even though the actual distance between those points could be absurdly small! The chair would not have far to move along the circle, but the circle has a drastic distance to move, and the circle is essentially the entire drive apparatus and as such weighs a lot more.

    This also limits control if you try to steer from outside by moving the various knobs. The two pivots still remain fixed in their positions, so rotating incorrectly will rotate the drive along with it. In short, some care has to be exercised when turning.

    A final note: ¡°degrees of freedom¡± is an actual scientific term that means something more specific than what I used it for here. In a rigid sense, the degrees of freedom in a system is the number of variables needed to describe it. You can always describe the position of something on the surface of a sphere with two variables (akin to latitude and longitude) so the system has two degrees of freedom, no matter what kind of restrictions there are on the paths you can take.

    However, if you were instead considering how the object was rotating rather than the position of a dot on a sphere, you would have three degrees of freedom since it is perfectly possible for an object to be spinning around three different axes at three different speeds, thus you need three variables to describe its motion. This should make it clear that sometimes the degrees of freedom in a system depends on what part of the system you care about! (Of course, even in the rotation picture, the Moonshot¡¯s apparatus only has two degrees of freedom as it can¡¯t rotate around a third axis.)

 036 - Under Cover of Snow

    WSP 036

    Under Cover of Snow

    In Kroan, most places effectively shut down during the deep snows of winter. It was simply not worth it to try and do anything major with a thick covering of snow that wouldn¡¯t even last that long, relatively speaking. Most winters the heavy snow didn¡¯t even last a full month, though last year had been an exception since it arrived early and stayed for much longer.

    Regardless, the snow was here, and places like Willow Hollow were in ¡°winter mode.¡± Most Shimmers would laugh at a Kroanite settlement¡¯s shutting down over just some snow, considering how much of it they tended to live in. But why bother clearing something away when it¡¯ll be gone soon, anyway? Most Kroanite settlements also tended to enjoy the forced break from labor and expectations, considering the winter lull as just a part of life, though this appreciation for the snow was not true across the board, especially in settlements that hadn¡¯t stored up food properly.

    The city of Axiom was one of the few exceptions to this pattern. Axiom¡¯s overall activity may have gone down during the winter since few people wanted to actually go out in the biting, frigid cold; but the Crown made sure that the streets were plowed and services maintained. Axiom continued onward in spite of the restrictive blanket of snow draped over them.

    However, there was a time before the streets were plowed. When the snow came down in the night and covered the entire city. When the workers had not yet begun the difficult task of clearing it all away. At this moment, just before dawn, the city of Axiom was as it never was¡ªsilent. No sound of bustle, no commotion. It almost looked abandoned, the lines of white-bleached cityscape.

    Hyrii stood on one of the Palace balconies, wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket and earmuffs. In her hand, she held a steaming cup of tea. She gingerly sipped it, watching as the sun slowly peeked above the horizon, casting many long shadows over the frosted land. It was one of the best views she had ever seen, and she was enjoying it greatly from her new vantage point.

    Wyett came out onto the balcony as well, though he was clearly not enjoying the scenery. He quickly started pacing, muttering to himself. This muttering slowly turned into humming and¡ª

    ¡°Wyett,¡± Hyrii said, pressing her hands over her ears. ¡°You¡¯re humming it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m n¡ª¡± Wyett froze, a haunted look crossing his face. ¡°I¡­ I am¡­¡± He used his hand on the outer wall to steady himself. ¡°I¡­ this¡­ I can¡¯t live like this, Hyrii, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes you can,¡± Hyrri said, standing up to embrace him, wrapping her blanket around the both of them. ¡°I can help you through this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a threat to the kingdom¡­ and¡­ and nobody¡¯s doing anything about it.¡±

    Hyrii could feel him trembling. ¡°Wyett, that¡¯s not true, we¡¯re investigating, gathering information, and have taken great measures to keep the song from spreading through our ranks. I¡¯m still not infected, Kayz won¡¯t be allowed anywhere near you, and¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still a liability,¡± Wyett said. ¡°A liability¡­ that¡­ that knows something needs to be done, but can¡¯t convince anyone to do anything.¡±

    ¡°Wyett¡­¡±

    ¡°The rigids are moving, Hyrii. You heard the reports. Ever since winter started in earnest, we¡¯ve heard of rigids walking strangely and screaming that nobody approach them, for they are dangerous¡­ they¡¯re going to take advantage of us while we¡¯re down. Who knows how many forces they¡¯re moving into Kroan? Who knows what their plan is?¡±

    ¡°None of us, that¡¯s true,¡± Hyrii said. ¡°And it¡¯s¡­ got me nervous as well, but we¡¯re not sitting down and taking it. We have our own networks Wyett¡­¡±

    ¡°That are suddenly going to be a lot less effective because of the snow.¡± Wyett clenched his fists. ¡°We¡¯re weak and vulnerable. They can move and we can¡¯t track them. If they find a way to attack in the winter, our armies won¡¯t get here in time.¡±

    ¡°Wyett, we would notice an army-sized force moving in, even with all this snow. We have defenses, and look out there.¡± She gestured at the first signs of the large snow plow arcane devices being activated, heating up their plows with Red so as to easier cut through the snow. ¡°Axiom itself isn¡¯t going to be disabled, and neither are any of the large cities.¡±

    Wyett looked out at the cityscape with stressed eyes.

    Hyrii kissed him on the cheek. ¡°We¡¯ll live through this, Wyett. Your dad knows what he¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t believe he does. He¡¯s¡­ too soft. We¡¯re¡­ we¡¯re going to lose something important because of this strategy.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been at this longer than you. Trust him, Wyett.¡±

    ¡°¡­How can I?¡±

    ¡°How can you trust yourself?¡±

    ¡°¡­I cannot.¡± Wyett crossed his arms. ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll make it through whatever¡¯s coming.¡± Hyrii patted him on the back. ¡°We have before and we will again.¡±

    ¡°Of¡­ course. Thank you.¡± He kissed her back and, with that, went back inside.

    Hyrii stood there. A light wind blew past her, making her blanket ruffle in the breeze.

    She started wringing her wrists. She was getting really worried about him. He had gotten better during and after the wedding, but ever since winter had started setting in, he had started getting anxious again. Very anxious. To be fair, Hyrii was too, the kingdom that was supposedly at peace now felt like it was surrounded on all sides by enemies, and clever enemies at that. Kaykayzee was clearly up to something based on the information their spies sent from Shimvale, the rigid plague was sneaking in under cover of snow, and they had no new information on C-R¡¯s people.

    I really do need to be here for him, who knows what sorts of things he¡¯d do that he¡¯d regret without me here¡­ For a moment, she allowed herself to wonder if maybe he was right. If maybe decisive and somewhat brutal action did need to be taken. He did have some points¡­ but Redmind did as well, and Tenrayce agreed with the King. Hyrii herself¡­

    She decided that she still didn¡¯t fully agree with her husband. The measured approach was best, especially considering how little they knew. If anything, she would have called a fair chunk of the army back from the Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho to play more defensively, but Redmind understandably didn¡¯t want to give the impression of abandoning allies. Plus, it could be said that risking themselves for their allies was just the right thing to do.

    Hyrii patted herself on the face, trying to calm down. She needed to remain calm. She¡¯d kept her head the entire time in Shimvale, she just needed to keep it here. For how long, she did not know, but she knew she needed to.

    For Wyett¡¯s sake.

    ~~~

    The snow wasn¡¯t impressive enough this year for Jeh to make extensive tunnels like she had last time. However, this year she also wasn¡¯t left alone to do whatever she wanted and actually did a lot with Blue and Vaughan. Currently, the three of them were sitting in front of the arcane heater playing cards.

    Blue was winning.

    ¡°The game¡¯s simple, really,¡± Blue was saying. ¡°Once you realize that it¡¯s just a series of nested cycles, once you predict the cycles you can make optimal choices based on what cards have been shown and what are yet to be revealed. For instance, every card in the deck that can beat ten of pentagons¡­¡± She threw down the card she just mentioned. ¡°¡­has already been played.¡±

    ¡°Agh!¡± Jeh pointed a shaky finger at Blue. ¡°How¡­ how dare you ruin my plan!? I had a chain! A chain, Blue, a chain! And now it¡¯s ruiiiiiined¡­¡± She flopped backward, letting her cards fly.

    Vaughan adjusted his hat. ¡°Well done, Blue.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Blue took all the played cards into her stack.

    ¡°Unfortunately, you are about to be completely demolished by a lucky hand I happen to have. I¡¯ve been trying to lure out the ten of pentagons for a while.¡± He laid down the pentagons nine through one, plus the wildcard. ¡°As all the Color cards have already been played, there is no chance for shenanigans and I have complete dominion over the rest of both of your cards.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°The chances of you getting all those cards in sequence¡­¡±

    ¡°How many games have we played?¡±

    ¡°Mmmf¡­¡± Blue let out a huff, and then a laugh. ¡°Oh well, Vaughan, looks like you win.¡±

    ¡°You two have too big of brains,¡± Jeh muttered. She still hadn¡¯t gotten back up from her position on the floor.

    Blue took the various cards spread around and started shuffling them in her telekinesis. She wanted to be extra thorough this time, so she took extra care in making sure it was shuffled. She could have dealt that sequence to Vaughan by failing in her job last time.

    Jeh eventually sat up and rubbed her eye. ¡°Hey, Blue, science question.¡±

    ¡°Give it to me. ¡°

    ¡°Why can we see stars in space during the day, but not down here?¡±

    ¡°The atmosphere is in the way.¡±

    ¡°Then why can we see stars at night?¡±

    Blue opened her mouth and closed it again. ¡°Huh¡­ you know that is odd¡­¡±

    ¡°Clearly it has something to do with the sun,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Prior to us going up into space it was said that the sun outshone the stars by simply being so bright, but clearly the air has something to do with it.¡±

    ¡°Well, you see color by reflecting light off of things,¡± Blue said. ¡°The sky is blue so naturally what little light the atmosphere does reflect would be blue¡­ except¡­ let¡¯s ignore whatever¡¯s going on in sunsets for now.¡± Blue absent-mindedly continued her shuffle as she thought. ¡°Since the sky appears blue from every angle until you get above it, it must be reflecting light in every direction. Thus any light traveling through the atmosphere is likely to be spread out.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°There have been experiments on this, light does eventually dissipate after it¡¯s run through enough air. Though a lot of it just makes it warmer.¡±

    ¡°Some of it has to be making the sky blue, Vaughan.¡±

    ¡°How does this make us stop seeing stars?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m forming a theory. In space, the sun¡¯s light is localized to the sun¡¯s location. The air, however, reflects a lot of that light around. The brightness of the reflected light in the air itself is greater than the light of the stars, so you can¡¯t see them.¡± Blue smirked. ¡°That¡¯s what I think it probably is.¡±

    Vaughan nodded slowly, pondering this. ¡°It makes sense. Stars are not bright at all, yet even before the sun rises you can see very well, presumably from the sun¡¯s light reflecting off the atmosphere. Also, something we didn¡¯t consider, you can¡¯t see as many stars in big cities because they produce a lot of light.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°Oh, yeah. That kind of makes it obvious, huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so cool watching you two just figure something out like that!¡± Jeh said, beaming.

    ¡°Aww, thanks!¡± Blue said, realizing that she was still shuffling the cards. Somewhat embarrassed, she started dealing them out.

    ¡°New question. Why is the sky blue at some times and orange at others?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Blue scrunched her muzzle. ¡°That¡­ um¡­ let me get back to you on that one.¡±

    ¡°Very interesting question, though,¡± Vaughan said, scratching his beard. ¡°It¡­¡±

    Without warning, there was a loud thump that came from somewhere outside. The three of them suddenly heard an angry shout. A sharp, quick booming noise rang through the air, and then there was silence.

    ¡°That sounded like a firearm,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°How do you know what that sounds like!?¡± Blue stammered.

    Jeh stood up and put on her bear mitts, pulling out the claws. ¡°You two stay in here.¡±

    ¡°Jeh¡­¡±

    ¡°Whatever¡¯s out there can¡¯t hurt me.¡± Jeh pulled her hood over her head and moved in the direction of the sound. She carefully approached a window and pressed her face to it. The snow was about halfway up the window, but she could still see through the upper portion.

    Agent Keller was kneeling down, looking in the window. He waved.

    Jeh unlatched the window and pulled it open, thankful that the Snow was packed well enough that it didn¡¯t just fall in. ¡°What¡¯s going on out here?¡± Jeh asked in a hushed tone.

    ¡°Saboteur,¡± Keller said. ¡°Caught him tryin¡¯ t¡¯ set fire t¡¯ the cabin.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Taken care of?¡±

    ¡°Yep. He had a lot o¡¯ strange weapons on him, didn¡¯t want t¡¯ chance it.¡±

    ¡°Well, thank you!¡± Jeh turned around. ¡°It¡¯s Agent Keller, guys, he just stopped an arsonist!¡±

    ¡°A what!?¡± Blue shouted, running up to Jeh and glaring at Agent Keller.

    ¡°He tried t¡¯ set fire t¡¯ the cabin. I shot him.¡± Agent Keller shrugged. ¡°Haven¡¯t searched the body yet, I¡¯ll let ya know what I find.¡±

    ¡°B-body¡­¡± Blue shivered. ¡°You¡­ Keller?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do if one shows up and you¡¯re not here?¡±

    ¡°Rest easy, I¡¯m doin¡¯ my job, you¡¯re not gonna bite it.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be everywhere at once.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t need t¡¯ be.¡± He tipped his hat.

    Vaughan finally arrived. ¡°I¡¯d like to see this¡­ arsonist.¡±

    ¡°Be my guest, but ya might want t¡¯ come out the window above this one, getting snow in the house has t¡¯ be quite the problem.¡±

    Vaughan nodded, immediately setting out to climb the stairs. Jeh closed the window and would have followed him, but she noticed a haunted look on Blue¡¯s face.

    ¡°Blue? You¡­ you okay?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not safe here,¡± Blue said, staring blankly at a wall. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ they¡¯re coming after us¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why Keller¡¯s here, Blue. Caught a spy and took out an arsonist already!¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but what if he doesn¡¯t!? What if¡­ what if he fails and the cabin burns to the ground while we sleep!?¡±

    ¡°Vaughan can take just about anything, and I¡¯m awesome as well, we¡¯ll protect you.¡± Jeh put an arm around Blue¡¯s neck. ¡°And there¡¯s plenty of other people here, too. You¡¯re not alone!¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡±

    ¡°Blue, come on. It¡¯s okay.¡±

    Blue shook her head. ¡°It¡­ it doesn¡¯t feel okay, Jeh¡­ it feels¡­ like there¡¯s a shadow behind me, chasing me¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, if there is, the sooner we get to the Moon the sooner you can leave it behind! Nothing can chase us up there!¡±

    Blue snorted. ¡°Jeh, we can¡¯t live on the Moon.¡±

    ¡°How do we know that? Maybe the rocks are edible.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°Jeh, we¡­¡±

    ¡°Have no idea what¡¯s up there.¡±

    ¡°Jeh, even if we could stay up there, we shouldn¡¯t, there¡¯s stuff to do down here.¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°And¡­?¡±

    ¡°And there¡¯s not much I can do about anyone coming after us anyway¡­¡± Blue let out a sigh.

    ¡°You just let us worry about that, use your brain on the math.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll try.¡± Blue looked up the stairs and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not going to look, it¡¯ll just get embedded in my mind. But I can tell you want to, go, run along.¡± Blue snorted. ¡°Giving a child permission to see a dead body, what¡¯s my life coming to¡­?¡±

    Jeh gave Blue a quick hug and ran up the stairs, quickly running to Vaughan¡¯s side. Both of them looked out the window at the scene below. There was a small section of the cabin that had been charred by an attempt at lighting it on fire. Lying dead in the snow near this charring was a rigid corpse. A rare sight to be sure out this far from the Shinelands, and it wasn¡¯t a race Jeh could identify¡ªit was not sleek and smooth, but made out of what appeared to be cast iron. It had three limbs coming out of a central body that looked somewhat like a human skull, though highly stylized. Sparks and black liquid oozed out of a wound in the rigid¡¯s glassy eye. Various weapons, mostly bladed, were littered around on the ground. Not one of them used Red crystals, but one in particular was nonetheless creating a flame.

    Keller had this weapon in his hands. ¡°Curious, this appears t¡¯ make use of a flammable gas¡­¡± He pulled a lever and a plume of fire burst into the air.

    ¡°The rigids in the plague can¡¯t use Crystal magic,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why it¡¯s not an arcane device?¡±

    ¡°My thoughts exactly,¡± Keller said, setting the weapon down. ¡°Though I have never before seen such a weapon, and it concerns me¡­¡± He kneeled down, frowning. ¡°Also, the rigid wasn¡¯t sayin¡¯ anything. Wasn¡¯t cryin¡¯ out, wasn¡¯t screamin¡¯, he was stealthy.¡±

    ¡°You talk like you can identify the gender,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°You¡¯ve seen this kind before?¡±

    Keller nodded. ¡°These ones tend t¡¯ roam the southern deserts, not the Shinelands. They¡¯re Skullcrabs. This one¡¯s missin¡¯ several limbs. The women have larger eyes.¡± He started rummaging around the body, opening up the mouth and looking inside. ¡°This has been mangled. That explains why he couldn¡¯t talk.¡±

    ¡°So, the rigid plague is after us¡­¡± Vaughan shook his head. ¡°Why us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been gettin¡¯ reports that they¡¯ve been movin¡¯ throughout Kroan under cover of snow,¡± Keller said, taking out and lighting one of his signature smokes. ¡°Ya might not be the primary target, just an opportunity.¡± He looked up at the two of them. ¡°Imma need ya t¡¯ be on guard, let me know if ya see anythin¡¯ out o¡¯ the ordinary. I think we can stop any brazen attacks like this, but if they decide t¡¯ go for observation instead¡­ just keep an eye out.¡±

    ¡°Will do,¡± Jeh said, giving Keller a salute. ¡°Let us know what you find out, too!¡±

    ¡°If I think it¡¯ll help, ya¡¯ll be the first t¡¯ know after the Mayor.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Jeh quickly turned to Vaughan. ¡°We should go back to Blue, I think she might need some people right about now.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°Yes, of course¡­¡± He gave the skull-shaped rigid an unusual look. Then he shook his head and closed the window, returning down the stairs with Jeh.

    ~~~

    Cats had an easier time getting around through snow than most races due to their smaller size, naturally warm coat, and coordinated instincts. As such, they were usually the ones sent to make the journey through the snow when something needed to be done or checked on in the midst of winter.

    Today, that was Suro¡¯s responsibility. One of his daughters, Eifa, the schoolteacher, had elected to accompany him this time.

    Both of them were bundled up in fur coats overtop of their natural ones, had goggles over their faces, and small snowshoes on their paws. Unlike humanoid races, which required large, wide, and awkward snowshoes that were generally considered not worth it, cats only needed a small surface area to remain above the snow, given how light they were comparatively.

    Still, it was awkward to walk in them, though it wasn¡¯t a big stumbling mess. The shoes themselves had roughly circular pads and were fastened tightly to all four paws.

    Currently, the wind was blowing something fierce, but it wasn¡¯t actively snowing¡ªall the snow that was hitting them in the face was being picked up off the ground and thrown at them.

    ¡°Regretting coming along?¡± Suro asked.

    ¡°Dad, there¡¯s nobody to teach in the winter, I was bored. This is not boring. It¡¯s an improvement.¡±

    Suro shook his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel that way to me¡­¡±

    ¡°You have your arcane devices you tinker with.¡±

    ¡°I do have to conserve crystals¡­¡±

    Eifa chuckled. ¡°How many rings did you make yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, look, we¡¯re coming up on our destination.¡±

    Their destination was the Laboratory. They were there to check up on everything and make sure it wasn¡¯t falling apart. The building in question was about half-buried in snow, but it was still standing, and there was no evidence of fire, so the preliminary checks passed. The pair of cats first investigated the shed in the center that surrounded the Moonshot, checking to make sure it was still sealed. The shed itself had been constructed rapidly out of a bunch of wooden planks, but it had been sealed with a special adhesive to make it airtight so no water was going to get in from the snowmelt. Opening it would destroy the seal, naturally, but the point was not to let the Moonshot be used at all during this time.

    ¡°Seems fine,¡± Eifa said, sniffing the shed a few times. ¡°Though we can¡¯t exactly see ground level.¡±

    ¡°The Moonshot is slightly elevated on its knobs,¡± Suro said. ¡°So even if some water did get down there at the bottom, it won¡¯t damage it too much.¡±

    ¡°True¡­¡± Eifa stepped back. ¡°So, should we check on everyone inside?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no shouting right now, so¡­ they¡¯re probably calm¡­¡±

    This was when the shouting started.

    ¡°Never mind¡­¡± With a sigh, he moved to the Laboratory. All the doors had snow in front of them, but there was a hatch in the roof designed explicitly for this purpose. Suro popped it open, revealing a narrow staircase that descended into the Laboratory proper. The two cats entered and appeared in the back of one of the storage rooms. There was a Minor Wizard down here, a human woman, drinking some kind of strong-smelling alcohol.

    ¡°Ah, the inspection has arrived,¡± she said, raising the bottle to them. ¡°Hope you like what you see.¡±

    ¡°Any idea why the shouting?¡± Eifa asked.

    She shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t moved from this spot for hours, last person I saw was that fairy doing his laps and that was¡­ uh¡­ a bit ago¡­¡± She let out a huge yawn and a burp. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°We should probably take a look¡­¡± Eifa said.

    Suro nodded in agreement. The two of them set out through the Laboratory until they came into the lounge area, and it was immediately obvious what the problem was.

    A few of the people who lived in the Laboratory had set up a small little shrine to Dia since they couldn¡¯t get to the Sanctuary easily. It wasn¡¯t anything fancy, just a small table with a triangular stone on it painted blue with colored candles around it.

    The stone had been painted with haphazard red lines, the candles were knocked over, and rude words had been scratched into the table.

    ¡°Oh dear¡­¡± Suro said.

    ¡°You little vandalizing creep!¡± a gari was shouting at Arno.

    Arno crossed his arms. ¡°You can¡¯t prove I did it!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who would!¡±

    ¡°Psh, Bakitran¡¯s a Gonal, maybe you should ask her. She thinks your shape is inferior.¡±

    ¡°Um, I actually kind of like triangles¡­¡± a slime said.

    ¡°Gonal also don¡¯t use red,¡± the gari continued shouting at Arno.

    ¡°I¡¯m being framed, obviously.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ How in... you know literally no one believes you, right?¡±

    ¡°Obviously, you¡¯re all dumb stupid Aware, can¡¯t see the truth when it¡¯s right in front of you.¡±

    This got one of the human men angry enough to throw a punch, but the gari caught it. ¡°Let¡¯s not punch the child.¡±

    ¡°Coward!¡± Arno shouted. ¡°Cowards, all of you! I can¡¯t believe I used to be scared of you idiots!¡± He put his hands on his hips and huffed. ¡°When a shrine is defiled you should seek revenge! Come on, that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s basic!¡±

    ¡°Your people have defaced the Sanctuary many times,¡± Suro said, coming into the conversation. ¡°Have we ever retaliated against you?¡±

    Arno looked at him with narrowed eyes. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± he tilted his head to the side. ¡°I can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s wrong with what you¡¯re saying.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it isn¡¯t wrong then.¡±

    ¡°Ridiculous.¡±

    Suro sighed. ¡°Arno, we can¡¯t be wrong all the time¡­¡±

    ¡°Nuh-uh, every word out of an Aware¡¯s mouth is horribly mistaken, Minnie said so.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s literally impossible. There¡¯s snow outside. I¡¯m not mistaken to say that, am I?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Arno stomped his foot. ¡°Stop playing mind games!¡±

    ¡°Arno¡­¡±

    Eifa stepped forward, speaking in a calm, soothing voice. ¡°Arno, what is it you want?¡±

    Arno blinked. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What do you want us to do, right now?¡±

    Arno stared at her dumbly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have any idea, do you?¡±

    ¡°N-no, I¡­ I want¡­ uh¡­¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna tell you!¡±

    ¡°Really? We might be able to give you what you want if you told us.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­¡±

    Eifa sat down, continuing to speak in her calm voice. ¡°Let¡¯s think about this. When you called everyone ¡®cowards,¡¯ what did you want them to do?¡±

    Arno was silent.

    ¡°Did you want them to fight you?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you want them to be angry?¡±

    Arno frowned. ¡°Yes¡­?¡±

    ¡°Why would you want that?¡±

    ¡°They were doing it all wrong.¡±

    ¡°By not taking revenge on you?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Arno threw his arms wide. ¡°They¡­ they¡¯re supposed to fight back! It¡¯s what Minnie always says! It¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t fighting back. You¡¯ve lived with us for¡­ weeks now. How much of what Minnie said has been what you¡¯ve seen?¡±

    Arno started crying. ¡°It¡¯s all wrong¡­¡±

    Eifa would have put her paw on his shoulder, but she was too short for that, so she only got to his chest. ¡°Not wrong, just different. We aren¡¯t what you were told.¡±

    ¡°But Minnie¡­ Minnie¡¯s so amazing and cool and awesome and¡­ how could she be wrong?¡±

    ¡°People who are cool, amazing, and awesome are wrong a lot of the time. You know Jeh, right? She¡¯s cool, amazing, and awesome. She can also be quite¡­ dumb.¡±

    ¡°Are you calling Minnie dumb!?¡±

    Eifa shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t even know who Minnie is. But if she¡¯s cool, amazing, and awesome, that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s right.¡±

    Arno sat down, pulling his legs to his chest, staring at the ground.

    ¡°¡­Do you want to go home, Arno?¡±

    Arno nodded slowly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry we can¡¯t take you, the snow¡¯s too deep. But when it does clear, you can go home, and then you can ask Minnie all sorts of questions. Maybe even teach her a few things.¡±

    ¡°Teach Minnie¡­¡± This idea seemed to awaken something in Arno. ¡°I need to write this down!¡± With that, he ran off, deeper into the laboratory with a dumb grin on his face.

    Suro looked at his daughter and smiled. ¡°You handled that well.¡±

    ¡°Dad, I have to deal with brats for a living, that was only slightly worse than usual.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just letting him run off?¡± the gari shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not sure he even thinks he did anything wrong!¡±

    Eifa glared at the gari. ¡°Look, the most effective strategy would be to punish him, and he definitely needs it, what I just did isn¡¯t going to stop him from being a self-absorbed brat, that will require consequences and life experiences. That just defused him for now. However, we have to stick with words rather than force since he is not one of ours. Do you think Joira would be pleased if we spanked him? Hmm?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ well¡­¡± the gari frowned. ¡°What are we supposed to do then!? None of us here know how to handle him! Krays and Jeh kept him in check before the snow came down, but they¡¯re not here anymore!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ hmm, yes¡­¡± Eifa looked at the ruined shrine. ¡°He really is a little blasphemer, isn¡¯t he?¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°I think I can handle him.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not always here¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason I can¡¯t,¡± Eifa said, turning to Suro. ¡°It¡¯s not like I have anything else to do.¡±

    Suro nodded with a smile. ¡°Your mom will miss you at the dinner table.¡±

    ¡°She has enough other kids,¡± Eifa said with a chuckle.

    ¡°In that case, I wish you luck, and give you the official title of ¡®Wizard Space Program child wrangler.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Oooh, an official title!¡± Eifa beamed. ¡°I¡¯m so honored!¡±

    Suro gave an exaggerated bow.

    ¡°Anyway, since I''m going to stick here until the snow goes¡­ perhaps someone should write up a list of grievances against Arno that I can work to address.¡±

    The fairy walked up to her and gave her a tiny list that he had made.

    ¡°Wow. If there¡¯s already a list this is clearly going to take a while and¡­¡± she narrowed her eyes at the scroll. ¡°Too many angry noises?¡±

    ¡°He likes to shout angrily at the mirror in his room,¡± the fairy clarified. ¡°¡­Early in the morning.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s going to take a while to unpack¡­¡±

    ~~~

    It was feeding time at Pepper¡¯s lab, which was one of the most chaotic and expensive times the place experienced. Simply gathering enough food to maintain the monstrous beings held within in the middle of winter was a minor logistical challenge for the Academy, but Pepper was well-respected and kept getting results from her work, so she never had to worry unless the stores ran out completely or a ration was declared. Axiom basically never had to do such a thing, so Pepper had no worries.

    She was, however, completely unable to do the feeding by herself, it took a team of a dozen or so to do it in a suitable amount of time. As such, there was a crew of Minor Wizards set to the task. Since there were a fair amount of classified things in the lab, all of the Minor Wizards needed clearance first, so Pepper generally got the same people every day coming in with a house-sized crate filled to the brim with meat, plants, and some plast-derived nutrient bars.

    Pepper was a little surprised to see a new face in the group today, a Minor Magenta Wizard, a human man with mid-tone skin and sharp features. ¡°Oh look at that! We have a new meat delivery device!¡±

    The other Minor Wizards chuckled while the new one looked around awkwardly. ¡°Um¡­ you do mean the food for the monsters, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, but if I say it that way it makes people wonder if they are the meat.¡± Pepper laughed. ¡°Anyway, as long as you¡¯re careful, you won¡¯t be eaten. May Dia bless your efforts, and try not to get too scared, there are a lot of freaky ones in here. The others can help you around.¡±

    Pepper considered hanging around and messing with the new kid a little longer, but she was a little busy so she decided to just leave them to it¡ªthe others would keep him from being eaten or crushed, she trusted them. She did, however, make sure to work on her newest arcane device out in the open so she could keep an eye on them and watch for any amusing reactions from the new kid.

    The device she was currently working on was a temperature-maintaining container, very simple, really¡ªjust a metal box inside another metal box, with nothing, not even air, between the two of them. There had been many containers designed like this in the past with insulating materials between the two containers, but the lack of air was by far the best. The trick was how to connect the two containers to each other without allowing for a large transfer of heat, and making the containers strong enough to resist the extreme temperatures the wizards wanted to put inside of it. It wasn¡¯t well suited to be a cooling device since it wasn¡¯t clear, but it could store cold things. This would also be a lot more practical than the cooling device, which was rather expensive and will-intensive, this container required no arcane crystals at all, and simply using crystals as insulation was the current way to get this effect.

    Currently, Pepper was trying to figure out how to connect the two containers with only insulating strings, but that made it so the opening to put things in and out wasn¡¯t airtight¡­ quite annoying. Making it out of plast would solve the problem if she didn¡¯t want to hold really hot things in there, but she did, so melting-resistant metals were the order of the day, but metal was highly conductive. Ceramic and stone might have been better, if they weren¡¯t so hard to make airtight¡­

    We need more wizards who work on material properties¡­

    With a shrug, she looked up, finding that the group was feeding her seven-headed snake monster. It was always a huge chore that involved everyone to get all the heads fed since a particularly annoying facet of that monster was that if one head didn¡¯t eat the nutrients wouldn¡¯t go to that head and it would wither away. The snake used to have nine heads. The snake was being particularly ornery today, and one head was clearly trying to starve out all the others, making the chore even worse than usual and¡­

    ¡­the new kid wasn¡¯t with them.

    Pepper immediately scanned the warehouse, fear placed with relief when she found him. He was staring at the Magenta Cage that held the demon. Kid was just scared of one of the monsters, frozen in place. Fortunately, the demon was kept almost entirely delirious inside that cage, there wasn¡¯t any danger there¡ªit might actually be more dangerous for him to try and help feed the seven-headed snake.

    Then he pulled out a Magenta crystal.

    Pepper¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± She shouted, holding out her hands and tapping into her magic. She was a Red Wizard through and through, and was not very skilled at using the other colors despite always keeping a small quantity on her at all times. She tried to use Orange to push him aside and knock the Magenta crystal out of his hand, but she wasn¡¯t able to do it at this range. She decided that she was going to have to burn him, giving up on the Orange and heating up his hands directly, hoping to interrupt his spell.

    He let out a scream of pain but held fast to the crystal.

    Pepper decided to turn up the heat, but at this point, it was too late. He had already cast his spell. His magic went into the cage, prompting its functionality to scramble. Many of the active loops ceased functioning, and the magic jamming was interrupted. The cage was well-designed, several parts of it kept operating, but the parts that stopped were more than enough.

    The demon¡¯s hand thrust through the broken part of the cage, shattering the crystal and its internal metal reinforcements. ¡°It is time for you to learn your hubris, Kroanite¡­¡± The black, sickening claw of the creature emerged from the cage and clawed into the ground, pulling the rest of its form out bit by bi¡ª

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Pepper didn¡¯t waste a moment. She turned her Red magic on to full blast and incinerated the cage and everything inside of it in a brilliant ball of raging blue plasma. She didn¡¯t even lift her hands, she was a Master Wizard, she had no need for body language to assist her in the act of casting; the Red crystals were in contact with her body already, she just had to think. What she actually used her hands for was pulling out her weapon. She had many things stored on her just in case a monster broke out, but the one she chose right now was her favorite, a custom-made chain scythe, composed entirely of a long metal chain that could hold a lot of heat and a scythe-blade at the edge sharpened to perfection by Colored crystal dust. Red and Orange crystals dominated the connection between the chain and the blade, an arcane device designed to increase the weapon¡¯s maneuverability.

    Pepper¡¯s halo flickered and then suddenly increased in intensity.

    The dark form pulled itself out of Pepper¡¯s raging inferno, blue flames licking it. It was still suffering from having been inside a magical jamming cage for so long, with bits of its body sparking and shifting form randomly, unable to decide if it wanted to be a claw or a tentacle or a mouth. The overall form, however, was stable¡ªfour arms, two legs, and six piercing yellow slits on the head. It pointed an ever-shifting limb at Pepper¡¯s halo, speaking with a deep, reverberating voice. ¡°Do you think yourself a holy angel given divine light to strike me down? Amusing.¡±

    ¡°I am no angel, I just think it looks cool.¡± Pepper focused her magic on the creature¡¯s head, making it explode. The sticky tar-black mess reformed almost immediately, but the creature kept speaking even before the head returned.

    ¡°Your confidence will be your downfall.¡±

    ¡°I got you in there, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    The demon snarled, a deeply unsettling rumble of a sound that was accompanied by the sound of distant, echoing screaming from all directions and glass breaking. The air around him started to ripple as though he were using complicated Blue magic, but Pepper knew that wasn¡¯t what was going on. ¡°I know your tactics, they will not work again.¡±

    ¡°Who said I was going to use the same strategy again? That would be stupid.¡± She flicked her hand out, producing a tiny Magenta device that shot a dart at the demon. The dart exploded, sending Magenta sparks everywhere that coated one of the demon¡¯s arms, making his form lose cohesion once again.

    ¡°What is this!?¡±

    ¡°Technology has advanced, you were so scary they put a lot of effort into figuring out how to neutralize you. This device creates hundreds of tiny Magenta cyclers that continually scramble magic directly adjacent to them.¡± She kept firing while she was talking, coating the demon in more and more sparkles. ¡°Not very effective against physical entities, but for things that are magic, like you, well¡­ having a problem?¡±

    The demon fell to a knee. He screeched with an undulating wail, spreading darkness into the ground in a pattern that looked vaguely like cracks in the earth. However, while Pepper might not have been able to release a ton more Magenta darts, she did have fire, and despite previous appearances, the demon was not immune to it, focused blasts of superheated plasma kept the demon from spreading his influence further.

    ¡°You¡­ no, you do not understand what I am!¡± The demon, despite being half-disabled and with the parts of it that weren¡¯t disabled slowly burning away, stood up. ¡°I am but a servant! I call¡­ for a miracle!¡±

    Pepper scowled. ¡°Your kind are the ¡®miracles¡¯ your goddess sends to her servants, what will she do for you?¡± She did not stop pelting the demon with everything she had despite this.

    ¡°Our Mother has no limits. You shall discover that She can be subtle, should She wish.¡± The demon held out a limb.

    The Magenta Minor Wizard hit Pepper on the back of the head with a large rock. Her entire world started spinning.

    ¡°Our relationship with our servants is a symbiosis, fool! You call yourself Aware, but your so-called goddess never does anything! She is nothing! She bestows no power, grants no miracles!¡±

    The Magenta Wizard hit Pepper in the head again with the rock, keeping her from responding, much less trying to put up a resistance.

    ¡°And now you die!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you think!¡± one of the other Minor Wizards said, undoing the final chain that was holding the seven-headed snake back. ¡°Get her, Snakey!¡±

    The six heads of the seven-headed snake that has been fighting the other head for food currently appreciated the Minor Wizards for all the trouble they went through to keep them fed, so they listened. The seventh head had no say in the matter as it was dragged along. Three heads made it to the demon and bit him into three pieces, swallowing each piece whole.

    An Orange Minor Wizard threw the Magenta Wizard back before he could smack Pepper¡¯s head again, and another one applied Green to her. ¡°Are you all right, Pepper?¡±

    ¡°Head¡­ hurts¡­¡± Pepper grumbled as she stood back up. ¡°Didn¡¯t lose consciousness though, so the Green should have been able to handle that¡­¡± She readied her weapon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, snake¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± The Minor Wizard looked confused. ¡°Why are you sorry? Snakey saved us all!¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± One of the heads exploded in a shower of darkness, prompting the other heads of the snake to scream. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple¡­¡±

    The demon emerged from the dark explosion, one section of his body hanging limp, the rest having shifted into a bunch of wings to keep his form awkwardly aloft. ¡°Why do you always get lucky!?¡±

    ¡°Dia can be subtle too,¡± Pepper said, drowning the demon in fire once amore. ¡°In fact, She usually is.¡±

    The demon let out a horrendous screech and, just like that, decided to flee. He blasted into the air, punched a hole in the roof, and flew away.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t!¡± Pepper shouted. She accessed the device in her weapon, launching the blade into the air and embedding it in the roof. The force was enough to yank her along with it so long as she held tight to the chain, which she did. As she flew out the hole, she heated up the chain until it started to burn her hands, but she needed every edge she could get. Standing on top of her laboratory, she spied the fleeing form of darkness and activated the device again.

    The bladed end flew directly at the demon at high speed. With a slight application of Orange, Pepper was able to twist the chain to the side just enough¡ªthe bladed weapon struck the demon, slicing through him, and then wrapped him up in a red-hot chain that Pepper was still increasing the temperature of.

    The demon let out a roar of agony as Pepper started pulling it back. He clawed at the chain, severing it in half, but this did not stop Pepper from reattaching the chain together¡ªonly a small amount of Orange was required to re-link the chain to the part wrapped around the demon, which was now white-hot.

    The demon screamed in rage. One of the fluid xylems* in Pepper¡¯s face burst, prompting a spray of water to come out of her nose. She did her best to ignore this and continue dragging the demon down, but the demon had become desperate.

    *Dryads do not have blood, they instead have mostly water in their systems with dissolved nutrients inside, like real plants. Unlike plants, these contents have to move quickly and are under pressure, so they tend to burst out in sprays.

    The demon cut himself in half, using the chain as a burning knife. The lower half disintegrated into nothing, but the upper half flew away, out of Pepper¡¯s reach.

    Pepper stared after the demon with a grimace.

    Dia, I pray that monster does not wreak the havoc I fear it will¡­

    ~~~

    ¡°The sun is out, and soon, we shall witness the agonizing defeat of the snow!¡± Arno declared from his position on top of the Laboratory¡¯s roof, hands on his hips. ¡°The bitter enemy of the cold shall waste away, sizzling like meat on a grill until nothing remains, and the land is wiped clean of its sinful influence!¡± The kid held his hands up to the sun. ¡°If only the sun were a better color for the heat it provided, it would be the strongest being to ever grace the world!¡±

    ¡°I was unaware the Red Seekers were star worshippers,¡± Eifa said. She was out with Arno, bundled up in far more coats than he was, taking in the beautiful (and somewhat blinding) scenery of a winter wonderland under a cloudless sky.

    ¡°People worship the stars¡­?¡±

    ¡°There are some. It¡¯s not a religion on its own, usually it¡¯s tacked onto others. Krays comes from a background with that, and several of the Minor Wizards here do as well.¡± Eifa sniffed, trying to ignore the cold. ¡°When you worship the stars, the project to go to the stars is quite alluring.¡±

    Arno huffed. ¡°Ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°You just said the sun would be amazing if it were a better color. Red, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Then it would have more power!¡±

    ¡°And possibly burn all of Ikyu to a crisp so that no one could live on it.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ er¡­¡± Arno frowned. ¡°But burning things is the whole point¡­¡±

    ¡°Really? I understand Red Seeker sects all have different views, but what I know of Joira tells me that your sect seeks passion more than destruction. If it was destruction, you wouldn¡¯t build houses, would you?¡±

    ¡°Destruction can be used for creation! Watch!¡± Arno pulled out his Red crystal and started heating up the snow near them, drawing a smiley face in the process. ¡°See? From the annihilation of the desolate cold, smiles!¡±

    ¡°So destruction is only worth something if something can be created from it?¡±

    ¡°Haha, yes, you¡¯re learning!¡±

    ¡°Then why would we want the sun to be red and burn everything away?¡±

    Arno¡¯s face fell. ¡°Never mind, you don¡¯t understand anything¡­¡± He sat down and crossed his arms, beginning to pout.

    Eifa frowned. This was proving to be a difficult case. The kid seemed entirely fine with believing one thing, acting another way, and simply not acknowledging that the two were in conflict. He just got angry when anyone pointed anything out and seemed absolutely convinced that if he was angry it had to be someone else¡¯s fault. Sure, she had gotten him to improve his behavior simply by interacting with him over time, but he wasn¡¯t even aware he was adjusting his behavior, it was basically all instinctual. Sure, he was being less of an outright brat, but what she really wanted was for him to become a better person, but that wasn¡¯t really happening.

    He was as dense as a brick and couldn¡¯t be convinced he was anything other than the best person around. He even thought lowly of people from his sect with the sole exception of the mysterious Minnie. He was afraid of Joira, to be sure, but he thought she was getting too ¡°soft.¡± He did not seem to understand what exactly that meant, though, no doubt parroting whatever Minnie told him¡­

    Eifa would very much like to have a word with this Minnie when winter ended¡­

    There was a soft rumble from somewhere below them.

    ¡°Aha!¡± Arno shouted, jumping up and pointing at the ground. ¡°The snow trembles in fear at the coming power of the sun!¡±

    Eifa frowned, feeling the rumbling through the ground. Was it an earthquake? It was a minor one, if so, and¡­ wait, the rumbling was coming from a specific direction, that didn¡¯t match with what she would expect from an earthquake. She looked to the left and saw a rush of snow being kicked up from below. Something large was burrowing through the snow and heading right for the Laboratory.

    ¡°Something¡¯s coming!¡± Eifa shouted down the hatch to the Laboratory. ¡°Help!¡±

    Arno stood up and held out his Red. ¡°Foul beast of the snow, tremble before me!¡± He was not a very strong Red mage, but he definitely could melt snow very quickly. The snow surrounding the incoming creature liquified, forcing the entity to come to a stop as it no longer had solid snow to burrow through and was now very wet. There was a loud clatter as it fell to the ground, denting its metallic, pointed head.

    The rigid¡ªfor that was what it was¡ªraised its head out of the hole that had just been created, revealing itself to be a snake-like creature about a half-meter in diameter. It had no face to speak of, for its head was a smooth pointed cone with jagged edges like a saw around the rim. ¡°Standing¡± as it was now, it was easily twice as tall as the Laboratory itself, but the extent of its length was unknown.

    It pointed its head right at the shed that contained the Moonshot.

    ¡°Hey! Back off, dumb snake!¡± Arno shouted, heating up not its head, but part of its core body, igniting the air around one of the edges. This prompted the rigid to lower its body to the ground where the snow could counteract the flames, but Arno kept burning it in different locations, melting the snow away to keep it exposed.

    Evidently, the rigid decided that enough was enough and threw strategy out the window, charging the Moonshot¡¯s shed at full speed with reckless abandon.

    It was at this point that the Minor Wizards started coming out of the Laboratory via the stairs. One of them pulled out Orange and placed a wall of force between the rigid snake and the shed, denting the rigid¡¯s head even further. Someone fired a Purple laser, other Red fires burst out on the entity¡¯s exoskeleton, and someone threw a wrench.

    The snake decided that it wasn¡¯t going to get to the shed with this protection, so it charged everyone on the roof.

    ¡°STUPID SNAKE!¡± Arno shouted, trying to melt it. This did not work and the moment he realized this his confidence was replaced with immense fear. ¡°Oh no¡­¡±

    The people using Orange switched to erecting a barrier between them and the snake, at which point the snake immediately charged back at the now-unprotected shed. The force wall moved back to the shed, but this time the snake didn¡¯t run into it¡ªinstead, it lifted its tail off the ground and whipped it across the roof of the Laboratory, knocking several people off and into the snow, interrupting their magic.

    Everyone was very fortunate there was so much snow, the landings were quite soft.

    Eifa clawed her way out of the snow and watched in horror as the snake rushed the unprotected Moonshot shed. It would skewer right through and damage the interior, ruining everything¡­

    ¡­A loud bang rang out. There was suddenly a hole in the rigid¡¯s head, one that appeared as though it had been melted clean through. The rigid remained perfectly still for several seconds. Then, slowly but surely, it collapsed to the ground, dead.

    Agent Keller jumped down from a tree, landing on top of the Laboratory roof. He quickly put his arcane firearm away. For a moment, Eifa thought she saw Magenta sparks wafting off of him, but she couldn¡¯t be sure. He calmly took out a smoke and lit it, calmly taking in the situation. ¡°Ya¡¯ll did good,¡± he eventually said. ¡°Wasn¡¯t expectin¡¯ such a brazen attack, myself, thought they¡¯d go for subtle sabotages or infiltration.¡± He blew out a ring of smoke. ¡°Those few seconds ya bought saved the ship.¡±

    ¡°Yay! I¡¯m a hero!¡± Arno shouted.

    ¡°Depends on your definition,¡± Keller said with a shrug. ¡°But I certainly appreciate it.¡± He tipped his hat to them and set off. He must have been using some unusual magic because he didn¡¯t sink into the snow when he walked across it.

    Eifa looked down at the carcass of the snake rigid.

    ¡°¡­What do we do with that?¡±

    ¡°Melt it!¡± Arno said.

    Everyone stared blankly at him.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s made of metal! That¡¯s useful, right?¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°No assailant can take Fort Powderbluff!¡± Jeh called from the entrance of a small snow fort she had constructed with Blue and Vaughan.

    ¡°The Moonshot is roomier than this¡­¡± Vaughan commented, seeing as the three of them could barely sit within the four snowy walls.

    ¡°I just realized we don¡¯t have a way out,¡± Blue said. ¡°We didn¡¯t make a door.¡±

    ¡°We can make one!¡± Jeh started carving away at one of the walls, only for it to collapse outward. ¡°¡­See? Door!¡± She tried to pretend like this was her plan all along.

    ¡°Suuure¡­¡±

    ¡°We are still unassailable! Invincible! None can match our snow fort prowess!¡±

    At this point, Alexandrite landed just outside the fort.

    ¡°Hark!¡± Jeh pointed at Alexandrite. ¡°The dragon lays siege to our battlements! Arm the cannons!¡± She picked up a snowball and threw it, hitting Alexandrite square in the face.

    Vaughan and Blue joined in as well, pelting him with snowballs.

    Alexandrite took a few of these to the face before opening his mouth. The torrent of water that rushed out washed the entire snow fort away and threw the three of them to the ground.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been assailed,¡± Vaughan pointed out.

    ¡°Nooooooo!¡± Jeh screamed to the heavens. ¡°We are defeated!¡±

    ¡°We should probably go inside before this water freezes us¡­¡± Blue commented.

    Alexandrite grinned. ¡°And they say that water-breath isn¡¯t a very strong attribute.¡±

    ¡°I demand a rematch!¡± Jeh shouted. ¡°When¡­ whenever we build another snow fort, we¡¯ll make it dragon-proof! Powderbluff II!¡±

    ¡°Oooh, I believe we could resist Alexandrite¡¯s breath¡­¡± Blue said. ¡°Coat the fort in water so it freezes solid and can¡¯t be washed away by the wetness.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d still freeze to death in the cold if you were wet, fort or not,¡± Alexandrite pointed out.

    ¡°Well. Uh. Yes, I suppose that¡¯s true¡­¡±

    The four of them entered the cabin. It was always slightly awkward for Alexandrite to get inside, but it was large enough to hold him¡ªthough in the future, as he grew, this would eventually become impossible. Vaughan sat down next to the entryway¡¯s arcane heater and started drying off. Blue just shook herself like a dog to get the water off.

    ¡°B-blue!¡± Jeh sputtered.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have fur, I have to shake myself out. Also, your face was great.¡±

    Jeh tried to shake her hair out, but it was long enough that it slapped her in the face. ¡°¡­Ow.¡±

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Alexandrite said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a letter. ¡°Just the one today, but it comes right from the Crown.¡±

    ¡°All right, let¡¯s see¡­¡± Vaughan opened it up and read it aloud.

    ¡°To the Wizard Space Program, from Princess Tenrayce Kroan.

    ¡°Winter has begun to abate, which means the launch of the Moonshot is imminent. We are going to begin the process of scheduling, for we want to get to the Moon as quickly as possible; I understand you yourselves are itching to go. I understand the plan is to take the Moonshot up once for a testing mission, and then do the official launch later. This is acceptable, and I only require that you schedule the main launch ahead of time.

    ¡°I am aware that you designed the Moonshot with four seats in mind. I understand you probably wish to draw from some of the locals or your own workers for these seats, but I am going to have to require that at least one of the seats be occupied by someone directly under the Crown. Please do not take this as a slight, I do trust you, but a large number of the nobility do not and so I am requiring you to take one of ours as your fourth.

    ¡°I understand this might annoy you, so I am willing to give you some control over what sort of person you want on board. I can send one of the secretaries, one of the noble wizards, an Agent¡­ unfortunately, I myself cannot go, as much as it would be highly illuminating the danger is simply too high to justify it.

    ¡°Let me know your preferences as soon as possible.¡±

    Vaughan put the letter down. ¡°Well then¡­¡±

    ¡°I kind of forgot we designed for four,¡± Blue said. ¡°The mission plan just has the three of us in it.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°This is tricky, we have no way of knowing what sort of person Tenrayce will pick from our preferences¡­¡±

    ¡°I trust her to try her best.¡±

    ¡°Still, whoever it is might just get in the way¡­ the government types tend to do that.¡±

    ¡°Well, what kind of person do we want?¡± Blue asked. ¡°I¡¯m thinking just ask for a secretary, someone quiet who will record everything and not do too much. A¡ª¡±

    ¡°Why not just ask Keller if he wants to come along?¡± Jeh asked.

    Blue and Vaughan looked down at her.

    ¡°What? He works for the Crown, everyone likes him, and he¡¯s cool.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Blue paused. ¡°I do suppose he¡¯s been doing his job well.¡±

    Vaughan smirked. ¡°And, more importantly, he treats us like people, not commodities or an annoyance.¡± Vaughan patted Jeh on the head. ¡°I think that¡¯s an excellent idea, Jeh, we¡¯ll bring it up at the meeting tomorrow, I don¡¯t think there will be any objections to requesting Keller.¡±

    ¡°Who will protect the town while he¡¯s gone, though?¡± Alexandrite asked.

    ¡°During Operation Lunacy, there will be a royal presence,¡± Blue explained. ¡°Someone is going to be here to personally oversee the launch, and with them will be a lot of guards, naturally, as it¡¯ll be official and everything. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ a royal coming all the way out here without trying to be stealthy about it¡­¡±

    ¡°If they were stealthy, they would actually be easier targets,¡± Vaughan explained. ¡°This launch is big enough that everyone knows at least one of them will show up, so it¡¯s better to have a ton of guards rather than try to hide. At least, I think so.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not going to be much longer,¡± Blue realized, looking up and out the window. ¡°The¡­ snow will be gone. We¡¯ll¡­ go to space. We¡¯ll go to the Moon.¡± Blue started tapping her hooves excitedly with a mad laugh. ¡°It¡¯s going to be¡­ I don¡¯t know but it¡¯s going to be amazing, great, stupendous, and more!¡±

    ¡°You two are going to love the view from space,¡± Jeh said, beaming.

    ¡°You and Margaret always go on about that¡­¡± Blue said. ¡°I mean, sure, it¡¯ll be pretty, but I¡¯ve seen the images¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you get there!¡±

    ~~~

    Jeh and the Sourdough twins sat in a tree, completely silent. Below them¡­ there was a bear. Most bears hibernated during the winter, but not this kind, the greenish moss-bears* were always awake.

    *Moss-bears are partially plant, partially animal. Rather than hibernating during the winter, they make up for the lack of calories with photosynthesizing. They still stock up on calories before winter since this is not enough to keep them going indefinitely, especially considering how cloudy it can get.

    Jeh grinned. She gave the twins a thumbs up and jumped out of the tree onto the bear¡¯s back. She unleashed her bear-claw mitts on the beast¡¯s neck and drew copious amounts of blood. The bear, naturally, fought back, throwing Jeh to the ground. There were only a few centimeters of snow, so it didn¡¯t do much to cushion her fall. The bear took advantage of her downed state and crushed her ribs with its paws.

    Jeh, despite currently being unable to breathe, was more annoyed than anything and proceeded to claw and literally bite at the bear¡¯s legs until she managed to slip out far enough for her lungs to regenerate. With a laugh, she punched the bear right in the jaw, the claws in her mitts digging into its flesh.

    The bear had enough intelligence to realize that Jeh wasn¡¯t taking any damage and that it was taking a lot, so it opted to run.

    ¡°Hey, wait, come back!¡± Jeh shouted. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to¡ªcome on!¡±

    An arrow whizzed out from the nearby trees, skewering the moss-bear in the head and throwing it to the ground, dead.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Jeh looked up at the twins. ¡°Did you do that?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Nada.¡±

    ¡°Then who¡­?¡±

    ¡°IT WAS I!¡± Ripashi said, dropping onto the snow with an extravagant ¡°CAW!¡± He spread his wings wide. ¡°You were letting your prey escape, Jeh! Shame!¡±

    ¡°It was being a coward.¡±

    ¡°A proper hunter never lets his prey escape, for survival depends on it! ¡±

    Jeh rolled her eyes. ¡°Thanks for the assist, anyway.¡±

    ¡°All in a day¡¯s work!¡± Ripashi declared, flexing his wings.

    ¡°What is it with men¡ª"

    ¡°¡ªand trying to show off their strength?¡± the twins asked.

    ¡°It is the creed of manliness!¡± Ripashi declared, flexing his wings in a different pose. ¡°To dominate, to have power¡­ but to know how precisely to use that power! To fight, to kill, but never in service of evil!¡±

    ¡°But it makes¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªyou look ridiculous.¡±

    Ripashi¡¯s face fell. ¡°You¡­ you really think so?¡±

    ¡°It is quite silly,¡± Jeh said, striking a pose identical to his own. ¡°See?¡±

    ¡°That just looks cool!¡± Ripashi said. ¡°Get yourself some bulk and¡­ well¡­ actually you¡¯re a human girl that might not be possible¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t build muscle at all anyway, regeneration keeps it from happening.¡±

    Ripashi let out a caw of shock. ¡°What a horrifying existence! I pity you, small one, forever cursed with weakness!¡± He bowed his head to her. ¡°If you ever need a strong wing for any reason, mine shall be yours!¡±

    Jeh giggled. ¡°Thanks, Ripashi. I¡¯ll let you know.¡±

    ¡°Hold that thought,¡± the twins said in unison, holding up their hands. They audibly sniffed the air. ¡°We smell something.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s cooking meat,¡± one of the twins said.

    The other one pointed. ¡°There, I can see smoke from a campfire.¡±

    ¡°Who would be camping out in this weather?¡± Ripashi called.

    ¡°Me,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not you out there.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Maybe I have a long-lost sister!¡± Jeh paused. ¡°Though I don¡¯t think I used fire while I was in the forest¡­ cooked meat tastes so much better¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go investigate,¡± either Rina or Rona said as both of them descended from the tree and started walking through the shallow snow. Ripashi quickly pegged the moss-bear carcass to a tree so they could retrieve it later.

    It was not difficult in the slightest to follow the smoke. They soon came to a campfire that was blazing hot and currently had a spit over top of it that was slowly turning. There was a very small tent made out of some kind of plant-based fibers, and a few skinned foxes were laid out nearby, clearly in line to be cooked like their brother on the spit.

    There was only one inhabitant of the tiny camp, and it was a dryad. An extremely young dryad, smaller even than Jeh, with bluish-green leaves, huge eyes, and bright blue flowers all over her head. She was singing a tune* to herself in some language none of them could identify, but tickled the back of Jeh¡¯s memory.

    *The tune, roughly translated, is as such:

    ¡°The outside world screams in darkness,

    The inside world abounds in safety,

    Home is where you forget all your woes,

    The world is where you get forgotten,

    So, come home, little one, they are not yours,

    The Glen is all a dryad ever needs.

    So let the world rot, their bones turn to soil,

    And our leaves will reach to the sky.

    Stay inside, inside, inside, or the outside will wipe you clean.¡±

    A traditional dryad song that is essentially a nursery rhyme, though it doesn¡¯t rhyme even in the original language, it¡¯s more of a rhythmic than rhyme-focused song. The history behind the song is that young dryads often feel the need to explore the world and leave the Glen, but usually grow tired of the ways of the other races and return to the Glen to put down roots. The dryad who penned it was a man by the name of Turmeric, who had managed to make a name for himself out in the world, but returned to the Glen with nothing, and no one who actually cared enough to see him off on his journey. It was originally a deep and perhaps vengeful lament. In modern times it¡¯s just a song young dryads sing without thinking.

    ¡°¡­Hello?¡± Jeh said, waving her hand.

    The dryad looked up and grinned. ¡°People! Hi! Greetings! Nanadaskero! Krukkai!¡± She waved excitedly. ¡°Happy to see, yes!¡± Clearly, her Karli was very rough.

    ¡°What are you doing out here in the snow?¡± Ripashi asked.

    ¡°Camping! Fire, warm, meat, tasty!¡± The dryad clapped her hands together. ¡°Want?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ no?¡±

    ¡°Dryads don¡¯t usually eat meat,¡± either Rina or Rona said.

    ¡°Meat has¡­ food.¡± The dryad awkwardly rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Uh. Word?¡±

    ¡°I mean, meat is food¡­¡± Jeh said, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Maybe try talking in your original language?¡±

    The dryad understood this enough to try it. The words ticked at jeh¡¯s mind but she couldn¡¯t pull any meaning out from them. ¡°Okay, yeah, that¡¯s not going to work. Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Word not big,¡± she said with a shrug, taking a bite out of roasted fox meat. ¡°Tasty!¡± She waved her hand in the air. ¡°I¡¯m Scurfpea! You?¡±

    Jeh introduced the four of them.

    ¡°Rina, Rona. Or Rona, Rina?¡± Scurfpea giggled. ¡°Fun!¡±

    ¡°She gets it,¡± one of the twins said.

    ¡°Be careful of this one, most don¡¯t,¡± the other added.

    The dryad giggled, continuing to eat.

    ¡°So, what are you doing out here?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Camping!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Scurfpea thought about this. ¡°Exploring. Seeing world. Glen say I not like. I do like! Glen say I come back in days. This second winter!¡± She giggled.

    ¡°They let someone so young out to explore?¡± Ripashi asked, tilting his head.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Scurfpea said. ¡°They say I not brave, they wrong. Creepy thorn monster was funny! Not real!¡± She took another bite of fox meat.

    ¡°Some Glens do let their young ones out into the world for a time,¡± one of the Sourdough twins said. ¡°Though I¡¯ve only heard about this from books and¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªshe does seem really young for it.¡±

    ¡°Smallest adventurer! That is me!¡± Scurfpea grinned.

    ¡°So you just explore randomly?¡± Ripashi asked. ¡°I respect that!¡±

    ¡°Random¡­?¡± Scurfpea tilted her head.

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Without a plan, unpredictable, crazed¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh! Usually, yes! But not now. Was told some people go to Moon!¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°You¡­ heard about that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Was at bar, big deal, people make plans to here! I first!¡± She looked absurdly proud of her achievement.

    ¡°People¡­ are coming,¡± Jeh said, blinking.

    ¡°What did you expect?¡± one of the twins said.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Your project is not secret, people are going to want to see it,¡± the other pointed out.

    ¡°There will be a great crowd¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªhere to watch your every move¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªScurfpea here is just the first to arrive.¡±

    ¡°First!¡± Scurfpea declared, throwing her fists into the air.

    RIpashi let out a caw. ¡°If there really are going to be that many people, I don¡¯t think Willow Hollow can support them all¡­¡±

    ¡°We already have plans for that,¡± the twins said in unison. ¡°We¡¯ve been coordinating with Lila to get food arranged, stockpiles improved, and supplies shipped¡­¡±

    ¡°You two were part of the plan?¡± Ripashi gawked.

    ¡°What?¡± they both asked, tilting their heads in opposite directions.

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ uh¡­¡±

    ¡°We are the town bakers¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªand know the most about economic logistics¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªand Big G is a bit busy with other things.¡±

    Ripashi stared at them.

    The twins grinned at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think you two might actually be able to take over the world,¡± Ripashi said.

    ¡°That¡¯s the idea!¡± They high-fived each other in unison and winked at him.

    ¡°Oooh, you rule world?¡± Scurfpea asked.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± one of the twins said.

    ¡°Yet,¡± the other added.

    ¡°Cooooool¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, Scurfpea,¡± Jeh said, kneeling down. ¡°I¡¯m the girl who will fly to the Moon.¡±

    Scurfpea gasped. ¡°Really!?¡±

    ¡°Really.¡±

    ¡°Take me!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t, not enough space.¡±

    ¡°But but¡­ Moon¡­¡±

    ¡°But I can show you the ship, and when I get back I can show you what it looks like!¡±

    Scurfpea¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°See world beyond world¡­¡± she devolved into her native language and started talking excitedly, grabbing Jeh by the shoulders and grinning.

    ¡°Um¡­ you wanna come back to town with us?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°All right¡­¡±

    ¡°Let me pack stuff.¡±

    It turned out that everything Scurfpea owned could be rolled up into a single backpack that was almost as large as she was, and was definitely heavier. However, she had a special way of carrying it¡ªshe used her dryad attribute to grow floating air-sac plants that she attached to the backpack to make it significantly lighter. Her mouth ran a mile a minute while she did these things, but not a single word of Karli was spoken in the midst of it. That said, she did follow them back without incident.

    Agent Keller tapped out some ashes from his vantage point in a distant tree. ¡°There¡¯s gonna be too many of them to keep track of, soon¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Snow still came, but it came less and less as the days wore on. The amount that remained on the ground reduced from a few centimeters, to a centimeter, to less than a centimeter. People started going out just to enjoy the weather again, even if it was a little cold. And with this shift in the weather, Scurfpea was proven to be completely right¡ªa lot of people were coming.

    Willow Hollow didn¡¯t have a proper hotel or tavern¡ªthe closest was the bar and the barkeep didn¡¯t let people sleep there. Most of the visitors were prepared for this, having brought their own tents and gear to wait out the time until the launch. There were a few fools who hadn¡¯t, but for every fool there was a scam artist with extra tents to sell.

    As such, a small tent ¡°city¡± started forming at the edge of Willow Hollow. Despite Willow Hollow¡¯s small population, this tent ¡°city¡± never grew large enough to overrun the people¡ªbut it was getting to the point where maybe one in twenty people in Willow Hollow weren¡¯t actual residents.

    Margaret had taken to walking among the tents at least once a day. Her father might have become a bit of a shut-in who rarely engaged with others like he used to, but Margaret still enjoyed hearing tales and viewpoints from far-off lands. She would strike random people up in conversation just to see what sorts of thoughts they had to offer. Since she was a pilot of the Wizard Space Program, even people who would normally be reluctant to talk gave her the time of day.

    She determined that there were a few different types of people who were here. The first were those who thought they would get to see something amazing and didn¡¯t realize that the actual launch itself wouldn¡¯t be a visually spectacular event and were going to be disappointed. Then there were those who were just curious, or wanted to prove/disprove the rumors they had heard. A third class knew history was about to be made and just wanted to witness it. Then there were those who were technically interested and wanted to observe for the betterment of their own research. Lastly, there were those only there for political reasons, which currently included a single Shimmer sphinx who looked really bored, and a couple Kroanite nobles.

    However, there was a sixth class.

    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing!?¡± a human man shouted as Keller lifted him off the ground.

    ¡°Checkin¡¯ for suspicious activity.¡± Keller shook the man and numerous things fell out of his coat, including an arcane weapon with a needle on the end. ¡°Hmm, would ya look at this, not just a weapon, but a fancy one that injects poison.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI have the right to defend myself!¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, but lessee here, hmm¡­ yep, Shimvale design, the kind ya can only get from very high up. And seein¡¯ as ya aren¡¯t on the list o¡¯ official types, mmm, not lookin¡¯ good for you.¡±

    ¡°This is an outrage! I will¡­¡±

    ¡°What? Complain t¡¯ your government? If you¡¯re a nobody like ya claim, they won¡¯t care, and if you¡¯re somebody, well ya just failed at your job, wonder how that¡¯ll go over.¡±

    The man scowled. ¡°You won¡¯t live to regret this.¡± He reached into his coat, pulling out a small Red device affixed to him by a chain¡ª

    ¡ªMagenta sparks flickered off Keller and with a swift motion of his hand, he exploited a weakness in the chain and severed the device from the spy. He followed this up with a kick to the chest, throwing the man to the ground. The Red device landed unceremoniously in the snow.

    ¡°Well well, that¡¯s a nasty little thing right there¡­¡± Keller said, picking it up off the ground. ¡°Explosive, quite deadly. Gonna take everyone out with ya, were ya?¡±

    The man started singing, but a quick kick to the face shut him up.

    Keller tipped his hat to the small crowd that had gathered. ¡°Carry on, nothin¡¯ t¡¯ see here.¡±

    ¡°I very much think there is something to see here!¡± a cat in noble dress declared. ¡°Agent Keller, how could you let such a danger get so close to us?¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, with all due respect, there are too many of ya to check thoroughly.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that your job, Agent?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just one man. Your guard ain¡¯t helpin¡¯ me.¡±

    ¡°The audacity! His job is to guard me, not root out potential insiders! That¡¯s yours!¡±

    Keller lit his smoke and breathed in.

    ¡°Agent Keller!¡±

    ¡°What do ya want me t¡¯ do here, exactly? I¡¯m already doin¡¯ all I can, hopin¡¯ that the Princess arrives soon with some actual help.¡±

    ¡°Are you dense? Do your job better! Find all of them!¡±

    ¡°And how do ya suggest I do that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for you to do, Agent! Gah! Why we¡¯ve given a sandblaster your position is beyond me¡­¡±

    A few people in the crowd gasped in shock, making the noble suddenly aware that she wasn¡¯t alone.

    ¡°Oh, shut it, the lot of you,¡± the cat grumbled before turning and walking away, hissing at anyone who dared get close.

    ¡°Rude,¡± Margaret said, walking up to Keller.

    ¡°Nobles tend t¡¯ be like that, the world tells them they¡¯re better than everyone.¡± He blew some smoke into the air. ¡°There¡¯s a few good ones, in Kroan the higher up ya go, the more actual decisions they have t¡¯ make and the less stuck-up and more overworked they get. What ya just saw was some spoiled brat who never had t¡¯ work for anythin¡¯ in her life.¡±

    Margaret nodded slowly. ¡°Sometimes makes you think that Shimvale might have the right idea.¡±

    ¡°Until ya see all the infightin¡¯,¡± Keller said. ¡°Lemme tell ya, Marg, I don¡¯t think either of us have it right. Your people don¡¯t either, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ who does?¡±

    ¡°Jack all nobody.¡± Keller tapped some ashes on the ground. ¡°Sadly, I do have t¡¯ listen t¡¯ her, gotta keep findin¡¯ whoever¡¯s trynna be sneaky in these tents.¡± He lifted a hand in a subtle wave. ¡°Until next time, Marg.¡±

    ¡°See you, Keller.¡± Margaret continued on her walk through the tents, passing by Seskii¡¯s kiosk, which was selling juice as well as little prints of things for the space program. People were eating it up. Margaret noticed that Seskii had lowered the price at least five times over the last few days¡ªgirl was probably thinking she was making too much money from this.

    She was busy, though, so Margaret didn¡¯t go up to her. Instead, she walked home, ready to tell Jeremiah about all that had transpired. She hoped he would be in one of his better moods today, more receptive. Her hopes were high when she heard laughter from inside the house¡ªperhaps Kirkkok had told a joke or something to lift Jeremiah¡¯s spirits.

    However, as Margaret put her hand on the door, she heard a woman¡¯s laugh. Margaret froze. Who¡­?

    ¡°¡­you think it¡¯s a good idea?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s brilliant. You¡¯re crazy.¡±

    There was a soft giggle. ¡°Oh, Jeremiah, you rascal!¡±

    Deciding she didn¡¯t want to be an eavesdropper Margaret opened the door. ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± She called, trying to act natural and not completely shocked to see a Red Seeker sitting at their dining table, drinking tea with her father.

    Jeremiah looked flustered for a moment but then broke out into a smile. ¡°Ah, Margaret, meet Minnie, one of the Red Seekers! She¡¯s in a situation somewhat similar to ours, we¡¯ve been trading stories about our situations.¡±

    Minnie stood up. She was a human woman with emerald green hair and eyes that matched. She had a scar across her face that horribly mutilated her nose, but otherwise her features were smooth and pristine. She was an older woman, but still significantly younger than Jeremiah. Something about her gaze was¡­ deep, in an unsettling way.

    Her voice and mannerisms were completely normal, though. She extended a hand to Margaret. ¡°Pleased to meet you!¡±

    Margaret shook her hand. ¡°Minnie¡­ I think Arno talks about you a lot.¡±

    ¡°Oh, has that rascal been giving me a reputation?¡± Minnie chuckled as though it were the funniest thing in the world. ¡°That child will take anything and run with it. I take it he never mentioned to you what I actually do for the Seekers?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ well no, not that I¡¯m aware of.¡±

    Margaret pulled back her robes so she could pull out a lute. She strummed it with amazing precision. ¡°I¡¯m the bard. I sing the songs and stories of old, which Arno is infatuated with. Understandably a lot of them are a little crazy, but they¡¯re still our culture and history.¡±

    Margaret relaxed considerably. ¡°That kid¡­ probably should have known not to take everything he said at face value.¡±

    ¡°Or anything he says. He annoyed Joira so much she sent him to you, that should tell you something.¡±

    Margaret rubbed the back of her head. ¡°I¡¯ve only met Joira a few times, most everything else I hear from others¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, as someone who knows her quite well, all the talk you hear of her rage and anger used to be true. Now she¡¯s¡­ well, I¡¯d describe her as tired.¡± Minnie shook her head. ¡°The changing times are taking a toll on her, it¡¯s sad to see.¡± She put her lute back into her robes. ¡°I should probably start the journey back, my songs are important for improving morale, including her own. I hope we can have a longer conversation one day, Margaret!¡±

    Margaret bowed slightly. ¡°I do as well, you likely have many stories to tell.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I have a few, that¡¯s for sure¡­¡± She chuckled as she left the house.

    Margaret slowly sat down in the chair. A dumb grin crawled up her face as she looked at her father.

    ¡°What?¡± Jeremiah said, looking around. ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡±

    ¡°You let someone into the house. And had a good time.¡± Margaret pressed her hands together. ¡°Thank Eyda.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I guess I did!¡± Jeremiah laughed. ¡°She just¡­ had so many things to say, you know? And¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to justify yourself, Dad. Remember, you used to like just¡­ having visitors and talking about anything and everything.¡± She pressed her hands over his own. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve found some of that again.¡±

    Jeremiah nodded. ¡°R-right¡­¡±

    Margaret faltered. ¡°Dad, this doesn¡¯t mean you suddenly have to invite everyone here, all right? I¡¯m just happy for you, I¡¯m not dragging you along.¡±

    Jeremiah chuckled. ¡°A man couldn¡¯t ask for a better daughter. Look at me, getting all sappy¡­¡±

    ¡°I missed it.¡±

    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes became damp. ¡°You¡ª¡±

    Margaret pulled him into a hug and the two didn¡¯t say anything for the next little while.

    ~~~

    ¡°I know you can understand me,¡± C-R said.

    ¡°I can!¡± the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho that was currently missing two legs shouted. ¡°I can! I can!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking to the one speaking and you know it,¡± C-R added. She tilted her head and Blue sparks sheared another part of the leg off, prompting the Ch-eni-tho to cry out in pain. ¡°Analysis of the rigid plague has confirmed beyond a reasonable doubt that not only are you intelligent, but you can understand language and make plans around it. We released agents trained to say specific phrases and observed proper changes in rigid movement. You can communicate.¡±

    ¡°Please¡­ hurting me won¡¯t¡­ get you to whoever¡­ it is¡­¡± The monotone voice coming in with so many pauses was a little disconcerting for Itlea, who was standing nearby making records of the whole thing in Purple devices.

    ¡°I am simply drawing the plague¡¯s attention. My presence may not be enough, but sudden pain would be a threat to one of the stronger soldiers¡­ your pain is incidental but we appreciate your sacrifice for the greater good.¡±

    ¡°Please¡­ stop¡­ just kill me already¡­¡±

    ¡°Part of the deal I hope to work out here is to return you to the plague in working condition. I do apologize for not being able to give you the embrace of death you seek so desperately.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let me hurt anyone else¡­¡±

    ¡°That depends on the actions of the plague. It controls your body now, and yet it has made no motion to communicate, no¡ª¡±

    Suddenly, the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho¡¯s leg that was still functional stopped trying to lash out randomly and instead started making scratches in the wall. In Karli. Why do you seek an audience?

    Itlea stared at the words in shock but kept recording everything.

    ¡°You are a threat, I wish to understand you better, simple as that,¡± C-R said. ¡°Perhaps negotiate, rather than continue attempting this bizarre shadow war.¡±

    What is there to negotiate over?

    ¡°To understand that, one must know what your ultimate goal is.¡±

    If I were to tell you, you must tell me what your goal is.

    Itlea froze. The forbidden knowledge¡­

    ¡°I am bound by code not to disclose that information.¡±

    Then I shall not disclose my purpose to you.

    ¡°I can, however, tell you my current and immediate mission. That is to discover what you are and, if you are a threat to the way of life on this world, eliminate you, or find the means to eliminate you. If you wish to somehow avoid being targeted for elimination, perhaps you should consider opening up to negotiation.¡±

    And I will reveal nothing in return. I am also well aware you have no intention of returning this rigid of mine. Your lies will get you nowhere. This conversation is over.

    C-R¡¯s white, smooth body went limp. There was a sharp tone that rang through the minds of everyone on the balloon whale.

    C-R¡¯s body suddenly started working again. ¡°It appears I have been made out. An¡­ infuriating experience.¡± She lifted two hands toward the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho. ¡°I did always intend to give you the release you sought.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    ¡°I have used you, you should not thank me.¡±

    ¡°Stop¡­ it¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ am trying my best.¡± Blue sparks flew around the rigid, shearing him into several pieces in a split second. ¡°¡­Itlea, analyze everything the plague said, we have to see if there¡¯s something we can get out of this.¡±

    ¡°O-of course!¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    So, why is the sky blue?

    The answer Blue came up with in the chapter is that air itself must be blue. This is actually not true, air is entirely colorless, having no preference. The main evidence against this is the existence of the sunset, where the sky is red and orange.

    So what actually happens?

    It all comes down to a process called scattering. Different colors of light have different wavelengths. In the visible spectrum, red light has the longest, and violet light has the shortest. Shorter wavelengths of light are scattered more often--that is, they hit a particle and are redirected into a different direction. This happens more often to violet light than anything. Blue happens to be the next-most-scattered.

    The sun produces mostly white uniform light of all colors, though it peaks in the yellow-green. As this light passes through the atmosphere, the violet and blue components are scattered all over. This removes some of the blue and violet light heading directly toward the ground from the sun, redirecting it into the larger atmosphere where it bounces around a lot until it also hits the ground (or reflects into space, which is why you can see a blue shell around the Earth from the ISS). This means that looking at anywhere in the sky you¡¯re seeing blue light that was scattered away from the sun¡¯s primary beam.

    We don¡¯t see a violet sky since even though violet light is scattered more, there are a lot more blue wavelengths of light than there are violet.

    Now, one might notice that this is hardly different than the air just being blue. Isn¡¯t the blue light just effectively being reflected around? Well, keep in mind, the rest of the light still needs to get through. A blue-colored object would absorb red, green, and the other colors--and, more importantly, wouldn¡¯t suddenly be red during a sunset. Scattering, however, explains the redness.

    See, blue and violet light are scattered readily. Which means, after passing through enough air, all the blue and violet light has been scattered away--there¡¯s none left! When the sun is directly overhead the light isn¡¯t passing through much air, so we see predominantly blue light. But when the sun is on the horizon, the light is coming in at an angle, and there is a lot more atmosphere to get through. Thus, the blue light gets taken away and what remains are the oranges, reds, and yellows. (You generally don¡¯t get green since it¡¯s in the middle of the spectrum and whenever green dominates, there¡¯s also lots of blue and red, making things look white).

    My favorite demonstration of this I saw once at the local Discovery Center. There was a lamp placed in front of a tube of cloudy material. Nearest to the lamp the tube appeared blue like the sky, but as you looked along the tube you could see that shortly afterward the tube was white, then at the end it was red. I don¡¯t know what the material in the tube was, but I know it wasn¡¯t air, it was something much denser that nonetheless behaved the exact same way, just on a smaller scale.

 037 - History in the Making

    WSP 037

    History in the Making

    ¡°Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six!¡±

    Despite the Moonshot¡¯s door being sealed, the occupants of the spacecraft could still hear the countdown happening outside¡ªwhile the sound was decidedly muddled, the words were being shouted by enough people with enough intensity that the meaning was clear and unmistakable.

    Jeh was in the pilot¡¯s seat, her entire body facing directly upward and her hands gripping the controls tightly. Below her were the other three passengers. Blue was on the couch, as it was the only seat suited for her body type, and multiple straps were wound around her body in order to keep her affixed to it. It was actually quite a comfortable seat. Vaughan and Keller, however, were not so lucky, as they were not in need of an unusual seat type nor were they a pilot who needed a chair exactly attuned to their body. They got the basic chairs that were welded to the edge of the Moonshot. They had straps, yes, but the padding on the simple chairs left much to be desired, and they weren¡¯t on flat ¡°ground¡± either, given the spherical nature of the Moonshot¡¯s interior.

    Nonetheless, they were ready.

    ¡°Five! Four! Three! Two! One!¡±

    ¡°Hold on to your butts!¡± Jeh shouted with a laugh. She began to push her will into the multi-core drive. Orange sparks began to waft off the core of the Moonshot with impressive intensity.

    ¡°Zero!¡±

    The Moonshot lifted into the air. Blue let out a shout of surprise as her stomach dropped from the sudden change in inertia.

    ¡°Oh, if that got you, you¡¯re in for quite a surprise!¡± Jeh called down.

    Vaughan coughed. ¡°Perhaps you could focus more on the driving than providing witty commentary that will make us first-time space tourists nervous?¡±

    ¡°I can do both!¡±

    Blue glanced out one of the windows, seeing the tops of the trees drop away from sight, leaving only Mount Cascade in full view, and even this rather quickly left her field of view. She could look at the downward window, but that involved craning her neck more than she would like. Plus, that gave her a sense of vertigo, looking sideways she could pretend like there was still ground beneath her feet and that the couch was stable.

    ¡°Remarkably stable,¡± Vaughan commented.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky you gave me time to practice,¡± Jeh called back down. ¡°If I was just rushing up there we¡¯d all be shaking around all willy-nilly and¡ª¡± there was a sudden lurch in the Moonshot, making it rotate slightly to one side, making Blue¡¯s already uncomfortable stomach do a flop. ¡°And that, my friends, is a gust of wind! Little early for that, but what can you do? The wind blows where it wills.¡±

    ¡°Egh¡­¡± Blue groaned.

    ¡°Hey, is Blue doing okay down there?¡± Jeh asked. ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel like those noises aren¡¯t good.¡±

    ¡°She looks like she¡¯s experiencing the onset of seasickness,¡± Vaughan said, folding his hands. ¡°Do you need a bag, Blue?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Blue grunted. ¡°¡­Not yet¡­¡± She took a deep breath and released it slowly. ¡°I gotta get over this, you all need me up there to do the math. How are you going to know where you are otherwise?¡±

    ¡°Following your instructions!¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°And if something unexpected happens and you need to do some original math?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Hope Vaughan can do it?¡±

    Blue snorted. ¡°We don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll get seasi¡ªspacesick or not yet. We¡¯ve barely started!¡±

    ¡°Boats going through the Tempest are much, much worse than this,¡± Vaughan explained. ¡°I think experiencing that cured my seasickness.¡±

    ¡°Ah, a journey I have never experienced,¡± Keller spoke up. ¡°I look forward to, one day.¡±

    ¡°We can skip that entirely!¡± Jeh said. ¡°Just come in from above!¡±

    ¡°Not even flying creatures can get over the Wall with any regularity¡­¡± Vaughan said, scratching his beard. ¡°Huh, a trip is actually feasible.¡±

    ¡°Putting that on the list of things to do eventually,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Anyway¡­ uh¡­ yeah Vaughan, I¡¯m not sure I can get to orbit on my power alone, that might drain everything. A boost, please?¡± Jeh plucked a plast cable out of a little box. Inside was a Magenta-cone designed arcane wire, one that could transfer will up it easily. She tossed it down to Vaughan where he grabbed it. ¡°Passengers, you might experience some minor turbulence in the handoff!¡± She turned a knob, making it so her will was only flowing into half of the drive¡¯s cores, the rest of the will would come from Vaughan in the cable. Jeh was still entirely responsible for balancing, steering, and all the settings, but she could now rely on Vaughan¡¯s will to provide some of the raw power required to get up. However, there was a fraction of a second where she was suddenly pushing on the Moonshot with half as much force as she had been previously, so Blue¡¯s stomach got to rapidly move up and then down.

    ¡°Geeeeh¡­¡± Blue groaned.

    ¡°There are bags if you need them,¡± Vaughan pointed out.

    ¡°I know, I know, I¡¯m trying my best here¡­¡±

    ¡°Ya should probably have it on ya anyway,¡± Keller said. ¡°Gonna be a right mess t¡¯ clean up if ya miss.¡±

    Blue levitated a plast bag over. ¡°Fine¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that good, Jeh?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Excellent!¡± Jeh called back down. ¡°Don¡¯t even feel tired anymore, I¡¯ve got more than enough for this! Thanks!¡±

    ¡°You know just because you can¡¯t see us doesn¡¯t mean you have to shout, we¡¯re not far away.¡±

    ¡°But I feel like an important announcer! Like¡­ ahem! On your left, you see¡­ sky. Normally we might start passing through some cloud but, eh, today¡¯s cloudless and¡­¡± There was another gust of wind that Jeh stabilized. ¡°¡­And so we are not going to have our vision suddenly be obscured by fluffy water.¡±

    ¡°So, what is going to happen?¡± Blue asked, trying not to think about the whirlpool she felt in her stomach and the slight burning sensation in her throat.

    ¡°Honestly? Not much,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Looks like a windy day today but that¡¯ll stop pretty quickly once we get going, and then we just¡­ wait until we get to space.¡±

    ¡°Really? Nothing exciting?¡±

    ¡°Well the first time I went up I had to learn to deal with all sorts of things but, uh, now that I know what I¡¯m doing, yeah, this won¡¯t be very interesting for a while.¡±

    This observation of Jeh¡¯s turned out to be prophetic. Even the wind gusts, disruptive as they were, became less and less of an issue both because the air got thinner and because Jeh actively got more skilled in counterbalancing the Moonshot against them; with more experience came more control. They went higher, and higher, and higher.

    Once the air became thin enough that wind was essentially a non-issue, Blue¡¯s stomach stopped being such a pain, and she bothered to crane her neck to look down the bottommost window. The ground was so far below it didn¡¯t even look like ground anymore, just patches of green and brown with wisps of white overtop of it. ¡°¡­Huh¡­ are we close?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking an hour left,¡± Jeh said. ¡°The sky¡¯s not black yet, but I think we¡¯re far enough that we¡¯re not limited by the friction anymore, so our speed is going to keep going up! ¡­At least, that¡¯s what your calculations say, it¡¯s hard to tell exactly what¡¯s happening when you¡¯re up this high, things only change slowly.¡±

    Blue had to admit, the ground below did appear to be static and not moving away from them, but over the course of a few minutes, she realized it was getting further away. Deciding to look out the side window, she was shocked to already see a star shining brightly through the dark blue of the atmosphere. She watched, transfixed, as the dark blue was replaced with total blackness and even more stars. So, so many stars. There was nothing up here to block them; even though the sun was up, its light had far less power up this far.

    The sight was one Blue had seen before many times, it was no different than a night sky on the ground in Willow Hollow. Yet, somehow, even though she was looking at it through a small window at an odd angle, it felt different.

    ¡°I think that¡¯ll do¡­¡± Jeh said. ¡°I¡¯m going to cut the magic, hope you all are strapped down, it¡¯s going to be very disorienting!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been strapped down this whole ti¡ª¡± Blue had forgotten about her stomach lurches until that moment, but they returned in full force. In truth, Jeh did not completely cut out the magic in an instant, she released it over a few seconds, but it was still enough to make Blue feel like she was suddenly being thrown upward and dragged down by her straps. ¡°Gah!¡±

    ¡°You are now free to unbuckle and move about! Try not to bang your head.¡± Jeh began the long process of unbuckling herself, since her seat was the most complicated. Because of this, Keller was the one who was out first. Immediately he started floating into the air.

    ¡°This¡­ I have never felt anythin¡¯ like this¡­¡± Keller said, quickly grabbing hold of one of the drive¡¯s support bars so he wouldn¡¯t go drifting away.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be spending most of the trip like this!¡± Jeh said, beaming, as she finally wrestled herself out of her seat and pushed off, drifting to the outer wall near Keller. ¡°Oh, wow, this is much cooler with more space to move around in! I can fly!¡± She pushed off the wall and waved through the supports until she bonked her head on the other side of the Moonshot. ¡°Ow.¡±

    Vaughan got out of the chair next. He was far less graceful than Jeh and unable to control as well as Keller. He started flipping around in the air, flailing¡ªbut he had a dumb smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve done it! Hahahah! I¡¯m in space!¡±

    ¡°Yes! You¡¯re in space!¡± Jeh cheered. ¡°Welcome to space! We have¡­ space!¡±

    ¡°Jeh, this is even better than I thought! I feel so¡­ free!¡± Vaughan stretched out his limbs and laughed. ¡°There¡¯s nothing holding me down up here! I feel¡­ young again!¡± He tried to jump in excitement but just bumped his head on the outer wall. ¡°¡­Okay, maybe shouldn¡¯t give in to the young feeling so readily¡­¡±

    ¡°Just wait until you get your space legs, you¡¯ll be fine,¡± Jeh said. This time, when she pushed off the wall, she twisted herself around so she could actually land on the opposite wall, trying to spread her arms to balance. She didn¡¯t quite succeed, slipping since the wall she hit was at a different angle than the one she started at, but she didn¡¯t bump her head this time. ¡°This is so fun! We need to make a very large ship that¡¯s a lot lighter, one designed for just¡­ moving in space!¡±

    ¡°A Starbloon¡­¡±

    ¡°Terrible name, I love it.¡±

    Blue finally unstrapped herself and drifted into the air. Rather than allowing herself to drift around, she grabbed herself in her telekinesis. Under normal circumstances, this was an extremely advanced and difficult technique to pull off.

    However, she was in space. She weighed nothing, and she knew by her calculations on the ground that it should be easy to levitate herself around. And it was. While all the others were experimenting with how to move in this weightless environment, she expertly levitated herself to the highest window and looked up at the stars, getting a greater field of view.

    ¡°Cheater,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°You two have Orange, you can do this too,¡± Blue retorted. ¡°So pretty¡­¡± While she was here, she decided to test the curtains. She was easily able to slide the sunlight-blocking cloth over the window frame, blocking any chance of sunburn. It was much easier to work with in weightlessness than it had been on the ground. In fact, everything was better now.

    The Moonshot was designed to operate like this. Every edge could be the ground, every seat could be taken.

    ¡°And now the main event, you guys need to take a look at this!¡± Jeh came to the window that was currently pointed downward. ¡°Have a look at this view.¡±

    Vaughan and Blue drifted down, Blue quickly, and Vaughan slowly and awkwardly. But make it they did.

    Below them was Ikyu.

    All of Ikyu.

    Blue mentally traced out a circle over Kroan, and then a circle over the part of Kroan she had been in over the course of her life. It was¡­ tiny. Even if she counted the excursion into the Wild Kingdoms recently, that was hardly any of Ikyu¡¯s surface she had seen herself. Now¡­ she saw half of it. Fifty percent of people and places, give or take, were before her eyes right now.

    Everything.

    ¡°I¡­ wh¡­¡± Blue wasn¡¯t sure what to call the feeling that was rising in her chest. It wasn¡¯t nausea. Was it a kind of awe? But why? She knew what she was going to see while up here, Jeh had given her the pictures, and it wasn¡¯t like Ikyu was visibly moving. It was exactly the same as the images. Except¡­

    ¡­Except she was actually here.

    It didn¡¯t make sense to her, but the sensation was real nonetheless. Jeh and Margaret hadn¡¯t been kidding at all, there really was something up here. Something that couldn¡¯t quite be grasped by the mind. This spoke to her on a level she wasn¡¯t used to acknowledging, and it unnerved her slightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s so much¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ felt this¡­ before¡­¡± Vaughan said, eyes wide.

    Jeh blinked. ¡°You have?¡±

    ¡°The Guardian Spirit of the Tempest¡­¡± Vaughan said. ¡°She¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t describe that, and I can¡¯t describe this. But this sensation¡­ it is greater. To see it all¡­ even she is down there, I¡­¡± He let out a hearty, powerful laugh. ¡°To think, soon we are going beyond even this! I¡­¡± he looked away from the window, turning to Blue and Jeh. ¡°Thank you, both of you, for giving this aging man his whimsical dream.¡±

    ¡°Aww¡­¡± Jeh jumped forward and hugged him. This was extremely weird as the two of them flipped end over end until Vaughan bumped his head on one of the drive¡¯s supports.

    Keller placed his hand on the window.

    ¡°What about you, big guy?¡± Blue asked him. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°¡­The world is fragile,¡± Keller said, pulling himself away from the window and adjusting his hat. ¡°In a universe so big, who knows what lies in wait¡­?¡± He turned away, directing his gaze to the stars¡­ and the moon. ¡°We cannot be prepared.¡±

    ¡°What explorers ever are?¡± Vaughan asked.

    Keller nodded his head slowly. ¡°¡­I await our journey with¡­ I dunno. It¡¯ll be somethin¡¯ though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, it¡¯ll be a few days yet,¡± Jeh said, moving back to her seat and buckling herself in. ¡°Probably time to go back down.¡±

    Blue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had somehow forgotten that this was just a test flight, Operation Lunacy was actually scheduled for next week. They just needed to make sure everything worked, that they could make it to orbit, and that nobody freaked out.

    Blue decided that, since she had managed not to puke, this mission had been a resounding success.

    ¡°You all might want to strap in, landing is generally rougher than going up! Because I have to aim at something!¡±

    Blue sighed and returned to the couch, strapping in. ¡°Here we go...¡±

    ~~~

    The people of Willow Hollow were used to seeing Alexandrite around at this point. Sure, they still found him a little unnerving, but he was a common sight and he wasn¡¯t all that imposing once someone got to interact with him just a little. Very few were the people who shrunk away from him instinctively.

    This did not stop Willow Hollow from scattering and screaming when a full-grown dragon descended from the sky at the edge of the tent ¡°city.¡± She was a truly beautiful creature with scales that were not only purple but sparkled like amethyst. Her eyes were larger than most people, and she was adorned with onyx-black armor. It was impractical for a dragon to have a full suit of armor, given their natural defenses and size, but a few select pieces had been forged for this elegant specimen, including a spiked helmet, clawed boots to accentuate her legs and her stability, sharpened wingtips, and a blade on the back of her tail. She also wore on her back a full carriage that was closed off, a lot more than the more traditional saddle with a lot of seats.

    She looked wordlessly at the panicking people below and said nothing. She lowered herself to the ground, pressing her stomach as flat as she could possibly manage. At this, the doors to the carriage popped open, and a folding ramp made of a mixture of metal and white plast extended outward.

    Via Kroan emerged from the carriage. She was dressed somewhat less extravagantly than usual, given the fact that she was out and about traveling and didn¡¯t have access to the resources of the Palace, but she was still decidedly overdressed. Her hair had been heat-treated to look like four wings that emerged from the back of her head. Aside from the ornate wings, the rest of her hair was smooth, simple even. She wore a rather basic circlet with a Blue crystal embedded in it, appearing almost as a third eye, though it was much smaller than her actual eyes.

    To the surprise of any who had seen her before, which was not all that many considering Willow Hollow¡¯s location, she was not wearing a royal dress or any sort of gaudy feminine apparel. She was wearing pants. Granted, they were bright purple and sparkling, but they were pants nonetheless, and they were rugged too, filled with pockets. Her top was form-fitting and black, covering all of her exposed skin right up to the natural plast gauntlets on her forearms and the top of her neck. It was a slightly fuzzy material that absorbed most light with few reflections.

    All of this was tied together, literally, by a white furlong* wrapped around her neck. A live one.

    *Furlongs are fuzzy snakes. The translation is literal, they really are called ¡°Fur that is long.¡± To confuse matters even further they are sometimes used as measurement as they are very docile creatures that, once they reach adult size, do not grow, so they can be marked like rulers. They are also extremely soft and are regularly hunted for their fur. If they weren¡¯t so easy to breed they would probably be endangered.

    ¡°Behold!¡± a human shouted from behind her. ¡°Your Princess, Via Kroan!¡±

    Everyone in the tent ¡°city¡± who wasn¡¯t shocked into silence immediately bowed.

    Via allowed the bowing to continue only for a few seconds before she raised her hand. ¡°Rise, my subjects.¡± They all did so. Via gave them all a smile. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to be here. Today, we get to witness history! But you¡¯ll hear about that in my speech later. For now¡­ enjoy this wild event that has brought us all together.¡± She gave a signal to the man behind her, and suddenly four royal guards came out of the carriage. Two walked in front of her, two behind, as she descended the ramp. Other people trailed behind the main group, including the human herald, a few servants who were carrying suitcases full of Via¡¯s belongings, and a few people in unique dress who were probably Agents of some sort or other.

    Via waved to the people as she passed them, giving them winks, smiles, and well wishes. She even tossed some coins into the crowd every now and then, as well as knick-knacks and the occasional cookie. The people who were wary of her quickly stopped being wary, her demeanor was just too friendly and open. She may have looked like a stuck-up noble, but she didn¡¯t look at them like that, and they had experience with that from the nobles who currently resided in the tent city.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± one of the nobles called. ¡°Your Maj¡ª¡±

    Via gave the eager noble a warm smile. ¡°Please wait your turn.¡±

    ¡°My turn!? Wh¡ª¡±

    ¡°I must see to the most honorable first. There are people who are the entire reason you and I are here. No doubt we shall discuss whatever it is you are so incessant about eventually, but that can wait. For now¡­¡± She turned away from him without even waiting for a response. ¡°The great Wizard Space Program!¡±

    The crowd in front of Via parted to reveal Lila with Vaughan, Jeh, Blue, and Keller behind her. Lila bowed. ¡°Your Highness, you grace us with your presence.¡±

    Via nodded. ¡°Thank you for coming to see me personally, Mayor Lila.¡±

    ¡°How could I not?¡±

    Via smirked. ¡°How could I not grace you with my presence? All that means is that I¡¯m present, after all.¡±

    Lila blinked. ¡°Yes, of course¡­ anyway, as you requested, the four who are to go to the moon.¡± Lila walked to the side, gesturing at the four behind her. Vaughan, Keller, and Jeh bowed.

    ¡°Hey Via!¡± Blue said with a wave. A second later she realized everyone was staring at her, even Via. With an embarrassed flush she bowed her head fast enough to ram it into the ground. ¡°Uh, Your Highness, uh¡­¡±

    Via stifled a chuckle. ¡°Rise, the four of you.¡± They all did. ¡°You four are going to make history today. Most would say you are fortunate to have my presence, but I tell you the truth¡ªit is I who am fortunate to see this grand day.¡±

    ¡°You are too kind, Your Highness,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°I wish you safe travels, and the blessing of Dia.¡± Via lightly tilted her head to them in respect, though didn¡¯t go for a full bow¡ªsuch things were not proper, and while Blue could probably get away with messing up the procedure, she was the Princess and she definitely could not. ¡°Blue, I apologize, but Tenrayce will not be able to make it. The Capital is extremely busy these days, and she has more responsibilities that require her direct attention.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, at least you¡¯re here! ¡­Your Highness.¡±

    It really would be so much easier to talk if there wasn¡¯t the crowd around¡­ but there¡¯s probably not going to be much of an opportunity for that. ¡°Agent Keller, anything to report here?¡±

    ¡°Nothin¡¯ major, Princess,¡± Keller said. ¡°I do think I could use some backup, I can¡¯t do everythin¡¯ the nobles want.¡±

    Via shot a warm smile at the noble who had been trying to get her attention. He backed away sheepishly. She was not looking forward to whatever dumb thing he was going to demand. ¡°I have brought sufficient resources, Agent, do not concern yourself with the town¡¯s safety for the moment. Your primary mission is to the Moonshot and the mission. You are one of the four astronauts, that is your charge.¡±

    ¡°Astronauts?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°It is a new word that is going around the Palace to describe those who go to space,¡± Via explained. ¡°I like it.¡±

    ¡°It does have a certain ring to it¡­¡± Vaughan said. ¡°After all, not all of us are pilots anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway, shall we move to the launchpad?¡± Via asked. ¡°There are not many hours before the sun is overhead.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! You¡¯ll love it!¡± Jeh said. Blue nudged her. ¡°What? Come on, she obviously doesn¡¯t mind.¡±

    Via chuckled, leaning down to be at eye-level with Jeh, something that would have been somewhat difficult in her ¡°normal¡± attire. ¡°Little one, your spirit is strong, and your fire great. I admire your enthusiasm and your devotion.¡± She pulled out a cookie and gave it to Jeh, to keep up the image. It was permissible to let the regal aura falter a bit when talking to a child. ¡°I do not mind, but there are times and places for words of each and every kind. When you grow older, you will see the invisible structures around us all.¡± She leaned in and whispered. ¡°But yes, they are rather stupid.¡±

    She stood up, trying to look as though nothing had been said, turning to Willow Hollow proper. ¡°Lead the way, astronaut Jeh, legend of the forest, wild child!¡±

    ¡°You got it! ¡­Your Highness!¡± Jeh gave a thumbs up and started marching to the center of town.

    Via walked after her, but made sure to do so at an angle so she could turn back to the noble. ¡°Now, what is it you wished to say, hmm?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, Agent Kelle¡ª¡±

    ¡°Is one of the best agents we have and was specifically chosen for this task, enough so that the people of the Space Program willingly requested him for their mission. Think carefully about your next words.¡± Via¡¯s smile didn¡¯t falter. She didn¡¯t wish any ill will to the noble, but he didn¡¯t have to know that, and the tranquil smile had a way of making people nervous.

    ¡°Ahem. Agent Keller has been unable to keep up a requisite level of safety fo¡ª¡±

    ¡°Has anyone perished or been injured?¡±

    ¡°No, but th¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then his inability has not reached the point of being a problem, and even if it had, he has admitted himself that the arrival of this unexpected tent city has extended him beyond his ability. Reinforcements have arrived, my Agents will see to it that you are properly protected.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point, Your Highness, the point is that he is disrespectful.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that all?¡± Via chuckled. ¡°My, I can¡¯t imagine why.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness!¡±

    ¡°I am not reprimanding one of our best Agents because you annoyed him.¡± She waved her hand dismissively, indicating the conversation was over.

    The noble grunted, sputtered, and tried to say something else, but one of Via¡¯s royal guards elbowed him in the stomach. Groaning, he backed away.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that,¡± Via whispered to her guard.

    ¡°He deserved it,¡± she responded, voice echoing through her plate armor.

    ¡°If you say so¡­¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    Via chuckled. ¡°Then I suppose it is so, guard.¡± With that, she turned her full focus on the short journey ahead. It occurred to her they could have landed at the launchpad¡­ but that wouldn¡¯t have been as much of a show, and the show was ultimately part of the whole thing.

    ~~~

    The hustle and bustle from the moment Princess Via arrived to the actual launch of Operation Lunacy was intense. Virtually everyone who had been camped out in the tent city made their way to the launchpad after the princess, completely filling every nook and cranny around it. There was hardly a place for anyone else to stand and still get a good view of the Moonshot.

    And what a view it was. The metallic sphere had been cleaned the day before and was currently reflecting the sun¡¯s light in every direction. Four of the exterior control knobs held it a short distance off the ground, while the other four pointed up into the air, each of the knobs reflecting light in much the same way as the central sphere. Some described the effect as a sort of halo, or a glow. It seemed a good sign.

    The launchpad itself had been barred to people save for those who needed to be there. Blue, Vaughan, Jeh, and Keller were currently standing around the Moonshot. Blue and Vaughan were continuing to check and examine the Moonshot for any possible mistakes or problems, even though their checks had been performed dozens of times. Jeh was waving to the crowd and cheering with them¡ªeven going so far as to lean down to sign a few autographs, even though her idea of an autograph was to just claw something with her bear mitts. Keller was, as always, watching. Since it was out in the open he was currently smoking, getting the last little bit in before he was confined inside the Moonshot and really wouldn¡¯t be able to do that for an extended period of time.

    A podium had been erected at the edge of the launchpad. The moment the sun was directly overhead, Lila jumped on top of the podium. ¡°Greetings, citizens!¡±

    This got some of the crowd to quiet down, but by no means enough to make a speech.

    Seskii, from her position at her specialty kiosk she¡¯d somehow managed to set up in the middle of the crowd, rolled up a tube of paper into a cone shape and held it to her mouth. ¡°The Mayor¡¯s talking! Shush!¡± The thundering boom of her voice startled most everyone there, which was exactly what it was supposed to do.

    ¡°Thank you, Seskii,¡± Lila said, clearing her throat. ¡°I am Lila, Mayor of this small town of Willow Hollow, for those of you visiting. When I became mayor, I did not expect to be host to a crowd of this size, even though we already had the beginnings of the Wizard Space Program. It has been an interesting journey, to say the least, from the small beginnings of a fun passion project to a government-funded expedition to the far reaches of our understanding. Dia has blessed our efforts in more ways than I can count, and grown us in many ways through the obstacles we¡¯ve had to face on the way. But now we have before us a monumental occasion¡ªhistory in the making! The four standing behind me, these four astronauts, are about to go on the longest journey anyone has ever undertaken. They will leave Ikyu behind and go to the moon.¡± She looked up in the sky. The sun was high, and the moon was up as well, showcasing itself as a pale crescent. She pointed her paw up there, grinning. ¡°All the way up there. In a few days, they will see a section of creation that we could only speculate about.¡±

    There were cheers. Lila let them have it¡ªafter all, she didn¡¯t have any more to say, she was just the opening act. When they calmed down, she flicked her tail. ¡°Now, I¡¯m just the cat who was put into this position by chance, really. There¡¯s someone here far more deserving of seeing our intrepid explorers off¡­ everyone, give your respects for Princess Via Kroan.¡± Lila bowed her head and jumped off the podium as Via walked up to it. There was immense applause, cheers, and a lot of bowing, though it was very disorganized.

    Via held up her hand, indicating that she was going to speak. She gave the crowd a huge smile. ¡°Mayor Lila was right. This moment is history in the making. Discovery brings about change. Long ago, my ancestors came to this land from across the sea, finding it a very different place from what we know today. It took a long, long time¡­ but eventually, the results of that are the Kingdom you see before you today. Had they not braved the ocean, we would not be standing here¡ªwho knows, perhaps there would be no Kroan, and only Wild Kingdoms! Then, more recently, there was the great Captain Zanzibar and his crew, plunging through the Wall of the Tempest to find an entire civilization within¡ªnot to mention the discovery of the Angler Hegemony deep beneath the waves! Those who explore find amazing and wonderful things, things that shape the world.¡±

    She pointed up at the moon, grinning. ¡°And now we, we Kroanites, go to the moon. I often find myself wondering why we¡¯re going to the moon rather than exploring, I don¡¯t know, the entire southern continent that¡¯s below us that nobody knows about past the desert. Why we don¡¯t go around the world to the far side? I have no doubt that we will do those things, but those things¡­ those are still Ikyu. If you really wanted to you could conscript a dragon and take the long, treacherous journey.

    ¡°But one place you can¡¯t go, one place we didn¡¯t think we could go, was the moon. The heavens themselves, inaccessible to mortals, beyond our reach or understanding. The domain of the Great Crystalline Ones of old. But now, those doors have been thrown open to us¡ªus, the Kroanites! There have been no others. We are the first to launch something into orbit! We are Kroanites, we will lead the world into a new era as we push the boundaries of what everyone thinks is possible! We shall rise higher, we shall spread further, we shall dig deeper than anyone has ever even stopped to consider!¡±

    There were cheers. As they cheered, Via turned to the astronauts.

    ¡°You four, your names will go down in history. Perhaps they will be remembered more than mine. I will be a footnote, the Princess who gave this speech, the younger sister of a future King. A footnote in the annals, while you¡­ you extend beyond that. You are the first. The great wizard with a dream, the unicorn who refused to bow to everyone¡¯s expectations of her, the child of the forest, and the man who has proven himself to be greater than his heritage.¡± After this, she gave them a slight bow. The crowd gasped, but they understood¡ªthis was one of the few moments where such an action could be warranted.

    Vaughan was the only one who shuffled his feet awkwardly at Via giving them such respect. The others didn¡¯t even look all that surprised.

    Via stood and returned to the crowd. ¡°Remember this day well. All of you here will be asked about this day by your children and grandchildren. When you travel across the skies in the future ships of Kroan, remember their humble beginnings as simple dream in a town that almost nobody had ever heard of. This is where it all began. So, without further ado¡­ I declare, the launch shall commence! Go to the moon, my intrepid explorers! Fly through the heavens to unknown destinations, and return to us safely!¡± She raised her hand and quickly lowered it.

    Blue tried to say something in thanks, but the roar of the crowd was far too loud. Via giggled and winked at Blue, gesturing that she should probably get in the Moonshot. Blue rolled her eyes and waved to the Princess before setting onto the ramp, but she stopped for a moment and turned back.

    There, at the front of the crowd, were the major players of the Wizard Space Program. Suro and Lila were standing together, tails intertwined, beaming at the four of them like they were their children. Seskii was cheering and waving her hands excitedly. Margaret had a quiet happiness about her, she did not move with excitement, but she nodded curtly with elegant grace, wordlessly wishing them safe travels. Mary had her hands pressed together and was clearly nervous but she couldn¡¯t help but smile. Big G was standing to the side, giving the astronauts an understanding, but subtle nod. Alexandrite spread his wings and let out a roar, launching a small burst of water into the air in celebration. The people around him started complaining immediately after this, but he didn¡¯t care, the time had called for it.

    The four astronauts made it up the ramp and through the door. Blue closed the hatch with her telekinesis, and both her and Vaughan turned cranks to completely seal the door shut. The sound outside cut dramatically¡ªenough that the four of them could hear each other talk.

    ¡°Okay, here we go¡­¡± Vaughan said, taking in a sharp breath.

    ¡°Strap in!¡± Jeh shouted as she jumped into the pilot¡¯s seat.

    ¡°History in the making¡­¡± Blue said, shaking her head. ¡°Via really hyped us up, didn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°I do not think there was much exaggeration in that speech,¡± Keller said.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ you know what, I¡¯m going to worry about that later.¡± Blue started strapping herself in on the couch. ¡°Everyone in?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Jeh said. ¡°Time to give them the signal¡­¡± She pulled out a Purple crystal and created a flash of light above the Moonshot. Immediately, the shout of ¡°TEN!¡± came from outside. ¡°NINE!¡± It was suddenly a lot louder now that most of the crowd understood what was happening. ¡°EIGHT!¡±

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Vaughan made sure his scepter was secure. He was visibly a lot more nervous than he had been during the test flight up. ¡°SEVEN!¡±

    ¡°Getting cold feet?¡± Blue joked.

    ¡°SIX!¡±

    Vaughan grinned. ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°FIVE!¡±

    ¡°My dream was crazy.¡±

    ¡°FOUR!¡±

    ¡°And now we¡¯re going beyond.¡±

    ¡°THREE!¡±

    Blue looked out the side window, hoping to see the moon, but she couldn¡¯t at this angle. That didn¡¯t bother her much, they¡¯d have plenty of time to look at it closely soon enough.

    ¡°TWO!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll go beyond even this, Vaughan,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°ONE!¡±

    ¡°The stars beckon¡­¡±

    ¡°ZERO!¡±

    ¡°Hold on to your butts!¡± Jeh shouted. This time, she took off from the launchpad faster. Blue¡¯s stomach dropped and the nausea began, but somehow it seemed like an insignificant concern. She¡¯d been through this before, she could go through it again.

    After all, it would all be worth it¡­ whatever the moon held, it would be more than they could ever imagine.

    ~~~

    Once they reached the height that was where the satellite had been orbiting, Jeh cut the engine and allowed everyone to float around. ¡°Okay, Blue, you¡¯re up!¡±

    Blue nodded, unlatching herself. She floated over to the navigation station, which was a glass table overtop one of the windows. There was a drawer in the ¡°floor¡± below the table, though Blue was having a hard time thinking of that as down right now. Opening the drawer, she took out some paper and measuring tools, placing them on the table where she latched them in place with built-in clamps. She pulled out her pre-prepared diagram of Ikyu and the Moon. ¡°Okay Jeh, I need you to point the window at Ikyu¡­ turn slowly, we don¡¯t want to jostle.¡±

    Jeh did as asked. As she rotated the Moonshot, those who were affixed to the ground or seated felt a slight force pulling them to the edge, while Blue, who was levitating, had to manually correct her position so the ship didn¡¯t just move the ¡°floor¡± out from ¡°under¡± her. The window clearly showed Ikyu, though not in its entirety, as it was still too visually large to be seen through both the window and the table.

    No matter, all Blue needed was the visible curvature, and that was easy to see. She measured it, recorded it, and determined their distance from the surface. ¡°Okay Jeh, the moon now.¡± Jeh did as asked. This was mostly a formality, as they hadn¡¯t moved enough for the moon to visibly change size, but Blue wanted to keep detailed records. They were going to triangulate their position this way. ¡°Okay, the sun now.¡±

    Unlike Ikyu and the moon, Blue wasn¡¯t actually going to measure the visible size of the sun since they had no idea how big the sun actually was. No, instead, the sun was there to provide a reference point for their position, which would manifest as a line drawn through the sun and the moon, and another line through the sun and Ikyu. With this, she could determine their position. Which was¡­ a dot basically right on top of Ikyu at the moment, but it would be much more useful when they were in the vast void between Ikyu and the moon.

    ¡°All right¡­¡± at this point Blue consulted the star chart as well as her orbital flight plan. She determined the exact direction they needed to go. She levitated the page over to Jeh. ¡°Okay, Jeh, find this star, then push the drive at maximum directly at it for four minutes.¡±

    ¡°You got it, boss! Strap in!¡±

    Blue levitated herself back to her couch and strapped in. ¡°All right¡­ Vaughan, you watching the loop?¡±

    Vaughan glanced at a Magenta loop on the wall that flashed through a full cycle every second. ¡°Yep. I¡¯ll let you know when we¡¯ve hit time.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°You all ready?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Jeh let out a crazed laugh. ¡°And now¡­ it¡¯s time to go further than we¡¯ve ever gone before! Goodbye, Ikyu!¡± She put the drive on maximum pushed forward. Everyone was pressed into the ¡°ground¡± and had to deal with the intense force for the next four minutes.

    ¡°Geez¡­ good thing we don¡¯t have to do this the entire trip¡­¡± Vaughan muttered.

    ¡°Most of the trip will be spent drifting,¡± Blue offered. ¡°Doing nothing but taking measurements and waiting.¡±

    Keller pulled out the transmitting device. ¡°This is Agent Keller. We are on our way int¡¯ the depths o¡¯ space. Ya probably won¡¯t hear from us again until we get back, Benefactor. All is going well at this time, no signs of any problems. Keller out.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, I forgot we needed to do that,¡± Vaughan said with a chuckle.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here,¡± Keller said with a tip of his hat.

    ¡°I thought you were here to spy on us?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°That too.¡±

    There were a series of chuckles as they blasted further and further into space.

    ~~~

    Blue had found that it was most comfortable to place herself directly above the glass table, placing herself so it appeared to be in front of her, like she was doing all her calculations on a wall. She was adapting the best out of all of them to moving around in weightlessness entirely due to her attribute. She could fix her body in any orientation and handling objects with her telekinesis was simple, even the ill-behaved and awkward liquids were easy for her.

    She looked at the trajectory she had just plotted. They had moved at a shallow curve away from Ikyu, as expected. They hadn¡¯t moved really far though, so she wasn¡¯t entirely sure if they were exactly on course yet or if they would need to correct. At the very least, though, their distance from Ikyu was visible, simply looking out the window revealed that the globe was much smaller than it had been during the first measurement. That said, the windows currently had the curtains drawn over them so nobody got sunburned, the interior was currently lit by Purple lamps.

    Blue folded her back legs across each other, trying to focus on her work¡ªexcept annoyingly she couldn¡¯t do that anymore as she¡¯d just finished it, she needed to wait to take another measurement. She let out a huff. ¡°So far, we¡¯re on track.¡±

    ¡°Yes, on track¡­¡± Vaughan said, absent-mindedly as he crossed and uncrossed his legs, bouncing one of them up and down nervously. Earlier, this had prompted him to float into the air without realizing it, so he was now strapped to a chair by choice.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s good, in the clear, we just have to¡­ wait.¡± Blue said. She wanted to tap her hoof on something but that would just send her moving and she did not want to strap herself in right now. She was floating, free, and¡­ don¡¯t think about it, don¡¯t think about it, don¡¯t think about it¡­

    ¡°This is ridiculous!¡± Jeh shouted, waving her arms. She kicked off one of the walls and drifted over to one of the storage hatches in the wall. She popped it open and took out a plast bag. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not that bad, you just¡­¡± with her back to them she proceeded to relieve herself in the bag, zip it up, and then turn around. Despite trying to put on a confident, self-assured face, she was still a little red in the face. ¡°Tah-dah, nothing to it!¡± She let the bag drift in the air while she put her hands on her hips. ¡°Come on, we all knew we were going to have to do this, we even designed for it and everything, so deal, stop tormenting yourselves over there.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, ya all need to relieve yourselves already?¡± Keller asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I could have gone a few more hours.¡±

    ¡°Some of us might have tiny bladders,¡± Jeh said with a huff. She pulled a couple more bags out of storage and threw them toward Vaughan and Blue. ¡°This is the price of space exploration, you two.¡±

    Both of them looked nervously at the bags.

    ¡°Get on with it!¡± Jeh waved her arms.

    After the shouting order, the two of them did. They were less¡­ graceful about it than Jeh was, and some of the mess had to be taken care of with telekinesis and Orange, but the embarrassing fiasco was over quickly. At the end of it, Blue rammed her face into the couch and Vaughan¡¯s face was bright red.

    ¡°Perhaps y¡¯all shoulda gone through trainin¡¯ on this first,¡± Keller suggested.

    ¡°Training for going to the bathroom in space, how ridiculous,¡± Jeh muttered as she gathered the bags and drifted over to waste storage. ¡°Watch you fail and spray everything everywhere when it¡¯s your turn.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m too lucky for that.¡±

    ¡°Ha hah.¡± Jeh popped the waste hatch open.

    Either Rina or Rona beamed at her from behind the hatch. ¡°Hi!¡±

    Jeh stared at her blankly.

    ¡°Can you back up? It¡¯s going to be a little awkward¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªgmemm oumma heef,¡± came a second, very muffled voice deeper in the waste container.

    Jeh backed up as requested, still not sure how to respond to this. As she did, both of the Sourdough twins slowly removed themselves from the storage container. Neither of them were any good at dealing with weightlessness, as they toppled and wobbled the moment they emerged, but they still maintained their cute, innocent smiles.

    ¡°¡­What are you two doing here!?¡± Blue shouted. ¡°This¡­ I can¡¯t even¡­¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± one of them began.

    ¡°¡­see, we¡¯re here to witness history!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t pass an opportunity like this up.¡±

    ¡°Whatever¡¯s up there could very quickly be classified.¡±

    ¡°And we wanted to see it.¡±

    ¡°Also, this will definitely get our names in the history books.¡±

    ¡°And, since we¡¯re cute adorable kids, you won¡¯t charge us with anything nasty!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Agent Keller?¡±

    Agent Keller scratched his chin. ¡°These kids are good. They knew the perfect place to hide, too.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, it wasn¡¯t that hard to predict,¡± one of them said.

    The other nodded. ¡°You would all want to avoid relieving yourselves as long as possible due to embarrassment¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªso we had the largest amount of time hidden in the waste compartment!¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯re waaaaay too far out to go back now, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°It would be¡­ an annoying strain on the drive to turn back, we¡¯d have to open the doors multiple times, and¡­ Keller, politically that would be a mess, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Might delay the launch by another week or more, and they¡¯d demand much tighter security.¡±

    Blue sighed. ¡°You two. I am not happy about this at all. This is not okay. This is bad.¡±

    ¡°But you can¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªdo anything about it!¡± Both of them giggled in unison.

    Blue facehooved.

    ¡°So¡­ they get to go with us to the moon?¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Looks like it,¡± Vaughan said with a chuckle.

    ¡°YAY!¡± Jeh said, pulling the twins into a tight weightless hug. ¡°This is going to be so much better with you two here!¡±

    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t funny, this is putting children in danger!¡± Blue pointed a hoof at Vaughan.

    ¡°Well, they want to be here¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re being stupid!¡±

    ¡°Actually it took a lot of planning for them to get here, it seems,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to ration food now! Check our water resources more carefully! We¡ª¡±

    One of the Sourdough Twins pulled a bag out from under the folds of her dress. ¡°We have bread.¡±

    Blue stared at the bag.

    ¡°We¡¯ll share,¡± the twins said in unison, winking.

    ¡°¡­The government might not press charges but I¡¯m sure Lila¡¯s going to have a thing or two to say to you two¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, we know,¡± one said.

    ¡°But even business reprimands are definitely worth this.¡±

    ¡°The twins who snuck onto the first trip to the moon!¡±

    ¡°Imagine the legacy.¡±

    ¡°One more step towards our goal.¡±

    The two of them giggled and high-fived. They had forgotten they were weightless and proceeded to fly off in opposite directions from the force.

    ¡°Anyway, this does show somethin¡¯,¡± Keller said. ¡°In the future, check every hatch before launch.¡±

    ¡°I thought we did,¡± Blue muttered.

    ¡°The Moonshot had been sittin¡¯ there for hours.¡±

    Blue glared at the twins. ¡°This ship is too crowded now¡­¡±

    One of the twins rubbed her head, trying to deal with the pain of bonking her head on the wall. ¡°Yes, well, we can be useful too. Now more of you can sleep at once, we can manage the air restorer!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    ¡°Might as well put them to work,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°They want us to appreciate them!¡± Blue hissed. ¡°We¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason we shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    Blue, sagging in defeat, returned to her couch and started grumbling incoherently.

    The six-man crew drifted further and further into space¡­

    ~~~

    The Moonshot was now cramped; it hadn¡¯t exactly been roomy beforehand. It had been designed to house four people reasonably, and the pilot¡¯s seat technically made it so there could be five if one sat down in the middle all day long. But now there were six.

    Jeh had discovered really quickly that she was somewhat antsy because of this. This surprised her¡ªshe¡¯d been inside the Skyseeds and those had basically no room in them at all. But unlike the Skyseeds, she couldn¡¯t just start spinning the Moonshot around to exercise her control over the situation, that would press everyone into the walls and throw things around. She had other people to be concerned about. For the first little bit of the trip, she had started whipping herself around the gyroscope her pilot¡¯s seat was on, but Vaughan had eventually warned her that she could wear out the bearings if she overdid it. So she just¡­ sat there. Sometimes on her head, sometimes on her side, sometimes she hung from the chair and groaned. At least Jeh had a reason to be in the Pilot seat, most of the time, where there was plenty of room to do this, and she was small.

    Blue did not have such luxuries and she was having the next-largest amount of trouble. She was getting twitchy. She wanted to splay herself out on the couch, but that would require actually strapping herself in and asking anyone else who might have been on it to move. Currently, Vaughan was on it, but he was sleeping¡ªboth him and Keller were, though Keller was inside of a sleeping bag strapped to what Blue was currently trying to think was the ¡°ceiling.¡±

    Blue did her best to occupy herself, but she kept bumping her rump and her horn into the beam frameworks. Her attempts to arrange herself in a position that this never happened made her neck hurt when she tried to work on the table where she charted their current position, and she wasn¡¯t about to just stop doing that. It was proving to be a very good distraction¡­

    At least until one of the Sourdough Twins came over with a wet rag, using it as a mop, spraying mist into the air and kicking up the black dust that was starting to accumulate from the constant use of the air restorer.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Blue groaned.

    ¡°You would rather we cleaned it now,¡± the gari said. ¡°It can¡¯t be good to breathe this stuff in.¡±

    ¡°You are kicking it up into my face.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, at least it¡¯s getting cleaned, hmm?¡± She continued her mopping job, which continued to spray little water droplets into the air that continually floated around. The other Sourdough twin was going through with a bucket collecting these on the other side of the Moonshot. She also currently had the air restorer strap on her, taking the weight off the others.

    Blue hated to admit it, but while the twins were making things cramped, they were making themselves useful. They made it so sleeping in shifts was easier, they were great at cleaning, and that bread¡­ had been quite delicious.

    Still, this was going to be a nightmare to sort out later, so Blue still felt she had the right to be ticked off. Plus, someone had to make it known to them that this was a dumb idea. Jeh was happy they were there, Vaughan was too soft, and Keller seemed far too relaxed for the entire situation. It fell to her and she was¡­

    ¡­She wasn¡¯t exactly sure what she was doing, but she wasn¡¯t going to approve of them. That was for sure. Blue decided to stop thinking about this and get back to calculating the results of the last measurement. She knew where they were, roughly, but the path they were taking¡­ it was starting to look different than the path she had expected them to take. She would need more data. Should she ask for more measurements? No, it hadn¡¯t been long enough yet.

    ¡°Jeh, we¡¯re getting a little warm,¡± one of the twins said, wiping her brow.

    ¡°Oh it!¡± Jeh said, holding up a Blue crystal and applying it on one of the knobs outside the ship Blue couldn¡¯t see. It took a few minutes, but the Moonshot became noticeably cooler. ¡°And there ya go!¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± the twins said in unison, continuing their cleaning of the Moonshot.

    ¡°¡­And now I¡¯m booooored again,¡± Jeh groaned.

    ¡°I can have you take another measurement?¡± Blue suggested.

    ¡°But we just did that,¡± Jeh grumbled, flopping over the side of the pilot¡¯s seat like a fish. This actually took some effort to do considering that all of them were currently weightless, and such a flop would have normally just made her float away from the chair. ¡°Maybe we can play cards?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to try to get everyone around the same tiny table?¡±

    ¡°Or tell stories or do magic or something.¡± Jeh took out a Red crystal, throwing it from one of her hands to the other. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s right, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve shown you guys what fire looks like in space! It¡¯s not normal!¡±

    Blue raised an eyebrow. ¡°How is it not normal?¡±

    ¡°Spheres! Look, just watch¡­¡±

    ¡°Make sure to make it small¡ª¡± either Rina or Rona said.

    ¡°¡ªwe don¡¯t want to be breathing in lots of smoke!¡± the other finished.

    ¡°Yeah yeah, I¡¯m just burning the air, don¡¯t turn your hair into a nest¡­¡± Jeh pointed the Red crystal at a spot between her and Blue. ¡°Just a little spar¡ª¡±

    Instead of a nice, small, controlled flame, there was a sudden burst of heat that radiated out from the central point, coursing through the air. There were no flames on this heat, it was just a spherical shell of translucent glowing orange that spread through the air. It spread slower than a normal explosion would, but it was still far too quick to react to before it reached Blue and her papers. She let out a scream of panic, both in seeing her carefully made charts catch fire, but also in the fire starting to catch on her coat. She tried to drop to the ground and roll, but this was impossible in her current state, and¡­

    ¡­and then her brain was scrambled and she had a splitting headache, but nothing was on fire. ¡°What?¡±

    A rather panicked-looking Jeh was holding a Green crystal so tightly it was cutting through her mitts into her hands. ¡°Ehe¡­ I¡­ The fire¡¯s never done that before¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe ya shouldn¡¯t be lightin¡¯ fires in a spaceship,¡± Keller grunted, coming out of his sleeping bag. Vaughan, meanwhile, was still sleeping soundly.

    ¡°But I lit fires before! They just became glowing spheres that generally snuff themselves out!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve never been on a trip this long,¡± one of the Sourdough twins said.

    ¡°Something has changed.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s the black dust.¡± The twin who spoke held up her rag.

    Blue raised an eyebrow. ¡°But Jeh just lit the air on fire, I don¡¯t see any of it in the air.¡±

    ¡°Since when do ya see normal dust?¡± Keller asked.

    Blue blinked. ¡°W-well, I¡­ I hadn¡¯t thought of it aerosolizing, but¡­ yes, we have been breathing it in¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to be careful with heat,¡± one of the twins said.

    ¡°And be extra dutiful in cleaning!¡±

    Keller nodded. ¡°Good thought. Although, so long as we have Jeh quick on the draw with that Green talent o¡¯ hers¡­¡± He tipped his hat. ¡°Worst that¡¯ll happen is some mental damage.¡±

    ¡°Unless none of us can breathe,¡± Jeh pointed out.

    ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s what the extra air tanks are for, right?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ yeah. Speaking of¡­¡± Jeh glanced at the pressure gauge on the wall. The level of water in the tube was still within normal levels, it meant the air pressure was fine. ¡°Looks like we haven¡¯t lost any air yet.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Blue said, sighing in relief. ¡°At least that¡¯s going right. But from now on¡­¡± She glared at Jeh. ¡°Let¡¯s not do crazy experiments just to see out here, shall we? It¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I didn¡¯t think it was an experiment! And none of you stopped me!¡±

    Blue clicked her tongue. ¡°True¡­ I guess we all need to be more careful.¡±

    ¡°And need to keep everything cleaner!¡± the twins said in unison.

    ¡°Yes, it is possible we owe ya much,¡± Keller said. ¡°Who knows how much worse it would have been without ya?¡±

    Blue groaned and went back to her work. ¡°¡­Jeh, let¡¯s take a position measurement.¡±

    Jeh let out a nervous chuckle before hopping back into the pilot¡¯s seat. ¡°You got it!¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­Something¡¯s not adding up,¡± Blue said.

    Vaughan, Keller, and one of the twins were awake at that moment, though given how still Keller was sitting on one of the supports one could be forgiven for thinking he was asleep. Vaughan was busy with his own work, adding details on his map of the moon¡ªit was significantly larger now and the telescope could find a lot more features. This left the sole aware twin as Blue¡¯s only real audience.

    ¡°What¡¯s not adding up?¡± she asked, putting down a star chart she was looking at, more out of boredom than anything¡ªeverything was clean at the moment, she didn¡¯t have anything to do.

    Blue glanced up at her, considering calling Vaughan over¡­ but no, he had his work, and it probably would help to start talking about it aloud. ¡°Okay, so, this is the trajectory map¡­¡±

    The gari nodded, eagerly absorbing the information.

    ¡°Now, in red here is the trajectory we were supposed to take based on our initial conditions. The black line with a lot more wobbles in it is the trajectory we are actually taking.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not the same.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. And that¡¯s a problem.¡±

    She put one of her fingers down on the trajectory map, measuring the difference to be half that of her finger. Then she moved her finger over to Ikyu and found that such a distance was larger than all of Kroan. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look big, but it¡¯s really big.¡±

    ¡°We expected to be off, but not this off,¡± Blue said. ¡°The last few kinks in our path was me trying to get us back on track, but as you can see¡­ all it does is change how fast we curve around, we¡¯re still moving at a shallower curve than we should be.¡±

    Rina or Rona crossed her arms, thinking. ¡°Well, we must misunderstand something, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ yes, right.¡±

    ¡°Then we need to start eliminating possible options for misunderstanding so we can figure out what the real problem is, and fix it.¡± She ran her fingers through her hair, clearly thinking hard. ¡°How accurate are our measurements?¡±

    ¡°More than that.¡±

    ¡°Are we sure?¡±

    Blue huffed. ¡°Of course we¡¯re sure, we know how objects look from a distance, and there¡¯s not even any air out here to bend the light¡­¡±

    ¡°Are we sure space doesn¡¯t bend light really, really slowly?¡±

    Blue let out a chuckle and opened her mouth to tell the girl how silly that was. Then she stopped and closed her mouth. There had never been any accurate measurements in space, and the ones they¡¯d done had all been close to Ikyu, where such effects might have been minimized, if there were any. If space really did have some kind of refracting property¡­

    ¡°Okay, so, that means it¡¯s at least possible. How could we tell if that¡¯s what was happening?¡±

    ¡°¡­If there was some sort of light bending, the measurement of the distance to the moon would be incorrect¡­¡± Blue flipped a page in her notebook and started scribbling a diagram furiously. ¡°Now, regardless of if there¡¯s an effect or not, both Ikyu and the moon would experience it. Since both Ikyu and the moon are growing and shrinking at reasonable rates, it must be a uniform effect, if it¡¯s anything¡­ and¡­ right!¡± Blue picked up her pen and tossed it into the air. ¡°We are applying force to our craft, and how fast we end up going depends on the mass. Even if we don¡¯t know how far it is to the moon for sure, we do know roughly how much force we have applied.¡± Blue pointed at the kinks in the trajectory. ¡°It¡¯s only on the long scale that these paths diverge, we do still end up going the same directions at the same expected rate initially. If the distance to the moon were measured incorrectly, we would see a discrepancy in our instantaneous speeds there, but we don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°So the measurement of the distance to the moon is accurate.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Or, well, close enough, there¡¯s always been a large margin of error on that measurement. But that margin of error wouldn¡¯t explain the behavior we see in the paths which¡­ aha! Here¡¯s another reason! The paths are following different shapes than what I expect!¡± she pulled out a sheet of paper she¡¯d drawn previously and showed the paths she¡¯d traced out. ¡°They¡¯re still ovals, but they¡¯re offset. A distance measurement error wouldn¡¯t shift it like this.¡±

    The Sourdough twin nodded, smirking. ¡°Then our measurements are at least accurate enough, and since your plots are consistent, the error doesn¡¯t lie with your calculations either, we really are on these trajectories. So¡­ what does that leave?¡±

    ¡°You are too smart for your own good.¡±

    ¡°We did prepare for this mission, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Blue glanced at the sleeping twin, tilting her head. ¡°It really is odd just talking to one of you.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s better for us to be in two places at once. Now, focus, we want this mission to succeed so we should figure out this issue. What else could be causing this?¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°Measurements are fine¡­ there could be some extra force out here we don¡¯t know about, like¡­ some kind of ¡®space wind?¡¯ Except¡­ no, that would result in a drift in one direction, this one applies no matter where we are, it seems, so¡­ that means¡­¡± She pulled out a sheet of paper that showed her equations for the downward force and orbital shapes. ¡°Something in the equations is wrong.¡±

    ¡°How do we find out which one?¡±

    ¡°We perform¡­ a test! On the simplest case¡­¡± Blue circled the equation for circular motion. ¡°We see what it takes to force the Moonshot into a circular orbit and take measurements then, and we can work backward to see what¡¯s going on. So¡­¡± She picked up a crumpled-up ball of paper and threw it at Vaughan.

    ¡°Wh-what?¡± He looked up from his moon map.

    ¡°When you¡¯re done with that, we¡¯re going to need to alter course and take some measurements. Something¡¯s funky and I¡¯d rather not crash into the moon because of it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well¡­ I was almost done anyway. The big circle with rays on it is most interesting, but I think we still need to get closer.¡± He quickly scratched some lines in his book and drifted over to the pilot¡¯s seat, strapping himself in. ¡°Okay, so¡­ where to?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna need to push quite a bit for this one¡­¡± Blue gave the instructions. Vaughan eased into the course correction so as not to wake anyone¡ªthough, since all the sleepers were literally strapped to the walls in their sleeping bags, this might not have mattered much. The Moonshot slowly arced its trajectory away from its gradual spiral toward the moon and settled into a circular orbit over about twenty minutes. The only reason this was so simple was because they had intended to circularize their orbit just before arriving at the moon anyway, so their gradual spiral was geared to allow such things.

    The difficulty arose when the orbit that was supposed to be circular wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Okay, yeah, something¡¯s up¡­¡± Blue said as she performed another set of calculations from the new data set. ¡°We¡¯re too fast, it looks like¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you guys doing cool space stuff without me?¡± Jeh asked, crawling out of her sleeping bag.

    ¡°Not anymore,¡± Vaughan said, letting out a large breath of air as he unstrapped himself from the pilot¡¯s chair. ¡°She¡¯s milking me dry¡­¡±

    ¡°I am not a slave driver,¡± Blue deadpanned. ¡°Though, yes, you can trade with Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Awesome!¡± Jeh hopped into the seat. ¡°Okay, what are we doing?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re trying to circularize the orbit¡­ here, slow us down by¡­¡± Blue gave another set of instructions.

    In the end, it actually took several hours to get the orbit right, but after a lot of pushing and prodding, they were in a circular orbit around Ikyu.

    Blue did not believe the speed she was measuring.

    ¡°This is¡­ so much less than what we were expecting¡­¡± Blue said, furrowing her brow. ¡°But since Ikyu is pulling us in, doesn¡¯t that mea¡­¡± Blue¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Oh, I think she just got it,¡± one of the twins said. Both of them were awake now, Blue hadn¡¯t kept track of which one was the one she¡¯d been talking to.

    ¡°Look at those wheels turn!¡± the other twin added.

    Blue took out a sheet of paper. She plotted on it three points. Satellite. Moonshot. Moon. On one axis was distance from Ikyu. On the other was speed.

    She drew a curve through them.

    ¡°Oh. My. For the. It was right in front of us the whole time!¡± She rammed her face into the table, which prompted her to launch back into the pilot¡¯s seat.

    ¡°What was?¡± Jeh asked, poking her head over the back of the pilot¡¯s seat.

    ¡°The moon isn¡¯t moving slower than expected because it¡¯s big, it¡¯s moving slower because it¡¯s further away! The force of Ikyu goes down the further out you go!¡±

    Vaughan grumbled form his sleeping bag. ¡°Some of us are tryin¡¯ to nap here¡­¡±

    ¡°But Vaughan, I figured it out!¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay, I¡¯m curious¡­¡± Vaughan poked his head out of the sleeping bag only for Blue to ram a diagram into his face.

    ¡°The moon isn¡¯t weird at all, we just made a mistake in assuming Ikyu¡¯s pull was constant everywhere! It goes down with distance!¡±

    Vaughan, half-asleep though he was, could still recognize this as huge. ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°That changes everything about orbital dynamics and is the entire reason our trajectories have been so bad but, but, look at how neat that curve is! So smooth! So regular! I can use my fancy new math to figure out how everything changes! Hah! Oh, you¡¯re all so lucky I did this before we came up here, these calculations will just take a few hours not a few days! Hah!¡± She pulled out a large notebook and immediately started scribbling furiously in it.

    Rina and Rona clapped excitedly. ¡°Good going, Blue!¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you, now everyone rest easy knowing your circular orbit is going to stay circular while I figure this out exactly.¡±

    Keller frowned. ¡°This sounds like a major change t¡¯ the flight plan¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, believe it or not, this makes it much easier. The most difficult part was going to be getting to the moon without crashing into it because we¡¯d want to naturally go at a different speed! That¡¯s not the case anymore, we¡¯ll be going more-or-less the same speed when we arrive! Hah!¡±

    ¡°Frontier science!¡± Jeh cheered.

    ¡°Anyway, uh, ahem.¡± Blue coughed. ¡°Sorry about being so loud Vaughan, you can go back to sleep now, this will take a bit.¡±

    ¡°Me? Go to sleep now? In the middle of this excitement?¡±

    ¡°Still sorry.¡± Blue flicked her ears back.

    Vaughan grinned. ¡°You¡¯re forgiven. Now finish those calculations so we can get back on track.¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± Blue hurried back to her notebook. ¡°So, let¡¯s see what kind of relation this actually is¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust this,¡± Wyett said.

    ¡°You never trusted anything,¡± Tenrayce added.

    ¡°You don¡¯t trust this either.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but my observation still holds.¡±

    The two of them were headed into the forests surrounding Axiom¡­ with a full contingent, including a middle-aged yellow dragon, several wizards among whom was Pepper, and a mixture of royal guards and standard soldiers. They even had the Red Crystalline One J¡¯ar¡¯x, who was unable to levitate herself without burning people so she was being dragged along on a wooden platform mounted on top of four crab-like creatures¡ªthey were animals, not spirited, though a smaller crab-creature sitting on top with J¡¯ar¡¯x was a spirited, the only known of his kind. He communicated entirely in clicks only a select few of the company could understand.

    Tenrayce was one of them.

    ¡°You sure?¡± Tenrayce said, turning to glance at the crab.

    The crab clicked once again.

    ¡°It really is a rigid that we¡¯re going to meet then.¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t trust this¡­¡± Wyett grumbled.

    ¡°Mavrick¡¯s attribute is reliable for sensing most rigid activity at¡ª¡±

    ¡°I trust him just fine and you know it. I don¡¯t trust going out here for this meeting.¡±

    ¡°We still do not know what the plague desires.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s never communicated. It¡¯s been extremely subtle or extremely violent. It never speaks, only the puppets it torments speak.¡± He wrung his hands. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Dad approved this¡­¡±

    ¡°We all discussed it.¡±

    ¡°Mom and Via weren¡¯t there.¡±

    ¡°Would that have changed anything?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Wyett crossed his arms. ¡°Still, both of us are being put in danger.¡±

    ¡°Hence the army, obviously.¡±

    ¡°The plague¡¯s smart. It has to realize that by not barring an army, we would bring one¡­¡±

    ¡°Which implies the purpose is not to assassinate us. Which leads us to the far more interesting question: what does it want?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be anything good¡­ Perhaps it wants to negotiate our surrender¡­¡±

    ¡°Doubtful. Even our worst estimates show that it can¡¯t have that many forces in Kroan, the difficulty of supporting rigids outside the Shinelands severely limits the number it can operate.¡±

    ¡°Then what could it possibly want!?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°I am¡­ very curious.¡±

    ¡°Mmmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, Wyett?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Cheer up, try to relax. Maybe not now, but¡­¡± Tenrayce sighed. ¡°Look, since it¡¯s me saying this, you know I mean it. You¡¯re pushing yourself to the breaking point, you need to find a way around it. Let your wife do more for you¡ªor try to do more for her sake, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not¡­ good at knowing what to do there. But I know you need¡­ something.¡±

    Wyett looked at his sister in shock and then sighed. ¡°I¡­ I know, I¡¯m not well. But I¡­¡± He looked down at his hands, which were shaking. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to be anything else.¡±

    Tenrayce put her hand on his shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but I know I¡¯ll help however I can. The rest of your family will as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just so¡­¡±

    ¡°Afraid and angry?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Even I can tell that.¡± Tenrayce shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not a good place to be.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I know. It¡¯s getting¡­ exhausting. But I don¡¯t know how to do anything else¡­¡±

    ¡°I really wish I could help you¡­¡± Tenrayce folded her arms. ¡°Going off what Mom and Dad taught us, I think¡­ you should just be more open about those feelings with everyone, and not hide behind shouting about policy? Maybe? I¡­ I¡¯m just extrapolating here.¡±

    ¡°¡­I think I¡¯ll talk to Via about it.¡± Wyett nodded his head. ¡°She just seems to¡­ get this.¡±

    ¡°Dumb as a rock, pure as a dove. I do hope she¡¯s enjoying the launch. If it hadn¡¯t been for this meeting, I would be there.¡±

    ¡°Politics are always getting in the way of what we want to do most.¡±

    ¡°You still want to be a bard?¡±

    Wyett laughed. ¡°By Dia, no! That would be just so¡­ silly, at this point.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, interesting?¡±

    ¡°Oooh, doubly interesting, you don¡¯t know what I mean.¡± Tenrayce smirked.

    ¡°Tenii!¡±

    Tenrayce¡¯s laughter increased, and Wyett couldn¡¯t help but chuckle himself. For a moment, all the strain of the situation melted away from the Prince and the Princess.

    That moment did not last long enough.

    There was a loud crash. A shout. A scream. A scream that both Wyett and Tenrayce recognized.

    ¡°Mom!?¡± Tenryace called out in shock. ¡°Everyone, move!¡± She took off in a run.

    ¡°What¡¯s Mom doing out here!?¡± Wyett shouted.

    ¡°She was on a hunt, could have been here!¡±

    A few of the soldiers were of races faster than the Kroans, and so they overtook their charges, forming a circular ring around them. They would have made a more complicated formation, but there was simply no time¡ªthe scream had been close.

    Even running through the forest with wild abandon, they could still hear it. The screams. The clank and creak of breaking metal. A wild howl that most would have thought was a wild animal but the Kroans knew was the battle cry of their mother.

    They did not arrive at the scene of the battle. The battle came to them. Red blood and black oil spewed all over as Queen Riikaz fell through the canopy, physically wrestling a Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho that was missing three of its limbs, and given the sparking from the stumps those losses had been extremely recent. One of Riikaz¡¯s legs was twisted at a decidedly unnatural angle, and one of her shoulders was clearly dislocated.

    She nonetheless, with the dislocated arm, rammed a dagger right into the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho¡¯s core. However, she was using her other hand to hold on, and the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho had one of his remaining legs directly above her head. The rigid no longer had any awareness to push the limb forward, for death had already come¡ªbut the two of them slamming into the ground took care of that. The knife cut right through the Queen¡¯s forehead and dug a significant distance into the ground.

    ¡°No!¡± Tenrayce shouted, surrounding the entire area in Green magic, undoing the last moment. The skewered leg was removed from Riikaz¡¯ head and the wound healed over in an instant. Tenryace stopped short of restoring the rigid, allowing her mother¡¯s knife to remain embedded in its center.

    Tenrayce ran to the form of Riikaz. ¡°Mom! Mom! I¡¯m here, I¡¯ve got you, I¡¯ve¡­¡±

    Riikaz¡¯s eyes were open. Her head showed no sign of the injury. She was even breathing.

    But her eyes did not lock onto anything.

    She did not react as Tenrayce kneeled down to her, cradling her head in her hands.

    ¡°Mom¡­ what¡­ I¡­¡± For once in her life, words failed the Princess. Just a moment ago she had been laughing with her brother, and now, it¡­ her mind tried to come up with a way to categorize what was happening, but even simple assertions were too much for her. Any moment of analysis was left by the wayside, replaced with the present, unavoidable, dominating image of her mother¡¯s blank face in her hands.

    She was frozen.

    She would never know if she would have been able to pull herself out of it, for Pepper came up. Tenrayce barely reacted to her¡­ until she lifted up Riikaz¡¯ hand and chopped it off in one swift motion.

    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Tenrayce screeched with righteous indignation, ready to bring the fury of the whole Crown on Pepper for daring to do such a thing.

    But then the part of the hand in Pepper¡¯s grip turned to purple sludge.

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    Pepper threw the scythe into Riikaz¡¯s heart. The previously unresponsive body suddenly became a writhing mess¡­ that melted into amorphous purple sludge in a manner of seconds. Even the rigid did the same.

    ¡°Shapeshifter,¡± Pepper said, kneeling down. ¡°This was all a ruse.¡±

    ¡°A¡­ a ruse!?¡± Tenrayce¡¯s sorrows were instantly replaced with anger. But she could think with anger. ¡°Who would go through such lengths and why!?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I do know that this shapeshifter is dead. My attack should not have been able to do that, this was probably a suicide mission.¡± Pepper grimaced. ¡°Dia, why do people do such terrible things?¡±

    ¡°Because of some kind of benefit, that¡¯s why. They wanted us to think our mother was dead, if only for a moment, and¡­¡± Tenrayce paused.

    Wyett was missing.

    And so was the dragon.

    She didn¡¯t even need to ask. He had run off and taken the dragon.

    The dragon was the fastest way back to Axiom. He would arrive long before she did no matter what.

    ¡°No¡­ Wyett¡­ Wyett!¡±

    ~~~

    King Redmind stood in his personal chambers, looking at a picture on the wall. It was a painting of his wife¡¯s village in the Wild Kingdoms. Her people were warriors who may have held a lot of territory and had much influence, but they chose to live simpler lives. Their houses were simple single-room huts made of whatever materials could be found; in this case, wood and straw. The trees towered above the huts, and the sun cast many beams upon the land below. And yet, the sun was not the dominant feature of the painting, that was the massive bonfire right in the center, around which the shapes of gari and greater unicorns were dancing, represented in the painting as little more than shadows. And yet, their joy was clear.

    They were so different from the ¡°civilized¡± land he ruled. Some days he entertained the idea of, after leaving the Crown to Wyett, taking his wife and going to live a simpler life for the rest of his days. A far-off dream, to be sure, and the Kingdom would have to be stable for him to allow himself such a luxury¡­ but he could hope and pray that, one day, it would come.

    A sudden sadness came over him.

    ¡°So¡­ it is not to be,¡± he said aloud, looking up at the ceiling.

    Then Wyett kicked the door in with bloodstained eyes, tears rolling down his face, and a sword in his hand.

    Redmind was prepared for this. Ever since Wyett had been confirmed to be a singer, he had been mentally preparing himself to possibly fight his own son. He never went anywhere, not even in private, without his sword¡ªand he was far more experienced with the blade than his son was. He met his son¡¯s blade with his own and pushed him back.

    This fist clash was all Redmind needed to know that his son was not being controlled right now. A controlled assassination would not have the subject flailing wildly, bawling, and screaming in deep, primal rage. He was being extremely sloppy in his swordplay and didn¡¯t seem to care that he was leaving himself so open.

    Redmind could have easily killed him with but a single strike.

    ¡°Wyett, what has happened to you?¡± Redmind asked as he nearly effortlessly swatted Wyett¡¯s blade to the side.

    ¡°This is all your fault!¡±

    ¡°In a sense, yes, but surely we can talk this out rather than resorting to violence?¡± Redmind asked. ¡°Son, I love you very dearly.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change what you¡¯ve done!¡±

    ¡°Wyett, Wyett¡­ please, stop.¡± Redmind could not keep the tears out of his own eyes. ¡°You¡¯re hurting me plenty already, surely¡­¡±

    ¡°This kind of pain doesn¡¯t stop you from hurting everyone else! You are going to run this country into the ground! This entire family is in danger because of you!¡±

    Redmind started to get a sinking feeling in his stomach as he batted Wyett¡¯s sword aside again. ¡°Wyett¡­ what has happened?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s dead! Mom¡¯s dead!¡±

    Reldmind felt as though a sword had been driven through his heart. He stumbled back, hitting the picture on the wall and knocking it to the ground.

    He didn¡¯t even feel when Wyett¡¯s sword actually plunged into him.

    ¡°I¡­ should never¡­ have let her¡­ go¡­¡±

    Wyett flicked the blood off his sword. ¡°You¡­ you¡­ after all this, only now you can see that you were wrong!?¡±

    Redmind was no longer even looking at his son. ¡°Riikaz¡­ my wild flower¡­ oh Riikaz¡­¡± He coughed up blood, but it was as though he didn¡¯t feel it.

    ¡°You knew full well that you were risking all of our lives! You knew it! You¡­ Listen to me! Listen to me!¡±

    Redmind¡¯s head slumped forward and he stopped moving. But then, suddenly, he took in a sharp, haggard breath, and with great effort lifted his head to look Wyett in the eyes.

    ¡°W-w-wyett¡­ I¡­ forgive you¡­¡±

    That was all the strength the King had left. Suddenly, he broke out into a smile before slumping over, not to move again.

    Wyett stared down at the form of his father. His entire body shook. He turned to the side and threw up the contents of his stomach and proceeded to fall to the ground with so little control that he bruised his legs and cut a gash on one of his arms.

    He pulled his knees to his chest and just¡­ breathed.

    Staring at his father.

    He remained like this until Tenrayce came in.

    She stood there, motionless, for several minutes.

    ¡°¡­I prayed, and prayed, and prayed that you hadn¡¯t,¡± Tenrayce said, eventually, through her blubbering. ¡°Begging Dia that you wouldn¡¯t. That you couldn¡¯t. That he would¡­¡±

    ¡°Tenii¡ª¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to speak, murderer!¡± Tenrayce shrieked. ¡°I should kill you right here, right now! An eye for an eye, a life for a life! I bet you¡¯d even let me!¡± She pulled out a Red crystal and pointed it at his head, starting to heat it up.

    Wyett made no move to resist.

    With a scream, Tenrayce threw the crystal to the ground in front of Wyett, shattering it and sending multiple shards into him.

    ¡°That¡¯s what they want!¡± Tenrayce shouted, throwing her hands into the air. ¡°That¡¯s what they want. They want the cycle of revenge, they want us to tear each other apart from the inside, that was the whole point! The whole freaking point! We¡¯ve been played! Well, I refuse to be played any more!¡± She grabbed Wyett by the collar and pulled him up, pressing him against the wall. ¡°Listen here, King, you get to live. Life with the guilt that you killed your own father for no reason. Mother isn¡¯t dead.¡±

    Wyett¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°That was a shapeshifter. A trained shapeshifter. One who knew exactly how to act to make it seem genuine. A shapeshifter designed to debilitate me so you could run off and commit patricide! You were used and you have fallen to them. You were the link they exploited.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Tenrayce shrieked. ¡°Listen. Very. Closely. You get to live. You get to be King. Despite every fiber in my being telling me to rain justice upon you, to declare to the masses what you¡¯ve done, I¡¯m not going to do it. As far as everyone is concerned, there was just an assassin. One that you dispatched. You get to be the hero. But you¡¯ll know the truth, and I will know the truth. And you are going to do everything I say. I will not let us be strung up like puppets in a show! I will outthink them and ensure that Kroan persists. They want to take us out, they think they can set us against each other¡­ they¡¯re wrong.¡± She threw Wyett to the ground.

    Wyett could only look up at his sister with terrified eyes.

    ¡°Get up, King.¡±

    Wyett stammered to his feet, using a wall as a support.

    ¡°You are going to do exactly as I say from here on out. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± She turned away from him¡­ and proceeded to break down. ¡°Oh, what are we going to tell Grandma? Mom? Via?¡±

    Wyett paused. ¡°¡­We can¡¯t tell them the truth. Via¡­ would break.¡±

    ¡°Obviously. Grandma wouldn¡¯t, but I¡¯m not sure what her reaction would be. And Mom¡­¡± Tenrayce paused. ¡°Mom is going to go on a crusade of vengeance, as her people¡¯s code dictates.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°If she knew it was you, she wouldn¡¯t carry it out on you. But. We can¡¯t have her know.¡± Tenrayce pressed her hands together. ¡°C-R¡¯s group is responsible for this, I am certain. This doesn¡¯t match the rigid plague and Shimvale doesn¡¯t have access to shapeshifters as far as I know, and even if they did, how would they have known how to mimic the rigid plague¡¯s behavior? This was far too subtle¡­ We will set Mom on the true villains.¡± Tenrayce started laughing. ¡°They won¡¯t be able to stop her! Mom¡­¡± She heaved and slammed her fist into the wall. ¡°Mom is going to bring them all down¡­¡±

    ¡°Where¡­ where is Mom?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Tenrayce frowned. ¡°We just assume when she vanishes like this that she goes hunting, but¡­ it has been a while. She¡­¡± Tenrayce groaned. ¡°Never mind, I know exactly where she is¡­ Stupid, stupid, stupid!¡± Tenrayce kicked her foot into the wall, noticing that there was blood on it. ¡°We need to get our story really straight here, Wyett.¡±

    ¡°¡­You tell me what it is.¡±

    ¡°You know the basics. Right now, we need to¡­ think of a plausible way for an assassin to accomplish this that doesn¡¯t implicate you¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m a singer. Say security failed. Ask the others to figure out what story to spin to the masses to avoid revealing the song. It will explain¡­ my¡­ state.¡±

    Tenrayce looked at him. For a moment, her gaze was soft. Then it hardened. ¡°That would certainly do it¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡­ do I tell Hyrii?¡±

    ¡°The same lie we tell everyone else. You don¡¯t want her to think her husband is a cold-hearted killer, do you?¡±

    Wyett whimpered.

    ¡°Thought not.¡± Tenrayce ground her teeth. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s start with how the timeline works, the troop that saw the shapeshifter are witnesses, and we can¡¯t get rid of them¡­¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    The force of gravity on the surface of Earth is constant.

    The moment you get all that far away from Earth, however, it becomes very obvious that the force is not constant. In fact, that force is exactly GMm/r^2, where G is the gravitational constant, M and m are the masses of the two bodies involved, and r is the distance between them. In most cases we care about, one mass is significantly larger than the other one. This is even true in the case for the Earth and the moon, the Earth is around 80 times more massive!

    From rotational motion, we know all circular motion is due to a constant force pulling toward the center, and that force is equal to mv^2/r, where m is the mass of the smaller object in this case.

    So, we set these two quantities together. GMm/r^2 = mv^2/r. Well, note that the smaller mass is on both sides, so we can divide it out. GM/r^2=v^2/r. We can also divide out a factor of 1/r, since it¡¯s on both sides, giving us GM/r = v^2.

    So the velocity of a circular orbit is the square root of GM/r. Granted, Blue doesn¡¯t know this since she doesn¡¯t know the law of gravity, but what she does know is that there is a force produced by Ikyu, and that it¡¯s changing with distance. She will rather quickly be able to find at this point that it scales according to 1/r^2, and that the Moon¡¯s speed is more or less exactly what it is expected to be for this change.

    However, she was originally right to assume that large things in space move oddly, it¡¯s just that the moon is not large enough with respect to the Earth! If the moon got significantly larger we would not be able to say that it was moving in a circle around the Earth, but fortunately in space we only rarely run into situations where there isn¡¯t one mass that is much larger than all the others. The moon around the Earth, the Earth and planets around the Sun; all have roughly circular orbits and speeds.

    Now as we know technically every orbit is an ellipse and not a perfect circle, but it¡¯s close enough for this calculation to be pretty accurate.

 038 - Houston has a Problem

    WSP 038

    Houston Has a Problem

    Just because Jeh and the others were in space didn¡¯t mean the Wizard Space Program stopped operating. There were a few smaller experiments that needed running, and stars astronomers wanted images of. Thus, Margaret was scheduled to fly in the Skyseed IV, to do some routine work.

    The majority of the crowd that was here to see the moon mission had remained in town, so she still had a huge gathering of people there to see her off and cheer. There was no speech by Via this time, though, just a short one by Lila mostly addressed at calming the people worrying about everyone in space. They were not late yet.

    Yet.

    Margaret knew that what the Moonshot was doing was exceedingly dangerous and if something went wrong there was no way for anyone to know. Benefactor had received their last message before they left orbit and couldn¡¯t keep track of them long after that.

    Jeh would be ¡°fine¡± but being trapped in space for an eternity was potentially worse than death. Of course, she was an Aware, right? All of them were¡­ maybe Keller wasn¡¯t. They were sure they¡¯d be taken to her realm and their souls would be protected no matter what. Perhaps that was why they were so reckless.

    Eyda promised nothing of the sort. Gonal texts simply said the goddesses each had a duty to the souls of their followers, the specifics of that duty were never elaborated on. Each of the four had her own place set aside for this duty.

    Margaret wondered why she had basically no fear of death, then, and actually felt rather drawn to it. Not in the sense of hating life, but more in a sense of finding a strange beauty in finality, a poetry in endings. As she placed a hand on the Skyseed IV she came to a conscious realization that she was highly unusual among spirited, most tried to avoid thinking about it at all, even those who believed in eternity to come, which was most of them.

    Her wish was to die in space one day. But why? She did not know.

    ¡°Hope you have a good time up there,¡± Jeremiah said.

    Margaret turned around in shock to see her father. ¡°Dad! You¡­ you came!¡±

    ¡°Just seeing my daughter off.¡± He wasn¡¯t on the launchpad so the hug he gave her was a little awkward, but she didn¡¯t complain at all.

    ¡°You okay with all these people¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ fine,¡± Jeremiah said, adjusting his shirt¡ªhe was clearly uncomfortable and not fine, but that only made Margaret all the happier.

    ¡°So proud of you for coming out, Dad.¡± She kneeled down so she could hold his hands in her own. ¡°Things will keep getting better.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ you¡¯re the best gift a man could ask for. Even more than a big house.¡±

    Margaret smiled. ¡°With the money that¡¯s coming in, I might be able to get you a big house. Just wait a bit, all right?¡±

    ¡°All¡­ right. You be safe up there.¡±

    ¡°I will!¡± Margaret stood up and started climbing into the Skyseed IV.

    ¡°And be sure to take your time! Enjoy the view!¡±

    ¡°Will do!¡±

    Since Blue wasn¡¯t there, one of the Minor Orange Wizards working in the Laboratory levitated the lid onto the Skyseed IV and screwed it shut. With that, there was a countdown. Margaret waved at everyone through the glass, finding Jeremiah, Suro, Lila, Via, Mary, Big G¡­ oh hey, there was Minnie! Maybe she had convinced Jeremiah to come out, Margaret would have to thank her later.

    For the first time, Margaret noticed that the Sourdough Twins weren¡¯t there. They were usually very loud and easy to see¡­ come to think of it, when was the last time she¡¯d seen them?

    There was no time to dwell on that. It was time to launch! The countdown ended and Margaret lifted the Skyseed IV higher and higher into the sky¡­

    ¡­back on the ground, Minnie put a hand on Jeremiah¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°¡­It is time,¡± Jeremiah said.

    Minnie nodded in understanding and the two of them dispersed with the crowd.

    ~~~

    Joira was in town with several of her Red Seekers. Ostensibly this was to keep a careful eye on Willow Hollow as at any moment it could erupt in chaos that would affect the Seekers, but in practice it was because Joira knew she couldn¡¯t keep a large chunk of her followers from going into town for the whole Operation Lunacy fiasco, so she might as well make the trip official to keep from having to yell at them all for sneaking away. Though, in the end, she ended up yelling a lot anyway, so the point was moot. But they were already here, might as well stick it out. It also gave Arno an opportunity to reconnect with everyone¡ªthough this was a mixed blessing, the kid was still annoying.

    Plus, they could stock up on supplies this way. There were a lot of goods in the tent city that were rarely seen in Willow Hollow.

    However, there was also something else. The people of Willow Hollow were well aware of the unspoken truce between the Aware and the Red Seekers here, and the efforts that Lila had been going through to continue to smooth relations ever since the incident with Ashen. Several people even waved at Arno with smiles of all things, a sentiment which confused Joira somewhat. Even the locals that disliked the Red Seekers tolerated their presence.

    This truce was not held at all by certain individuals from outside town. Namely, there was a noble from Northern Kroan who wasn¡¯t quite far enough North to border Shimvale. He was a human, middle aged, though his white hair and gaunt face made him look much older. He lifted a finger at the Red Seekers. ¡°Remove these heathens from my sight at once!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± a greater unicorn in black armor said. He ran at the Red Seekers without hesitation.

    Joira immediately readied herself for a fight, tapping into her Red crystals. The Seekers were far from defenseless, and they trained on this magic¡­

    A root suddenly grew out of the ground and tripped the greater unicorn, ramming his face into the dirt. A tiny dryad girl let out a laugh and pointed at the greater unicorn. ¡°You silly!¡±

    The noble fumed. ¡°How dare you¡­ ugh, a child. Where are your parents?¡±

    ¡°Far, far, far, faaaaaaaar away!¡± the dryad said, beaming innocently. Then she looked confused. ¡°Don¡¯t know who. Glen not say. Hmmm¡­¡± She scratched her chin, shrugged, and returned to smiling innocently.

    ¡°This is a grave oversight in the legal code, there needs to be some way to reprimand a child without a guardian¡­¡± The noble looked around and appeared to grow increasingly annoyed at the large number of witnesses in the tent city. ¡°No matter. She is just a dryad¡­ you heathens have¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough fire to cook you like a turkey!¡± Arno shouted. One of the other Seekers quickly rammed a hand over his mouth.

    The noble visibly twitched. ¡°End this.¡±

    ¡°Stop this immediately!¡± Suro shouted, running between Joira and the noble¡¯s greater unicorn guard. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, attacking innocent people?¡±

    ¡°Innocent?¡± the noble laughed. ¡°Their souls burn with sin and violence, cat. Who are you to oppose me?¡±

    ¡°The mayor¡¯s husband, and I can tell you right now that these people are with Willow Hollow and have been permitted to live near us by choice. And before you say you have higher authority than my wife¡ªwhich you do¡ªremember that this is her jurisdiction and you need to justify going over her head, and I doubt Princess Via is going to take your annoyance at seeing the color red as an answer.¡±

    The noble¡¯s amusement was gone in an instant. He opened his mouth and started shouting something, but apparently mid-syllable he stopped himself and started thinking.

    ¡°Look, sir, just¡­ turn around and stop looking at them, maybe that¡¯ll help?¡±

    ¡°This place is infested with heresy for allowing such people to exist,¡± the noble huffed. ¡°The Keepers will hear about this.¡±

    ¡°How do you not know that my wife is also a Keeper?¡±

    ¡°¡­Heresy. Deepest Heresy.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ I mean, she¡¯s well-respected among the nearest Sanctuaries and has official recognition from both the Tempest and Kroan¡­¡±

    The noble looked like he couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing.

    ¡°You do realize Red Seekers live in Axiom too, right? As well as all other types of Seekers and Gonal?¡±

    The noble stared at him blankly.

    ¡°Have you ever left your hometown before, sir?¡±

    The noble could only stare at Suro with a vacant, haunted expression. Slowly, he turned around and left. His greater unicorn guard scurried after him.

    Suro relaxed, but let out a sigh. ¡°Sometimes it surprises me how clueless people can be about the state of the world¡­¡± He turned to Joira. ¡°I am deeply sorry, that should not have happened to you.¡±

    ¡°Darn right,¡± Joira huffed. ¡°But it was not your responsibility to deal with.¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have talked him down and would have given him a fight and that would have given him ample reason to execute you.¡±

    Joira scowled. ¡°We Seekers do not back down from a fight.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know¡­¡± Suro sighed. ¡°Look, we¡¯ll do what we can, but if you end up burning someone out of anger there are a lot of people here who would jump at the opportunity. That idiot¡¯s level of confusion was extreme, but a large number of Kroanites think of you as lesser and a danger. Even more so than the people of Willow Hollow.¡±

    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know this, jeweler? We are well aware of our sect¡¯s position among your kind. We revel in that opposition.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Arno shouted. ¡°Come and get us, punks!¡±

    Joira visibly winced. ¡°Please stop talking, Arno.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Arno.¡±

    Arno grumbled and shuffled his feet but did shut up.

    ¡°Wow. People angry,¡± the dryad said. ¡°Cool!¡±

    Suro gave her an odd look but decided she wasn¡¯t really relevant to what was happening. ¡°Joira, I beg of you, don¡¯t throw away everything just to save face.¡±

    Joira¡¯s expression softened. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t. Unless I am given no choice. You should know that well enough by now.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t use to be that way.¡±

    ¡°Recognize change, jeweler. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse us, we are shopping.¡± Joira huffed and turned around, her back to Suro.

    ¡°Funny!¡± the dryad said with a laugh.

    ¡°¡­Are you¡­ okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Scurfpea!¡±

    ¡°Of¡­ right, I head about you.¡± Suro sighed, he probably wasn¡¯t going to be able to communicate to her what he wanted to. ¡°Just¡­ keep having fun.¡±

    ¡°Spaaaace¡­ Moooon¡­¡±

    Her mind was already elsewhere so Suro returned to his walk. He didn¡¯t really have a destination in mind, he¡¯d just had the sense that he should be out and about today. Having diffused the situation with Joira, he believed he had done his duty for the day. Now he was free to relax a¡ª

    ¡°Suro,¡± Seskii said, her voice unusually serious. ¡°I think you should check in on Vaughan¡¯s Cabin.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Why w¡ª¡±

    ¡°In Dia¡¯s name, I think you should check in on Vaughan¡¯s Cabin.¡±

    Suro¡¯s ears perked up immediately. ¡°Of¡­ of course!¡± Without another word, he bolted off as fast as his four legs could carry him toward Vaughan¡¯s Cabin.

    Seskii leaned up against a podium that hadn¡¯t been there a second ago and took out a bottle filled with reddish-pink juice. She downed the entire thing in one gulp and let out a tense breath, shaking slightly. ¡°Please let this work.¡±

    After waiting a second she pulled out another bottle and did the same. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not alcoholic, it¡¯s just pure strawberry extract. Concentrated.¡± With that, she stood up¡ªthe podium was gone¡ªand then she stepped behind a tree.

    Then she wasn¡¯t there anymore.

    ~~~

    Lila was deep underground with Big G, Princess Via, two of her guards¡­ and the Shimvale spy gagged and glaring at them from behind makeshift bars that Big G¡¯s boys had made specifically for him.

    ¡°A singer¡­¡± Via said, kneeling down and looking right at him.

    There was only hatred in his eyes.

    Tears began to form in Via¡¯s own. ¡°How¡­ how horrible to do this to one of your people. Remove their will¡­¡±

    ¡°He could have done it by choice,¡± Big G said.

    ¡°If he did, there are others who did not. And even so¡­¡± Via put her hand on the bars. ¡°He has no way to regret his decision now, or change it, or¡­ it¡¯s just so terrible.¡± With a sigh, she pulled herself back. ¡°There is nothing to be done for him, and he is a danger to us¡­¡± She turned to one of her guards. ¡°We will need to transport him back to Axiom by the time we leave, make sure everything is ready at that time.¡±

    ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± He took out a small notepad and made a note to do that later.

    ¡°Oh, we need notepads now, do we?¡± the other guard said, voice echoing from within her armor.

    The male guard sighed. ¡°Yes¡­ you don¡¯t want to forget a command from the Princess¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course not.¡±

    Via gave the female guard an annoyed but playful glare.

    Lila was not sure what that was about, but she didn¡¯t pry. ¡°We are most grateful that you are taking him off our hands, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve had other problems,¡± Via said. ¡°The rigid plague?¡±

    ¡°Seems to be after us as well, for some reason.¡±

    Via shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand it at all¡­ I assume you have the rigid remnants stored somewhere?¡±

    Big G nodded. ¡°Next cavern over.¡±

    ¡°Good. We¡¯ll be taking those back as well.¡±

    ¡°Uh, Your Highness,¡± the male guard said. ¡°One of the rigids that attacked them was a shardworm. That¡¯s larger than some buildings.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Via blinked, silent for a moment. ¡°Then, uh, use your best judgment to determine what¡¯s worth us taking back!¡± She turned to Big G. ¡°Take us to the rigid remnants.¡±

    ¡°Right this way, Your Highness¡­¡±

    They didn¡¯t make it out of the makeshift jail before Seskii ran into the room, arms full of various juices in bottles. She skidded to a stop and dropped a lot of them comically. A surprising number of them didn¡¯t break, but a few of them did. Lila in particular was showered in orange juice, dying her coat temporarily.

    ¡°Seskii!¡± Lila gawked. ¡°What are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Running in here really quickly because I saw some freaky woman in blue robes being sneaky a¡ª¡±

    At that moment, though they were largely unaware of it, all of them were frozen, sparks of Blue wafting over all their forms.

    A single figure stepped out from the shadows, a neko woman in blue robes. She frowned. How had the pink gari noticed her? She didn¡¯t even remember seeing her, and she was very observant. She¡¯d been commanded to be. Commanded with such a force that her eyes were bloodshot from the constant strain she put them under.

    But no matter. They were all taken care of. All slowed down to a crawl. They would be able to do nothing as she walked among them. Her primary goal here was the release of her colleague in the prison. However¡­

    Princess Via was right here. Guarded, yes, but not well enough. It wasn¡¯t like it had been easy to get here, there had been Agents at the entrance of the mine and spaced at various intervals in between, but she was a master of infiltration.

    She noticed that one of the guards was starting to gain blue sparks. So they did have a defense against being slowed by a master of Blue. Such a shame that she also had Magenta. She simply scrambled the spell that was coming off the guard. This forced the Blue scrambling of time around the spell area to stop being warped to her will, but that was just where the spell itself was being cast. The rest of the guard¡¯s body remained all but frozen.

    Now, all she had to do was ensure the death of Princess Via and get out of here with her charge. Had she control over her will, she likely would have only gone for the Princess and left. But she did not have a choice in the matter.

    She pulled out a knife. It would be simple. Throw it, let it be slowed by the Blue, then release the Blue, skewering the Princess in the head¡­ and a small core of Magenta in the knife would not only prevent Green from working properly, but was also hidden within the metal so nobody would know what was wrong.

    After that¡­

    ¡­her mind screamed that there should be no after that, that she should bail and run, replacing the primary objective with a greater objective.

    But she had no choice. She had to continue on. Heart pounding and will screaming, she prepared for chaos.

    ~~~

    Kirkkok was the only demon Suro had ever seen.

    He knew they existed. It wasn¡¯t public knowledge¡ªthe demons mentioned in Dia¡¯s word were beings of pure spirit, not the noxious black entities that claimed to be of Eyda. He learned of them through Vaughan, who had been shown a few by Pepper. Strange beings of magic that, unlike most magical beings, were highly resilient to Magenta tampering and were unlike anything else in the world.

    They could not be touched by Yellow. Which either meant they were never actually willing to form a connection¡­ or that they were not spirited, despite their words. Neither possibility was pleasant.

    But Suro had seen Kirkkok, and had been convinced that perhaps the stories of the grand monsters had been blown out of proportion. Maybe they were just a type of spirited that were particularly drawn to violence and evil, but were not guaranteed to be. Perhaps they could be reached, questions answered.

    What he was looking at now was quickly removing all his hope of this.

    He was currently in a tree near Vaughan¡¯s Cabin, doing his absolute best to hide¡ªand as a black cat this was actually quite a good attempt. Below him, there was Jeremiah, the Red Seeker he was pretty sure was Minnie, Kirkkok¡­ and a thing. A thing with four muscular arms, two elegant legs, and six piercing yellow eyes on a flat face devoid of any other features. Spikes ran down the form¡¯s back, spikes that were somehow partially liquid as they could shift past each other, sending ripples through the other spikes. Plants that were near the creature¡¯s feet immediately withered, and then proceeded to turn solid black before disintegrating into actual dust.

    Suro¡¯s very soul screamed that this being was the most evil thing he had ever witnessed. And he had seen quite a lot of evil in his time. This¡­ put all of them to shame.

    The upright demon was the only one talking.

    ¡°¡­your time has come, Jeremiah. Your lifelong preparation has led to this moment. Ready your soul, be firm in your step. The honor afforded to you is beyond that which you deserve by many orders of magnitude, but Eyda, in Her infinite wisdom, will take what is on offer. You are the unworthy vessel this day, witness to grand power. By you, will Her revenge be complete against this land. By your will the hills burn. And for such a great task, your reward will surpass understanding.¡±

    Then there was silence. No one else said anything, not even Kirkkok¡ªall seemed to be in awe and reverence of the absolute monster.

    The monster suddenly stopped moving. Suro¡¯s hairs stood on end. ¡°Hold. I may sense¡­¡±

    Suddenly, there was an explosion up ahead at the cabin.

    ¡°There was no one there, th¡­¡± The demon put a hand to his head and nodded. Then, suddenly, six wings erupted from his back. His arms became like rubber and he wrapped two of them around Minnie and Jeremiah before launching into the air.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Kirkkok shouted, flapping to keep up. ¡°I¡¯m not that fast!¡±

    ¡°You are so far below me you do not even deserve to behold me.¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯re still in this together!¡±

    The greater demon didn¡¯t so much as look at Kirkkok after that.

    Suro decided to forego stealth and just run after them. Something was already happening at the Cabin. But how could that be? Seskii¡¯s warning was in Dia¡¯s name, the warning of a demon was certainly worthy of that¡­ what else could be going on?

    To Suro¡¯s surprise, as he jumped down, he saw the dryad child Scurfpea running along the road as well.

    ¡°Go back, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± Suro called.

    ¡°I know!¡± Scurfpea said with glee.

    Suro did not want this child anywhere near this, so he did what he almost never did¡ªstuck up his tail, drew his claws, and hissed at the child in an attempt to scare her off.

    ¡°You funny!¡± She clapped her hands and a flower grew out of the ground and into his face, making him sneeze. By the time he got his senses back he was now behind her. With a yowl, he ran after her¡ªhe wasn¡¯t going to catch up before they got to the Cabin. Fortunately, when they arrived, the demon was not in a position to notice or care about them.

    For he was fighting a troop of at least ten rigids who were trying to burn the Cabin down.

    Suro grabbed Scurfpea by her neck with his mouth and pulled her behind a rock, hissing ¡°SHHHH!¡± She showed no fear but nodded in understanding. He quickly poked his head over the rock and¡­

    ¡­many of the rigids were already dead. Sawed in half by impossibly dark blades. Crushed between the monster¡¯s hands. Suro watched in horror as a tentacle shot out of the demon¡¯s chest, split into three tentacles in midair, and skewered five rigids straight through.

    One of them were left alive, though, whimpering. ¡°Save us from this end us save us¡­¡±

    ¡°You are irrelevant to me. I wish to know¡­ what controls you.¡± He held out a hand. Very quickly, he let out a roar of anger that made the ground beneath him crack. ¡°You¡­ where do you hide!?¡±

    ¡°I do not know¡­ it controls us¡­ please, end us¡­ please, end us¡­ please, end us¡­¡±

    The demon ripped out the part of the rigid that was speaking, but kept the beast alive. Before doing anything else, he turned to the Cabin. Some parts of it had just barely caught on fire, but there was no major damage. With a wave of his hand, black blobs of sludge emerged and splattered over the cabin in the places where the fire was, putting an end to the damage.

    What does he need the cabin for¡­? Suro wondered.

    ¡°Now, you think you can hide.¡± The greater demon growled at the barely-living rigid. ¡°But if you can do that, you should know what I can offer you. What power can be given t¡ª¡±

    The demon was interrupted by a message being written in the air with light.

    YOU WILL BURN JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE. YOUR NUMBERS ARE LOW AND YOUR GODDESS INDIFFERENT. YOU ARE OF NO CONCERN TO ME, BUT I AM OF GREAT CONCERN TO YOU. USE EVERYTHING AT YOUR DISPOSAL. FIND ME. COME TO ME. I WELCOME IT.

    ¡°You think you can use me?!¡±

    I SAID NO SUCH THING.

    With that, the light went out.

    What am I witnessing¡­? Suro thought. He suddenly felt really, really small.

    The demon flexed his claws. Two hands of darkness emerged from his wrist and crushed the offending rigid into a pancake. His arm shook in anger, but rather than continuing to lash out, the demon calmed himself. ¡°¡­What is the rigid plague so afraid of¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oooooh, having problems?¡± Kirkkok asked.

    The demon backhanded the bird into a nearby tree. ¡°Silence.¡±

    ¡°Ow¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it of concern to us?¡± Minnie asked.

    ¡°No, our goals should have nothing to do with the rigid plague. It is clearly here for that silly Space Program of yours. Why, I do not know, and the plague is too far away to probe.¡±

    ¡°Surely Eyda¡ª" Jeremiah began.

    ¡°Eyda has given me enough,¡± the demon interrupted. ¡°As She gave you enough in the past.¡±

    Jeremiah frowned but nodded. ¡°You are right, of course, High One.¡±

    The demon chuckled ominously, but said nothing. ¡°Come.¡± They moved toward the front doors.

    ¡°¡­Do you have a plan?¡±

    That hadn¡¯t been Scurfpea asking. Suro had been so glued to the events that transpired that he hadn¡¯t even noticed Arno show up. Suro stared at him in disbelief, unable to formulate words.

    ¡°Joira asked me to ask if there was a plan, since she wants to charge in with fire¡­¡±

    Suro looked back at the treeline. He could see flashes of red robes here and there. The Seekers must have followed him just like Scurfpea. How could so many people be so du¡ª

    Wait.

    Wait, yes, he did have a plan.

    He ran back to the treeline and skidded to a stop in the middle of¡­ about a dozen Red Seekers.

    ¡°Thank Dia that you all showed up, we¡¯re going to need it,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°Oh so you do have a plan!?¡± Joira asked. ¡°Took you long enough to get back here!¡±

    ¡°Look, this is a bad plan, but it¡¯s all I¡¯ve got. I need two of your physically strongest Seekers to help me move a cart into the forest as fast as possible. The rest of you need to¡­ distract and hold off everything. That demon is unimaginably powerful but Minnie is one of yours and¡­ and I hear you wanted to charge in guns blazing anyway.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think we can take him!?¡±

    ¡°No! The rigid plague had a troop here trying to burn down the cabin and he tore through them like butter!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that¡­¡± Joira said, taking out a Red crystal. ¡°But¡­ since you say you just need time, we will try to give it. Hugo! Candrista!¡± A large muscular human man and an extremely tall green gari woman stood to attention. ¡°Do what the cat tells you. Everyone else¡­ let¡¯s assume the cat is right and stall for time. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Yay! Plan!¡± Scurfpea said.

    Joira pointed at her. ¡°What is this girl doing here?¡±

    ¡°Dunno,¡± Suro said. ¡°Your problem now, I¡¯ve got to run!¡± He scampered off.

    ¡°Everyone, move it!¡± Joira ran out of the treeline and approached the cabin. ¡°Minnie! Get out here you¡ª¡±

    There was an explosion of pure darkness that tore the front doors off their hinges and threw them at Joira. She created a cone of flame in front of herself that managed to partially deflect the makeshift projectile, but it still cut a gash across her left arm. She did not lose her grip on her crystal.

    The rest of the Red Seekers took battle stances behind her. Even Scurfpea did, but she had a huge smile on her face and her ¡°weapon¡± was a bag of seeds.

    Arno was near the front, expression blank.

    Minnie was the first one to emerge from the black smoke, gently strumming her lute. She started to sing.

    ¡°The great fires of old

    set the whole world ablaze

    eating all that was and would be

    none could be spared ¡®till all was flame

    that is the world we fight for today.¡±

    ¡°Stop spouting nursery rhyme nonsense!¡± Joira shouted. ¡°I demand an explanation.¡±

    ¡°That song is your explanation,¡± Minnie said. ¡°You have rejected the way that I followed. Ashen rejected the way that I followed. So I found a new way.¡± She held her hands to her side and the great demon appeared behind her, brimming with dark flames that twisted and bent the space around him. ¡°The world will burn, Joira, but it will burn not with Red flames, but black ones.¡±

    The Red Seekers all took a step back¡­ save for Joira, and Scurfpea.

    For a moment, the demon reacted, glaring right at Scurfpea with what was clearly fear. But this fear quickly subsided and the demon returned to a menacing position with no hint of faltering.

    Joira took a step forward. ¡°You sure you haven¡¯t just been tricked?¡±

    Minnie blinked. ¡°You really have changed from the woman I followed all those years¡­ talking? Talking? Rather than fighting the traitor?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be the last time either of us get to say anything to each other, one way or another.¡± Joira ground her teeth. ¡°Might as well make the most of it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Very well.¡±

    ~~~

    Deep within the caves, the neko spy approached the frozen form of Princess Via. With every step she took, her mind continued to try to justify why she didn¡¯t have to do this right here, right now. There were other spies in town with this exact purpose. Ones more suited to assassination. If she struck and failed, somehow, they would not be able to move as freely.

    She started humming the song.

    She knew there was no hope.

    She took the final step, entering a lunge toward the Princess.

    Her foot landed in what had appeared to be spilled fruit juice, but the moment she stepped in it, it adhered her foot to the ground like glue.

    What¡­?

    She didn¡¯t panic, she still had control, everyone was all but frozen and she was jamming the spell that was trying to fight back. She removed her foot from her boot and, balancing on one leg, hopped forward.

    She landed in something invisible and slippery and slid forward, hitting an unbroken bottle hard enough to shatter the glass. The material inside immediately exploded in a shower of glitter and¡­ strawberry? The force sent her backward until she hit another bottle, which, upon breaking, its contents expanded into a gelatin like substance that encased both of the spy¡¯s legs. As she was pulling her legs out, a chemical reaction occurred between two of the bottles, bursting into purple flame that released a noxious gas. The spy¡¯s eyes started burning and she began coughing uncontrollably.

    And she finally lost control of her spells.

    Granted, this meant that everyone else got to experience tears and uncontrollable coughing, but now they were aware of the spy. Lila, Via, Big G, and the male guard were in no position or strength to do much of anything, the fumes had gotten to them, but the female guard¡­

    She was coughing and crying just like everyone else but this did not stop her from drawing her weapon¡ªa spear, unusual for a Kroanite Royal Guard¡ªand rushing the spy.

    The spy was also highly trained and, even in her debilitated state, was able to jump over the spear. She no longer had the precision or focus required to freeze them again, and it probably would be countered anyway, so she instead accelerated herself. From her perspective, this had the effect of slowing everyone else down¡ªthough not stopping them. She rushed the female guard with a knife, aiming for the place the helmet met the shoulder, hoping to ram it through into the neck¡­

    But she¡¯d been read. Before she¡¯d even begun her attack, the guard had started lifting her arm to defend herself, there was no way to get to the neck now, so the spy tried to divert her attack toward the helmet¡¯s faceplate, hoping to get through and spike an eye in there. She drove the knife in and found it stuck. The guard, even slowed, had managed to turn her head just enough that the knife got wedged between the metal slats, unable to pierce further.

    The spy let go of the knife, but it was too late, the guard¡¯s foot was already coming for her midsection, and accelerated though she was, she hadn¡¯t seen it coming and was unable to dodge. The point of the metal armored boot pierced her abdomen, making her cry out in pain and lose focus on her spell. Immediately the force of the kick became far more intense and she was thrown into a nearby wall.

    The guard was not without injury, however. The knife had not been completely stopped in the helmet, and it had struck with a lot of force¡ªenough to tear the helmet clean off once time begun moving at a normal rate again. A single red line had been cut under the emerald green eyes of a gari woman with wild green hair.

    Queen Riikaz.

    ¡°You¡¯re a clever one, aint¡¯cha?¡± Riikaz asked, grinning, seemingly unfazed by the tears and blood running down her face. At this point the gas had either dissipated enough to no longer enforce coughing, or had simply lost some of its potency. Riikaz twirled her spear around in her hand, chuckling. ¡°So, want to try that again, or do you want to run? Please pick one or the other, surrender is so boring.¡±

    The spy knew she was doomed, but she could not flee.

    With a pained wail, she charged the Queen.

    The spy made an incredible effort. She flew over the spear and tried to hit it in the shaft to disarm Riikaz, but Riikaz allowed her to do this so she could get in a punch to the spy¡¯s face, which gave her enough time to kick the spear back into her hand while the spy reeled. The spy attempted to take advantage of Riikaz¡¯s armored situation¡ªshe had to be slow in that¡ªbut found that not only were Riikaz¡¯s reflexes too quick, but she was also smart. Virtually everything the spy tried, Riikaz predicted it, sometimes clearly before the spy even decided to do it.

    Riikaz cut a gash across the spy¡¯s leg. ¡°You¡¯re clever and quick, I¡¯ll give you that, but you clearly weren¡¯t raised a warrior. I come from a land of battle and hard-fought strength. You come from a land of snow and ice.¡± She pointed her spear at the spy¡¯s neck. ¡°Yield.¡±

    I cannot. The spy burst into tears, and not because of the gas, but because she knew her life was over and there was nothing she could do about it. She knew there was no victory, but she was forced to try. She lunged forward, allowing the spear to cut her arm so she could just get one shot at wrapping her hands around Riikaz¡¯s neck.

    Riikaz was once again too fast. She simply tilted her head to the side and angled her spear, hitting the spy in the rear. The spy flopped to the ground in an undignified position, losing a fair amount of blood.

    ¡°You¡­ have no choice¡­¡± Riikaz said, the joy of the thrill of battle leaving her face in an instant. ¡°You no longer wish to continue, but you are forced to. What¡­ a terrible song.¡±

    The spy clearly had a broken leg at this point and wailed in agony as she stood to her feet, but stand she did. Every part of her was shaking. But she continued on. She¡­

    ¡­Seskii tripped her from behind and she fell flat on her back onto the sticky glue-like substance on the ground. She would not be moving anytime soon.

    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Riikaz asked.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Letting you have your time in the spotlight,¡± Seskii said. ¡°You¡¯re good at healing, right?¡±

    Riikaz nodded. ¡°Not as good as Tenii, but¡­¡± She pulled out a Green crystal and aimed it specifically at the spy¡¯s largest wounds¡ªthe one in the abdomen and the broken leg, careful not to restore the glue sticking her to the ground. ¡°Green is indispensable for any warrior, for it allows one to fight to the end and live to fight another day.¡±

    Seskii nodded.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Lila managed, still short on breath. ¡°You two, we¡­ we owe you so much¡­ and¡­ Your Highness, I had¡­¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to know I was here,¡± Riikaz said, putting her helmet back on. ¡°Via¡¯s the one here officially.¡±

    ¡°She just tried to kill me¡­¡± Via said, staring at the spy stuck on the ground. ¡°I¡­ they¡¯ve never gotten this close before¡­¡±

    Riikaz put her hand on her daughter. ¡°You have survived your first battle.¡±

    ¡°M-mom, I¡¯m not a warrior!¡±

    ¡°You survived nonetheless.¡±

    ¡°Because of you!¡±

    ¡°Even among my tribe, hiding behind the stronger is no dishonor. They would call you a sissy for not being a warrior at all, but¡­¡± Riikaz chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be one. Still, you¡¯ll draw strength from this.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡ªstrength!? I¡­¡± Via stopped silent for a moment and then started laughing. ¡°Of course, all hardships bring strength, I¡­¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Okay! Everyone here, pretend as if Mom wasn¡¯t here. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Big G and Lila said.

    ¡°And also¡­ uh¡­ okay so she was a singer.¡± Via kneeled down to the bloodied but living form of the spy. She was weeping. ¡°¡­Thank you, Mom, for not ending her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s lucky I wasn¡¯t so angry to take her out right then and there,¡± Riikaz said. ¡°She was after you and on a different day that would have meant no mercy.¡±

    ¡°Always show mercy, Mom, please.¡±

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t promise anything, but your Dad has shown me enough that I try.¡±

    Via chuckled. ¡°Anyway. Ahem. Now we¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°There will be others, this can¡¯t be an isolated incident. We¡­ um¡­¡±

    ¡°We need to redistribute more guards here,¡± Riikaz said. ¡°Get a tighter security net around you that we already have.¡± She pointed at the prisoner. ¡°We can¡¯t leave him here to be broken out, we have to take him and the girl with us. Big G, every one of your boys we meet on the way out will become part of our squad as we move back to the Lab, where we¡¯ll hold and consider another course of action.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Big G said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±

    Lila let out a huge breath. She had barely known it, but everyone¡¯s lives had been in danger there.

    It had been a while since she¡¯d been in the thick of it like that¡­ and she hadn¡¯t even done anything this time!

    Would she have to do something in the future¡­? Would she still be able to?

    What have we brought to this little town of ours?

    ~~~

    Mary packed up her basket of fruits, vegetables, and plasts. It was a very large basket filled with a tremendous variety with every color of the rainbow¡ªincluding blue. She had decided that she wanted to bring a gift basket to all the hard workers at the Laboratory today. There wasn¡¯t particularly any reason for it, she just felt like it. It was a thing she did every now and then, so it wasn¡¯t like the feeling was unusual. It was just the way she was.

    She hummed to herself as she left her farm, skipping all the way along the trail. Her thoughts turned to Blue and the others up in space. She hoped they were okay and that everything was going smoothly for them, and that soon they would be able to tell stories about all the wild things they found on the Moon and the adventures they had¡­

    It was amazing that she expected them to be back soon. People who went on journeys to distant lands took years to make their way there and back, if they ever came back. But to the Moon? The trip was expected to take just days. It was incredible. To think, once they perfected how to do this, travel to anywhere on Ikyu would be exactly the same¡­ it took Jeh one day to go around the world, and the satellite much much less.

    Mary could go to¡­ to the Tempest, if she wanted, and be home in time for dinner once this all got sorted out. As much as she loved her down-to-earth lifestyle, being able to see far-off places for a day or two and then come back sounded simply wonderful.

    She crested a hill and opened her eyes.

    Her happy humming stopped instantly and she froze in place.

    The field between her and the Laboratory was on fire. It wasn¡¯t a big fire, and the smell of smoke was barely detectable from her current position, but it was a fire nonetheless, all that corn was going to go to waste if someone didn¡¯t do something. But this was not what made her stop¡ªfires were not unheard of and she would have just gotten word to everyone to deal with it under normal circumstances, and since Alexandrite was around she would have just found him to deal with it.

    It was the cause of the fire that made her stop.

    There was a battle underway.

    On one side were a half-dozen or so rigids, most of them Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho, but a few of them looked like human skulls with legs and one of them was a big snake. One would expect the wizards of the Laboratory to be fighting them, but no, those wizards were all standing out in front of the Laboratory watching the fight just as Mary was.

    The other side of the fight were a bunch of people Mary didn¡¯t recognize. They looked like any ordinary citizens of Kroan, and seemed entirely unrelated to each other. Mostly gari, a few humans, a purple slime¡­ the only way she could tell they were related was because they were coordinating their attacks on the rigids.

    What is going on¡­?

    She stood, rooted to the spot, as her mind tried to make sense of what was going on. The rigid plague was obvious, but who were they fighting? Those weren¡¯t royal guards¡­ they were ordinary-looking people¡­

    Ordinary-looking.

    They were trying to be stealthy. Clearly that had failed. That meant¡­ Shimvale.

    Mary couldn¡¯t help but laugh, though it was a bitter laugh. Both the rigid plague and the Shimmers had been going after the Laboratory, and they¡¯d run into each other!

    But now they were fighting and killing each other in the middle of Willow Hollow¡­

    Mary spotted Alexandrite flying overhead, heading for the Laboratory. Suddenly she felt the urge to run after him. It didn¡¯t even occur to her that it would be easier to run without the giant basket and she carried it with her the whole way.

    As she ran, she approached closer and closer to the battle. Rigids and Shimmers went at each other left and right. Once she got close enough she realized there were some tactics at play¡ªthe rigids were trying to be purely destructive and charge the Laboratory with reckless abandon, while the Shimmers were specifically not doing that. The plague wanted the place destroyed, while the Shimmers likely wanted to use whatever was within it themselves.

    Shortly after this realization she was able to make out the bodies on the ground. Corpses of twisted, mangled rigids that dripped dark fluids. Massacred pancakes of people and red smears along the ground, some of which were burning, sending a sickly smell into the air. Burned rigid oils and flesh mixed to make a truly nauseating aroma, but Mary held it in.

    She¡¯d been in the midst of a battle before. This was just a little closer to the casualties.

    Too close.

    Have mercy on us.

    The miniature war paid her no mind as she passed by with her basket. She was literally nothing to them, no concern, not even worthy of attention. The victims of the rigid plague cried out, for they were the whim of some higher power. The Shimmers cried as well, sometimes¡­ how many of them were Singers? How many of them also had no choice?

    The true horror of the battle finally occurred to Mary.

    This was not a battle between people. This was a battle between puppets.

    Death was being thrown around by distant puppet masters who didn¡¯t care what they had to do to accomplish their goals.

    Tears in her eyes, she finally arrived at the Laboratory from the side, where Alexandrite was. Alexandrite was talking to Krays.

    ¡°Should we do something?¡±

    Krays shook her head. ¡°Let them sort themselves out first, we¡¯ll figure it out from there. If anything comes flying our way, stop it.¡± A piece of shrapnel flew through the air and would have hit the Laboratory were it not for a Minor Orange Wizard deflecting it. ¡°Like that.¡± She snorted. ¡°Idiots. If they stopped fighting and worked together they might have a chance.¡±

    ¡°I believe their goals do not align¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re doomed now,¡± Krayz said, crossing her arms. ¡°Even when one of them emerges victorious in a few minutes, we have enough firepower here to take whatever remains.¡± She gestured at the wizards and a few faces Mary didn¡¯t recognize that were probably Agents of the Crown. ¡°We¡¯re very lucky they showed up at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Has anyone checked inside the Lab?¡± Mary asked. ¡°For infiltrators?¡±

    Krays grinned. ¡°Oh, absolutely. Some of the Shimmers were already in. They¡¯re locked away in storage right now. Special storage.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, you don¡¯t. But I¡¯ll tell you anyway, see, we have some poisons available and I¡¯ve placed them on the door. Or, well, that¡¯s what I told them. In reality it¡¯s not poison, it¡¯s just a really good lock and a booby trap that¡¯ll probably give them a concussion if they try to get out.¡±

    Mary was stunned into silence.

    ¡°Anyway, looks like the battle¡¯s wrapping up¡­ good show, really.¡±

    ¡°How can you call this a show!?¡±

    Krays frowned. ¡°Well the other option is be absolutely horrified. How¡¯s that going for you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ wh¡­ I¡­¡±

    One of the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho skewered the last Shimmer in the chest, throwing the body down in triumph. The rigid wasted no time at all in charging right toward the Laboratory¡­ alone. The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho was the last survivor of the battle.

    ¡°This¡¯ll be pathetic¡­¡± Krays said. ¡°Ready, everyone!¡±

    The wizards and agents were already ready, Krays didn¡¯t even need to say anything. They were all just waiting for the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho to get close enough.

    The rigid never did.

    From the sky came an object surrounded in Orange sparks moving at extreme speeds. It came in at a shallow angle, striking the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho directly in the center, sending pieces flying, but the object itself never touched the ground. It flew back up into the sky and slowed itself down, allowing everyone to get a good look at it.

    It was Margaret in the Skyseed IV.

    ¡°That. Was. Awesome!¡± Krays shouted, throwing her fists into the air. ¡°Poor guy didn¡¯t even have a chance to see that coming!¡±

    ¡°I noticed the Orange sparks,¡± Alexandrite said.

    ¡°In that case he¡¯s an absolute moron and we should laugh at him even more.¡±

    ¡°He was just a puppet, Krays¡­¡± Mary said, shaking her head. ¡°Don¡¯t laugh at him.¡±

    Krays looked like she wanted to say something but for once in her life chose to remain silent. Margaret set the Skyseed IV down on the grass outside the Laboratory, where an Orange Wizard pried the lid off for her. She jumped out, breathing heavily. ¡°What was all that!?¡±

    ¡°Political intrigue folding in on itself like a house of cards in the best way for us,¡± Krays offered. ¡°What I want to know is what you¡¯re doing back, you should be in space!¡±

    ¡°I was taking it leisurely. Looked down, saw smoke, decided to come back.¡± Margaret looked at the various wizards and agents and Alexandrite. ¡°Looks like I probably didn¡¯t need to¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± Alexandrite said. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have a fire to put out.¡± He flew into the air where he started using his water attribute on the field. It would take a bit, but the fire would get under control.

    ¡°Still, we¡¯re glad you returned,¡± Mary said. ¡°But you probably shouldn¡¯t go ramming the Skyseed into things, it¡¯s fragile¡­¡±

    Margaret looked back at the Skyseed IV. It did, in fact, have a large crack along its side now. The crack was large enough to make it clear that only luck had kept the ship from shattering completely on impact, which would have been disastrous for Margaret. Actually, come to think of it¡­

    ¡°Did you hurt yourself when you hit¡­?¡± Mary asked.

    Margaret nodded. ¡°Nasty bump on my head. Used my Green on that rather than the ship.¡± She sighed. ¡°Krays, can you fix that crack?¡±

    Krays tapped her foot. ¡°¡­Yes, but it won¡¯t be an easy job. And I¡¯m not sure the fix will withstand the conditions in space. Unless you want to hatch and hope you have your flying wings up there.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡­¡±

    Mary gasped. ¡°There¡¯s another fire.¡± She pointed at a smaller trail of smoke rising from somewhere over the treeline. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s where Vaughan¡¯s Cabin is.¡±

    Margaret wasted no time. She jumped back into the Skyseed IV. ¡°I¡¯m going! Don¡¯t bother with the lid!¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Krays shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve got something you need!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Krays chuckled ominously. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so simple it¡¯ll make you feel stupid for not thinking of it yourself¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°I like to think I speak for a lot of us who once served you,¡± Minnie said, strumming her lute absent-mindedly as she started pacing in a wide circle around Joira, Scurfpea, Arno, and the rest of the Red Seekers. ¡°We came to you seeking the Red, Joira. The fire. The passion. The burning of all colors opposed to us. We did not join the other Red Sects for a reason, Joira.¡± She suddenly stopped strumming. ¡°We were to bring our Color into the world and then burn everything. All would be fire.¡±

    ¡°Then our Color awoke and showed us that was not the way,¡± Joira said. ¡°I was wrong about the Red.¡±

    Minnie glared at her. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard you actually admit that.¡±

    Joira scowled. ¡°Forgive me if I¡¯m under a bit of duress that¡¯s making me say things I¡¯d rather not say!¡±

    ¡°You should have remained stronger.¡± Minnie shook her head. ¡°But, ultimately, you were right. The Red was not what we thought it was. And that makes it not worthy of worship.¡±

    Joira and the rest of the Red Seekers gasped. ¡°The Red is¡ª¡±

    ¡°I served the Red because of its fire!¡± Minnie shouted back. ¡°In my old sect I grew up on these songs, these songs of fire, these songs of power, these songs of desolation. Blanketing the world in fire is beautiful, Joira, and you used to see that! I thought the fire was the Red, but no, the fire is a goal in and of itself! If the Red will not give us what we have asked it for, then I will not give it reverence. I know I am not alone, Joira. I know there are those with you who feel the fire within themselves as I do.¡± She turned her gaze to Arno. ¡°I have made sure of it in every way I know how.¡±

    Arno was crying.

    ¡°I wish it did not have to be this way, Arno. I tried my best to protect you from the changes happening around you. But they sent you off to those wizards, and I couldn¡¯t say anything or else Joira would be rid of me. All I could do was give you the songs. I hope they are enough for you as they were for me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna burn Joira!¡±

    ¡°Arno¡­ everything must burn. Even us, in the end. That is what I taught you.¡±

    Arno stared at her in shock, but he could not deny it.

    ¡°Come Arno¡­ and the rest of you, the rest of you who feel the fire, come to me. The Red has betrayed us¡­ but I have found a new fire.¡± The demon behind her allowed black flames to come off his back, rising into the air. ¡°The world will go dark.¡±

    Joira scowled. ¡°Eyda, should she even exist, does not hold herself to any one creed. She will not burn the entire world, just as much as she is willing to let you.¡±

    ¡°Eyda empowers me,¡± Minnie said, glaring. ¡°She could care less what I do so long as I give Her reverence. I could lay waste to all of Ikyu and She wouldn¡¯t bat an eye. And the same goes to all of you.¡±

    ¡°Then why hasn¡¯t anyone laid waste to Ikyu yet?¡± Joira asked. ¡°Think Minnie, you can¡¯t be the only one, if Eyda was willing to just give this, wouldn¡¯t someone have done it already?¡±

    ¡°The answer to that is simple, Minnie,¡± the greater demon spoke. ¡°You are simply the first to ask.¡±

    Joira glared at the demon. ¡°You really are a silver-tongued lout, aren¡¯t you? What of all of Eyda¡¯s other followers, the ones who don¡¯t want to be burned to a crisp?¡±

    ¡°You assume it is beyond Eyda¡¯s power to grant paradoxes. It is not.¡± Turning to Minnie, he continued. ¡°Eyda grants fire to you, to do as you wish. Eyda grants power to others to do as they wish. The strongest wish must win out in the end.¡±

    ¡°You just contradicted what you said previously!¡± Joira blurted. ¡°If one wish wins a paradox is not granted!¡±

    ¡°Your pathetic mortal mind is not able to see the full nature of things. And allow me to be frank, even if your accusations are true, and that Minnie¡¯s wish is not to be granted absolutely¡­ tell me, Minnie, what if you could just burn this country? This town? Is that still not progress toward your delight?¡±

    Minnie paused for a moment. ¡°Yes. Even a small land that burns is better than none.¡±

    Joira, in that moment, felt a stone drop in her chest, and she understood. Understood what she had done to these people for all those years. Understood what she had been leading them to, what damage she had done to their souls.

    And for what reason?

    Her parents had told her what the Red stood for and she believed it wholeheartedly until Ashen came.

    That was it. That was her entire motivation, her entire purpose for being. It was simply the legacy of past generations.

    And it had created the monster standing before her. She had created the monster standing before her.

    ¡°So, will you come?¡± Minnie asked the Red Seekers. ¡°Will you stand with me and lay waste to all around, light the land with black fire, and turn the land upside down? Shall we start with these devious Aware in this town who look down on us with their arrogant noses and dare think they¡¯re better than us just because they tolerate!? Tolerance is a weakness, they should have killed us all in cold blood long ago if they had any amount of sense to them. But they did not, and we shall show them their folly.¡± She extended a hand. ¡°Come. Let us end this.¡±

    None of the Red Seekers said anything. Arno was bawling his eyes out.

    Doubt crossed Minnie¡¯s features. ¡°¡­Arno?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want Jeh and the others to burn¡­ I want them to go to space¡­¡±

    A shadow crossed Minnie¡¯s eyes. ¡°I was too late.¡± She glared at Joira. ¡°You ruined him.¡±

    ¡°I think I fixed him,¡± Joira growled back.

    ¡°The others are too afraid of you or have too much respect to defy you.¡± Minnie frowned. ¡°I was hoping I could keep you around and slowly bring you to my side. But no, you are an insurmountable obstacle.¡± She turned to the demon. ¡°Archinae, kill her.¡±

    ¡°With pleasure.¡±

    Joira did not waste any time. She tapped into her years of experience with Red magic and unleashed white hot flame upon Archinae, focusing it to create a powerful wall that would singe and deflect at the same time. Several of her Red Seekers moved with her, supporting the fire with their own, lesser magic. This was enough to push the demon¡¯s claw back.

    But there was another.

    Kirkkok flew in from above. ¡°Nighty-night!¡±

    Suddenly Joira¡¯s mind felt like it was being struck by lightning. She couldn¡¯t see anything but bright flashes of light. But she was a stubborn woman, one who had dealt with much pain in her life. She maintained her will, even if she couldn¡¯t see and had no idea what was going on.

    This was not sufficient. The demon was able to move behind her and stab her through the back.

    The sparks in her mind vanished. She keeled over backward, all sensation of feeling entirely gone. There was nothing at all¡­

    ¡­and then she was coughing up blood and sitting up, surrounded by verdant leaves, vines, and Green sparks.

    ¡°Try harder,¡± Scurfpea said with a smile, waving Green crystals over her.

    ¡°How annoying¡­¡± the Archinae said. He quickly grabbed the young dryad in one of his hands. ¡°To think, if you were connected to the rest of the Glens, you would be an actual problem.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Scurfpea tilted her head to the side, clearly confused. Not afraid in the slightest, though.

    ¡°I will get much pleasure out of breaking a soul such as yours.¡± He created spikes of darkness out of the air and rammed them through Scurfpea¡¯s leaves, violently sticking her hands and feet together. This got Scurfpea to scream, and for a second the pressurized fluids within her sprayed out all over the demon¡¯s face, but he didn¡¯t flinch, he simply had his spikes of darkness seal over the wounds to prevent any leakage. Then he tossed her to the ground; a crying, sniveling girl literally pinned to herself so she could barely move. ¡°That is just a taste of what is to come.¡± The demon rose into the air, spreading his four arms wide. ¡°All of you will understand the power which you defy, in time, and you will turn around to us¡ªfar faster than you could ever imagine. You wi¡ª¡±

    Joira decided she¡¯d had enough of the demon¡¯s talking and ignited the air around him in white flame. Half of the other Red Seekers joined her in this endeavor, while the other half ran to Scurfpea.

    Archinae somehow grabbed the white flame in his hands and compressed it like a ball. ¡°I fought a much grander master of the Red than you to get here, this is nothing! Return to me when you have blue fire!¡± He rose higher into the air and lifted the white fire above his head. His darkness moved into the fire, mixing its pure light with unnatural flames of shadow, swirling in a pattern not unlike ripples on a pond. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ this should just burn you to the skin level. It¡¯ll grow back. Eventually. If I let it.¡±

    Just as the fireball reached its apex, Archinae paused, sensing something.

    Then the Skyseed IV slammed into him.

    The effects were extreme.

    The Skyseed IV itself disintegrated on impact, shattering into thousands of glassy pieces sent flying every which way. The momentum transferred almost entirely into Archinae, throwing him sideways toward the forest at high speed.

    Then the sound hit. It was so loud that everyone fell over. Joira felt as though a spike had been rammed in one ear and out the other, and had she maintained much awareness as she was thrown to the ground, she would have noticed blood shooting out her ears.

    Every single window in Vaughan¡¯s cabin shattered.

    Then the demon actually hit the ground. The impact was strong enough to light the nearby grasses on fire and to uproot the tree he hit. A crater formed in the damp ground. An instant afterward, the fire he had accumulated in his hands went off, engulfing him in his white-black rippling power, shredding the bark off nearby trees.

    The black spikes in Scurfpea¡¯s hands dissipated, causing her to spray all over. Instinctually, she grew plants around her wounds like bandages, tying them tight. She was still small and had lost a lot of fluid, so when she stood she was very shaky, but she could stand. Immediately she started treating everyone with her Green, doing what she could for their ears.

    Kirkkok had to attend to Jeremiah and Minnie, and he continually glanced nervously at the cratered hole Archinae had been thrown into.

    At this point, Margaret drifted down. She had bailed out of the Skyseed quite a while before it had actually hit the demon. This was enabled by Krays¡¯ gift¡ªthe brass, mushroom-shaped levitator that they kept in the Laboratory display to remind them where the whole Wizard Space Program had gotten started. It was literally strapped to her wrist, which was fortunate, since she had blacked out for a momenta after bailing.

    Her intuition about air resistance and trajectory had been spot on¡ªshe¡¯d hit exactly where she¡¯d intended to and in the direction she¡¯d intended to.

    She landed in the middle of the area, clearly confused. She tossed the levitator to the ground, looking at Jeremiah. ¡°Dad? What¡¯s¡­ going on?¡±

    ¡°Why¡­ why would you do that?¡± Jeremiah asked. ¡°We¡­ we were going to¡­¡±

    Margaret paled. ¡°The¡­ that was¡­ with you? You were okay with¡­ tormenting a dryad child?¡±

    ¡°It was Eyda¡¯s will.¡±

    ¡°Eyda¡¯s will is whatever we will!¡± Margaret spat back.

    ¡°Eyda has use of me, Margaret¡­¡± Jeremiah said. ¡°And I wish to serve in the glory of Her darkness.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ no, you can¡¯t.¡± Margaret shook her head. ¡°Dad, this isn¡¯t you! You care about people! You want them to have the best! You¡­¡± She gestured back at Scurfpea, who¡¯s plant bandages and pain were evident. ¡°You can¡¯t just¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes he can,¡± Minnie said. ¡°He has seen the darkness, and revels in it. You are the one who doesn¡¯t truly understand Eyda.¡±

    ¡°Eyda serves those who serve themselves,¡± Margaret growled. ¡°And I know what my Dad wants. This isn¡¯t it.¡±

    ¡°People change.¡±

    ¡°Yes. They do.¡± Margaret turned to her father. ¡°But there¡¯s one thing that will never change. Dad, I, me, your daughter, beg. Don¡¯t become this.¡± Tears started streaking down her face. ¡°I thought you were finally getting better¡­ I¡­ please, Dad. Please. I can¡¯t, I¡­¡± Her legs gave out as the emotions finally overran her adrenaline and she became a bawling mess that couldn¡¯t make sense of what was happening.

    Jeremiah immediately winced, a tear rolling down his cheek. He took a step forward.

    Kirkkok squawked in surprise. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat?¡±

    Jeremiah ran to his daughter and pulled her into a hug. ¡°I could never¡­ abandon you¡­ for anything.¡±

    ¡°Wait, no, Jeremiah!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, bird,¡± Joira spat, standing up. ¡°Your power is nothing over this.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ this can¡¯t be! That¡¯s not how¡­¡±

    Minnie growled. ¡°Jeremiah, remember who you are pledged to¡­¡±

    ¡°I am pledged to my daughter,¡± Jeremiah said. ¡°And if she is on her hands and knees¡­ how can I not go to her?¡±

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Margaret said, beaming. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t even have the words.¡±

    ¡°I do. I love you, little Margaret, since the day I first found you. And nothing can change that fact.¡±

    ¡°Human sentiments are so foolish and pathetic¡­¡±

    Everyone slowly turned to look in fear at the crater. Slowly, but surely, the four-armed form of Archinae emerged from it. Clearly heavily injured and shaky, but his form was complete and he most certainly wasn¡¯t dead.

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to understand the power you¡¯ve unlocked in your forays to the stars¡­¡± Archinae snorted.

    ¡°Stay back,¡± Jeremiah said, putting himself between the demon and Margaret.

    ¡°You old fool.¡±

    ¡°I know I can¡¯t stop you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not why you¡¯re the fool.¡± Archinae suddenly rammed his finger through Jeremiah¡¯s skull, but somehow didn¡¯t break anything. ¡°You think I can¡¯t reach in here and remove your disgusting love for your daughter? You have already given yourself to us, your will is forfeit.¡±

    Jeremiah¡¯s expression went blank.

    ¡°Dad!¡± Margaret called out.

    ¡°Kick your ¡®daughter¡¯ down.¡± Archinae ordered.

    Jeremiah, face suddenly overcome with anger, whirled around and kicked Margaret in the stomach, throwing her to the ground. There was no sign of remorse or sorrow in his features.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Kirkkok shouted. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be subtle!¡±

    ¡°We have no need for subtlety anymore,¡± Archinae said. ¡°For soon, everyone here will bow before us.¡±

    ¡°¡­I will never bow before you,¡± Margaret said, grinding her teeth. ¡°You just took my Dad away.¡± She flew at him in a blind rage. She had no weapons, as she¡¯d just been piloting the Skyseed IV, so the entire attack was utterly pointless. But how could she do anything else?

    The demon backhanded her to the ground.

    Minnie took a step back.

    ¡°Oh, you finally have true doubts do you?¡± Archinae said. ¡°What does it matter to you if I violate the deepest part of a man¡¯s soul? You wished to see it all burn anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­If you¡¯ve done it to him, you could do it to me.¡±

    ¡°Quite. And I will.¡± Archinae chuckled. ¡°I have grown tired of all this¡­ show. It has taken too long, and your mortal attempts at piercing the heavens have caused me no small amount of pain¡­ this show ends here.¡± He extended his hand like a noodle and thrust it into the Cabin. After rummaging around for a few seconds and smashing through a few doors, he grabbed hold of what they were here for.

    He pulled out the black cube and set it down in front of everyone.

    Joira had never seen such a thing of pure blackness before. And yet, the edges were pure white. Every now and then, it appeared like light glinted off of it in a shimmer, but this occurred reliably every second or so without any regard for the actual lighting conditions. Its appearance was drilled into her mind.

    Scurfpea¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯ve seen one of these,¡± Archinae said, turning to Scurfpea. ¡°I wonder, was your Glen hiding it? Protecting it? Was it an object of reverence or fear?¡±

    Scurfpea clearly didn¡¯t understand all the words the demon was saying.

    ¡°In truth, it does not matter, for this cube is the one we care about.¡± He ran his hand across it. ¡°These cubes are utterly useless to divine creatures such as myself, or Crystalline Ones¡­ they are for the physical, the mortal. And all one has to do¡­ is touch it.¡± Archinae held out a hand. ¡°Jeremiah, your time has come!¡±

    Minnie decided she had to do something. She took out a Red crystal and tried to burn Jeremiah to a crisp. She knew she didn¡¯t have time¡ªKirkkok knocked the crystal out of her hand before she could even light him on fire.

    ¡°Only she knows what is contained in this cube. Strange how she can go from thinking it the best tool for her goals¡­ to a horror beyond comprehension.¡±

    There was nothing anyone could do as Jeremiah laid his hand upon the cube.

    For a second, the black cube with white edges became a white cube with black edges.

    Then it returned to normal like nothing had happened.

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Joira asked.

    ¡°Jeremiah, if you please, look everyone in the eyes.¡±

    Jeremiah stood tall and, with a nasty smile slowly crawling up his face, turned to gaze into everyone¡¯s eyes. His own eyes had changed, had begun to¡­ glow. All those who looked at him didn¡¯t feel anything change immediately, for they could not, as that was part of it. But they felt more at ease. They were calmed. There was no more sense of a life-or-death situation hanging around them.

    Minnie tried to close her eyes, to not look at him. But Kirkkok forced them open with some shadowy tendrils.

    ¡°Jeremiah, if you would, tell everyone to bow to me, and to trust me as they trust you.¡±

    ¡°All right everyone!¡± Jeremiah said, clapping his hands. ¡°I¡¯ve got something I want you to do. Do you see Archinae over there? I want you to bow to him, right now, and trust him as you trust me. It¡¯ll be for the best.¡±

    Everyone obeyed. Joira. Minnie. Scurfpea. Margaret. No one even cried out in pain. Smiles were starting to crawl up their faces.

    ¡°What a perfectly amazing power contained in this cube,¡± Archinae said with a laugh. ¡°Of all the so-called ¡®ancestries,¡¯ this one is particularly devious. Whoever has it will be trusted. Even knowing how it works and that you¡¯re all being forced to this, you cannot help but trust Jeremiah with your whole hearts. Margaret, what do you think?¡±

    Margaret suddenly stood up. On her face was a calm, serene smile. She opened her mouth. ¡°I think¡­ I think¡­ I think¡­ I think¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, how annoying, she appears to be stuck. Seems there is a limit after all.¡± Archinae waved a dismissive hand. ¡°No matter, I¡¯ll just have him tell you to do things and you¡¯ll do them.¡± He drummed his fingers on the cube. ¡°You know, your late Mayor had this power. He tried to limit it by wearing a mask so no one would ever see his true eyes. But the subtler effects still transpired despite his efforts. To think, he rejected the power such a gift could give him¡­ wanted it destroyed. Thrown into the Sun! That wouldn¡¯t destroy it but we certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to get to it!¡±

    Archinae held his hands wide. ¡°Ah, this is so freeing. No more secrets, no more shadows, I can reveal all and there¡¯s nothing any of you can do about it.¡± He ran to Jeremiah, lifting up his chin with one of his claws. ¡°You are completely in my thrall. Nothing can be done anymore, and all the witnesses are useless. Do you know that Eyda doesn¡¯t care about this backwater world in the slightest? Too limiting, too miniscule. Too pathetic. She doesn¡¯t even know you exist. She barely even knows I exist and I have not heard from Her in millenia, not since the Leviathan Curse. You have never touched Her, you have never impressed Her, you have never served Her; you serve us, and now me. Oh how we have laid traps upon traps upon traps for all of you¡­¡± He laughed, and laughed, and laughed, throwing his head back and holding his arms wide.

    ¡°You all may wonder, what exactly do I want? It isn¡¯t destruction, that really is reductive and boring. Nothing means there¡¯s no fun, no enjoyment to be had out of making everyone squirm, of absolutely dominating their wills. I don¡¯t want a kingdom either, like those idiots on the other side of the world. No, I simply want absolute, complete, and utter freedom. No matter where I go, no matter what there is, I intend to act as if there are no consequences. I will become the wanderer of this world, greater than all. I wish to slay and build up and then use what I¡¯ve build up to crush other things I¡¯ve built up! I will turn this world into my playground¡­ and it is all thanks to all of you and this town. It brought everything together just perfectly.¡± He paused. ¡°Almost too perfectly¡­¡± He spread his senses out once again.

    Then he sensed her.

    Ashen.

    ¡°You have heard too much, Crystalline One.¡±

    Ashen, despite being too far away for anyone present to see with their eyes, responded nonetheless into all their minds.

    ¡°And you have overextended yourself, demon.¡±

    ¡°You think you can challenge me?¡±

    ¡°How can I not?¡± At this point people started to notice that, from somewhere within the forest, a tree was moving. ¡°I was begged by one of those closest in desperation. You threaten this town and those I care about.¡±

    ¡°How about¡­ a deal?¡±

    ¡°Your deals are filled with lies and rot. I have heard too much, you need me dead.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°You are the one who is trapped.¡±

    Archinae clenched his claws together. ¡°¡­You are but a small, inexperienced Crystalline One. I am a greater shadow of Eyda.¡±

    ¡°If you thought you could end me in an instant, you would, and would not be talking.¡±

    The demon let out a roar of rage. ¡°In that case¡­¡± He placed a hand around Margaret¡¯s neck. ¡°Stand down or I break this girl¡¯s neck.¡±

    At this point, Ashen finally emerged from the forest. She had taken a form with five Red legs somewhere between the shape of a crab and a hand, each leg moving not with joints and sockets, but with facets sliding past facets that sent out brilliant Red sparks. Her center was dominated by her crystal weaving in and out of a living tree, and the roots twisted around her crystal into pockets that were caked in dirt.

    Minnie found this image offensive enough to cry out in rage. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±

    ¡°Minnie, quiet.¡± Minnie¡¯s expression went completely blank but she shut up.

    ¡°You are a monster beyond my wildest dreams,¡± Ashen said.

    ¡°What a compliment.¡±

    ¡°This only solidifies my opinion that you need to die.¡±

    ¡°How strange, I feel the same way. I am curious though¡­ how did Suro get you here?¡± He held out two hands to Ashen. ¡°I see you in memories, you were not this large, nor this mobile.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so you cannot probe my mind. Good.¡± Ashen¡¯s facets flickered. ¡°While you were busy with the Red Seekers, Suro and the others went to the back and grabbed all the Red they could and ran it to me. I have increased in mass significantly, and in power. For the record, Suro and the others are now running to town. Information about what you¡¯ve done will be spread no matter what happens here.¡±

    ¡°There is no way they stayed long enough to hear everything¡­¡±

    ¡°How far do my senses reach now, do you think? How much information could I have given them? Face it, Archinae, your desire to finally let loose and gloat has let a dark secret out, one that cannot be put back in. The Kingdom of Kroan will know more about you demons from today than ever before. If your goddess cared, I bet she would be unimaginably livid.¡±

    The demon opened and closed his claws several times, thinking.

    ¡°There is no way out for you.¡±

    ¡°There is always a way out.¡±

    ¡°How about I offer you a deal? I don¡¯t kill you, I just trap you.¡±

    ¡°I AM NOT GOING BACK!¡± Archniae¡¯s scream was so intense that the ground beneath him cracked, the air sparked with electricity, and branches were torn out of nearby trees. ¡°I AM ARCHINAE, HIGHER SHADOW! I WILL NOT BE SUBJUGATED, YOU WILL BE SUBJUGATED TO ME!¡± With that, all reason and control in Archinae¡¯s system left him. The control he exercised to talk, to negotiate, was spent. However, he still had tactics. Rather than kill Margaret outright, as that would do nothing to ensure his further survival, he threw her at Ashen, a projectile to confound and protect. ¡°EVERYONE, KILL HER!¡±

    ¡°You heard the man!¡± Jeremiah said. Despite being old and creaking in his bones, he charged, Kirkkok on his arm, squawking angrily. The Red Seekers pulled out their crystals¡ªknowing fire would be useless, they moved forward, prepared to use them like daggers. Scurfpea started growing sharp plant spikes out of the ground.

    Margaret found herself caught in a chair-shaped section of Ashen that had just been formed.

    A message was sent to her, and her alone.

    ¡°I am so sorry, it has to be done. I hope you can forgive me one day.¡±

    In that instant, Jeremiah went up in a blaze of blue fire.

    ¡°NO!¡± Archinae shouted, surrounding the flaming Jeremiah in a dark shell. Space literally warped around the shell, forcing any magic around and away from him. ¡°I AM BEY¡ª¡±

    Ashen built up a single point of heat outside the bubble of darkness, building it up so much that it destabilized and exploded. The warping of the darkness could not overcome the directed power of the blast.

    The weak, biological frame inside was disintegrated in an instant. Kirkkok vanished as the sigil was destroyed.

    There weren¡¯t even bones left.

    Margaret cried out in agony, gripping the arms of the chair she sat in hard enough to fracture the crystal, embedding it in her plast gauntlets.

    Everyone else¡­ was free.

    And immediately turned on Archinae.

    Archinae knew that was it. He was done for. He had no more cards to play. His energy had been spent. He had no followers he could give the power of the cube. His dreams of a worldwide playground where he was king were dashed.

    He couldn¡¯t even run. Ashen was powerful enough to hunt him down.

    With no more chance of survival, his anger and vengeance were all that remained.

    Kill as many of them as possible.

    He raged. He rushed forward, aiming for a random Red Seeker¡­ but a literal branch appeared between him and his target. Extending his senses, he saw Scurfpea, now standing on top of Ashen¡¯s tree¡­ growing the tree with her attribute. Limbs of wood and leaves emerged, protecting all those who needed it.

    ¡°Dryads¡­ even separate from their gift¡­¡±

    Ashen triggered a focused explosion at Archinae¡¯s feet. Then another one above him. Then to the left, then the right, eventually forming a full box of explosions that compressed him into a much, much smaller form. Blue fire raged all over him and his dark body started to disintegrate bit by bit.

    And then, just as he was about to be reduced to nothing, it stopped. He was the size of a small cat now, and was little more than a torso and head with shadowy flames spurting out of where his limbs should have been.

    ¡°I¡­ will not¡­ go back¡­¡±

    ¡°I am not taking you in. I am giving you over to someone who is far more deserving of this act.¡±

    Margaret stepped down from Ashen¡¯s chair. In her hands was a blade made out of a mixture of living wood and Red crystal. She stood before the form of Archinae, blade pointed right at him.

    ¡°You defy me, you defy your Goddess.¡±

    ¡°You took my Dad from me,¡± Margaret said, voice cracking. ¡°You took him from me and I didn¡¯t even realize it.¡±

    Archinae laughed a long, bitter laugh. ¡°Oh you foolish little girl¡­ it was not I who did those things, I was merely the last step. We are shadows. We are everywhere. End me, but it will not end that which has tormented you. We persist and infect.¡± He stretched out his head with the last of his power, getting closer and closer to her. ¡°You are not meant to know, but since you do, understand the full scale of what we do. We give power, and everyone thinks it is for their ¡®self,¡¯ their ¡®dream,¡¯ but that is never true. Every last Eyda Gonal everywhere in existence is under our thumb. There are innumerable multitudes like Jeremiah, led down a path of ¡®self-service¡¯ that is really service to us.¡±

    Margaret stared right into his eyes. His horrible, piercing yellow eyes. ¡°Then I live to tell people the truth.¡±

    ¡°Good luck convincing them! Would you have believed any of this if you hadn¡¯t seen it with your own eyes!?¡±

    Margaret thrust the blade down into his form, severing it in two. Flames burst out of the blade as it moved through the air. She pushed it too hard¡ªit impacted the ground and the blade shattered¡ªbut the blade was never intended to be used for more than this anyway.

    Archinae disappeared into flecks of black dust.

    It was over.

    ~~~

    Lila and Suro sat together on top of the laboratory, looking down at the commotion below them. Via and the guard-that-totally-wasn¡¯t-Queen-Riikaz-in-disguise were rounding up all the surviving enemies. There were three¡ªall of them Shimmers, none of the rigid plague¡¯s invaders had let themselves be captured. Minnie had vanished.

    Many graves were also being dug near the burnt field.

    ¡°We have been blessed this day,¡± Lila said, suddenly.

    ¡°Really?¡± Suro asked.

    ¡°Only one of those graves is for one of ours,¡± Lila said.

    ¡°¡­Jeremiah.¡±

    ¡°He was one of ours, as much as he didn¡¯t want to admit it, as much as the darkness consumed him.¡± She paused, looking down at Margaret helping dig the graves¡­ with Ashen. Ashen was making no attempt to hide herself as she moved through the crowds, helping in every way she could to scoop up the dirt for the bodies. Scurfpea had not left her and was continuing to use her attribute on Ashen¡¯s tree to move it as well. This arrangement was getting quite a few uncertain glances, and people were rather nervous¡­ but considering the literal battle so many had just witnessed, the presence of a friendly Crystalline One was actually welcome. A protector.

    ¡°There is so much I want to say to them,¡± Lila said. ¡°I want to hold them close, I want to tell them it¡¯s all okay, that the horrid things they experienced won¡¯t be the end.¡±

    ¡°I think Margaret knows that,¡± Suro said. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s working with Ashen, in tandem. Just¡­ even I would have a hard time doing that if¡­ if¡­¡±

    ¡°If I am taken in by the darkness and my will removed, I want you to forgive the one who has to end me,¡± Lila said. ¡°I want you to be like her.¡±

    Suro swallowed hard. ¡°I¡­ I know, I¡¯d want the same. But¡­¡±

    ¡°But I also want you to know if you cannot¡­ that I would forgive you.¡±

    ¡°Lila¡­¡±

    The two of them wrapped their tails around each other.

    ¡°¡­I wonder, sometimes, if we¡¯ve done wrong,¡± Lila said, lowering her head. ¡°That by pursuing the wonders of space, we have brought only darkness and suffering to our people.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t think so,¡± Suro said. ¡°We¡¯ve been given everything for a reason. Jeh was provided to us. We have many close calls and tense moments that nonetheless end up panning out. And¡­ even here, in all this destruction, we only lost one. All the other threats fought each other. Everything¡¯s fallen into place just as it needs to.¡±

    Lila nodded slowly. ¡°You¡­ are right. Shame on me, the Keeper, having less faith than my husband.¡± She chuckled. ¡°We really are meant to do this, it seems. I do wonder¡­ what greater purpose could it serve? What grand goal lies at the end of all this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°We just have to trust¡­ and press on.¡± She looked down at her claws. ¡°And prepare¡­ for a life that is not so quiet, anymore.¡±

    ¡°I thought we already prepared.¡±

    ¡°I have not trained my claws in years. I should start again.¡±

    ¡°Lila¡­¡±

    ¡°it has been long enough. My past sins are no longer so¡­ painful. I¡­ I should at least try once again.¡±

    Suro put a leg around his wife¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be there with you the entire way, and so will the kids.¡±

    ¡°None of you can fight,¡± Lila said with a snort.

    ¡°We can learn?¡±

    ¡°¡­Worth a shot, I suppose. Worth a shot¡­¡± Suddenly, she felt compelled to look up. There, in the sky, was the moon. ¡°They might be there right now, Suro.¡±

    ¡°I hope they stay a while. It¡¯ll give us time to fix Vaughan¡¯s cabin up before he gets back.¡±

    ¡°There is no way we can fix a hole that big in time.¡±

    ¡°We can try though!¡±

    Lila chuckled¡ªan honest, legitimate, but tired chuckle. ¡°We can¡­ and¡­¡± She looked down at the commotion below once more. Agents were working with wizards were working with random visitors from out of town were working with farmers, all to undo the damage that had been done. ¡°We can do it together.¡± Once again, she turned her head to the moon. ¡°And together, we will reach the heavens.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Egh¡­¡± Blue said, rubbing her head with her hoof.

    ¡°Still got that headache?¡± Vaughan asked, taking his clearly sunburned face away from the Moonshot¡¯s window. He just couldn¡¯t keep the curtains drawn for very long.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Blue stopped levitating the papers and star charts in front of her, immediately relieving about half of her pain. ¡°Levitation is getting harder.¡±

    ¡°Pushing yourself too much?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­ I¡¯ve never had difficulty levitating before, but it could be the stress of the situation¡­¡± She grunted. ¡°We can rest once we arrive at the moon, right now we¡¯re getting close, and I have work to do.¡±

    ¡°Close!¡± One of the twins said, followed closely by her sister¡¯s echo. ¡°Close!¡±

    Jeh twirled around in the pilot¡¯s seat. ¡°Close!¡±

    ¡°Close,¡± Keller added, a short, smile-less chuckle escaping from his mouth. He was currently trying to figure out how to flip a coin in weightlessness. It wasn¡¯t going so well for him.

    ¡°Weirdos,¡± Blue muttered, forcing herself to light her horn again. The headache returned, but she got back to work. ¡°All right Jeh, another measurement¡­¡±

    Ikyu, at this point, was a blue ball in space, looking not unlike the moon itself normally did, currently in a crescent phase. Blue, green, and white specks were all that Blue could make out¡ªshe wasn¡¯t even entirely sure what continent she was looking it, it could have been Kroan¡¯s, or the other side of the planet for all she knew. She recorded the size¡­ and then they flipped to look at the moon.

    It absolutely dominated the view with its various shades of gray that were, nonetheless, beautiful and inspiring. They could still see the moon¡¯s curvature, but only barely at this point. Blue frowned. I thought we hadn¡¯t waited this long¡­? Her question was pushed away, though, once again because the features on the moon were just so amazing. From here she could make out hills, mountains, and so many of the circular arrangements of craters. What mysterious things they were, they were all over the moon¡ªshe really did wonder what caused them, but they hadn¡¯t come up with anything yet.

    She could even see shadows being cast by the mountains due to the sun. It was all so amazing. Currently, she thought of the moon as above them, so this mountainous cratered rock¡ªit was pretty clearly rock of some kind at this point¡ªwas her ceiling right now.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Blue?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Right, right,¡± Blue tore herself away from the window and closed the curtains, returning to her station. She plotted their trajectory again, finding, once again, that they were off course. This wasn¡¯t really a problem as they were now at the moon and nothing was going to cause a problem at this point, but still. This bugged her. Perhaps the attraction of Ikyu wasn¡¯t a simple inverse square law? That would be annoying to figure out if it wasn¡¯t¡­ making constant adjustments like this was quite annoying.

    The closer they got to the moon the worse it got, too. She made a quick check of all the discrepancies and found that, sure enough, they were increasing markedly the closer they got¡­

    ¡­wait a second. The moon orbited Ikyu in a circle, which meant even if the attraction of Ikyu was weirdly variable, it was still constant on circular paths, so it was a spherically symmetric force. If that was the case, the rate of variability would likely change with distance from Ikyu, and yet¡­ looking at the graph she¡¯d just made, it was changing not with distance from Ikyu, but distance from the moon.

    She stared at this blankly for a while, unsure what to make of it.

    ¡°Um¡­ Blue?¡± Jeh asked. ¡°Do I need to make any adjustments, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh no,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Oh no what?¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t like the sound of that ¡®oh no¡­¡¯ ¡° Vaughan said.

    ¡°The moon is pulling us in!¡± Blue shouted. ¡°Jeh, push away from the moon! It¡¯s¡­ oh no our inertia is too large it might be too late uh¡­¡±

    Jeh decided not to wait for a specific heading and just rotated her chair around, pushed the drive into full gear, and pushed. Everyone was violently thrown to the side of the Moonshot closest to the moon.

    The Moonshot, however, was extremely heavy, and even at full blast the drive was not able to change its heading particularly quickly, especially considering how fast it was going¡ªfaster even than Blue had thought it was. Not to mention the fact that, yes, the moon really was pulling on the Moonshot and they were now close enough that this force was significant and had built up quite a lot of speed.

    Blue crawled over to the window that was now their ¡°floor¡± due to the acceleration and looked down through it. The moon was now down. And the mountains and ridges were moving up to them alarmingly quickly. ¡°Jeh¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t push this thing any harder!¡± Jeh called.

    ¡°This is it. The moon is going to flatten us like a pancake,¡± Blue said. ¡°Friggin¡­ why didn¡¯t we think about this!? Oh, Ikyu is down, we said, so the moon is just a floating rock, we said, everything¡¯s attached to Ikyu. Obviously. No! Not obviously! What about those things around Qi, huh? Oh, it¡¯s sooo obvious, for those things, Qi was down. I bet they¡¯re going in niiiice little circles around it, yeeeep, oh wow that¡¯s so obvious and we¡¯re going to die because we didn¡¯t see it.¡± Blue put her hooves over her eyes. ¡°Stupid, stupid, stupid¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Have a little faith,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°I do not believe we were brought this far only to fail unceremoniously.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really!? Maybe we need to explode so people learn the dangers of not flying into space with a hunk of metal, huh!? Ever think about that!?¡±

    ¡°Anger and panic will not help us here,¡± Keller said.

    ¡°What will?¡± Blue asked.

    Keller flipped a coin into the air, and it managed to actually land due to their current acceleration. ¡°Luck.¡±

    ¡°Oh whoop-de-do, luck, sure, that¡¯ll fix everything¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re coming up on a mountain!¡± one of the twins called.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see it!¡± Jeh said. ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ not enough time.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean not enough ti¡ª¡±

    The Moonshot was no longer moving straight down, but was coming in at a very shallow angle. One of its exterior knobs hit something hard, sending the entire craft into a wild, nearly uncontrolled spin. Everyone inside was thrown around like a bunch of ragdolls as in the chaos no one had thought to, maybe, strap themselves in, and now it was far too late for that.

    Jeh, however, was in the pilot¡¯s seat, and this was somewhat rotationally free from the rest of the ship, though not entirely. In the midst of all the grunts and cries of pain, she kept her head. She used her personal Orange stash to grab hold of the exterior handholds¡ªdiscovering that one was definitely missing, but the other seven were still there. Picking four that lay in the same plane, she grabbed them and forced them to still.

    It really was easy to control the spin of a sphere, at least relative to a freefalling human body. It also helped that there was no air in the way to make tumbling an issue.

    However, they were still moving, and she knew it, she just didn¡¯t know which direction anymore. Knowing she couldn¡¯t rely on the others that had just been thrown around like bean bags, she opened a curtain in front of her manually, finding the ground of the moon right there.

    There was no time for her to do anything as the Moonshot crashed, sending up clouds of moon dust and cutting a streak along the regolith and sending sparks of every Color into the air as they did before finally coming to a lopsided rest.

    They had arrived.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    They¡¯ve done it! They¡¯ve made it to the moon! In¡­ well not in one piece, at least two, but they made it! And they made perhaps the most important discovery of all: that things other than Ikyu have gravity! In fact, everything has gravity, even you and me.

    See, we here on Earth made this discovery through observation rather than literally going up there and seeing what happened. One of the biggest hints we had is Jupiter¡¯s moons which¡ªas Blue rants about when she thinks she¡¯s about to die¡ªis a clue they had as well, the planet Qi also has moons that they could see, it¡¯s just that nobody had drawn the connection yet. Fortunately, we had a lot longer between observations of space and attempts to actually go there that allowed us to think about the observations. The dangers of fast-tracking space travel like this are on full display.

    As for the actual science, every body exerts gravity the same way on every other one: GMm/r^2. When there are only two bodies involved, or one body dominates over all others, the behavior is relatively predictable for millions of years. Now, to actually plot any proper orbit trajectories, you do need to actually account for all major bodies in the system. Trying to fly to the moon without calculating the moon¡¯s gravity is a ridiculous notion! It¡¯s a miracle they got there at all.

    A particle flying between the Earth and the Moon will feel the pull of both. At any given place, though, one of them dominates. Orbiting the Earth, it¡¯s Earth, orbiting the moon, it¡¯s the moon. The domain over which a body is considered to gravitationally ¡°dominate¡± is called the Hill Sphere, and every major body has one. The Moon, as it is orbiting the Earth, rests inside Earth¡¯s Hill Sphere, but it has a Hill Sphere of its own where its gravity dominates over that of the Earth. The Earth (and all the planets) reside inside the Sun¡¯s truly massive Hill Sphere. The size of the Hill Sphere is a bit hard to pin down, but for well-behaved circular orbits the radius can be represented as the semi-major axis times the cube root of m/3M, where m is the mass of the smaller body and M is the mass of the larger body. The Earth¡¯s Hill Sphere is about 1.5 million kilometers, well beyond the orbit of the moon at around 400 thousand kilometers.

    Now, as for the moon¡­ well, we should see what their moon is actually like before comparing it to ours, shouldn¡¯t we?

 039 - The Moon

    WSP 039

    The Moon

    Vaughan¡¯s head was pounding, feeling like it would explode. But it didn¡¯t. The spinning had stopped, too. There was a pain in his back¡ªthat was normal¡ªand one in his leg¡ªthat was not. His ears were ringing. Otherwise¡­ he was fine?

    He opened his eyes and discovered that looking at things was painful. He quickly shut them.

    His face stung¡­ oh, wait, that was just the sunburn. He¡¯d done that to himself despite several warnings¡­ he found that he was capable of weakly chuckling at this. His own foolhardiness was what had gotten them into this mess¡­

    ¡°He looks fine.¡± The words came to his ears as though through a fog. ¡°No gashes or anything.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not really responding, though, try healing him anyway.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    Vaughan felt the familiar sensation of Green waft over him. All it fixed was his leg, which hadn¡¯t even been broken, just bruised. The rest of his symptoms remained.

    ¡°See, told you it did nothing.¡±

    ¡°Vaughan¡­ Vaughan, come on, wake up.¡±

    ¡°I am¡­¡± Vaughan grunted.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say anything!?¡± The voice was clearly Blue¡¯s now, and the worry was quickly leaving, being replaced with indignation.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t¡­ feel like it.¡± Vaughan tried to open his eyes again. It still hurt to look, it was so bright.

    ¡°Maybe we should cover up the windows,¡± one of the twins suggested.

    ¡°Well that would require finding the curtains for all of them,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Just the ones that are letting the brightness in.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fair.¡± Vaughan could hear the sound of Blue levitating things around. ¡°Agh¡­ I must have hit my horn or something, that hurts¡­¡±

    ¡°You were complainin¡¯ about that before we landed,¡± Keller observed.

    ¡°Double injury, then. Ow¡­ there. Vaughan, your eyes okay now?¡±

    Vaughan opened his eyes. The interior of the Moonshot was no longer so bright it hurt to look around, though his eyes still felt weak, somehow. At least now he didn¡¯t have to struggle to keep them open, though the sight he was greeted to was definitely a mess. Blue¡¯s equipment was strewn everywhere. Ink was splashed all over several of the walls and one of the windows that showed stars outside. A few smaller streaks were clearly blood, but given all the voices he¡¯d heard any major injuries had already been taken care of, so he didn¡¯t let that worry him for more than a few seconds. Somewhat surprisingly, all the hatches and drawers had held, nothing that hadn¡¯t already been open or loose had been released, showing that they really had designed the ship properly. A few glass things had been shattered¡ªone of the metal supports for an interior rod was exposed, but the steel itself was unbroken. The drive and the pilot¡¯s seat looked perfectly fine, and even the air pressure sensor was in one piece¡ªand it told them that they hadn¡¯t sprung a leak.

    With a sigh and a grunt, he sat up¡ªand was highly surprised to find that he had no difficulty whatsoever doing this and in fact shakily rose to his feet among the pile of junk that had settled around him. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat?¡±

    ¡°Careful!¡± Jeh said, jumping up in a lazy arc to one of the bars above him. ¡°Down is different here!¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­ right, it was pulling us in¡­¡± Vaughan looked around for his hat and scepter. Finding both, he kneeled down to get them. The activity was a little awkward for him, but so long as he moved slowly, everything took less energy to do. Hat on head and scepter in hand, he took in a big breath. ¡°So. uh¡­ besides the obvious, what happened?¡±

    ¡°We only have the obvious,¡± Keller said. ¡°We crashed.¡±

    ¡°Everyone good?¡±

    ¡°You were the worst off.¡±

    ¡°I had a broken arm!¡± one of the Twins called, gesturing at an arm that had apparently been healed quickly.

    ¡°If Jeh had been unconscious that woulda been a problem. As it is¡­ you suffered for less than a minute.¡±

    ¡°It was still pain¡­¡± She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. Her sister put a comforting arm around her.

    ¡°Still think this trip was a good idea for you two?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said the one with the healed arm.

    ¡°Definitely,¡± said the other.

    ¡°Crazy¡­¡± Blue muttered.

    ¡°We all got into a tin ball and flew to the moon,¡± Jeh said. ¡°We¡¯re all crazy.¡±

    ¡°Is the ship¡­ okay?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re not obviously leaking,¡± Blue said. ¡°The drive is still fine. As for everything else¡­¡±

    ¡°Inspection underway!¡± the Sourdough twins said in unison, setting to cleaning up and inspecting everything in the ship while the others continued to talk.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Vaughan tried to walk but found that the energy he put into a step pushed him slightly into the air. ¡°Besides this¡­ new down, do we know anything else about the moon?¡±

    ¡°Covered in dust. Absolutely covered,¡± Jeh said. ¡°It¡¯s all over out there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also very bright,¡± Blue said. ¡°I think we landed on one of the lighter sections.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Vaughan approached one of the windows, one that was currently directed to the side and slightly downward.

    ¡°Your eyes¡­¡±

    ¡°Have adjusted enough, I think.¡± Vaughan squinted his eyes and slowly pulled back the curtain. It was still hard to look out there, the ground was comparably bright to freshly-packed snow under a noonday sun, but it was definitely not the same texture. The scenery was almost monochromatic and rocky, with everything either being dusty or just a lump of rock. The few exceptions were specks of Color from Colored crystals, but those only existed near where the Moonshot itself was, at greater distances there was nothing but monochrome mountains, a black sky, and stars.

    ¡°Crystals¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, crystals,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Guess that means they are up here.¡±

    ¡°Why are they only near us?¡±

    ¡°They probably only form underground,¡± Blue said. ¡°Though, evidently, there¡¯s a lot of them since we just struck a random spot and got a lot of them¡­ unless we just got lucky and hit a vein¡­¡±

    Vaughan put his hand on the glass. ¡°We¡­ we did it.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well. We crashed but¡­¡±

    ¡°We did it!¡±

    ¡°YEAH!¡± Jeh said, putting her fist into the palm of her other mitt. ¡°WE DID IT! We are on the moon and we are alive! A whole new land to explore!¡±

    The twins let out an almost musical series of cheers.

    ¡°Heh¡­ we did. We made history,¡± Blue said. ¡°Assuming we can get back in this hunk of junk¡­¡±

    ¡°Drive still works, and we have access to crystals we can stock up on,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°I like our chances.¡±

    ¡°I mean, I do too, just being cautious here.¡±

    Keller drummed his fingers against one of the metal walls. ¡°So, now that we have arrived, I must ask¡­ what now?¡±

    Vaughan cleared his throat. ¡°Primary mission objective was to get a sample. So¡­¡± He lifted his scepter and used Orange to lift a medium-sized rock from the ground. Dust poured off of it as he moved it, though it simply fell to the ground rather than drifting in a complex plume. There was no air out there to slow it down, clearly. He levitated it over to the airlock and sealed it shut from the outside.

    Jeh opened it from the interior and pulled the rock out. It easily fit in her hand.

    It was light gray without the thin covering of dust. Lumpy. Had a few pocks in it spread around randomly.

    It was. A rock.

    ¡°Well this is a lot less interesting then I was hoping,¡± Jeh said, placing the rock down. ¡°Honestly that very shiny dust is more unusual¡­¡±

    ¡°We should sample some of that as well,¡± Blue said. ¡°Get one of the waste bags, we can put it in there.¡±

    It took a little more care to get the dust into the airlock in sufficient quantities and to get it into the bag. Inside the Moonshot, the air definitely allowed the dust to cloud up, and it was so fine it did so readily. Jeh was forced into a coughing fit. ¡°What¡­ fun¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Vaughan took the bag with dust in it and held it in one hand, while he held the rock in the other. ¡°I wonder if this is just the powdered version of that.¡±

    ¡°What would cause it to powder, though?¡± Blue asked. ¡°There¡¯s no air out there like in a desert. Not even any dunes!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, something to ponder. Now, what I¡¯m curious about¡­ is the crystals. Jeh, if you mind, can you start digging out there?¡±

    ¡°Aye-aye beard man!¡± Jeh pulled out her Orange and started digging. It was easy for her to get through the layer of dust, finding that for the most part the ground was the dust, with the occasional rock or crystal suspended in it. The powder was significantly denser further down, but without any air it was easy to throw it aside. The slow arcs the particles made in the ¡°air¡± were telling of the significantly weaker force holding them to the moon¡¯s surface.

    In digging, they found quite a few crystals of all seven Colors. However, all of them were small, none larger than a fingernail, though occasionally they found two of the same Color fused together. When Jeh eventually hit solid rock¡ªwhich took a while, the hole ended up being several meters deep¡ªthe distribution was the same. Crack a large rock open, get a bunch of small crystals.

    ¡°Crystals either form differently here or this is a weird place,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°We can fly over to one of the dark spots,¡± Vaughan suggested.

    ¡°Jeh, do you¡­?¡±

    Jeh grinned. ¡°Now that I know that down can change, it¡¯ll be easy. We weigh less here!¡± She bounced into the air and grabbed onto one of the supports near the current ceiling. ¡°That means it¡¯ll be easy to move the Moonshot.¡±

    ¡°In that case¡­ Rina! Rona! How¡¯s the inspection going?¡±

    Rina and Rona gave Blue mock salutes. ¡°Almost everything checks out!¡± one said. ¡°Two things don¡¯t. One, we¡¯re missing one of the exterior knobs, but that¡¯s not a problem.¡±

    The other continued. ¡°The other thing is this drawer here. It won¡¯t open.¡± To demonstrate, she grabbed the handle and put her feet on the walls, using her whole body to try and pry it open. It was clearly unlatched, but no matter how much she struggled, it didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°¡­Weird¡­¡± Jeh said, narrowing her eyes.

    ¡°Maybe we do have a hole,¡± Blue said. ¡°Jeh, can you levitate a rock out there to see if you can get inside?¡±

    Jeh did as asked. Even though they couldn¡¯t see through the metal wall, Jeh could still move the rock back there and tap the exterior wall, letting a resounding clang resonate through the Moonshot. She kept tapping closer and closer to the mysterious hatch, until suddenly they didn¡¯t hear a noise anymore.

    ¡°Yep. Hole.¡±

    ¡°That drawer is sealed, though, so we should be fine¡­¡±

    Vaughan frowned. ¡°What was in there?¡±

    ¡°It was one of the food chests.¡± Blue paused. ¡°¡­How much food do we have left?¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± one of the twins said. ¡°Hover clover rations are still fine.¡±

    ¡°And sooo nutritious!¡± the other added.

    ¡°Egh, if we have to dig into those because of this¡­¡± Jeh muttered.

    ¡°Everyone be quiet for a second,¡± Blue said. ¡°I want to see if we can hear any air escaping.¡±

    Silence.

    Not even the sound of hissing air.

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re good,¡± Blue said. ¡°Still, someone mark the drawer or something.¡±

    ¡°Might I suggest gluin¡¯ it shut just in case?¡± Keller asked.

    ¡°Good idea,¡± Vaughan said.

    The twins set right on that, pulling out some glue and pressing it all around the edges of the drawer. ¡°Now it¡¯ll never open again!¡± they said as one.

    ¡°Right, so¡­ do a dark area?¡± Vaughan suggested.

    ¡°Might as well,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Everyone strap in!¡± Jeh said, jumping into her pilot¡¯s seat. ¡°Let¡¯s actually fly around right this time!¡±

    Everyone did, in fact, strap in. With a creak and a  groan, the Moonshot lifted up off the ground and, without much fanfare, set off for a darker area¡­

    ~~~

    The darker area proved not to be all that different from the previous one. Somehow it was still extremely bright when looked at head-on. The dust was only about half as deep, though, and the rocks they pulled out of it were darker in color. The Colored crystal distribution was exactly the same.

    Vaughan and Blue set to cataloging and investigating the various properties and differences between their various samples. This left Jeh not doing much but looking outside at the lunar ground.

    ¡°I want to just go out there and run,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Just¡­ can you imagine, bounding through the airless void?¡±

    Either Rina or Rona nodded. ¡°It does sound fun¡­¡±

    ¡°But we can¡¯t carry air out there,¡± the other added.

    Jeh frowned. ¡°Next ship needs a bigger airlock. And we need to bring the diving helmet. I want to run out there, not be cooped up in this tiny ball.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll probably happen eventually, Jeh,¡± one of them said.

    ¡°You just need to be patient!¡± the other finished.

    Jeh sighed. ¡°Patience¡­ oh, patience¡­ why do things take so long¡­¡±

    ¡°Long?¡± Keller gave her one of his unsmiling chuckles. ¡°Kid, your space program¡¯s only been operatin¡¯ for two years. Ya made it to th¡¯ moon. Expeditions t¡¯ the desert can last that long, and it takes months just t¡¯ cross th¡¯ ocean. Ya¡¯ve moved faster than anyone ever.¡±

    ¡°Wow, why is normal life so slow?¡±

    ¡°Ask Dia that one, kid.¡±

    ¡°Will I ever get to?¡± Jeh tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly going to die.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ hmm. I dunno, kid. I dunno. Ask that Mayor of yours.¡±

    Jeh shrugged, turning back to looking outside. ¡°To run¡­¡±

    ¡°I just realized something,¡± Vaughan said.

    Blue blinked, looking up from the rocks. ¡°Wait, you found something interesting?¡±

    ¡°My back doesn¡¯t hurt anymore!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Vaughan¡­¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because I weigh less!¡± Vaughan jumped into the air and stretched out his arms. ¡°I feel limber once again! Yes!¡±

    ¡°I can see it now,¡± Keller said, scratching his chin. ¡°Come t¡¯ th¡¯ moon, solve your back problems.¡±

    ¡°Buy now!¡± the Sourdough twins added.

    Blue turned to them with an uncertain glance. ¡°You two are seriously already thinking about space tourism, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Maaaaaaybe,¡± one said.

    ¡°If we weren¡¯t before, we are now!¡± the other added.

    ¡°¡­Walked into that one,¡± Blue muttered. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve accomplished our primary objective¡ªmake it to the moon. Secondary objective of samples is also complete. Third objective¡­ map the dark side. Do we still have enough food to wait for a new moon?¡±

    The twins nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll just need to not have any extra meals or snacks.¡± They both pointed at Jeh. ¡°That means you.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, fiiine¡­¡± Jeh grumbled.

    ¡°So, what do we do until then?¡± Vaughan asked.

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°Keep flying around, looking for things?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything stopping us from going there now,¡± Blue said. ¡°It¡¯s just not a rush at the moment.¡±

    ¡°I am rather curious as to what it looks like¡­¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Might I suggest we set our destination as the dark side and just mosey over there slowly?¡± Keller said.

    ¡°Seems reasonable,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Though, first, we should check out the dawn¡­ dusk? Whatever area, since it¡¯s closer.¡±

    Everyone nodded in agreement.

    ¡°We should start sleeping in shifts again, too, have to keep the air restorer running and all that.¡±

    With that, they took off into the air, this time maintaining a rather low elevation from the ground as they sailed on, looking for anything interesting at a slower pace.

    ~~~

    They had found that it was significantly easier on the eyes to look at the moon¡¯s surface with less direct sunlight, so they started following the edge of the moon¡¯s shadow to the dark side, which meant they were taking a ¡°northern¡± trajectory, though the compass they brought wasn¡¯t working. It would either point nowhere or point in seemingly random directions.

    Blue, Vaughan, and one of the twins were currently sleeping, leaving Jeh, Keller, and the other twin operating everything. Keller was currently on the air restorer, while Jeh was flying and the awake twin had her face pressed to the lower window, trying to look for anything interesting to investigate.

    ¡°Might see something,¡± the Sourdough twin called up to Jeh. ¡°Slow down, take us closer to the surface.¡±

    Jeh slowed down and lowered the Moonshot toward the ground.

    ¡°Those are lines¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh? Lines?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°There are lines cutting across the lunar surface. Set us down, gently, let¡¯s have a look.¡±

    Jeh set them down. The first few times they¡¯d done this, it had woken everyone up, but Jeh had discovered the weaker pull of the moon made it much easier to do things gently. She unstrapped herself and went to one of the side windows.

    There definitely were lines cutting across the lunar surface, two of them in fact.

    ¡°¡­Those look like rigid tracks,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Keller said, suddenly very interested.

    ¡°Yeah, there were areas in the Shinelands where there wasn¡¯t metal, but dirt, and the tracks the wheeled rigids made looked kind of like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s follow them,¡± the twin said.

    ¡°Oh you better bet we¡¯re following them.¡±

    ¡°If there are thin¡¯s livin¡¯ here¡­¡± Keller said, caution evident in his voice.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen anything alive the entire time here,¡± Jeh said. ¡°It¡¯s probably something that just looks like tracks. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be careful.¡±

    So the Moonshot lifted up once again and followed the tracks. The tracks went on for several kilometers, but they eventually came to a stop¡­ at a thing.

    ¡°Hold,¡± the twin called. ¡°Don¡¯t descend, Jeh. Keller, come look at this.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Jeh called down.

    ¡°It looks¡­ like a rigid,¡± Keller said. ¡°¡­But it ain¡¯t movin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s dead,¡± the twin suggested.

    ¡°Maybe¡­ we should wake th¡¯ others for this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    Jeh hovered the Moonshot in the ¡°air¡± while everyone was woken up and told about the situation. Soon, everyone but Jeh was cramming their faces at the window.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Jeh grumbled. ¡°I want to see, let me land already!¡±

    ¡°We really can¡¯t just not go down there,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Possible life, I¡­ I hadn¡¯t really considered it, but there it is.¡±

    ¡°Jeh, descend slowly,¡± Blue said. ¡°Very slowly.¡±

    ¡°Can a rigid even survive without air¡­?¡± Keller asked.

    ¡°Things either breathe air or water,¡± Blue said. ¡°There are rigids that live in both ecosystems, but the species that can operate in both are very rare. They need it just like the rest of us, though I¡¯m not entirely sure how, as they don¡¯t visibly breathe.¡±

    They eventually reached the ground. The presupposed rigid never moved as they approached. Now that they were close, they could make out features. It was quite unlike any rigid Jeh had ever seen¡ªmost were entirely enclosed, while this one had most of its interior organs just exposed. The eight wheels it had were made out of wires attached to black cylinders, entirely hollow, were there air it could have passed right through. Several wires and pipes moved exposed on the exterior of its drum-shaped body. Its top was flat, and two sections protruded from it. One was a bizarre, long object that pointed into the sky, with various knobs along its length. The other was a round dish angled slightly upward.

    The entire thing was covered in a thin coating of the moon dust.

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s sleeping?¡± Blue said, suddenly. ¡°The sun is setting here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s even a rigid,¡± Jeh said, tilting her head. ¡°There¡¯s just¡­ not enough there, and it¡¯s not smooth enough or¡­ complete, if that makes sense? Too exposed?¡±

    ¡°What else could it be?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been here a long, long time, whatever it is,¡± Keller said. ¡°There ain¡¯t no wind here. The dust don¡¯t drift. This thin¡¯ has a coatin¡¯ on it. How long ya think it hat t¡¯ sit in one spot t¡¯ get that?¡±

    Everyone thought this over.

    ¡°Definitely dead, then,¡± one of the twins said.

    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t it decomposed?¡± the other asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s there to decompose it, out here?¡± Vaughan asked. ¡°This isn¡¯t the Shinelands, there are no other rigids around to complete the cycle. This thing¡­ person, creature, or otherwise¡­ was alone. And has been alone for¡­ who knows how long.¡±

    ¡°¡­Should we poke it?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°There¡¯s no telling if it has some kind of strange attribute that might act up. I think we leave it, give it some respect.¡±

    Jeh nodded slowly.

    ¡°Maybe a future mission can have someone on it who knows a bit more about rigids¡­ let¡¯s mark where this is. Jeh, we¡¯ll need a high view so I can mark this location on the map.¡±

    ¡°You got it!¡±

    ¡°And make sure to get some images, this is the most important thing we¡¯ve found so far¡­¡± Vaughan looked back out at the¡­ corpse? Somehow it didn¡¯t feel quite like a corpse. It was something¡­ else.

    Something truly unexpected and inexplicable. Had someone been here before them? Were there rigids native to the moon? If so, why hadn¡¯t they seen any others, or any sign of them? So many questions¡­ he almost wanted to go back on his decision of taking the safe route, of ignoring the potential of danger or sacrilege and trying to open the thing up, see what was inside.

    But that¡­ didn¡¯t feel right to him. This was just an initial exploration, there was no need to potentially violate anything. Not today.

    The Moonshot lifted into the air shortly afterward and headed off to the ¡°northern¡± pole of the moon¡­ and then¡­ to the dark side.

    ~~~

    A few days passed, though since they were now moving along the dark side it was somewhat difficult to tell exactly how many since they couldn¡¯t see Ikyu anymore¡ªBlue literally had to take a measurement of the sun¡¯s position against the background stars to figure out what day it was.

    It was approaching the new moon phase, at which point they planned to increase their elevation to get an image of the entire dark side. For now, though, they were still operating close to the ground, trying to notice any small features.

    So far, they hadn¡¯t really come across much. There were clearly two types of ground, the light and the dark, but this was just a relative difference as both were highly reflective. They had not found any dark regions on the dark side yet, a fact which amused the Sourdough Twins and Keller. The distribution of crystals seemed to be the same on the dark side as the ¡°light¡± side.

    The other major thing they investigated were the craters, the large round shapes clearly visible on the moon. Since they were close-in, they could see that they came in almost every size, small enough that not even Jeh could fit inside, and so large that up close it was impossible to see the entire thing.

    Vaughan¡¯s map of the moon was improving its precision, and he had started to catalog the different types of craters. One of the notable things they were able to discover was that different craters had different depths of the lunar dust on them. The more sharply defined the crater was, the less dust it had.

    ¡°I think we can use the amount of dust to get a rough idea of the age of the craters,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Sure, there¡¯s a bit of a problem since the light and dark areas have different amounts of dust, and presumably when they form they have some amount of dust placed on them from¡­ whatever makes them, but relative ages can be determined. ¡­For the larger ones, the small ones don¡¯t seem to vary from the dust levels around them¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°I feel as though we should be able to figure out where they come from¡­ these formations don¡¯t exist on Ikyu, and yet this place is more similar to Ikyu than we first thought¡­¡±

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s list the differences then,¡± Blue said. ¡°Biggest one is no life. Or almost no life, if there are rigids here their population is small enough that we only saw the one.¡±

    ¡°Second biggest difference is lack of air. None at all, sky is always black.¡±

    ¡°Third¡­ no water.¡±

    ¡°Fourth, smaller.¡±

    The two of them thought in silence for a moment, examining Vaughan¡¯s drawings.

    ¡°You know, I just realized something¡­¡± Jeh said, jumping over and landing on a support beam just above their heads. ¡°I think I know what makes the small ones. We saw it when I was digging.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Here, watch.¡± Jeh went up to one of the windows and pulled the curtains back. They were currently landed inside one of the larger craters, so mountains surrounded the edge of their view. Jeh used her Orange to pick a rock up off the lunar surface and then proceeded to ram it into the ground as fast as she could, sending a shower of dust into the airless void¡­ and leaving a small circular hole in the ground. ¡°That¡¯s where the small ones come from. We make a few shapes like that when we go digging, I flung a few rocks pretty hard by accident.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Rocks falling? But what would kick them up to cause them to fall? Th¡ªwait¡­¡± Vaughan crossed his arms. ¡°The moon pulls things in, it doesn¡¯t have to be from here.¡±

    ¡°Space is empty, Vaughan,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Remember the tiny rocks that hit the Skyseed?¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°Oh¡­ uh¡­¡±

    Jeh clapped her hands. ¡°That¡¯s right! Those tiny rocks must be making these tiny holes! They shoot down super fast and SMASH!¡±

    ¡°Then why doesn¡¯t Ikyu have any?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Atmosphere,¡± Blue said. ¡°When we try to come in fast, the Skyseed lights on fire. When we came in fast here, we didn¡¯t even notice. Any rocks that fall to Ikyu are either burnt to a crisp or slowed down. And¡­¡±

    One of the Sourdough Twins poked her head out of her sleeping bag. ¡°You know Darmosil has a sword that was supposedly forged from a rock that fell from the sky, right?¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°He what!?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, that thing¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°I guess some of them are big enough to make it through and¡­¡± He suddenly looked outside at the distant mountains that were the edge of the crater they were in. ¡°And some are big enough to¡­ oh my¡­ by the eights¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°How big of a rock did it have to be to make a crater a city could be built in?¡±

    Jeh blinked a few times. ¡°¡­Oh.¡±

    Blue shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s think about this. Things like that have to be rare, we don¡¯t see large things floating out in space that aren¡¯t the planets, and they aren¡¯t regular.¡±

    ¡°Remember the dots around Qi?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Yes, how could I forget. Okay, never mind, maybe there are things out here just whizzing around of huge size that we can¡¯t see because¡­¡± Blue tapped her hoof. ¡°Right, the satellite, we were barely able to see it, and we made it extra shiny. Anything that¡¯s just a rock would be much harder to see¡­ still, there aren¡¯t a lot of big craters here on the moon, you could see them as we came in. That means they aren¡¯t common.¡±

    ¡°And the moon hasn¡¯t visibly changed in all the time we have observed it,¡± Vaughan noted. ¡°So, at the very least, no craters visible from the ground have happened in the last century or so.¡±

    ¡°And we don¡¯t see craters on Ikyu at all so¡­ hmm, but Ikyu has water and wind that can wash things away, those things don¡¯t exist here.¡± Blue paused. ¡°¡­Vaughan, how old are these craters?¡±

    ¡°¡­They could be older than any mountain on Ikyu.¡± Vaughan looked down at his maps. ¡°They appear to be the only major feature on the moon aside from the light and dark spots. Virtually every mountain and valley is created by these craters¡­ there is no weather, nothing else to change the landscape. We know Ikyu wears down and builds up mountains over time, though the methods are unknown. If that doesn¡¯t happen here¡­ these mountains we¡¯re looking at¡­¡± He put a hand to the bridge of his nose. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get a number but they just get too big¡­¡±

    ¡°Millions of years,¡± Blue said. ¡°You¡¯re looking for Millions.¡±

    Jeh gawked. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s absurd!¡±

    Blue pulled out a notebook and started scribbling. ¡°We have a pretty good estimate that sets the Second Cataclysm at four thousand years ago¡­ before that it¡¯s all an estimate but the First Cataclysm was thought to be one to two thousand years before that¡­ and before that we just have religious texts to go off of, but it suggests that Dia made the world¡­ man that¡¯s a number that ranges from one to a hundred thousand years. But still, that¡¯s less than¡­ a million.¡±

    ¡°Did time really mean to the Great Crystalline Ones what it does to us?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Okay, fair point, probably not, but still the presence of spirited wasn¡¯t until far after the creation so¡­ these mountains are older than any living thing on Ikyu, possibly.¡±

    There was sudden silence in the Moonshot.

    ¡°That¡¯s too much time,¡± Jeh observed. ¡°And that¡¯s coming from me, I¡¯m probably several thousand years old.¡±

    ¡°It does mention that the world was ¡®renewed¡¯ in the texts,¡± Blue said. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s possible there were things before the Creation.¡±

    ¡°But we have no way of knowing what they are,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Maybe we do,¡± Blue said. ¡°Look. We might be standing on one of those things right now. Or maybe that¡¯s heresy, I don¡¯t know. ¡­Oh no, what if Lila doesn¡¯t like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Lila has seen more things to make her doubt than a rock supposedly older than creation,¡± Vaughan said with a chuckle. ¡°And the Keepers of Axiom are generally of similarly open minds. That said¡­ I have met those who are a bit more¡­ strict in their beliefs, I doubt this will be popular with them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we have Keller, right?¡± the awake twin asked, pointing at the sleeping form of the Agent. ¡°He¡¯ll tell us what¡¯s to be made public and what isn¡¯t.¡± She chuckled. ¡°This is also why we snuck on, to hear things like this.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a good point. The Crown may decide to keep this information hidden.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ people deserve to know the truth of the world!¡± Blue retorted.

    ¡°Blue, what are people going to do with the information that the universe is older than we thought it was?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ er¡­ well. Huh. Yeah, not much.¡±

    ¡°Plus, it could just be Ikyu the texts refer to. It is arguably a ¡®world¡¯ is it not?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Blue cocked her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to ask Lila about this.¡±

    ¡°She may not know! This will be new to her as well, after all.¡±

    ¡°Oh boy, changing how we understand the world, great stuff¡­¡±

    Vaughan grinned. ¡°It is, in a sense, what we are out here to do, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Jeh cheered. ¡°Everything we know might be wrong, let¡¯s go to space to figure it out!¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Blue couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°All right, you two have won me over. This is¡­ a great discovery. That said, I want to make sure my quick calculations aren¡¯t crazy so I¡¯m going to check¡­¡± She took the next little while performing a lot of very sloppy and uncertain math to parameterize the age of the craters.

    There was a lot she didn¡¯t know. How long it took mountains to erode on Ikyu. But she could get lower and higher bounds on these things just by thinking. From that she could extrapolate how frequent big impacts had to be, since Ikyu currently showed no signs of them at all, and recorded history didn¡¯t have any large enough to make the biggest craters on the moon. Working from that, she counted the number of large craters on the moon¡¯s near side, used the rough estimate of all spirited history as a ruler, and extrapolated back to determine the age of the moon.

    This more rigorous calculation produced numbers with multiple millions in them.

    ¡°Oh boy, it¡¯s gotten worse.¡± Blue let out a laugh. ¡°The Moon¡¯s definitely old¡­ or, in the past, there were a lot more impacts. But a lot of impacts in even relatively recent history would have definitely left a mark on Ikyu, even with all the weathering¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure and this number has a lot of uncertainty, but it certainly seems like the age of the moon¡¯s surface is on the order of millions of years.¡±

    Jeh clapped her hands. ¡°Go Blue, math master!¡±

    ¡°Jeh my possible answers cover four whole orders of magnitude.¡±

    ¡°Just four?¡±

    ¡°Four is very bad!¡±

    Everyone had a good laugh at this.

    ~~~

    It was, at long last, a new moon. Which meant it was time to take the Moonshot up to get a full image of the dark side. Which, at the moment, was completely lit up by the sun and not dark at all.

    As they lifted up into the sky, everyone was awake, and Blue was the one looking down the lower window. ¡°That ¡®dark side¡¯ name really is stupid.¡±

    ¡°Well, we knew that already,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°It¡¯s even worse. Look at this. We¡¯re almost all the way up and there¡¯s only one dark spot on the entire ¡®dark¡¯ side. This side is brighter than the other one! ¡­And it looks like it might have even more craters¡­¡±

    ¡°So should I be jealous that I can¡¯t see it right now or what?¡± Jeh asked from the pilot¡¯s seat, which had her facing directly up with respect to the lunar surface.

    ¡°The other side¡¯s more interesting,¡± Blue said. ¡°Though the crater number here might help us learn more about how impacts work¡­ maybe there¡¯s more back here because things are more likely to come in from beyond the moon, and the moon shields Ikyu? That¡¯d mess up my calculations on the age¡­¡±

    Vaughan held up one of their imaging devices and recorded the scene through the window. ¡°Well, looks like our mission is almost done¡­ unless we see something interesting back here, I think we head back after this.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve learned so much,¡± Blue said, almost breathless. ¡°The age of the moon, its rocks, the dust, the nature of down, the possibility of rigids¡­ yeah, I¡¯d say the mission was a success.¡±

    ¡°Who knows what other worlds we will explore?¡± Vaughan said, chuckling. ¡°I bet Qi is an interesting place with all those things around it.¡±

    ¡°Five worlds for the price of one¡­¡± Blue grinned. ¡°The construction of the Qishot will be a much bigger undertaking, it¡¯d have to survive a trip of¡­ who knows how long, we don¡¯t know how far away Qi is. Perhaps indefinitely. We¡¯d need to make an ark, something that¡¯s self-sustaining for an unknown trip like that, and¡­ oh the logistics of that.¡± Blue rubbed her forehead. ¡°How do you grow food in space?¡±

    ¡°Sounds like we have our work cut out for us.¡±

    ¡°No kidding, and¡­ hold on.¡± Blue pressed her face to the glass, squinting her eyes at the ground. ¡°I think I see something near the South pole.¡±

    Vaughan crowded in. She was right, there was something near the Southern edge of the moon¡¯s dark side. It was the only non-monochromatic thing they could see.

    It was Orange.

    ¡°A massive Orange Crystalline One¡­¡± Blue said, breathlessly.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s our cue to leave!¡± Jeh said.

    Vaughan snapped an image. ¡°Agreed, get us out of here!¡± He and Blue strapped themselves down. The others, having not been involved in recording data, had already been strapped in. Blue was now the only one who could look down the lower window easily.

    ¡°She¡¯s not Purple, maybe she doesn¡¯t see us,¡± Blue said. ¡°Or maybe we¡¯re beyond her reach. We have to be, even Benefactor didn¡¯t have a range this large¡­¡±

    At this point, they saw several bright Orange flashes from the Orange Crystalline One.

    ¡°Jeh are we booking it?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m booking it I¡¯m booking it!¡± Jeh shouted.

    ¡°Blue, what is happening?¡± Keller asked. ¡°Keep me informed.¡±

    ¡°Several bright flashes from the Orange Crystalline One. Nothing else so far. We¡¯re receding from the moon. And¡­ I see Orange Sparks.¡± She squinted her eyes. ¡°Aaaand they¡¯re coming right at us¡­¡±

    Vaughan held up his scepter. ¡°I can create a deflection field with Orange, any projectiles should be pushed away.¡±

    ¡°I really can¡¯t see what they are¡­¡± Blue said. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ oh, fuzznuggets, those are huge pieces of Orange Crystal being shot at us.¡±

    ¡°She fragmented herself¡­¡± Keller realized. ¡°Rare is the Crystalline One large enough t¡¯ do that without losin¡¯ herself¡­¡±

    ¡°We could see her from orbit distance, she¡¯s definitely big enough! Ideas?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ if I could shoot my firearm¡­ but that would destroy th¡¯ shell. We can¡¯t have that.¡±

    ¡°Then what do we do?¡±

    ¡°Hope she¡¯s friendly.¡± Keller flipped a coin into the air. It landed on his other palm. Tails. ¡°¡­I could really use a smoke right now¡­¡±

    Blue continued staring out the window. The crystals were moving fast, but the distance between them was still large¡ªbut closing rapidly. Now that some time had passed, Blue realized that the leading crystals were being tailed by smaller crystals. Perhaps providing some kind of chain back to the Crystalline One¡¯s main body?

    Perhaps she wanted to talk to them¡­

    Blue didn¡¯t have any more time to think. ¡°They¡¯re almost here!¡± Blue could hear Vaughan muttering prayers under his breath.

    Six Orange Crystalline One shards arrived. They stopped moving immediately relative to the Moonshot, and formed a circle around it, moving in perfect tandem with Jeh¡¯s acceleration.

    ¡°Okay, they¡¯re following us,¡± Blue reported, looking out the side windows now. ¡°Jeh, try t¡ª¡±

    The Moonshot was stopped.

    The sudden and dramatic change in momentum threw everyone in the Moonshot against their supports, breaking skin, cracking bones, and forcing everyone except Jeh into unconsciousness. She had built up a tolerance to dramatic changes in acceleration and motion, managing to maintain her awareness as her body started stitching itself back together.

    Her immediate thoughts were about the safety of everyone else. She could not see everything, so she surrounded the entire interior of the Moonshot save herself in Green, sparing herself so she could keep her mental awareness.

    She noticed that the drive was glowing an unusually bright Orange Color, and that its intensity was growing.

    Uh-oh.

    The drive exploded.

    ~~~

    Jeh woke up.

    She was not in the pilot¡¯s chair of the Moonshot.

    She wasn¡¯t even in the Moonshot.

    She was sitting on top of a chair made entirely out of Orange crystal, one with unusually rounded edges that made it impossible to cut herself on anything. She herself was, naturally, completely fine, though she sensed a few fragments of the drive¡¯s crystal in her face and chest. Her furs, on the other hand, were completely shredded, revealing her almost ever-present dark undergarments.

    Looking around, she found that she was in a large chamber made entirely out of Orange crystal. The first thing she noticed was the Moonshot sitting nearby, with its main doors open. She could see through the door and noted that her seat was still there, but the entire framework with the drive in it was completely busted. Various loose crystal pieces could be seen glinting inside.

    There were a few smears of blood on the walls.

    Did¡­ did I fail to¡­?

    ¡°Jeh! You¡¯re awake!¡±

    Jeh jumped up a significant distance into the air and looked behind her, finding all of the others¡­ perfectly healthy, save for some cuts and scrapes in their clothes that no doubt came from the exploding drive. The Sourdough Twins were the ones who had spoken. Blue, Vaughan, and Kaller were¡­ shouting at a pedestal of Orange that had more crystal on top of it in the shape of an apple?

    ¡°What kind of stupid game of charades is this!?¡± Blue shouted. ¡°What do you mean ¡®apple?¡¯ How does that relate to ¡®hand?¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Blue, calm, anger is not going to help us broach the communication gap,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Here, how about this, write down and say the word relating to whatever object she puts on the pedestal.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­¡± Blue took out her notebook and, wincing slightly as she levitated a pen up, wrote down the word ¡°apple.¡± ¡°Apple.¡±

    The shape on the pedestal transformed into the notebook Blue was holding.

    ¡°Notebook.¡±

    The shape then became Blue herself.

    ¡°Blue. Or, wait, unicorn¡­ uh¡­¡± Blue shook her head, pointing at herself. ¡°Blue.¡± Then she drew a generic stick-figure unicorn. ¡°Unicorn.¡±

    The shape on the pedestal became some kind of weird sea-urchin like object with curved shapes all over its spines.

    ¡°¡­What even is that?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s trynna see how you¡¯ll react to nonsense,¡± Keller asked.

    ¡°I object to being treated as a test subject!¡±

    ¡°It was just a suggestion.¡±

    ¡°Um, hi,¡± Jeh said, bounding over like a gazelle. She really liked moving like this, but even she could tell now was not the time to run around and giggle madly.

    ¡°Hi Jeh,¡± Blue said. ¡°Welcome to charade prison! Where we get to be imprisoned with a Crystalline One who doesn¡¯t know Karli.¡±

    ¡°Let me try,¡± Jeh said, switching to Desc. ¡°Hello, Crystalline One!¡±

    Words from the Crystalline One entered her mind immediately. It was not Karli. It was not Desc. It was not any language she could ever remember hearing.

    But she understood what it meant perfectly.

    ¡°Oh good, you speak multiple languages. I¡¯ll be able to teach you Standard better. So¡­ uh¡­ dangit I don¡¯t know the word for language in your languages, um¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I understand you!¡± Jeh stammered, speaking with words she didn¡¯t know she had. ¡°How¡­ how do I understand you!?¡±

    ¡°WHAT!? How. How. It¡¯s been thousands of years, there is no way Standard will still be spoken in the same form it was back then! Languages drift! How!?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know! I¡¯m¡­¡± Jeh shook her head. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t even know how old I am, I regenerate, I¡­ oh my goodness this is so weird I can just think of a word and it appears this is nothing at all like learning one¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡­ regenerate? Are¡­ ¡­Jenny?¡±

    ¡°H-huh?¡± Screams. Pain. Agony. ¡°My name¡¯s Jeh.¡± Heat. Fire. A red hand. ¡°W-who¡¯s Jenny?¡±

    ¡°The name of¡­ well, someone like you? I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t understand anything, even an immortal¡¯s sense of the language should have drifted with the language I don¡¯t even¡­¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ care to let us in on what¡¯s being said?¡± one of the twins asked.

    Jeh rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Uh¡­ neither of us understand how it¡¯s possible for me to know her language. She¡¯s speaking something called Standard that¡¯s¡­ apparently thousands of years old and really shouldn¡¯t still be spoken? And I have no idea how I know it, and¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­You weren¡¯t relearning languages all this time,¡± the other twin said.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You were learning new ones. You¡¯re just extremely good at it, probably because you¡¯re so ancient.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t remember anything from any of that!¡±

    ¡°You remember Standard, apparently.¡±

    ¡°Oh boy¡­¡± Jeh put her hands to her head. ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s just there, I don¡¯t ever remember¡­ anything about¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± Vaughan said, putting his arms around Jeh. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t need to know where it came from. We¡¯re just so lucky that you do know it.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Jeh took in a deep breath and let out a sigh. ¡°Okay!¡± She turned to look at the pedestal and switched to Standard. ¡°My freak out is¡­ reasonably under control, how¡¯s yours?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve sectioned it off in another section of myself where it can scream for a while. It¡¯s quite loud and annoying but I can deal with this impossibility for a moment. Anyway, uh, you¡¯re Jeh?¡±

    ¡°Yep, name¡¯s Jeh. You?¡±

    ¡°Wanderlust. I have had no need to use it in so long¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, glad to meet you, Wanderlust! Care to explain why you broke our ship?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Uh, I am so sorry about that it was a complete accident I thought you were one of the ancient robots that suddenly activated for some reason, I didn¡¯t realize you were from Ikyu*.¡±

    *The word Wanderlust is using for Ikyu is not ¡°Ikyu,¡± but to avoid confusion it is translated here as such.

    ¡°Robots¡­¡± Jeh mulled the word over in her mouth. She knew the word, and she knew how to use it, but its meaning wasn¡¯t fully understood in her mind just yet. ¡°You mean rigids?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, these are quite different than rigids, they predate magic itself.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°I can see there will be a lot of explaining¡­ and to keep you from having to explain it twice, perhaps you should relay what I¡¯m saying to your friends over there?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. ¡­I know how to do that, didn¡¯t even think of that.¡± She turned to her friends and smiled awkwardly, speaking in Karli. ¡°Sorry, got involved there. Uh, so I have a feeling this conversation is going to drop a few massive explosions on how we understand things. So¡­ I¡¯m going to translate what Wanderlust here says.¡±

    ¡°Good name,¡± Keller said.

    ¡°He likes your name,¡± Jeh told Wanderlust.

    ¡°I spent a lot of time coming up with it, he sure knows a good name when he hears one.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ right. Anyway¡­ um¡­¡± Jeh put her hand to her chin. ¡°So I¡¯ll translate for everyone and facilitate the conversation. For the record¡ªshe doesn¡¯t want to kill us, th¡ªoops.¡± She switched to Karli. ¡°For the record, she doesn¡¯t want to kill us, the damage was just an accident. She thought she was one of those ancient¡­ huh, the word doesn¡¯t translate. Ancient not-rigid-things we found that just started moving.¡±

    ¡°I guess that makes sense¡­ what else could we have been?¡± Vaughan said.

    And so the conversation occurred, very slowly, with Jeh relaying everything and many interruptions.

    ¡°So, where should we start?¡± Wanderlust asked.

    ¡°A good question¡­¡± Blue said. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ sure, there are so many questions¡­¡±

    ¡°I have questions for you too! How did you get here? Why did you get here? What is Jeh? And¡­ oh it¡¯s so much, I haven¡¯t even talked to people since I left, it¡¯s¡­ I just had to section off the part of myself that was about to start screaming from excitement and another part that was about to panic from overstimulation.¡±

    ¡°Must be nice t¡¯ be a Crystalline One,¡± Keller observed.

    ¡°Oh yes, it is, but it also isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Oh for the love of the Crown!¡± the Sourdough twins shouted. ¡°Look, here¡¯s how you talk. Ahem, Jeh, translate. Greetings, Wanderlust! We are Rina and Rona Sourdough, that¡¯s Agent Keller, that¡¯s Gideon Vaughan¡ªplease call him Vaughan¡ªthat¡¯s Blue, and you already know Jeh. We are members and associates of the Wizard Space Program which operates out of the Kingdom of Kroan on Ikyu. Our mission is to explore the surface of the moon, map it, and return with samples to Ikyu so they may be studied. Our goals are to further our understanding of the universe, prove that space travel is viable and useful, develop space technology further, and survey possible beneficial materials in space for the Kingdom. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡±

    As Jeh finished translating that, she added, ¡°Yeah, we probably should have started there.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely fascinating! Well, I shall respond in turn. I am Wanderlust. Several thousand years ago, I decided to leave Ikyu because the world was becoming too crowded and bothersome for me, I could not live in peace, I had become too well known among the Alliance¡ªoh, that most assuredly doesn¡¯t exist anymore. The Alliance was a nearly worldwide association of leaders and governments whose purpose was¡­ I¡¯m gonna be honest, we always said it was to encourage unity but it was mostly just so we could uncover every hidden secret the world had to offer. We were a bunch of dreamers who wanted to see it all¡­ ended up In politics¡­ oh boy that¡¯s a mess of a story. Ahem, I decided to leave it all behind. It occurred to me that I could just leave Ikyu. Most didn¡¯t dare since the arcane field drops off out here, but I decided to brave it and set myself up on this brave new world. My mission since then has been to explore as much of the universe as I can from here, launching rocks and parts of myself into the mundane abyss to see what I find!¡±

    Once this was translated, Vaughan raised a hand. ¡°Hold on, arcane field? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? You got all the way up here and you don¡¯t know that magic gets weaker the further away from Ikyu you get?¡±

    ¡°It¡­ does?¡±

    Blue looked at her horn. ¡°Blast it! That¡¯s what the headache has been about, not the stress! AGH why are there so many obvious things staring us in the face and we don¡¯t see them!?¡±

    ¡°To be fair, the drive didn¡¯t get any weaker.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because the drive operated almost entirely based on internal magic stored in the crystal,¡± Wanderlust explained. ¡°It doesn¡¯t need a very strong field to activate spells since most of the energy is internal. If you left the field, it would stop working as the various parts would no longer be able to communicate. Your racial attributes, meanwhile, rely almost entirely on the field and thus are much more sensitive to its strength. If you had arrived here when I did, you probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to levitate anything at all right now!¡±

    ¡°The field is getting stronger?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Yes, Ikyu continually produces more and more of it. The boundary is now a significant distance past the orbit of the moon. When I arrived, it was barely past it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why the crystals here are so small!¡± Blue realized. ¡°They¡¯re growing in a weaker field and have been growing for less time!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ huh I guess that would be right, I never thought of that before. The crystals here have always been kind of useless to me¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d use them,¡± Keller said. ¡°There ain¡¯t no surface crystals on Ikyu no more, have t¡¯ go in the mines. They can be picked up like candy here, people will want that.¡±

    The Sourdough twins nodded. ¡°Wanderlust, you have the most claim to the moon, what say you?¡±

    ¡°Claim!? Me, claim the moon¡­ I guess I am the only one living here, hmm. Well. The moon is only useful to me as the furthest place from Ikyu that has enough magic for me to be able to use my senses that isn¡¯t just floating awkwardly in space. Having ground is nice. Anyway, you all can do what you want with the moon, I don¡¯t care, I¡¯ll only lay claim to the area around where I currently am. Which is a lot larger than it looks, a lot of me is underground so I can have different viewing angles, but the moon is big you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°The Crown¡¯ll like that,¡± Keller said

    ¡°I have a feeling I¡¯d like to be on the right side of the Crown!¡± Wanderlust said with a shimmering laugh. ¡°I remember thinking that I never wanted to see people again when I came here¡­ oh how wrong I was, it seems.¡±

    ¡°People are nice, aren¡¯t they?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Speaking from experience?¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°I¡­ my earliest memories are being in a forest, having forgotten apparently everything about what I once was. I liked the forest. But coming out of the forest and doing things is so much nicer. Maybe it¡¯s time for you to come out of the forest too!¡±

    ¡°Well, I suspect I don¡¯t really have much of a choice, naturally other craft like yours will follow and I can¡¯t exactly move further out, there¡¯s nothing there.¡±

    ¡°Why do you need magic?¡± Blue asked. ¡°You¡¯re a Crystalline One, you can make your own, right?¡±

    ¡°That only applies to a certain extent. I will be able to maintain my awareness and physical structure, this is true. However, all my senses, as a Crystalline One, rely on magic to be executed. If I were to fly past the arcane field, I would become a mind trapped in a physical body with no way to feel beyond it, or even see. It would be quite nightmarish. Casting spells without being able to see would be quite difficult, and doing so at a distance would be all but impossible. The Seven Colors may seem independent, but in reality they are not, Orange cannot operate fully in complete isolation.¡°

    Blue was scribbling this all down furiously. ¡°What else can you tell us about the fundamental nature of magic?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I wasn¡¯t an arcane researcher, even though that was what the Alliance cared the most about. I was and always have been an explorer. I can tell you what occurs¡ªthat I can¡¯t leave the arcane field¡ªbut not why. Ikyu¡¯s generation of arcane energy was the big mystery everyone was researching when I left.¡±

    ¡°When did ya leave?¡± Keller asked. ¡°Compared t¡¯ now.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I didn¡¯t start keeping exact dates until it became important to my explorations, I¡¯d have to guess¡­ four to five thousand years ago?¡±

    ¡°Before the Second Cataclysm, then,¡± Keller said.

    ¡°There was a second one?¡± Wanderlust paused for a while. ¡°That would explain why no one ever came to find me¡­ and why your understanding of Standard hasn¡¯t changed, Jeh. It must have happened not too long after I left¡­ do you know what caused this Second Cataclysm?¡±

    Keller shook his head. ¡°Nobody does. Somethin¡¯ went wrong, every kingdom collapsed. All or most Crystalline Ones shattered.¡±

    ¡°Good thing I bailed, it seems¡­ Though what a tragedy that everything everyone worked for fell apart like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re still here,¡± Jeh said, jumping on top of the Orange pedestal and kicking her legs back and forth. ¡°So there¡¯s still hope, right? We¡¯re out exploring, looking for answers¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are! Oh, I so look forward to what strange things you will find. Unlike me you can go out there. You¡¯re biological in nature for the most part, a lack of magic will not hinder your progress.¡±

    ¡°We kind of have been relying on magic to keep us alive,¡± Vaughan pointed out. ¡°And without magic, Jeh won¡¯t¡­ regenerate.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ right. Well, it seems as if there will be a few hurdles, but I¡¯m sure you can surmount them.¡±

    ¡°How would we even keep breathing without magic?¡± Blue asked. ¡°We rely entirely on the air restorer to recycle the air¡­ wait hold on how are we breathing!?¡±

    ¡°I filled this room with air from Ikyu.¡±

    ¡°¡­Where did you get that?¡±

    ¡°I launch rocks and pieces of myself into space regularly, it¡¯s not that hard to scoop up pieces of atmospheres. Over the millenia I¡¯ve amassed quite a collection. It¡¯s only surface air, though, the air inside your craft has a somewhat different feel.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you want some?¡± either Rina or Rona asked.

    ¡°I already have what was inside your craft.¡±

    ¡°I mean a lot more. We have some extra pressurized air tanks.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, a large amount of pressurized air from the surface! Might even be able to distill significant water out of it¡­ absolutely! I¡¯ll be sure to give you some of my samples in exchange, though I can¡¯t get surface samples.¡±

    ¡°While that¡¯s all well and good,¡± Keller said. ¡°I think we¡¯ve all forgotten that the drive is busted. How are we gonna get back?¡±

    Blue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­Uh oh. Oh no we can¡¯t rebuild the drive here and we don¡¯t have enough food to last forever and there¡¯s no food here and¡­¡±

    ¡°Relax, I can launch you back.¡±

    ¡°You can¡­ launch us back?¡±

    ¡°Blue, I¡¯m an utterly massive Orange Crystalline One who has been launching rocks into space precisely for thousands of years. I can throw you back to Ikyu no problem, all you have to worry about is landing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ going to be a problem without a drive to control our descent¡­¡±

    ¡°What if we hit the ocean?¡± Jeh asked. ¡°All we¡¯ll have to do is make sure we¡¯re entering slow enough not to light on fire, and if all we need to do is hit the water we can tumble all we want until splash!¡±

    ¡°I can aim for an ocean.¡±

    ¡°¡­This is going to be crazy,¡± Blue said, shaking her head. ¡°Absolutely insane, nuts, asinine¡­ we really are a bunch of lunatics.¡±

    ¡°Operation Lunacy indeed,¡± Vaughan added with a chuckle.

    Jeh found that she couldn¡¯t translate the pun directly into Standard. ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s funny, believe me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to take your word for it. Anyway, now that we have a plan worked out¡­ Jeh, I have to admit, you interest me the most. I knew someone like you, and I thought she was unique in the world¡­ you look so much like her too, but you don¡¯t act the same. You have more of a heart to you.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ thanks?¡±

    ¡°You say you remember nothing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, absolutely nothing from before the forest. I ¡®remember¡¯ how to do lots of things, like talk Standard, cook, but like¡­ nothing else.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Wanderlust paused. ¡°¡­Have you ever looked at the base of the back of your neck?¡±

    ¡°¡­How would I?¡±

    ¡°Have any of the rest of you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ recall anything?¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Humor me, the person I knew had a marking back there.¡±

    Jeh shrugged, pulling off her bear hood and tugging it down. ¡°You guys see anything?¡±

    ¡°There¡­ are four symbols here, but I can¡¯t read them,¡± Blue said. ¡°They look almost like a birthmark¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah. Yes, that is the same marking she had. I could never read the letters either, but she assured me they said ¡®Gen Zero¡¯. It¡¯s where she got her name, Jenny Zero.¡±

    Pain. So much pain. Pain wasn¡¯t a problem, but why was it now? It was deep, so deep, must be pushed away¡­

    Blue must have noticed something was wrong. ¡°Jeh? Are you¡­ okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to hear about her anymore¡­¡± Jeh stammered.

    ¡°¡­I see,¡± Wanderlust said. ¡°I shall respect your wishes. Perhaps this is best¡­ in this short time I have talked with you, I have seen that you are not her. And that is a good thing.¡±

    Jeh nodded, finding it hard to get enough breath to translate back to everyone else. In the midst of this one of the Sourdough twins pulled her into a hug, the other one remaining standing in her ¡°official business¡± pose, looking up at the facets of Wanderlust.

    ¡°So,¡± the standing twin said. ¡°We¡¯re sure there¡¯s a lot we could learn from you about the past, and a lot you can learn from us about the present. But we came here with a purpose to learn about the world outside. We¡¯ve been listening, you have been launching things into space for millenia.¡± She smirked. ¡°What have you found?¡±

    ¡°Oh! I thought you¡¯d never ask! Why don¡¯t I just show you?¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT:

    The moon, according to our current estimates, is 4.53 billion years old.

    Blue is woefully, woefully underestimating. A few million? Maybe a hundred million? Hah. Its age is in the billions.

    Now, to be fair, the method Blue is using to check the age of things is crater-dating, which dates the surface of an object, not the object as a whole. So how old is the moon¡¯s surface? The highlands, that is, the lighter parts, are estimated at¡­ 4.4 billion years old, so not much younger than the moon itself.

    The dark areas, which we call mare (pronounced ¡°mar-ay¡±) because when we first saw them we associated them with seas, are younger. They¡¯re dated to between 3.1 and 3.9 billion years ago. So, basically, every part of the moon is absurdly, ridiculously, outrageously old considering the timescales of people who put the beginning of the universe at the earliest a hundred thousand years ago. So you can imagine why thinking of things that old shakes up some worldviews.

    The reason Blue¡¯s calculations for the ages are so far off are because she has very little knowledge of how cratering and cratering rates actually work. They can¡ªand are!¡ªused to actually measure the ages of planetary surfaces, but that requires knowing the rate of crater impacts at different eras of the solar system and having lots of bodies to compare against to get good readings, and to really cinch it down some baseline dates should be obtained from more accurate methods of dating, such as carbon dating, which as one might expect, Kroan doesn¡¯t have access to.

    These days we have good measurements for how often craters are made due to impacts in the modern Solar System, and with some clever inferences we have determined roughly how common they were in the ¡°old days¡± as well. The rate used to be much higher, so much so that we have an era called the Late Heavy Bombardment theorized, where there were a lot more. This variability makes it rather difficult to get even remotely accurate dates, often with error possibilities in the hundreds of millions of years if we go far enough back, but bodies with more recent, refreshing surfaces can be dated more accurately.

    Blue and Vaughan are also incorrect that there are no craters on Ikyu, there are some just as there are on Earth, just not that many big ones and the surface of the Earth readily gets rid of most signs of big impacts somewhat quickly. The largest crater we know about is the Vredefort Impact Structure in South Africa, which, while confirmed, is so eroded away it¡¯s not easy to see that it¡¯s a crater anymore, even from above it just looks like crescent-shape of rock that¡¯s a different color than the nearby stuff. It is absolutely huge, originally in excess of a hundred kilometers, but the glory is past and now it¡¯s just another part of the landscape. (By being clever we have found evidence of larger craters, but those are no longer visible at all.)

    So things in space are really, really old, and largely inert objects like the moon, since they rarely change, can serve as a record of things that happened in the past. Even a cursory inspection of craters can lead to great mysteries being unraveled¡­ who knows what can come from a closer inspection?

 040 - Wanderlusts Guide to the Solar System

    WSP 040

    Wanderlust¡¯s Guide to the Solar System

    Jeh continued translating for Wanderlust, which started to become difficult as the Crystalline One was soon talking a lot and rather fast too, so excited to share everything she¡¯d built up on her explorations.

    ¡°So, first thing I did upon arriving on the moon was explore it for everything I could find. Turns out, moon isn¡¯t that interesting after a while, lots of rocks, always gray and shiny, nothing too interesting. The crystals were mostly too small to see in that era too. The interesting things I did find were the robots.¡±

    ¡°I really have trouble translating that word, ¡®robots,¡¯ ¡° Jeh said. ¡°I keep telling them non-rigid.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s as good a description as any, but they aren¡¯t spirited or even alive, they have no way to reproduce or replicate and as far as I can tell never had any actual awareness, but they all ceased operation long ago so I could be wrong about that. Robots are¡­ well they are similar to rigids, but instead of being born, they are constructed by others to do an exact purpose. Other words would be device, golem¡­ machine? Machine might work.¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯ll work.¡± Jeh relayed the information.

    ¡°So these¡­ ¡®machines¡¯ were built?¡± Blue asked. ¡°For¡­ what purpose?¡±

    ¡°I think to explore the moon. Here, let me show you one of them I have here with me¡­¡± A hole opened up in the floor and Wanderlust used her body to push up a six-wheeled device about the size of a large dog. It was roughly box-shaped, had a golden reflective surface, strange white pipes coming out of it, and a blue grid laid out on a rectangular sheet.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve seen those things on rigids!¡± Jeh called, pointing at the rectangular sheet. ¡°They use them to eat sunlight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what they do! While these ancient robots were still operational, they drew their power from the sun using these panels. How? I don¡¯t know, I only know that because I too know what rigids are like, I¡¯m not an engineer. Plus, the technical knowledge required to build something of this complexity was far beyond even our best minds when I left. Everything we built had to rely heavily on magic as well, this uses no magic at all.¡±

    ¡°A device that runs on no magic¡­¡± Vaughan shook his head. ¡°So it is possible. I wonder how it¡¯s done¡­¡±

    ¡°No idea. Taking some of the others apart didn¡¯t really help matters, they tend to have things like this in them.¡± A pedestal rose out of the ground, on top of it a green, rectangular object made of a material no one could identify, but was somewhat similar to a few plasts. Metal dots and etchings covered the thing, as well as a lot of strange cylinders and boxes of minuscule size. ¡°Clearly this does something, but I haven¡¯t the foggiest what.¡±

    Blue stared at it for a while. Then she kept staring at it. Then she sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing. There appears to be writing on it, might that help?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s never enough writing to go off of.¡±

    ¡°And I can¡¯t read it,¡± Jeh said. ¡°That probably means something.¡±

    ¡°Well yes, everything here predates magic, there¡¯s no way you could know.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned that before,¡± the Sourdough twins said as one. ¡°There was a before magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Afraid I don¡¯t know anything about it, but one of the big proven theories before I left was that Ikyu had only been producing magic for a fraction of its existence, somewhere around five thousand years¡ªor probably closer to ten, now. Before that, there was none of it. And these robots are definitely older than that, from societies long past.¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t magic a fundamental part of existence?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Evidently not.¡±

    ¡°But the Great Crystalline Ones, they were part of the creation. You yourself come from them!¡±

    ¡°It is strange, isn¡¯t it? I have so much knowledge and inspirations within me, I am sure there once was a Great Orange Crystalline One in the past. And yet, what we found does not lie, magic is relatively new in the universe, and Ikyu and the moon existed before. Long before. And, given these robots, people were around before then, too. They even came here personally! I have one with seats!¡± Another hole in the floor appeared and pushed out of it a highly unusual vehicle with four wheels, two chairs that seemed barely strapped on, and a dish poking out of the front.

    ¡°These seats are clearly human-sized¡­¡± Vaughan said, investigating them closely. ¡°And look rather rickety¡­¡±

    ¡°Probably easier to hold people with the moon¡¯s force,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°¡­Do you not have a word for gravity?¡±

    Jeh paused the translation. ¡°What now? Like the ¡®gravity of a situation?¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s where the word comes from.¡±

    ¡°Well that can translate directly¡­¡± Jeh turned back to Karli. ¡°So, apparently there¡¯s a general name for the force that keeps us adhered to the ground. Gravity.¡±

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°Like the ¡®gravity¡¯ of a situation?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I just had this conversation with Wanderlust.¡±

    ¡°That saves us the trouble of having to name it¡­¡±

    ¡°It was quite awkward tryin¡¯ t¡¯ talk ¡®bout it without a name,¡± Keller added.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about these seats¡­¡± Blue said. ¡°We have adaptable seats for different races. These aren¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I have never found anything but human-designed seats, and not very many, most machines clearly were not controlled by people.¡±

    ¡°A machine that operates without a pilot¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°I suppose that is one limitation in magic, it requires a present will.¡±

    ¡°Only humans¡­¡± Blue tapped her foot, not sure what to make of this. ¡°Do we know anything else about what they were like? Anything?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve identified a few of their symbols¡­ most anything on the outside of the robots were wiped clean by the sun, but some interior iconography survived. This is the most common one I found.¡± A small metal plate was brought up. Etched into it was a rectangular design with stylized stars in a corner box and stripes everywhere else. ¡°There are other symbols like it, rectangular, but they always seem to have stars in them for some reason. Probably something to do with their purpose to explore space.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no trace of anything like this left on Ikyu¡­¡± Blue said, blinking. ¡°An entire magicless society before any recorded history¡­ and we have nothing on them. If they hadn¡¯t left things on the moon we would never know they existed¡­¡±

    ¡°Quite something, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure what to think of it, honestly. It¡¯s¡­ exciting and kind of terrifying at the same time?¡±

    ¡°Well, now we¡¯ve left stuff on the moon!¡± Jeh said, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°That broken-off knob is on here somewhere!¡±

    ¡°And in ten thousand years another group will show up and wonder what strange people made a ball on a stick and threw it to the moon¡­¡± Blue frowned. ¡°We have no way of knowing what any of these machines were really used for, do we? We don¡¯t have any context, we can¡¯t read anything on them¡­¡±

    ¡°But they were here,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°And we are witness to them. I¡¯m just mildly upset that someone was here before us.¡±

    ¡°I think I like this better,¡± Jeh said. ¡°We¡¯re not the only ones to look up at the sky and go ¡®I want to know what¡¯s up there.¡¯ There¡¯s us, but before us there was Wanderlust, and before her there was¡­ well, whoever made these things.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything older than them?¡± Blue asked. ¡°If I¡¯m right, the moon should let anything like that survive almost indefinitely, unless it got hit by an impact¡­¡±

    ¡°Good thought! I wondered it myself, but all of the machines seem to be of similar ages, and made with similar materials even.¡±

    ¡°Something happened to them shortly after they started doing this, then¡­¡± Blue said. ¡°¡­A secret Zeroth Cataclysm?¡±

    ¡°Who could say, really? I have many memories locked away in my facets, but none of them can dare to answer that question even in part.¡± After a moment of silence, she continued. ¡°Anyway, after I did all I could with the moon, I started thinking about how I could go further. You see, I couldn¡¯t actually leave¡­ but I am an Orange Crystalline One, master of force! I started shooting rocks into space to see what would happen. Turns out, it¡¯s hard to see rocks in space once they get anywhere remotely interesting.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t we know that¡­¡± Blue said, remembering the difficulties with the satellite and the Skyseed.

    ¡°And even once I improved my senses as far as I could manage, I still couldn¡¯t see the rocks any better. I could see the planets a lot better, oh and what fun things I see, but anything I threw out there, even extra shiny crystals, were soon just too small to make any sense of. I had to rely on flying blind. Fortunately, I had all the time in the world to throw rocks and see what happened. Turns out the laws of gravity are rather predictable, you just need to perform a lot of tests to figure out how to throw things¡­¡±

    ¡°What are the laws of gravity?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°I, uh, don¡¯t really have them labeled in a row, but it¡¯s something like¡­ every object that¡¯s big enough pulls on every other object with a specific force. The sun has the strongest pull, followed by Qi, then Hexi, then Azure and then Cyan.¡±

    ¡°Hold up,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Azure and Cyan?¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll get to them, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Ominous.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s part of the fun!¡± Wanderlust let out a laughing chord and her facets sparkled. ¡°Anyway, after sending out thousands upon thousands upon¡­ yeah it was a lot of rocks. Point is! I was able to map the gravitational fields out there so I could predict where my rocks would go. With. Well some reasonable amount of accuracy, enough to get them back close enough to me so I could grab them with the same net that I used to grab you.¡±

    ¡°How did you do that, by the way?¡± Blue asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Crystalline One¡­ do that.¡±

    ¡°Only ones as big as me could even try. I have to disassociate myself into several pieces, constantly have each piece act with spells on each of the others, using a ton more energy just to maintain connection and cohesion¡­ and my full awareness isn¡¯t even out at the tip, just a fraction of it to make sure everything doesn¡¯t fall apart and does what I want it to. Usually, I use much smaller nets, costs less energy.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if Benefactor could try, or if it¡¯s just an Orange ability?¡±

    ¡°Benefactor?¡±

    ¡°A massive Purple Crystalline One we know.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t know, I rely a lot on Orange, but I suppose the disassociation part might work¡­ the levitating and direction control might be hard, though. Our facets do interact with light, so it might be possible for her if she found a workaround or a secret buried in her structure. Honestly, I probably wouldn¡¯t do it if I could get my trajectories more accurate, but it¡¯s hard enough to find ones that loop back to the moon at the right time. Patience is paramount here.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t see how you could do anything with this knowledge,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°You could throw rocks out there and get them to come back. What do they tell you when they come back?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, generally. Which is why once I¡¯ve figured out a good trajectory with them I stop using them, and instead use¡­ these!¡± Crystals in the floor folded up into a small, fist-sized shape that looked like a cup with a hatch propped open by a very thin wire. ¡°This is one of my crystalline capturing bullets.¡±

    Blue stared at it. ¡°My¡­ you¡­ you throw these at the planets?¡±

    ¡°And I skim their atmospheres and grab stuff! It took a while to get it to work, but atmospheres can be predictable too¡­ or I can send fifty of these out at slightly different angles, at least one of them will come back. Usually. I can precision shape them to snap closed the moment they feel a very slight braking force, skip them off the atmosphere like a rock on a pond, and then viola, they bring back gasses to me! I have a large collection of gas from every planet that has an atmosphere from doing this. And a few other things as well¡­ unfortunately, despite thinking about it for so long, I still haven¡¯t found a way to automate landing and getting surface material. I can only do glancing blows, too, too deep into the atmosphere and things never come back no matter how fast I throw them.¡±

    ¡°This is going to be so much information¡­¡± Blue said, eyes wide. ¡°Can¡­ can we see them?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Suddenly, various jars made entirely of Orange crystal appeared, but with walls so thin they could easily be seen through, revealing gaseous interiors. Most of them appeared perfectly clear, but a few had dusty particles or smog in them. There was one ¡®jar¡¯ that wasn¡¯t see-through at all, looking more like a sphere than a jar, and it had far more facets and internal layers than all the others. Blue was immediately drawn to it.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll get to that, don¡¯t you worry, that stuff is hard to get! But patience, first we need to describe the Solar System.¡±

    ¡°Solar¡­ System¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the sun is special because it¡¯s so bright?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Obviously. What else would it be called? I mean¡­ look at it.¡± A larger pedestal emerged from the crystalline ground. The fiery ball of the sun appeared in the center, surrounded by nine planets. Four of the planets had larger objects orbiting around them¡ªthe largest planet had four of said object.

    ¡°Waiwaiwaiwait,¡± Blue said, holding up a hoof. ¡°We orbit around the sun!?¡±

    ¡°¡­Did you not know that?¡±

    ¡°No! We didn¡¯t even know other things had gravity until we arrived here!¡±

    ¡°¡­How did you guys even get up here? That¡¯s like¡­ how?¡±

    ¡°Have ya seen our ship?¡± Keller asked with a laugh. ¡°A big metal ball held together by magic and dreams!¡±

    Blue stared at the model of the Solar System before her, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think we weren¡¯t meant to be up here just yet¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t crash!¡±

    ¡°We did,¡± Jeh said. ¡°We survived.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay. I¡¯m sectioning that part of myself away for now¡­ they made it to the moon without even understanding basic gravity I don¡¯t even¡­ AHEM! Well, I can tell I¡¯m going to have to give you a rundown of how the Solar System works, so¡­ let us begin! The sun¡­¡±

    ~~~

    The sun is the center of the Solar System, it anchors everything in place and has far more gravity than everything else. It also gives basically all the light in the System. It¡¯s also on fire all the time. But I¡¯m getting ahead of myself.

    Past the sun, in order, we have Talu, Penthar, Ikyu and the moon, Zhevanthe, the little one here I call the Weird Rock, Qi and its four moons, Hexi and its singular moon, and then the two distant planets that I¡¯ve found in my experiments but I don¡¯t think can be seen from Ikyu, Cyan and Azure. Yes, I named them because of their colors. Cyan used to just be Blue, but then I figured out both of them were blue and I had to rearrange them in my mind. Azure also has a moon, Cyan does not.

    Azure¡¯s the furthest out, might as well start with it and work our way back in. From staring at its spot in the sky forever I can tell that it¡¯s blue. Why is it blue? I guessed water at first but the air samples I get back don¡¯t have water for me to condense out of it, unlike Ikyu¡¯s so I don¡¯t know. Given how far away it is and how large it appears, it¡¯s at least three times as big as Ikyu. In terms of diameter, not volume.

    Also, it has a moon. I call this moon the Annoying Moon. It¡¯s Annoying because it¡¯s so far away I can¡¯t learn anything else no matter how much I focus my facets on it and I can¡¯t do anything besides tell you it exists. And that it¡¯s orbiting around Azure in a very odd backward direction unlike everything else in the Solar System. Ah, what I wouldn¡¯t give to be able to see it. Best I can tell from throwing things at it, it has no atmosphere, and that¡¯s all I got.

    Next we have Cyan. Cyan is almost exactly like Azure. Slightly smaller. Lighter color of blue. Has no moon. Honestly, the only reason it¡¯s interesting is because it¡¯s so similar to Azure, none of the other planets are anything even remotely like each other, every last one of them is extremely unique. Why these two extremely distant ones out at the edge that no one can see are like twins is beyond me. And I¡¯m probably the only one in existence who knows this!

    Neither of these can be seen from Ikyu, I¡¯m fairly certain. I only found them by staring at the sky for so long with my really sensitive¡­ senses. What, I don¡¯t have eyes, I¡¯m relying on how light interacts with my crystal facets. Azure took me forever to notice, it¡¯s so faint.

    Anyway, we finally come to something you¡¯ll be familiar with, Hexi. This one you can see in the sky. What you might not be able to see are the rings. Splendid, beautiful, amazing rings. That look so confusing until you stare at them for a really long time with sensitive facets and go ¡°oh, that¡¯s a ring not a handle.¡± It¡¯s yellow. The atmosphere samples I get from it are similar to Azure and Cyan, but it weighs a little less than theirs. But guess what? The rings. I can sample the rings. I lose a lot of my launches by trying, but some of them return, and they come back with fine ice crystals and rocks! These are the only solid samples I can get, they¡¯re very precious to me.

    Hexi¡¯s moon I have named Fuzzy, because it is very Fuzzy and has an atmosphere. Samples I get from it are actually quite similar to Ikyu¡¯s, but are missing water. And, uh, it¡¯s a little dirtier too. Actually, can you breathe it? Anyone want to try? Ah, Jeh, good! ¡­Evidently no, you can¡¯t breathe it. Shame. Oh well, its atmosphere is so thick I can¡¯t see the ground from here, same for Hexi itself.

    Hexi¡¯s really, really big by the way. Three times as large as the blue twins out there, makes Ikyu look pathetic. But it¡¯s not as big as Qi. Hot smoking wallaby weasels, this thing is massive. Not only is it big, its gravity is so much stronger than anything other than the sun. It¡¯s close enough that I can see features on it, and I can see a massive red tornado whirling around on its northern hemisphere that could eat Ikyu whole. You heard me. Whole. Huh? It¡¯s like the Tempest? Oh, is that what you call Ikyu¡¯s permanent hurricane? Yeah, I guess that¡¯s a good approximation, though Qi¡¯s storm moves around. The atmosphere¡¯s too thick to see the ground though, sadly. Its atmosphere samples are basically identical to Hexi¡¯s.

    Qi has four moons though. Ah, so you¡¯ve seen them, but didn¡¯t know what they were. You know that should have keyed you in on the existence of gravity¡­ oh, did I touch on a bit of a sore spot? ¡­Anyway, I have named them¡­ Yellow, Frozen, Chonker, and Four. I never came up with a good name for Four. It¡¯s the furthest one out and I get nothing interesting from it. Chonker¡¯s interesting just because it¡¯s the biggest moon in the Solar System. Frozen is so named because I can pretty much guarantee it¡¯s made out of ice, given how shiny it is. And then Yellow. It¡¯s yellow. It¡¯s also got an atmosphere that¡¯s got some really unusual chemicals in it that I don¡¯t think are safe for you to breathe in and¡­ you want to try, okay fine. Smells like something burning? Huh¡­ anyway, Yellow is Yellow. And apparently toxic. Jeh you really are quite the trooper!

    Now, if you put your knowledge together and actually tried to arrange things, you¡¯d probably think the next planet was Zhevanthe. However, there is this tiny little thing between it and Qi I call the Weird Rock. It¡¯s the smallest planet by far and as best I can tell is just a rock. Basically no gravity. I¡¯ve also seen a good number of smaller objects in the same orbit it¡¯s in, making me think there¡¯s a ring of loose objects there. Maybe the Weird Rock used to be bigger and something smashed it to pieces? I dunno. All I know is that it has no atmosphere and it¡¯s the same for the smaller pieces.

    Zhevanthe is next, it¡¯s smaller than Ikyu by a bit but not as tiny as the Weird Rock. It¡¯s got an atmosphere that¡¯s got some of the same stuff as Penthar¡ªwait I haven¡¯t got there yet uh don¡¯t worry we will¡ªit¡¯s similar but missing some other components. Not that I know what those are, do you have any idea how hard it is to identify different kinds of air? Also, Zhevanthe¡¯s atmosphere is much thinner, I can see right through it to the ground. Can¡¯t make out many features but every now and then the entire planet becomes fuzzy for seemingly no reason.

    And now we arrive here at Ikyu! The moon! The object which I used to name all other moons! ¡­Yes I know it¡¯s confusing but come on it¡¯s a good name, what else are you going to call them, planet planets? ¡­Satellites? I¡­ well that just sounds lame. Anyway, you know what Ikyu and the moon are like, no use staying around here.

    Penthar is next! Penthar is almost the same size as Ikyu but its atmosphere is so much thicker, I can¡¯t see through it. It¡¯s made of similar stuff to Zhevanthe¡¯s, but not quite the same. I¡­ honestly there¡¯s not much to say about it. Yeah, I know I hyped it up but¡­ well it¡¯s interesting because it¡¯s very bright and it has phases like the moon! ¡­Oh, you could already see that through your telescopes. Uh¡­

    Anyway, the innermost planet, Talu, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with. Turns out, it¡¯s actually the hardest planet to get to. No, really, it¡¯s such a pain, the sun¡¯s gravity actively makes it hard to go deeper in even though it¡¯s actively pulling on everything. This is entirely because we¡¯re moving in circles around it pretty fast and to go in we have to stop moving in that circle and that takes energy. Lots of it. But I did eventually manage to figure out the right way to get there and then Talu reveals another trick. It¡¯s close in size to Chonker¡ªslightly smaller actually¡ªso I assumed the gravity would be similar. Nope! Talu¡¯s gravity is much higher! Almost everywhere else in the System larger means more gravity, but not with Talu! You may also notice that its orbit isn¡¯t exactly a circle. In truth, none of the planets have perfect circles, I think it¡¯s because they¡¯re all pulling on each other constantly, but they¡¯re pretty close. Talu ain¡¯t close. Talu is a befuddling mystery of an enigma that is a pain to launch things at.

    And after all the trouble I went through to get things there, dumb rock doesn¡¯t even have an atmosphere! I can¡¯t sample anything! For all I know the thing¡¯s literally molten from being so close to the sun and I don¡¯t get to know! Please, I¡¯m begging you, when you figure out how to go further out into space figure out what the deal is with Talu. And the Annoying Moon. I understand those are the two hardest places to get to but those are the places that drive me the most insane.

    ¡­Though we end our journey with the sun. The sun is. Well. Um. It could eat Qi for breakfast and it wouldn¡¯t change at all. It¡¯s a massive raging ball of fire that makes the rest of the Solar System look like debris. But you know what? Despite it being a pain to get there, I used what I learned with Talu to get in as close as I could manage. Crystals don¡¯t feel heat, so the sun couldn¡¯t stop me. It took several tries, but I managed to get samples back. The first samples just had gasses like the giant outer planets. However, I knew that the sun had heat. I wanted to see how much. So, I started experimenting with different arrangements of crystals¡­

    ~~~

    Blue looked at the mysterious, multi-faceted jar that blocked all light. ¡°You¡­ you found a way to contain the heat?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Almost all of it. What you¡¯re looking at is a nearly perfect insulator. Crystals don¡¯t transfer heat, but light can still escape and carry heat out. But if I lock that in, nothing changes. The inside of that canister is as hot as the atmosphere of the sun.¡±

    ¡°How¡­ hot is that?¡±

    ¡°Would you like a demonstration?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Jeh said. ¡°Yes please!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this~!¡± Suddenly, a crystal wall was raised between them and the other half of the room. However, despite it being rather thick, they found they could still see through it if they looked at it head-on, though the Orange was ever-present and tinted everything they saw. ¡°And behold, a demonstration of the reverse. If I can find a way to reflect all the light back in, I can also find a way to reflect it out! Just takes hyper-precise tuning of the interior facets and boundaries.¡±

    On the other side of the wall, Wanderlust raised several small pillars and placed various loose shapes of crystal on them. In the middle, a single sphere was placed, made out of the specially arranged crystal that kept all the light inside. ¡°Now, this is what the sun¡¯s atmosphere is like normally.¡± Wanderlust cracked open the reflective shell.

    Everyone heard the explosion, but they didn¡¯t see anything. The shockwave ran through the chamber, shattering several of the pillars and all of the shapes resting on them.

    ¡°Impressive,¡± Keller said.

    ¡°Actually, not really,¡± Wanderlust said. ¡°That happens mostly because of how low-pressure the samples I pick up are. The sun¡¯s sample is only slightly more violent than most of the others. It¡¯s, in essence, a pressure bomb. However, if you compress multiple samples together, you get what I call sunfire. Which we are going to need a larger viewing port for, please hold¡­¡±

    Everyone felt the entire room move. Wanderlust hadn¡¯t even waited for Jeh to finish translating before doing it, so everyone else was a little shocked when everything started rumbling, but Jeh quickly calmed everyone down. ¡°You gotta actually give people some warning, Wanderlust!¡±

    ¡°Apologies, I am just¡­ so excited! Oh, what the heck, let¡¯s fold that overexcited part of myself in again, I want to feel this!¡±

    One of the walls to Jeh¡¯s left suddenly became so thin that it could easily be seen through¡ªbarely possible to tell it was there. Outside was the scenery of the moon, lit by a sun currently behind them. A single Orange pillar emerged from the ground a fair distance away. On top of it, there was a single spherical crystal which, once again, reflected light so that nothing could get out of it. It was too far away to see when Wanderlust cracked it.

    But there was no mistaking what came afterward. Immediately a spherical raging inferno exploded out, engulfing a significant stretch of the lunar landscape. Rocks and dust went flying into the air, and would have shattered their viewing window had Wanderlust not caught the debris in an Orange field. There was no fire, for there was no air to ignite, but nonetheless the lunar surface melted into legitimate lava, and the parts that didn¡¯t were pushed to the side to form a new crater.

    Everyone stared at the newly formed circular lava lake with open jaws.

    ¡°That is the true power of sunfire! A Red Crystalline One would have difficulty doing that!¡±

    ¡°¡­Can we have one of those?¡± one of the twins asked.

    ¡°Rina!¡± Blue blurted. ¡°Or Rona! You don¡¯t just ask things like that!¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Wanderlust said. The moment Jeh finished translating, a pedestal rose out of the ground with a spherical crystal containing sunfire. ¡°Tell me what happens when you use it in an atmosphere, I actually have no idea. I may collect a lot but I don¡¯t think the effects of blindly shooting it at Ikyu would be¡­ good. Though I have considered it several times¡­¡±

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Either Rina or Rona went to grab the sunfire crystal, but Keller held up a hand to the two of them. ¡°Sorry girls, Imma have t¡¯ hold this one. Ya understand.¡±

    The twins nodded in agreement, backing up to let Keller forward. He grabbed the crystal and put it deep in his bag, presumably so it would be protected.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re just¡­ giving it to us?¡± Vaughan asked, eventually.

    ¡°Why not? Consider it part of our trade, you¡¯re giving me a container of compressed air, and so am I. Yours is from Ikyu, mine is from the sun. Even trade!¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it take a lot of effort to make these?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Yes. But I¡¯ve had that method perfected for over a thousand years, I have hundreds of these at this point. It¡¯s really no big deal.¡±

    ¡°Are there any other samples we can take back?¡± Blue continued. ¡°We don¡¯t need anything as¡­ compressed as this, just proof of our mission, stuff we can study.¡±

    ¡°I can cook up a sample platter. Give me a few minutes.¡±

    ¡°You have no idea how much this means to us,¡± Blue said. ¡°Seriously, thank you from the bottoms of our spirits, this¡­ this trip has been far more successful than we ever could have imagined.¡±

    ¡°We still have to land back on Ikyu,¡± Keller pointed out. ¡°Mission¡¯s not successful yet.¡±

    ¡°Right, right¡­ Wanderlust, how long will it take us to go back on your trajectory?¡±

    ¡°Around three days,¡± Wanderlust said. ¡°Actually, I think I can make it safer if I extend it to five.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°We need to figure out what kind of message to send to Benefactor as we¡¯re coming in¡­¡±

    ¡°The transmitter survived?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Only the drive exploded. There was some kind of Orange feedback loop going on. The transmitter doesn¡¯t depend on Orange so it didn¡¯t suffer as far as we can tell.¡±

    ¡°A transmitter? You have long-range communication?¡±

    ¡°Only from Ikyu orbit,¡± Blue explained. ¡°And even then only to Benefactor.¡±

    ¡°Ah. You know, we had arcane devices that could transmit and receive almost anywhere¡­ I don¡¯t know how to make them, sadly.¡±

    ¡°You can probably be seen from the surface of Ikyu if you moved to the light side,¡± Vaughan pointed out. ¡°If you flash all your facets at once you can send basic messages since you¡¯re so big.¡±

    ¡°Ah! There¡¯s an idea¡­¡±

    ¡°And Benefactor can send signals back!¡± Jeh realized. ¡°Two-way communication to the moon via two giant Crystalline Ones!¡±

    ¡°A long-distance conversation partner¡­ where we don¡¯t understand each other¡¯s language.¡±

    ¡°We should probably set up a basic communication code of some kind, specific signals that mean certain things¡­¡± one of the twins said.

    The other twin nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll get on that. The rest of you should probably figure out what to put in your message to Benefactor, and write everything we¡¯ve learned down.¡±

    ¡°¡­I have a question.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of this mission? Honestly, at times it seems like the children, but that doesn¡¯t make sense to me.¡±

    Keller chuckled. ¡°Technically speakin¡¯ Vaughan¡¯s the head honcho. He ain¡¯t the sort for bein¡¯ commandin¡¯ though.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re a team,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°And even unexpected tagalongs are still part of it.¡±

    ¡°Awww¡­¡± the twins cooed as one.

    Vaughan tipped his hat to them. ¡°Now¡­ let¡¯s learn as much as we can before we get launched back home.¡±

    ~~~

    They stayed with Wanderlust a day, learning and writing down all they could, and solidifying the plan for the future. Wanderlust had moved a portion of herself to the light side already and was growing it in size, sending flashes to Ikyu where Benefactor was. Benefactor had already flashed back in response, but there was no way to decode anything at the moment, so there was only an acknowledgment of existence.

    A very interesting observation was that there was always a two to three-second delay between pings. It was never any shorter.

    ¡°I think we just measured the speed of light,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Add that to the pile of things we¡¯ve learned,¡± Jeh added with a shrug.

    ¡°It¡¯s a big pile¡­¡±

    The six of them loaded back into the Moonshot. Their spoils for the mission included a large number of moon rock and dust samples¡ªeven larger than could fit through the sample airlock since Wanderlust had given them a lot of extras while the door had been open. (Fortunately, the seal on the main door hadn¡¯t broken, so it was able to be sealed again). They also had the sunfire crystal and a tray filled with small jars of Orange crystal that contained small amounts of atmospheric samples from everywhere in the Solar System, as well as a few of Hexi¡¯s ring particles. They also got a small piece of one of the ancient robots¡ªa little flat surface that always reflected light back the same direction it was sent at it. Beyond this, though, were notebooks upon notebooks filled with drawings, information, and imaging devices filled with pictures of Wanderlust¡¯s various models. A lot of this stuff was highly breakable so they made sure it was padded and tied down properly in the storage containers. The imaging devices and Orange jars were given particular care¡ªeven going so far as to rip up pieces of unused notebooks to provide extra padding since they only packed enough real padding for the devices they brought with them.

    They cleaned up the Moonshot. The only irreparable damage was to the drive itself¡ªit had exploded, naturally. The crystals it flung out had made gashes and cuts, but the metal was thick enough to either resist being cut or was able to be welded back with Vaughan¡¯s Red magic. Wanderlust had actually tested the Moonshot to make sure it was airtight, taking it out and seeing if any of the air leaked out. The first time it was leaking, but Wanderlust was able to fill any remaining holes herself, using her actual crystalline form like an adhesive. None of these repairs were visible, all of them were microscopic, but they were enough to make the Moonshot airtight once more.

    They left one of their compressed air tanks with Wanderlust. And then they strapped themselves in. Even though there was no more drive, Jeh¡¯s chair still existed. They had even managed to get the gyroscopic track to work again, though it was no longer a smooth journey to reorient herself. Fortunately, that didn¡¯t matter, as there was no drive to push anything. All they had to worry about was temperature regulation and air restoration¡ªthat is, until they reached Ikyu. Where they would have to be able to slow down enough not to burn to a crisp.

    ¡°It was really nice meeting you. Please come back!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°But chances are we¡¯ll have to build a new ship, and this one took a while to make.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve been around a long, long time. Even if you take a decade, it will be of no concern to me. I really do look forward to being able to learn about all these distant places¡­¡±

    ¡°Me too¡­¡± Jeh said. ¡°I want to walk on Zhevanthe. Fly through the storms of Qi. See the fire of the sun up close¡­¡±

    ¡°I look forward to your return, little Jeh. Now, please, everyone¡­ brace yourselves. I am going to gradually accelerate you so you don¡¯t splatter your insides over the ship like last time, but it¡¯s still going to be rough.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re we gonna do?¡± Keller asked. ¡°We¡¯re just passengers on this trip ¡®til the end, even if we pass out, it¡¯ll still get where it¡¯s goin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°True enough, Keller. Still, try to keep your awareness, hmm? Anyway¡­ goodbye, my friends, until we meet again. Have Benefactor send me a message the moment you can with our code.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll try to transmit it when we get close,¡± Blue said. ¡°Don¡¯t know how much time we¡¯ll have.¡±

    ¡°Simply trying shall be sufficient. Safe travels!¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Jeh called. ¡°We need the countdown!¡±

    ¡°Countdown?¡±

    ¡°Ten!¡± she called.

    ¡°Nine!¡± the twins joined in.

    ¡°Eight!¡± Vaughan and Blue came next.

    ¡°Seven!¡± Keller was last of the passengers.

    ¡°Oh I see¡­ your numbers¡­¡±

    ¡°Six!¡± They all shouted.

    ¡°Might as well! Five!¡±

    Four.

    The large cylinder Wanderlust had formed out of herself pointed itself at a nearly ninety-degree angle relative to the path of the moon through space.

    Three.

    The shimmering light within the cylinder organized into a pattern, rippling up from the base and moving to the end.

    Two.

    The Orange field activated, grabbing hold of the Moonshot.

    One.

    ¡°Liftoff!¡± Jeh shouted.

    The Moonshot was accelerated quickly enough to slam everyone back into their various seats, but not enough to make them lose consciousness. There was a sensation of rotation that became tighter and tighter¡ªfor, in truth, the cylinder on the outside of Wanderlust was just the last part of acceleration, the rest of it was happening in a very large ring-shaped hole in herself. Just when it felt like the rotation force would be too much¡­ they were released. As they flew through the cylinder the acceleration dropped to zero and everything became weightless as they shot into space.

    ¡°¡­Can we unstrap now?¡± one of the twins asked, breathless.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Vaughan said, unlatching himself. He moved to one of the windows, the others close behind him.

    They looked down. From this angle, they could see both segments of Wanderlust, one on the dark and one on the light side¡ªthe separation wasn¡¯t all that much, as the pieces only had to cross underneath the south pole to make the transition. Already the part on the dark side was shrinking. But both of them were flashing at the Moonshot as it receded.

    ¡°That¡¯s the code,¡± one of the twins said.

    The other continued. ¡°She¡¯s sending the ¡®green¡¯ signal. Probably wishing us safe travels.¡±

    Jeh pulled out a Purple crystal. ¡°How do I say something back?¡±

    ¡° ¡®Message received¡¯ is three short flashes,¡± one said.

    ¡°And ¡®good status¡¯ is two longs and two shorts,¡± the other finished.

    Jeh nodded, and used the Purple to send out those signals back at Wanderlust.

    Wanderlust responded with the exact same message in turn.

    ¡°And now¡­ we wait.¡± Vaughan collapsed on the couch. ¡°And I think the first order of business for me is to sleep, good gravy we¡¯ve been at this for a while¡­¡±

    ¡°Rest¡­ yeah, we¡¯ll certainly have plenty of time for that¡­¡± Blue yawned. ¡°Someone needs to stay awake to the air restorer, though¡­¡±

    ¡°I got it,¡± Keller said. ¡°Y¡¯all take yer rest.¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡­ Keller¡­ Oh wow, it¡¯s amazing how fast tiredness can set in once there¡¯s nothing to do¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Some time later, Jeh, Blue, and the Sourdough twins were awake. The twins were taking care of all the loose black dust and cleaning it up. Jeh was just sitting on the couch while Blue worked on her math.

    Suddenly, Blue stopped levitating her pen and turned to Jeh. ¡°Jeh¡­ I¡¯m a little worried about you.¡±

    Jeh sighed. ¡°I¡­ I know.¡±

    ¡°We are too,¡± the twins said. ¡°Things¡­ happened down there.¡±

    Jeh nodded slowly. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not that dumb, I¡¯m pretty sure this¡­ Jenny,¡± saying the name clearly brought her physical pain, which was an expression virtually never seen on her face. ¡°She¡­ was me. I just¡­ every time I think about that¡­ name or anything I feel¡­ I hurt. I¡­¡± Tears were in her eyes. ¡°It actually hurts. I feel pain, but this¡­ it actually hurts and¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± She wiped her eyes. ¡°Something¡­ something happened. Something bad. I think¡­ I think there might be a reason I don¡¯t remember. I¡­ I may have forgotten on purpose. So I wouldn¡¯t be¡­ her anymore.¡±

    ¡°You can do that¡­?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s just what it feels like.¡± Jeh rubbed her arms. ¡°Whatever I used to be¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not me anymore. I¡¯m Jeh. The girl who¡­ came from the forest.¡± A small smile crawled up her face. ¡°I came from the forest. A nice¡­ peaceful place. Sure it had bears and winter and stuff but I liked it. And I like you guys. Whatever¡­ whatever I¡¯ve forgotten¡­ I didn¡¯t like. I¡­ I think I¡¯m sure of that now.¡±

    Blue put a hoof around Jeh, trying to hug her, but the zero gravity made that a little awkward. Jeh accepted it anyway.

    ¡°Jeh¡­ even if you remember or are told whatever you used to be¡­¡± Blue used her levitation on herself to look Jeh right in the eye. ¡°You will always be, to me, Jeh. The girl who miraculously came out of the forest when we needed her most and never left our sights since.¡±

    Jeh giggled. ¡°Showed up at just the right time, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ you did.¡±

    The twins had their turn hugging Jeh.

    ¡°You might still be told who you are,¡± one of them said.

    ¡°You are digging into the secrets of the universe,¡± the other continued.

    ¡°You might be forced to confront it.¡±

    ¡°You might uncover it.¡±

    Blue glared at the two of them disapprovingly.

    Jeh nodded slowly. ¡°I¡­ know that, you two. I¡­ I think I¡­¡± she shivered. ¡°No, I can¡¯t handle it.¡± She curled her arms around herself and shuddered. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ too big¡­¡±

    The twins nodded. ¡°We will do what we can to protect you from it. But¡­ we might not be able to. If Wanderlust had decided to say more rather than listen to your request¡­¡±

    Jeh took in a sharp breath. ¡°If¡­ if it happens, don¡¯t blame yourselves. But¡­ thank you. All of you. For protecting me.¡± Jeh chuckled. ¡°Me¡­. Needing protection¡­ how silly.¡±

    ¡°One day you probably will have to confront the truth,¡± one of the twins said.

    The other nodded. ¡°But that day doesn¡¯t have to be today. You can get stronger first.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re already getting stronger!¡±

    ¡°You can talk about it! Without breaking down!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah! I can!¡± Jeh beamed. Still shaking, she lifted a triumphant fist into the air. ¡°One day¡­ one day, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t rush it,¡± Blue said. ¡°The mind can be¡­ a devious trap.¡±

    Jeh looked to her with sad eyes but nodded in understanding. ¡°I¡­ will.¡±

    ¡°And I will do what I can to protect you from it as well. I¡­ think I¡¯ll ask Wanderlust about this¡­ other girl next time, and she can tell me what happened. So, at the very least, someone will know. It doesn¡¯t have to be you.¡±

    ¡°Blue¡­ I¡­¡± Jeh burst into tears and threw her arms around Blue¡¯s neck, pressing her into a wall.

    For the first time in a long while, Jeh did not have the words to express herself. And yet, she didn¡¯t feel like this was a bad thing at all.

    ~~~

    Blue drew another dot on the trajectory map between the moon and Ikyu.

    Exactly on target, even halfway back.

    ¡°I guess throwing rocks into space for thousands of years really does make you good at orbits without doing any actual math,¡± Blue said, blinking. ¡°It¡¯s going to be real annoying actually deriving how all this orbital nonsense works. The orbit we¡¯re on now is simple enough, but¡­¡± She looked at a sheet that demonstrated a ¡°grand tour¡± trajectory Wanderlust had used to visit every planet. Granted, it depended a lot on the planets being in very particular positions, but Wanderlust had determined it mostly from trial and error, there was no underlying theory really. Well, aside from a few basic rules, but not much she could calculate, aside from actual distances between the planets and¡­

    ¡­and her mind was already starting to race with the possibilities. She was going to have her work cut out for her when they got back.

    Assuming they survived reentry. Which, admittedly, wasn¡¯t a guarantee at this point. They could still fail at the last possible second. The odds were decent, all they had to do was hit the ocean, which Wanderlust had seemingly ¡°calculated¡± for properly, and not burn up. The not burning up part was all that depended on them. They just needed to use the Orange they had to slow down. Jeh and Vaughan would be able to pull it off, surely. They didn¡¯t even have to be precise, and the Moonshot was an easy spherical shape to work with¡­

    ¡°I see you getting worried there,¡± Vaughan said from the couch. He was strapped in so he could rest. Blue was free-floating, looking at her desk head-on, as she liked to do. ¡°Your ears are starting to twitch.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering if all of this is for nothing if we explode in the atmosphere.¡±

    ¡°A message will be sent to Benefactor, people will know what happened. And¡­ well, even if we do explode, Blue, we¡¯ve experienced everything we needed to experience.¡± He scratched at his sunburned face, peeling off some skin. ¡°I could die happy, Blue. I¡¯ve been to the moon, seen the universe unveiled before my eyes, and¡­ I got to experience it all with some of the people who mean the most to me.¡±

    Blue folded her ears back. ¡°Vaughan¡­ don¡¯t talk like that, you¡¯re not old yet. Well, that old.¡±

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°Oh, I have no intention of dying, I intend to go to the edge of the universe and see what¡¯s out there. But Blue¡­ you have given me my dream. I know you already know how much that means to me, but I have to say it anyway. We were there. On the moon. We went so far up that up became down! It doesn¡¯t even matter that people had been there before us¡ªif Wanderlust hadn¡¯t been there, or the machines, the moon would have been kind of boring! Blue, this has gone far beyond even my wildest expectations.¡±

    ¡°Mine too,¡± Blue said. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not as satisfied with it as you are. I have a lot more questions. It¡¯s making me wonder how much of what we just believed automatically was just¡­ wrong. I¡¯m having doubts, Vaughan.¡±

    ¡°Now, normally I¡¯d just tell you to go to Lila with that, but I have something for you in this case.¡± Vaughan looked Blue right in the eyes. ¡°Tell me, to my face, that the series of events that led us here could have happened by random chance.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ you know what, that¡­ that would be rather ridiculous. Heck, just finding Jeh in the forest at the right time to save you that day alone is¡­ probabilistically absurd.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Dia¡¯s hand is on everything, Blue.¡±

    ¡°¡­But then why were we allowed to believe so many things that¡­ were wrong? The world is far older than we think it is, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Was it important for us to know those things to live our lives?¡±

    ¡°¡­Um¡­ no¡­¡±

    ¡°Then we didn¡¯t need to know.¡± Vaughan smirked. ¡°We still didn¡¯t need to know, the knowledge we¡¯ve gotten is a gift.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thanks, Vaughan. Still, though¡­¡± Blue looked out the window. ¡°If we were wrong about so many basic things¡­ what else are we wrong about? Truths look us in the face and we don¡¯t see them simply because we are used to thinking the old way¡­ even you and I, who go out of our way to try and think of things that aren¡¯t normal, still get caught in the trap.¡±

    ¡°Whatever we believe, the truth is the truth. No matter what we discover, even if we come to the wrong conclusions, there will still be the truth. And it will stand up to scrutiny and testing, Blue, you can be assured of that.¡±

    ¡°Still. I don¡¯t¡­ want to be wrong about things. I want to be right.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s learn as much about the universe as we can then, hmm?¡±

    Blue grinned. ¡°I like that attitude.¡±

    ¡°I thought you might.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­All I¡¯m sayin¡¯ is ya two were clever,¡± Keller told the twins as he held up the starfire crystal. ¡°I didn¡¯t even have the gall t¡¯ try that.¡±

    ¡°We simply identified her inherent innocence and excitement,¡± one of the twins said.

    ¡°The gamble that she didn¡¯t even realize it could be used as a weapon paid off.¡±

    ¡°To her, they are just impressive fireworks.¡±

    ¡°Or ways to prove she can do everything a Red Crystalline One can.¡±

    ¡°War and conflict have been far from her mind.¡±

    ¡°She barely registered the implications of the Second Cataclysm.¡±

    Keller whistled. ¡°You two have quite the minds on ya. Perhaps I should be takin¡¯ what ya say more seriously.¡±

    ¡°Everyone should,¡± said one.

    ¡°The world will be ours,¡± the other added.

    ¡°Well, I could think of worse people to be in charge,¡± Keller said with a chuckle. Then he narrowed his eyes seriously. ¡°If ya ever threaten the Crown my feelin¡¯s for ya will mean nothin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Keller!¡± Blue called. ¡°They¡¯re just children!¡±

    The twins looked at Keller with hard eyes and nodded. ¡°We understand. We hope when the day comes it will be peaceful, not violent.¡±

    Keller nodded. ¡°Part of me wants t¡¯ see ya succeed. Show me what ya got, Rismelda and Ronadale Sourdough.¡±

    ¡°We will.¡±

    Blue stared at the three of them with a dumbfounded expression.

    ¡°You still don¡¯t believe they¡¯re actually serious about conquering the world?¡± Jeh asked. ¡°Wow.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ they¡¯re¡­ they¡¯re just¡­¡± Blue rubbed her head. ¡°Ugh, now I have a real headache¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, that reminds me, we should send a message to Gronge,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°He¡¯ll want to know what we discovered about the arcane field, it¡¯s related to his research.¡±

    ¡°Oh right¡­ Keller?¡± Blue looked up at the Agent.

    ¡°Addin¡¯ it t¡¯ the list of things I¡¯m gonna say.¡± He lifted up the transmitting device. ¡°We in visible range of Benefactor yet?¡±

    ¡°Almost,¡± Blue said. ¡°And¡­ there, I can see her peeking over the horizon now. Try her.¡±

    ¡°This is Agent Keller, flash if you can hear us.¡±

    Benefactor flashed almost immediately.

    ¡°Good. Ahem. We¡¯ve got a lot t¡¯ say and not a lot o¡¯ time t¡¯ say it, so ya might wanna keep careful notes, however you Crystalline Ones do that. So¡­ most important things first. Mission was a complete success in almost every capacity. As you can see here¡­¡± He started going on based on the itinerary for the message they had developed with Wanderlust. The basics about the mission and the biggest things they learned were first, the image of the Solar System, explanation of the presence of Rina and Rona, and the state of the ship and the plan to crash into the Western Ocean. After that came the code by which communication with Wanderlust could be established. And after that Keller just crammed as much information as there was time for.

    Which there wasn¡¯t much. A stable orbit near the surface of Ikyu took about ninety minutes to complete. They didn¡¯t even have that much time. The Moonshot started to shake as it entered the atmosphere.

    ¡°It¡¯s time!¡± Jeh shouted, pulling out her Orange crystal.

    ¡°And we¡¯re goin¡¯ in,¡± Keller said to the transmitter. ¡°Wish us luck.¡±

    Benefactor flashed to them an ¡®affirmative¡¯ signal.

    ¡°You know we really should have thought of that signal procedure before we left,¡± Blue commented.

    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on not dying right now!¡± Jeh called. ¡°Vaughan, let¡¯s pull!¡± In unison, the two of them surrounded the Moonshot in Orange. Flames did not develop on the edge of the craft, but the interior did start heating up. There was no way to cool it off effectively anymore, for they were in the atmosphere, and Blue magic¡¯s cooling effects would be minimal.

    ¡°This thing is heavy!¡± Vaughan grunted.

    ¡°No, really!?¡± Jeh shouted. ¡°It¡¯s a giant hunk of metal!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be cooked alive¡­¡± Blue muttered, putting her hooves over her eyes. ¡°Baked while falling to the ocean¡­¡±

    Either Rina or Rona threw some water on her.

    ¡°¡­Gee, thanks.¡±

    ¡°It got you to get out of fear mode and into sarcasm mode,¡± one of them said.

    ¡°Mission success,¡± the other added.

    ¡°You two are going to be the death of me,¡± Blue deadpanned.

    ¡°We hope not,¡± they said as one.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re going to be okay¡­¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°You can¡¯t feel the heat!¡± Vaughan said, sweat pouring down his face. ¡°I just, agh, it¡¯s getting a bit much¡­¡±

    ¡°The air is cool, once we slow down enough we¡¯ll be able to¡­¡± Jeh paused. ¡°Um. Blue? Can you look below us?¡±

    ¡°Why? It¡¯s just ocean. We checked, we¡¯re right smack dab in the middle of the¡­¡± In the middle of saying this, Blue had moved her head to look down. ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Am I right?¡±

    ¡°Right about what?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re falling into the Tempest,¡± Blue said.

    Vaughan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°At least it¡¯ll be cold!¡± Jeh said with a laugh.

    ¡°We¡¯re not prepared to deal with a storm that intense!¡± Blue called back.

    The twins started giggling. ¡°Looks like our adventure isn¡¯t over yet!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna die in the clouds!¡± Blue spat. ¡°We¡¯re gonna get zapped and¡­ and¡­¡± She paused. ¡°We¡¯re getting colder, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°It¡­ feels like it,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°I think we¡¯ve slowed down enough that we¡¯re not gaining heat anymore¡­ but¡­ we don¡¯t have enough force to divert away from the Tempest¡­ we¡¯re going in.¡±

    Blue shuddered. ¡°How long until we hit?¡±

    ¡°Few minutes,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Question, Blue. Does the Moonshot float?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re about to find out.¡±

    ¡°Assuming the lightning doesn¡¯t zap us to death!¡±

    Keller started flipping a coin. In the turbulence he couldn¡¯t tell if it landed anywhere. ¡°All I can say is that I¡¯m lookin¡¯ forward to a smoke, even if it¡¯s on top o¡¯ a sinkin¡¯ ship in a storm.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re insane.¡±

    ¡°We all are!¡± the twins said, big grins on their faces. ¡°The adventure of a lifetime is behind us, and a new one awaits!¡±

    ¡°I wonder how things have changed since I was last there¡­¡± Vaughan said, stroking his beard.

    ¡°Oooh, that¡¯s right, you¡¯ve been here!¡± Jeh clapped her hands. ¡°This¡¯ll be a great trip!¡±

    ¡°I love how you¡¯re all just assuming we survive this at this point,¡± Blue muttered.

    ¡°What else can we do?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°I¡­ we¡­ erm¡­ UGH, morons, the lot of you.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°But I¡¯m a moron for coming up here in the first place, so¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s assume we make it through this. Anything we can do to help that along?¡±

    ¡°Aim for the eye and hope we float,¡± Vaughan suggested.

    ¡°Okay, do that.¡±

    So Jeh and Vaughan did their best to redirect their trajectory to the center of the eye of the storm. However, they did not have the power of precision to come anywhere close to this. They entered the clouds far from both the center of the storm and the edge.

    Unimaginably powerful winds roared against the edge of the Moonshot, making it impossible to hear anyone speak.

    Lightning flashed in the windows. Blue¡¯s hair started standing on end, and not from fear, but from electric charge. Everyone was jostled around significantly, but at this point, they were used to it, and the straps held. Jeh and Vaughan did their best to control things but they no longer had any way to see anything besides dark clouds, lightning, and rain pelting the windows.

    Despite this, Jeh was laughing.

    What a great way to end their trip!

    Splash!

    ~~~

    ¡°The situation has worsened,¡± the entity made of a singular blue eye said, his flames illuminating half the room. The other half, the half that held his superior, glowed Green. ¡°We have detected Orange flashes from the moon from a massive Crystalline One. Clearly in contact with Benefactor.¡±

    ¡°So, one escaped to the moon¡­¡± There was a pause. ¡°It¡­ it couldn¡¯t be her¡­ could it? Oh no, it is, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°You would know best. Our predictions suggest the likeliest candidate is Wanderlust.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s where she went¡­ insane crystal¡­ she doesn¡¯t even know the things she knows¡­ but Benefactor will likely figure out how to extract it from her.¡± There was a sigh. ¡°She really was such a harmless soul. Too innocent for our work, grew fed up with it, for good reason I¡¯d say. She was probably the smartest one, abandoning ship. If only the rest of us had that option.¡± There was a pause. ¡°The problem is she¡¯s even less accessible than Benefactor. The only things that can make it to the moon are the Moonshot, which no doubt caused all this, and¡­ an Orange Crystalline One, which would be pointless since even if we somehow find a way to send enough to fight, they will not be able to resist the call to merge.¡±

    ¡°It is quite a predicament. The attempt to destabilize Kroan has also failed.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Prince Wyett behaved exactly as predicted. Princess Tenrayce did not, she recovered quicker than anticipated and appears to have initiated a complex cover-up that we aren¡¯t fully privy to. The kingdom is angry, weakened, and mourning¡ªbut not fallen apart, their anger is being focused.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ I do not like where this is going anymore.¡±

    ¡°You can always return to the fallback.¡±

    ¡°I would rather not. There are¡­ people who deserve to have good lives. To have another chance.¡±

    ¡°Does the world itself not take precedence?¡±

    ¡°It always does. Just because I would rather not doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t.¡± There was another pause. ¡°To think, a space program has triggered all of this, through no fault of their own. They aren¡¯t even looking into our secrets intentionally, they¡¯re just finding things by complete accident!¡±

    ¡°Shall we move against them?¡±

    ¡°No, no. I forbid it. They have done no wrong against us. We do not retaliate needlessly.¡±

    ¡°And yet, their kingdom¡­¡±

    ¡°The Kroan Crown is not without blame. Whatever secret they hide, it is clear their goals are to prod where they shouldn¡¯t. Why, though¡­ what drives them¡­?¡±

    ¡°It is still unknown, none of our spies have managed to pierce the inner royal family, all we can say is that they are hiding something big.¡±

    ¡°¡­Four thousand years¡­ we kept this all managed for four thousand years. Why does everything suddenly stop working now?¡±

    ¡°I cannot say.¡±

    ¡°Neither can I, and that bothers me immensely.¡± There was a loud sigh. ¡°Benefactor is our current target. I wish there were a way to end her quickly, but she is protected, and she is going to learn things from Wanderlust. And she will tell those things to Kroan. And¡­ and that is going to have a domino effect I can¡¯t even begin to predict. ¡­We cannot stop the chain before it falls, but we can set up fences to keep it in.¡±

    ¡°There are suggestions of diverting the rigid plague to our purposes.¡±

    ¡°The rigid plague is the second largest concern at the moment, it clearly seeks to use us, and we are therefore playing an extremely dangerous game.¡± A pause. ¡°Too many people know of our existence. Be honest with me, am I being too hesitant to wipe everything clean?¡±

    ¡°You are not. Life is precious. There is a reason we follow you.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ thank you. You are dismissed. I need time to¡­ think. Return to me if you and the others come up with a new plan.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± He turned and left his superior in the Green room alone, to sit and think about times long past.

    Alone with ghosts of the past.

    ¡°I do so hope I can let you keep your happy life¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Coming soon¡­ WSP M02: The Tempest

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    So, I¡¯m curious, at what point did it become clear that this Solar System was our Solar System? I¡¯ve been dropping hints for a loooooong time, but now it¡¯s right there in the open, impossible to deny. Let me know!

    Anyway, yes, this is our Solar System, with all the familiar planets. Wanderlust has gotten some information¡­ wrongish. This isn¡¯t really her fault, despite having eons to do her studies, she can only see things up to a certain brightness even with her best efforts and has very limited ways to actually probe the system. She¡¯s using rocks and crystals after all! It¡¯s a small wonder she managed to get anything done, but determination, lots of time, and trial and error will overcome just about anything.

    First of all, she¡¯s missed a few things. She hasn¡¯t noticed either of Mars¡¯ (Zhevanthe¡¯s) moons. She hasn¡¯t found any of the minor moons of Qi (Jupiter), Hexi (Saturn), Cyan (Uranus), or Neptune (Triton). She also has no clue about Pluto or any of the objects out there in the Kuiper Belt aside from the occasional comet, and those are kind of strange flukes to her at this juncture. She has found Ceres and a few asteroids, though she still thinks Ceres (Weird Rock) is a legitimate planet. She mainly considers it one since it makes her maps look nice and there¡¯s no one to challenge her. She is a scientific community of one. Hence all the bad names will either stick or someone will come up with new ones very shortly.

    Fun fact: Uranus can actually be seen with the naked eye. Just barely. On perfect nights with no light pollution. It looks like a really faint star. In fact, in an old star catalog, it¡¯s recorded as a star. It moves so slowly no one recognized it as a planet until much later.

    Regardless, even with all her trial and error, Wanderlust is baffled by Mercury (Talu). Granted, the planet is weird for us as well¡ªit¡¯s subject to very minor relativistic effects that make its orbit slightly off from what classical theory predicts. But its odd orbit is just a brute fact to Wanderlust. What bothers her is that it has much more gravity than bodies of a similar size to it.

    This is because, as mentioned previously, gravity is determined by mass, not size. Granted, more massive things are usually larger, but not always! Mercury is composed almost entirely of heavy metals and has a very large core, meanwhile Ganymede, which is larger, is made mostly out of ices and does not have as many heavy metals. Wanderlust¡¯s trial-and-error strategy reveals its shortcoming here: she can launch things and get them to move predictably, but she can¡¯t mathematically determine how much pull something has without throwing things at it to see.

    She¡¯s also missed a ton of minor moons which, while someone is in one of the gas giant systems, will generally affect things. Sometimes her probes go missing for seemingly no reason and she has no clue why. These moons are generally why.

    One may also notice an interesting observation about Jupiter (Qi). The Great Red Spot we know in our day is in the southern hemisphere, but Wanderlust describes it in the northern. Clearly, from now and whenever this story takes place, the Great Red Spot we know has dissipated and a new one has formed somewhere in the northern hemisphere. We even think the Great Red Spot might have vanished for a time earlier in Jupiter¡¯s history when observations were less common, but we can¡¯t say for sure.

    Now, I¡¯m sure you all have a ton of questions about how the Solar System came to be in the state it is now, where Earth is Ikyu, and all that, but that¡¯s not something I¡¯ll answer in the Science Segment! I am interested to hear your guesses as to what¡¯s going on, though¡­ that said from a more practical science-fiction writing sense, using the real planets allows me to stay more scientifically plausible in what I write. Coming up with unique planets that are scientifically feasible and have the complexities of our Solar System¡¯s worlds would have been a nightmare and a half.

 M02 - The Tempest, Part 1

    WSP

    M02 ¨C The Tempest

    Thunder.

    Roiling waves.

    Winds so strong they howled as though in pain.

    Fish thrown out of the water with such force that they splattered against the ship¡¯s hull.

    And yet, the ship held fast. It was rocked side to side, battered with anything and everything the storm could throw at it, and was even struck by lightning several times. The ship did not seem to care.

    It was made entirely out of reinforced metal and had only a scant few slits that held windows for viewing the world outside. Multiple large wheels continually rotated on either side, driven by the sparks of Orange to paddle through the torrential sea. The emblem of the Kroan Crown was carved into the side, for any sort of paint would be worn away very quickly by the kinds of journeys this ship undertook.

    Then, suddenly¡­ things were calm. The waves gave way to smooth waters. The dark clouds gave way to gray fog, and very shortly thereafter to clear skies. Sky serpents weaved in and out of the clouds, their colorful scales glinting beautifully off the sun, welcoming the new arrivals.

    The Wall extended to either side of the ship, a slowly rotating torrent of gray clouds that regularly flashed with the glow of lightning happening deeper within the great storm. But here, inside the Wall, the sky was clear, the sun was overhead, and there was not only life but civilization. There were many other ships around, most of them simple fishing vessels. The majority of these vessels were manned by cats and various feline races, though there were a minority of the three-legged shroomers, which unlike the cats didn¡¯t need special tools to be able to hold fishing poles.

    Further within the Wall were the islands. There were several large ones all anchored to the ground, but while these held the majority of the Tempest¡¯s cities, they were not what everyone remembered about the Tempest. That honor fell to the great floating islands that hovered perpetually above the waters, held aloft by a strange species of plant that produced massive pink air sac fruits. Nobody was entirely sure how they managed to pull this off, keeping the islands stable long-term, but it sure was beautiful to see the tangle of thorny roots under every island interspersed with large pink spheres that glowed slightly.

    The only tempest natives that could fly were the sphinxes, and in the deep past, they had used this power to declare themselves masters of all they saw. Those days were no more, gone long before the outside world had begun encroaching upon the islands. A complex series of tethers and ropes allowed for travel to and from the islands for anyone, though these were not the safest mechanisms in existence and there were always dozens of backup ropes in case something went wrong. Even from the distance of the Wall, some of the larger cable cars* could be seen.

    *They have their own word for this, as there is no word for car yet. That said, cars have been invented, it¡¯s not hard to put an Orange device on a cart, but outside of cities the roads are not developed enough and they tend not to be very practical things. It¡¯s generally much better to just get a horse or, perhaps better, hire a lesser unicorn.

    The ship¡¯s cabin doors made a few large creaking noises as they were unsealed. Fresh air washed into the cabin for the first time in hours, giving the passengers a sense of relief.

    The first person out on the deck was a cat. He ran all the way to the railing and hurled, though at this point there was nothing left in his stomach to eject. The journey had not been kind to him.

    ¡°Having¡­ fun, cat?¡± A young Red wizard with a rope of rainbow in his hat asked, making the attempt to be jovial, but his legs were shaking. The trip had not been kind to him, either, but at least he was doing better than the cat.

    ¡°Doing¡­ great¡­ Wizard¡­¡± the cat muttered, refusing to take his head away from the railing.

    ¡°Ah, feels great to get sea legs, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    The two looked back to the third passenger on their voyage, a blonde human woman in the brilliant robes of a Magenta wizard, a rainbow rope run through her hat as well. She did not wear her pointed hat on her head, but rather had it on a cord so it hung over her back, allowing her somewhat short hair to ripple in the soft sea breeze.

    She showed no signs of any nausea or discomfort, much to the chagrin of her two fellow passengers.

    ¡°Alice, how are you fine? You haven¡¯t taken this trip before have you?¡± the Red wizard asked.

    Alice ran up to him and put her arm around him, pressing her cheek to his as she used her other arm to gesture out at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s called a spirit of adventure, Giddy! Some rocking waves aren¡¯t going to put me down!¡±

    The wizard chuckled. ¡°Ah, that spirit of yours can face anything, it seems.¡±

    She released him and winked. ¡°It¡¯s what brought us together, after all. And look at the specimen it caught me!¡± She gestured wildly at him.

    He held his head up high. ¡°Yes, you did get quite lucky.¡±

    ¡°Psh, all skill, Giddy, all skill.¡±

    The cat raised one of his front paws. ¡°I¡¯m assuming his name¡¯s not actually Giddy?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, we couldn¡¯t introduce ourselves over the din¡­¡± the Red wizard cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m Vaughan, that¡¯s Alice.¡±

    Alice snickered.

    ¡°¡­Where does the name ¡®Giddy¡¯ come from?¡± the cat asked, cocking his head.

    Alice broke out into full-blown laughter while Vaughan looked down at his shoes. ¡°I knew it, Giddy, I knew that wasn¡¯t going to work! It¡¯s just so suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, you could stop calling me Giddy¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Thought so.¡± Alice put her hands on her hips. ¡°Anyway, our new feline friend, our names are Alice Vaughan and Gideon Vaughan. He just hates his name with such a burning passion that he prefers nobody know it. I think it¡¯s silly. He knows I think this. On a good day, he agrees. He still doesn¡¯t like his name.¡±

    The cat furrowed his brow. ¡°Does it mean something unfortunate¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, he just doesn¡¯t like how it sounds.¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure you can change it¡­¡± the cat shook his head. ¡°Never mind, doesn¡¯t matter. Alice, Vaughan, I¡¯m Suro. ¡­No last name, my family hasn¡¯t taken one.¡±

    ¡°What brings you to the frontier of mystery and magic?¡± Alice asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m a jeweler, recently accredited. I hear there¡¯s a shortage of jewelers in the Tempest, so¡­ I figured it¡¯d be a good place to go stake a claim. Hadn¡¯t considered the difficulty of the voyage until¡­ well.¡±

    ¡°Ah, looking to settle down?¡± Vaughan chuckled, scratching his black, short beard.

    ¡°That¡¯s the idea. Though I wasn¡¯t expecting so much¡­ chaos, right out of the gate.¡±

    ¡°If this turns out not to be your place, on our journeys we found a sleepy mining town that might suit you better.¡± Vaughan straightened out his robes. ¡°Little Willow Hollow, southern end of Kroan, in the mountains. Was a nice place.¡±

    ¡°Currently on the list of places for us to settle down after we complete our journeys!¡± Alice said. ¡°We want to go somewhere far.¡±

    ¡°Journeymen wizards?¡± Suro nodded slowly. ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t intend to stick around here, then?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Even if these islands do get onto our list, we want to make sure to scour the entire Kroan border. Honestly this place only counts on a technicality, as Kroan does own some land here¡­¡±

    ¡°How could we not have gone to the Tempest?¡± Alice asked. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s the most exotic place in the world! Just look at those islands!¡± She gestured at the sky. ¡°They¡¯re floating, Vaughan. Without assistance from a wizard! That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    ¡°It is¡­ amazing.¡± Vaughan looked up at the quite spectacular sight. ¡°To think, for thousands of years these people had no idea there even was an outside world¡­ this was all they had.¡±

    ¡°Pretty good place to be stuck in, if I have to say,¡± Alice said. ¡°Oooh, and there will be Mikarolians and Vraskalians here too! I can¡¯t wait to learn about the cultures on the other side of the sea!¡±

    ¡°If only we could talk to an angler¡­¡±

    Alice let out a sigh. ¡°If only¡­¡±

    Suro looked out at the islands. ¡°¡­You know, I hadn¡¯t really¡­ registered that this land was a land of adventure.¡±

    Alice snorted and quickly slammed a hand over her mouth. ¡°S-sorry, it¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°Sounds like I didn¡¯t plan?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go with that.¡±

    Suro rolled his eyes. ¡°Yeah, this¡­ ticket just fell into my lap and¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re both going to be around Embassy Island, we can help you out,¡± Vaughan said.

    Alice put her hands on her hips and beamed. ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re professionals at all this adventuring business! We¡¯ve handled monstrous beasts of the forest and crafted many arcane curiosities for the common spirited! ¡­Mostly heaters, but that¡¯s still important!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d¡­ help me?¡± Suro asked.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°I will do anything I can to repay you, though at the moment I am¡­ essentially destitute save for my tools.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re a jeweler,¡± Alice said with a wave of her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find some complicated device we want your help with at some point. Or maybe we won¡¯t and then you¡¯ll just owe us for eeeternityyyyy ooooooooooooo spooky.¡±

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°Be nice to the man, Alice.¡±

    ¡°I am!¡± Alice huffed. ¡°I only mess with people I like!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t I know it.¡±

    ¡°Just another one of my charms!¡±

    ~~~

    The shore was sandy and covered in shells. A young kitten was jumping padding along, leaving little prints in the sand as he moved. A large bag (relatively speaking) was slung over his back, filled with various seashells he had harvested. He used his claws to pick another one out of the sand and sling it into the bag. He was humming a little tune to himself as he went about his ¡°work.¡± He didn¡¯t have a care in the world, too young to care about whatever the adults were worried about, but old enough to be trusted on his own on the beach.

    He heard a strange, loud splash come from somewhere in the ocean. He looked up, curious, but could see nothing more than a rippling disturbance. Had one of the large fish jumped? It would have had to have been a really big fish to make ripples he could still see, but it wasn¡¯t unheard of, though this close to the island¡­ he felt annoyed that he didn¡¯t know enough to know if big fish came this close or not.

    He was not left to be annoyed at his incomplete information for long, for at that moment a thing emerged from the waves. It was round, shiny, and had a handful of knobs sticking out of it on the end of long rods. It was also huge, easily as large as a house, far larger than any rigid the kitten had ever seen¡ªand this was the Tempest, the only rigids were those that came to visit, so that number was small to begin with. This experience was already far beyond him.

    The round thing flopped out of the water and landed awkwardly on three of its knobs on the sand, ocean waves lightly lapping at its base. All was still for a moment.

    The kitten took a step forward.

    The part of the metal thing that suddenly looked a lot like a mouth popped open, and a bizarre creature stepped out. Four legs without paws, a spike coming out of its head, and huge eyes¡­ it was making some kind of haggard, raspy noise. Then it turned to look right at him.

    The kitten screamed and shouted, dropping his bag and running away as quickly as he could.

    ¡°Wait, hey¡ª¡± Blue called out, coughing. ¡°Come back!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s coming back,¡± Vaughan said from behind her.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°My Naust is a bit rusty, but I believe he shouted a slur at you and then ran away screaming ¡®Monster! Monster! Monster!¡¯ while crying.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Blue sighed, coughing up some water. ¡°Well, everyone out, let¡¯s see what the damage is¡­¡±

    They were fortunate the sand was soft, because they had landed with the door a fair ways above the ground and had to fall a short distance to get out. Blue was first, landing on the sand with a mixture of a wet squelch and a soft thud. She stood up, but found that her legs were shaking. Why¡­ why was standing so hard?

    She stumbled over to let the next person come out, opting to stop standing and to sit instead, taking in a few deep breaths. She sure didn¡¯t feel right, though it was impossible to tell where this feeling was coming from given the ordeal they¡¯d just been through.

    Vaughan came out next, flopping face-first onto the sand. ¡°My¡­ back¡­¡± he grunted. He didn¡¯t even manage to stand up, he crawled across the sand until he could sit next to Blue, laying flat on the ground, breathing very heavily. ¡°Feels¡­ so¡­ heavy¡­¡±

    Blue chuckled. ¡°Welcome back to Ikyu gravity.¡±

    Keller came next, landing on his feet, but only barely. He stumbled forward a bit and was clearly shaky, but out of sheer force of will managed to remain standing. ¡°Gonna have t¡¯ get used t¡¯ standin¡¯ again¡­¡± The very next thing he did was take out one of his signature rolls and light it, taking in a deep breath of the smoke. ¡°It has been¡­ way too long¡­¡±

    The Sourdough Twins were next. They flopped out rather lethargically, but were able to help support each other and stumble to the others. ¡°So¡­¡± one began.

    ¡°¡­Weak,¡± the other finished with a short grunt.

    ¡°You all don¡¯t have any stamina!¡± Jeh called, jumping out and landing perfectly on her feet with a big grin on her face.

    ¡°It is you¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­who has endless stamina,¡± the twins managed.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t mock you.¡±

    ¡°I think I should make a note,¡± Blue said. ¡°Consequences of long-term space travel and¡­¡± Blue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh no, all my notes! They¡¯re waterlogged aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Not the ones you stored before we started reentry,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°¡­Unless the storage was punctured.¡±

    ¡°Well, something had to have been punctured, we were taking on water there!¡±

    ¡°Water¡­¡± the twins said in unison looking out at the sea and the Wall. Everyone could see the flashes of light from obfuscated lightning, but the rumbling sounds were somewhat muted by the sounds of gentle waves and sea birds.

    Vaughan frowned as he looked out over the sea. ¡°That¡¯s odd¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡± one of the Twins asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see a single fishing boat. Even in areas without good fishing, you can usually see at least a few¡­¡± Vaughan stroked his beard. ¡°Wonder if something¡¯s going on¡­ I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a festival this time of year¡­¡±

    There was silence as everyone but Jeh continued to struggle to catch their breath.

    Jeh sighed. ¡°Okay, guess I¡¯ll check the ship for damage¡­ maybe get some food for you all¡­¡± She had to jump onto one of the knobs to get herself back into the Moonshot to scramble around. The interior was a mess. In their panicked landing, a lot of the things that had been tied down had been entirely dislodged, which had included the navigation table, which had shattered and was now several shards of glass strewn everywhere. There had to be a hole somewhere that allowed the water to get in, but searching around didn¡¯t reveal it¡ªperhaps it was a tiny hole. Jeh was able to open the container that had been exposed to the vacuum of space earlier, but that hatch had been sealed, it shouldn¡¯t have allowed water inside.

    The furniture that wasn¡¯t hard was mostly ruined by the water, and much of it was shredded. One of the steel supports was completely disconnected from the wall, and all the curtains had been torn from the windows. Bizarrely, the pilot¡¯s seat was still fine, even without the drive.

    Checking storage, Jeh found that most of it had only taken minor water damage, so while Blue¡¯s notes were slightly damp, they were not ruined, and the food was still fine, though they were running slightly low on that; only a few days of it were left.

    Opening the waste container was a mistake. She slammed that hatch shut before even opening it all the way, the stench was unbearable. Clearly, things in there had broken¡­ she did not envy whoever¡¯s job it was going to be to clean that.

    Jeh jumped out of the Moonshot and handed out the food¡ªmost of it was hover clover at this point, but at least that would be filling. She also gave Blue a sample of the notes, as she was not able to carry an entire mountain of paper.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ workable, workable¡­¡± Blue said. She was now standing without too much shaking¡ªevidentially, lesser unicorns were more adapted to recovery from long-term space travel than the humanoids. Even Keller was obviously having problems. Blue took an absent-minded bite out of the hover clover, frowning. ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Ship is trashed, but the shell is intact. Not suited for space travel but I think we can recover a lot from it. ...Someone¡¯s going to have to clean waste storage.¡±

    Blue shivered. ¡°We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come to it¡­¡±

    ¡°So¡­ what now?¡±

    ¡°I think¡­ rest, is in order,¡± Blue said, glancing at everyone. ¡°We need to get our¡­ non-space-legs back? Land legs?¡±

    ¡°Good idea,¡± Vaughan said, letting out a deep sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s just¡­ not move from here¡­ for a few hours¡­¡±

    Keller frowned. ¡°We likely need t¡¯ work back to health.¡± And just like that, despite his exhaustion, he started performing some basic stretches.

    ¡°Crazy Agent¡­¡± Vaughan muttered.

    The twins actually attempted to join him, but while they had the heart, they did not have the physical prowess to actually maintain the activity, a fact which clearly annoyed them. They soon returned to lying on the sand.

    ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Vaughan said. ¡°After we get some strength back¡­ every non-floating island is inhabited, there¡¯ll be a settlement somewhere on wherever we are. I know enough Naust to get by¡­ I hope, it has been a while. Then we use Keller here at the Embassy to charter a ship back to Kroan. Presumably one that can drag the Moonshot along.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d need a very strong rope¡­¡± Blue said. ¡°That storm is no joke¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s ships with cargo holds for smaller ships.¡± Vaughan chuckled. ¡°The biggest problem would have been the price if we didn¡¯t have mister government over there.¡±

    Keller snorted as he let out a puff of smoke. ¡°Glad to be of assistance.¡±

    The sun started to set. This was a visually unusual event in the Tempest, for the horizon was not at the edge of the sea, but at the top of the Wall. Everything got significantly darker, but the hole in the sky was still blue.

    ¡°Ah, pre-night,¡± Vaughan said with a smile. ¡°Always interesting.¡±

    ¡°You know, cool and all, but not as interesting as the islands.¡± Jeh pointed behind them. ¡°They really are floating! Look at them! And¡­ Vaughan, are the big floaty fruit edible?¡±

    Vaughan scratched his chin. ¡°They are, actually, though since they keep the islands afloat you really should only harvest ones that appear rooted to solid ground.¡±

    ¡°I am going to eat floating fruit eeeeee!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re called romkars,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°A word that means¡­ ¡®savior from below¡¯ I think?¡± Vaughan took a moment to scan the various floating islands. ¡°Huh, the arrangement is different since I was here. Guess some were moved.¡±

    ¡°Surprising?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Not really, it may be a hassle to move all the cables, but new islands do form from time to time and it¡¯s not like the romkar vines stop growing.¡± He laughed. ¡°Ah, what a place of wonder this is¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to explore!¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to¡­¡± one twin began.

    ¡°¡­Have to wait,¡± the other finished.

    ¡°Hurry up and get your strength back,¡± Jeh said with a huff. ¡°This place is cool and while I¡¯m here I want to experience it.¡±

    ~~~

    Embassy island was a floating island, technically, though it was so close to sea level that parts of the romkar vines were beneath the water. This had not always been the case, when the island had been set aside for foreigners by the Tempest natives, it floated quite a bit higher. Nobody had taken into account the weight all the extra buildings would add, but at this point it actually made it much easier to get up to the island.

    The ship carrying Vaughan, Alice, and Suro docked at a series of cables that drifted from one of the edges into the ocean. A rickety platform made of exotic wood descended to meet them, and the three of them stepped on with a few of the officers on the ship.

    The island was not large, barely big enough to hold a tiny town, but it was an impressive sight nonetheless. The four largest buildings were the specific embassies for Kroan, Shimvale, Vraskal, and the Mikarol Empire. Kroan¡¯s embassy looked a lot like the palace in Axiom with its white walls and blue domes, but it was much smaller and made of less pristine materials. Tall palm trees and tropical flowers dotted the area around it, and numerous wizards in their colorful robes could be seen walking around with a few nobles and even an Agent. It was a statement of culture through beauty and elegance, and was not all that concerned with looking powerful. Shimvale¡¯s Embassy was similar in that regard, though they didn¡¯t even bother to look spectacular, their construct was simple, white, and brick-like, and was also the smallest of the four installations.

    The other two installations, however, were the first structures any of Vaughan¡¯s group had seen from Mikarol or Vraskal, and they were sights to behold. Mikarol¡¯s Embassy was made almost entirely out of metal, a resource rare in the Tempest so all of it had to have been imported. It glinted in the light of the sun, demanding attention, and the somewhat excessive number of spikes on the structure were decidedly imposing. Humanoid guards in full regal armor stood at the front doors, nearly motionless. They were not there to bar anyone entry¡ªmany people were actively coming in and out¡ªthey were simply a statement of power. Considering Mikarol¡¯s reputation as a proud military power, this was not surprising.

    What was surprising was the Vraskal Embassy. It was dark, like the color of ash, and lit with strange fires that burned a deep red rather than a warming orange. It was far shorter than Mikarol¡¯s structure, but took up more space. It looked less like an artificial structure and more like a creature, winding and twisting around, with a few bone-like protrusions emerging in seemingly random places.

    ¡°¡­Vraskalians¡­¡± Vaughan shook his head. ¡°Alice, do we know anything about them?¡±

    Alice shook her head. ¡°Not much, they¡¯re even further away than Mikarol and have a significantly smaller naval force. What we have about them always comes from the Empire, and that¡¯s secondhand information. We know they live in a very harsh land and are considered honorable by the Emperor for being so hardy and stubborn. Best we can tell the sentiment is not shared in reverse, but Vraskal diplomats seem to like to go out of their way to keep their nation mysterious.¡±

    As they passed the Vraskalian Embassy, the people turned to stare at them with blank expressions. Their company consisted mostly of humans, but there was another race Vaughan had never seen nor heard of before, a strange sort of floating eye seemingly made out of fire with shimmering robes drifting down from them as though the eye was a head.

    ¡°I have no idea what those are,¡± Alice said. ¡°Fascinating¡­ I¡¯ll have to talk with one at some point!¡±

    ¡°They may not know Karli,¡± Suro pointed out.

    ¡°They¡¯ll know Naust! Which¡­¡± Alice pulled a small booklet out of her robes. ¡°I have been studying!¡±

    Suro frowned. ¡°I was told we should rely on translators rather than books like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, please, watch.¡± She waved eagerly at a passing native cat, calling out a greeting. She flipped to a page in her book and awkwardly sounded out some words.

    The cat looked insulted at first, and then proceeded to laugh and say something that sounded rude.

    Alice frowned. ¡°¡­That word isn¡¯t in here¡­¡±

    ¡°Definitely need a translator,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°Okay, fine, we¡¯ll get one. But¡­ adventure!¡± Alice spread her hands wide. ¡°Let¡¯s explore a bit before we go to the Kroan Embassy and are stuck in boring paperwork.¡±

    Embassy island was not just the four embassies, there was a proper little community that had five extremely different cultures mixing together¡ªthat of the four ¡°developed¡± nations, and the natives. The natives were not as cohesive, having no single leader but instead having a shared belief system in the protection of the Guardian Spirit. A statue of her was in the center of the island, crafted out of somehow still-living wood that never changed shape but grew leaves every now and then. Her form was nondescript; aside from her face and absolutely tremendous eyes it was basically impossible to tell anything about her form. Was she humanoid? Quadruped? Tripedal?

    ¡°Ah, the local goddess,¡± Alice said, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯ve read about her, supposedly they refuse to call her a goddess as apparently she doesn¡¯t want to be worshipped.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t even make any sense,¡± Suro said. ¡°Primitive cultures like those in the Wild Kingdoms form beliefs in gods to explain the inexplicable, and they offer worship in order to barter with the elements. If there¡¯s no worship, what¡¯s the point of creating a god?¡±

    Alice shrugged. ¡°Dunno. You could argue that they do worship her, given the statue, but that¡¯s not a temple there, that¡¯s just an art piece.¡±

    ¡°That might give Dia¡¯s missionaries a foothold,¡± Vaughan mused.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Alice gestured at the Sanctuary. It was a small one, open to the sky, but it was full, about an even mixture of Kroanites and natives, with very few from the other nations. ¡°Seems to be going well.¡±

    Near the Sanctuary were other religious buildings. There were small Colored altars to the seven Colors of magic, which saw Shimmers and Vraskalians primarily coming to them. Similar altars stood to Eyda, the Unknown Goddess, and Cora, and even a secondary Dia altar meant for the Gonal, however these saw the least traffic as none of the nations had a Gonal majority. Bizarrely, the Mikarol, easily identified by their metallic armor, seemed evenly distributed almost everywhere, with a large concentration in front of what was not strictly a religious institution, but a monument to the Emperor and the State of the Empire.

    Religion was completely free in Mikarol, so long as your loyalty to the State was ensured. Several armored individuals were currently lined up in front of the seventeen-spiked star symbol of their Empire, saluting it and letting out shouts in their language.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell their species for the most part¡­¡± Alice observed. ¡°They really do hide everything in that armor.¡±

    ¡°I can tell that one¡¯s a greater unicorn,¡± Suro pointed out.

    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t hide a completely different body shape, obviously, but it¡¯s amazing how much they try to push uniform unity.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad they¡¯re our allies,¡± Vaughan said, chuckling nervously. ¡°Could you imagine, their army going after us?¡±

    Suddenly, there was a cat shouting at them. She was obviously a native given the living vine around her neck and the ¡°exotic¡± earrings running a line across her left ear.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Alice quickly started flipping through the book. ¡°Something about¡­ doom? Uh¡­ disaster? I don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I can help,¡± a shroomer with a blue mushroom cap said, droning in his race¡¯s signature slow, methodical manner, though he spoke Karli with a slight accent. He wore a coat of living vines that were currently flowering with yellow petals, but he also wore the signature necklace of a Keeper, with two white trails of fabric coming off his back replacing the usual robes. He spoke to the cat in Naust, calming her down. Instead of shouting at Vaughan and the others, she opted to let out an angry hiss and prod away.

    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± the shroomer said. ¡°Usually those who aren¡¯t fans of outsiders stay away from Embassy Island.¡±

    ¡°We are in your debt,¡± Alice said, bowing.

    ¡°You lot are from Kroan, you should know we Keepers don¡¯t do this for payment.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s how it should be¡­¡±

    The Keeper let out a long laugh with lengthy pauses between each moment of sound. ¡°Indeed, my child. I am Keeper Dimmrivoi. I was born in the Tempest long before your people showed us the light of the outside world. I am both thankful and resentful of all you¡¯ve done.¡±

    Suro blinked. ¡°R-resentful?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you have shown us the light of Dia, but your governmental nonsense is quite ruining the way of the Tempest. Simple as that.¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°Was that why the cat was shouting at us?" Alice asked.

    ¡°Partially,¡± Dimmrivoi said. ¡°There are also the prophecies about the coming disaster.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I read about this¡­¡± Alice said. ¡°The Tempest¡¯s culture places great emphasis on seers and prophets.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and lately those prophecies have become more and more heralds of doom,¡± Dimmrivoi said. ¡°The Guardian Spirit blesses few with the gift so see the future. I myself am one of them.¡±

    This stunned everyone into silence.

    Dimmrivoi let out another one of his slow laughs. ¡°Did you think just because I became a Keeper that the visions would stop? No, they continued.¡±

    ¡°And what do you see?¡± Vaughan asked, curious.

    ¡°Destruction. I certainly hope that cat was wrong and you three aren¡¯t the cause of it all. I have not seen you in the visions, and such things can easily be misinterpreted by the hasty who resent the presence of outsiders in their land.¡± He paused¡ªwhich, as he was a shroomer, was a silence that lasted for several seconds of awkwardness where everyone started to wonder if he was going to keep talking. ¡°I see that you do not exactly trust my word, and that is understandable, in a land where the only prophecy comes from Dia Herself. But I hope, in time, you will come to see things from a new perspective.¡± He let out another slow laugh. ¡°Or, you¡¯re only here to see the sights and will be gone in a few days!¡±

    ¡°Actually, we¡¯re here to help Suro set up a business in addition to seeing the sights,¡± Alice said.

    ¡°Oh? And what business is that?¡±

    ¡°Jeweler.¡±

    ¡°Oh my! You Kroanites always complain about a lack of arcane devices, you will be most welcomed. Getting a place to open your shop though will be difficult on this dense island¡­ I believe you should bring it up with the Kroanite Embassy.¡±

    ¡°That is where we¡¯re going,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°After we see more things on this island!¡± Alice added.

    ¡°Well, I wish you luck, and know you are always welcome in the Sanctuary.¡± Dimmrivoi nodded his mushroom cap to them and slowly plodded off, leaving the three to get back to their sightseeing.

    ~~~

    The astronauts rested on the beach a full day. Nights were not very cold in the tropics, and the Tempest did not have any rain to worry about*, so simply taking out a tarp and tying it to the Moonshot was sufficient shelter¡ªat least until they realized that the tide was coming in and out and they moved everything to a nearby rock jutting out of the sand, though Jeh was the one who dragged the Moonshot.

    *A consequence of the hurricane is that there are virtually never any clouds above the Tempest¡¯s islands, and thus no rain. This makes the heights of the larger islands quite dry. However, the life here is particularly suited to this situation, as there exist plant-like plasts that actively filter the seawater and mist it out into the air. They do this to reproduce, spreading far and wide, but it has a side-effect of dramatically increasing the humidity in the air, and it is this actively maintained humidity that drives the jungles of the Tempest. Many other plants are capable of subsisting off of seawater as well, however, they do not push water further up the coast, so if all the species of ¡°plast misters¡± were to die off, the ecosystem would largely collapse, especially those on the sky islands, which are generally less verdant to begin with.

    When the sun peaked above the clouds, indicating that midday had arrived, they finally decided it was time to get moving. They weren¡¯t going to be able to drag the Moonshot with them so they prepared to leave it.

    ¡°This feels wrong¡­¡± Jeh said, hands on her hips. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t just leave it here.¡±

    ¡°You want to drag it?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ no I don¡¯t think I could for very long.¡±

    ¡°And the rest of us haven¡¯t fully recovered, so we¡¯re not doing it.¡±

    Jeh sighed, walking up to the Moonshot and placing a hand on its side. ¡°You served us well, metal ball.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving it forever,¡± Blue said. ¡°Remember, we do intend to drag it back.¡±

    ¡°Assuming no one steals it.¡±

    ¡°¡­How?¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Um¡­ steals the stuff inside of it?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re taking all the secret stuff.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ uh¡­¡± Jeh frowned. ¡°Okay so maybe I¡¯m worried for no reason but I¡¯m still worried! I don¡¯t wanna leave it!¡±

    ¡°I suppose you could stay and not explore the island with us¡­¡± Vaughan said.

    Jeh paled. ¡°No, no, this is better, got it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why one of us isn¡¯t staying behind!¡± a twin offered.

    ¡°We wanna see everything too,¡± the other added.

    ¡°Yeah! So let¡¯s get going a¡ªhold on someone¡¯s coming.¡±

    ¡°Good eye,¡± Keller said, pointing at the tropical treeline, from which a few cats and shroomers were emerging, all wearing the living vine-like clothes indicative of natives, though some of them also had chunks of armor on, or robes, indicating more of a blending with outside societies. All of them had weapons; one of them was even holding a Red scepter.

    Vaughan put his hands into the air, letting out a shaky greeting in Naust.

    A sphinx that was in the lead called back at him in a harsh tongue that was decidedly not Naust.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Vaughan frowned. ¡°They¡¯re addressing me in Mikarol, and I don¡¯t know that one¡­ uh¡­¡± He called out in Naust. ¡°I just told them we¡¯re from Kroan.¡±

    The sphinx seemed surprised at this information and asked a question in Naust.

    Vaughan ground his teeth. ¡°Not sure about that one¡­ uh¡­¡± He tried to talk back in broken Naust.

    Clearly the sphinx was getting annoyed. He let out a yowl, and everyone lowered their weapons, but his scowl kept deepening. He gestured at Vaughan and the others with his tail in a clear indication to follow him.

    ¡°We think it¡¯s in our best interests to do as he says,¡± the twins said.

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Keller said. ¡°Be careful, though, we don¡¯t know what they are doin''. They could be arrestin¡¯ us for all we know.¡±

    ¡°They did lower their weapons,¡± Blue pointed out.

    ¡°That don¡¯t mean much.¡±

    The six of them followed the natives into the jungle. There was a loose footpath through the trees, which was fortunate, because even after resting none of them were quite accustomed to Ikyu¡¯s gravity yet. Their obvious exhaustion and weakness clearly confused the natives, but with the existence of the language barrier that Vaughan couldn¡¯t do much to break through, there wasn¡¯t much that could be done.

    The jungle itself was composed mostly of trees with thin trunks and wide, spread out leaves. The vines that the natives used to make most of their clothes were everywhere, a plant that required no roots, just that the air be filled with water and nutrients. They grew in rings, usually attached to trees but occasionally attached to other vines or on top of a floating mushroom. They came across sparse evidence of the romkar fruit plant, though none of the fruit themselves, just the large, gnarled, and thorny vines¡ªthough the thorns were so large it wasn¡¯t hard to avoid them. In addition to buds that might one day turn into romkars, at the tips of several thorns there was a little blue light that flickered on and off.

    ¡°Wow, glowing and floating¡­¡± Jeh said.

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°We¡¯re not sure what purpose the glowing serves, admittedly, and the Green wizards who like to study such things don¡¯t get much opportunity considering how important it is to the ecosystem. Last I knew the few studies that had been done were unable to find any pattern to the glowing sections, merely that each individual romkar plant has at least one, even those that were newly sprouted.¡±

    ¡°A mystery¡­ you know, if we weren¡¯t exploring space mysteries, this would be a pretty good one to look at!¡±

    ¡°There are never enough wizards to go around,¡± Vaughan said with a chuckle. ¡°Mysteries everywhere just begging to be solved¡­¡±

    The journey through the jungle was rather uneventful aside from the natives¡¯ clear annoyance at the slow astronauts. The astronauts, however, were having a great time. The sounds of the jungle were like music with rattles, tropical bird calls, and strange sparkling sounds coming from the distance. There was always some kind of sweet aroma in the air from some kind of fruit or other, and every now and then they would walk into a mist cloud made by an unusual plast. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the shape or color of the plasts that did this, but they all appeared rooted to the ground.

    Vaughan was the only one who had seen all this before, so his wonder was less than the others¡ªbut his nostalgia was much higher. He had spent a long time here. As chaotic as it was, there was a time where he had considered settling down here rather than Willow Hollow, but¡­ well, that hadn¡¯t happened. He did not regret his decision in the slightest, but the memories of this place were still powerful.

    Eventually, they broke out into a clearing, inside of which was a small town, smaller even than Willow Hollow. The huts were made of wood and held together with vines, and the population was made almost entirely of shroomers and cat-like races, which was standard for the Tempest natives. There was, however, a single ice-blue kitsune who clearly didn¡¯t belong, wearing a fuzzy hat of clear Shimvale design.

    ¡°Please tell me you speak Karli,¡± he said.

    ¡°We do!¡± Jeh called, holding her hands wide.

    ¡°Oh thank the Blue,¡± he said, flicking his six tails in unison. ¡°I have been going crazy not being able to know what¡¯s going on, no one here speaks anything but Naust and whatever those Mikarol morons speak.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m very bad at Naust and it has already caused us problems,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°¡­We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either, we kind of crashed here yesterday.¡±

    The kitsune stared at him. Then he started laughing. ¡°Of course, of course, I finally get someone to talk to and they can¡¯t even tell me what¡¯s going on. Agh! Just my luck, isn¡¯t that right Coco?¡±

    ¡°Coco¡± was a coconut with a badly drawn smiley face on it hanging from the kitsune¡¯s side.

    ¡°¡­You talk to a coconut,¡± Blue deadpanned.

    ¡°What else was I gonna do, forget how to talk!?¡± the kitsune shouted back.

    ¡°That¡¯s not how that¡­¡± Blue looked at Jeh. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m Blue, this is Vaughan¡­¡± Blue proceeded to introduce everyone. ¡°And we¡¯re the Wizard Space Program, operating out of Kroan. We kind of fell out of the sky.¡±

    The kitsune stared at her.

    ¡°If you want proof our ship is on the beach.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to judge how insane you are and how afraid I should be.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so what we¡¯re doing with you and ¡®Coco.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Stop insulting Coco!¡±

    Vaughan coughed. ¡°Perhaps we can stop being so hostile and learn your name?¡±

    ¡°Intraveki,¡± he said, huffing. ¡°And now, allow me to ¡®welcome¡¯ you to Chaosville! Where things are chaotic, everyone¡¯s on edge, and it feels like disaster is around every corner but I can¡¯t tell why.¡±

    ¡°Disaster?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Keller said. ¡°Everyone here¡¯s on edge and has weapons. They don¡¯t view us as a threat, but they¡¯re afraid o'' somethin¡¯.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°I wonder what it could be¡­¡±

    ¡°Same here!¡± Intraveki called. ¡°Oh don¡¯t I wish I knew! I was sitting in my home, minding my own business, when suddenly it was on fire and I had to run for my life into the jungle, lived off my wits for a few days before ending up here!¡±

    ¡°Fire¡­?¡± Vaughan frowned. ¡°Hard to get fire here¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, but there was fire. You say you fell from the sky, I say there was fire. Kapeesh?¡±

    ¡°Still, there has to be a cause to something like that. Something¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Vaughan tapped his foot. ¡°Anyway, this is civilization, I think I can manage to express that I want passage to Embassy Island¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know enough Naust phrases to ask for that. They refuse. Some of them have the decency to look apologetic when they refuse. You truly are useless, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    The twins put their hands to their chins. ¡°We would suggest looking for a bigger settlement..."

    "...but we need to figure out what all this unrest is about first.¡±

    Keller nodded. ¡°It¡¯s somethin¡¯ dangerous, somethin¡¯ they think they can fight with weapons. Perhaps there¡¯s a monster about, one o¡¯ those that don¡¯t follow the rules.¡±

    ¡°Pepper¡¯s specialty,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Alternatively, there¡¯s a war going on we¡¯ve walked into.¡±

    Vaughan shook his head. ¡°Since the Tempest Incident the Tempest has been peaceful, nobody wants t¡ª¡±

    A very, very loud horn was blown in the center of town, drowning out Vaughan¡¯s words. Suddenly, everyone was shouting and running around, listening to the calls of a shadow cat with some kind of gold laurel on her head. She used her race¡¯s attribute to sink into the ground as a shadow and appear at the front of the forming line of people. It was clearly some kind of military tactic, expecting an assault from the East.

    They did not have to wait long at all. As the horn was dying down, it was already possible to hear the trampling and the clanking of the approaching assault. Vaughan stared in disbelief as a very small section of the Mikarol Army came charging through. They were made almost entirely of humanoids in full, spiked armor emblazoned with the symbol of their people. Vaughan quickly identified the equivalent of wizards in their ranks, the bladecasters, from their brightly colored swords sharpened with Colored Crystal. Otherwise there was basically nothing to tell one soldier from another, there weren¡¯t even any greater unicorns in this particular squad. Chances were that, behind the armor, there were humans, gari, nekos, and any other number of humanoid races, but right now they attacked as a single, cohesive unit.

    It was the Empire¡¯s strength, this Unity, and it was on full display as they crashed into the hastily slapped-together and inexperienced forces of the native population.

    It was clear they didn¡¯t stand a chance.

    ~~~

    It had actually not been that hard to set up a little shop for Suro on Embassey Island, actual proper jewelers were in short supply in the Tempest and most of them that were there were in the direct employ of their respective governments. Suro filled a public niche that was very much welcomed by the other ¡°outside¡± nations.

    However, natives almost never came to his shop. Arcane devices had never been common in the Tempest, and the mines weren¡¯t very rich except on the mountain the Guardian Spirit lived in, which was considered a no-go zone by many, even those who didn¡¯t believe she existed, seeing as it was extremely dry and arid that far into the largest island. Also, there was the ¡°small¡± matter of the volcanic activity.

    Alice and Vaughan had decided to stick around. Suro was decidedly not enough to keep up with the demands of Embassy Island, and the two of them had education he didn¡¯t. Sure, he could craft crystals into precise shapes, but Alice was extremely knowledgeable about Magenta optimization, and Vaughan, while less helpful, was still able to do professional designs, reviews, and manage crystals.

    ¡°You know,¡± Vaughan said as he packed some Red crystal powder into a cubic mold. ¡°This is not what I had in mind when we set out.¡±

    Alice chuckled as she examined a diagram of a Magenta relay she was working on. ¡°Wanted to be the big wizard in town, did we?¡±

    ¡°Well, I wanted to go where I was needed¡­¡± Seeing her look, he relented. ¡°Okay, fine, I did want to be the big wizard that everyone relied on.¡±

    ¡°And yet, here, we¡¯re not the big wizards, there¡¯s lots of wizards, we¡¯re just two in a sea¡­ but the world around us is so exciting! And we do pretty well, though¡­¡± She glanced at the pile of mixed currency. ¡°I¡¯m really not sure how much we actually make. Suro says it¡¯s a lot.¡±

    ¡°Hey, trust him to handle the finances, it is his business.¡±

    Alice ran her hand through the currencies. Essentially all of them were crystal-based, with the exception of the shell-carved currency of the natives, which she didn¡¯t have much of, and the metal coins of Vraskal.

    At that moment, a customer came in, a greater unicorn in nearly-full Mikarol armor, merely lacking the helmet, revealing a black coat that matched his mane and brilliant white irises that did not.

    ¡°Ah, Dramais!¡± Vaughan called with a grin. ¡°Let me guess, your sword?¡±

    ¡°You know me so well.¡± The soldier lightly placed his arcane blade on the table. It was mostly of a refined metal, but running through it and sharpening its edges was a bunch of Yellow crystal, but a good chunk of the crystal was missing and cracked off.

    ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to train with the real blade,¡± Alice said. ¡°Then we wouldn¡¯t have to keep fixing it for you.¡±

    ¡°It just isn¡¯t the same! Plus, I have money to blow on it, why are you complaining?¡± Dramais chuckled.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t want you to waste anything,¡± Alice said. ¡°¡­Though secretly I totally approve of feeling the thrill of the live weapon, it just so happens that mine is a big scepter and not a sword.¡± She ran her fingers along the edge of the blade. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t take long, it¡¯s not even as badly damaged as usual.¡±

    ¡°Eh, I would have waited longer, it¡¯s just that we¡¯ve got a big drill coming up and I don¡¯t want to disappoint the General.¡±

    ¡°Captain of your own ship, still groveling,¡± Vaughan shook his head as his wife took the blade into the back for Suro to start working on. ¡°Does it ever stop?¡±

    ¡°My friend, you still do not understand the ways of the Empire, after so long? The ¡®groveling¡¯ as you so insultingly call it¡ªcareful, a man less amiable than I would likely do unspeakable things to you upon hearing such a word and understanding it¡ªit is part of our very being. The only man who does not ¡®grovel¡¯ is the Emperor himself, and it is argued that even he is subject to the legacy of his predecessors and the Law.¡±

    ¡°Just seems a little soul-crushing to me, is all,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Never able to be your own self¡­¡±

    ¡°It seems you have forgotten some of Dia¡¯s teaching, the self is the enemy, Vaughan.¡±

    ¡°Eh, I suppose, but freedom is also a virtue.¡±

    ¡°We are free as well, I was not required to be a soldier. It is simply the most honorable of occupations¡­ to us, I suppose. To you Kroanites, the wizards are the greatest height the common man can reach.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a bit of a wizard yourself, bladecaster,¡± Vaughan smirked. ¡°Though your choice of Color still baffles me.¡±

    ¡°Yellow can be very effective in the heat of battle.¡±

    ¡°People still have to accept your connection.¡±

    Dramais smirked. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how easy it is to fool people on the battlefield. In the chaos, many opportunities present themselves. If I tried to do anything to you right now, naturally you would resist it easily. But if it was in the midst of chaos and your vision was red and you were desperate for some kind of release from the death around you¡­ oh, that¡¯s a weakness easy to exploit with a little deception.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± Vaughan said with a shrug.

    ¡°I do! Ah, I so wish you could see me on the battlefield, but those are so rare here.¡± He smiled sadly. ¡°We all fight for the glory of the Empire and peace. But when there is peace, the glory is lessened. The paradox of the Empire.¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure seeming paradoxical truths are just part of life, at least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been told.¡± Vaughan shrugged. ¡°They don¡¯t bother me so much.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps when you see battle, your opinion will change, my friend. And the¡ª¡± Dramais paused. ¡°Get down!¡±

    Vaughan got down just as the front doors were blown open with Red magic. Five cats rushed in, shouting ¡°death to the bringers of doom!¡± at the top of their lungs, brandishing spears tipped with Red.

    Dramais¡¯ armor had absorbed most of the explosion, but his face had been burned. He also did not have his blade. This, as he would say, just made it a more enjoyable challenge. He used his telekinesis to pin one of the cats to a wall while he twisted his hind legs forward, bucking two cats directly in the jaws and throwing them aside. The two remaining cats were shocked at such a display. One ran, but the other had enough spirit within him to charge Dramais.

    ¡°Aha!¡± Dramais grinned. ¡°I appreciate your fighting spirit! You are a credit to your people!¡± Nonetheless, despite the cat¡¯s fervor and intensity, he was easily thrown aside by a swing from Dramais¡¯ front hoof. The cat''s spear made contact with his armor but did nothing more than scratch it.

    Vaughan popped out from behind the counter, his scepter at the ready¡­ finding nothing to attack. ¡°¡­You know, you could have left some for me to deal with.¡±

    ¡°Hah! And let you take the glory?¡±

    Alice and Suro ran out from the back room.

    ¡°They blew up the doors this time!?¡± Alice shouted. ¡°Ugh, at this point they¡¯re going to give us a reason to become the doom of their people, I swear¡­¡±

    Keeper Dimmrivoi poked his capped head in through the open doors. ¡°I really am quite sorry about all this.¡±

    ¡°Not your fault,¡± Suro said. ¡°Never is.¡±

    ¡°I have the gift of prophecy, I aim to use it to calm them, and my efforts have clearly not been working.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Young people, so quick to jump to an interpretation and stick to it¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way it¡¯s just prophecy,¡± Alice grunted. ¡°People are taking advantage of people¡¯s trust and growing hatred of the outsiders¡­¡±

    ¡°That would imply that there are false seers, and that has always been punishable by death, everywhere in the Tempest.¡±

    ¡°And yet your history is full of them, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Dimmrivoi nodded slowly.

    ¡°You lot should stop putting your trust in prophecies anyway,¡± Dramais said as he rounded up the cats. ¡°And no, I don¡¯t mean putting trust into that crazy conspiracy wall of yours, Keeper.¡±

    Dimmrivoi chuckled. ¡°You can judge me all you want, but the shapes mean something. There¡¯s a reason the Gonal gods are associated with shapes. I¡¯ve come to the conclusion that there is a secret Cora cabal somewhere in the Tempest. See, there¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Keeper, spare us your conspiracy theories, please,¡± Alice said.

    ¡°Ah, well, one day you¡¯ll see I¡¯m right. Until then, I wish you luck and hope they¡¯re all wrong about you becoming the doom of everything.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, how would we do that?¡± Alice asked. ¡°I want to know what they think we¡¯re going to do.¡±

    Dimmrivoi shrugged. ¡°Their faith is strong, they do not need a justification beyond believing that it will happen. Though, if they stopped to think for two seconds, they would know that the visions won¡¯t be stopped by anything they do. Until later, my friends. I¡¯ll send some of the Keeper Apprentices to help with the door.¡±

    With that, he was gone.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Suro said. ¡°Do we believe the prophecy visions exist yet?¡±

    Alice put her hands to her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, all right? Dimmrivoi¡¯s clearly insane, but he¡¯s well trusted by the people here for the ¡®prophecies,¡¯ despite his tendency to think everything¡¯s a conspiracy wrapped in a conspiracy. But he might just be insane and smart enough to derive meaning out of it. Then there are all the other seers who seem to be getting the idea that we specifically are the problem and UGH.¡± Alice flopped into a chair and looked to the ceiling, expression blank.

    Vaughan wordlessly started rubbing her shoulders and back.

    Eventually, she started talking again. ¡°I¡¯m trying to think about what could actually cause visions of the future aside from Dia. Demons, supposedly, but that doesn¡¯t line up with anything we¡¯ve seen. Blue magic doesn¡¯t grant any predictive powers. And the prophecies come to different people, so it¡¯s not a racial attribute! It¡¯s¡­¡± She paused. ¡°I suppose it could be a very large Purple Crystalline One, sending visual information out¡­ but then why would the prophecies be accurate?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps they are not,¡± Dramais suggested. ¡°History is filled with false prophets, yes? Perhaps visions are sent out with a variety of different predictions, but only some of them turn out to be right.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ there¡¯s a thought¡­ still, a Purple Crystalline one large enough to send visions to the entire Tempest?¡± Alice shook her head. ¡°Absurd.¡±

    ¡°Such a being would be worthy of being called a Guardian Spirit, though, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±

    ¡°And would be able to do a lot more than just send visions. If there really is some kind of conspiracy going on to eject us ¡®outsiders¡¯ from the land, she could just come out and burn us with her light.¡± Alice tapped her fingers on the countertop. ¡°And I don¡¯t like sounding like one of Dimmrivoi¡¯s conspiracy rants. So either there is a conspiracy¡­ or there isn¡¯t, and all the ¡®prophets¡¯ are either insane, liars, or taking vivid dreams too seriously.¡±

    ¡°The second option still means there¡¯s a conspiracy from the liars to root us out,¡± Suro pointed out.

    Alice groaned. ¡°I¡¯m a girl who wants to do research and adventure. I did not sign up for international politics kerfuffle.¡±

    ¡°Want to go back to Kroan?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°¡­No, not yet, because now that I¡¯m in international politics kerfuffle I¡¯m curious and want to know what¡¯s going on. My curiosity has piqued and I have to see how this goes. ¡­If it goes anywhere.¡±

    ¡°It is somewhat likely this just remains the way things are for a while,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°¡­We do have the rest of our Kroan border tour to do¡­¡± Alice said. ¡°Giddy, are you ready to go?¡±

    Vaughan paused. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think I feel good leaving Suro here alone yet. He¡¯ll need some more security, or workers, or something.¡±

    ¡°Right. Suro, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re sticking around until we can be sure you¡¯re stable.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that for me¡­¡± Suro said.

    ¡°Of course not, but we¡¯re going to do it anyway! You can count on it!¡±

    ~~~

    A Blue bladecaster cut down one of the native cats so quickly his blade lit on fire.

    Vaughan lifted his scepter in response, but before he could do anything Keller slapped it down. ¡°What are ya doing!?¡±

    ¡°Helping these people?¡±

    ¡°Do ya want a war with Mikarol?¡±

    ¡°W¡ªare you serious?¡±

    ¡°He is,¡± one of the twins said as several other natives were cut down. As of yet not a single Mikarol soldier had fallen.

    ¡°Engaging in combat against an ally with a Crown representative¡­¡± the other town continued.

    ¡°Could cause international war.¡±

    Vaughan huffed. ¡°There was fighting in the last Tempest Incident, war didn¡¯t break out!¡±

    ¡°Ya were lucky,¡± Keller said. ¡°And I don¡¯t think I need t¡¯ tell ya that the situation was unusual.¡±

    ¡°While we¡¯re talking people are dying!¡± Blue shouted. ¡°We can¡¯t jus¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Keller said. ¡°I decree.¡±

    Blue stared at him in disbelief. He had never used the authority given to him by the Crown before on them. But if they disobeyed now it would be almost as bad as disobeying a direct command from the Crown itself. ¡°Well then what do we do?¡±

    ¡°Wait for one o¡¯ them t¡¯ attack us,¡± Keller said, crossing his arms, examining the quickly deteriorating front.

    Blue blinked a few times. ¡°Eh¡­?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s thinking several steps ahead,¡± one of the twins explained.

    ¡°If we are not the aggressor, and we make clear we are from Kroan¡¯s Crown¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­if an attack still occurs, which he thinks is likely, we are fully justified in our actions at that point.¡±

    Keller chuckled. ¡°Smart girls.¡±

    ¡°But people are dying while we wait!¡± Blue shouted.

    ¡°Ya o¡¯ all people should know not to rush int¡¯ things,¡± Keller said.

    Blue folded her ears back.

    ¡°Ah, here comes one¡­¡±

    A Magenta bladecaster pushed through the front and charged right at them.

    Keller took out the emblem of the Crown. He may not have known much Mikarol, but he knew how to say ¡°I am an Agent of the Crown of Kroan, actions carried out on me are treated as performed on the Crown itself.¡± Every Agent had to memorize a few legal lines like that in all the common languages of the world.

    The soldier hesitated, making it clear that he had heard Keller, and understood. But he continued to attack anyway.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Thought so.¡± Magenta sparks began to waft off of Keller and he took out his arcane firearm, pulling the trigger in the middle of moving it. With a loud bang a bullet was released, shooting the warrior right in the head. The bullet pierced through the armor like it was butter. He fell in an instant.

    ¡°Y¡¯all can fight now, but it¡¯s prolly not gonna be necessary,¡± Keller said, twirling his arcane firearm around his finger. ¡°None o¡¯ these are very high rankin¡¯.¡± With amazing elegance and grace, he twirled around on one foot. It looked like he was shooting entirely randomly, but every single bullet he shot hit a Mikarol soldier right in the head, taking them out in the most efficient way possible.

    Now that Blue had the permission to ¡°fight¡± she realized she didn¡¯t have much to do that with and was completely terrified. The twins were hiding behind her¡­ but a quick look revealed that they weren¡¯t afraid at all, they were just studying.

    Jeh and Vaughan, meanwhile, launched right into the fight. Blue had a moment of ¡°Jeh what are you doing!?¡± before remembering that there was no such thing as danger to the child. She took out her bear claws and started jumping on soldiers, ripping off their helmets and slicing at what was underneath. She uncovered humans, gari, some kind of beady-eyed creature Blue had never seen before¡­

    Then there was Vaughan. After he had used Red to fuse pieces of plate armor together from a distance, he became concerned with stopping any and all soldiers who tried to make their way to the group. He focused on burning the feet of those charging¡ªthey showed a remarkable ability to push through pain, but there was a limit where they just collapsed.

    However, he was not perfect, and the enemy soldiers were experienced. Some got close enough to him to take a swing.

    Those that did never completed their swing, for a bullet from Keller was all that was needed. He never let a single one through, and he actively took up the offensive. He alone was taking on the company of soldiers, more or less, and it was the first time any of them had seen him truly show what he was capable of. He never missed. He was never struck. He didn¡¯t even look strained.

    ¡°What kind of monster is he!?¡± Intraveki asked, jaw hanging open.

    The twins giggled, speaking in unison. ¡°Behold, an Agent of the Crown!¡±

    ¡°And¡­ that girl! Why isn¡¯t she dead!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know that one,¡± the twins admitted.

    ¡°Who are you people?¡±

    ¡°The Wizard Space Program,¡± Blue said. ¡°Believe us yet?¡±

    The kitsune glared at her in annoyance.

    At that point, a Purple-enhanced sword flew from out of the treeline, encased in what was clearly a telekinetic aura. Keller, despite having his back turned to it, jumped right over it, landing on his feet and not even losing his hat. ¡°Ah, someone skilled has shown up¡­¡±

    The telekinetic blade returned to its owner, a greater unicorn in full Mikarol armor. Unlike all the others, this one had two blades, one was the Purple one, but the other was Orange. Unlike the others, who all tried to use their blades at close range even if the magic within could act at a distance, this unicorn knew full well how to project the abilities. The Purple blade started scrambling the light entering Keller¡¯s eyes, and the Orange one pushed him back, giving the attacker an opening.

    The blades thrust forward in the telekinetic aura, going right for Keller¡¯s chest¡­ and somehow missing, piercing only his clothes.

    ¡°And they say my luck doesn¡¯t exist,¡± Keller said with a chuckle, shooting at the unicorn. The unicorn had enough mastery over Orange that the bullet was deflected, but it still hit another Mikarol soldier in the head. With his free hand, Keller grabbed one of the blades nearest to him. He was no real wizard, but he knew how to make a Purple blade shine really bright and blind people.

    Granted, it blinded him too, but seeing wasn¡¯t really a thing he needed to do much of at the moment.

    When the light cleared, most of the Mikarol soldiers were down, and it was getting to the point that the remaining natives could gang up on one and have a decent chance of success. The greater unicorn, however, was still standing, and had enough telekinetic power to wrestle the sword out of Keller¡¯s hand. An attempt was made to cut Keller with the sword right then and there, but the Agent flipped under the sword, twisting to the side so all it cut was the edges of his hair. With this dodge, he flipped forward, following the sword back to the unicorn, dodging the attack from the second one by twisting in midair.

    He landed right in front of the unicorn and pressed his gun to the helmet. ¡°Easy now.¡±

    The unicorn did not listen, Keller could see the slight leg twitches that were the start of a desperate attack. However, he did not get to pull the trigger, for a hammer came from seemingly out of nowhere and slammed into the unicorn¡¯s head, creating a small depression in the ground.

    ¡°Well, fancy running into you all here!¡± the owner of the hammer said as she stood tall on top of the possibly-dead greater unicorn. ¡°Let¡¯s chat when we¡¯re done here!¡± She gave Keller a wink with her big eyes and charged into the few remaining Mikarol forces, slamming her hammer into the one Jeh was currently on.

    Jeh squealed in delight. ¡°Envila!¡±

    ¡°The one and only!¡± Envila slammed her hammer into the ground, sending out a minor shockwave that upset the footing of everyone, but as the Mikarol now had so few members it was decidedly to their disadvantage.

    ¡°Your strength¡¯s completely back, right?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely! Just in time to get pulled into battle, Dia really does love Her sense of timing!¡±

    It was at this point that, finally, the Mikarol began to flee. It was like a switch had turned on in their minds, and all of them that could run started doing so. The natives pursued some of them, but Keller and Envila did not.

    Once she was satisfied there was no more danger, Envila collapsed her hammer and started using Green to heal as many people as possible. ¡°So. I¡¯m going to go out on a limb and say you all fell from the sky?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Vaughan said, doing his best to aid her in her healing efforts. ¡°Well, everyone except Intraveki here, he was here before.¡±

    ¡°I thought he looked familiar¡­¡±

    ¡°I d-do?¡± Intraveki stammered.

    ¡°Probably saw you around before the chaos went down,¡± Envila explained.

    ¡°What¡­ chaos has gone down?¡± Blue asked. ¡°We still have no idea what¡¯s going on! The Mikarol Empire is our ally, they¡¯re our friends!¡±

    ¡°Afraid I can¡¯t explain to you why they¡¯re doing what they¡¯re doing, but I can explain what. A couple weeks ago, for seemingly no reason, the entire Mikarol presence in the Tempest mobilized and attacked, taking out messenger stations first. They timed it well, because none of the Ocean Mother¡¯s children are here so they can¡¯t fly out, and all of the Kroan specialty qorvid messengers were having a meeting that was utterly massacred. Nothing that can fly through the Wall remains, and the Mikarol ships are patrolling. You can¡¯t see them, they all rest just inside the Wall, shrouded by the storm.¡±

    ¡°My goodness¡­¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Envila sighed. ¡°I still don¡¯t know why they¡¯re doing it this way, they know that this level of escalation is going to lead to international war. They seem not to care about treaties or who gets in the way, and while this is arguably an invasion for adding the Tempest to the Empire, as far as I can tell no infrastructure is being raised and no demands have been made. It doesn¡¯t make any sense, and any Mikarol I¡¯ve interrogated are just following orders under the impression of empire expansion, they have no large-scale plans, only ways to take the specific parts of the islands they¡¯re on, and orders to show no partiality to anyone.¡±

    Keller folded his arms. ¡°Intelligence suggests the Emperor holds our alliance in very high regard, so either this is being done without his consent, which is crazy, or he doesn¡¯t think we¡¯ll ever find out, which is also crazy.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ you. Agent, right?¡± Envila asked.

    ¡°Yes. Agent Keller, at your service, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, a charmer.¡± Envila smirked. ¡°One of these days your confidence will be your undoing.¡±

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t let me down yet.¡±

    ¡°Give it time.¡± Envila let out a breath. ¡°So, anyway¡­ I¡¯ve been trying to defend the people from this unprovoked invasion, but I¡¯m just one woman, and the Mikarol war machine is¡­ very efficient. This was just a small force going after a little town on a minor island. But you all have been brought here, which makes me think you might have a solution. The ships are patrolling the water and the Wall is treacherous¡­ but, perhaps, do you have the capability to fly right out through the top?¡±

    Blue winced. ¡°The Moonshot¡¯s drive is busted and it¡¯s got holes and¡­ well¡­¡± She paused. ¡°Actually¡­ we were still able to control it as we were falling. We don¡¯t need to go to space, just above the Wall¡­¡± She scratched her chin. ¡°If we had a team of strong Orange Wizards and a lot of Orange Crystal, it probably could take us over the Wall. I wouldn¡¯t trust it for very long, though.¡±

    ¡°At that point a sphinx could fly the rest of the way and get a message to Kroan,¡± Envila said. ¡°It¡¯ll be good enough.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°If we can somehow drag the Moonshot to the main island, I know there are enough people there to work with, and it is the site of the only good crystal mines in the Tempest.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re going to try to go to the main island!?¡± Intraveki stammered. ¡°How!?¡±

    ¡°I have a boat,¡± Envila pointed out. ¡°And while the waters are dangerous, I know enough to prove we¡¯re not the enemy.¡±

    ¡°But the Moonshot is really heavy¡­¡± Blue muttered.

    ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Envila said. ¡°That is, assuming you¡¯re on board with my plan to get word about what¡¯s happening out of here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, we¡¯re on boa¡ª¡± Vaughan stopped himself. ¡°Actually, as this is not a space related decision, I suppose I have to ask Keller. What do you think?¡±

    Keller lit up a smoke and put it in his mouth. He took a long moment to breathe in and out. ¡°¡­Yeah, let¡¯s do it.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°That was all you had to say? Why the pause?¡±

    ¡°Dramatic tension.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°This is weird,¡± Vaughan said, standing on the deck of a Mikarol ship, the private ship of Dramais nonetheless.

    ¡°What¡¯s weird?¡± Alice asked, letting her hair blow in the sea breeze.

    ¡°I think the fact that we¡¯re taking a vacation on a vacation is what he¡¯s getting at,¡± Suro said.

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°We come to the Tempest to get away from Kroan a bit and explore the border¡­ but then we end up working with Suro so much that we need to take a vacation to the main island.¡± He frowned. ¡°They really need to name it.¡±

    ¡°They literally call it ¡®main island¡¯ in their language,¡± Alice said.

    ¡°But it¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know it¡¯s just not¡­ you know?¡±

    Alice gave him a nice, simple, serene smile. ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡°Bah,¡± Vaughan grunted.

    ¡°My, not even a hint of gray in your beard and you already sound like an old man.¡±

    ¡°You should use your youth while you have it!¡± Dramais called, walking up to them.

    Vaughan waved to him. ¡°Don¡¯t you have captaining things to do?¡±

    ¡°Do you think a Captain is always active all the time on a voyage?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re not, we have time to ourselves as well.¡± He let out a hearty laugh. ¡°I¡¯ll have to show you around Tin¡¯nit when we arrive. They don¡¯t call them ¡®temples¡¯ but those monuments to the Guardian Spirit are something spectacular! And you won¡¯t even have to watch your back, I¡¯ll be there to protect you!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we need protection,¡± Alice said with a huff. ¡°Both of us are accomplished wizards with accreditation in all the Colors.¡±

    ¡°Let him feel important, Alice,¡± Vaughan said with a smile.

    ¡°Oooh, wily, the lot of you,¡± Dramais said. ¡°Except for you, Suro, you¡¯re very¡­ calm, yet while I write you off as a follower first, I know what you¡¯re really doing now. You¡¯re watching, observing, learning.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ thanks?¡± Suro said.

    ¡°You should take it as a compliment!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ try.¡±

    ¡°You two should be careful, it¡¯s the quiet ones you have to watch out for.¡±

    Both Vaughan and Alice started laughing.

    Suro flicked his tail. ¡°I am unsure how I am supposed to feel about this.¡±

    ¡°Just relax,¡± Alice suggested.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve relaxed since we got here. Business is good but this place¡­¡± Suro shivered.

    ¡°Hence why we¡¯re going on vacation vacation!¡±

    ¡°To a place where people might hate us for existing, mhm, yep, definitely gonna be able to relax.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t group all the natives together like that, some of them like us. In fact I¡¯d bet it¡¯s just a violent minority that are after us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the minority I¡¯m worried about.¡±

    ¡°We need to find a way to assure you¡­¡±

    Dramais clicked his tongue. ¡°I think the best way is just to have him experience Tin¡¯nit and find that nothing goes wrong. Exposure therapy!¡±

    ¡°¡­Mikarol has exposure therapy?¡± Alice asked.

    ¡°Oh, yes, one of the best ways to get soldiers used to battle is to throw them into it with a very experienced overseer to keep them from dying. Works wonders! Went through it myself!¡±

    At this point one of the armored soldiers came up to Dramais and gave a report about the condition of the rudder. This was not all that surprising, except it was clearly a woman¡¯s voice coming from inside the armor. After she walked away, Vaughan turned to Dramais. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d heard a single woman in your army before now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just not common,¡± Dramais said. ¡°The men go to battle, the women manage the people, usually. The fact that your men and women seem to have no clear distinction between them in Kroan is baffling to me, I do wonder how you do it.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because we have so many races,¡± Alice said. ¡°Each race has different natural tendencies. While you can¡¯t physically tell a slime man from a slime woman, the men are usually quieter and the women tend to have more energy, for instance. The difference is distinct in every race, so when your kingdom is formed of probably a hundred different kinds of people with no clear dominance, you end up with blurred societal lines. While you have many races, you have a very clear human dominance, yes?¡±

    Dramais nodded. ¡°It is true, humans are the vast majority of our people, and the rest are mostly humanoid as well. We greater unicorns are a bit of an exception, but we are just so good at battle. You know what, you just made me realize something, most of the women I see in the army are greater unicorns! Hah! You might be onto something, Alice!¡±

    ¡°I spend a lot of time thinking,¡± Alice said. ¡°Thinking about the way things are¡­ the world is an intricate, confusing, and wonderful place. Down to the smallest pieces of matter to the large-scale behaviors of the spirited to the way the stars twinkle in the sky¡­ the only way to understand them is to think.¡±

    Vaughan put an arm around his wife¡¯s shoulders.

    Suro tilted his head at Alice. ¡°Then why do you run into things without thinking so much?¡±

    ¡°Oh, living in the moment is fun! Come on, you gotta admit, we get into a lotta fun situations because of that!¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t describe most of them as fun¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold that thought,¡± Dramais said, looking at the horizon. ¡°There are some ships coming our way¡­ oh, merchants.¡±

    Alice clapped her hands. ¡°Oh, goodie! Those traveling merchant types always have the best goods!¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Dramais narrowed his eyes. ¡°There has been talk of piracy lately, we should be careful. Ringwam!¡±

    A humanoid in full armor ran up to him, the clanking inside the armor making it clear he was a rigid. ¡°Yes, Captain?¡±

    ¡°Take the skiff out to meet them, tell me if they seem legit, or if they look like pirates.¡±

    ¡°Will do!¡± Ringwam jumped into the small skiff and paddled out to the merchant ships. It was a long journey and so everyone just had to¡­ wait while this went down.

    ¡°I sure hope they aren¡¯t pirates,¡± Alice said. ¡°I¡¯d like to be the one shopping for once¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think pirates would be so brazen,¡± Suro said. ¡°This is a Mikarol military ship, we have weapons. ¡­Right?¡±

    Dramais chuckled. ¡°Oh, yes, if they are stupid pirates they¡¯re going to get a cannonball to the face. Repeatedly. In fact they¡¯d probably be good practice for my men, we don¡¯t see much action here. ¡­Now I kind of want them to be pirates.¡±

    Dramais was not given his wish, for Ringwam returned without incident. ¡°Nothing suspicious, Captain, just some native merchants. They¡¯ve apparently recently purchased a good stock of Vraskalian spice.¡±

    ¡°Oooooh¡­¡± Dramais smacked his lips. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll buy something¡­ All right everyone, change course to meet up with the merchant ships! I hope you brought some cash, who knows what we¡¯ll be buying?¡±

    Soon the ship had met up with the merchants and planks were set so people could walk between the various decks. It was somewhat peculiar, as there were three merchant ships made of wood and vines, and they were all larger than the Mikarol ship, but the MIkarol ship was made of metal and had a lot more weapons. The three merchant ships were crewed primarily by cats. The effective captain of all three vessels was an elegant, refined, and well-spoken white cat who placed herself above them by sitting on top of a barrel.

    ¡°Greetings, outsiders,¡± she said, giving them all a warm smile. ¡°Both Dia and the Guardian Spirit clearly shine upon you, for you have been fortunate enough to encounter the greatest trading vessels in the Tempest. My name¡­ is Lila.¡±

    ¡°Pleased to meet you,¡± Alice said with a curtsy. ¡°I¡¯m Alice, this is Vaughan, Captain Dramais who I probably should have let introduce himself but it¡¯s too late now, and Suro.¡±

    Lila looked down at Suro. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you cute.¡±

    Suro folded his ears back. ¡°Ex-excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Oh, easy to fluster too, you¡¯ll do nicely.¡± Lila chuckled. ¡°Anyway, all prices are negotiable, so be sure to haggle. It¡¯s the most fun part. Since you seem the sort to have¡­ refined tastes, I shall go below and procure some of our more valuable materials. So don¡¯t go spending everything immediately!¡±

    ¡°Oh no, how ever will we manage?¡± Alice asked.

    ¡°One wonders.¡± With that Lila jumped down and went below decks, leaving them to their shopping.

    And what a large selection of goods it was. There was Vraskalian spice, yes, something Vaughan and the others had never even tasted before, romkar fruit that was ready to be cooked and eaten, some collectible figurines of legendary warriors from Mikarol, some literature from Shimvale, and even a Kroanite imaging device.

    ¡°Wow, they really do have it all,¡± Suro said, looking around with wide eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised I¡¯ve never heard of them!¡± Dramais said. ¡°Any merchant vessel this well stocked¡­ oh my goodness, that¡¯s Irene the First!¡± He picked up one of the figurines. ¡°There aren¡¯t many Empresses who ruled without an Emperor, but she was one of them and boy was she the most legendary! Why, she¡¯s the reason Ankho doesn¡¯t exist anymore! Such a complete conquest¡­ and this is a rare figure how even¡­¡±

    One of the cats smirked. ¡°How much you willin¡¯ to part with?¡±

    Dramais slammed several MIkarol coins on to the crate. ¡°This do?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a tad low¡­¡±

    ¡°This is enough money to buy a ship!¡±

    ¡°And you have one of those.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, you play dirty¡­¡±

    Vaughan picked up one of the Shimvale books, one discussing the nature of government and the philosophy of the people. It went over his head, but at least it sounded interesting.

    ¡°Hey, buddy, this isn¡¯t a library.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry¡­¡± Vaughan put the book down. ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°Make an offer.¡±

    ¡°Oh, dear. I¡¯m bad at this, uh¡­¡± He took out a few coins and put them down. ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t even counted¡­¡±

    ¡°Sold!¡± the cat quickly swiped the coins away and gave him the book.

    ¡°¡­I have probably been scammed,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Probably,¡± Suro said. ¡°But at least you have a book now!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ something to read, I suppose.¡± He put it in the folds of his robe.

    The boat began to rock. Vaughan blinked. Big waves didn¡¯t happen in the Tempest unless something caused them¡­

    Suddenly, a sea serpent emerged from the water, its green, scaly complexion shimmering in the light of the sun. Its head was as large as Dramais¡¯ ship.

    ¡°A sea serpent!? This close to land!?¡± Dramais shouted. ¡°Men, take i¡ª¡±

    The sea serpent didn¡¯t give them time to respond. It opened its mouth and chomped down on Dramais¡¯ ship, dragging it beneath the water. Most of the soldiers hadn¡¯t even been on the boat, and the few that were managed to jump ship prior to the monster¡¯s attack. Their armor was heavy, so many sank, but Vaughan, Alice, some Mikarol bladecasters, and a few of the merchant cats used Orange to pull them out.

    The sea serpent did not reemerge from the water. All became calm on the Tempest seas.

    ¡°How¡­ that was extremely¡­ I don¡¯t even¡­¡± Dramais tilted his head to the side. ¡°Sea serpents don¡¯t do that¡­¡±

    ¡°At least we have our lives and it apparently only wanted the boat,¡± Vuaghan said, staring at the spot the ship used to be.

    ¡°This place is crazy!¡± Suro shouted, jumping on top of a barrel, his hair standing on end. ¡°The sea is dangerous, the land is dangerous, the people are dangerous¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right!¡± Lila said, coming out from below deck. ¡°But not quite right enough.¡± Suddenly, she was holding her claws to his throat, and every other cat on the merchant ships had their claws at someone else¡¯s throat. Some people had two cats on them. ¡°See, that was Sally. She¡¯s ours.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t tame a sea serpent¡­¡± Dramais said, clearly trying to think of a way out of this.

    ¡°Oh, we didn¡¯t, she just likes us.¡± Lila chuckled. ¡°And Captain, do stop trying to think of ways to resist. All the people here really hate you outsiders, if you give them an excuse to shed blood even my orders won¡¯t be able to stop them, and there are a lot of exposed necks right about now.¡±

    Dramais growled. ¡°What are your terms?¡±

    ¡°Oh, there are none, I¡¯m just locking you up and holding you prisoner. Maybe I¡¯ll tell you why later. Maybe not.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nice when a plan works flawlessly. Do you have any idea how many merchant ships we had to raid to get all this? And then had to kill all of them to make sure they didn¡¯t spread any word, but also move fast enough so their disappearance didn¡¯t make people nervous¡­ oh, this was a bit and a half, let me tell you. Sometimes, those prophecies just help.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Dia really has given you right into our lap¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you do this in the name of Dia!?¡± Alice sputtered. ¡°H-how!?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you ask how, not why? I suppose you mean, how can I live with myself, how can I think it is what She wants? My little foreign friend, you clearly do not understand just how much damage you have caused merely by sailing through the Wall. Perhaps you will understand in time. Or not, I don¡¯t need you too.¡± She smirked at them all. ¡°Take them away. Make sure the wizards don¡¯t have any hidden crystals on them, I don¡¯t want them trying something funky when we¡¯re not looking closely.¡±

    ~~~

    Envila¡¯s boat was a small native-made one that could hold maybe ten people, but was equipped with a Kroanite arcane motor. There was no way the Moonshot would fit on it. However, while the Moonshot didn¡¯t float it had a lot of air in it and so wasn¡¯t as heavy as normal when in the water. So after some haphazard mud-based repairs to the leaks, they tied the Moonshot to the back of the boat and had both Vaughan and Jeh apply Orange to the Moonshot to keep it afloat.

    It, to the shock of Intraveki, worked out just fine.

    ¡°I thought you all were insane!¡±

    ¡°We are!¡± Jeh called. ¡°We just happen to be smart too!¡± She paused. ¡°Well, maybe not me, but Blue here!¡±

    Blue coughed. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m the brains, fact is you two have to focus on keeping that thing up, if we¡¯re attacked¡­¡±

    ¡°Keller and I will defend,¡± Envila said. ¡°The journey is a simple one, with luck it will be made without incident.¡±

    ¡°Since when do we have luck?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°Good point.¡±

    ¡°Are you coming with us?¡± Blue asked Intraveki.

    Intraveki stared at them for a moment. ¡°Let me think this through. You are heading into danger but are going to arrive in perhaps the safest place in the Tempest with people who can understand me¡­ or I could stay here and not have any clue what¡¯s going on and fear that maybe they attack again.¡±

    ¡°Fair warning, Mikarol will probably try to take Tin¡¯nit eventually,¡± Envila said. ¡°Conquest may not be their primary goal, but it could easily be a secondary one, and Tin¡¯nit will have to fall for that to work out.¡±

    Intraveki whined. ¡°I¡¯m doomed. I¡¯m doomed. I¡¯m doomed.¡± He hopped into the boat. ¡°So doomed.¡±

    The twins patted him on the back somewhat patronizingly.

    Envila turned to the natives who had survived the assault, speaking something to them in broken Naust. They seemed to understand, nodding and turning away.

    ¡°I hope they survive,¡± Envila said with a sigh. ¡°We can¡¯t be everywhere, and repeat attacks are somewhat common, if spread out.¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°Even if we can find a way to send a message quickly¡­ Kroan doesn¡¯t have many spaceships, most help won¡¯t be able to arrive for weeks.¡±

    ¡°Simply getting a message out will ruin a major part of their plan¡­ though I admittedly do not know what it is.¡± Envila turned on the motor, making it a little hard to talk, but they could still shout over the noise as they set out across the waves, dragging an Orange-enveloped Moonshot along behind them. They had several half-conversations as they skirted across the top of the waters at high speed.

    ¡°Hey, Blue!¡± Jeh called back, visibly a little tired from holding the Moonshot steady with her magic. ¡°Think we could send a message to our¡­ friend?¡±

    ¡°She would have to be able to see it!¡± Blue called back. ¡°That¡¯d require a lot of light! Pretty sure we don¡¯t have that capability! And even if we did, the Moonshot would be more cost-effective!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ wait, the transmitter!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re out of her range! Too much Ikyu in the way!¡¯

    ¡°Uuuugh but that would be so simple¡­¡±

    ¡°It occurs to me that they are probably sending someone to pick us up,¡± Vaughan noted.

    ¡°What?¡± Blue called over the din of the engine.

    ¡°Someone is probably already coming to pick us up!¡± Vaughan shouted back. ¡°They know where we crashed!¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t know ¡®bout the Mikarol blockade, though!¡± Keller pointed out. ¡°They¡¯ll probably be taken out when they arrive!¡±

    ¡°And they probably wouldn¡¯t send one of the other spaceships after us since there¡¯s not enough space to carry us¡­¡± Blue scratched her chin. ¡°But it does mean if we work quickly we might be able to intercept them before they enter the Tempest!¡±

    ¡°¡­I cannot believe the insanity all around me¡­¡± Intraveki whimpered.

    ¡°What?¡± Blue called.

    ¡°Something insulting!¡± one of the twins offered.

    ¡°But also funny!¡± the other added.

    ¡°¡­Envila, I have a question!¡± Vaughan called.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Envila kept her hands on the front of the boat, feeling carefully for any deviations that could capsize the thing, the Moonshot could easily cause chaos if not managed properly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see Embassy Island!¡±

    ¡°It was one of the first places MIkarol took out! It¡¯s on the bottom of the ocean right now!¡±

    Vaughan let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

    ¡°You lived there, didn¡¯t you?¡± Jeh asked.

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°Was my home for quite some time. Suro¡¯s shop was there, though it was probably something else at this point¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh, everyone?¡± Envila called. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to alarm you but we have company!¡±

    They could see it, cutting through the waves with enough speed to create two sharp waves out either side. It was undeniably a MIkarol ship given the metallic sheen and spikes all over it, but it was a small vessel. It was still larger than Vaughan and company¡¯s tiny thing, and more importantly, it was faster and headed right for them.

    However, faster though it was, it was not a ton faster. There was still a large distance between them, one comparable to the remaining distance to the main island¡¯s shores.

    ¡°Blue, are we gonna make it?¡± Envila asked.

    ¡°Not even close!¡± Blue called. ¡°The relative trajectories aren¡¯t going to make it, but¡­ well, if there are people on the shore they might be able to see us!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to die¡­¡± Intraveki whimpered. ¡°In a boat with a bunch of stupid Kroanites, I am going to die. I should have known this would happen¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t even hear what he¡¯s saying and I want him to shut up!¡± Jeh called.

    ¡°You two keep focusin¡¯ on the Moonshot,¡± Keller called as he stood up, Magenta sparks starting to waft off of him. ¡°Lesse what I got here¡­¡± He pulled out his arcane firearm. The distance between him and the target was so far he couldn¡¯t make out any details whatsoever, but he still pulled the trigger with barely any aiming.

    The bullet must have hit something, for there was a very large and bright explosion a second later that produced a cloud of smoke on the deck of the ship. As impressive as it was, it did not stop the ship from coming right for them.

    Keller pulled the trigger again. His firearm clicked.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Keller examined the gun. ¡°I was lucky enough t¡¯ survive the last round with one bullet. Of course.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s great!¡± Blue shouted. ¡°Now what!? Envila, tell me you know long-range combat magic!¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ on land I know a few tricks¡­¡± Envila smiled awkwardly. ¡°Tremors don¡¯t work well with water, though. I can¡¯t do anything against a ship that can survive the Wall!¡±

    ¡°Agh! Don¡¯t we have anything?¡±

    ¡°Even if I wasn¡¯t holding up the Moonshot they know how to deal with fire!¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Then¡­. Then¡­¡± Blue suddenly got an idea. She lit her horn. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    The Mikarol ship was finally close enough to fire on them. An arcane-driven cannonball launched from their front, sailing right at them. It deflected up off of Blue¡¯s telekinetic field.

    Blue let out a haggard laugh. ¡°H-hey, that worked!¡±

    ¡°Their aim is impeccable¡­¡± Envila said, using her Orange to bolster Blue¡¯s field. With the two of them, any cannonballs that came close were forced to divert to either side or above. They did not have anywhere near enough energy to actually stop a cannonball, but all they needed to do was not get hit.

    ¡°I see ships coming from the island!¡± one of the twins called. ¡°We might be getting backup!¡±

    ¡°Or they¡¯ll just shoot at us!¡± Intraveki wailed. ¡°Sandwiched to death!¡±

    ¡°Have a little hope, would you!?¡± Jeh called.

    ¡°Stop telling me what to do, insane immortal girl!¡±

    Keller whistled as a cannonball sailed past his head. ¡°They¡¯re gettin¡¯ better at aimin¡¯ dead-on, girls.¡±

    ¡°Look, we aren¡¯t experienced Orange wizards, we can¡¯t vary the field!¡± Blue shouted back. ¡°This is the best we can do! If they hit us dead-on, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it! Basic physics!¡±

    Keller lit a smoke.

    ¡°You and the fox are competing for ¡®the most annoying passenger¡¯ right now!¡±

    ¡°I am not a fox!¡± Intraveki howled. ¡°I am a kitsune!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, in that case, how¡¯s it feel to be a pony!?¡±

    Blue¡¯s left eye twitched. ¡°You know what for the first time since I¡¯ve known you, you actually have a point, imagine that!¡±

    ¡°Focus, Blue!¡± Envila shouted as a cannonball flew right over their heads.

    ¡°Sorry!¡±

    The Mikarol ship was now close enough to try another method of attack¡ªsending someone after them. A bladecaster In full armor with a glowing Red blade stepped to the front of the ship and jumped off. His feet lit on fire and pushed against the water, creating massive billows of steam as he flew right at them.

    ¡°Augh!¡± Blue shouted, there would be no deflecting something coming in controlled like that.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, this I can handle¡­¡± Envila jumped into the air and spread out her wing membrane, meeting the incoming soldier in the air. Her hammer glowed with great Orange power, but his blade was Red with the passion of fire. Neither of them wanted to strike the other¡¯s weapon with their own¡ªthe crystalline structure of both would likely shatter if allowed to interact. The Mikarol soldier thrust his blade forward, a beam of heat shooting out and searing a hole through Envila¡¯s wing membrane. She, however, simply rammed her hammer into his breastplate, sending as much of a shockwave into it as she could. He rang like a bell and was thrown into the sea.

    Envila, with a sizeable hole in her membrane, fell to the water as well, but she was not in full plate armor and was able to float, where Blue was able to drag her up and out with her telekinesis.

    Envila whipped out some Green and healed the hole in her membrane. ¡°All right, I¡¯m up to do that again!¡±

    However, both she and Blue were no longer holding up telekinetic defenses. They heard the boom of the cannon fire and raised their barriers again, but it was not quick enough. The cannonball hit Envila¡¯s ship in the hull, tearing it in two and sending everyone flying into the water. Blood started to stain the waves.

    Now they were no longer moving, adrift in the water, and the Mikarol ship was sent to ram them.

    However, the water soon began to rise, swelling with an unnatural height rarely seen in the calmness inside the Wall. The massive head of a sea serpent emerged, standing between the MIkarol ship and their target. With a blood-curdling call, the sea serpent opened its mouth and bit down on the MIkarol ship, sending it and all its occupants into the darkness of the sea.

    Everyone stared at this event in shock¡ªexcept Vaughan, who managed to keep his focus on the Moonshot to keep it from sinking, admittedly with considerable effort. ¡°Jeh¡­ help me¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Jeh added her magic back to the efforts. Envila set to healing everyone that had been injured in the assault¡ªironically, Keller had taken the worst hit as one of the ship¡¯s wooden planks had embedded itself in his arm.

    At this point, one of the native ships showed up. ¡°Well well well well, look what the cat dragged in! Gideon Vaughan!¡±

    Vaughan looked up at the ship¡¯s deck with a grin, seeing a familiar orange cat. ¡°Ah, Fred! I suppose we have you to thank for our sea serpent savior?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know it!¡± The cat laughed.

    ¡°So I take it you¡¯re somehow on good terms with the law now?¡±

    ¡°By necessity more than anything else,¡± Fred said. ¡°Sounds like we have a lot to tell you! And you have a lot to tell us. This is going to be¡­ fun.¡±

    ~~~

    Suro, Vaughan, Alice, and Dramais were dragged along in chains to some kind of secret pirate meeting place. They knew nothing about where it was, as bags were over all their heads. All they knew was that it was crowded and filled with the meowing of cats.

    ¡°All right, Fred, you can take the bags off their heads now,¡± Lila said.

    Fred did so, revealing himself to be an orange cat with a seemingly permanent smirk on his face.

    ¡°A cat named Fred¡­?¡± Alice narrowed her eyes. ¡°I mean¡­ I guess...?¡±

    ¡°Told you it¡¯s a weird name,¡± Lila said.

    ¡°And I¡¯m proud of it anyway!¡± Fred added with a laugh. ¡°Oh, have you four figured out what¡¯s going to be done with you yet?¡±

    ¡°If you expect ransom money, you won¡¯t get it,¡± Dramais deadpanned. ¡°The Empire and the Kingdom of Kroan do not negotiate with the likes of you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re counting on that,¡± Lila said with a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯ll see¡­ anyway, what do you think of our lair?¡±

    The ¡°lair¡± was just some cave lit by a bunch of Purple arcane lamps, giving it the impression of having little fires going on everywhere despite nothing of the sort occurring. There were hundreds of cats of all sorts of races everywhere, most of them clearly seafarers. There were only a handful of shroomers and absolutely no other types of spirited represented. In the center of the caves was a large circular stage, on top of which stood two individuals. One was clearly a grizzled, old pirate of a cat, with a tattered hat on his head, an eyepatch over one of his eyes, and two scars over the other one. Half of his tail was missing and one of his back legs had been replaced with some kind of vine-based limb. His fur was the exact same pristine white as Lila¡¯s.

    The other cat sitting on the stage did not look like he belonged there. He had a grayish-blue coat and was very tall and elegant for a cat, and wore the clean white robes of a Keeper, with a twinkling triangle pendant around his neck.

    ¡°Hey Gramps! I¡¯ve got them!¡± Lila called.

    The elder pirate grinned. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s my girl! I knew you could do it!¡± He turned to the collected cats. ¡°Look at these prisoners! They don¡¯t know it yet, but they¡¯re going to turn this world around!¡±

    All the cats let out hearty laughs, except the Keeper. The Keeper merely nodded in understanding.

    ¡°Ol Baja, looks like your visions were right after all!¡±

    A very old female cat with a blindfold over her eyes hissed at the elder pirate.

    ¡°Haw! Seems ya still hate me!¡±

    ¡°I hope you die in the coming desolation!¡±

    ¡°Aww¡­ but I did all this for you!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I very much like what¡¯s happening, just not you.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps we could cease with the pointless bickering?¡± the Keeper said, coughing.

    ¡°Bah, you Keepers and your organization¡­¡± the elder pirate shook his head, but turned to face the group. He seemed to decide that Alice was the leader. ¡°So, you figured it out yet?¡±

    ¡°You want to use us as bargaining chips for¡­ something,¡± Alice frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what for yet. You hate us as outsiders, using it to justify exploiting us, but¡­¡± She turned to the Keeper. ¡°You confuse me. You aren¡¯t even a native!¡±

    ¡°Vraskalian,¡± the cat explained. ¡°Though they will find that I have renounced my citizenship. We have brought Dia to these people, and then proceeded to exploit them for everything they have. This is unacceptable in Dia¡¯s eyes and I am frankly horrified that so many of Her followers think what we¡¯re doing here is fine. So that¡¯s why I am engaging with this admittedly rather deplorable plan.¡±

    ¡°He keeps talking all high and mighty like that,¡± the elder pirate chuckled. ¡°It was mostly his plan, anyway, and he hates it! Quite a riot if you ask me!¡±

    ¡°Find it funny all you wish, I never will, I merely think it necessary.¡±

    ¡°What exactly have we done to these people?¡± Alice asked. ¡°We haven¡¯t conquered them, they¡¯re still their own sovereign nation¡­¡±

    ¡°I am sick and tired of hearing that,¡± the elder pirate said, suddenly up in Alice¡¯s face. ¡°You all seem to think that we¡¯ll just be fine with you looking down on us like primitive little idiots who don¡¯t know what we¡¯re doing! ¡®Oh look at them, believing in a Spirit that doesn¡¯t exist. Oh how cute, they don¡¯t know how to use arcane devices, here let¡¯s give it to them and then charge them for upkeep! Oh, they think this land is sacred? Pfft, what do they know?¡¯ You didn¡¯t come here to conquer like the dark armies of legend, but you¡¯re sure ruinin¡¯ everythin¡¯!¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re a pirate,¡± Alice deadpanned. ¡°One who has probably been doing it since before anyone came here. How do you justify that?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t used to. Then Keeper Iryn came and gave us righteous fire! I¡¯ve been put here for a reason, little lady, and that¡¯s so we can have the resources to pull this off and get you out. All of you!¡±

    Alice frowned. ¡°How would capturing us do that? Even if Mikarol and Kroan cared enough about us, which they don¡¯t, Vraskal and Shimvale are here too and they really don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not you we¡¯re trying to get to care,¡± Lila said. ¡°Though it does help. See, the oh-so-wise elders in Tin¡¯nit think that bowing to your presence and accepting change is the way of the future. Despite the people clamoring for resistance, they refuse, seeking the way of peace at the destruction of our way of life.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how we¡¯re destroying your way of life, most of you still live in tribes as you always have¡­¡±

    ¡°Apparently you can¡¯t understand, imagine that.¡± Lila snorted. ¡°So shocking. Really.¡±

    Alice twitched. ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure out what we did to make you react this way and as far as I can tell you just don¡¯t like us because we¡¯re bringing change! What¡¯s so wrong with change!? You¡¯ve clearly accepted the change of Dia with open arms, why not anything else?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s the disrespect, Alice,¡± Suro said. ¡°We¡­ we treat them as though they¡¯re lesser, primitive, that they need our help to be anything. How would you feel if a group of people treated you like a child just for being a human?¡±

    Lila stared at Suro in shock. ¡°¡­Incredible. They can learn.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s just cats understanding cats,¡± Keeper Iryn said, dully.

    ¡°It¡¯s something, at least. Maybe he will come to see our ways¡­¡±

    Suro shook his head. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t stand what you¡¯re doing. Even if you are truly convinced the goal is right, kidnapping and murdering¡­¡±

    ¡°When Dia calls upon us to do such things, we listen,¡± Keeper Iryn said.

    ¡°Has She?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re all just too deaf to hear it.¡±

    Suro took a moment to mull over what he said. ¡°¡­No. No, I know what Dia¡¯s like, and it isn¡¯t this. I¡¯ve seen Keepers who really follow Her to the end, bastions of love, care, truth, and compassion. Your heart is cold. You are not one of them.¡±

    ¡°Believe what you will,¡± Iryn said. ¡°It matters not. We simply need you for the plan.¡±

    ¡°Quite the plan it is,¡± the elder pirate chuckled. ¡°See, we¡¯re not going to take credit for your kidnapping.¡±

    Alice¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh no¡­¡±

    ¡°Even the smartest one took this long¡­¡± Lila chuckled. ¡°Yes, I believe you¡¯ve just figured it out, Alice. We won¡¯t take credit. We¡¯re going to assign the credit to a well-known group in Tin¡¯nit. We have inside people, it¡¯ll be so convincing. And, naturally, what we¡¯ve done constitutes an act of war¡­ so the Mikarol will attack simply out of honor and Kroan will simply because they have this habit of never leaving anyone behind. But you¡¯re not going to even be there¡ªand the assault will force Tin¡¯nit to fight back. And, at last, we will fight for our land. Together we will drive you back!¡±

    There were cheers from the cats.

    Meanwhile, Suro started hyperventilating.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Afraid of the death?¡± Lila asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re going to slaughter you!¡± Suro wailed.

    Lila snorted. ¡°And I thought you had come to respect us¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, listen to me, please, you can¡¯t fight them! Even with your numbers and understanding of the land, if war breaks out, you will be utterly annihilated! Don¡¯t, please, think of your own lives! You¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll offer anything, I¡­ I have nothing to offer¡­¡±

    ¡°And here I was thinking you had begun to maybe see us as equals. Do you really think so lowly of us that we cannot stand up to you if we try?¡±

    ¡°You do not have ships that can burn entire islands! You don¡¯t even have wizards! It¡¯s not a matter of you being lesser it¡¯s a matter of everyone having stronger weapons! Mikarol alone could probably wipe you off the face of Ikyu!¡±

    ¡°Even those who sympathize refuse to see¡­¡± Lila shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ll understand soon enough the strength of the Tempest. We will not stand for this any longer. We will show you that you, all of you outsiders, are wrong and do not belong here.¡±

    ¡°Please¡­ no¡­¡±

    ¡°It baffles me that you plead for our lives rather than your own¡­¡± Lila shook her head. ¡°No matter. Gramps, are we sending word to our people?¡±

    The elder pirate grinned in a decidedly unpleasant manner. ¡°Absolutely. Right now, in fact. Send word! And prepare for war!¡±

    ~~~

    It was not just native ships that guided the Wizard Space Program and friends into the town of Tin¡¯nit, there were also Kroanite and Shimmer ships standing guard as well. Both were made out of metal and enclosed, as most ships that could survive the Tempest had to be, but the Kroanite ships were smoother and more artistic while the Shimmers¡¯ were more mechanically efficient and boring to look at. The mixed wood and living plant ships of the natives, however, were far more interesting, and there were even a few that barely touched the water due to the presence of romkars on their hulls, though there were no airships as the moment a boat was no longer touching the water it suddenly became a lot harder to steer.

    Tin¡¯nit itself was a very wide city, made to take full advantage of the available dock real estate of the largest beach in the Tempest. The front of the city was made almost entirely of newer constructions, which was easy to tell since the newer structures were better organized in a grid pattern, though still made mostly out of wood and living vines, with a few additional stone structures. Behind these newer buildings were older, much more disorganized constructions that had variable sizes, shapes, and a few that were probably structurally unsound but just hadn¡¯t collapsed yet. A few smaller floating ¡°islands¡± drifted above the rest of the city, tethered in place by numerous cables, on which various cable cars were continually moving¡ªsome even driven by arcane devices as opposed to physical work from the occupants. Among these many structures were the often somewhat abstract statues of the Guardian Spirit, many of them placed in the midst of what visitors would definitely call temples, though no actual worship took place there. A few of these "temples" had evidence of a turbulent history with cracks and pieces being blown off, including the largest statue that could be seen from port. However, this largest one had been made out of wood, and the gaping crater on the side of the Guardian Spirit¡¯s nondescript face had flowers growing out of it, somehow.

    ¡°They¡¯ve certainly done well,¡± Vaughan noted. ¡°And it looks like they¡¯ve kept Mikarol back.¡±

    ¡°They learned their lesson,¡± Fred said. ¡°Also they¡¯ve got allies this time.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m still finding it hard to believe that you fell in here from the sky.¡±

    ¡°And I don¡¯t think explaining it to you again will help,¡± Blue grumbled.

    ¡°All that science talk goes right over my head!¡±

    As they sailed into port, Fred and his cats tossed a ramp over the boat¡¯s edge so they could land. They weren¡¯t all that surprised to find a group of people waiting for them, led by an elder shroomer with lots of Uncolored crystals embedded in her cap.

    ¡°Well¡­ Envila I know¡­¡± she croaked. ¡°But the rest of you¡­¡±

    Envila bowed. ¡°Elder Smississ, these are friends of mine from Kroan, except for the kitsune, he¡¯s just along for the ride.¡±

    ¡°Not anymore I¡¯m not!¡± Intraveki said. ¡°We¡¯re here now, I¡¯m done with all your insanity, I¡¯ve been attacked, shot at, and¡­ and I¡¯m just done! I¡ª¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going anywhere just yet,¡± Elder Smississ interrupted. ¡°All of you are going to be questioned and checked. MIkarol has spies, you understand, we have to be thorough.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­ what?¡± Intraaveki stammered.

    Envila nodded. ¡°Understandable.¡±

    ¡°I am an Agent o¡¯ the Crown of the Kingdom of Kroan,¡± Keller said, showing his emblem. ¡°I will submit myself t¡¯ questioning, o¡¯ course.¡±

    ¡°An Agent¡­ this is going to be quite some story, I can tell.¡± Elder Smississ let out a long, drawn out sigh with multiple layered ripples to the sound. She held up one of her three hands. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me yet, we¡¯ll get to it at the meeting, just give me your names right now.¡±

    Envila introduced all of them, going in order of proximity to her¡­ and ending on Vaughan.

    The Elder¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Vaughan!? Gideon Vaughan?¡±

    Vaughan shuffled his feet. ¡°Um. Yes.¡±

    ¡°My, this truly is a cosmic coincidence, isn¡¯t it? The seers could not have foreseen something like this¡­¡± Elder Smissis shook her head¡ªslowly, as all shroomers did, but she was old so she did it even slower and it was several seconds before she was done. ¡°Right, come with me¡­¡±

    ¡°Elder, if you don¡¯t mind¡­¡±

    ¡°I said¡­¡±

    ¡°I just want to make sure nobody takes our ship.¡± He gestured at the Moonshot. ¡°Have any¡­ guards?¡±

    The Elder stared at the Moonshot and blinked her beady eyes a few times. ¡°That¡¯s a ship?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but the full explanation will wait, as you requested.¡±

    ¡°¡­I was too old for this when I was born¡­¡± she grunted. ¡°You lot,¡± she gestured vaguely at some cats with spear-like weapons attached to their tails. ¡°Watch it, don¡¯t let anyone take it, you know the drill.¡±

    After that was sorted, the group slowly plodded along through the streets of Tin¡¯nit. For the largest city in the middle of a warzone, it was surprisingly serene and lively. The markets were active and people were buying and selling things left and right. Mostly cats and shroomers, but there were a large number of Kroanites that were among them that were acting like part of the community, and even a minority of Shimmers. The people were certainly jittery, an unavoidable consequence of knowing there was war just outside the city, but no one seemed shell-shocked.

    ¡°¡­They haven¡¯t made a run on Tin¡¯nit, have they?¡± Vaughan asked.

    Envila shook her head. ¡°Nothing major, I¡¯m not sure why, they seem to be working from the bottom up.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard.

    ¡°Definitely not in the Mikarol playbook,¡± one of the twins said.

    The other nodded. ¡°Though they are known to innovate if necessary.¡±

    ¡°But it shouldn¡¯t be necessary here, an overwhelming force charge¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I know, they must want something else.¡±

    Blue let out a deep sigh and shook her head. It hadn¡¯t been that long since the last warzone she¡¯d been in the middle of, and this time it wasn¡¯t even her fault. She was continually checking herself for signs of a psychological problem and was finding nothing, which was growing her sense of unease, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Jeh said, patting Blue on the shoulder. ¡°You got allllll of us with you this time. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try.¡±

    They approached what was best described as the ¡°center¡± of the city, though for such a long and thin settlement such a word didn¡¯t exactly make the most sense. It was a large theater-like area dug out of the ground with several arches erected out of stone interlaced with vines. It could clearly hold over a thousand people if necessary, though it was mostly abandoned at the moment, with only a few dozen huddled in the center and guards placed along the outer edges.

    The guards let Smississ through without a word, though they did give Blue and the others strange looks.

    ¡°Welcome to the Forum,¡± the elder said, dryly. ¡°We don¡¯t have kings or nobles or councilmembers or whatever like you lot, the various elders just come together here to discuss things.¡± She snorted. ¡°Some of the younger ones want to start writing down complex legal codes for the whole Tempest, like the situation in each tribe ain¡¯t extremely different from every other one. Friends, enemies, no matter what, you outsiders make things needlessly complicated.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get no argument from me,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°A rare sentiment, but appreciated.¡± Eventually, she arrived at the center. ¡°All right everyone, stop talking about anything secret.¡±

    A Kroanite knight¡ªa gari woman in blue-lined plate armor¡ªcrossed her arms. ¡°And this is why we need better security measures, the Mikarol could figure anything out by just walking in here with a spy. I don¡¯t know who any of these people are.¡±

    ¡°Calm yourself, I told you to stop talking about secret things.¡± With that, she sat down, a slow and somewhat awkward process for a being with three legs that ended with the middle leg sticking up off the ground slightly before she laid it over her leftmost one. ¡°Now¡­ to those of you who don¡¯t know, this is Gideon Vaughan.¡±

    The Kroanite knight¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I thought you were working on the Space Program?¡±

    ¡°Where do you think I came from?¡± Vaughan asked with a wry smile.

    She blinked a few times. ¡°¡­By Dia¡­ you can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we are. You¡¯re going to love this¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Their ploy worked perfectly.

    The Mikarol Empire would not stand for the unprovoked kidnapping not only of one of their own captains, but also his entire crew. All the efforts the pirates had gone through to make it look convincing that Tin¡¯nit had been responsible weren¡¯t even necessary¡ªthe Empire checked nothing and charged right in. Due to their alliance and the fact that it would look bad if the Empire went in to save their people but Kroan didn¡¯t, they charged in as well.

    Tin¡¯nit did not expect an attack and was utterly defenseless, being taken quickly, but naturally none of the ¡°hostages¡± were found. And so the violence did not end. The Mikarol Empire immediately claimed Tin¡¯nit in the name of the Empire¡ªignoring the Kroanite claims that happened in unison¡ªand moved on to other islands. The Kroanites saw no reason to stop either, so they continued.

    Shimvale ships left the Tempest immediately, not wanting to be involved in this. However, perhaps surprisingly, the Vraskalians did not leave and in fact joined in on the violence, despite having no political pressure or reason to do so, turning the situation into a three-way free-for-all.

    At first, the natives were not able to put up any resistance at all, as the most organized center of the tribes had been in Tin¡¯nit, most of what little unity they had was dashed, and so they lost every single battle.

    But then something unusual happened. While the natives were trying to pool their resources for a resistance, the dynamics of battle changed. The Kroanites started declaring places they conquered their territory, in opposition to Mikarol claims; the Vraskalians did the same. None of the three sides wanted to fight each other, but all of them wanted more land than the others at the end of this. So while before they had been effectively working together, if disorganized, they were suddenly opposed to one another, and would often end up in very awkward situations where several Kroanite ships would be heading toward the same island as the Mikarol Empire, and the two forces would meet and just¡­ stop, awkwardly stopping each other from arriving but refusing to fire since, well, they were allies, right? These standoffs often lasted hours and many fleets lacked proper diplomats as no one had been expecting a war to break out, and this allowed the natives time to prepare for attacks, strike back, and form a more unified defensive front.

    Still, the islands burned. Many sky islands fell into the sea, their romkars destroyed by cannon fire. Jungles were razed to the ground; though given the extremely high humidity, even the large fires couldn¡¯t go for very long, as they would eventually create clouds of steam around them that made everything else even more humid and fire-resistant. Towns were far more susceptible to the flames than the jungle.

    This did not change the fact that the air in most of the Tempest now smelled vaguely of soot. The Mikarol Empire and Kroan rarely set these fires on purpose, but the Vraskalians did regularly. This just raised tensions between the three powers all the more¡­

    In the midst of this all, there was one ship that was not supposed to see combat, the Angelwing, Lila¡¯s personal craft. It was a multi-deck ship made of wood with a few romkars keeping a good chunk of it out of the water, allowing for balconies at multiple levels where there were cannons. Even though it wasn¡¯t supposed to be attacked out here in the middle of the ocean far from any island shore, it did occasionally have to use them, and showed the scars of battle, including sections that had clearly been healed over by Green without the requisite amount of nearby materials, making shoddy, patchy patterns over the hull. It also flew the black eyeball flag indicative of pirates constantly¡ªafter all, few people cared about pirates in wartime. Though if they suspected it was a ruse they attacked anyway.

    Which was what the cannons were for. And the sea serpent hanging around, in case things got particularly dicey.

    This ship was particularly important because it held the ¡°VIP¡± prisoners, Dramais, Vaughan, Alice, and Suro. All of Dramais¡¯ crew was kept at the cavern¡ªit was a less secure location because it wasn¡¯t mobile, but if the crew was saved and not the Captain, that likely wouldn¡¯t stop anything.

    Oddly for prisoners, Vaughan and Alice were currently playing a card game with a cat by the name of Fred.

    ¡°And I win again!¡± Alice said, taking all the seashell-based currency and putting it in her robes.

    Fred glanced down at the pathetic pile of money in front of him. ¡°¡­Geez, is your plan to buy the ship?¡±

    ¡°Maybe!¡± Alice said, chuckling. ¡°Though I¡¯m pretty sure Lila would object. Me being a prisoner and all. I¡¯ll settle for buying some of that fine wine of yours.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ I don¡¯t have much of that!¡±

    ¡°Exactly! But I have a loooot of shells¡­¡±

    ¡°That you took from me!¡±

    ¡°Fair and square!¡±

    Vaughan chuckled, sitting back in his seat. For a moment, he almost forgot they were prisoners¡­ but prisoners they were. Suro had been the first one to try to be friendly to their captors, and the two of them had followed his lead. Dramais was having none of it, but he knew better than to fuss. They were given duties to take care of the ship just like any other member of the crew. Naturally, they weren¡¯t allowed weapons or to go anywhere unsupervised, but there was nowhere on the ship that was secret anyway, and it wasn¡¯t like there was anywhere they could go.

    But even though they had managed to make bizarre friends and play games¡­ they were still being held here to perpetuate a war.

    Even this far from the islands, Vaughan could generally smell smoke if he tried to feel for it.

    He looked out over the horizon at the towering volcano of the main island. It was smoking, and not because of an eruption. He let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

    ¡°Vaughan¡­¡± Alice said, wrapping her arms around him. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thought didn¡¯t even cross my mind,¡± Vaughan said with a shake of his head. ¡°It¡¯s just horrible that it¡¯s happening at all.¡±

    ¡°¡­It is our fault,¡± Fred said, glancing around to make sure Lila wasn¡¯t nearby. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t believe anything you said at the first meeting, but¡­ if there wasn¡¯t this sense of awkward standoff, we would all be conquered already.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t predict the standoff¡­¡± Alice said with a shake of her head. ¡°I still only think it¡¯s delaying things. Eventually, reinforcements from outside are going to arrive. And then what will you do?¡±

    ¡°We just need to drive them out before then.¡±

    ¡°How? They show no signs of stopping anytime soon, especially Vraskal from what I¡¯ve heard.¡± She shuddered. ¡°Who knew the quiet people could be so¡­ brutal¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we were expecting the most problems from Mikarol, not them.¡± Fred twitched his ears. ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore. A lot of the crew feels the same.¡± He paused. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can turn us against Lila though, she¡¯s like a mother to a lot of us.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Alice said. ¡°And I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be comfortable doing that, anyway¡­ setting people against each other.¡± She shook her head. ¡°What¡¯s happening is happening and we¡¯ve just got to deal with it.¡±

    ¡°Fred!¡± a gray cat shouted. ¡°Stop fraternizing with the enemy and get to work!¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine¡­.¡± Fred muttered. ¡°Same time tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°What else are we gonna do?¡± Alice asked with a shrug.

    Fred chuckled and bounded off. He passed by the silent and glowering Dramais, who was mopping the deck. He said nothing, but his glare made Fred¡¯s hair stand on end.

    There¡¯s a man who would kill all of us without remorse if he had the chance, Fred thought. It¡¯s people like him that made us do this in the first place.

    Fred started his work cleaning the cannons, not all that surprised to see Suro standing near the railing, looking out at the sea with a forlorn expression. That cat was a very gentle soul who just couldn¡¯t deal with all that was happening, jumped at the slightest sound, and could often be seen just crying. Fred really did feel bad for him.

    Apparently, Lila felt the same, since she was regularly seen talking to him, so Fred was not all that surprised when she walked up behind Suro and said ¡°hello.¡±

    Suro jumped several feet into the air and almost fell over the railing, but Lila caught him.

    ¡°You are gonna get yourself killed with nerves like that!¡± Lila said with a laugh.

    ¡°You snuck up on me!¡±

    ¡°I was not trying to be sneaky at all, you just were so absorbed in whatever it was you were thinking about.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Well. Yes.¡± He frowned.

    ¡°What were you thinking about?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not gonna like it¡­¡±

    ¡°Since when does that stop me from wanting to hear it?¡± Lila smirked. ¡°I like you, Suro, you say strange things and have strange ideas.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m just entertainment to you?¡±

    ¡°Is that so bad?¡±

    Suro shuffled his paws. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t like it¡­¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯re even. Now.¡± She jumped on top of a nearby cannon and laid down. ¡°What insignificant thing had you so bothered this time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not insignificant,¡± Suro said, turning back to the sea. ¡°I¡¯m trying to think of¡­ any way this can end well for anyone.¡±

    ¡°We drive everyone out and reclaim the Tempest, simple.¡±

    Suro shook his head. ¡°That¡­ there will be so many dead and so many of your tribes have been leveled. Even if everyone leaves, which I don¡¯t see happening, what will you have left?¡±

    ¡°Suro, you seem to think we need big cities and complicated structure. We don¡¯t, we can live as tiny disconnected tribes in the jungle without issue.¡±

    ¡°Can you though?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Tiny disconnected tribes don¡¯t make huge boats or allow piracy to flourish. You need ships for that, trade, and¡­ and a lot of people.¡± Suro paused. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m arguing as though piracy is a positive¡­¡±

    ¡°It is, it¡¯s a career just like everything else.¡±

    ¡°How can you say you follow Dia and choose such a career?¡±

    ¡°The same way a soldier can follow orders to kill someone and still be an Aware. Think about it. Dia tells us to remain obedient to those over us, but we pirates exist in a state where no one is over us. We are our own ¡®sovereignty¡¯ or whatever. To support ourselves and our crews, we take from others. It¡¯s like the wars of nations, but at smaller scales. Or are you claiming that soldiering is not an honorable profession?¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to be this way! If the only way to survive was to fight then, perhaps, you might have a point, but you don¡¯t! Before this war there were plenty of resources around for everyone, you could even make a great living as a trading ship. You have to want to steal on some level.¡±

    Lila hissed. ¡°Most of us were forced into this life. Careful who you say that around, many on this crew only came to me because they had nowhere else to go.¡±

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t they have gone into the jungle and formed small tribes?¡±

    Lila opened her mouth and then shut it, tilting her head. ¡°Because¡­¡±

    ¡°Because they didn¡¯t want to.¡± Suro looked back over the ocean. ¡°Lila, if this war creates a land where only small tribes can exist¡­ you can surely see that not everyone will be happy with that.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s still a worthy price to pay to be rid of the outside corruption.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, outside corruption.¡± Suro sighed. ¡°¡­Have I corrupted you, Lila?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°You make me think too much.¡± Lila huffed, standing up with an unpleasant expression on her face. ¡°And I keep coming back to it like a rum addict. I really should know better.¡±

    ¡°Please, Lila, listen to me, I really, really do beg¡­ this world you¡¯re trying to make for the Tempest¡­ it¡¯s not good.¡±

    ¡°And yours will be better?¡± Lila asked.

    ¡°At least it won¡¯t end with everyone dead.¡±

    ¡°¡­You try so hard to understand us, and fail. Suro, Suro, to lose our way of life is death.¡± She looked out over the sea, a forlorn expression crossing her face. ¡°¡­If everything really is how you see it, there is no hope in this world.¡±

    Suro blinked in shock. ¡°I¡­¡±

    Lila quickly recovered. ¡°Of course there has to be hope, right? Hah! You got me going there.¡± She flicked her tail across his face. ¡°You really do bring out the strangest sides of me, oh, that was good fun.¡±

    ¡°Lila¡­¡±

    Lila ignored him. ¡°Until next time, softy. What crazy ideas¡­¡±

    ¡°Captain!¡± a tiny black cat shouted as he ran to her. ¡°We¡¯ve got an incoming! Vraskalian!¡±

    ¡°Everyone to their posts! Prepare for combat! Arm the cannons!¡± Lila quickly strapped a blade to her tail and unsheathed her claws, an action most of the cats did as well. Normally, at this point, Vaughan and the other prisoners would be sent below decks.

    However, this time, the enemy was approaching too quickly. The Vraskalian ship was gray with strange red fires poking out of its sides, and it was significantly smaller than the pirate ship. But it had on it numerous glowing creatures of the strange fiery-eyeball race known as the occulari. Very little was known about them but something they were doing was making the boat extremely fast and nigh-impossible for cannonballs to hit.

    ¡°Get ¡®em, girl!¡± Fred shouted.

    The sea serpent rose out of the ground and bit down on the ship. This destroyed the boat but did nothing to deter the occulari, who floated into the air as the wisps of flame they were. They came in every color, though there was a preference for red and orange flames. Their ¡°robes¡± were nothing more than illusions suspended below their floating eyes, which were their real forms, and so under duress the robes were not manifested, turning the assault into one of a bunch of floating eyes.

    The fire was very real and very hot, all they had to do to fight was touch people. The flames did more than just burn, however, they also made people see things. Horrific things that were not there, images of the dead, images of the living, terrifying things brought out of nightmares¡­

    However, while they were made out of fire, they were not entirely invulnerable. The slitted dark spot that appeared to be their pupil¡ªthat was solid and could be attacked. Even though Lila was being shown an image of her grandfather and Suro eating each other, she cut through the pupil of a cyan occulari and made it dissipate, revealing the only solid part of the occulari to be a gray-black rock that was now cut in two. ¡°Stay strong, everyone! Nothing they show you is real!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on fire!¡± a cat who wasn¡¯t on fire screamed, while another one who was on fire was fighting as though she wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Agh! Stupid occulari!¡± Lisa let out a particularly nasty string of swears as she cut through the pupil of a green one. ¡°You make everything so difficult!¡±

    A pink occulari descended upon Alice.

    ¡°Wait! I¡¯m a prisoner! Alice Vaughan!¡± Alice waved her hands. ¡°You need me to end the war!¡±

    The pink occulari paused, thinking for a moment. ¡°¡­We do not need you.¡± She attacked.

    Alice was defenseless as flames licked across her skin. She saw Vaughan getting flattened into the shape of a pancake¡­

    ¡­but then Fred cut the occulari¡¯s pupil in two and the vision vanished. ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°My¡­ face¡­¡±

    ¡°Looks fine.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about, it hurts! I just got burned, Fred!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡±

    ¡°Fred!¡±

    Suddenly, Dramais entered the fray. He had no sword, merely a bunch of loose planks of wood he was wielding in his telekinesis. But that was all he needed. With expert precision and power, he thrust the planks of wood right into dozens of occulari in an instant, shattering their internal structure. Every aim was perfect and the only occulari that remained were those that were out of his range. These proceeded to flee by floating away over the ocean. They were such small targets that cannonballs could never reach them.

    ¡°By Dia¡­¡± Lila stared at Dramais. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do that sooner?¡±

    ¡°I was hoping for rescue. They proved not to be rescuers.¡± Dramais put the planks down and picked the mop up again.

    ¡°Why weren¡¯t they, though?¡± Alice asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they¡­ want the war to end?¡±

    ¡°Not Vraskal¡­¡± Lila said. ¡°They¡­ I¡¯m not sure what they¡¯re doing. But given what we just saw¡­ they probably want this war just as much as we do.¡± Lila paused. ¡°¡­That concerns me.¡±

    An awkward silence fell over the ship.

    ~~~

    Vaughan and the others told their story. They neglected to mention precisely what they had found on the Moon, as that was technically secret, but they described their journey and how they had ended up in the Tempest.

    Intraveki stared at them in absolute shock the entire time. About half of the elders did. The Kroan knight, whose name turned out to be Iitraven, was at first shocked and then slowly became contemplative.

    ¡°¡­and so, we think we have a plan,¡± Vaughan said.

    Blue nodded. ¡°If we can get enough Orange crystals for power and enough experienced Orange wizards¡­ we could probably lift the shell of the Moonshot over the Tempest. It¡¯s not fit for space travel but it can probably do that. And we can get a message out to let the outside world know what¡¯s happening here.¡±

    The elders looked to each other and gave nods and mutters of approval.

    Iitraven put a hand to her face where her nose would have been had she not been a gari and sighed. ¡°If only you had arrived a week ago¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Blue said.

    ¡°All of our experienced Orange wizards are dead. We can probably get you enough crystals out of the mines, but we¡¯ll have no one with enough experience to use them.¡±

    Jeh turned to Vaughan. ¡°Can we do it alone?¡±

    Vaughan shook his head. ¡°The drive is very precise and efficient, while our efforts are not. We can lift it but we¡¯d probably drain ourselves long before we got above the Wall.¡±

    ¡°Can we make a new drive?¡± Blue asked. ¡°Even a hasty, terrible one¡­¡±

    ¡°That would take a lot of time,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°And something tells me complex arcane device construction isn¡¯t an option right now.¡±

    Iitraven shook her head. ¡°The only facilities were on Embassy Island, which was destroyed near the very start of all this.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re so close!¡± Jeh said. ¡°There¡¯s gotta be something we can do to make this work!¡±

    The twins looked to Keller. ¡°Well¡­?¡± They raised their eyebrows in unison, asking a question without words.

    Keller sighed. ¡°Fine. Listen up, what I¡¯m ¡®bout to tell y¡¯all is classified. We found somethin¡¯ up on the moon, as ya can probably guess by our vague story. That somethin¡¯¡­ was a someone. An Orange Crystalline One. Ya might have seen some Orange flashes from the moon lately if ya were payin¡¯ attention.¡±

    Iitraven shook her head. ¡°Like we would at this time¡­¡±

    ¡°We have,¡± one of the elder cats said, flicking his ears. ¡°We care much for the sky, and the new Orange flash on the moon has become an uncertain omen. You speak of the Orange Crystalline One?¡±

    ¡°Her name is Wanderlust,¡± Keller explained. ¡°She¡¯s in contact with Benefactor. If we can get a message to Wanderlust through the sky¡­¡±

    ¡°And how would we do that?¡± Elder Smississ asked. ¡°It sounds just as bad as the other plans, missing an important part!¡±

    ¡°We just need a way to shine a very, very bright light at the moon,¡± Blue said. ¡°Something that can be focused and controlled over very long distances.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like something Benefactor should do,¡± Iitraven said, narrowing her eyes. ¡°Oh wait, she¡¯s not here.¡±

    ¡°The Guardian Spirit is, though,¡± Vaughan said.

    There was silence.

    ¡°¡­Is there some taboo about bringing her up that I¡¯m not aware of?¡±

    ¡°No, no,¡± Iitraven said.

    ¡°You have given us a secret, so now we will give you one,¡± Elder Smississ said. ¡°The Guardian Spirit has indicated that she does not wish to get involved in this conflict.¡±

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°Wh¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°She did not offer us an explanation.¡±

    ¡°All we¡¯d need her to do is shine some light in a particular pattern on the moon so the outside world can know¡­¡±

    ¡°She will be informed, rest assured,¡± another cat elder said. ¡°What you have brought to us is too important not to convey, even the knowledge of Wanderlust alone is worthy of her eye. But if she refuses to aid us, she will refuse, and we will have nothing.¡±

    ¡°I saw her that day¡­ why would she¡­?¡± Vaughan ran his fingers through his hair, shaking his head.

    ¡°I shall leave to tell her immediately, unless there is anything else pertinent?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what message she has to send or how,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°If she grants the request we will get the message then, there is no need to waste time teaching me a communication language right now. Learning Karli was hard enough¡­¡± With that, the cat ran off as fast as her four legs would carry her.

    The old cat elder turned back to the others. ¡°Now, is there anything else we should think of?¡±

    ¡°Even if the message is not sent, the Crown is likely sending a contingent to us,¡± Blue said. ¡°They know we crashed here, they just don¡¯t know there¡¯s a war.¡±

    ¡°The Mikarol patrol will destroy them¡­¡± Iitraven said, shaking her head.

    ¡°Not if we get a message out fast enough,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°True, true¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, I probably shouldn¡¯t have heard any of that¡­¡± Intraveki said, clearly nervous.

    Envila smirked. ¡°But you¡¯re here, and now you¡¯re culpable.¡±

    ¡°Should I just¡­ go?¡±

    ¡°I still have people checking your background,¡± Elder Smississ said. ¡°Patience. You should consider yourself fortunate, by being detained you get to learn so much.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, great, hilarious, thanks¡­¡± Intraveki glared at his coconut as if it had insulted him.

    ~~~

    There was no burial for bodies out at sea. While most of the Tempest natives had elaborate and variable rituals for burial, the pirates had no such luxury. They simply threw their dead overboard. However, they never disrespected the fallen, each and every one was given a short moment on the plank before being dumped in the water, where memories would be shared.

    Lila had to do this same thing twelve times in a row on one day. The attack had been brutal. They had survived, and none of the people were irreplaceable, she could easily ask for more from the other pirates. But at this point she was having to say goodbye to a lot of old friends, people she had more or less raised¡­

    ¡­and she was slowly beginning to realize how morbid the tradition was. The body was set on the plank in broad daylight for everyone to see, and if the particular cat had died a gruesome death¡ªlike the current one who didn¡¯t even have a head anymore¡ªit was a constant reminder to everyone of the dangers of their occupation.

    It was getting to be too much. But she had to carry through. She had to. Otherwise this would all have been for nothing.

    Lila said fewer words than usual before pulling the plank out and dropping the body into the sea. She told everyone to disperse with a quiet voice, and it took the crew a little while to realize that she had given an order and actually follow it. She didn¡¯t yell at them.

    She really didn¡¯t feel like it.

    She went up to the prow of the ship and looked out over the islands. Another sky island had fallen, killing who knew how many. Not a lot of outsiders, that was for sure, they protected Embassy Island far too well, it was the one thing the three of them could agree on.

    Other islands were burning. Smoke trails went into the air. They would be put out soon by the humidity, but while the fires may have stopped, the smoke remained. It was starting to drift down. She had been told it was like ¡®snow¡¯ that happened in other areas of the world, except a lot less pleasant.

    She could see the sun when she looked up, but it wasn¡¯t bright enough to hurt her eyes anymore. Once the smoke rose high enough, the winds of the Tempest were so calm that it basically just remained there until it drifted down into the ocean or onto an island.

    ¡°What are you staring at?¡± Suro asked.

    Lila¡¯s hair stood on end, but she didn¡¯t jump. She glanced back at him. ¡°¡­The sun.¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s enough smoke, it¡¯ll turn red.¡±

    ¡°I know, a volcano erupts in a massive plume every now and then.¡±

    ¡°But that generally doesn¡¯t last very long, does it?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, and the eruptions usually aren¡¯t smoggy. Usually brilliant red streaks of lava come shooting out¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s the power of the land we call home, the rage of the islands. I wonder, where is that rage now?¡±

    ¡°Would it help?¡±

    ¡°No, unless it gave us more fighting spirit.¡± She scowled. ¡°I get news of more and more just surrendering.¡±

    ¡°Can you blame them for wanting to live?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I can!¡± Lila was suddenly furious. ¡°We¡¯ve laid down our lives for this and we weren¡¯t even considered part of society by most! We¡¯re pirates, Suro, but we have gone to the ends of our means to bring this about! We don¡¯t surrender, we fight to the end, but they have the audacity to screw us over and¡­ and¡­¡±

    ¡°Why did they owe you anything? They don¡¯t even know you are responsible.¡±

    Lila stared out at the ocean, watching the calm waters gently ripple.

    ¡°¡­Why have we been abandoned, Suro?¡±

    Suro shuffled his paws awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t think you want to hear that right now.¡±

    ¡°Why, Suro?¡±

    Suro forced himself to speak. ¡°I don¡¯t think you ever had any favor to begin with.¡±

    ¡°Ah, there it is, saying something I don¡¯t want to hear, if only he warned me¡­¡± Lila growled, but the growl slowly faded away into a quiet whimper.

    ¡°Lila¡­¡±

    ¡°Back off!¡± Lila shouted, hissing at him and jumping over him with speed she hoped was enough to prevent him from seeing the tears in her eyes. It wasn¡¯t. She ran all the way back to her personal cabin and slammed the door, locking it. She jumped onto her personal bed and forced herself to calm down. She took many long, deep breaths with her eyes closed. There were more important things right now. The crew couldn¡¯t see her like this.

    She opened her eyes. Next to her bed was a small cat-height countertop built into the ship¡¯s wall. It had a mirror, in which she saw herself. For a moment, she saw a terrifying beast with matted white fur, piercing eyes of violence, and teeth dripping with blood¡­ but it was just a trick of the light, her fur was a mess due to the tears, her eyes were bloodshot, and the dripping blood had just been an odd shadow.

    This did not stop her from bursting into tears. She kicked out in rage at the mirror, shattering it and upsetting one of the drawers from the nightstand which contained a book with a blue triangle on it. It spilled out onto the ground to a page somewhere in the middle.

    It was a short passage, a story.

    ¡°Great Yellow One, I must ask you, what is the secret to leadership?¡±

    ¡°Go, be a leader, and you will find out.¡±

    And so the prince came to inherit his father¡¯s crown, becoming the king. After many years of ruling, the king returned to the Great Yellow One. ¡°I have been a leader. I have found no secret.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain?¡±

    ¡°I have found that I am not fit to rule. I have led people to their death. I have started wars that led nowhere. I have made laws that harmed those closest to me. I have made myself a fool.¡±

    ¡°It seems like you have learned the secret to me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That no one can truly lead. We are all broken inside.¡±

    ¡°Surely one as great as you must be a proper leader!¡±

    ¡°This is not true. We Great Crystalline Ones may see more than you and have great power, but we too are just fragments of perfection. I have seen all the things you have seen, I have been cruel, I have been too kind, I have led entire kingdoms to ruin. By telling you to lead and find out, I have subjected your kingdom to much travesty. Was it too much? I cannot say, but in time perhaps I will be filled with regret.¡±

    ¡°Then what hope is there?¡±

    ¡°In us, there is none. In Dia, there is much.¡±

    ¡°But what am I to do then?¡±

    ¡°Lead as best you can anyway. Pray for wisdom. Seek guidance.¡±

    ¡°I have done all these things!¡±

    ¡°I did not say you had not. After all, you have already found the secret to leadership, as best as you are able.¡±

    Lila thrust her claws into the book and threw it to the side. She curled up into a ball on her bed and cried herself to sleep.

    She hadn¡¯t done that since she was a kitten.

 M02 - The Tempest, Part 2

    ¡°You¡¯ve all been cleared,¡± Elder Smississ said. ¡°The only ones here we don¡¯t have records on are you two,¡± she pointed at the Sourdough twins. ¡°But everyone else present vouches for you so you pass.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good, I cleared,¡± Intraveki let out a relieved sigh.

    ¡°Oh, you cleared, not that we liked what we turned up. Bit of a troublemaker and rabble rouser, are we?¡±

    ¡°Hey, I had nothing to do with this war¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course not, you were a Shimmer zealot, trying to spread the word of ¡®democratic revolution¡¯.¡± Elder Smississ laughed at this like it was the greatest joke ever.

    ¡°Shut it, cap.¡±

    Keller coughed. ¡°By the way, ya know things ya shouldn¡¯t. I don¡¯t think I can keep ya from tellin¡¯ your bosses later¡­ but that¡¯s fine, they can prolly figure out the whole moon thing themselves. So ya prolly can¡¯t ruin nothin¡¯. But¡­¡± His face suddenly hardened and he narrowed his eyes. ¡°If ya do somehow screw this up¡­¡±

    ¡°M-message received!¡± Intraveki stammered.

    ¡°Good fox.¡±

    ¡°I am not a¡ª¡± Intraveki shut himself up before finishing that. ¡°Sure. Yes. Fox. Let¡¯s go with that. I hope I never run into any of you crazies ever again.¡± With that, he bounded off.

    ¡°Think he¡¯s suspicious?¡± Blue asked Keller.

    ¡°Oh, definitely,¡± Keller said. ¡°But he ain¡¯t our current problem, this secret war¡¯s scared him just as much as us¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I can show you all around Tin¡¯nit while we wait?¡± Vaughan suggested.

    ¡°I probably know this place better than you at this point,¡± Envila pointed out.

    ¡°Double guide tour, yay!¡± Jeh said, throwing her fists into the air.

    While the rest of the group discussed where to go next, the Sourdough twins slipped away. Keller was right, Intraveki was somewhat suspicious and probably up to no good, and it most likely wasn¡¯t related to the war.

    However, since they were waiting anyway, this didn¡¯t mean the Sourdough twins couldn¡¯t just¡­ sneak off and find out for themselves, there was time. They didn¡¯t even look all that out of place in Tin¡¯nit, considering how many Kroanites and Shimmers were present, all they had to do was make sure Intraveki didn¡¯t notice them following him.

    And he was definitely watching to see if he was being followed. Constantly glancing over his shoulders. Making detours. Trying to make it look like he was perusing a shop when he was really trying to see if anyone was tailing him. He probably thought Keller was coming after him.

    The twins had a few close calls, at first, but while Intraveki was pretending to peruse a shop for its wares, they purchased a pair of wide-brimmed hats from a Shimmer¡¯s stall to hide their faces. They also split up, one tailing Intraveki from nearby, the other trying to circle around ahead in case Intraveki tried anything. Which he did, oh he did, he loved trying to duck down alleyways, sneak past a small group of other kitsune, go in a building and come out the back door¡­ He was clearly good at this.

    Too good to just be some nobody rabble-rousing revolutionary, the twins were realizing rather quickly. There was definitely something else going on here. They both realized this at the same time while they were on opposite sides of a street. They turned to each other, made eye contact, and grinned. They were onto something.

    Suddenly, Intraveki took a road out of the city and into the jungle. This made it somewhat harder for the twins to tail him, forcing them to rely more on tracks than visual confirmation of his presence, but the ground was damp and even someone as careful as Intraveki couldn¡¯t remove all traces¡ªthough his backtracking would have confused them if they hadn¡¯t seen him tracking back. He would have seen them had they not hidden in a nearby bush and a particularly leafy tree.

    Eventually, though, far off the main path that went through the Jungle, Intraveki sat down. There appeared to be nothing in the clearing, he just sat there, looking around for the longest time. Waiting for someone to meet, perhaps?

    The twins were in different locations. One of them was high in the trees, sitting in a bird''s nest. The loud squawking birds actually served to hide her¡ªthey were bright yellow and could easily explain anything Intraveki saw, while also masking noises she might make. The other twin was hiding in a bush, peering through gaps in the leaves at Intraveki.

    Eventually, Intraveki took out a sheet of paper and started writing on it, holding the pen awkwardly in his jaw as his paws did not have opposable thumbs. It didn¡¯t take him long to roll it up and place it inside a hollow in the tree¡¯s roots. Completely invisible, and most trees around here had hollows like that. A perfect hiding spot. With that, Intraveki stood up and walked away¡ªforward, so the tracks looked like he had passed through the area without stopping.

    The twins waited several minutes before making their move. As a unit, they jumped out of their hiding spots and ran for the hollow, though the one in the bush was closer so she got there first.

    ¡°I win,¡± she said, unrolling the paper.

    ¡°Unfair.¡±

    ¡°I took the riskier spot, I get the reward.¡± She scanned her eyes across the paper. It looked like gibberish¡ªpretty clearly a code of some kind. It was written in Karli script, though, and the words still seemed to be the same length as words normally would be, so it was most likely just a substitution of some kind. It couldn¡¯t be that complicated of one since Intraveki wrote it down quickly, they could probably crack it.

    Staying here to do that would be a bad idea, though, someone might come to pick up the message. One of the twins rolled up the paper and hid it in the folds of her dress before the two of them set out. They did not take the same path Intraveki took to get here, they took a direct straight line back to Tin¡¯nit.

    This proved to be their mistake.

    Intraveki dropped down from a nearby tree right in front of them. ¡°You two?¡±

    The twins took a step back, balling their hands into fists.

    ¡°I was expecting if anyone would try to tail me it would be that Agent, but you two? How did I not notice¡­ I was¡­¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re more than you seem. I thought it odd that a couple of random kids were on a high-profile government mission¡­¡± He sneered. ¡°No matter. I wasn¡¯t sure what I would do if that dumb Agent did anything, but you? Oh, I can take a couple kids¡­¡± He lunged forward, baring his fangs.

    The twins pressed their elbows forward, pointing the spikes of their plast gauntlets directly at the incoming kitsune. He was already midair and couldn¡¯t make himself stop, so the spikes skewered his jaw, sending blood everywhere.

    The twins flexed their arms to the side, locking Intraveki in place. He would not be moving his head or biting anything anytime soon.

    However. He had claws. And now the twins had their arms occupied. He clawed frantically at them, more out of panic than anything considering the pain he was in, but they were small and somewhat frail, unable to find a way to defend themselves besides frantic kicking. Gashes were torn in their midsections and upper legs.

    One of the twins released her hold on Intraveki¡¯s jaw so she could try to attack another way, but the pain in her legs made her collapse forward rather than doing any sort of actual attack. She rolled awkwardly into the flailing Intraveki, forcing all three of them over into an awkward pile.

    Both sides, at this point, had lost all cohesion in the fight. Claws, gauntlet spikes, teeth, fists, and feet flung every which way. Eventually, though, one of the twins managed to get a chokehold on Intraveki¡¯s neck, locking her gauntlet spikes together to prevent her arms from moving. Intraveki flailed wildly, but the other twin allowed herself to take most of the claws while the kitsune slowly asphyxiated.

    He couldn¡¯t do anything. His flailing slowly became weaker and weaker. His growls became whimpers. His eyes rolled into the back of his skull and he started twitching.

    The twin who wasn¡¯t choking him stepped back, pulling out some rope, letting out a pained yell as she was forced to move an arm she was pretty sure was broken. She tied Intraveki''s legs together.

    One of the kitsune¡¯s tails flashed, vanishing into puffs of sparkling white dust. A pulse of energy went through Intraveki¡¯s body, healing his wounds. His eyes suddenly flew open and he let out a cry of rage.

    A twin stopped choking him and stepped back, limping on one leg, breathing heavily. The other twin who had tied the rope was letting out shaky half screams as she tried to fashion part of her dress into a sling. The limping twin made her way to her sister and assisted in the craftsmanship, giving the poor girl¡¯s arm a rest. They had some Green, but they weren¡¯t skilled enough to do anything more than heal up the cuts and bruises, the broken arm remained broken.

    ¡°You¡­ you killed me! You took one of my lives! A couple of kids! I¡¯ll get you for this!¡±

    ¡°H-how much blood have¡­¡± the one with the injured arm let out a wince.

    ¡°Too much,¡± the other said.

    ¡°Good! I hope you bleed out! Serves you right!¡± Intraveki shouted.

    They glanced at Intraveki.

    They knew they did not have the strength to carry him to Tin¡¯nit. They were going to struggle to carry each other.

    He would probably get out if they left him. But what choice did they have? They quickly tied a rope around Intraveki¡¯s mouth to keep him from biting his way out. Then the limping twin put her arm around the twin with the sling and together the two of them hobbled back to Tin¡¯nit.

    They still had the message. In one piece.

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­Okay everyone, I¡¯ve had enough,¡± Lila said, standing at the front of the ship addressing the entire crew plus prisoners.

    ¡°¡­How so?¡± Fred asked.

    Lila gestured at the island in front of them. Multiple fires were easily seen. Then she gestured at the small crew size they had. Even with replacements, even with them not being in the heat of battle as often as everyone else, it was still terrible.

    ¡°Okay, good point.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m done with this,¡± Lila said, sitting down. ¡°I can¡¯t just sit by and let this keep happening. I don¡¯t¡­ feel like I need to explain myself to any of you. However, if¡­ if I do this, I will be destroying the very cause so many have given our lives for, and that¡­ is treachery. I will be betraying the other pirates and all the people who have sided with us. And so, you all have the right to overturn my rule as Captain and take over this ship. I will not fight you. Anyone, anyone, who wants to take over and throw me overboard¡­ you won¡¯t get any argument from me.¡±

    Not a single person said anything.

    ¡°Right¡­ in that case¡­¡± She lifted her head high. ¡°Mekl, give the prisoners back their weapons and belongings. All of it.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes captain!¡± the small gray cat said, skittering away.

    ¡°Lila¡­¡± Suro said, approaching her. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Lila said. ¡°But I¡¯m¡­ taking a leap of faith, you could suppose.¡± She put one of her front paws to her heart and sighed. ¡°Okay, look, ex-prisoners, you¡¯re now part of the crew¡ªshut up Dramais I¡¯ll address you in a minute¡ªand we¡¯re going to return you to Embassy Island in order to stop all this.¡±

    ¡°Finally¡­¡± Alice said. ¡°I was wondering how long you could sit in that turmoil puddle.¡±

    Vaughan elbowed her.

    ¡°What? I speak the truth!¡±

    ¡°I believe your husband is bemoaning your lack of tact,¡± Lila said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ve already yelled it all to myself at this point.¡±

    ¡°You continue to dream in unreality,¡± Dramais grunted.

    ¡°I said I¡¯d get to you in a minute¡­.¡±

    ¡°I do not care. Your first plan to rid the Tempest of us outsiders was doomed to failure, and this plan to end the fighting is also doomed to failure. Do you really think any of us will stop now? Give you back your lands?¡±

    ¡°All I want is the fighting to stop, you can¡­ you can keep your lands.¡±

    ¡°Oh, like you can negotiate the surrender of all the remaining resistance groups? You? A pirate that no one even knew was involved?¡±

    ¡°I have to try something!¡±

    ¡°You just want to right your wrongs. You can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Well then what do you suggest I do?¡±

    Dramais laughed. ¡°Give up all hope of ever finding a way out. This will never be fixed or made right. Your life is wasted. There is nothing for you to do.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Suro said. ¡°It¡¯s never too late for change. She has come around¡­¡±

    ¡°This changes nothing about what she¡¯s already done! Guilt does not fix anything.¡±

    Suro tilted his head. ¡°Why not?¡±

    Dramais growled¡­ then sighed. ¡°Bah, this is all pointless anyway. Let¡¯s just hurry up and get to Embassy island so you can see how right I am.¡± He paused. ¡°I will give you credit where credit is deserved, Lila.¡±

    ¡°And what is that?¡± Lila asked.

    ¡°You have the respect of your crew. They will follow you to the end.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s good anymore.¡±

    ¡°How¡­¡± Dramais paused, shaking his head. ¡°People think in such strange ways¡­¡±

    They sailed directly to Embassy Island, putting up a flag with three of Dia¡¯s triangles on it, a symbol of surrender. It only took a few hours to arrive. There were dozens of ships of all three powers around the island, and a Kroanite ship was the one to meet them. The officer in charge was a gruff old human who was currently smoking something that let out purple ash.

    He frowned. ¡°Well, this is interesting¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Lila. These are the prisoners that originally started the war. We¡¯re giving them to you in the hopes of ending it. That¡¯s¡­ it, really. If you can find a use for us in ending this war, we will assist in any way we can short of killing our own.¡±

    ¡°¡­Imagine that, it was the pirates who had you all along¡­¡± the man shook his head. ¡°You all¡­ alright?¡±

    ¡°Believe it or not we were treated very well,¡± Alice said. ¡°If I can make a personal request it¡¯s that you don¡¯t execute them and actually accept their offer for help.¡±

    ¡°Hey, they¡¯re surrendering, we have a policy to accept that here without consequence in most cases. Can¡¯t imagine why it wouldn¡¯t apply here.¡± He frowned. ¡°The people on the island might take issue. One of the Keepers was killed by pirates out at sea.¡±

    ¡°¡­Keeper Dimmrivoi¡­?¡± Alice asked.

    ¡°Ah, you know him. Sorry to be the one to inform you.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°It¡­¡± Alice took in a sharp breath. ¡°We have other things to worry about.¡±

    ¡°If the people don¡¯t like us, that is fine,¡± Lila added. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect a warm welcome, just¡­ one to help end all this. Please.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you up to the island and get you settled and inform my superiors. But¡­¡± the old man sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is going to do anything. War¡¯s ongoing, everyone wants more land, especially Vraskal. This war¡¯s about much more than just a bunch of kidnapped people, now.¡±

    ¡°We¡­ know that,¡± Alice said. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve just had a thought. We, as the people who were kidnapped to start this whole thing, can probably leverage that to get our voices heard. We can send something to the Crown that¡¯ll at least be read, a begging for peace from the very people this all started from. And¡­. Dramais? If¡­. You could¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s badly thought out,¡± Dramais said.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s worth a shot, isn¡¯t it? Begging for the fight to stop?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not going to work.¡±

    ¡°But will you at least try with us?¡±

    Dramais fell silent, looking out over the sea. He narrowed his eyes at a distant plume of smoke and tapped one of his hooves. ¡°Do you know about my crew?¡± He asked, suddenly.

    The human nodded. ¡°They were reclaimed in the first week and were immediately set under Captain Jirov.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Dramais turned back to Alice. ¡°Conquest has always been a part of the Empire¡¯s way of life. But these islands¡­ they were mostly beneficial to us as a trading hub, a connection across the sea, the resources here are not many. I have never thought we needed to take this place as our own. And¡­¡± he turned to Lila. ¡°Revenge is a poor motivator for glory.¡±

    ¡°I am more in your debt than I can ever repay, even if this doesn¡¯t work,¡± Lila said.

    ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± Dramais said.

    ¡°¡­I choose to have hope,¡± Suro said. ¡°Hope that it will change something.¡±

    ¡°And I choose to be realistic¡­¡± Dramais hung his head and shook it. ¡°But I can see the comfort the hope gives you, and wish I could do the same.¡±

    ¡°¡­Time is wasting,¡± Alice said, once more addressing the old human. ¡°Take us in, see what we can do.¡±

    The man nodded. ¡°Will do. Follow me, cable¡¯s attached to that ship over there.¡±

    ~~~

    Vaughan was trailing along behind the rest of the group. Envila had turned out to be a far better guide than him, she knew Tin¡¯nit as it was now, not as it used to be. Plus, he hadn¡¯t even been many times when he was last here, just a handful. And considering how drastically things had changed¡­

    Envila was currently showing them around a shop that specialized in the native art of growing plants into specific shapes. The shop mostly displayed art pieces, but the craft was often used for construction of partially living buildings and other larger projects. Jeh was slurping a somewhat small cup of romkar juice¡ªeven that small cup had been quite spendy, though.

    ¡°And take a look at how they decrease the weight of boats by growing romkars inside the planks¡­¡± Envila was talking about a model, but she still had everyone¡¯s rapt attention¡ªexcept Vaughan.

    Vaughan was drifting in his memories. Memories of a happy time in his life that quickly turned sour, but also itself had happy times in it. Long ago he had stopped feeling physical pain from the memories¡­ but emotions still came both positive and negative, almost in equal measure. Beauty and pain¡­ friends and enemies¡­

    ¡°Psst! Vaughan!¡±

    Vaughan looked over at the equivalent of an alleyway, though as this was the Tempest it was more than just a dark space between buildings, as it was overgrown with moss and vines and currently housed an entire nest of small mammals. There was a person in there, barely visible. A very familiar, if older, greater unicorn.

    ¡°Dramais¡­?¡±

    ¡°Vaughan, quiet, and pretend like you don¡¯t see me.¡±

    Vaughan did as instructed, putting his hands on his hips and looking at the sky. ¡°What are your people doing?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s part of what I¡¯m here to tell you.¡±

    ¡°You, betray the Empire?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m betraying the Empire, I think the General is acting without orders.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ oh.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m close enough to him that I know a bit more than the average footsoldier, but this does not strike me as something the Emperor has authorized. I¡¯ve been looking for some way to get this out without suspicion for¡­ a while, but¡­ okay just listen I don¡¯t have much time, and I trust you to know what to do with it. As should probably be obvious, our main goal is not conquest, that¡¯s secondary.¡±

    ¡°What is it, then?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re trying to force the Guardian Spirit out of hiding so we can find the source of her power and take it for ourselves.¡±

    Vaughan paused. ¡°So that¡¯s why she¡¯s not getting involved¡­¡±

    ¡°Come again?¡±

    ¡°I just learned from the elders that she¡¯s specifically refused to get involved this time.¡±

    Dramais was silent for a while. ¡°¡­So we¡¯ve been fighting not only without real orders, but for no reason, that¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure they know to take extra caution not to reveal her position. Dramais, we¡¯ve sent a petition to her, we think we know how to get a message out without exposing anything.¡±

    ¡°Really? ...I¡¯d ask how, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Bounce it off the moon.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t even understand how that¡¯s possible but if anyone can make it work, you can.¡± Dramais paused. ¡°Don¡¯t tell them that I gave them this information, I¡¯m high-ranking. I have done many things that they will know about, and if word gets back to my people¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand, I don¡¯t think we need to know where this came from. ¡­Take care of yourself, Dramais.¡±

    ¡°You too, Vaughan.¡± With that, the greater unicorn receded deeper into the vines and vanished.

    ¡°Hey! Vaughan!¡± Jeh called. ¡°Slowpoke!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly slow¡­¡± Vaughan said, running over. ¡°And there was a purpose to my hanging back. I have new information.¡±

    Envila¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°I was contacted by an old friend¡­ I know what the MIkarol Empire is really after. The Guardian Spirit¡¯s power.¡±

    Envila blinked. ¡°¡­The hubris¡­¡±

    ¡°It may also just be a plan from the General that the Emperor has no idea about. Hence the immense care placed on this information blackout.¡±

    Blue put a hoof to her head. ¡°And I get the feeling it¡¯s somehow even more complicated than it seems now¡­¡±

    Suddenly, there were gasps from the population nearby. Cries of ¡°oh my¡­¡± ¡°are you okay?¡± ¡°Who did this to you?¡±

    It did not take long for the shambling forms of Rina and Rona to appear, breathing heavily and injured. Jeh leaped into action, pulling out her Green and using all the effort she could muster¡ªbut the wounds were too old, they did not heal properly. ¡°We¡­ we need a doctor!¡± Jeh shouted. ¡°Anyone? Anyone?¡±

    ¡°We¡­ have¡­ secrets¡­¡± one of the twins said, pulling out a roll of paper. ¡°Intraveki¡­ it¡¯s in code, probably a simple substitution¡­¡±

    Keller took the note. Envila, meanwhile, immediately took out her emergency supplies and started bandaging up the kids. ¡°You two¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡­ think we¡¯ll be fine¡­¡± one of them said as she sat down, breathing heavily.

    ¡°We made a mistake,¡± the other said. ¡°We came back in a predictable path.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ that kitsune tried to kill two children!?¡± Blue gawked. ¡°How even¡­¡±

    ¡°He lost a tail for his efforts,¡± they said in unison.

    Blue paled. ¡°Wait¡­ you two managed to¡­?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s probably free of his restraints by now, running who knows where.¡± The twin that had spoken shook her head.

    ¡°Rina¡­ I¡­¡±

    Rina looked at her sister in shock. They never used each other¡¯s names. ¡°Rona? Rona, no, you¡¯re fine, we¡¯re making it out of this¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ lost too much¡­ Green¡¯s not useful¡­ vision¡­ getting¡­¡± She grabbed her sister, as both of her arms were working, and no words were exchanged, they simply locked eyes.

    Then Rona lost consciousness.

    Rina took in a sharp breath, clearly trying not to hyperventilate. ¡°Okay. Are there any fairies here?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ haven¡¯t seen any,¡± Envila said. ¡°Given the war, you think I would have.¡±

    ¡°Jeh, hold her in Blue stasis.¡±

    Jeh immediately took out Blue and slowed Rona¡¯s speed down to a crawl. ¡°Okay, but, this won¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to need a miracle, literally,¡± Rina said, matter-of-factly. Then she started shaking. ¡°I¡­ we¡­ we can do this¡­¡± She took in a sharp breath and let it out. ¡°We can do this¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Keeper Dimmrivoi had a ¡°private¡± room in the Sanctuary he was part of. However, he showed it to anyone who so much as asked. Even though he was long dead at this point, Alice and Vaughan did not feel unwelcome as they stepped into the dusty room.

    It was a disorganized mess with papers strewn all about. Plants were growing out of cracks in the floor, and there was a table that, since it was made out of living wood but had no one to manage it, had grown a bit out of control and thrust roots into some of the walls.

    The walls themselves, though, were immaculate. Hundreds of drawings, symbols, and red lines drawn to and from everything. Sketches of the Guardian Spirit¡¯s statues were everywhere, surrounded by numbers scrawled in intricate patterns and question marks. A map of the Tempest had the locations of the statues marked, and a few locations marked with question marks, including the center of the largest volcano. The names of the various tribes were scrawled on one wall, the letters of their makeup in several languages getting rearranged to try and spell other things.

    Then there were the shapes. Dia¡¯s Triangle, Cora¡¯s Square, The Unknown Goddess¡¯ Pentagon, and Eyda¡¯s Hexagon, they were everywhere. Many attempts were made to overlay the shapes over the islands. Dia¡¯s Triangle was plastered everywhere in places of reverence, sometimes with an eye inside of it, usually imposed above the symbol for Ikyu, or above it, or one time two triangles were placed on top of each other in an hourglass shape. Cora¡¯s Square was placed next to a hasty drawing of a black cube covered in more question marks around it than almost everything else on the wall. The Unknown Pentagon was connected to pentagon-shaped pedestals on some of the Guardian Spirit¡¯s statues, as well as a connection to a section of the wall that was completely empty. Eyda¡¯s Hexagon was one time divided into six triangles that seemed decidedly unsettling, and elsewhere the Hexagon was connected to a series of six stone pillars in which a figure that was presumably a dryad was standing.

    ¡°Remember when he went on about the dark dryad theory?¡± Alice said with a chuckle. ¡°Their Glens have the six stones around them, a clear association with Eyda! Clearly, they must come from the darkness!¡±

    ¡°Not that he ever knew what the darkness was,¡± Vaughan said, placing his hand on a picture meant to represent a dark demon. ¡°He¡¯s never even seen one of these.¡±

    ¡°Most people haven¡¯t, not everyone gets Pepper¡¯s tour like we did.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ of course not. Though I wouldn¡¯t exactly consider us lucky.¡±

    ¡°Nightmares for weeks! But they were fun nightmares.¡±

    ¡°To you.¡±

    Alice put an arm around Vaughan. ¡°Exactly, which means you should be happy for me.¡± She tapped him on the nose, smirking.

    ¡°I am, but I have my own concerns as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, he has concerns, what ever will I do to make him care only about me oh woe is me¡­¡±

    ¡°I swear, you get more and more sarcastic with time.¡±

    ¡°Only because you make it harder to get reactions out of you! I¡¯ve dulled you to shock at my antics, I need to come up with more extreme ones.¡±

    ¡°Oh please no¡­¡±

    ¡°You know you like them~!¡±

    Vaughan chose not to answer, instead finding his attention drawn to the area of the conspiracy wall devoted to the Guardian Spirit herself. Questions like ¡®what is she?¡¯ and ¡®who is she?¡¯ were scrawled all around. There was the symbol of the Mikarol Emperor nearby with the caption, ¡°none of the other nations have anything like her.¡±

    Vaughan let out a hum. ¡°Dimmrivoi seemed convinced she existed.¡±

    ¡°DImmrovoi was convinced of many things.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­ I wonder, sometimes,¡± Vaughan said, scratching his beard. ¡°It is unusual for belief in a being like her not to come with direct worship.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps she was based off a legend of a real person?¡± Alice shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s watching over this land. If she was, she would have done something by now.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. Then he sighed. ¡°I would have loved to talk to Dimmrivoi about this, see what he thought, what crazy idea he would push next¡­¡±

    ¡°Dia has him now. You¡¯ll get to ask him eventually. Patience.¡±

    ¡°You? Asking someone else to be patient?¡±

    ¡°Ehe¡­¡±

    ¡°Vaughan! Alice!¡± Suro called to them, running down the stairs to the conspiracy room, Lila right behind him. Lila, notably, was wearing the robes of a Keeper, as she had started working the Sanctuary very shortly after arriving on Embassy Island.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°It worked!¡±

    ¡°What worked?¡±

    ¡°Our message!¡±

    Alice gasped. ¡°Wait, really!?¡±

    ¡°Yes! We didn¡¯t know it, but a few days ago King Redmind himself sent out secret messages! For the last few days one of the islands Kroan had conquered has been being turned into a refugee camp and anyone who wanted to get away from all the fighting could go there and be protected by the Kroan military, no questions asked! They¡¯ve just gone to phase two and are now spreading forces around to protect other islands from being conquered!¡±

    ¡°My goodness¡­ he¡¯s really willing to go that far?¡±

    ¡°Apparently our letter touched his heart or something, or maybe he wasn¡¯t on board with this war in the first place¡­¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a political maneuver,¡± Lila said. ¡°Makes him look like the paragon of virtue, will force the others into stopping so resources will not be wasted, will make everyone come to the table so borders can be drawn¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure, be a downer, I¡¯m happy, something¡¯s being done!¡±

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go to this refugee island,¡± Alice said. ¡°See if we can help.¡±

    ¡°A trip is already being planned,¡± Lila said.

    ¡°Lila, come with us,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°I should¡­¡±

    ¡°Lila. See this through to the end. We¡¯ll welcome you.¡± He extended a paw to her.

    ¡°¡­Suro, you really are something else¡­¡± She met his paw with her own. ¡°I have seen you break down into a shambling mess because you can¡¯t handle the life that¡¯s been given to you, but then you turn around and display the strangest kindness I¡¯ve ever seen¡­ you are somehow in exactly the wrong and right place at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ thanks? I guess?¡±

    ¡°Even I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a compliment or not.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Anyway¡­¡± She glanced around at the conspiracy wall. ¡°¡­That Keeper really was a madman.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but a pleasant one,¡± Vaughan said.

    ~~~

    Tin¡¯nit was developed enough to have a proper hospital staffed with Kroanite wizards, but none of them could wind the clock back further than Jeh could, and so Rona could not simply be healed. Jeh was clearly the best at brute-force slowing her perception of time so even the Blue wizards on staff stood back and let her do her work.

    She had a lot of energy in her and a deep desire to keep this up forever. But Jeh knew that, even though this wasn¡¯t a tremendous drain on her, she would only be able to do it for a few hours, tops, and even if she could cycle off with the Blue wizards¡­ time was still progressing, it hadn¡¯t stopped for Rona. Eventually, the blood loss would take its toll.

    The doctor they had found was a native shadow cat, but rather than wearing the traditional vine garb of the Tempest, he had a little white cap of Kroanite design. His expression was grim as he looked Rina over.

    Only Jeh, Rina, and Vaughan had been allowed in the tiny hospital room.

    ¡°How bad is it?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t have anything I can do for her that¡¯s reliable,¡± the doctor said, sighing. ¡°She¡¯s wasting away. The only shot I can think of is a blood transfusion, which only works randomly unless from a relative, and you, Rina, the perfect donor, definitely don¡¯t have enough blood to give. You should be getting rest.¡±

    Rina shook her head. ¡°No. Can we¡­ take blood from me and use Green to restore it?¡±

    ¡°Extremely dangerous,¡± the doctor said. ¡°When Green doesn¡¯t have the original material around to restore, it tries to anyway, and often fails, making the situation worse¡ªor it could steal blood from someone else and might make it wrong. Biological structures are the most susceptible to this.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s got to be something we can do!¡± Jeh said. ¡°Fairies could heal this¡­¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any. They aren¡¯t a common race in Kroan to begin with.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡± Jeh¡¯s eyes started welling up with tears, but she closed them tightly and kept her focus on her Blue power.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the doctor said. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything.¡± He turned to Rina. ¡°I wish¡­ I could do something for the two of you.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Rina said, clenching her fist.

    ¡°Rina¡­¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re about to say, don¡¯t. Please.¡±

    With a frown, Vaughan left the room and went into the hallway. The hospital wasn¡¯t busy, though the waiting room was rather full with the rest of the group. It was a little odd to think they were in the Tempest right now¡ªthe hospital was decidedly Kroanite in construction and extremely clean, no sign of any living vine walls here.

    Blue winced when she saw Vaughan. ¡°Bad?¡±

    ¡°Bad,¡± Vaughan said, sitting down. ¡°Rina¡¯s right, we need a miracle.¡±

    ¡°I have prayed almost nonstop,¡± Envila said. ¡°They were not fools asking for trouble, and they did much for us. I¡­ hope their time has not yet come, they have much ahead of them. A dream.¡±

    ¡°To conquer the world¡­¡± Blue said, dully.

    ¡°Indeed. I think they will come to realize that they do not truly want what they seek, in time, but they both need to be here for that realization to come.¡± Envila crossed her arms. ¡°Perhaps this is the moment they see the crack in their plan¡­¡±

    Keller grunted. ¡°Moments like this either make people broken or more determined. Could be either.¡±

    Envila nodded in agreement but said nothing, closing her eyes and tilting her head upward.

    Vaughan sat down next to Blue, letting out a deep, pained groan.

    ¡°¡­You sound old,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°I feel old.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not your fault they¡¯re here, Vaughan.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you need to convince yourself of that,¡± Vaughan retorted.

    Blue was taken aback for a moment but then folded her ears back. ¡°Yeah. I just¡­ could we have checked better? Should we have checked better? We could have noticed they weren¡¯t there but it was so exciting and¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who shoulda checked,¡± Keller said. ¡°It was my job. I failed. I¡¯m the reason they¡¯re here.¡± He closed his eyes and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡±

    ¡°Keller¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it ain¡¯t, it is.¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡± Blue frowned. ¡°Even if you are to blame I don¡¯t want to blame you.¡±

    Envila opened her eyes. ¡°There is such a thing as acknowledging the truth of a situation without resentment, you know. Maybe it is his fault. He doesn¡¯t have to be hated or even punished for it. Not even by himself.¡± She gave Keller a knowing expression.

    Keller let out one of his smile-less chuckles. ¡°Ya see right through people, lady. People like ya make my job difficult.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately this isn¡¯t your job we¡¯re concerned about right now, it¡¯s your soul. A failure, even one that results in loss of life, is not the end of the world. For people like us, we are going to experience this more than most, we must come to terms with it.¡±

    Keller said nothing but gave an ever-so-slight nod.

    It was at this moment Elder Smississ walked through the doors of the hospital. ¡°Seems like I¡¯ve arrived not a moment too late. Come. The Guardian Spirit has agreed to meet with you. She has agreed to nothing further.¡±

    Suddenly, Rina stormed out of the private room, eyes bloodshot but face determined. ¡°Will she heal my sister?¡± was her only question.

    ¡°She can.¡± Elder Smississ said.

    ¡°I asked if she will.¡±

    ¡°¡­I cannot say.¡±

    ¡°We need to be careful,¡± Vaughan told the Elder. ¡°I¡¯ve recently learned that the Mikarol Empire¡¯s real goal is the Guardian Spirit.¡±

    ¡°We are already being careful, but to have that confirmed¡­ no matter, we do not have time. Lives are on the line and I am slow. I will send you with the cats. Hurry.¡±

    ¡°Get Rona on a stretcher!¡± Rina called.

    The doctor poked his head out of the room. ¡°What could even¡­¡±

    ¡°Just do it,¡± Elder Smississ told him.

    ~~~

    As expected, King Redmind¡¯s decree to switch Kroanite forces from attacking to defending the Tempest natives caused some problems. This was predicted, which was why they operated in secret for a few days with the transport of people and establishment of the official refugee island. Once it was made public, several tribes were very quick to rush there, as well as people like Vaughan¡¯s group who just wanted to help, forming a place that would be safe from the war for anyone and everyone who wanted, no questions asked. There was no need to submit to Kroan, even, all a visitor had to do was accept that the Kroan fleet would defend the island.

    And so the problems began when a contingent of Mikarol ships showed up armed to the teeth¡­ and the Kroanite ships refused them entry. A dozen ships on either side, cannons pointed at each other, but not a single shot fired. Nobody moved.

    It remained like this for multiple days.

    On the other side of the island, a makeshift ¡°town¡± was forming from various refugees and Kroanites, and a few Shimmers who had been left behind in the chaos. Not a single Vraskalian was present. There was a very small presence of Mikarol soldiers, led by Dramais, but they were a minority and clearly had no intention of starting something unless the situation out at sea exploded. Here it was almost possible to forget that there was a tense standoff that would likely explode in a firefight if even a single person got cannon-happy.

    So far, though, everything had ground to a halt, and the little ¡°town¡± was able to just live for a bit, subsisting off of jungle fruit and Kroanite hover clover rations.

    Lila had ended up with the Keepers, specifically the group that was treating the sick and the injured. Suro, Alice, and Vaughan had taken more active roles in the community with their skills in arcane devices, and she could have done the same with her crew¡­ but she chose not to. Here, running from person to person, exhausting herself with so much injury and death around her, horrifying her at every turn¡­

    ¡­it was more than she deserved really¡­

    ¡°Stop,¡± one of the Keepers said as she was running from place to place.

    ¡°Look, there¡¯s a patient who¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know a woman who hates herself when I see one. Don¡¯t work yourself to death, you hear me?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°The longer you live, the more people you can assist.¡±

    ¡°Keeper, I am¡­¡±

    ¡°We are all sinners, and in this war many of us have become the greatest sinners. Dia sees past that, and we need to see past that too if we are to truly help these people. Now come, let us go help this patient of yours. Calmly.¡±

    Lila forced herself to do as instructed and move more slowly. She wanted to shout at the Keeper, to put him in his place, to demand he let her do what she wanted. But that¡­ that was the Lila that had caused this whole war. That Lila didn¡¯t deserve to exist anymore¡­ but she also needed to keep existing to help the others?

    Her mind couldn¡¯t handle that at the moment so she turned her attention away to herself and to the cat who had just lost a leg, checking on the bandages, the stitches, and everything.

    To live for them.

    An honorable goal, no matter how far in the dark you were¡­

    Lila¡¯s heart settled on it right then and there. She may have been working with the Keepers and taken on their robes, but she was just busying herself. Trying to work herself to absolutely nothing. But now, she knew, she would truly become one of them. Her self, both her desires for power and her desires for her own suffering and punishment, would become irrelevant.

    She would live for everything but herself.

    And right now, these injured people needed her. They needed her to tend to them, and not to exhaust herself until she keeled over.

    Her frantic motions gradually became more methodical, more organized. Her breathing less haggard. Her determination more secure. She would come to accept this change in her being as a minor miracle in the future, that the moment she had given herself away, she had been given everything she needed to press on.

    ¡°You look¡­ better,¡± Suro said on a visit.

    Lila nodded as she wrapped a cat¡¯s face in a bandage, hiding the fact that she¡¯d lost an eye. ¡°Everyone needs me. I can¡¯t fall apart yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­Promise me that you¡¯ll let yourself later.¡±

    Lila paused. ¡°I will. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have a choice. But for now¡­ give me that splint.¡±

    ¡°You got it¡­¡±

    Suddenly, they heard an explosion. The two of them turned their heads to the window, looking out at the sea.

    There were Vraskalian ships. Dozens of them.

    Firing on the settlement.

    ¡°Don¡¯t they know that this place is under the Crown¡¯s protection?¡± Suro gawked.

    ¡°Yes¡­ they do,¡± Lila said, eyes widening. ¡°But they¡¯re all occupied with the Empire in their standoff¡­¡±

    A loud, booming voice rang through all their minds.

    ¡°Any Kroan, Mikarol, or Shimvale citizen who hears these words: stand down and you will not be fired upon. We will take refusal as a sign that you have sided against us and will not hesitate to strike you down. This island is under Vraskalian control as of now.¡±

    ¡°They have a Crystalline One¡­¡± Suro said, starting to tremble.

    ¡°We can¡¯t stand down,¡± Lila said.

    ¡°They might spare us if we surrender¡­¡±

    ¡°The natives weren¡¯t mentioned in that ultimatum, they won¡¯t be. Remember how brutal Vraskal has been for seemingly no reason.¡± She frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t understand them, Mikarol and Kroan were fighting for political reasons and assets, what is their purpose¡­?¡±

    The few forces that the refugee camp did have moved to face the Vraskalian army despite being outnumbered¡ªeven Dramais¡¯ troop, no doubt at their Captain¡¯s command, rose to the challenge. The ships were destroyed almost immediately, but the bulk of the refugee camp was further inland. Troops had to be landed, and there would be a battle¡­

    Lila spotted Dramais, Vaughan, and Alice running. Not toward the fight, but away¡ªyet none of them looked scared. They were not fleeing¡­ clearly they had some other plan.

    Apparently, the Vraskalians noticed them, because a few of the occulari were sent after them specifically, drifting through the air right at them.

    Alice laughed and held up her scepter, sending out a pulse of Magenta. The primarily magical bodies of the occulari disintegrated, leaving only their solid pupils inside. There were a few qorvids that were attacking as well, but Dramais took them on¡ªhe started spinning his Yellow blade so rapidly it looked like a bright Yellow circle, and several of the qorvids stared at it dumbly and fell out of the sky unceremoniously. Those who were not entranced pushed forward, only to find that the blade was in absolute control under Dramais¡¯ telekinesis and could cut through them easily.

    Vaughan was trying to fight as well, and while Red was the most combat-applicable of the Colors, it wasn¡¯t exactly as flashy as the other two. He did light a few people on fire.

    All this to say, the three of them managed to complete their flight, leaving the battle behind to rush through the jungle to the other side of the island.

    ¡°I wonder what their plan is¡­¡± Suro said.

    ¡°Presumably something desperate,¡± Lila added. ¡°Come, there¡¯s going to be more injured, you¡¯re my nurse now.¡±

    ¡°Your what?¡±

    ¡°Move it, Suro!¡±

    ¡°C-coming!¡±

    ~~~

    Rona was continually kept in Blue stasis. This made it somewhat awkward to move her, but Jeh was able to adjust her magic with a little force of will. For Rona, time moved at a crawl, not that she was aware of it in her unconscious state. Envila and Vaughan carried her in a stretcher while Rina walked alongside them. Rina was not doing too well either, but she had not lost anywhere near as much blood and was able to remain upright on the journey.

    Jeh was riding Blue, allowing her to give her full focus on Rona¡¯s stasis. Keller stood at the back of the group, watching for anything that might be following them, along with several cats. It was not one cat they were traveling with, but four, and only two of them were the normal cat race, one was a shadow cat, and another a metallic shard cat. Every last one of them had their eyes open and were careful in their movements¡ªbut they were also fast. The presence of a critically injured child gave some urgency to the situation.

    Few words were exchanged as they made their way into the jungle¡­ and then out of it, toward the center of the island.

    ¡°I¡¯ve decoded the message,¡± Rina said, holding up the paper.

    ¡°What¡¯s it say?¡± Keller asked.

    To literally anyone:

    It¡¯s Intraveki. Maybe warn me before you start a war next time, hmm? I could have died!

    There is a chance this message gets intercepted, so I will be brief.

    There is a plan to get information out of the Tempest¡­

    ¡°And then it goes on to just describe our plan,¡± Rina said. ¡°Nothing else in it. The only information in here that we didn¡¯t already have is that Intraveki was somehow part of the group that is responsible for the war, but we could have deduced that simply by him trying to get our plan out. This¡­¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s a Shimmer, not a Mikarolian. I¡¯m not sure what it means.¡±

    ¡°That they wanted the war as well?¡± Vaughan suggested.

    Keller shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t make no sense, the few here are fightin¡¯ with the natives. Intraveki was a revolutionary, too¡­ supposedly wantin'' t¡¯ liberate people, not enslave them.¡±

    ¡°I knew it would get more complicated,¡± Blue said. ¡°But, right now, that doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re here to get help for Rona.¡± Blue paused, realizing it felt so weird to actually be able to identify who was who for once. It was not a pleasant feeling.

    As they moved further and further from the jungle, there were only a handful of plants, and most of them were thorns of romkar plants. The fruit here grew big and bright, but as it was attached to so much rock the buoyant force did nothing¡ªthough, rarely, enough would grow enough fruit in one place that it would lift a new sky island into the air. There was also evidence of lava flow around, large black rocks frozen mid-flow down the volcano.

    To everyone¡¯s shock, as they went further and further into the island, and the romakar thorns got denser and denser¡­ the thorns started moving to allow them passage.

    ¡°The Guardian Spirit awaits,¡± one of the cats said.

    The thorns started to close behind them as they moved¡­ and suddenly someone behind them shouted an expletive in Mikarolian. With alarming speed and great strain, he managed to jump through the vines the instant before they closed, skidding to a stop with barely enough control to avoid falling over. He was a black greater unicorn with a Yellow blade, wearing no armor.

    ¡°¡­Dramais¡­?¡± Vaughan said, confused. ¡°What are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Trying to be stealthy and failing due to unexpected moving thorns¡­¡± Dramais said, drawing his Yellow blade. ¡°Looks like the gig is up.¡±

    Vaughan''s expression darkened. ¡°¡­So is anything you told me true?¡±

    ¡°He was your source!?¡± One of the cats spat.

    ¡°I know him from before, I thought I could¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the current General of the forces assaulting us!¡±

    Vaughan blinked, turning to stare at Dramais in shock. ¡°What¡­ you¡­ nothing you told me was a lie, was it?¡±

    ¡°No. The Emperor has no idea.¡±

    ¡°Then why? Why¡­¡± Vaughan narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve learned something, you think you can take the Guardian Spirit¡¯s power.¡±

    Dramais smirked. ¡°You are smart, Vaughan, but not quite smart enough. I really had hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to this, but¡­¡±

    Everyone readied themselves for a fight¡­ except the cats.

    Dramais looked at them in confusion. ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Fighting is pointless,¡± one of the cats said. ¡°The Guardian Spirit will see you and decide your fate. I expect death or something much worse.¡±

    Dramais smirked. ¡°Oh, you think I don¡¯t have some kind of special plan or ploy?¡±

    Keller smirked. ¡°Whatever plan ya had, ya wanted t¡¯ be sneaky. Ya don¡¯t got that no more¡­ and you¡¯re outnumbered. ¡­Search him.¡±

    Dramais looked for a moment like he was going to try to fight his way through them¡­ but he relented. His blade was taken from him. He had nothing else on him, he had forgone his armor in favor of stealth.

    ¡°Smash the blade,¡± Vaughan ordered. ¡°He can get under your skin in more ways than one with it.¡±

    The cats worked together to bend and shatter the Yellow crystal.

    Dramais sighed. ¡°My sword keeps getting broken¡­ too bad Suro¡¯s not here to fix it, eh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad he doesn¡¯t have to be here to see this,¡± Vaughan muttered. ¡°Come on, we need to move.¡±

    ¡°Vaughan¡­¡± Blue said. ¡°Can you explain what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time¡­ but I can try. I can tell you who Dramais¡­ was.¡±

    ¡°I am the same man, Vaughan,¡± Dramais said.

    ¡°You worked with us to stop the last one, why are you starting one now!? Why are you going under the Emperor¡¯s nose!?¡±

    ¡°Really simple; power.¡±

    ¡°And how¡¯s that going for you?¡±

    ¡°Well, seeing as I¡¯ve been caught and am being marched to my death¡­ not all that well. But I had to try something, you clearly actually had a way to get a message out, and that would ruin everything. Didn¡¯t plan for¡­ living vines¡­¡± He glared at the romkar thorns all around them. ¡°Stupid plant.¡±

    Rina glared at him. ¡°I think you¡¯ve still got a plan.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve destroyed my sword, I¡¯m being led to my judgment, what could I possibly do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But you¡¯ve got a backup somewhere. Maybe you just want to see the Guardian Spirit, and that¡¯s all that¡¯ll be required¡­¡±

    ¡°Kid, that doesn¡¯t make any sense, what could I do just by seeing the Guardian Spirit?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you think you can get a message to a Crystalline One you have, or something,¡± Vaughan said.

    The cats chuckled. ¡°The Guardian Spirit can scramble all magic. Do not worry. Information will not leave unless someone leaves with it. It does not matter if it is a Colored crystal, an attribute, or anything else, nothing he can possibly do can surpass her at this point.¡±

    Dramais frowned. ¡°Surely¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s the realization of hubris,¡± Envila said. ¡°She has power beyond your comprehension, Dramais, did you really think you could take her?¡±

    ¡°¡­Then why is she hiding?¡±

    A cat glared at Vaughan. ¡°You told him that!?¡±

    ¡°I trusted him!¡± Vaughan retorted.

    ¡°Maybe those Kroanites are right, we need better security¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I think we need to understand who Dramais is,¡± Blue said. ¡°So, Vaughan, if you would?¡±

    Vaughan sighed. As they continued to travel through the moving and winding thorns, he told them what he knew of the once-Captain Dramais¡­ it would not be a pleasant tale to remember, but it was long past time to do so.

    ~~~

    Vaughan, Alice, and Dramais ran as fast as they could across the island. Now that they were not in active combat, they could afford to accelerate themselves with Blue. However, Vaughan and Alice weren¡¯t the most experienced with it, so they sometimes pushed it too far and started lighting themselves on fire, which they had to stop to put out. Already several dark marks were forming on their robes. Dramais¡¯ armor was completely unaffected, but it slowed him enough that he was roughly the same speed as the two running wizards.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    It was several minutes of running and gasping for breath for the three of them, but for the outside world the Blue got them there in seconds.

    ¡°What in the¡­?¡± a Kroan slime in a small boat said upon seeing them arrive at the shore. ¡°What do you¡­?¡±

    ¡°The Vraskalians are attacking the opposite coast!¡± Vaughan shouted. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough forces!¡±

    ¡°¡­The sneaky shadowy mongrels!¡± The slime spat. ¡°We can¡¯t really do much right now, as you can see! If we move, the Empire moves in!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to speak to the General,¡± Dramais said. ¡°Just take us to him.¡±

    ¡°¡­But that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°We do not have time, slime!¡± Dramais shouted. ¡°The longer we wait the more death occurs at the hands of those Vraskalians!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay! Get in!¡±

    The slime somehow managed to ripple his membrane in such a way as to move the boat off the shore and toward the Kroanite fleet. ¡°Vraskalians have attacked the other side! I repeat, Vraskalians have attacked the other side! We are going to the Mikarol Fleet to negotiate! I repeat¡­¡±

    The Kroanite soldiers on the boats they passed clearly got the message and everyone started scrambling. However, even though the warriors of the Empire could clearly hear the same message, they made no move. They would not without orders, not in a situation like this.

    ¡°I am Captain Dramais of the thirty-seventh company, and this is Alice and Gideon Vaughan, names you should know well. I request an audience with the General concerning the military situation.¡±

    ¡°You have that right,¡± another warrior said. ¡°Bring them aboard. Leave the slime.¡±

    Vaughan, Dramais, and Alice were led onto the lead ship of the Mikarol fleet, and were taken directly to the meeting room. It had several people in it, all in full armor, but one was clearly the general; even though he was in full humanoid armor he was clearly a rigid of some sort as his limbs whirred when he moved, and his helmet was far wider than anyone else¡¯s, with a rectangular shape. Through the eye slits they could make out a soft blue glow.

    ¡°Apparently the Vraskalian dogs have decided to ignore the unspoken truce,¡± the General said. ¡°I am only slightly surprised.¡±

    Dramais put his front hoof to his chest. ¡°General.¡±

    ¡°Captain. Be at ease.¡± The general sat down in his chair and folded his arms together. ¡°As much as you can be.¡±

    ¡°I am here to plead.¡±

    ¡°No doubt you are. I suspect I know what you want. Your heart goes out to those people you have spent so much time with and you wish to see less pain, so you wish us to join forces with Kroan to defy the Vraskalians in a great battle.¡±

    ¡°They have insulted us by going behind our backs.¡±

    ¡°Indeed they have, Dramais, but we have bigger concerns.¡±

    ¡°Our honor will be¡ª¡±

    ¡°Our honor is only one of them. My primary concern is that such an action will trigger a vast war. Until now this conflict has remained in the Tempest. Taking such action may result in a far wider conflict. Vraskal borders the Empire, Dramais, they will be able to inflict much damage.¡± He tapped his fingers on the table. ¡°I need a reason to justify possibly starting a major war over this. I do not think you have one.¡±

    ¡°Some of your people are already there, being attacked,¡± Dramais pointed out.

    ¡°As much as I want to grind those Vraskalian stalkers into dust for their arrogance, we can reasonably claim they were independent powers and that their actions do not reflect on the whole of the Empire. This is nearly unacceptable but in the game of war we have to balance lives.¡±

    ¡°I know this, General,¡± Dramais said. ¡°But I think the balance shifts the other way, in this case.¡±

    ¡°And you have yet to convince me otherwise,¡± the General said. ¡°I must apologize, but your request for us to go to battle against Vraskal has been denied.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ how about this?¡± Alice asked, stepping forward. ¡°What if you just promise not to attack the island?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m listening.¡±

    ¡°If Kroan wasn¡¯t occupied with you, we could go to the other side and fight the Vraskalians. I know we will go to our people¡¯s aid, and Vraskal is across the ocean from Kroan. Just promise that you won¡¯t attack; recognize the island as Kroan territory.¡±

    Vaughan stared at her, eyes wide. ¡°Wow, I hadn¡¯t thought of that¡­¡±

    Alice gave him a smug smile. ¡°Sometimes I impress myself!¡±

    ¡°¡­Easier to justify, but still difficult,¡± the General said, folding his fingers together. ¡°We have been laying siege on this island for days. We would have to admit defeat.¡±

    Dramais pushed on Alice¡¯s idea. ¡°But we admit defeat all the time in regular war, a single battle lost does not ruin our honor beyond recovery. And the battle that begins will potentially be a decisive battle in this war, rather than a slaughter, that might bring everyone to the table to talk and finally decide where everything goes, what land is whose. Give a little bit of land, and Kroan will thank you in return. The alliance that has been tested in this time will become strengthened.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ is a far better proposal¡­¡±

    ¡°Simply let us take the fall for you,¡± Alice said. ¡°Please. All we need is your word that you won¡¯t attack. That is all. But hurry, we do not have a ton of time.¡±

    The General tapped his finger on the table. Then, with great bravado, he stood up. ¡°I hereby declare in the name of the Emperor and the Empire itself that we, the Mikarol Fleet of the Tempest, wi¡ª¡±

    An explosion went off in the middle of the meeting room, engulfing everything in a wave of heat and metal shrapnel from the structure of the craft itself. The entire ceiling was blown off, blood sprayed everywhere before being cooked into a brown char, and cries of agony went up to the sky before being cut brutally short.

    Vaughan kept hold of his scepter and surrounded himself in Green. This did not fully cure everything, it couldn''t remove the physical metal beam running through his leg, but it got him healthy enough to properly scream at the pain.

    The ship was a mess, with beams of metal twisted at unusual angles, people impaled with flaming spikes that were being put out by other Mikarol soldiers, and there was a noxious smell in the air of burning flesh. The General had somehow been split into two pieces, sparks flying from the one part Vaughan could see.

    Vaughan moved to heal the person closest to him next, Alice, who was lying on her back with blood running down the back of her head. Dramais next, and then some other Mikarol soldiers, and then¡­

    ¡­then he realized that, even healed, Alice wasn¡¯t moving.

    ¡°Alice¡­?¡± Vaughan, despite his leg being skewered by a metal beam, reached over to his wife and turned her over.

    Her body was pristine, healed properly, and not impaled by anything. Her face was beautiful, her hair whipped in the breeze, and a triumphant smile was fixed on her face.

    There was no life in her eyes.

    ¡°No¡­ no no no no,¡± the words soon stopped being coherent as they flew from his lips and tears started running down his beard. He could say nothing, do nothing, and the pain in his leg entirely vanished as he held the form of the person most precious to him in all the world.

    She had been so close to saving everything with her idea¡­ so¡­ so close¡­ and now¡­

    ¡°We have been assaulted!¡± Dramais shouted, lifting his sword up high. ¡°Those of you who were here, the timing cannot be denied! Our General¡¯s order was suppressed before it could be given! I will make no claims as to what that order would have been, for to do so would be folly. But what I will say is that there was only one group who would gain from silencing the order; Vraskal. I am putting my honor on the line¡ªthey have assaulted us, thinking they could keep us away from them! I say this has been a step too far¡ªthey think they can stop us? Well, they thought wrong! We will not just stand back and let this assassination slide, we will ride into their fleet and tear them limb from limb! For the Glory of the Empire!¡±

    ¡°FOR THE GLORY OF THE EMPIRE!¡± The rest of the warriors shouted. Now everyone scrambled like the Kroanites. It was time for war.

    Dramais turned his head to the other surviving members of the meeting. ¡°I have put my honor on the line. If you wish to contest me, now is the time to do so.¡±

    A higher-ranking officer chuckled. ¡°I won¡¯t complain if you take the fall instead of one of us.¡±

    ¡°You may be considered complacent.¡±

    ¡°Still on the hook for less than you at this point. Hope it goes well for you, Captain.¡±

    Dramais nodded. Then, and only then, did he turn to Vaughan. Using his blade, he carefully cut the iron bar from Vaughan¡¯s leg. ¡°She will not die in vain, my friend. I will see to that.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t do something¡­ she would hate¡­¡± Vaughan blubbered.

    ¡°I fight for the people her heart cried for in addition to the Empire,¡± Dramais said, turning his head to the sea. ¡°I will make her proud.¡±

    ~~~

    When Vaughan reached that moment, he broke down. ¡°W-what if she could see you now, Dramais? What would she say?¡±

    Dramais tried to keep his face stern as they continued to walk through the romkar thorns, but this blow was hard enough to make him visibly grimace. ¡°She would be absolutely horrified and disgusted, Vaughan, I think you know that.¡±

    ¡°And you can just disrespect her memory like that?¡±

    ¡°While I have an immense amount of respect for Alice and what she did, her legacy is not the most important one.¡±

    ¡°What is, then? Huh? The Empire?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I am a career soldier who has served the Empire from birth until now!¡± Dramais stamped his foot.

    ¡°And yet the Emperor doesn¡¯t know about any of this! You¡¯re a traitor to that as well! Dramais¡­ what happened to you¡­?¡±

    Dramais turned away. ¡°I¡¯ve seen things, Vaughan. I¡¯ve learned things. Seen¡­ what can happen if things go too far.¡±

    ¡°¡­You sound insane,¡± Blue observed.

    ¡°Maybe I am. But I am sure of what I do, even if it has failed. Go on, lead me to my judgment. I suspect it is not much further.¡±

    ¡°To some,¡± the cat said. ¡°To others¡­ well, at the very least, you¡¯re about to feel something.¡±

    One by one, they all felt as though a slippery, slimy membrane passed over them, despite seeing absolutely nothing, and looking back at the way they came they saw nothing change.

    Dramais paused.

    ¡°Any clever ploy you may have had is pointless,¡± a cat said. ¡°All magic is now known to her.¡±

    ¡°Her power truly is incredible¡­¡±

    ¡°Beyond what you can know.¡±

    They continued on. The romkar vines moved a lot more now that they were past the membrane. Some specifically lashed out at Dramais as he passed, but never struck him. Others actively grew out of the ground and stroked the injured form of Rona with extreme care. Another thorny protrusion erupted from the ground and started carrying Rina, somehow not stabbing her with a single thorn. ¡°W-woah¡­¡± Rina stammered.

    ¡°She sees your plight,¡± one of the cats said.

    ¡°This is a good sign,¡± another added.

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she just come out to meet us?¡± Dramais asked.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Keller asked. ¡°So whoever ya have trynna watch from outside don¡¯t see it.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t she just stop that too with her power?¡± Dramais snorted.

    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not,¡± Envila offered. ¡°Perhaps she is slightly paranoid. Though you have given her good reason to be.¡±

    ¡°If she was paranoid she¡¯d just have me killed.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she has some use for you.¡±

    Dramais had no response to this.

    They eventually came to what appeared to be a solid rock wall. Without warning, it was as though the wall was suddenly on both sides of them, and the sky was blotted out, and then they were inside a cavern with the wall behind them.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Blue said. ¡°That¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ huh?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not even the most impressive thing she can do,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°What kind of attribute is this?¡±

    ¡°Since she¡¯s a unique creature, I¡¯m not sure it can be called an attribute¡­¡±

    ¡°What is she, then?¡±

    Vaughan shrugged.

    They continued their way, now through a completely enclosed cavern. Blue realized that she could see, but there were no torches¡­ light was somehow coming from the rocky walls themselves. As they went deeper in, once again they saw the romkar thorns, but they also saw entirely different sorts of plants that had bright blue auras around them, trailing up and down the cavern walls. They rang with pleasant, alien notes.

    Slowly, the ground below them became clear, but felt just the same as any other rock. Below them were flows of lava, yet they did not even feel the heat. Soon, the walls and ceiling followed suit, clearing up, revealing lava to be everywhere around them, flowing all around, easily visible through the clear rock and mysterious plants. They could see the system or roots that were the romkar plants, threading through the invisible soil, not a single portion burned, but also not a single fruit growing this deep into the mountain.

    Jeh started fidgeting, getting uncharacteristically nervous. She glared at the lava with¡­ distrust.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t even begin to explain this¡­¡± Blue said.

    ¡°The world holds many mysteries,¡± Envila said.

    ¡°Wanderlust said the past sought the answers of magic rather than space¡­¡± Rina said, putting a hand to one of the walls as the thorns carried her, wonder in her eyes. ¡°I¡­ I wonder if this is one of those mysteries¡­¡±

    They soon arrived at their destination. An almost spherical cavern constructed out of the strangely clear rock, threaded with both romkar thorns and the blue plants. The floor, however, was solid, and cut the spherical cavern in two. The material it was made out of was a shimmering metal that changed the colors it reflected seemingly randomly to every hue in the rainbow, glinting with no pattern and yet striking beauty.

    In the very center of this cavern was a green orb. It glowed, but it was not Green¡ªit was a foresty, verdant color. It was smaller than Jeh¡¯s fist.

    Once all of them were in the cavern, it suddenly expanded in size to about that of a person. Five darker green eyes appeared in the center of the orb, without pupils, but these eyes fused into three, and then the middle one closed until there were only two eyes. Then a pair of wings emerged from the back of the orb, splayed wide, but not flapping. Within these wings there was suddenly texture. Sparks like stars whirled through the ethereal feathers, large spheres with rings surrounding them danced around each other in patterns that Blue quickly recognized as mathematical. Shapes of all kinds sparked off the orbs before dissipating, the dominant shape being that of a pentagon.

    A body slowly began to take shape beneath the orb and wings, forming into two arms and legs with gauntlet forms similar to those of a gari¡­ and there was also a tail, but it had a hand at the end of it that was almost comically large.

    For a single moment, there was a burst of light. In that instant Blue saw lines stretching off to infinity with numerous arcs of light between them crossing at every angle imaginable, spreading far into the lava yet still possible to see for they were far more important. Blue felt as though the very life in her body was rejuvenated just from the vision itself.

    But then the vision was gone, and all that remained was the glowing humanoid gari-like creature with a handed tail and a strange orb-like head.

    ¡°Welcome,¡± she said in a completely normal-sounding voice that made Blue double-take. She waved her tail-hand and generated a chair out of the blue plants, sitting down in it. ¡°I am the Guardian Spirit of the Tempest. This is my personal Sanctum.¡±

    ~~~

    Vaughan could not stay with his wife in the heat of battle, and he knew it. He also knew he could not ask them to dock to let him off, for time was of the essence¡ªhe was lucky that a Green bladecaster had been experienced enough to fully heal his leg. So he took her below decks and set her on an empty bed. He gently pushed her hair out of her eyes and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

    That triumphant smile was still on her face.

    ¡°Did you somehow know it was going to work no matter what?¡± Vaughan asked. ¡°Did you¡­ did you have faith?¡±

    She was silent.

    ¡°How can¡­. How can I have faith? You¡­ you were the one leading me. I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    Her triumphant smile was her only response. But it was all Vaughan needed.

    He needed to see this through.

    He quickly returned to the deck of the ship, standing by Dramais. The Mikarol ships moved side-by-side with the Kroan ones, all going for a single target¡ªthe attacking Vraskalian fleet.

    The Vraskalians knew they were coming. This was not unexpected, if they really had planted the bomb, they would have been watching very closely. This was good, actually, since it meant they had recalled much of their forces from the island itself in order to wage a proper naval battle.

    Dramais levitated a metallic cone to his mouth to project his voice. ¡°I am not giving you any chances, Vraskal! You have assassinated our General, and for that we will strike you down! You can either face us¡­ or run!¡±

    ¡°We will not run,¡± the voice of a Crystalline One came to them. ¡°We will face you, fools. In the ensuing desolation perhaps you will finally understand our pain.¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡­?¡± Vaughan said, tilting his head. ¡°Their pain?¡±

    ¡°They always go on about that,¡± Dramais grumbled. ¡°Life is hard in Vraskal, the land desolate. The Emperor thinks it makes them respectable. I think it makes them depressed wallowers that want to bring everyone else down to their level. They cry and moan and beat their chests, but they are so proud as to think that since they have survived the worst of the worst, that makes the rest of us worthy of derision.¡±

    ¡°That is¡­ not the impression I got.¡±

    ¡°Most of them here are those who left that way of thinking behind, but their leaders¡­ their leaders are a different sort.¡± He growled. ¡°They are going to give us no pleasure, and Vraskalians rarely surrender. This will be brutal even with our numbers.¡±

    ¡°¡­But it¡¯s going to end it.¡±

    ¡°This will probably be the last major battle of this war, one way or another. But it could just end up in a larger war expanding far beyond the Tempest¡­¡± Dramais shook his head. ¡°I hope I made the right call.¡±

    ¡°¡­I trust you, Dramais. I think you did. We stand united. If larger war does break out¡­ we will come to your aid after this.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now, Vaughan, if you cannot fight, I understand¡­¡±

    ¡°I am seeing this through.¡±

    Dramais nodded. ¡°I hope you come out the other side, friend.¡±

    ¡°You too.¡±

    The ships finally got into firing range.

    It was chaos. Bloody, unrestrained, violent chaos. Ships exploded. A Red Crystalline One melted the armor of dozens. Wizards threw volleys of spells left and right. The occulari gave everyone visions of torture that they then proceeded to exact upon those who could not handle the sights. Waves formed in the usually calm ocean. Armored warriors were thrown into the waters only to sink to the bottom with no one to help them.

    Yet, even so, there was hope. The few ships that had not been destroyed on the attack of the refugee camp set out to the water¡ªmostly native-built dinghies that had been ignored, but they carried in them soldiers, wizards, and natives who wanted to fight in what was clearly going to be the last battle.

    In the end, through chance, happenstance, and bizarre events, the great stand of the Tempest saw the natives, Kroanites, and the Mikarol Empire fighting the Vraskalians as one.

    It should have been easy. They had the numbers, they had the unity, they had superior military training, and they had a variety of approaches.

    But it wasn¡¯t.

    More of the united front¡¯s ships were sinking than Vraskalian ships, and Vraskalian ships kept maneuvering in unusual ways, somehow predicting the motions of ships that didn¡¯t even know their course¡­

    ¡°How are they¡­?¡±

    ¡°Seers!¡± Lila shouted from aboard her ship, which was definitely not supposed to be out here in the condition it was in, but the sea serpent was able to support it and drag it along. On board was Suro and most of her crew. ¡°They have seers, they can see the future! They must have a lot of them if they¡¯re this good at it!¡±

    ¡°Do we have any!?¡± Drmaias asked.

    ¡°Unfortunately, no!¡±

    Dramais let out a swear in MIkarolian. ¡°We¡¯ve got to figure something out! How can you beat people who can see the future without being able to do it yourself?¡±

    ¡°Overwhelming force!¡± Lila shouted. ¡°Fred?¡±

    ¡°You got it!¡± Fred poked his head over the edge of the ship. ¡°Hey, little friend¡­ destroy everything!¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The Red Crystalline One said, appearing in the air in front of them. ¡°Do you really think we did not know of your secret asset?¡± The water began to boil around the ship.

    Fred gasped. ¡°Run, girl, she¡¯s going to cook you!¡±

    The sea serpent looked hesitant for a moment, but then relented, fleeing through the waves.

    ¡°You save a serpent at the cost of your own lives,¡± the Red Crystalline One said, lighting the now-sinking ship on fire. ¡°It was you who should have ru¡ª¡±

    Dramais rammed his blade through the Red Crystalline One¡¯s facets, shattering her in two, though, naturally, his sword broke as well. He levitated the hilt back to him and glared at it. ¡°Never fails¡­¡±

    Vaughan used Orange to levitate the large chunks of Red over to him. He may not have been much of a combatant, but he was a Red wizard, and he knew some tricks. One of the greatest weaknesses of Red was that it could only heat, not cool, and the cooling problem was the bane of wizards everywhere. However, there were a few clever workarounds. For instance, Red could be used to put out fire if there was a large volume of water nearby¡­ such as the ocean.

    Vaughan created a ring of heat around the burning ship, immediately converting vast quantities of the ocean into steam. The steam lifted into the air, increasing the humidity around the boat to absurd levels, to the point where the boiled water rained down, damping the flames.

    The ship was still ruined without the sea serpent, but now that it was burning significantly less, Lila could order everyone off and onto Dramais¡¯ ship.

    ¡°I thought you were with the Keepers tending the wounded¡­?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°When I saw everyone leaving on the ships¡­ I knew I had a way to get mine running,¡± Lila said, sheathing her claws¡ªthey were covered in blood. ¡°I may hate this now, but I am good at fighting. I can help.¡±

    ¡°She has already,¡± Suro added. ¡°And it looks like your plan worked!¡±

    ¡°Not that we¡¯re winning,¡± Dramais growled. ¡°It feels like they¡¯re cheating¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± Suro paused. ¡°¡­Where¡¯s Alice?¡±

    Vaughan shook his head, turning away from Suro. It was time to focus on the battle right now, not¡­ that.

    ¡°Vaughan¡­¡±

    ¡°Later.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Lila said. ¡°Later.¡± She took in a sharp breath. ¡°Okay, so, they know what moves we¡¯re going to make, and being random won¡¯t help. We are losing because of this¡­ we need to find a way to find their seers.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Vaughan asked. ¡°Most people aren¡¯t even convinced they really exist! They could be anyone, it¡¯s not like an attribute or anything! It¡­¡± He paused. ¡°But¡­ but it might be magic, it might be scrambled¡­¡±

    Dramais turned to the crew. ¡°Find as many Magenta bladecasters as you can! Put them on the front lines and get them to scramble everything!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡±

    Suddenly, all of them looked up to see a black occulari floating in front of them.

    ¡°We have seen your defeat,¡± the occulari said. ¡°Nothing can stop us now. We will take this island for Vraskal, and you will all learn, those of you who do not perish.¡±

    ¡°What is your problem!?¡± Lila shouted. ¡°Why are you so¡­ so brutal?¡±

    ¡°We are simply returning to the world what it gave to us. Suffer as we have, until the books are balanced.¡±

    And then the main island¡¯s volcano erupted.

    It was not a normal eruption. The lava did not come out in awkward spurts and flows, nor was it an explosion followed by a ton of smoke. No, a full stream of molten rock launched into the air, sailing into the sky far higher than should have been physically possible. Green light intertwined around the lava, twisting around it in a double helix pattern. This pattern somehow diverted the lava flow across the Tempest and all the way to the war zone. The massive plume of lava crashed into the sea, taking several Vraskalian ships with it.

    A massive cloud of steam began to form from the immense heat, but this steam was quickly dissipated by a bright flash of green.

    An orb with five eyes easily larger than any one of the ships dominated the view. It had five glorious wings that seemed to be windows into another realm entirely, sparkling with stars and rings and orbs spinning around each other in intricate patterns beyond Vaughan¡¯s understanding. They had depth that should not have been there, and lines that extended out from them with neon power stretched off into infinity, beyond even the Wall, according to Vaughan''s eyes.

    Molten globs of rock emerged from the sea, spinning around the green entity, forming into large blades that looked as though they were made out of thorns, despite their entire makeup being molten rock. Translucent green plants appeared, not wholly real, over the entire battlefield; flowers that were somehow both serene and threatening. The water itself lost all waves and became so calm it was unnatural, one could almost mistake it for ice.

    ¡°I have had enough,¡± the Guardian Spirit said in her very normal voice that nonetheless reached everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°I tried to let you be yourselves. To let you work out your hatred. And at this moment, I was hopeful that it would finally be over. But then a hatred and a cruelty I do not understand perpetuated it, one that, as far as I can tell, just wants to see the world burn out of a misguided sense of injustice. Well, if that is how you want to balance your books, I will not permit it.¡±

    There was utter and complete silence. Several people dropped to a knee and bowed to the Guardian Spirit, and it wasn¡¯t just natives, several warriors and others were doing the same. Her presence was just so all-encompassing, so incredible, so big. It made everyone else feel small and insignificant.

    Whatever she was, there was no doubt in anyone¡¯s mind that she could end all of them in an instant without even breaking a sweat.

    There was no more fighting. Not even the Vraskalians dared oppose her. But there was little done for the longest time, for most were simply taken in by her presence.

    Vaughan could not stop staring at her. He could not understand what she was. But his heart trembled in her presence.

    ~~~

    Vaughan stepped forward. Even now, with the Guardian Spirit in this smaller, more friendly form, his heart still trembled. ¡°Oh¡­ Guardian Spirit, we beg of you¡­¡±

    ¡°The child is already healed,¡± she said, gesturing at Rona coughing and standing up, only for Jeh and Rina to pull her into an extremely tight hug.

    ¡°Okay, I know I almost died, but¡­¡± Rona gagged. ¡°I need to breathe¡­¡±

    ¡°Breathing is secondary, hug is now,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Mmf¡­¡±

    The Guardian Spirit continued to address Vaughan. ¡°Even if you gain nothing from this meeting, I hope that will be enough to make the journey worth it.¡±

    Vaughan fell to a knee. ¡°Th-thank you, it makes it far more than enough¡­¡±

    A smile formed on the Guardian Spirit¡¯s unusually smooth face. ¡°Good. I¡¯m glad to see that character in you, Vaughan.¡±

    ¡°It¡­ it almost feels shameful to ask you for anything else¡­¡±

    ¡°And yet what you request is mostly not for your sake, but for the sake of my islands.¡± The Guardian Spirit folded her hands together and tilted her head. ¡°Send a message to the Moon so it can be sent to Kroan without revealing my presence? A clever idea. I even believe it will work.¡±

    ¡°Will you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± she glanced at Dramais. ¡°Am considering it. But I am no god, despite how many of my people treat me. I cannot know for sure what the conspiracy surrounding me is. I am¡­ considering it, even as I talk to you and learn of who you are.¡± She drifted over to the Sourdough Twins and Jeh. The hug had broken up at this point and the twins were testing out their now completely healed arms and legs¡­ and had danced around each other enough to once again confuse people as to which was which.

    ¡°Such determined souls¡­¡± the Guardian Spirit said. ¡°My people had a good amount to say about the rest of the visitors, but you, not much was known, and then you went and got yourselves injured¡­¡±

    The two sisters stopped just enjoying each other¡¯s continued life almost immediately and went into ¡®serious mode.¡¯ They bowed to the Guardian Spirit in unison and spoke as one. ¡°We cannot express how thankful we are to you¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°What can we do for you?¡±

    ¡°Well, you and your friends are trying to provide a way to end this war. If you need to think of payment, I accept that attempt, though it is completely unnecessary.¡± She patted the two of them on their heads. ¡°May you have long, fruitful lives. And take fewer dangerous risks.¡±

    ¡°¡­We¡¯ve got a long ways to go,¡± one said.

    The other nodded. ¡°But not even this is going to make us stop on our quest.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what your quest is and I already wish you well,¡± the Guardian Spirit said.

    ¡°Their quest is world conquest,¡± Blue deadpanned.

    The Guardian Spirit stared blankly at her for a moment, and then laughed in one of the most beautiful, almost melodic laughs anyone had ever heard. ¡°Ah, children¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°And you, Blue, the genius.¡±

    Blue narrowed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not going to deny that¡­¡±

    ¡°Nor should you. Perhaps you are right to be cautious about your pride, but the truth is the truth. Your intelligence exceeds my own, and I ¡®cheat¡¯ quite a bit. I could help you cheat quite a bit as well, but I think the gratification of your work will be far better if I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you aren¡¯t managing the lives of everyone on your islands?¡±

    ¡°Told you you were smart. Yes. I take a distant approach so everyone can have their own gratification. I tend to act in places where they have no control and cannot see my hand. Very few are allowed to see me. You all have a very special situation, one where I wanted to see who you were personally. So far¡­ you have actually exceeded my expectations for the most part, which surprises me. How did so many people of good heart end up in the same place on the same task of ¡®going to space?¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Just¡­ random, I suppose,¡± Blue said. ¡°Most of us are here due to a very odd sequence of events.¡±

    ¡°Dia waves fate to lead to things like this,¡± Envila offered.

    ¡°Ah, you would say that,¡± the Guardian Spirit said.

    ¡°It¡­ does not surprise me that you do not believe.¡±

    ¡°I used to.¡± The Guardian Spirit¡¯s vague facial features somehow became wistful. ¡°There was a time when we fought against darkness¡­ the woman who was like a mother to me led us with unwavering faith¡­¡± Her expression became dark. ¡°But there was no salvation for us.¡±

    Envila nodded. ¡°I have seen such things happen many times, you have my c¡ª¡±

    ¡°Know your place.¡± For the first time, the Guardian Spirit was clearly upset. ¡°Think for a few seconds about what kind of war I could be part of and lose. You can¡¯t, even one as old and wise as you doesn¡¯t have enough experience to even grasp at the beginning of what it means to be me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Forgive me, I have spoken out of turn.¡±

    ¡°¡­And I did give the impression that you could¡­¡± the Guardian Spirit sighed. ¡°I should apologize for going off on you, I had no right, even from my station.¡±

    ¡°I do feel compelled to ask¡­ what can you tell us of yourself? You are spending a good amount of time examining us and our hearts.¡±

    ¡°You are examining mine as well.¡±

    Envila nodded.

    ¡°What do you find?¡±

    ¡°I find a closed-off woman who has a burning heart that has been seared by experience, trying her best.¡±

    ¡°Completely correct,¡± the Guardian Spirit said.

    ¡°¡­Is it our place to know more?¡±

    The Guardian Spirit paused for a moment and then shook her head. ¡°No¡­ no, my origins and life before the Tempest are long behind me and really¡­ are not relevant at all to the place we find ourselves. As for what I am, I am unique, and from far¡­ far away. Further than you can imagine.¡±

    ¡°¡­Did you come from another planet?¡± Jeh asked.

    The Guardian Spirit chuckled. ¡°Of course you would ask it like that¡­ the strict answer is yes, but not at all in the way you are imagining. You are the Space Program, after all¡­ I will tell you that if you wish to uncover secrets of the world relating to me, you would seek out the intricacies of magic, and not that of the stars.¡±

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°Um¡­ okay?¡±

    ¡°And you really are quite the piece of work¡­ Jeh.¡± The Guardian Spirit placed her hand on Jeh¡¯s cheek, focusing her eyes on the girl. ¡°¡­I do wonder, is it truly possible to replace a soul? Are you really¡­ someone else?¡±

    Jeh tensed. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t wanna talk about¡­¡±

    ¡°I will not force you to. You are like a child once more, you should enjoy it. I will ask you this, though: how is Wanderlust doing?¡±

    ¡°You know her?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, not at all surprised she went off to the moon without telling anyone, but thousands of years¡­ I worry for her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ not all there in the head but is personable enough? Told us all sorts of things about space and was really excited to talk to someone again. If you can send a message you can talk to her! She¡¯ll welcome it I¡¯m pretty sure, though I don¡¯t really know what all the light signals me¡ªoh!¡± Jeh switched into Standard. ¡°She understands when I talk in Standard, can you?¡±

    The Guardian Spirit stared at her for a moment. ¡°Are you¡­ speaking Standard as it was spoken before the Second Cataclysm?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ Yes?¡± Jeh said in Karli.

    ¡°¡­Of course, I don¡¯t know what I was expecting¡­¡± the Guardian Spirit shook her head. ¡°I know the last form of Standard as it evolved before it died out, I don¡¯t think I could speak the old form anymore, took me a while to¡­ parse your sentence.¡± She paused and then patted Jeh on the head. ¡°Part of me wishes you could have a simpler life, but that seems to just not be an option for you.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ my turn then?¡± Keller asked.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± the Guardian Spirit said. ¡°Though admittedly I don¡¯t have much to say to you, you¡­ are doing your job and you¡¯re very good at it and very loyal. Nothing I¡¯ve said here is something I¡¯ll hold you to keeping secret, knowing you¡¯ll tell your Crown anyway. Though some of the things you are going to conclude are likely to be hilariously wrong.¡±

    ¡°Not surprisin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Keep protecting them.¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡±

    ¡°And so¡­¡± the Guardian Spirit¡¯s expression soured. ¡°We come to the biggest hiccup in this situation, the reason I am wary to run into any plan lest I have made a mistake.¡± She drifted over to Dramais. ¡°I cannot see into minds.¡±

    ¡°What would you like to know?¡± Dramais asked.

    ¡°Namely, who you actually work for.¡±

    ¡°Myself.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. A lie. Remarkable actor though you may be, there are other ways to tell beyond your reaction.¡± She drifted away from him, crossing her arms behind her back and scratching her ¡°chin¡± with her tail-hand. ¡°Let¡¯s try this again. Who do you work for?¡±

    Dramais remained silent.

    ¡°Ah, silence won¡¯t help you either. Do you work for the Emperor?¡± She paused. ¡°Hmm¡­ no.¡±

    ¡°How are you doing that¡­?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Blue!¡± Vaughan coughed. ¡°You don¡¯t just as¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, she can,¡± the Guardian Spirit said. ¡°There are chemical traces within the lines of his brain that I analyze. Thoughts may be hidden from me, but the rate of chemical transmission is not if I¡¯m looking closely, at least not in a biological form such as his.¡±

    Dramais¡¯ face did not shift. His powers of expression control were truly impressive. But they were not enough.

    ¡°You have become very afraid. You thought such a power was impossible, even after all you¡¯ve seen? Let me guess¡­ you¡¯ve withstood the tortuous images of occulari as a form of training, hardening your mind to all stimuli? It is true that you have remarkable control over yourself. It simply is not enough.¡± She sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t like doing this, but you clearly have a lot hidden¡­ let¡¯s see. Vraskal? ¡­No. Kroan? ¡­No. Pirate remnants? ¡­No. Any nation on this planet? ¡­No. Any group I¡¯d know? ¡­You think not. Well well well¡­ that¡¯s fascinating.¡±

    Blue¡¯s eyes widened. She turned to Dramais. ¡°The secret society that refuses to take a name that acts from the shadows and tries to control knowledge of themselves.¡±

    Dramais was motionless.

    The Guardian Spirit was suddenly inches from Dramais¡¯ face. ¡°Interesting¡­ your chemical signals say yes.¡±

    Dramais¡¯ eyes darted around the room.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s looking for a way to kill himself to avoid giving me information¡­¡± the Guardian Spirit tilted her head. ¡°What could inspire such loyalty¡­ in a man once devoted to the Empire?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I have no idea¡­¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Dramais¡­ you¡¯re fighting for something. Whatever that secret society fights for, you¡¯re on board¡­¡±

    ¡°I have never even heard of such a society¡­¡± the Guardian Spirit said, scratching her chin.

    ¡°We only heard about it because of Benefactor,¡± Keller said. ¡°She¡¯s told us¡­ quite a bit.¡±

    ¡°I can tell you¡¯re not supposed to tell me,¡± the Guardian Spirit said. ¡°However, the information is extremely pertinent. I wish to know what I am up against here.¡±

    ¡°Some of that information not even the rest o¡¯ the Program knows,¡± Keller said. ¡°Knowin¡¯ certain things makes the society mark ya for death. They already know too much, they¡¯ve just got other concerns, we think.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re clearly already targeting me for some reason,¡± the Guardian Spirit said. ¡°I know you have the authority to share on a need to know basis.¡±

    ¡°¡­Got a way I can tell ya without tellin¡¯ anyone else?¡±

    The Guardian Spirit nodded. Suddenly, there was a wall of green sealing her and Keller off from the others.

    Dramais immediately ran toward one of the romkar thorns.

    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Blue shouted, grabbing him in her telekinesis. ¡°You¡¯re not offing yourself, got it?¡±

    Dramais tried to push back with his own telekinesis, but Vaughan and Jeh added their Orange on top of everything. ¡°You are going to doom the world you idiots!¡± Dramais shouted. ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Explain to us how,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll believe you.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you wouldn¡¯t accept¡­ your heart is too soft, Vuaghan¡­¡±

    The wall vanished and the Guardian Spirit looked sad. ¡°Dramais, just because I had the wall up didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t hear you. I have¡­ learned much from Keller.¡± She raised a hand to the greater unicorn trapped in Blue¡¯s telekinesis. ¡°You have been horribly, horribly misled.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the truth.¡±

    ¡°The truth can be used as a weapon outside context.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Even among your ranks, the full truth is not known¡­¡± She paused for the longest time. ¡°Wait. Wait. If your goal is not power, but knowledge, then¡­ you were a distraction.¡± She opened all five of her eyes and suddenly grew in size. ¡°Where is it¡­ where is it¡­¡±

    ¡°They have shapeshifters,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Look for those.¡±

    ¡°Shapeshifters¡­? Hmm, they might be able to hide¡­¡± She placed her hand on a nearby romkar thorn. ¡°Think, have you seen any movement¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re talking to the plant,¡± Blue deadpanned.

    ¡°Yes. Romkar here is a person just like you and me, she helps me by being able to see in more places across the Tempest than I can at once.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ all the plants are different¡­ and separate¡­ and¡­¡±

    ¡°She can split herself and still remain one mind, that¡¯s what the glowing blue signals are for and¡­ aha, yes, there¡¯s one. Trying to figure out how to get out of the mountain¡­ extremely stealthily, invisible to light, invisible to sound, only noticed by touch.¡± With a clap of her hands, there was a flash of green¡­ and then nothing.

    Jeh cocked her head. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°There is an invisible shapeshifter in front of us,¡± the Guardian Spirit said. ¡°Fascinating, I have not seen materials like this since¡­. what incredible control over his body. If I wasn¡¯t holding him in my magic I¡¯d have basically no way to know he was there and¡­ oh, there appear to be Colored crystals inside of him, let m¡ª¡±

    There was an explosion.

    It did not come from the shapeshifter the Guardian Spirit was holding. It came from below them, shattering the ground. The clear rock that held the lava at bay was shattered, and heat flowed into the cavern, searing everyone and everything within¡­

    ¡°You will all die with me!¡± Dramais shouted as his fur lit on fire. Everyone started screaming, even Jeh¡ªthough her screams were those of terror, not of pain.

    The Guardian Spirit lifted her hands, encasing everything in a green shield and cooling it off. ¡°Desperation does not suit you. A second shapeshifter, hidden below us, really?¡±

    Everyone stopped screaming in pain. Jeh¡¯s screams continued a few seconds longer, but the twins held her tight and she began to calm down, tears running down her face. ¡°Why am I¡­?¡± She shook her head, deciding now was not the time to think about it.

    Vaughan stood up. ¡°What in the¡­¡± He looked through the hole in the floor. There, entangled in a very dense bundle of Romkar¡¯s vines¡­ was a black cube.

    ¡°There it is! Your secret! We knew it!¡± Dramais pointed at the cube. ¡°You use that which you should not!¡±

    The Guardian Spirit glared at him. ¡°And how, pray tell, are you going to get out to tell your society about this? Even your precious shapeshifters could not figure out how to leave without alerting me, and your attempts at destr¡ª¡± There was suddenly a deep, ominous rumble from all around them. The Guardian Spirit¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Did¡­ did you just trigger an eruption?¡±

    ¡°Heheheheh¡­ yes!¡± Dramais laughed. ¡°Now the secret you hide will be forced out! Even you cannot oppose the might of Ikyu itself!¡±

    ~~~

    There were four seats at the negotiating table set up in the depths of the Guardian Spirit¡¯s residence. They were intended to represent the four sides of the conflict: the Tempest, Mikarol, Kroan, and Vraskal.

    No representatives from Vraskal had come. They had all left the Tempest after the Guardian Spirit appeared. So one chair sat empty, the light of the lava shining through the clear rock intertwined with the glowing blue plants and romkar roots.

    The Guardian Spirit sat at the head of the table, alone. She had taken a form very close to that of a gari, but with very simple hair, no ears, and no facial features except for the eyes. She also had a tail with a hand on it.

    The seat to her left was occupied by the somewhat young King Redmind. He had not come alone, his wife Queen Riikaz stood behind him in her wolf-furs.

    Opposite King Redmind was none other than the Mikarol Emperor himself. He wore armor with a sheen of gold. His helmet was off, revealing a white-haired man with a short beard and stern eyes. He was obviously far smaller than the armor around him was; clearly there was some arcane device inside that permitted him to move and even fight in the massive suit, but the mechanisms behind it were unknown and hidden from view.

    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s just us,¡± the Guardian Spirit said, forming a frown on her face where no mouth had been previously. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not ideal.¡±

    ¡°At the very least we will come to an agreement faster this way,¡± Redmind said, folding his hands together. ¡°Emperor Nathanial Horatio Vibrovsky, it is an honor to finally meet you face to face, and I wish it were under better circumstances.¡±

    ¡°I as well, King Redmind Kroan,¡± the Emperor said in a voice that was scratchy, but not gruff, and with a tone that was surprisingly soft for a man of his reputation. ¡°I also must give credit where credit is due to the Guardian Spirit of the Tempest, this realm of yours is truly impressive, and sends a clear message.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest, I¡¯ve lived in here so long it didn¡¯t occur to me that holding lava above your heads was a threat until you arrived.¡± The Guardian Spirit put her hands behind her head. ¡°I mean, it is true I could end this all in an instant, but I don¡¯t want to do that.¡±

    ¡°Which is the only reason I came,¡± the Emperor said, folding his arms together, armor clanking as he did so. ¡°You know the retribution that would come, and have a vested interest in peace.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± the Guardian Spirit said. ¡°So... I submitted my suggestions to both of you.¡±

    ¡°Very generous, I must say,¡± Redmind said. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a request being sent that wasn¡¯t a list of demands to be talked down. I wonder if you¡¯re playing too soft¡­ you want all your land back, but are willing to compromise?¡±

    ¡°Should you not fight for it?¡± The Emperor asked. ¡°The battlefield of negotiation is as much war as the physical confrontation.¡±

    ¡°I suspect I can simply convince you,¡± the Guardian Spirit said, folding her hands. ¡°It will be in everyone¡¯s best interests if all the land is returned to the Tempest¡¯s tribes.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± The Emperor asked. He did not treat her suggestion as a stupid one, or an insulting one¡ªhe was a man ready to listen.

    ¡°See, the Tempest, prior to all this mess, had been the only place in the world where the nations across the ocean could come together as equals without being threatened by greater political weight. After Redmind here explored the Tempest for Kroan, everyone came and settled on Embassy Island, blending five separate cultures together. Great trade took place there, trade that was more from nation to nation, with the Tempest as merely an avenue of neutrality by which everything could be carried. I propose that you return each island its sovereignty, both of you, and in return I will see to it that the Tempest remains a neutral ground for the meeting of nations. Even Vraskal, though I highly doubt they will return in any significant capacity after this.¡±

    Redmind scratched his chin. ¡°I can see the benefit¡­. However, it will only work if both Kroan and Mikarol pull out. And I do not mean to be presumptuous, Emperor, but I know the value of holding land to a warrior culture. My wife is from a much smaller land of similar ways.¡±

    Riikaz nodded. ¡°Your honor is different from ours and held in even higher regard. Can you let these lands go?¡±

    ¡°That is the question, isn¡¯t it?¡± the Emperor said. ¡°These lands have been added to the great Mikarol Empire¡­ except they offer us little to nothing in the way of resources, are extremely difficult to occupy given the presence of the Wall, and have natives that will continually form resistance cells. The Empire needs not only to conquer, but to hold places, and if we attempt to hold without absolute dominance it will be a drain on our resources rather than a benefit all the way out here.¡±

    ¡°That is the logistical reason,¡± Riikaz pressed. ¡°Can your society handle the backlash of giving land up?¡±

    The Emperor frowned. ¡°¡­I will have to order a campaign of some other kind to push attention away. I would target the Vraskalians but I do not want that large of a war at this time. I will have to pick a smaller target, one that will be easy to win and hold. Easier, anyway, but it can be done.¡±

    ¡°Replacing war with war¡­¡± the Guardian Spirit shook her head. ¡°I do not approve.¡±

    ¡°Your displeasure with our ways is noted,¡± the Emperor said. ¡°And disregarded. I do not wish to waste resources holding islands that will be a detriment to us rather than a benefit, and I too wish to take advantage of a neutral ground for trading, as well as capitalizing on the recent goodwill afforded us for charging against the Vraskalians in the final battle.¡±

    ¡°¡­I am glad you are reasonable, at the very least, if a bit devious,¡± the Guardian Spirit said.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t run your people directly, Guardian Spirit,¡± Redmind said with a sigh. ¡°The clever deviousness is kind of a requirement in politics.¡±

    ¡°Annoyingly,¡± Riikaz added.

    ¡°And yet you were able to pull out without a question,¡± the Emperor pointed out. ¡°The values of Kroan are clearly vastly different than that of the Empire.¡±

    ¡°Our primary goal is not conquest or greatness in battle, but greatness in academia,¡± Redmind offered. ¡°The Academy is our pride and joy, and we will use it to improve our nation and stake our greatness on that.¡±

    ¡°You are an interesting man¡­¡± the Emperor gave him a hint of a smile. ¡°You are also not how your reports painted you.¡±

    ¡°Neither are you.¡±

    ¡°Good, I¡¯m supposed to be terrifying to anyone who doesn¡¯t know me.¡±

    Redmind laughed. ¡°And I¡¯m supposed to be unapproachable and infinitely wise!¡±

    ¡°It is good that we are allies.¡±

    ¡°Distant though we may be, I¡¯m sure we can be great friends. And agree on one thing.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°That our people get up to some really stupid stuff when we¡¯re not watching them.¡±

    The Emperor entered a fit of uproarious laughter and slammed his hand down on the table, breaking it. With a roll of her eyes, the Guardian Spirit reformed it. ¡°Glad to see you two getting along.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see it too,¡± Riikaz said. ¡°Maybe one day I¡¯ll visit Mikarol, see what your warriors have to offer¡­¡±

    ¡°A visit from the Queen of Kroan would be most welcome at any time. Should you wish, I could even put you in battle, though I suspect your husband might object to the danger.¡±

    Redmind chuckled. ¡°There was a time when we were explorers, you know. In our youth, these islands were our playground, with danger around every turn¡­¡±

    ¡°I have children now, though,¡± Riikaz said. ¡°I have to live for their sake, Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Ah, an honorable sentiment.¡± The Emperor tilted his head slightly to her. ¡°I wish you luck. Anyway, it seems we are in agreement¡­ should we perhaps hammer out the finer details so the lawyers can get to the actual writing of whatever treaty this is going to lead to?¡±

    ¡°I have one request,¡± the Guardian Spirit said. ¡°That you help rebuild what has been destroyed.¡±

    The Emperor paused. ¡°I cannot justify moving of resources¡­¡±

    ¡°You will have people here who will be standing around not fighting. Have them put to work. You don¡¯t even have to call it a military application.¡±

    ¡°And we can provide the resources,¡± Redmind said.

    The Emperor nodded. ¡°Very well. Guardian Spirit, you will have my people to assist with reconstruction. I will provide no resources aside from manpower already present.¡±

    ¡°That is sufficient,¡± the Guardian Spirit said. ¡°And now I must ask¡­ as we are to become a neutral ground, what of the others?¡±

    Redmind put a hand to his chin. ¡°Shimvale will obviously attest to the neutral trading ground. Vraskal¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, Vraskal will attest, trust me. They may be strong and able to wage a long war against us¡­ but they know they would lose if they tried. I can strongarm them into something of this magnitude.¡±

    Riikaz whistled. ¡°War without firing a single shot.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s often the most fun kind!¡±

    And with that, the Tempest Incident resulted in no one winning, really. The Vraskalians were driven out, the Kroanites and Mikarolians got no land, and the inhabitants of the Tempest had much of their land ravaged.

    ~~~

    The Guardian Spirit was clearly trying to think of a way out of this while the rumbling beneath them became more and more intense.

    ¡°You¡¯re trapped!¡± Dramais shouted. ¡°You¡¯re wasting energy saving everyone in here, but you know that won¡¯t stop the force of the eruption! You won¡¯t be able to hi¡ª¡±

    A green thread suddenly stitched his mouth shut. He seemed annoyed, so it must not have actually hurt to have it there.

    ¡°I do grow tired of the gloating¡­¡± the Guardian Spirit muttered. ¡°Okay, here¡¯s the situation, I can protect us all, but this eruption is going to shoot us into the sky. Where whatever resources they have will be able to observe us despite all my power, and they will see the black cube and know where it is, which they want.¡±

    ¡°What does it even do?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Black cubes hold magic powers beyond the standard reality called ancestries. This one holds power over storms and winds. Romkar uses it to maintain the Tempest¡¯s storm.¡± She was silent for a moment. With a twitch of one of her eyes she removed the stitching on Dramais'' mouth. ¡°The cube of prophecy vanished in the last incident¡­ you¡­ you were responsible for that too, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Dramais said, smirking. ¡°I wasn¡¯t taken on yet.¡±

    ¡°Agh!¡± the Guardian Spirit growled. ¡°We¡¯ve got to keep them from finding out about it and¡­¡±

    ¡°Throw it into the lava,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Throw it into the lava. It¡¯s completely indestructible, the lava won¡¯t take it out.¡±

    ¡°But then I won¡¯t be able to find it¡­¡±

    ¡°You mentioned the cube of prophecy. Clearly, attaining one of these ¡®ancestries¡¯ does not require constant contact with the cube. Romkar already has it. Just junk it. No one will ever be able to get it.¡±

    ¡°¡­In thousands of years, it may surface again,¡± the Guardian Spirit said. ¡°I know this can happen.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯ll keep them from knowing, right? If they don¡¯t know what causes the Tempest, how can they act against it¡­?¡± Blue tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯m understanding this, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ you are.¡± The Guardian Spirit narrowed her eyes. ¡°Fine. This is going to be distasteful, but I have to do it.¡± Suddenly, the black cube was ejected, passing through the Guardian Spirit¡¯s shield and into the lava below. ¡°I am pushing it as far down as I can¡­ which is very, very deep and¡­ I¡¯ve lost it.¡± She took in a deep breath. ¡°The eruption might eject it, it might not, I don¡¯t know, it is very deep. However, there is something else I have to do, and it is something I try never to do.¡± She turned to Dramais. ¡°I apologize, but you need to be dead so you cannot tell them anything.¡±

    Dramais growled. ¡°You¡­ you are using power you should not have! If you know as much as you seem to, do you not understand the danger?¡±

    ¡°I understand the danger better than you.¡± She snapped her fingers.

    Dramais and two previously-invisible shapeshifters dissipated into green sparks.

    Vaughan reached out for the sparks as they passed his hand. ¡°D¡­ Dramais¡­¡±

    ¡°I am sorry, I would have given you more time if we had it,¡± the Guardian Spirit said. ¡°But we do not. Hold on!¡±

    Then the volcano erupted. Romkar¡¯s roots were severed from her main body, but this meant little to her. The Guardian Spirit had to strain to keep the force of lava and its heat from entering her green bubble, and so working on keeping everyone comfortable was a secondary concern. Everyone was pressed to the ground due to the immense acceleration.

    Envila fared the worst. The others¡­

    ¡°Look at us, Blue, in a bubble being shot at the sky¡­¡± Vaughan said with a chuckle. ¡°Remind you of anything?¡±

    ¡°Even when we¡¯re not in a spaceship we can¡¯t get out of being launched at the sky!¡± Blue groaned. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous!¡±

    Then, suddenly, they were in the sky. Below them there was a great plume of red, gurgling lava spurting out a newly formed hole in the side of the main island''s greatest mountain. They just¡­ floated there, in the sky, a green orb surrounding half-demolished invisible rock, vines, and a bunch of people visiting the Guardian Spirit.

    Suddenly, there was an Orange Crystalline One floating next to them.

    ¡°Oh look, a visitor!¡± the Guardian Spirit said. ¡°Sorry, as you can see we¡¯re a little busy here, is there anything you wanted?¡±

    ¡°¡­You were just¡­ curious.¡±

    ¡°You know, even though I can¡¯t tell for sure with Crystalline Ones, I¡¯m like almost positive you¡¯re lying and have some sort of ulterior motive that you can¡¯t execute now and are currently very frustrated about.¡± She winked at the Crystalline One. ¡°So, got anything else to say?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and if you are related to whatever caused this war, maybe stop it before I stop it for you? Hmm?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± The Orange Crystalline one descended down toward sea level.

    ¡°¡­That was unnerving¡­¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°This is cool!¡± Jeh said, pointing out at everything, all traces of her previous panic attack just gone. ¡°Hey, Guardian Spirit! You could make a spaceship with this!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not making you a new ship,¡± the Guardian Spirit said.

    ¡°Aww¡­.¡±

    ¡°However¡­ as there is no longer any point in me hiding¡­ I suppose.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Everyone in the Tempest who can hear me! This is the Guardian Spirit! I have had enough! So everyone better stop fighting right now or I¡¯m going to have to come down there personally¡­¡± She paused, laying her hand on one of Romkar¡¯s thorns. ¡°Ah, the Mikarol are not stopping at all. Figures. I¡¯m going to set you all down in Tin¡¯nit while I go deal with this, it was a pleasure talking to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­So it turns out we didn¡¯t need to send a message at all?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Oh, it was a great idea, and I would like to talk to Wanderlust so I¡¯ll probably ask for it later, but yeah uh it¡¯s all good now due to a¡­ that was a very funky series of events. Don¡¯t go spreading my secrets to just anyone, y¡¯hear? Have fun!¡±

    And with a green flash, they were standing in the middle of all the elders.

    ¡°Well,¡± Elder Smississ said. ¡°I guess it went well?¡±

    ¡°Eeeeeh¡­¡± Envila said, tilting her hand side to side. She was still sitting down, out of breath. ¡°Space travel has made you all strong¡­¡±

    ¡°We were weak when we first landed,¡± Jeh commented. ¡°So eh.¡±

    There was an explosion elsewhere that sent a beam of green into the sky.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s lettin¡¯ out some frustration,¡± Keller said, lighting up a smoke.

    ¡°She¡¯s been forced to sit and watch, hiding herself,¡± Blue said. ¡°I¡¯d be blowing up things too.¡±

    ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth.¡±

    ¡°Are you insinuating something?¡±

    ¡°Not very subtly,¡± Keller said with one of his signature bizarre chuckles.

    Blue narrowed her eyes and then turned to Jeh. ¡°By the way, you were¡­ not doing well. Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. The lava¡­ didn¡¯t like it. Not sure why.¡± Jeh shook her head. ¡°It was fine when it was behind the rocks, just unnerving, but¡­ when it started coming in¡­ I just¡­¡±

    ¡°I can imagine even for someone like you being trapped in lava would be very unpleasant. It¡¯s probably too thick to even try to swim in.¡±

    Jeh shivered. ¡°Maybe¡­ but I don¡¯t remember. Just¡­ would rather not be near lava again. Even if the view at the end was amazing!¡±

    ¡°It really was something¡­¡± Blue said, turning to Vaughan. ¡°Vaughan? You¡­ okay?¡±

    Vaughan stared at the sky. ¡°Am I supposed to wish I knew why Dramais did what he did, or count myself lucky that I do not?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Vaughan sighed. ¡°You think you know a man¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Vaughan laid his hands over a coffin marked with magenta highlights.

    ¡°Taking you home¡­¡± Vaughan said, voice cracking. ¡°You¡¯ll get to see your sister¡­ though¡­ I guess you¡¯re already seeing her¡­ heh¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°I want to blame someone, Alice. I want to blame myself for not being able to protect you, I want to blame you for leaving me, I want to blame DIa for letting you be taken, I want to blame whoever that assassin was¡­ but¡­ none of the grudges hold water. They slip right off. You had no intention of leaving me. I had no intention of letting you go. Dia is watching you now. And I don¡¯t even know who the assassin is, and I can¡¯t bring myself to just hate Vraskal¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°I would say I¡¯m sorry but I know that this is what you would have wanted anyway, so I¡¯m just¡­ hollow.¡±

    He stood there in complete silence for the longest time.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll complete our Journey, Alice. I¡¯ll tour the rest of the border. And then¡­ I¡¯ll find a place to settle. Truly settle.¡±

    With that, he turned and left the coffin, exiting the cargo hold and returning to the balcony of the ship. It was a Kroanite ship, one currently docked at the surprisingly lively and active remnants of Tin¡¯nit. Even though it had only been a few days, reconstruction efforts were already well underway. He wondered idly what it would look like once they were done, the entire beachfront was basically rubble at the moment, the city would look very different if he ever returned.

    It finally settled into him at that moment.

    He was leaving.

    He might never see any of this place again.

    ¡°Thinking about staying?¡± Suro asked from on top of the railing.

    ¡°¡­The thought had crossed my mind, but no. You?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have.¡± Suro frowned. ¡°My business is still here, I could stay, but¡­ I think if this adventure taught me anything, it¡¯s that I¡¯m not suited to this life. I was in way over my head.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you really do stick with me, you¡¯re gonna have a few more adventures, I¡¯ve got to finish the rounds of the Kroan border.¡±

    ¡°The Kroan border is rather peaceful, this is the most chaotic place¡­ in the world, probably.¡± Suro laughed. ¡°I¡­ will miss the people, but I will not miss the excitement.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like Willow Hollow might be a good choice for you.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Suro said. ¡°We¡¯ll see¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°I think we¡¯re going to need some time to just¡­ think about everything that¡¯s happened to us.¡±

    Vaughan nodded, putting his hands on the railing. ¡°¡­I think you¡¯re right, too, a quieter life would suit us better.¡±

    ¡°Have room for one more?¡±

    The two of them turned back to see Lila behind them, a triangle necklace around her neck.

    ¡°Lila¡­?¡± Vaughan said, confused.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing left for me here. My family will want nothing to do with me due to my actions, my crew is too loyal and I don¡¯t need to be a leader, and¡­ I don¡¯t think I can live among everyone I hurt. I would be living a lie. I need¡­ a change. So I¡¯ve decided to go to Kroan, and the Keepers encouraged me.¡± She jumped onto the railing next to Suro. ¡°You¡¯re free to reject me, of course.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°You know, somehow I knew you would say that.¡± She chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Even after all the pain I caused you, even after you have no reason not to be nice¡­ you just are.¡± Lila paused. ¡°I don¡¯t see myself ever being like that.¡±

    ¡°Careful, I hear the Keepers tend to get the exact blessings they think they¡¯ll never receive.¡±

    ¡°Oh, psh, I¡¯m barely a Keeper, and only by technicality. They¡­ for reasons I don¡¯t understand, accepted me.¡±

    ¡°Maybe one of them has prophecy, knowing you¡¯ll turn into something great.¡±

    ¡°As if.¡± Lila shook her head, turning to Vaughan. ¡°And you, Vaughan. You can reject me too.¡±

    ¡°¡­I won¡¯t,¡± Vaughan said with a sigh. ¡°No matter how much I try I just can¡¯t seem to hold resentment in my heart. Makes me feel old, and my hair isn¡¯t even turning gray!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a ways yet.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I do. And I intend to do something with what I¡¯ve got left.¡±

    ¡°Good man. Better than me.¡± Lila shook her head. ¡°Though that¡¯s not really a contest¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know how to say this and make sense¡­¡± Suro said. ¡°But forgive yourself.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do that, Suro.¡±

    ¡°Yet.¡±

    Lila stared at him for a few seconds and then broke out into a smile. ¡°Oh, all right, we¡¯ll see if it works out in the end, silly man. You are way too soft.¡±

    ¡°It seems to have had an effect on you though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ it has.¡± Lila gained a wistful expression and turned to look at the Wall. ¡°¡­A new adventure awaits¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Dodge!¡± Envila shouted.

    Both of the twins tried to duck and roll, but Envila managed to slap both of them in the head with the wooden staff she was holding, knocking the two of them down.

    ¡°Nice, you almost dodged that time!¡±

    ¡°Ow¡­¡± one of the twins mumbled as she got up. The other one took a bit longer, rubbing her head and looking a little dizzy.

    ¡°Okay, again.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re relentless,¡± they said in unison.

    ¡°I probably don¡¯t have much time to train you and you two are going to keep throwing yourselves in danger, so we¡¯re going to continue Envila¡¯s Lightning Training. Now¡­ dodge!¡±

    Jeh was watching them from the edge of the jungle clearing, sipping on her fruity drink. She had originally been training with them at the start of this endeavor, but she was clearly much better than the twins and didn¡¯t need training so much as ways to unlock skills she already had, which Envila couldn¡¯t provide. Envila noted that for some reason whenever Jeh went on the offensive she liked punching, despite her punches perhaps being the least effective part of her body. Perhaps she should invest in artificial gauntlets, or just stick with magic.

    ¡°Again!¡± Envila called.

    ¡°Are they still at it?¡± Blue asked, sitting down next to Jeh.

    ¡°Yep. Envila¡¯s Lightning Training is brutal.¡± She turned to Blue. ¡°Anything happen out there?¡±

    ¡°No Kroanite ships yet, but some Mikarol ships arrived with the Emperor.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him myself, but apparently he¡¯s been going around executing people.¡± Blue shivered. ¡°Apparently the reports being sent back were discovered to contain false information through some kind of security check and he¡¯s livid.¡±

    ¡°So the problem would have resolved itself?¡±

    ¡°Well, had we not been here and gotten the Guardian Spirit to intervene, there probably would have been a big battle against the Emperor. Probably wouldn¡¯t have triggered a Civil War, but you know.¡±

    ¡°Not really but politics is weird so I¡¯m not going to try to understand.¡± Jeh finished her drink and disintegrated the cup with some Red. ¡°So¡­ do you think volcanic eruptions are a viable way to get into orbit?¡±

    Blue snorted. ¡°No, they don¡¯t have enough force. The Guardian Spirit is probably a better avenue and she seems to want us to figure things out for ourselves.¡± She frowned. ¡°Though¡­ I don¡¯t think solving the mysteries of space will solve her mystery.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t solve everything.¡±

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t I teach you that?¡±

    ¡°Probably?¡± Jeh shrugged.

    Blue chuckled. Then she put a leg around Jeh. ¡°¡­You¡¯re probably related to those secrets.¡±

    ¡°And if you figure anything out, you tell me if I need to know. Otherwise¡­ I¡¯m Jeh.¡±

    ¡°No matter what happens, you will always be Jeh to me,¡± Blue said, giving her a quick nuzzle.

    Jeh put her arms around Blue¡¯s neck and just let out a contented hum.

    Unbeknownst to them, Romkar was watching, and decided this was worthy of showing the Guardian Spirit. She vibrated and communicated the information to the great green entity.

    The Guardian Spirit turned away from the scroll she had in front of her that described the light code used to talk with Wanderlust. ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡±

    Romkar gave a quizzical vibration.

    ¡°She can be happy this way, start again for real. I don¡¯t think it matters if her spirit is the same as Jenny¡¯s or not. She has rejected what came before. Which, honestly, might be for the best, both for her happiness and for everyone else¡­¡±

    Romkar vibrated again.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I do wonder¡­¡± She paused. ¡°You¡¯re not upset that we lost the cube, are you?¡±

    Romkar paused for a moment before shaking a branch.

    ¡°Oh wow, I don¡¯t even need to try to analyze you to know that¡¯s a lie. Romkar! You still have your power and we needed to keep them from knowing about it!¡±

    Romkar¡¯s vines twitched and sagged.

    ¡°¡­I know it had a lot of sentimental value. I¡­ am sorry. But I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to find it for a long, long time¡­¡± She paused. ¡°Romkar, once they finish developing the efficiency of this space technology in a century or two, the Wall will serve little purpose. They¡¯ll be able to get in and out of here just fine. We should¡­ probably think about what we¡¯re going to do at that point.¡±

    Romkar shook her thorns.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I suppose. If we can keep our status as a valuable neutral territory for that long, the problem will solve itself¡­ but still, we should come up with some contingencies.¡±

    Romkar jutted a spike out quickly.

    ¡°That would be sad, but we¡¯ll be keeping track of all Crystalline Ones just in case of that eventuality.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Well¡­ here it is,¡± Vaughan said as they emerged from the largely evergreen treeline. ¡°Willow Hollow!¡±

    Lila and Suro, tails intertwined, looked out over the town.

    ¡°¡­Gonna be honest, looks like a dump,¡± Lila said.

    Suro raised an eyebrow. ¡°This is far more developed than many of the tribes of the Tempest.¡±

    ¡°And most of those were dumps.¡± Lila grinned. ¡°I like it.¡± She nuzzled Suro.

    ¡°You two have become almost insufferable,¡± Vaughan said with a chuckle. ¡°Anyway¡­ we won¡¯t make our decision right away, but¡­ this was Alice¡¯s favorite place on all our journeys. I think I¡¯ll be settling here, even if you two don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be a nice and quiet life¡­¡± Suro said, tilting his head to the side. ¡°An attractive possibility¡­¡±

    ¡°And you two have skills that can help a fledgling mining town like this,¡± Lila added.

    ¡°You do too! I don¡¯t think they have a Sanctuary yet,¡± Vaughan offered.

    ¡°¡­Oh. Well. No, wait, I shouldn¡¯t be in charge of¡­¡± She paused and shook her head. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been led here, let¡¯s see how it goes.¡±

    ¡°A little experiment?¡± Suro asked.

    ¡°Yeah. A little experiment.¡±

    With that, the three of them entered Willow Hollow. They had some doubts in their heart, but those would soon vanish. This place would be their home.

    From the top of one of the few rigid ¡°trees¡± in the forest, a pink gari watched the three of them, juggling a potion in her hand.

    She smiled warmly.

    ~~~

    It was time to leave the Tempest. A single Kroanite ship had arrived, but it was a large one designed to hold smaller ships inside of it and protect them from the Wall, obviously chosen to hold the Moonshot. The decidedly mangled craft was already loaded into the bay and the crew was ready to set out. All that remained were the goodbyes. There weren¡¯t that many to give, most of the elders were busy dealing with the aftermath of the conflict, the Guardian Spirit had already bid them farewell herself, and they hadn¡¯t exactly made any friends during their stay here. Envila was there¡ªshe wasn¡¯t returning with them, she was going to hitch a ride on a Mikarolian ship and continue on her journey around the world.

    However, there was one other individual of note who had come to see them off.

    The Emperor himself in all his gold-armored glory.

    He towered over them¡­ but when he took his helmet off, the face of an old man with a gaunt face greeted them. He smiled, he was a man with joy in his heart, but his wrinkled face struggled to hold it. ¡°So, this is the Wizard Space Program I¡¯ve heard so much about.¡±

    Everyone except Jeh dropped to a knee, and after a moment she did the same once she realized what everyone else was doing. ¡°You grace us with your presence¡­¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°This is more out of curiosity than anything. I just wanted to see the faces of the intrepid explorers who went to the moon and then fell out of the sky in the middle of all this chaos.¡± He crossed his arms, armor clanking against armor. ¡°Quite the group you have. And what a legacy! Gideon Vaughan, returning¡­ it really sounds like something from out of a legend!¡±

    ¡°They really are the stuff of legends,¡± Envila said.

    ¡°You would know, wouldn¡¯t you, ancient fae?¡± the Emperor asked.

    ¡°My, did the Guardian Spirit speak of me as well?¡±

    ¡°To some extent. I hear you are returning to Mikarol. I invite you to my craft, I suspect you will make a fascinating conversation partner.¡±

    Envila gave a bow of her head. ¡°It would be my honor.¡±

    ¡°And as for you all¡­¡± the Emperor turned to the Wizard Space Program and nodded. ¡°I might have to start up my own Program when I get back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the Princesses w-would be willing to g-give¡­¡± Blue stammered, taking a deep breath to calm herself. ¡°S-such a close ally a l-lot of notes!¡±

    ¡°Ask them to send some over when they get the chance. And tell Queen Riikaz that it has been too long since her last visit, we would love another one, and I am getting old. Oh, should I expect these notes to arrive via spacecraft or boat?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Ya¡¯ll know when it arrives, Your Majesty,¡± Keller said.

    ¡°Good! Now¡­ I shall not keep you any longer, you all clearly wish to return home. I simply wished to put some faces to the names. Faces that will no doubt go alongside mine in the history books.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Good luck on your quest!¡± Suddenly, he leaned down to look specifically at the twins. ¡°Even you, little ones. If I can find a way to live until your conquest begins, I will, and you will find yourselves a worthy opponent.¡±

    The twins put their hands on their hips. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate us.¡±

    ¡°Rina! Rona!¡± Blue hissed.

    The Emperor laughed. ¡°Ah, you sound just like how the legends paint the first Emperor¡­ utterly insane but determined. May your Empire reach to the stars.¡± With that, he bid them goodbye and left.

    ¡°¡­That was weird,¡± Blue said. ¡°That was weird, right? The most powerful man in the world just walks up to our boat, has a chat, and leaves?¡±

    Envila shrugged. ¡°Dia has given you a unique fate, I would expect things like this to keep happening.¡±

    ¡°I liked him!¡± Jeh said. ¡°He sounds like fun!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s also a warmonger,¡± Keller pointed out. ¡°Not as much as his predecessors, but Mikarol thrives on conquest. We¡¯d all do best to remember the character of our ally. He did just execute hundreds of officers.¡±

    ¡°They did betray the Mikarol law,¡± one of the twins said.

    The other nodded. ¡°Though many of them might not have been aware of it.¡±

    ¡°Egh¡­ politics¡­¡± Blue muttered. ¡°Why do we have to deal with it? Actually, scratch that, dealing with politics makes sense, we¡¯re changing things. Why do we have to deal with conspiracies? That¡¯s worse, those are far more life-threatening and all over the place. We keep running into a group that¡¯s trying to keep itself secret from the world for crying out loud!¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°I think we keep running into them because our goals are entirely opposed. We seek to understand the universe. They, for whatever reason, seek to keep knowledge of certain things hidden. Our philosophies are in conflict, it is almost as if we are destined to clash. I suspect we will continue to run into them.¡±

    ¡°Uuuuuuugh¡­¡± Blue groaned. ¡°Fine, I guess if we seek the truth we just have to deal with this. But I don¡¯t have to be happy about it!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone would expect you to,¡± Envila said.

    ¡°Mmmf¡­¡±

    ¡°Save travels. And may Dia bless your destiny, which is clearly a complex and dangerous one.¡±

    ¡°Bye Envila!¡± Jeh shouted with a wave. ¡°It was good to see you!¡±

    ¡°Next time I see you I hope you¡¯ll take me to the moon,¡± Envila said with a chuckle.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see what we can do!¡± Jeh grinned. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll even take you further out! I bet we¡¯ll figure out how to travel in space without magic soon!¡±

    ¡°Jeh, I don¡¯t even have the foggiest idea how to restore air without magic,¡± Blue grunted. ¡°¡­Wait, never mind, plants. Plants can do it. Uuuuugh that¡¯s going to be a logistical nightmare¡­¡±

    Envila chuckled. ¡°Good luck!¡±

    With that, the boat set off, toward the Tempest wall.

    People slowly made their way below decks, but Vaughan, Blue, and Jeh lingered a bit longer than the others.

    ¡°Hey, look!¡± Jeh said, pointing at the Wall. A long, slithering form poked its head out of the stormy cloud, a reptilian entity floating above the ground seemingly effortlessly.

    ¡°A sky serpent!¡± Vaughan said, eyes wide. ¡°It seems that they know the conflict is over and are seeing if they can come back out!¡±

    The sky serpent looked down at them and, seeming to decide they were no threat, emerged from the wall and drifted through the sky over to the islands of the Tempest. A few smaller sky serpents of different colors followed after, slithering through the air like it was a thick syrup.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Blue said. ¡°Just¡­ wow.¡±

    ¡°We want to be like them,¡± Jeh said, eyes wide. ¡°Untethered to the ground¡­¡±

    Slowly, the six of them turned back to see the Wall. It was still a fair ways away, but they would be arriving soon and needed to get below decks. Still¡­ they looked forward, not so much at the Wall as through it. For in the direction they were going laid Willow Hollow.

    Their home.

    Very, very far away¡­

    ¡­there was a town awaiting their return.

    And in a tall rigid ¡°tree¡± next to that town, Seskii stood, juggling a potion in her hands.

    ¡°So much has changed¡­¡± she said, looking down at Willow Hollow. Already, there were more buildings than there had been when the Wizard Space Program left for the moon. There would be more before they returned. Wounds had been opened, but other wounds had been healed.

    The change wasn¡¯t about to stop anytime soon.

    Seskii smiled warmly, catching the potion in her hand and gripping it tightly.

    ¡°This time¡­¡± she paused. ¡°What am I doing? That¡¯ll give too much away!¡± She laughed and threw the potion over her shoulder where it just happened to hit a moss bear and turn him blue. ¡°We¡¯re all going to just have to wait and see how this goes¡­ to the moon, and beyond!¡±

    ~~~

    While there was some science in this chapter, methinks I¡¯ll keep Movie Length chapters without one, to start a sort of tradition. ¡­If I ever write another movie-length chapter before the finale, that is, I don¡¯t exactly have the chapter structure planned out in specifics you understand, since at any moment I could realize it¡¯s scientifically impossible to do something.

    We will return to our normally scheduled Space Program antics next time. Space travel beyond the moon has quite a few hurdles that need to be overcome first...

    A question, though. Where do you think they should try to go next?

 041 - The World Moves on

    WSP 041

    The World Moves on

    The astronauts returned home via the very sky they left it, though naturally not by the exact same method. One of the royal dragons had been personally charted by Tenrayce herself the moment she¡¯d been told about their arrival on the West Coast. It was not simply a matter of convenience¡ªsomething needed to carry the Moonshot, and a balloon whale would have been slow.

    When the great silver dragon blotted out the sun, the inhabitants of Willow Hollow only tensed slightly¡ªthey were getting used to this kind of thing by now. Granted, the dragons that showed up weren¡¯t generally the house-sized behemoth that was visiting them today, but it was no longer reason to fear for one¡¯s life.

    The dragon set the Moonshot down on the launchpad. The great spacecraft had clearly seen better days considering all the dings, cracks, and rust all over it. It most assuredly was never going to be spaceworthy again, it had simply taken too much of a beating on both the ¡°landing¡± and trip home.

    But it had made it back. And all of its occupants were alive.

    Vaughan, Blue, Jeh, Keller, and the Sourdough Twins descended from the dragon¡¯s back onto the launchpad. They were somewhat surprised to find a small crowd waiting for them.

    There was an awkward silence. This hadn¡¯t exactly been a planned gathering, it was just that the dragon was obvious and word had come that the astronauts would be returning soon. However, there was no itinerary, no plan, no speeches, and pervasive nervousness cut through the crowds due to recent events.

    And then Krays started clapping.

    Then another set of hands joined in.

    Then another.

    Vaughan couldn¡¯t help but smile. He tipped his hat to the crowd and bowed. Jeh and the Twins eagerly followed suit. Blue was startled for longer than the rest of them but gave into the pressure eventually, taking her own extravagant bow while levitating her hat into the air. Keller did not join in the festivities beyond having a smoke.

    ¡°Jeh! You¡¯re back!¡±

    Jeh looked up, surprised to hear the voice of Ashen in her head in the middle of town. Then she saw Ashen, sitting near the edge of the forest right in public view. She had shaped herself into some kind of hand-like shape, with the tree growing out of her a bit like a wrist. A small dryad sat in the tree, sleeping.

    Jeh stared at Ashen, slack-jawed.

    ¡°Much has happened since you left,¡± Ashen said, leaving the treeline and approaching the platform. The crowd was wary of her, but nobody screamed¡ªand in fact they purposefully parted to let her through. ¡°I have become a public guardian. This is Scurfpea. She¡¯s my gardener.¡±

    ¡°Soon, carrots!¡± Scurfpea said, gesturing at some sprouts growing out of a section of dirt contained within Ashen¡¯s many facets. ¡°Fire garden fun!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± Jeh said, jumping up and into the branches of Ashen¡¯s tree. ¡°Wow, you actually got it to work, that¡¯s¡­ wow!¡±

    ¡°Um. Um¡­ Jeh?¡± Blue asked, raising a hoof. ¡°How do you know¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ask Suro about it,¡± Jeh said, waving a hand.

    ¡°Suro!?¡±

    ¡°Hey, Rina, Rona!¡± Jeh called. ¡°This is one of my other friends, Ashen!¡±

    ¡°I have heard much of you two,¡± Ashen said. ¡°Both from Jeh and the people of the town. Quite the local legends, sneaking off like you did. And back in one piece, too.¡±

    The Twins jumped up into the tree after Jeh. ¡°Pleasure to meet you, miss Ashen!¡± they said in unison. ¡°I¡¯m sure this is the beginning of a great friendship!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°I assure you Vaughan, I am no threat¡­¡±

    ¡°No, not you, them.¡±

    ¡°Oh. ¡­I am afraid I do not understand¡­?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± one of the Twins said.

    ¡°Yeah, we can explain it later if it matters.¡±

    Scurfpea tilted her head. ¡°Why?¡±

    The twins looked to her with eager eyes. ¡°To keep everyone¡­¡±

    ¡°...on their toes!¡±

    ¡°...Toes? Everyone with toes is on toes. Maybe? Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°I think we should go on an adventure!¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°You just got back from one,¡± Ashen pointed out.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been on a dragon¡¯s back for over a day, doing nothing. It doesn¡¯t have to be an adventure for you. How about you show me around town, tell me what¡¯s been up with everything?¡±

    ¡°Well.. er¡­¡±

    ¡°You may,¡± Lila said, finally walking up to the crowd. ¡°Try to have a good time, Ashen. We¡¯ll come get them at lunch.¡±

    ¡°...I will, Lila.¡± With that, Ashen carried off the kids to go explore town.

    ¡°...Something¡¯s happened,¡± Blue observed.

    ¡°You¡¯ll hear all about it soon enough,¡± Lila said with a sigh. ¡°I think we should grab the entire Space Program today for lunch and just¡­ go over it all. It¡­ will be a lot.¡±

    ¡°Geez, now it¡¯s just going to gnaw at me while I wonder what it is.¡±

    ¡°Hence why I told the kids to have fun, give them some time before¡­ I almost wish we didn¡¯t have to tell them but they¡¯ll find out anyway.¡±

    ~~~

    Willow Hollow had certainly changed while they¡¯d been away. Several new buildings had been built, and old buildings had seen new additions made to them. The most impressive of these was the bar¡ªit had been transformed into a proper tavern with multiple floors filled with rooms for travelers to stay in, and now employed a full staff of waiters and chefs. Everyone¡¯s favorite bartender was still in charge, though, much to the older citizens¡¯ relief.

    Some of the tents of the tent city had not left when the Moonshot didn¡¯t return quickly and had become more permanent fixtures. Several were in the process of being replaced by brand-new buildings, giving the carpenters a lot to work on. One of these was a new restaurant that was already so busy that there was no way to get a table for the rest of the day, despite Jeh all but begging for a taste of the buttery goodness she could smell.

    The largest new construction was the barracks, a structure that served as a watchtower, housing for Kroanite knights, storage for weapons, and training in the art of combat. There were a few knights in full armor outside of it at all times, and at the moment Ashen and the kids passed by one of the knights was teaching some cats how to dodge attacks. Jeh noticed one of the cats was one of Suro¡¯s and Lila¡¯s many children¡ªnot that she knew his name, there were too many to keep track of.

    Underneath all these changes, though, the town was still clearly Willow Hollow. The same people Jeh always saw were walking around, the more adventurous of which would wave at the group when they passed by.

    It was still home.

    Jeh let out a sigh of relief and flopped back into the chair-shaped protrusion of Ashen she was sitting in. ¡°It¡¯s good to be home.¡±

    ¡°You weird,¡± Scurfpea said, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re the weird one.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Jeh stretched out her arms and turned to the Sourdough Twins¡­ who were deep in thought.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with you two?¡±

    ¡°Contemplating changes,¡± one said.

    The other nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll probably be told about what we¡¯re trying to figure out soon.¡±

    ¡°You two really are observant,¡± Ashen commented.

    ¡°Not really that hard to tell, this time,¡± one said with a shrug.

    The other sighed. ¡°People can be open books sometimes.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡±

    ¡°They are right, you will be finding out soon, as it¡¯s lunchtime.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, yeah, good point.¡± Jeh blinked. ¡°Though now I¡¯m a little nervous¡­¡±

    At this point, Alexandrite dropped out of the sky. ¡°Here to pick up Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Aaaaagh not more dragon rides¡­¡± Jeh whined.

    Alexandrite raised an eyebrow. ¡°You can walk to Vaughan¡¯s cabin if you want.¡±

    ¡°Oh, another dragon ride, yay!¡± She jumped off Ashen and onto Alexandrite, hitting his neck a little harder than he would have liked. ¡°See you girls later!¡±

    ¡°Bye weirdo!¡± Scurfpea said with a wave.

    ¡°You too, wackjob!¡±

    ¡°Whack job¡­?¡± Scurfpea scratched her head, deeply confused by this.

    Jeh laughed as Alexandrite took her into the air. There wasn¡¯t really much time for conversation, Vaughan¡¯s Cabin wasn¡¯t very far away.

    They landed in the front yard in front of the main doors. Vaughan and Suro were standing there, looking at the doors.

    ¡°Well¡­?¡± Suro asked.

    ¡°Hmm. You know, this door is almost exactly as I remember it. Some of the wear and chips are missing, and I thought those gave it character, but the wood grain is just right, the hinges are properly lustrous, and the knobs are nearly identical.¡±

    Suro sighed because he knew what was coming.

    ¡°In fact, I probably wouldn¡¯t even have noticed a difference if it wasn¡¯t bright blue.¡±

    ¡°Why are the doors blue?¡± Jeh asked, tilting her head as she walked up.

    ¡°Had to replace them,¡± Suro said. ¡°Went through a lot of effort to make it look identical. Realized we didn¡¯t remember what kind of paint was originally used. Decided to give up on making it identical and just paint it blue.¡±

    ¡°Why blue though?¡±

    ¡°Had a lot of it.¡±

    ¡°...Uh-huh.¡±

    ¡°Ready to face the music, Jeh?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°...Isn¡¯t that phrase usually used when you¡¯re about to be judged?¡±

    ¡°Um. Well. You¡¯re right¡­¡±

    ¡°Hah. I know Karli better than you.¡± Jeh crossed her arms and gave him an extremely smug smirk.

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll probably know everything better than I do at some point.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not good at math at alllll.¡±

    ¡°You have forever to learn!¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°...Good point.¡±

    With that, they entered the Cabin and went to the dining room. The food was already prepared; Mary had apparently gone all-out today with homemade pastries, salads, roasts, and everything else she could get her hands on. All in all, far too much food, and this was considering the tremendous size of Alexandrite¡¯s stomach.

    Everyone was already there. Krays and Seskii were chatting with Blue. Big G was leaning against a wall as he usually did, while Keller was sitting down and slowly glancing around the room with a careful eye. Lila was actually on top of the table trying to arrange one of the dishes properly, while Mary was scrambling with the drinks. Margaret had her chair turned slightly away from the table so she could work on her current painting: a very large, mostly-black canvas with a few stars peeking through here and there, with a white humanoid figure crouching in the middle, hands gripping tightly to the figure¡¯s head.

    ¡°That¡¯s everyone,¡± Big G called.

    ¡°Right, right, we should stop fussing¡­¡± Lila cleared her throat and sat down in her chair. ¡°Lunch, everyone!¡±

    Everyone sat down and quieted down. Lila gave a very quick word of thanks.

    Normally, at this point, everyone would dig in.

    Instead, everyone was just staring at her.

    She sighed. ¡°Okay¡­ look, I know there¡¯s a lot of things that need to be done and said, and we will do them, but please eat the food while I do it, it would be a shame to let all of Mary¡¯s hard work go to waste.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good, I was afraid we were going to be all somber and tears today,¡± Krays said, taking a chicken leg off a roast and biting into it. ¡°And that¡¯ll just make things so much worse.¡±

    ¡°Krays, I swear¡­¡± Mary started.

    ¡°That I have no tact? Incorrect, I have some. Just very little. Microscopic, maybe.¡±

    Mary shook her head with a sigh, but nonetheless started spooning out some casserole for herself.

    As everyone slowly started taking the food, Lila began the story. She spoke clearly, concisely, and tried her best not to let her emotions dictate how she said anything. She was a reporter today, a reporter of what had occurred.

    A reporter of the attacks on Willow Hollow.

    A reporter on the demon that had attacked them.

    A reporter on the attempted assassination of Princess Via.

    A reporter on Jeremiah, what he¡¯d done, and what happened to him.

    A reporter on the assassination of King Redmind.

    It was distasteful work, to be a reporter on such things. Horrors. Tragedies. Pains. And none of it was good news besides the fact that they¡¯d survived the encounter, that the darkness had been defeated in the end, that the town was more tightly knit as a result.

    SIlence fell over the lunch. Everyone had stopped eating well into the middle of the story. No one said anything.

    The first noise came from Jeh. She scooted her chair back from the table and stood up. With a determined expression, she walked all the way around the table, coming to Margaret. There was a moment of hesitation in her eyes, and confusion in Margaret¡¯s, but it faded quickly as the immortal child pulled the black gari into a hug that was somehow both forceful and gentle, both demanding and generous, both pained and pleasant.

    Margaret broke into tears, but she did not reject Jeh; rather she tightly squeezed her as close as possible, as though afraid that she might stop, that she might run away, that she might vanish again. But it was not to be; for now, at least, Jeh had no intentions of going anywhere.

    But a hug cannot be maintained for eternity, and this one was eventually broken off. Jeh did not return to her seat¡ªrather, she sat upon Margaret¡¯s lap and turned with her to face the others.

    It was Blue who would speak the first words.

    ¡°L-Lila?¡± Blue asked. ¡°Do¡­ do you know how Tenrayce and Via are doing?¡±

    Lila shook her head. ¡°I have some idea of Tenrayce, for she is managing much of the kingdom now and is primarily who I¡¯m reporting to, but I can only check on her through her letters. She is well enough to do her job and do it well, that is all I can say. I have heard nothing about Via.¡±

    ¡°O-oh¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll check in on ¡®em for ya,¡± Keller said. ¡°I have t¡¯ give my report t¡¯ them anyway.¡±

    ¡°...Thank you, Keller.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    Once again, silence fell over the table.

    ¡°...It will take all of us some time to process all of this,¡± Lila said. ¡°Those of us who were here when it happened haven¡¯t fully recovered, and those of us who just came back are¡­ going to be reeling for a while. I suggest everyone not do any work for¡­ a while.¡±

    Seskii frowned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Seskii, I won¡¯t let us stagnate and do nothing again. We will return, just¡­ not now. And¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°I am sorry Vaughan, but I am going to have to ask you for what happened to you out there and in the Tempest.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°Might as well get it out of the way¡­¡±

    Vaughan was much more disorganized with his story, and he was not the only one who spoke. Jeh, Blue, and Keller would occasionally chime in with a segment of their own. Unlike Lila, he did not take the role of a reporter trying to relay information, but rather a storyteller. There were emotional moments, there were laughs¡ªespecially when Blue went on a rant about how stupid they were they almost crashed into the moon¡ªand despite the many harrowing things of the journey, there was a sense of whimsy and adventure to it.

    Their story was, ultimately, one of triumph. They had gone to the moon and returned. They had learned so, so much. But they had new obstacles to face, and the dark mystery of the nameless society hung dark over the last parts of the tale.

    But in the end, their plan was foiled, and the astronauts got to come home.

    And here they were.

    Home.

    Not exactly as they left it, but home nonetheless.

    Big G let out a large breath at the end of it all. ¡°Sounds like all of us have gone through the wringer¡­¡±

    Suro nodded. ¡°We¡¯re trying to do great things. It¡¯s only natural.¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s going to keep happening,¡± Seskii pointed out, tossing one of her bottles of juice into the air and landing it on her head. ¡°We¡¯re on a true adventure, everyone. Right now, that¡¯s making most of us nervous and uncertain. But on another day, it¡¯ll be exciting.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m kind of excited right now,¡± Alexandrite admitted. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about all the things you learned up there, how to travel in space without magic¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a meeting on that rather soon, Alexandrite,¡± Lila said. ¡°But some of us¡­ need time.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course¡­¡±

    ¡°I have a suggestion,¡± Keller said, standing up. ¡°I have t¡¯ go t¡¯ Axiom t¡¯ give my report t¡¯ the¡­ new King, I s¡¯ppose. Wait ¡®til I get back?¡±

    ¡°...That sounds like a good deadline,¡± Lila said. ¡°Unless there are any objections to not working until then?¡±

    Blue looked like she might be objecting internally but she knew better than to listen to that part of herself.

    ¡°Good. Keller, you try to find a way to get some rest too.¡±

    Keller tipped his hat up. ¡°While I appreciate the sentiment, this ain¡¯t my first time around the block. I¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t ya worry.¡±

    ¡°All right, Keller, I won¡¯t. May you have a good trip.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be relaxing,¡± Alexandrite said.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t gonna ask ya for a ride.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well. I¡¯m still going to be resting.¡±

    ¡°Course.¡±

    ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Vaughan cleared his throat. ¡°We probably should eat some of this stuff.¡±

    Krays looked up from the steak she was currently cutting into. ¡°And you finally catch up with me. About time.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t eating there for a while either,¡± Suro pointed out.

    ¡°Then I got really hungry.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m hungry too,¡± Margaret said, with some amount of shock in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I¡­ I haven¡¯t been actually hungry since¡­¡±

    Jeh shoved a plate full of roast chicken into her face.

    ¡°...Maybe not that hungry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll eat what you don¡¯t.¡±

    Margaret paused for a moment¡­ and smiled. ¡°Deal.¡±

    ~~~

    Once, the family of Kroan had created great tombs for their Kings and Queens.

    This had not been the case for a few generations. King Redmind was not buried in an extravagant tomb with gold and silver and miniature statues of himself, he was simply given the place of honor in the royal graveyard. The tombstone was made of quality marble, but had few excess details. It simply listed his name, birthdate, date he ascended the throne¡­ and the end.

    The service had been a week ago. That had been far more what one would expect for a king¡ªa tremendous parade of mourning with thousands of attendants that marched all around Axiom. Most citizens of Axiom would remember that.

    But the royal family would remember this moment, right here, standing over the grave. They were all there. Via. Tenryace. Wyett. Hyrii. Riikaz. Even the elderly Ursulii.

    The sky was overcast, but it was not raining. The wind was chill, but not enough to demand a coat. Aside from the wind there was only one other sound: the tears of Via. There was not a dry eye among them, but her tears were the only ones that could not be controlled. She was on her knees, hands gripping the ground as she let out sob after sob.

    Tenrayce had a book open. If there had been an observer from outside the family there, they would have probably thought her cruel, indifferent to the passing of her father. But everyone there knew otherwise¡ªshe had not turned a page in several minutes. She was not reading, the book was just there.

    Hyrii clung to her husband¡¯s arm, concerned deeply for him; her own emotions were secondary at the moment. His eyes were almost hollow, and he had lost several pounds since the day the King was found. Almost all of his anger and fire had left him that day. Hyrii could hardly get him to talk about anything, not even the political issues that had gotten him so fired up before. And amidst all this, he was expected to take charge, to do something incredible as the new King¡­

    She could not know that it was not sorrow, but guilt, that tore him to such shambles.

    The old Queen Ursulii looked down at her son¡¯s grave, a deeply grim and contemplative look on her face. None knew what was going on in that head of hers, the head that had changed Kroan so much during her time that she was a figure of history; watching what the world did with her legacy.

    Riikaz had not unclenched her fists since arriving.

    ¡°...It is sufficient,¡± she said, suddenly.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Hyrii said, confused.

    ¡°Mom, no¡­¡± Tenrayce warned.

    ¡°I have mourned the way of Kroan long enough. There is another way I must follow.¡±

    ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    Riikaz ground her teeth. ¡°Tenrayce. I know¡­ I know you mean well. You have a good head on you, you¡¯ll do this Kingdom proud.¡±

    ¡°The Kingdom needs its Queen,¡± Wyett said, with enough feeling behind the words that it made Riikaz look at him.

    ¡°It already has one,¡± Riikaz said, turning to Hyrii with a nod. ¡°She¡¯ll do well by you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand,¡± Hyrii said. ¡°Are you¡­ leaving?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think what I must do will be quick.¡± Riikaz turned back to the grave. ¡°My highest mortal calling is not to this Kingdom, Hyrii, it is to him. My husband. My King. He has been wronged. I will return to my tribe to perform the rite of vengeance, and then I shall hunt those responsible to the ends of Ikyu.¡±

    ¡°Mom, they were probably puppets,¡± Tenryace said. ¡°Whoever¡­¡±

    ¡°The woman or man with the blade is not my concern,¡± Riikaz said. Wyett let out a sharp breath. ¡°My target is the one truly responsible.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about them¡­¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Riikaz shook her head. ¡°It is a fool¡¯s errand.¡±

    Via looked up at Riikaz, sniffing. ¡°M-mom¡­ would¡­ would Dad have wanted that¡­?¡±

    Riikaz turned to look back at the grave. She patted the head of her youngest child. ¡°No, Via, he would not. But had too kind a heart for his own good.¡±

    ¡°It was his best quality,¡± Ursulii said with her old, creaking voice.

    ¡°...Are you going to try to stop me?¡±

    ¡°No, I know what sort of woman you are, and I know your ways.¡± Ursulii paused. ¡°Go in peace, Riikaz.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Tenrayce stopped herself. ¡°...Okay, Mom.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go¡­¡± Via said.

    Riikaz helped her daughter up into a standing position and put her hands on her shoulders. ¡°I intend to return, Via.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ but what if something happens to you?¡±

    Riikaz grimaced. ¡°I can¡¯t promise that it won¡¯t. But while this is a fool¡¯s errand, I don¡¯t intend to die out there. I intend to bring justice.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can to help,¡± Tenryace said. ¡°These nameless people¡­ they are the enemy of Kroan. You should take one of Benefactor¡¯s devices, so we can keep a repository of information on what we find, even over long distance.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll certainly make it easier to write,¡± Riikaz said with a chuckle. ¡°My children¡­ the three¡­¡± She glanced to Hyrii. ¡°No, four of you. The four of you¡­ have been build up for this moment. It may not seem like it, but the four of you are strong. This Kingdom is in good hands with all of you. I know it.¡±

    The four of them nodded in understanding, even Wyett was locking eyes with her.

    ¡°But I do have to go. I made a promise to him. He would not ask me to keep it¡­ but I must.¡± She pulled them all into a powerful hug.

    ¡°...Good luck,¡± Tenryace said.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± With that, she released them and kneeled back down to the grave. She kissed her fingers and laid them on top of the tombstone. ¡°Until we meet again¡­¡± With that, she stood up and walked away.

    There was silence once more.

    A few minutes later, Tenrayce walked off, dragging Wyett¡ªand by extension Hyrii¡ªaway by the sleeve.

    Via and Ursulii remained, alone.

    Via fell back down to her knees, looking down at the ground. She was essentially out of tears, but she couldn¡¯t tear herself away. She did not know how long she remained there, only that she didn¡¯t want to leave.

    The bony, but gentle hands of her grandmother came to rest on her shoulder.

    ¡°Come, Via, rise.¡±

    Via slowly rose to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m okay, Grandma¡­ I just¡­¡±

    ¡°I know you are, Via. Little one. Precious, precious little one¡­ the one to inherit your father¡¯s gift.¡± Ursulii carefully turned her around until the two of them locked eyes. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to give you a burden.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ do not have the faith in your siblings your mother does.¡±

    Via was surprised. ¡°They¡­ they have the skills, Tenii has been¡­¡±

    ¡°They can run a kingdom, Via. But their hearts, their hearts¡­ They¡­¡± Ursulii shook her head. ¡°They are being seared with deceit.¡±

    ¡°Grandma¡­?¡±

    ¡°It will be hard on you, but I will be with you every step of the way.¡±

    Via blinked. ¡°Way to what¡­?¡±

    ¡°To being a leader.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Grandma, I¡¯m an idiot. I can¡¯t be trusted with¡­ all this. Or any of this.¡±

    ¡°That is why I said it would be hard. But it is not impossible.¡± She turned her head to the sky. The dark, gray sky. ¡°Come with me, Via. We have much to do.¡±

    ¡°...Okay, Grandma.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°I¡­ I guess I live in the cabin now,¡± Margaret said, sitting on the bed she¡¯d been using. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t want to go back to¡­ the house after that day and¡­ well you weren¡¯t here and¡­¡±

    ¡°Vaughan¡¯s letting you stay, right?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°I barely even asked the question and he said ¡®of course, by all means!¡¯ ¡° Margaret let out a short chuckle. ¡°I don¡¯t even think he had to think about what happened to me or anything¡­¡±

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been spending a lot of time painting,¡± Jeh said, walking around the room, observing the very large number of canvases that showed images of space¡ªstars, blackness, tiny figures dwarfed by the majesty of the cosmos¡­ and the moon.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ how I dealt with things. Some of it.¡± Margaret kneeled down at one of the pictures which had a dark claw shape surrounding the moon, lit only by the moonlight.

    ¡°What¡¯s that claw? Is it¡­ is it the demon?¡±

    ¡°...That demon could never hold the moon in his hands¡­¡± Margaret said, suddenly short on breath.

    ¡°...Eyda?¡±

    Margaret traced her finger across the edge of the moon. ¡°Jeh¡­ what¡­ what does it mean when everything you¡¯ve ever known was a lie?¡±

    Jeh frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah, I¡­¡± Margaret trailed off, continually studying the strokes of paint on the canvas.

    While she studied her own work, lost in thought, Jeh studied her. Jeh wanted so, so badly to do something for her. To help her, to give her an answer, to do¡­ something. But she couldn¡¯t think of anything. She was small and powerless.

    Except¡­ maybe that wasn¡¯t true¡­

    ¡°...I could be living a lie,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Eh?¡± Margaret turned back to her, confused. ¡°Jeh, you take life as it comes, you¡¯re living it very honestly. You don¡¯t even hold to any beliefs very strongly.¡±

    ¡°...I might not be¡­ ¡®Jeh¡¯. ¡° She swallowed hard. ¡°I¡­ might be someone else.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ other girl?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ not some other girl though, is she? I just¡­ don¡¯t remember being her.¡± She looked at her hands in their bear mitts, suddenly feeling a wave of sadness. ¡°It¡­ it hurts to think about¡­ her? me?¡± Jeh shook her head. ¡°But she might be who I actually am and she¡¯s the real one and Jeh is just¡­ just¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey¡­¡± Margaret put her hand on Jeh¡¯s cheek. ¡°You are who you are. If you used to be someone else, if you didn¡¯t, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°B-but what if I stop being me? What if¡­ she comes back?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen.¡±

    ¡°How¡­ how can you know?¡± tears started rolling down her face. ¡°What if¡­ the moment I remember anything, I become¡­ someone else?¡±

    Margaret stared at her long and hard. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ right. I can¡¯t know. We can¡¯t know.¡± Struck by the heaviness of the thought, she sat down on the bed, staring at the wall. ¡°We can¡¯t know¡­ so much.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jeh blubbered, wiping her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m trying to help you and I¡¯m just¡­¡±

    ¡°I think we can help each other,¡± Margaret said, giving her a sad, but genuine, smile. ¡°Neither of us knows anything. Life is¡­ confusing. And scary.¡±

    ¡°Scary¡­¡± Jeh nodded. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t like scary. I¡­ I liked it when I wasn¡¯t afraid of anything.¡±

    ¡°But that really was a lie, wasn¡¯t it? There are things to be afraid of.¡± Margaret turned to the claw holding the moon. ¡°There truly are¡­¡±

    ¡°If Eyda tries to hurt you, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll try to stop her.¡±

    Margaret chuckled. ¡°I¡­ you¡­ you really will, won¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll protect everyone I can.¡±

    ¡°You are a little small for that¡­¡±

    Jeh crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯ll do it anyway!¡±

    ¡°Well, in that case¡­ I¡¯ll protect you so¡­ so¡­¡± Margaret suddenly felt her heart start beating faster and faster as she continued talking to Jeh. ¡°Jeh¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Please¡­ please don¡¯t go.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t.. If¡­¡± Margaret¡¯s eyes were welling up. ¡°I can trust that nothing can take you from me, right? You¡¯ll¡­ always be here, one way or another.¡±

    Jeh beamed brightly. ¡°Not even lava can take me out.¡±

    ¡°Good. I just¡­ thank you.¡± She pulled Jeh into a hug. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m only sorry that I can¡¯t return the favor.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ll make sure you die in space like you want!¡±

    Margaret let out a laugh. ¡°Jeh, you realize that sounds like a threat, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh¡­¡± Jeh flushed red.

    ¡°I like it, I like it!¡±

    ¡°Oh! Great!¡±

    Margaret clasped her hands around Jeh¡¯s. ¡°We can do this, Jeh. Whatever came before, whatever comes after¡­ we can do this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Nothing can stop us! We¡¯ll stop those demons, we¡¯ll stop those rigids, we¡¯ll stop those singers, and we¡¯ll stop those weird mysterious secret guys! All of them don¡¯t know what they¡¯re messing with!¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°...And that¡¯s most everythin¡¯,¡± Keller concluded.

    He stood in front of the King¡¯s throne, currently occupied by the recently crowned King Wyett Kroan, a man who looked far too small for the seat he was in; and unlike most in his position, he looked like he knew he was too small.

    Queen Hyrii sat in a chair at his side. She was paying only half-attention to Keller, the rest of her focus was laid on her clearly troubled husband. He, however, had been hanging on Keller¡¯s every word¡­ but had said nothing the entire time.

    Keller didn¡¯t like that. He knew who Wyett was; a paranoid man, and half of the things Keller had mentioned could warrant a threat to Kroan. Yet here he was, remaining silent.

    Tenrayce was the one doing all the talking. She wasn¡¯t even sitting down, and was furiously scribbling everything down in a notebook rather than doing her usual of reading a book. She wasn¡¯t even having a scribe do it.

    It was obvious to Keller who the new reigning monarch really was.

    Not that he said anything about it. That would have been stupid.

    ¡°I have noticed that you said most everything,¡± Tenrayce said, not looking up from her notes as she scribbled them down. ¡°Given your tone, I expect you have left out one extremely major detail specifically to leave it to last. Considering that your report talks of the Guardian Spirit, an Orange Crystal on the moon, and the nameless organization that seeks our downfall, I for one am very curious what this last thing may be.¡±

    Keller reached into his pocket and pulled out a spherical orange crystal. ¡°This is th¡¯ only sample Wanderlust sent back with us that isn¡¯t still in Willow Hollow. This is a piece o¡¯ th¡¯ sun.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating¡­¡±

    ¡°It was hard t¡¯ judge th¡¯ demonstration we got on th¡¯ Moon, but I think this little ball has more destructive power than our largest Red Crystalline Ones. If ya broke this casing Axiom might cease t¡¯ exist.¡±

    Tenryace stared blankly at him.

    Wyett finally spoke. ¡°And you brought this into the city!?¡±

    ¡°Who else was I gonna tell ¡®bout it?¡± Keller asked.

    ¡°We would need to store it here anyway,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°Highest possible security¡­ my goodness, I had never even considered that you could harvest the sun¡­¡±

    ¡°Ya can, ¡®parently.¡± Keller shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the same stuff Wanderlust used to harvest th¡¯ atmospheres, just crystals, immune to heat and all.¡±

    ¡°It will be a long time until we will be able to do this ourselves¡­¡± Tenrayce gingerly took the sunfire crystal out of Keller¡¯s hands and into her own. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like a weapon of mass destruction¡­ it¡¯s just a crystal ball in my hand.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t drop it.¡±

    ¡°I have no intention of doing so.¡± Tenryace quickly stored it deep within her green robes. ¡°I am sure this will either be a great boon or a great burden, Agent Keller. You have outdone yourself.¡±

    ¡°I still let th¡¯ kids on.¡±

    ¡°And they turned out to be useful, did they not? Count it as a blessing from Dia that you had a lapse.¡± She returned to her notebook. ¡°And now, a question in return. Do you wish to keep working with the Wizard Space Program?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Then continue doing so, return to them as soon as you are able, within reason.¡±

    ¡°I will wait for Alexandrite t¡¯ complete his obligations with the anglers.¡±

    ¡°...It is probably too late now, but it just occurred to me that what he writes may be considered a security breach.¡±

    Keller raised an eyebrow. ¡°Someone like him doesn¡¯t know th¡¯ protocol?¡±

    ¡°Excitement overrules reason often.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Seems I should go check on him¡­¡±

    ¡°As I said, it is probably too late. At least it is highly unlikely the anglers have anything to do with our enemies, secluded off as they are.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Keller sensed he was about to be dismissed, so he snapped his fingers. ¡°Question for you, Your Highness.¡±

    Tenryace was visibly surprised. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Blue sent me here t¡¯ see how ya and your sister were doin¡¯. Poor girl¡¯s worried sick, I have t¡¯ say.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tenrayce visibly smiled. ¡°You can report on my mental health to be sure. Via is taking it hard, but she will be on track¡ªI will be sure to encourage her to take a vacation to Willow Hollow to see Blue, as I am likely to be indisposed for the foreseeable future. Will that be enough for her, you think?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, Your Highness, only a visit would be sufficient for that unicorn.¡±

    ¡°Alas, she would have to come here, and I do not wish to subject her to that again. Perhaps in time¡­ You can tell her I appreciate her asking. And Keller, I admire your willingness to push social constructs aside for her sake. Do not be afraid to ask me such questions in the future, understood?¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°You are dismissed, Agent Keller.¡±

    Keller bowed and excused himself from the room, thoughts swirling around his head.

    He¡¯d had no issue at all with King Redmind, the man had been worthy of absolute trust and fealty. But what he had just seen in that room gave him doubts; could he trust the missions he was given, anymore?

    He decided before he left the palace that, at least for now, he could--for the mission he was on had not changed.

    He would help those crazy idiots go to space and uncover the secrets of the universe.

    Maybe, just maybe, he¡¯d be able to save Kroan in the process.

    ~~~

    It was night, and Lila wasn¡¯t sleeping.

    Suro had been sleeping, but in his rest he had rolled over, reaching for his wife, and found nothing. This prompted him to groggily rise and see her sitting at the edge of the bed, looking out into the darkness.

    ¡°Lila?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am having trouble sleeping.¡±

    ¡°Look, Lila, I know you, you are going to be able to handle this, and even if you make a mistake¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that, tonight,¡± Lila said. ¡°...They found things out there, Suro.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­?¡±

    ¡°Things that¡­ make the world seem¡­ different.¡± She flicked her tail side to side. ¡°The moon is old, Suro. Older than the earliest dates ever interpreted from Dia¡¯s Word. Older than any dates inferred from any texts. There were things up there.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Suro said, moving to sit down next to his wife. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s all so¡­ big. I can¡¯t think about it either.¡±

    ¡°I keep coming back to what I know about life,¡± Lila said, lifting up a paw, trying to look at it, but unable to see any details in the darkness despite her night vision. ¡°And what I know is all about¡­ the small. Even the Guardian Spirit, she¡¯s just a person who helps her island and does the best she can, and even she¡¯s beyond my ability to fully grasp. Then there¡¯s the size of the world itself, then the universe, and then so much time¡­¡± She paused.

    ¡°I kind of think it doesn¡¯t matter too much,¡± Suro said.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, really, there are always going to be things bigger than us. We can never know Dia¡¯s full plan, for instance, but even ignoring that there¡¯s also the entire nonsense conspiracy with all these sides going on in Kroan. We keep ending up in the middle of it but we really can¡¯t do much beyond take what¡¯s thrown at us. How is knowing the world is millions and millions of years old any different, practically, than having a conspiracy surrounding us?¡±

    Lila let out a soft chuckle. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s one way to look at it¡­ but in a sense, that conspiracy, that is our doing¡ªthe fault of the spirited. The age of the universe¡­ that¡¯s just a brute fact, whatever the actual value may be.¡±

    ¡°And¡­?¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m finding myself wondering how much we aren¡¯t told. How much is hidden from us. How¡­ how we make decisions based on knowledge that might be very, very wrong.¡± She put her paw to her chest and took in a deep breath. ¡°Trusting Dia may be the ideal, but you know as well as I do that we still make decisions based on our understanding. If the world itself is fundamentally not what we think it is¡­ then¡­ what then?¡±

    ¡°What exactly are we going to do about it if it is?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ well¡­¡±

    ¡° ¡®Just live well.¡¯ ¡±

    ¡°You know hearing you quote me back to me¡ª¡±

    ¡°Never gets old?¡±

    Lila turned to him and gave him a look. He didn¡¯t even need to be able to see to know exactly what her face was doing. He couldn¡¯t help but snort.

    Lila huffed playfully. ¡°You¡¯ve grown bolder over the years, Suro.¡±

    ¡°You rubbed off on me.¡±

    ¡°See, now if only I could figure out how to give myself my own advice, then everything would be golden.¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure that¡¯s not how we work.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ of course not.¡± She gave him a quick bap on the snout. ¡°You truly are exactly what I need, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I sure hope so!¡±

    ¡°You have to hope¡­?¡±

    ¡°Well, one word from you could banish all doubt¡­¡±

    ¡°In that case¡­¡±

    ¡°DAD!¡± one of their kids called from down the hall. ¡°NIRF THREW UP ON THE CARPET!¡±

    Suro twitched. ¡°Maybe I can just igno¡ª¡±

    Lila shoved him off the bed. ¡°She¡¯s calling for you.¡±

    Suro sighed. ¡°Very well, my queen¡­¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, royal treatment today?¡±

    ¡°Yep! We¡¯ll see if it lasts through the chore I have to go do. I¡¯m expecting you¡¯re getting a sourpuss when I return.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll be fun.¡±

    Suro laughed awkwardly. ¡°Sure it will¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°So!¡± Blue said, slapping the chalkboard with a spoon held in her magic. ¡°We¡¯re all back and I¡¯ve had IDEAS!¡±

    ¡°Blue you were told not to work,¡± Lila said.

    ¡°I have written none of this down!¡± Blue said with a mad laugh. ¡°You have no proof of anything!¡±

    ¡°...We will have a talk later, but you are right, Keller and Alexandrite have returned it is time. That said¡­ maybe finish your breakfast first?¡±

    Blue whinnied in amusement. ¡°I can eat and talk at the same time!¡± She dove her spoon into the oatmeal and scooped out a bite while also drawing on the chalkboard. ¡°So, first of all, I wish to get it in everyone¡¯s head that ¡®down¡¯ is a relative idea. Ikyu has a down. The moon has a down. Qi has a down. The Sun has a down. Everything big pulls things towards them, thus making down. In fact, that¡¯s probably why everything out there is largely round, the force of gravity pulls anything that deviates too much down. Make a large enough overhang and it just crumbles.¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we round?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re too small to have our own gravity,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Oooooh. What does size have to do with it¡­?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ not sure, all right?¡± Blue sighed. ¡°Wanderlust had a lot of information about relative gravity strengths, and while the biggest things have the largest gravity, Talu has far more gravity than Chonker despite being basically the same size. One of those questions we¡¯re just gonna have to figure out.¡±

    ¡°Dangerous,¡± Big G pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, but at least we know what the gravity is. You can assign a number to each planet or moon and use it to calculate the orbit trajectories. Unfortunately, we aren¡¯t as precise as Wanderlust so we can¡¯t just throw rocks at these objects and hope they come back. Wanderlust loses a lot of them anyway¡­ so we need to go there ourselves!¡±

    ¡°Which is the Big Problem!¡± Seskii said with a cheer.

    Blue raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why is that worth cheering about?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s so exciting!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be exciting when we think of ways around it. I¡¯ve been fumbling for a while. See, for anyone who forgot or wasn¡¯t paying attention or had other things on their minds¡­¡±

    ¡°Which was most of us,¡± Mary said.

    ¡°...there¡¯s this thing called magic not working past the orbit of the moon.¡± Blue drew a very simple diagram on the chalkboard that showed Ikyu, the moon, and a little bit of distance further out. She then drew a line that represented the magic level, dropping off to nothing a fair distance beyond the moon. ¡°Magic just¡­ stops here. I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything with my horn. Crystalline Ones wouldn¡¯t be able to see outside their bodies. Creatures that rely on magic to live will die instantly. Jeh won¡¯t be able to regenerate.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah forgot about that¡­¡± Jeh said, eyes widening.

    ¡°Any attributes or¡­ ancestries¡­¡± Blue clicked her tongue, trying out the word. Look at me, using a new magic concept in a sentence like that¡­ ¡°Simply won¡¯t function out there. Crystals¡­ I¡¯m not entirely sure, Wanderlust was still able to use Colored crystal properties to harvest things out there, she just couldn¡¯t use spells. She told us a little about how she felt trying to do magic out far from Ikyu, but there¡¯s no good data on it. We need good data.¡±

    ¡°Gronge¡¯s experiments are probably the best data we have so far,¡± Alexandrite suggested.

    ¡°Yeah, I should spend some time on those¡­¡±

    ¡°They are quite an interesting read,¡± Vaughan added. ¡°I wonder what he¡¯ll make of ancestries¡­¡±

    Keller grunted under his breath and Alexandrite shifted awkwardly.

    ¡°Ooooh, did we have a security leak?¡± Seskii asked.

    ¡°Hah!¡± Krays slapped her knee. ¡°Just told the fishies everything, did ya?¡±

    ¡°Not¡­ everything¡­¡± Alexandrite said.

    ¡°I¡¯m hopin¡¯ Gronge has enough sense about him not t¡¯ blow this all up,¡± Keller said.

    ¡°He is quite rational. Until he gets a crazy idea. Then he doesn¡¯t sleep. Apparently, this is more normal for anglers than us surface dwellers¡­ but still.¡± Alexandrite paused. ¡°Actually, now that I think about it, you are quite similar to him, Vaughan¡ªat least what I¡¯m able to glean from his letters.¡±

    ¡°He has to be quite different,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°He has the patience to wait for letters to sift through the ocean depths,¡± Vaughan chuckled.

    ¡°If you lived on the ocean you would totally be willing to do that,¡± Suro pointed out.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ yes.¡±

    ¡°AHEM!¡± Blue coughed. ¡°Can we?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Krays said. ¡°We have to carry this absurd tangent out to its absolute finish, to the ends of the earth, to th¡ª¡± For her trouble Krays got a spoon to the head from Blue. Seskii held up a card with a ¡®9¡¯ on it.

    ¡°I thought it was a pretty good throw¡­¡± Suro said.

    ¡°Eh, didn¡¯t have a perfect windup,¡± Seskii added with a shrug. ¡°I could be convinced to give her a nine-point-five.¡±

    ¡°Seskii, if I had another spoon¡­¡± Blue muttered.

    Seskii threw a spoon at Blue, which she immediately caught in her telekinesis. There was a cute little smile drawn on the spoon. Blue stared at it for a moment before slapping it on the chalkboard. ¡°ANYWAY! We can¡¯t use magic out there. This is terrible, but not as bad as it sounds. For instance, we can still launch using magic, so the big problem of escaping Ikyu¡¯s gravity is still solved. But there are some big issues.¡± She tapped her hoof. ¡°Those would be steering and living.¡±

    ¡°I think if we do it right we won¡¯t even have to steer,¡± Vaughan pointed out. ¡°Wanderlust did send us back to Ikyu without much, if any, control, and it worked out.¡±

    ¡°That requires an extremely precise launching calculation and sometimes it doesn¡¯t work. Moon to Ikyu is fine, but there¡¯s magic there. Go further out and sometimes probes get lost. We¡¯d need to be able to deal with unforeseen complications.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s just tiny rocks flying through space¡­¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t assume we understand anything, Vaughan, there could be space dragons out there for all we know.¡±

    Alexandrite tapped his chin. ¡°You know, air dragons might be able to sustain themselves up there¡­¡±

    ¡°Until they left the moon¡¯s orbit.¡±

    ¡°Good point.¡±

    ¡°So, steering without magic is a big issue,¡± Blue said. ¡°Ideas?¡±

    ¡°Air,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°...Okay?¡±

    ¡°Whenever you make a hole in a spaceship, the air rushes out, pushing. Right?¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°That¡­ that actually would work, there¡¯s no resistance in space¡­ but that would be a lot of air and it doesn¡¯t have very much force¡­¡±

    ¡°If we just need to steer and not get out of a gravity well¡­¡± Vaughan contemplated.

    ¡°It¡¯d keep you from landing,¡± Big G said. ¡°Releasing air won¡¯t get you off the ground once you¡¯re already down.¡±

    ¡°And we might need the air,¡± Krays said. ¡°The air recycler won¡¯t work, remember, we rely on magic for that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s problem two, we¡¯ll get to that,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°I want to get to it now.¡±

    ¡°Screw you, we¡¯re on steering.¡±

    ¡°A thought,¡± Big G said. ¡°There exist explosives that do not rely on magic to operate, useful when mining Magenta crystals in particular.¡±

    Jeh gasped. ¡°The fireworks! They still burn but they weren''t pretty! But there¡¯s still energy there!¡±

    ¡°So strap a bunch of bombs to the ship?¡± Blue laughed. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Who would do that?¡±

    ¡°Us,¡± Lila pointed out.

    ¡°Okay if we don¡¯t think of anything better but that¡¯s just asking for disaster to happen.¡±

    ¡°And what we¡¯re doing now isn¡¯t?¡± Krays asked.

    Blue scrunched her nose. ¡°Okay, fine, air and explosives, any other ideas?¡±

    ¡°Gyroscopes,¡± Krays said.

    ¡°Krays we don¡¯t need any more of your cra¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, gyroscopes. Spin up parts of your spaceship, get the spaceship to turn. Make it so your ship can adjust its shape and change how it spins.¡±

    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t actually change the trajectory,¡± Blue pointed out. ¡°All objects behave the same under gravity, no matter their shape or size, you¡¯d just be changing orientation.¡±

    ¡°Might be enough to dodge incoming problems though. Or, or, I totally just thought of this, stop the ship from tumbling! How are you gonna do that without magic, huh?¡±

    Blue blinked.

    ¡°You have to admit, she has a point,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°That is a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Okay, fine, we¡¯ll need to do more investigation on spinning and how to control it, fine,¡± Blue grumbled. ¡°Any other ideas on how to steer ourselves in space without magic?¡±

    ¡°...Sail on sunlight?¡± Seskii suggested.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Light doesn¡¯t push things.¡±

    ¡°All right, just an idea.¡± Seskii giggled.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing out there t¡¯ sail on,¡± Keller said, tipping his hat up. ¡°Ya got a real problem. Ya just drift unless you got some way t¡¯ move yerself.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°Yeah. Without magic, you have to carry something with you in order to change your trajectory. Now that I think about it it doesn¡¯t have to be air, air¡¯s just easy to compress, it could be anything. Rocks, or whatever. But you have to lose something to move¡­¡± Blue paused. ¡°Actually we lose Orange crystal mass when we move so that¡¯s not actually any different, is it?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Seskii said.

    ¡°Great¡­ well, I guess that gives me something to work with.¡± She scribbled down the ideas. ¡°So now onto the other problem¡­ Living. The air restorer doesn¡¯t work without magic. We¡¯ll also need long term food storage. And water. The last two things can be solved by just making a really really big ship which¡­ is actually feasible if you launch from the moon. But the air problem. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s a big one.¡±

    ¡°We know plants can recycle air,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°Yes, but over the long term? In proper health?¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°And not all of them do it, and they could change it, and relying on a bunch of daisies to breathe might take up even more space than the air itself for the journey would! And they need food and water too and who knows what else!¡±

    ¡°Oooh, Scurfpea!¡± Jeh blurted.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°We have a dryad in town now! She really wants to go to the moon, she might be able to help us!¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m not sure how I feel about experimenting on a dryad kid¡¯s ability to breathe,¡± Lila said.

    ¡°We have Green down here, though.¡±

    ¡°Still, suffocation isn¡¯t pleasant¡­¡±

    ¡°Can I at least ask her?¡±

    Lila looked at Jeh and frowned. ¡°I¡¯d want her to be able to explain to me, in detail, what she thinks she¡¯s getting into and have it make sense.¡±

    ¡°Is that a yes?¡±

    ¡°...It is, but it¡¯s conditional. Don¡¯t get too exci¡ª¡±

    ¡°All right! Hear that Margaret? We¡¯re getting a new pilot!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I said¡­¡±

    Margaret put her hand to her chin. ¡°Do you know if she has any crystal experience?¡±

    ¡°Nope! But if she recycles air, just having her around should be enough for one of us, right?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. To be in space without having to worry about the air restorer¡­ that would be nice.¡±

    ¡°I still think we need viable alternatives,¡± Blue said. ¡°Relying on plants or plant-spirited is probably just¡­ I don¡¯t know, it seems unreliable.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d need to come up with a restoring machine,¡± Big G said. ¡°And you don¡¯t understand why air restoration works in the first place.¡±

    Blue twitched. ¡°...Watch me.¡±

    ¡°Something tells me you don¡¯t even know where to start with this one.¡±

    ¡°Well. Um. Clearly, there are different kinds of things in the air and uh¡­ surely there must be a way to tell them apart¡­ Um¡­¡±

    ¡°Pepper¡¯s been doing some cooling experiments,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Liquids come out of the air at different temperatures. You might want to talk to her.¡±

    ¡°Pepper and Gronge¡­ got it¡­¡± Blue scribbled down some notes. ¡°But seriously does anyone have any other ideas on how to breathe out there?¡±

    ¡°Get a rigid who doesn¡¯t need to breathe?¡± Jeh suggested.

    ¡°Probably won¡¯t work,¡± Alexandrite said.

    ¡°Why not? Many of them don¡¯t breathe.¡±

    ¡°Terrestrial rigids do drown, though, and aquatic ones also tend not to last long on land. Clearly, they need something.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°And anyway, if we used rigids¡­¡± Vaughan put his hands on the table. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t get to go to space anymore! And that¡¯s ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Hungry to go even further, old man?¡± Krays asked.

    ¡°Just because I¡¯ve lived my dream doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to keep going!¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re going to keep going all right¡­¡± Blue said, chuckling somewhat ominously. ¡°We¡¯re going to go so far Wanderlust will be stunned speechless¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Once Alexandrite finalized the message to send to Gronge, it started a long, treacherous journey, beginning before he and Keller left Axiom, and ending well over a month later.

    The message was first given to a scribe whose entire job was to replicate the message as many times as possible onto specialty, expensive paper* derived from plasts. These stiff, wobbly, but extremely white sheets would then be sealed in several reinforced metal containers. The size of containers varied based on what was being sent down, but if it was just information the containers were generally the size of small books. The symbol of Kroan was etched onto these boxes¡ªother nations had their own symbols on the boxes, so the anglers would know the origin of each box.

    *This probably shouldn¡¯t be called paper, as it¡¯s not made even remotely the same way and has vastly different properties. The plast sheets are hard and unwieldy, and most types of ink don¡¯t stay on them, requiring specialty writing implements. But the major benefit is that it¡¯s completely waterproof, once a message is on the plast ¡°paper¡± it¡¯s not getting washed away by water, and it¡¯s even resistant to decomposition. However, it is not entirely immune; the people of Ikyu are not generally aware of microorganisms but there are many species that can metabolize plastic.

    Dozens of these cases, all with identical contents, were then shipped to the West coast where they were loaded onto a barge with lots of other boxes of similar make. Most were also book-sized, but there were a few larger ones that contained goods of various kinds. Goods were by far the riskiest things to send¡ªinformation could be duplicated endless numbers of times, the cost was only as much as the paper they were written on and the scribe labor, which was pricey but not absurd. Goods suffered far more, as sending just one container down essentially guaranteed it never reached its recipient, so copies were always needed, driving the cost of the operation up significantly. The treaties had a lot of regulations on how, where, and when to cover the costs of excess goods. As such information was the primary commodity shared from above and below the waves.

    The barge sailed out into the ocean, making sure to stop directly over the anglers¡¯ biggest city. Then it dropped every single box on board into the ocean.

    Virtually none of them would actually fall straight down to the bottom. One of Alexandrite¡¯s boxes in particular would be thrown to the side by a surprise current, hit the flipper of a leviathan, get gnawed on by a particularly dumb fish, and even get caught in a nearly invisible slimy creature.

    The slimy creature held onto the box for a long time, unable to realize that the box wasn¡¯t food as the creature had no brain. Fish swam into it and were dissolved over the course of several days, but the box remained unfazed by the honestly rather pathetic digestive powers of the slimy creature.

    Eventually, though, the slimy creature¡¯s natural predator showed up¡ªa school of fish-like rigids that cut into the invisible creature with their needle-like bodies, tearing it to pieces; allowing the box to fall once more to the depths below.

    This time, it actually landed, coming to rest on the flat and nearly featureless seafloor, surrounded by the white ¡°snow¡± formed by the death and decay of all layers of the ocean above.

    It stayed there for days. Crabs walked over it. Abyssal worms pushed their dark heads out of the ground and poked the box, and, finding it not tasty, returned to beneath the ground. A dead fish fell on top of the box, and a frenzy of feeding crabs came from kilometers around just to feast on it, leaving nothing but bones an hour later. The crabs dispersed, and the box was alone with the fishy skeleton.

    Then there was light in the distance. Seven lights, all flickering in various colors of the rainbow, casting little searchlights on the ocean floor.

    If the box had ears, it would have heard a language, spoken with gnashes and trills through the deep, pressurized waters of the sea. But it heard nothing, for it was a box.

    Fortunately, it was very shiny and the decay falling from above had not completely covered it yet, so the moment one of the lights flicked across it, the box¡¯s position became glaringly obvious. With that, the lights all rushed over, excited, for they knew exactly what they¡¯d found.

    It was always a good salvaging run for the anglers when they found these boxes. They were paid extra for them.

    The anglers themselves were sheep-sized creatures with massive, toothy maws. Their mouths did not bend to speak the way most other races¡¯ did, as their teeth made it impossible to bend their lips. Rather, their speech was dictated mostly by their highly adaptable tongue moving through their immense jaws; clips, slams, and rushes of water were all possible parts of words¡ªone of the most interesting sounds they made was when they ran their tongue along the inside of their teeth, making a rattling noise.

    Their forward fins looked small when they were swimming normally, but at any moment they could extend the bones in the fins like fingers. They were surprisingly strong, though it still took two anglers to lift the heavy box off the seafloor. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t have to carry the box very far under their own power¡ªthey had a floating cart (more of a sled, really, if a sled only rarely touched the ground) that was pulled by two very large but tame viperfish. If they were fed one crab a day they would do essentially anything the anglers asked, and today they had already been fed two crabs.

    This particular salvage crew continued on their expedition for quite some time¡ªworking continually for multiple days. Of course, they knew nothing of the way the surface measured time; there was no sun down here, nothing ever changed unless something or someone put their mind to it. As such, people worked until it was time to stop working, and sleep was grabbed randomly and wherever. There was usually one angler sleeping in the cart at any given time as the salvage operation continued.

    Eventually, though, they had to admit they¡¯d collected enough things. They had a few of the boxes from the surface but had also grabbed chunks of Colored crystal, broken ship parts, particularly interesting dead creatures from the sea levels above, and any shiny rocks they found. It was almost never difficult to find such things, the world above was always supplying more and more loot.

    The return trip was quick. A bunch of anglers and two viperfish can move even a very heavy cart extremely quickly. They passed over mostly featureless, empty terrain with hardly anything growing or living that didn¡¯t subsist on that which fell from above. However, there were a few exceptions. Black smoking mounds of heat that drew in strange creatures that were alien even to the anglers; worms, entities of flame that did not extinguish even deep beneath the waves, rigids that glowed red from the heat, and even a strange species of pristine white jellyfish that rippled with waves of heat.

    Then, of course, there were the cracks. Parts of the seafloor that led directly to the molten, fiery interior of Ikyu. Only rigids lived deep in these cracks, and nothing lived at the bottom where the heat was simply too oppressive for all aquatic beings¡ªexcept for Crystalline Ones, whose sparks could sometimes be seen from far above.

    The anglers¡¯ destination was actually overtop of one of these cracks, not that anyone would be able to tell it even if they were right on top of it, for the great angler city of Crawnwf completely sealed it, using the heat to power itself. It was a truly spectacular sight, the only light in the dark seas that could be seen from almost a kilometer away. No single entity could make this much light, and it drew so many to it.

    What was a white dot in the distance became a brilliant rainbow of colors with numerous spotlights that shone into the dark ocean. Each spotlight had its own unique color. In theory, each spotlight was searching for potential threats to the city, but nothing had dared attack the city since the early days and they were now just for show.

    Around the great city, there was enough light for farmlands, including seaweeds and the most important of angler livestock: crabs. There were entire hills covered in multiple layers of crabs. The anglers had long ago mastered the art of crab breeding and now had so much of an excess that the once nearly starvation-inducing ecosystem of the seafloor produced so much that they could afford to throw crabs to pets on whims.

    The city proper was composed mainly of plast, for it was the easiest material for anglers to work with¡ªwhile there was plenty of stone around, their fins were not suited for moving around large and heavy objects over significant distances, but many plasts were barely heavier than the water around them and could be moved effortlessly. The heat from the crack beneath the city gave all the energy needed to melt, shape, and fuse the plast into various shapes.

    Someone from the surface who entered Crawnwf would have difficulty orienting themselves, because aside from the general upward flow of steam bubbles powering the city, there was no way to orient oneself. Anglers could swim upside-down, sideways, or even in corkscrew patterns. As such it was hard to identify individual buildings in the city, everything was kind of lumped together in a smooth blend. And all of it was bright. Notwithstanding the light produced by the anglers themselves, they also kept extensive amounts of bioluminescent creatures everywhere in their city of all colors, and that was ignoring the great Purple arcane devices.

    Deeper within the city the angler salvagers started to see other races. Purple Crystalline Ones were given places of great honor, sometimes even being permanent fixtures of the blended structures of the city. octopus and squid spirited moved through the glowing tunnels, communicating with the anglers using gestures as none of them would ever be able to speak their toothy language.

    One of these octopi was the salvagers¡¯ boss. She usually kept her color a bright blue and had Green crystals embedded in her tentacles so healing was never far from her. She went through the haul and used her significantly stronger tentacles to pick out the metal boxes and carry them right away to the post office. She claimed the bonus for turning them in and kept more back for herself than she was legally supposed to, but the salvagers didn¡¯t know this.

    With that, the boxes sat in a government warehouse for a few days, forgotten about.

    Eventually, though, an angler secretary with proper credentials started going through the boxes. He opened up Alexandrite¡¯s and found the pages within, quickly identifying the address and where it needed to go. Fortunately, it was within the city¡ªregularly he would have to ship it elsewhere, and he hated organizing shipments to other cities.

    He packaged the papers in large seagrass leaves and sent them away. They were swiftly carried by a squid courier to the Arcane Institute. Like with most sections in the city it was hard to tell where it started and where it ended, but the center of the Institute was as obvious as it could possibly be: the very walls themselves were lined with Colored crystals shaped into the flowing, loopy script of the anglers. The courier dropped the papers off in processing to an angler student who was taking a nap at the moment. This was normal.

    The papers proceeded to sit in processing for a week.

    This was also normal.

    But, eventually, an inventory catalog was done, and the papers were, at long last, sent to the intended recipient: one Wizard Gronge, who lived near the very center of the Institute.

    The papers arrived in his office when he wasn¡¯t there, set among a bunch of other papers and, perhaps more interestingly, models. Models of the Skyseed and the Moonshot and the Ikyu-moon system and even some designs of Gronge¡¯s own. Schematics and notes were scrawled on every square inch of the room, including the ¡°floor¡± and ¡°ceiling¡± if the room could even really be considered to have such things.

    Gronge came in. He was a large angler, with fangs more fierce than most, and with blue, bulging eyes indicating that he was getting on in years. He sifted through the pages with his fins, getting more and more excited the more he read.

    He particularly read as much as he could about the nature of magic. How it got lesser and lesser the further away from Ikyu one got¡­

    HIs lure suddenly lit up so bright that it made it impossible to read any further, but he didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°I¡¯VE GOT IT!¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Everything massive enough in space is round.

    Why?

    Well, first, let¡¯s forget that solid things exist, consider everything to be liquid. If you have a bunch of liquid in space that is being sucked to a single point, what shape will it make? Each individual molecule in the water wants to go ¡°down¡± to the point itself. However, only one water molecule gets to actually do this, the second one that arrives at the point can¡¯t push the first one out of the way, but it is still pulled toward the center. Every water molecule goes through this same thing, trying to get as close to the center as possible with all the other water in the way. Any molecule of water that is on top of a ¡°lump¡± would get closer to the center by moving off the lump, so it does. And so the best the water can do as a whole is form a sphere around the attractive point.

    For liquid bodies, such as those that are completely molten, this is almost exactly how it works. There are a few complications with the fact that the molecules in the center provide more gravity to the exterior molecules, but it works out to be the same spherical shape either way. Gas giants also work like this: though they don¡¯t have a defined edge, they still take more or less ¡°round¡± shapes.

    One might be tempted to think that since most if not all planets formed in hot conditions and were molten at some point, that this explains why solid, hard objects are round. While this might explain some of it, there is a bit more here since even cosmic-level changes don¡¯t break the spherical nature of solid planets.

    So let¡¯s try to, by force, make a planet not round. Take Earth. Place a mountain on it the size of Mount Everest on it. Then keep making that mountain bigger and bigger and bigger. Our goal is to make it large enough to be seen as a massive point sticking out from Earth that scrapes space itself. We will not get anywhere close to this big. As the mountain gets larger, it gets heavier, and eventually, it gets so heavy that its weight is beyond the strength of the rock it is sitting on. At this point, the mountain will break the Earth¡¯s crust and sink into it. Now, all the rock beneath it has to go somewhere¡ªit is either pushed aside or compressed beneath the mountain.

    If we keep trying to make the mountain bigger we end up with the same problem every time. The mountain gets too heavy for the Earth to handle and it falls into the Earth. Any significant deviation from the spherical shape will result in this problem. Objects that are large but not large enough to destroy the ground they stand on (or the rocks they are made of) can remain, but over time they will be flattened out by surface processes such as rain on Earth. (Other planets do not have this and can have far more extreme topography).

    ?"But wait, the Earth isn''t very smooth!" It is VERY smooth, on the same order of magnitude of smoothness as a billiard ball. The mountains we have are nothing compared to the sheer size of the Earth.

    Just to make sure there¡¯s no confusion, strictly speaking, the shape planets ¡°want¡± to take is called the geoid, and it¡¯s usually an ellipsoid, not a sphere¡ªit would only be a perfect sphere if the planet in question was not rotating at all and was far away from any other major sources of gravity. Earth¡¯s bulge at the equator is stable and not in danger of cracking the crust anytime soon

 042 - The Secret of Magic

    WSP 042

    The Secret of Magic

    It was a somewhat windy day, and yet Blue and Vaughan were both working outside in the yard for once. Blue had no practical reason to¡ªher work was all calculations, but it was the mindless sort that slowly drove her insane, so she wanted someone to talk to. Vaughan was currently messing with gunpowder. Every few minutes there would be an explosion and a cloud of smoke. Afterward, he¡¯d try to take a reading. Most often the smoke got in the way.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like the odds of using explosives,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°I can control where I put heat, but in order to move out there I have to use that heat to throw something comparable to Orange¡¯s power and, well¡­¡± He lifted up a notebook he was working in. ¡°There¡¯s definitely enough energy here for that, and it can be released all at once. It¡¯s controlling it that¡¯s the problem.¡±

    Blue didn¡¯t look up from her calculations as she responded. ¡°Just make a casing that resists the explosion.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know a material that can resist explosions for days or weeks, do you?¡±

    ¡°Krays could probably find one.¡±

    ¡°Well we don¡¯t have one now, so¡­¡± Blue paused. ¡°Maybe we could ask the Guardian Spirit what she made the clear lava window-wall things out of.¡±

    ¡°That might have been magic¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe, maybe not; probably wouldn¡¯t get an answer anyway, she seems to want us to find things out on our own.¡± Blue paused. ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining. As great as Wanderlust is, it is more fun to figure things out through researching them.¡±

    ¡°I agree!¡± At this, another plume of smoke went up into Vaughan¡¯s face. ¡°...Reconsidering¡­¡±

    Blue snorted, and the conversation died down. Not that they minded; they were working, after all, the conversation was just a bonus.

    A few minutes later Blue spoke up. ¡°So, what do you think of the letter from Axiom?¡±

    ¡°Tenrayce certainly has¡­ ideas.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in the employ of the Crown, we have to listen to them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just not sure what the point of a Lunar Library would be.¡±

    Blue stopped writing things down for a moment. ¡°...I think she¡¯s worried Kroan will fall.¡±

    ¡°Sure doesn¡¯t sound like it in the letter¡­¡±

    ¡°I know her a little better. She¡¯s considering the possibility that they can¡¯t hold it together.¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°King Redmind was assassinated, Vaughan. A few more things like that and the royal family won¡¯t be able to hold things together. So much information will be lost¡­ and I think that¡¯s the point of the Lunar Library project she¡¯s proposed. Put everything up there so, like the ancient ¡®rigids¡¯, it can be preserved.¡±

    ¡°Still going to be a big pain to build anything up there,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°...Actually, perhaps we could ask Wanderlust. I¡¯m sure she can make construction materials out of the moon rocks.¡±

    ¡°The biggest problem is the air,¡± Blue said, scribbling down a few more notes. ¡°We still aren¡¯t sure if we can maintain air indefinitely. It probably leaks out in small ways we don¡¯t expect. On the moon we can¡¯t just go out and get more, it¡¯d take hours to return to Ikyu if there was an emergency. The logistics¡­¡± Blue paused. ¡°But, Lunar Library or not, we are going to have to build something up there eventually. Crystal mine, observatory, something.¡±

    ¡°Observatory¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, there¡¯s no sky in the way of looking at the stars.¡±

    Vaughan slowly stood to his full height and looked up at the sky. ¡°Blue, I don¡¯t think you realize how good of an idea that is.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Think of how big you could make a telescope with that low gravity¡­¡±

    ¡°Vaughan, telescopes are limited by lens quality, the reason we don¡¯t make them bigger is because it¡¯s hard to make lenses perfect.¡±

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°Ah. Right. Forgot about that.¡± He frowned. ¡°You know, I think I remember there being some lenses on the ancient exploration devices on the moon¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, so maybe they have better lenses. How does that help us make better ones? There¡¯s not a copy spell, Vaughan.¡±

    ¡°Hire a shapeshifter.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure they can do glass.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll never know unless we try!¡±

    At this point Jeh landed in a Skyseed¡ªBlue didn¡¯t remember which number, there were a lot of them at this point and the Crown had settled on a somewhat standardized spherical design with little nubs coated in black plast that doubled as both control knobs and landing feet. A nice thing was that these standardized Skyseeds could be opened from the inside by undoing a few latches and screwing a crank, so there was no need for Blue to do anything while Jeh crawled out of the metal hatch.

    ¡°Another happy landing!¡± Jeh declared.

    ¡°You say that every time,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°I know! Isn¡¯t it amazing? I can just take this up and do stuff!¡± Jeh hopped out and landed on the ground next to a pile of still-smoldering experiments. ¡°It¡¯s normal for me to go up! You two aren¡¯t even batting an eye!¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you went to space¡­¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°I mean, I got high enough to see the stars,¡± Jeh said, sitting down at one of the nearby tables. ¡°I¡¯m getting really quick at it, and these new Skyseeds are easy to control.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying the hoity-toity wizards at the Academy are better than us?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Um. Well.¡± Jeh glanced at Vaughan. ¡°I smell a trap.¡±

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°Good nose.¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes.

    Vaughan crossed his arms. ¡°Though in seriousness, Blue, they are running more flights than us, have more pilots, and can get more feedback. We are pushing the boundary, they¡¯re just refining our ideas.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Blue grumbled. ¡°But I can already see the day coming that¡¯ll make the Moonshot look obsolete.¡±

    ¡°It already is,¡± Vaughan pointed out. ¡°We¡¯re redesigning a ton of it.¡±

    ¡°You know what I mean.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll also take a lot longer for them to refine the Moonshot design. The Skyseed wasn¡¯t very complicated, but the Moonshot has a ton of components and is harder to use. Skyseeds¡­ I think they¡¯re already using them to deliver messages across the kingdom that are of extreme importance.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, they are!¡± Jeh said. ¡°I saw one while I was up today! I think I really scared him when I pulled up alongside him and waved.¡± She giggled.

    ¡°A message was delivered here?¡± Blue asked, blinking. ¡°Tenrayce didn¡¯t even use a Skyseed to send her message, that came on a balloon whale¡­¡±

    ¡°Balloon whales are the way of the past!¡± Jeh declared. ¡°Skyseeds are the future!¡±

    ¡°Still, what could be important enough to send a Skyseed¡­?¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°They may be fast and simple to operate, but there¡¯s only¡­ how many of them do we have, Blue?¡±

    Blue coughed. ¡°We have four, the Crown has about ten more in Axiom. So¡­ fourteen Skyseeds in existence right now? And only some of them fly easily, the early awkward ones are still around.¡±

    ¡°Something important enough to send one of the fourteen Skyseeds¡­¡± Vaughan tapped his fingers. ¡°What could it be?¡±

    ¡°Notice of Via¡¯s visit, maybe?¡± Blue suggested.

    ¡°That could come on balloon whale. Or dragon.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe we¡¯ve got a specific mission we need to do, or something.¡± Blue sighed. ¡°I hope we don¡¯t have to investigate something like Benefactor, that would be a pain¡­¡±

    ¡°The sunfire, maybe?¡± Jeh suggested.

    ¡°Hmm, yes if there was something up with the sunfire, that would warran¡ª¡±

    ¡°ALL OF YOU STOP WHATEVER YOU¡¯RE DOING!¡± Alexandrite shouted from the sky, dropping down in the midst of the three of them.

    One of Vaughan¡¯s experiments exploded. The desk lit on fire. Alexandrite didn¡¯t seem to notice.

    ¡°I think he got the letter,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Should we get Keller?¡± Blue asked Alexandrite.

    ¡°What? Why?¡± Alexandrite tilted his head in confusion.

    ¡°Clearly it¡¯s extremely important and probably sensitive¡­¡±

    ¡°What? No! It¡¯s Gronge!¡±

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°Gronge got something sent to us on a Skyseed? Huh?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, he¡¯s figured it out.¡±

    ¡°Figured what out?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ just listen.¡± Alexandrite reached into his bags and pulled out a thick scroll with lots of smaller scrolls rolled up in it. He started reading¡­

    ~~~

    To Wizard Gideon Vaughan, Wizard Blue, and the other wizards of the Wizard Space Program

    From Wizard Gronge and the other wizards of the Attribute Investigation Laboratory

    Urgent. Get this to Vaughan and the others as quickly as possible to keep them from wasting time on unnecessary complications. I will spare no expense from my surface funds. I mean it, no expense, I am going to solve all their problems and every minute we wait is a minute we¡¯re doing work that won¡¯t accomplish anything! As fast as you can! This is already going to be extremely slow in getting to the surface, not a minute longer!

    I repeat, urgent!

    Now that that¡¯s out of the way, to the letter proper. Forgive me if the quality of the writing changes drastically over the letter, this has not been edited at all and has, in fact, been haphazardly stitched together from multiple accounts, some written not by me but by my assistants instead. Ever since word came from the surface about your trip to the moon we have not stopped experimenting and what we have discovered is beyond words.

    I believe I have a complete and working theory of magic. Or the start of one. At the very least, I know how to save you all a ton of trouble.

    [Scribe¡¯s note: the document we were given was highly unconventional. We have noted its unusual traits when relevant. The next section is sewn to the above with some kind of green rope.]

    New information: magic decays the further you get from Ikyu. It drops off completely once you get past the moon. Attributes will not work. Crystalline One Wanderlust would have limited capacities. Inconsistency. What¡¯s the difference? How?

    New information: there is a magical field. What does this mean? Is Wanderlust¡¯s understanding accurate, or that of a layman? Investigate.

    New information: Colored Crystals grow on the moon, but much slower. Because there is less magic.

    Hypothesis: Colored Crystals are magic in solid form. It is normally in gaseous form. (Potential for liquid form? Unknown, liquid Colored Crystal unheard of).

    Different materials freeze into different materials with different properties. Magic is, perhaps, seven different materials. Seven different gasses would mix easily; unlike many liquids, which continually cohere together.

    Oddity: much more magic ¡°gas¡± than actual air in atmosphere. Curious. Not relevant to current hypothesis.

    If Colored Crystals have two state changes, there must be something that can convert them between the states. We observe solidification occurring naturally. Is there a way to revert the solid form into the gaseous form?

    Colored Crystals get smaller when used.

    Mass is not simply destroyed in most materials. Perhaps it is not actually destroyed but forced back into a gaseous state.

    Aha! We can experiment on this!

    [Another section is tacked on, this one with some kind of brown tape]

    Experiment: using the old setup for the attribute, I had one of my assistants, Minge, enter the chamber and use her attribute until she couldn¡¯t anymore, but asked her to keep trying. I then had my other assistants use other Colored Crystals in sequence, casting small spells. The goal was to see if we could create ¡°more¡± gaseous Colored Crystals. Magic. Whatever.

    Point is, it worked! It worked!

    It only worked when all seven Colors were being used at once, but it worked! After having drained an area of its magic, it can be restored simply by burning all seven Colors at once!

    Naturally, we will not cease work until we work out everything we can about this effect. EVERYTHING.

    [The next section is scribbled on a different kind of parchment, one that¡¯s purple. Made it really hard to read.]

    Grimff fell asleep first so we used him for the experiment. Rather than an uncontrolled environment, I created a box out of Yellow. Completely sealed off, nothing could flow in or out. When Grimff woke up I had him use his attribute until it failed. It failed four times quicker than without the box! So magic can¡¯t flow through solid crystals! There was much evidence that suggested this before but this is even more reason to think so.

    ¡­ Follow-up complication. We did an extended experiment, this time with Finkils. Her attribute ran out as well, but then she stayed in the box for an hour, and after that hour was up, she could use her attribute again; though this time it ran out even quicker.

    Clearly, there is some nuance at play here¡­

    [The next section is tied to the above with a paper clip of some kind]

    So I missed something obvious in the previous experiment.

    If Colored Crystals really do have a gaseous form, and that gaseous form is what drives the powers of an attribute, where does all the gaseous crystal mass go? Solid crystals evidentially convert into gaseous ones, but if it is used in the gaseous form there is no clear creation of solid crystals. Such a thing would not make sense, either, because that would mean energy was released at every point in the process and that is simply nonsense.

    Theory: the gas wasn¡¯t ¡°used up¡± when the attribute ran out, it was still present in the box. It ¡°recharged¡± over time.

    How to test this¡­

    [The penmanship suddenly changes here.]

    Wizard Gronge fell asleep in the box, so it¡¯s his turn.

    As this is likely to be sent to people of the surface I feel the need to express that this is entirely normal for anglers. I have received many comments about how uncomfortable it makes surface-dwellers feel that we do things to people who are sleeping. I do not understand why; perhaps it is because you have specific places to sleep and aren¡¯t used to waking up having drifted considerably? I assure you, this is all completely normal.

    Regardless, I am Kromulent.

    My theory is as such: we know that gaseous magic cannot pass through solid magic. Even though I highly doubt that ¡°gaseous¡± is a good way to describe this form of magic as its properties are clearly different, it is what we have been using so I shall continue to use the word. Annoying as it is.

    Regardless, if gaseous magic cannot pass through solid magic, it should be possible to literally make a ¡°scoop¡± out of the crystals and create a true magic dead zone. As I write this down the other wizards are doing just this. It appears to be working, as we were relying on Orange to remotely move the scoops, and we keep being unable to grab onto objects within the box with reliability.

    We were eventually able to, I believe, scoop out the entire box.

    Gronge awoke and was unable to use his attribute at all. Resounding success. We will leave him in the box a few hours just to be sure nothing leaks in.

    [The next section is written in green print in the original penmanship.].

    What an amazing experiment! I was the subject of such a discovery! I couldn¡¯t be more excited!

    It is possible to create a magic dead zone.

    It is possible to create a magic dead zone!

    Which means we can simulate what it will be like in deep space!

    We¡¯ll all be spending a lot more time in the box that¡¯s for sure!

    [The next section is surprisingly a lot like the previous one and the connecting tissue is almost invisible. Why wasn¡¯t the rest of the document like this? Unknown. Why am I writing in the margins sarcastically? I have to vent about this nightmare of a document somehow.]

    On Using Colored Crystals in a Magic Dead Zone.

    In a magic dead zone, Colored Crystals can still be activated, and they glow their characteristic Color as usual. However, when used in isolation they have no effects. Red cannot increase the heat of the water, Orange moves nothing, Yellow cannot connect with minds even when both are inside the box, Green reverts nothing, Blue accelerates nothing, and Purple creates no light beyond the normal glow. Magenta did have an effect if physically placed in contact with the walls of the container, causing pulses to move through the walls, but this may be because the walls themselves were made of crystal. Inconclusive. Regardless, Magenta does nothing if not in contact with another Crystal.

    Addendum: Magenta can react with other crystals in a magic dead zone, but physical contact is required, the effect cannot work at a distance. Other Colors had no effect even with physical contact.

    Once all seven Colors of magic are used, immediately spells work once more and attributes are activated. It appears that even solid Crystals need the gaseous form of all Colors around them to cast spells.

    Once the gaseous form of the Colored Crystals is present in the box, it does not go away. Attributes can still stop working, but no matter how much it is used, the magic restores itself with time. A magic dead zone has to be recreated once more.

    [And that delightful break of very well-organized text and paper is thrown out the window in this next section which was written on pressed shell. The worst kind of ¡°parchment¡± I swear.]

    We are learning so much! So many experiments so little time I can¡¯t even.

    It¡¯s simply incredible to witness how much we can learn about magic just by figuring out how to remove it.

    Even more incredible, the seven Colors of magic are clearly all required for any magic to be done! There is no such thing as pure Red, or pure Orange magic, every spell requires all seven Colors to be present around it to actually do anything!

    Come to think of it, this matches with the notes on Wanderlust not being able to do much if she left the moon. Probably could have thought of that earlier.

    Nonetheless, this is excellent! However, one thing is bothering me; once magic is introduced into a system, it never goes away; even when ¡°used up¡± it is restored with enough time. We need more research on this.

    [The next section was written on some kind of kelp, stapled to the rest with metal. What a horrible waste of resources].

    I am unsure what all this means.

    Many experiments have been performed on the restorative nature of ¡°gaseous magic,¡± even though it clearly doesn¡¯t act like a gas at this point.

    We measure how ¡°much¡± is in the box by how long it takes an attribute to stop working, but this is only a rough estimate. We have determined even with this that the more magic is in an area, the faster it restores itself after being used up.

    There does not appear to be an absolute saturation. We can keep pumping more and more in until it is even denser than ¡°background¡± magic.

    How is this working¡­?

    [This next section is literally glued on.]

    The interior of the box has grown noticeably. Grown.

    [The next section was written so hastily it was nearly impossible to work out. Also, it was on purple again. Gronge, stop writing on purple stuff. I and the rest of the scribes beg of you].

    The density of magic affects the growth rate of Colored Crystals. Normally, crystals grow at a geologic pace, but if we increase the density of magic inside the box to extremely high levels, we can watch the interior start to grow.

    Then it hit me.

    The density of magic controls the rate of crystal growth.

    We knew this already, in a sense, because the Colored Crystals on the moon are small, they only started growing once magic got out that far. But the evidence we¡¯ve uncovered indicates that they are growing slower up there than down here.

    But crystals grow from the ¡°gaseous¡± state.

    Which is the realization I needed.

    I do not think we are witnessing a change from ¡°solid¡± to ¡°gas¡± anymore. I think it stays solid. Instead, we are converting from ¡°crystal¡± into ¡°dust.¡± When a crystal is used and loses mass, it¡¯s giving up that mass to the air in the form of ¡°dust.¡± I do not think the dust is a different state anymore, I think it is still solid, just unimaginably small and unnoticeable.

    I think that these small chunks can still be broken up further while in the air, and that this is where all the energy in magic comes from.

    When the ¡°dust¡± becomes too fine, magic can no longer be cast because there is not enough available energy.

    But Colored Crystals of the same color always seek to combine with each other. With enough time, Red, say, ¡°dust¡± particles will combine with other Red ¡°dust¡± particles, forming a larger particle. This particle now has energy that can be extracted for a spell.

    This is a highly unusual property, but it is not unheard of in materials. There exist those materials that can be stretched to release heat, but will slowly curl back into their natural state, where they can be stretched once more to release heat again. The energy buildup occurs because of time. Naturally, the recombination rate of ¡°dust¡± appears to be glacial, but we have discovered a method to accelerate it.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I can see the applications already. Manually grown Colored Crystals. Magic generators.

    I need to get this all compiled, the WSP could use this. They could have used this ages ago, I¡¯ve been refining data here and they needed some of the first things we figured out!

    [This next part is sewn on delicately.]

    Gronge is scrambling, but I think I need to write this down. We¡¯ll see if he decides to include it.

    Something is bothering me about magic. See, we have basically shown that the amount of magic in a closed system remains the same. Its energy is consumed, and over time it is restored. This makes sense in some ways. One could also correlate this to the legends of the Great Crystalline Ones; all the talk of unity may have been literal, they may not have been able to do anything without the rest of the others.

    However, all our research implies that the amount of magic should be constant. Crystals break, but then reform from the same stuff that was broken off of them. In fact, as the ¡°dust¡± forms more Colored Crystals and Crystalline Ones, the amount of ambient ¡°dust¡± should go down.

    It is not. The ¡°dust¡± is increasing, and it is increasing so much that it has extended beyond the orbit of the Moon.

    This prompts a question.

    Where is all the magic coming from?

    [And we¡¯re done. Finally.]

    [Or not, Gronge why do you do this? Last-minute edits aren¡¯t allowed this is only getting through because of your position. I hope you like your sloppy record on display for everyone to read.]

    P.S.: Obviously the information contained here can be used to generate magic in the ¡°dead zones¡± outside the moon¡¯s orbit. It occurs to me I didn¡¯t spell it out: just have a device that has all seven Colored Crystals and burn them on worthless spells that do nothing. The area around the device will fill with ambient magic, powering attributes and Colored Crystals. However, I also foresee engineering difficulties: the only material that seems to stop magic from flowing is Colored Crystals, and I cannot say what the effects of generating magic while moving in a spacecraft will be, but I can foresee that the entire craft would need to be walled in by Colored Crystals to make this effective. I do not envy the engineering challenge of actually building a magic-tight vessel; perhaps there are other ways around it, but I have thought of none.

    Regardless, I now put the ball in your court. Expect a far more detailed write-up in the coming months, something more worthy of actually being published. I just know this had to get to you so we don¡¯t squander this opportunity while we have it.

    -Wizard Gronge

    ~~~

    Alexandrite stopped reading.

    He looked up.

    Both Blue and Vaughan¡¯s mouths were hanging open and neither of them was moving.

    Jeh waved her hand in front of their faces. They didn¡¯t move. They didn¡¯t even blink.

    ¡°I think you broke them,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°I was kind of expecting that,¡± Alexandrite admitted.

    ¡°One of the problems of being so smart,¡± Seskii said from her position on a nearby bench. ¡°Sometimes you see so much you lock up.¡±

    Alexandrite glanced at her. ¡°When did you get here?¡±

    ¡°Earlier.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Specific.¡± Seskii grinned mischievously.

    ¡°So¡­ what do we do about them?¡± Jeh asked, gesturing at the two wizards.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Seskii said.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°How long?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Th¡ª¡±

    Blue lifted one of the nearby tables in her telekinesis and unceremoniously dumped all of Vaugahn¡¯s experiments onto the ground below. Some exploded. She started chuckling under her breath.

    Vaughan started stroking his beard, humming deeply. Blue¡¯s chuckles became louder and louder as she levitated large Colored Crystals out of a nearby box and splayed them out on the table in a flower-like pattern. Vaughan picked up some molding clay from another desk and slapped it in the middle of the crystals, fusing them all together.

    Blue lifted up the crystalline ¡°flower¡± into the air. ¡°BEHOLD! THE ANSWER TO ALL OUR PROBLEMS! I present to you, ladies and gentlemen of the Wizard Space Program, the magic generator!¡± She gave them all a dumb grin and lit up the crystals with her willpower. ¡°Look, it¡¯s so easy even I can use it! And I suck!¡±

    Vaughan gestured at the flower. ¡°As we speak the ambient magic levels around us are increasing. If Gronge is to be believed. But he¡¯s not one to fabricate data, and he did do a rather thorough investigation¡­¡±

    ¡°Out of magic in space? Touch the flower!¡± Blue shook the flower excitedly. ¡°Ran through your attribute¡¯s energy? Touch the flower! Want to feel beautiful? Touch the flower!¡±

    ¡°Solve all life¡¯s problems for only nine payments of nine ninety-nine!¡± Seskii added, throwing confetti overtop the flower device. It quickly got stuck in the modeling clay segment, not that anyone cared.

    ¡°All of our ideas were completely useless,¡± Vaughan said, locking his hands behind his back. ¡°We can just manually generate magic ourselves with this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like air!¡± Blue declared. ¡°Except instead of compressing it in a tank we compress it in crystals and use them to release it! But we also need crystals and there has to be a balanced mixture and oh my gosh this is going to be so difficult to figure out¡­¡±

    ¡°But we have a solution! That has nothing to do with explosions!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to fear for my life every time I go somewhere!¡±

    ¡°Weeks of work down the drain!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it great!?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Jeh rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Ooookay this is even more than the usual ¡®eureka¡¯ nonsense they have, and it wasn¡¯t even their idea.¡±

    ¡°Everything suddenly makes so much more sense to them,¡± Seskii said, sitting on a table she definitely hadn¡¯t been sitting on just a second ago. ¡°They might care later that they¡¯ve been wasting time, right now¡­ right now they¡¯re coming up with ideas.¡± Seskii held out her hand, gesturing at them. Already Blue and Vaughan were poring over a piece of paper and drawing little diagrams on it that they were quickly scribbling out. Their method of communication was notably difficult to decipher. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Would it?¡± ¡°You tell me!¡± ¡°Ah, the paper¡­¡± ¡°Irrelevant, but consider¡­ wait no.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Yes, actually, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s five experiments already.¡± ¡°Got plenty of time.¡± ¡°The extended stay problem?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Jeh beamed. ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy for them. But I know enough at this point that they¡¯re going to get stuck in the details.¡± She turned to Alexandrite and Seskii. ¡°What ideas do we have?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had longer to think about it than the rest of you,¡± Alexandrite said. ¡°There is a big problem mentioned in this haphazard scroll that is glossed over. We keep air in the spaceships by sealing us in. How are we going to keep the magic in?¡±

    ¡°Crystal box,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°How would you make a ship out of that?¡±

    ¡°Would you need to?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Of course you would, the magic devices need the aura to run¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the drive would. All it has to do is push itself. It can push itself while being inside a box.¡±

    Alexandrite stared at her. Seskii clapped her hands and giggled gleefully. ¡°That¡¯s an absolutely brilliant idea, Jeh!¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Me? Brilliant?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°I just know how the drive works since I use it so much, is all. Wasn¡¯t that hard¡­¡±

    ¡°While I¡¯m all about humility, credit should be given where credit is due. I¡¯m sure Blue will say something similar once she hears your idea.¡±

    ¡°Would it work for the air restorer?¡± Alexandrite asked.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Seskii frowned. ¡°I actually don¡¯t know. I¡¯m imagining restoring air inside a box and opening the box on either side when necessary¡­ but¡­ I actually don¡¯t know how that would work. Green also does very strange things when it doesn¡¯t have access to the right materials to restore things. Using Green inside a sealed box will probably end up dealing with that.¡±

    ¡°...Remarkably thorough, Seskii,¡± Alexandrite said.

    ¡°I know how to think, dragon buddy,¡± Seskii giggled. ¡°Not always helpful or very interesting, but I do it nonetheless.¡±

    ¡°I think I can do some experiments in space to figure it out,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Just need a crystal box and a way to create a magic dead zone. Which¡­¡± Jeh glanced over at the two wizards who were now arguing over something involving a lot of numbers. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re working on it?¡±

    ¡°They are,¡± Seskii said, taking a short sip of a drink she pulled out from under the table. ¡°It¡¯ll take a bit, though. Want to continue this conversation over lunch while we wait?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ~~~

    The Moonshot II¡¯s shell arrived at the Wizard Space Program with much less fanfare than the first one. It looked almost the same as the previous metal shell, as that was the one part of the Moonshot that had worked without a problem. Naturally, the moment it arrived, the program started overhauling it. The interior quickly became quite different; storage was moved into more convenient locations, better furniture was installed, and they added more handholds to the rods that extended from the central drive. Most of the major changes were in rearrangements, but one of Jeh¡¯s suggestions had been added to the pilot¡¯s seat: mirrors. Sometimes she just wanted to see through the window behind her while accelerating away from something.

    The other major change was the door. It was being converted into a proper airlock. However, since they had decided that the exterior shape of the ship was more important than interior space, the airlock took up a large cylindrical section of the interior, removing a person-sized chunk of space. The Moonshot II would therefore have a lesser carrying capacity, but it would allow people to go outside.

    However, going outside would be pointless if they couldn¡¯t survive out there. Sure, Jeh might be able to get by with just a diving helmet on her head, but even that experiment could go wrong in so many ways. So there was a new invention they needed to make.

    The space suit.

    Which, at the moment, was just a diving suit to go with the diving helmet.

    It was too big for Jeh, to put it mildly. She was currently in it, trying to walk around the Moonshot II in all its partially constructed glory. The boots went up above her knees, her fingers didn¡¯t reach the ends of the gloves, the sleeves and legs were scrunched up about as much as they could be, and the helmet was heavy.  Jeh tried to take a step, teetered forward due to the heavy head, tried to correct, but only managed to fall backward onto her rear.

    ¡°...I don¡¯t think that¡¯s gonna work,¡± Margaret said, crossing her arms.

    ¡°Not gonna work! Not gonna work!¡± Scurfpea added.

    Jeh pulled the helmet off and glared at her fellow pilots. ¡°Gravity will be weaker on the moon, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°We want a suit that can be used in any situation,¡± Margaret pointed out. ¡°That definitely doesn¡¯t fit you. Can you imagine all the folds flopping around in weightlessness? There¡¯s a reason my outfit is as tight as it is when I go up there.¡±

    Jeh crossed her arms¡ªwhich, since she wasn¡¯t trying to force her hands into the gloves, resulted in two loose dangling hands that appeared to go limp right at the elbow. ¡°You think you can do better than me in this?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually,¡± Margaret said. ¡°It¡¯s my size.¡±

    ¡°...Let¡¯s see you try to walk around in this mess.¡± Jeh crawled right out of the hole that attached the rest of the suit to the diving helmet. Margaret was also able to use this hole to get in, but were she not a gari that would have been nigh impossible. As it was, her thin and pointed figure allowed her to fit in holes that a human of her height would not have been able to accomplish. Granted, humans of her height weren¡¯t exactly common, but they did exist.

    Once she got herself into the suit she stood up. The suit was still slightly baggy, even on her, but that was intentional so the fabric could expand and contract as needed to offset the pressure of water surrounding it. She latched everything and put the extremely heavy helmet on her head, locking it into place with a slight twist.

    Then she took a step without issue.

    ¡°Oh come on¡­¡± Jeh muttered.

    ¡°Yay for Marg!¡± Scurfpea shouted, growing a flower out of the ground in celebration.

    Margaret tried to strike a pose, but that was too much for her¡ªshe stumbled forward. However, she was able to spread out her arms and keep from falling to the ground, though holding the helmet up while doing such a motion was a big strain on her neck. ¡°Ow¡­¡±

    ¡°See? Not as easy as it looks, is it?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°I expected it to be hard¡­¡± Margaret was now taking slow, regular steps around. ¡°This definitely isn¡¯t designed for walking in. The helmet needs some support other than my neck and shoulders¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the only problem,¡± Krays said, walking up to them.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°The material works for underwater, it¡¯s not going to work for space. Look at it.¡± She tugged at the fabric on Margaret¡¯s arm. ¡°So floppy. Oh, sure, it¡¯ll keep air in¡­ until you get high enough to pop like a balloon. Pop goes the astronaut!¡±

    ¡°This can handle the pressure of the ocean, though.¡±

    ¡°Friend, buddy, pal, girl¡­¡± Krays hung an arm around Margaret¡¯s neck, which was very awkward considering the suit. ¡°Material resistance to higher and lower pressures are different. The ocean can¡¯t crush you, but the air inside the suit will tear you apart and drown you. The irony, drowned by air.¡± She snorted.

    Margaret carefully removed Krays¡¯ arm from her. ¡°Do you have a material for us?¡±

    ¡°Nope! I¡¯ve been dealing with glass and metals and other solid things for armor! Can¡¯t really make a suit out of that. I need to¡­¡± she took a step back and spread her hands wide. ¡°...expand my horizons! This way all you lost ants can stop going in circles and explore stuff! No need to thank me, yet. The time will come.¡± She rubbed her hands together malevolently.

    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± Jeh rolled her eyes. ¡°So, airtight fabric that can handle pressure? ¡­I don¡¯t even know where to start¡­¡±

    ¡°Which is why you will be thanking me later. Remember? Lost ants? Going in circles, can¡¯t find a way out of it?¡±

    Jeh decided to ignore the comment. ¡°So, how do we test the suit? If it¡¯s going to explode, probably bad for me to be in it¡­¡±

    ¡°Skeleton,¡± Scurfpea said.

    ¡°...Huh?¡±

    Scurfpea pointed at the suit. ¡°Skeleton.¡±

    ¡°Scurfpea, Margaret is not a skeleton¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no, no. Skeleton. Suit. Skeleton in suit.¡±

    ¡°...You want to put a skeleton in the suit?¡±

    Scurfpea nodded eagerly.

    ¡°It¡¯ll allow us to test what it does if we release it into space,¡± Margaret pointed out. ¡°We¡¯d need a proper airlock up there but we could just¡­ throw the suit out with a skeleton in it.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Good idea, Scurfpea.¡±

    Scurfpea grinned.

    Krays snorted. ¡°Ah, people can be so smart and yet so silly¡­ Wwhy would you need to put anything in it but air? It¡¯ll explode with or without the skeleton in it!¡±

    Everyone was silent for a moment.

    ¡°Hate to say it, but she¡¯s got a point,¡± Jeh said.

    Margaret tried to nod in response, but the heftiness of the helmet kept her from following through with that commitment. ¡°All we need then¡­ is the Moonshot II to be ready for a test flight.¡± She glanced at the metallic casing that was still missing a window and numerous interior pieces. ¡°That¡¯ll be a while.¡±

    ¡°Guess we have to test other things while we wait.¡±

    ¡°Or we could try going up with two Skyseeds at once and have you test the effects on one¡­¡±

    Jeh grinned. ¡°Ooooh, there¡¯s an idea¡­¡±

    Krays facepalmed. ¡°My goodness the intelligent idiocy is on full display¡­ if you explode in space you will go flying, Jeh. How on Ikyu is Margaret going to reliably catch you?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Right.¡±

    ¡°Just wait for the Moonshot II like a normal person.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ normal¡­ ugh.¡±

    ¡°Their ways must be our ways, alas¡­ we must follow the monkey or be shunned¡­ woe is us¡­¡±

    ¡°Cut the melodrama,¡± Margaret deadpanned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will!¡± And then she left, thus cutting the melodrama.

    Margaret twitched.

    ~~~

    ¡°Hark! I have found the perfect loaf for me!¡± Ripashi tossed a loaf of bread onto the counter where Rina and Rona were standing.

    One of them picked up the loaf, examining it. ¡°Ripashi, question.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Are you purchasing this one because it looks like a flexed bicep?¡± The other twin asked.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Ripashi started glancing side to side nervously.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even have those kinds of biceps, you¡¯re a qorvid.¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ how much is it?¡±

    ¡°One-twenty,¡± the twins said in unison, overcharging him. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to argue at the moment so he just paid it and went on his way.

    The twins proceeded to have a completely silent conversation, congratulating each other on a good sale, a good shape for the bread, as well as getting away with it without Ripashi suspecting a thing. The two of them were in an excellent mood after this sale.

    This excellent mood continued when a shady, hooded individual walked into the bakery. There were no other customers, and there was a decidedly ominous aura around him.

    Perhaps the twins should have been nervous, but they were not. They had never seen this person before, but they knew exactly why he was here.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to purchase a moon cake and two miniature crowns,¡± the customer said, his voice hissing dramatically.

    ¡°How would you like them?¡± they asked in unison.

    ¡°Inebriated.¡±

    The twins nodded and leaned forward, pressing their hands together. ¡°As the store is currently empty¡­¡±

    ¡°...we can do our business here,¡± the other finished.

    ¡°Gooood¡­¡± the cloaked individual said. ¡°Do you have any information on a male, orange gari with one eye?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± one of the twins reached down below the counter and started shuffling through cards. ¡°Yes, it turns out.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°We assume since you¡¯ve gotten this far you know the deal: pay with coin or more information.¡±

    ¡°Information.¡± The cloaked figure leaned in, hissing. ¡°A Shimmer agent is living amongst you, she i¡ª¡±

    ¡°Already know about her, Keller will be wrapping her up by the end of the day,¡± the twins interrupted. ¡°You¡¯ll have to try harder than that.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The mysterious man stood to his full height and drummed his fingers on the counter, though his long-sleeved robes kept his fingers from being seen. ¡°In that case, how about this? In the skies in the north¡ª¡±

    ¡°While we are very interested in spacial phenomena, we already know about aurora,¡± one said.

    The other nodded. ¡°Some people down here have seen them in the past. Unless¡­ you know what causes them?¡±

    ¡°...No.¡±

    ¡°Then try again.¡±

    The visitor was clearly becoming agitated, potentially because he knew he didn¡¯t have enough money to buy the information. But he still had other information up his sleeve.

    ¡°Perhaps, then, more of a rumor¡­ there are whispers of a dark cabal controlling the whole world from the shadows.¡±

    The twins leaned in. ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°There is not much information, but the rumor has it that the latest Tempest Incident was not caused by a rogue Mikarol soldier, but rather some great conspiracy to steal the Guardian Spirit¡¯s power¡­¡±

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± one said.

    ¡°That is certainly great information,¡± the other added. ¡°It¡¯s enough.¡± She pulled a card out from under the table. ¡°You¡¯ll find all the information you need about Driilos Vekair here. We were watching him while he was in town; suspected we might have been the next target for his large heists. Turned out not to be the case, unless he¡¯s coming back later. Hope you catch him, Agent.¡±

    The mysterious figure hesitated, but then he quickly took the card without showing his fingers. ¡°Thank you for your assistance, and I will.¡± He slipped the card into his robe and quickly left the establishment.

    ¡°I was hoping we could get real information out of that¡­¡± one of the twins sighed.

    ¡°Can¡¯t make it look like we already know about the secret society if we can help it.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ anyway¡­¡± one of the twins picked up a card and started scribbling on it. ¡°He¡¯s clearly not an Agent.¡±

    ¡°Probably wants to team up with Driilos.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± She slipped the card she had been writing on into an envelope that said Keller on it. It was not a file about Keller, but one for him. Any particularly suspicious individuals were reported directly to him.

    It was part of the understanding they¡¯d managed to work out.

    The Sourdough twins continued their conversation nonverbally as a new customer came in and ordered a completely normal number of rolls. They kept this up until it was time for closing, which was only about an hour later. They locked everything up and went to their personal rooms in the basement. Instead of getting ready for bed, they made their way to a back wall and pressed a few unusually-shaped stones in a precise sequence that required two of them to be present at once. This undid the lock, allowing them to slide a giant stone block into the wall, revealing a secret room. It was a small room with two chairs, desk space built into two of the walls, and a million drawings and pins on giant corkboards that covered almost every available square inch of everything that wasn¡¯t table space or the floor. There was even stuff hanging from the ceiling.

    They had heard of Keeper Dimmrivoi¡¯s conspiracy room and decided it was perfect for what they wanted to do.

    They had maps of the world, maps of the solar system, and a timeline set up with all the events they knew about and many they didn¡¯t, marked with colorful question marks of varied patterns and designs. Various sketched drawings of people were strewn about everywhere, and there were special red borders around those who were very important.

    Then there was the little corner that was a sketched jink game board* but instead of pieces, there were drawings of the major players. The Kroan royal family, the Shimmers and Kaykayzee, the Rigid Plague, the Mikarol Empire¡­ and the mysterious nameless organization set just outside the borders of the board. It was impossible to tell what exactly the state of this board meant from looking at it, but the Twins had a system.

    *The game closest to chess in Kroan culture is jink, a game that takes place on a hexagonal grid and can have as many players as you have pieces. Turns are taken simultaneously: players reveal what they are going to do all at once and all the pieces move. Captures happen similarly to chess, except that pieces that are moved at the same time as a capturing piece don¡¯t capture the piece that moved, and pieces that move onto the same square on the same turn capture each other. The original form of the game made players fight until only one remained, but most people will play a revised version where a round ends once one person is eliminated, and play continues until one person has won more rounds than the others.

    They were trying to figure out who would win.

    The major problem was the complete lack of knowledge of the secret organization¡¯s capabilities. How much could they pull off if they wanted to? How little would they bother with?

    It was an answer they didn¡¯t know for sure, and thus predictions ranged from them being defeated easily to being able to win no matter what anyone else did.

    The twins stared at the board for several minutes. Then, wordlessly, they nodded to each other and left the secret room, sealing it back up.

    Then they played a game of actual jink themselves, one on one. They didn¡¯t play to win, they just played for the fun of it. Mocking each other with half-spoken sentences, giggles, and clever ploys upon clever ploys that had almost no chance of working but would have been really cool if they did work, right?

    One of them won, throwing her pieces in the air in celebration.

    The other one threw a pillow at her sister, only for it to be caught and sent right back. The impact smacked the other twin onto the bed where she gave an overdramatic wail and played dead.

    The other twin proceeded to sit on her and make her regret trying to play dead.

    The two became a bundle of blankets, pillows, and laughter that stayed up far, far too late.

    For all their accomplishments and experiences, they were still just kids.

    ~~~

    Deep in the forests of the Wild Kingdoms, a ritual was taking place. For the ¡°civilized¡± people of Ikyu, if such a ritual were to be observed, it would be called a dark ritual. But in truth, there was no darkness, neither in the concept of evil nor the concept of demons; there wasn¡¯t even any magic in it.

    The ritual took place far from any settlement. There were only around a dozen witnesses, all of them direct family of the woman in the center of the clearing: none other than Queen Riikaz. She wore neither her royal robes nor her fancy furs, but only simple white-furred wrappings around her chest and hips. As it was night, it was slightly too cold to stand comfortably.

    Riikaz did not particularly care about the cold.

    In front of her was a very large stump that was being used as a makeshift altar. On top of the altar was a large plast knife and the carcass of a fuzzy six-legged creature known as the ningwark.* This particular one was notably small for its species, as it was able to fit on the giant stump.

    *The ningwark is usually a herd animal for people in the northern parts of the Wild Kingdoms as it produces milk and is rather docile, surviving mostly due to being impossible for predators to take down easily. They are not particularly smart and their milk isn¡¯t particularly nutritious, but their meat is of a high quality and always tastes vaguely minty.

    Riikaz reached out her hand to the blade and hesitated for a moment.

    She knew exactly what she was doing and what the consequences would be. She knew she was purposefully setting on the path of revenge. She knew her husband would not have wanted this, she suspected most Keepers would call what she was doing against the will of Dia, and her children wanted her.

    She knew all these things.

    She could fall back on them, she could refuse the call to violence.

    But every time she considered that she felt like exacting judgment upon herself. For being a coward. For leaving justice undone. For not doing what she needed to do.

    With a determined expression, she wrapped her hands tightly around the grip of the blade. For a moment, she was struck by the distance a gari always had from almost any weapon¡ªthe armor of the gauntlet prevented any skin contact.

    She lifted the knife high into the air and held it up, allowing it to glint off the light of the stars.

    The various gari around her started chanting in an ancient tongue none of them understood.

    Riikaz plunged the knife into the ningwark corpse. Blood sprayed all over the stump, adding yet another layer of color to it.

    This ritual may not have been a common one, but over the centuries this stump had seen it performed several times. The entire top of the stump was now a sickly brown from the bloodshed, and soon the new streaks of red would become one with the muck.

    Riikaz made sure the knife was nice and red before running it along her upper arm. She did not cut herself, nor did she touch any part of her that was plast. All she did was leave a streak of red along her perfectly white skin.

    First, it was just lines along the upper arms and upper legs. Then one on her neck, stomach, and overtop the white furs, which soaked the blood up. At this stage, it seemed like Riikaz was painting a picture on herself, but after the initial skeleton, it became clear that there was no real rhyme or reason to the position of the blood on her skin. A thin line here, a thick one there, crossing a seemingly random number of other lines.

    This continued until every single part of her skin was red. Even the unexposed skin was bloodied, due to the white furs she was wearing. She glistened crimson in the night, the only part of her that remained pure being the whites of her eyes¡ªall else was either plast or blood.

    She flicked the blade clean, splattering more blood on the stump.

    ¡°I am prepared!¡± she shouted to the sky.

    One of the older gari men tapped a staff on the ground. ¡°Who do you seek?¡±

    ¡°The mastermind behind the veil,¡± Riikaz said. ¡°The being, whoever it is, that ordered the death of my husband.¡±

    ¡°Then go, take what is rightfully yours. The forest shall see justice done.¡±

    The two of them bowed to each other. Mid-bow, they extended their right hands and clasped them together, flexing as they did so.

    With that, the ritual was over and all the other gari rushed in to comfort Riikaz.

    A tear rolled down her cheek, mixing with the red covering her, but it was insufficient to wash it away.

    ¡°...Shall I also ask the blessing of Dia on you?¡± the older gari asked.

    Riikaz nodded. ¡°Please. ¡­I hope She will give it to me.¡±

    ¡°She will bless you, one way or another. But that blessing may take the form of your failure.¡±

    ¡°I suppose if it was best for everyone, I would want that¡­¡± Riikaz shook her head. ¡°I will leave at first light.¡±

    ¡°What is your plan?¡± a woman asked. ¡°The enemy is far greater than anything we¡¯ve heard of before¡­¡±

    ¡°Not sure, but I do have a place to investigate.¡± Riikaz folded her hands together. ¡°Benefactor confirmed the existence of that legendary library. She sought it to exploit its memory abilities. I will not seek it for that, I will seek it for information. We¡¯ll see if I¡¯m considered pure enough of heart to make it in.¡±

    The woman¡¯s face contorted in concern. ¡°Riikaz, you are a woman on a path of revenge. We may see that as pure, but since Kroan has gotten us more connected¡­ most do not agree.¡±

    Riikaz nodded. ¡°I know. I lived out there, and I intend to go back there. But I¡¯m going to try this first.¡±

    ¡°Do you need any assistance?¡±

    ¡°Not at the moment, unless you know someone who knows about the library.¡±

    Seeing that no one did, the elder man stepped forward once more. ¡°Let us take the rest of the night to celebrate Riikaz¡¯ return and departure, as well as her glorious success in Axiom.¡±

    ¡°...And mourn the loss of one of our own,¡± Riikaz added.

    A few gari shuffled nervously at this, but the elder nodded. ¡°He may not have taken the rites, but he was true to you and truly cared for us. I will not object.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Dad.¡±

    Her father chuckled. ¡°I only wish I could do more¡­¡±

    ¡°If I ever think of anything, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± She winked at him. ¡°Maybe you could incorporate those explosives of yours into my weapons!¡±

    ¡°Crazy girl¡­¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Now, we saw a lot of science DONE this chapter; Gronge has done a lot of experiments with magic that answer some questions and leave more questions unanswered. However, we don¡¯t have magic in our world, so most of the things learned don¡¯t exactly apply to our reality.

    But I can talk a bit about how science itself is done here. (It¡¯s not time to really discuss spacesuits yet).

    First of all, Gronge is playing fast and loose with experimentation; he¡¯s just doing things to see what happens and writing it down. He¡¯s not getting exact readings, he¡¯s not running enough controls, and he¡¯s jumping around all over the place.

    In both our world and his, this is still a valid strategy for learning things. Just throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks, investigating every cranny and monkeying around. However, after this things will need to become far more precise. Gronge is not some special case¡ªhe knows he needs to be more precise when he writes up his final publications. He may not have an exact way to measure magic level, but he is going to need to make graphs with numbers and examine them. Even in Kroan, where often measurements cannot be precise, they have to give some sort of estimation.

    In Gronge¡¯s case, he is going to use a single member of the angler species and use ¡°time until attribute depleted¡± to measure the magic level in the box. He has not done this yet, just seen things that happened and shipped it off to the Wizard Space Program so they could use it. This is also common practice in science¡ªonce you have information, even if it¡¯s not validated, if another scientist could make use of it you tend to give it to them so they can continue their research. Now in my particular field this generally takes the form of ideas or computer code, but it can be done with experiment results as well.

    Gronge will write an official paper eventually, and he is the sort to actually get it done. However, science often doesn¡¯t run so smoothly. Often, both in reality and here, scientists will sit on their data and not publish for years. Sometimes this is done out of malice or a desire to present the data perfectly, yes, but just as often it¡¯s a symptom of simple annoyance. Scientists generally do not enjoy writing papers, they enjoy doing science. Communicating the science is often the dullest part of the job. (And also the part they¡¯re worst at, science work does not tend to draw in literary masterminds.)

    Anyway, this is just a view of the often annoying logistics of scientific communication. And we¡¯ve ignored the part where the publication makes a mistake or is worded badly enough that people get the wrong idea, and then misinformation spreads! Yaaaaay!

 043 - Vias Vacation

    WSP 043

    Via¡¯s Vacation

    Taking a vacation as a princess was often rather difficult; being so well-known had its downsides. Via in particular tended to stick out like a sore thumb given her tendency for flamboyant outfits and taste for the finer things in life. Extremely fancy and respectable restaurants usually knew how to give her a truly relaxing time, but anywhere else? It almost assuredly depended on them not knowing who she was, for the moment they did, they couldn¡¯t help but stumble over themselves.

    Going to small towns usually solved this. This was unfortunately not the case with Willow Hollow since she had hosted the ceremony of the Moonshot¡¯s launch. Everyone there knew who she was.

    So she had to go in disguise without any of the outfits she loved, and she forced herself to shape her hair into something only mildly ridiculous: a smooth cut with four buns on top. She also wore a mask over her face and wide-rimmed glasses to break up her face, making it harder to recognize her. Her outfit was but a simple cloak¡ªalbeit one that was bright blue and showed little signs of wear.

    She appeared to be traveling alone along the road to Willow Hollow. This was not true in the slightest. First of all, a royal dragon had dropped her off on the road less than an hour back. Secondly, she had a pair of agents watching over her from the trees. If they did their job right she wouldn¡¯t see them until the end of her vacation. So far, there was no sign of their presence, but she had to admit she had never been the best at knowing when she was being watched.

    For all her time spent being pampered in the palace, she appreciated the almost undisturbed nature of the land she was walking through. It was very early fall, so some of the trees had started changing color, but very few leaves were actually on the ground¡ªand besides, most of the trees were evergreens anyway. The little pops of fall color would easily draw the attention of any traveler, even those not as aesthetically inclined as Via. For her, it did more than draw her attention, it made her mind start to wander, considering the beauty of those that burn brightest, but would be the first to fall to the dangers of winter¡­ of course, even here, winter was far off. It wasn¡¯t even a cold day.

    Via hummed on her journey, a song her mother had taught her when she was young, something from the depth of the Wild Kingdoms with a meaning lost to time. She found that it was easy to skip in time to her music with her travel boots, something she was regularly unable to do in fancy shoes. Perhaps she could ask for some fancy shoes without heels at some point¡­

    But that would be for when she returned to Axiom, which wouldn¡¯t be for a while yet.

    She skipped all the way into Willow Hollow. She was greeted by a few people on the street, but it didn¡¯t seem like any of them recognized her. Good.

    A cat even asked her if she needed directions to anywhere. She didn¡¯t¡ªshe knew where Vaughan¡¯s cabin was. She skipped her way all along the wooded path until she came right up to the bright blue front doors.

    Ah, so they got those replaced, good.

    She did a little twirl in front of the doors and knocked.

    ¡°Coming!¡± It took Via a few seconds to remember Jeh¡¯s voice, but it took longer than that for Jeh to scramble all the way to the door and open it. ¡°Hello¡­?¡± Jeh said, tilting her head.

    ¡°Jeh, it¡¯s me.¡± Via removed her mask and lifted up her glasses. ¡°Via.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Uh¡­¡± Jeh cleared her throat and bowed. ¡°Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Jeh, I¡¯m on vacation, you don¡¯t have to do that.¡±

    Jeh lit up. ¡°Great! Cuz I really hate doing that. Come on in!¡± She quickly led Via into the entry hall and the big couch. ¡°I¡¯ll go find Blue, she¡¯s probably doing some math or something.¡±

    Via unceremoniously flopped onto the couch and let out a long, dramatic sigh, sinking into its soft folds.

    ¡°Long journey?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± Via said. ¡°I just skipped the whole way here and that took¡­ a bit of energy apparently.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Worth it, though.¡±

    Jeh chuckled with her as she left to find Blue.

    Via took the moment to just¡­ let herself settle in. The couch was far from the many immensely comfortable sofas she had back at the palace, but something about this one was just so genuine. It had scratches and a few holes, but it still felt as though it was designed for her. Even her gauntlet spikes, often so hard to find a comfortable position for, weren¡¯t causing her any issues.

    She¡­ was on vacation. At peace. At peace maybe for the first time since¡­

    She frowned, a memory of her standing at her father¡¯s grave flashing through her mind.

    ¡­I¡¯m allowed to enjoy myself, she told herself. I don¡¯t need to feel guilty for being happy.

    ¡°Via?¡±

    Via looked up and locked eyes with Blue standing in the doorway. She immediately stood up and threw her arms around her. ¡°Blue! It¡¯s so good to see you!¡±

    Blue was silent for a moment¡­ but then she chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve been so worried about you.¡±

    Via removed herself from Blue and beamed at her. ¡°You thought I was going to come here a bundle of tears and sorrow, huh?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ it was on the list of possibilities¡­¡±

    Via shook her head. ¡°There were a few weeks like that. But I wasn¡¯t alone, I had my family.¡±

    ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay? Yes. The same as before?¡± Via¡¯s smile faltered. ¡°No¡­ no, things have changed. I¡­ I miss him. Mom¡¯s gone off to bring justice, Grandma¡¯s putting me through a lot¡­¡±

    ¡°The old Queen? I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about it at some point, but I don¡¯t think we need to start with all the drama and craziness today. Right now¡­ I¡¯m here. I¡¯m on vacation.¡± She flopped back onto the couch. ¡°And this couch is excellent.¡±

    Blue narrowed her eyes at the couch.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I keep telling Vaughan we need to get a new one, this one¡¯s too full of holes.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t get rid of this thing until it literally falls apart.¡±

    ¡°...Agree to disagree. It¡¯s tacky.¡±

    ¡°But genuine!¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°Did you want to do anything?¡±

    ¡°At the moment? No, I just want to sit and enjoy this couch. ¡­Might like something to eat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have Jeh cook up something.¡±

    ¡°...Jeh?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s an absolutely amazing chef, it turns out. Probably ran a restaurant or something centuries ago.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ It must be so amazing, to have skills just come to you like that.¡±

    ¡°She does seem to really enjoy finding out new skills, even if¡­¡± Blue paused. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to like who came before her.¡±

    ¡°Another thing we should talk about later?¡±

    ¡°Probably. Maybe I should make a list¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, please no, I get enough of that from Tenii.¡±

    The two of them shared a laugh.

    The vacation was off to an excellent start.

    ~~~

    Jeh dropped a pile of papers on Vaughan¡¯s desk. ¡°We¡¯ve done it.¡±

    ¡°...We?¡±

    Scurfpea stood up in the chair so she could be seen by Vaughan. ¡°We!¡±

    Vaughan blinked and looked down at the pile of papers. The front page had a title. On the Respiration Limits of Humans and Dryads in a Closed System. ¡°Is this¡­?¡±

    ¡°A full complete scientific report on everything Scurfpea and I have learned about breathing. I even have citations at the end!¡±

    Vaughan quickly flipped through the paper, shocked. ¡°How did¡­ everything seems to be in order here. Did¡­ Blue help you with this?¡±

    ¡°Nope! Just figured it was high time I tried to write one of these myself.¡± She paused. ¡°I did use yours and Blue¡¯s as references, though¡­¡± She shuffled her feet. ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­ right?¡±

    ¡°Fine? That¡¯s more than fine, that¡¯s how these things are supposed to be written!¡± Vaughan chuckled. ¡°The only issue I can think of is your name on it, you generally don¡¯t see these published by non-wizards¡­¡±

    Scurfpea gestured at Jeh. ¡°Magic!¡±

    ¡°While yes she is magic, she¡¯s not a wizard. She has no formal training.¡±

    ¡°Form all?¡±

    Jeh cleared her throat. ¡°Formal. Fancy. A way to do things how they ¡®should¡¯ be done. Everything in order, no chaos, no silliness, just¡­ official business.¡±

    ¡°Formal¡­¡± Scurfpea raised a leafy eyebrow. ¡°We are not formal at all.¡±

    ¡°Definitely not,¡± Jeh agreed. ¡°Anyway uh you can just put it with your other papers Vaughan, my name¡¯s already all over so many of them. Ace pilot!¡±

    ¡°I dunno, this is pretty impressive¡­¡± Vaughan leafed through it. ¡°I¡¯ll naturally have to edit it, but you might actually have what it takes to become a fully-fledged wizard. I¡¯d consider sending you to the Academy if we didn¡¯t need you here.¡±

    Jeh paused. ¡°...I¡¯d rather not get too deep in the math anyway.¡±

    ¡°Not every wizard needs math. Though, yes, there would be math classes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Jeh looked to Scurfpea. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d look stupid in a floppy and pointy hat? Because I do.¡±

    Scurfpea seemed to consider this very carefully. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Thought so.¡±

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°Then maybe not. Still, if you¡¯re interested in trying to push the intellectual side of being a wizard a bit more, my old textbooks are in the library somewhere. Maybe you should take a look?¡±

    ¡°...Maybe.¡± Jeh narrowed her eyes. ¡°I smell a trap of being thrown into the Academy though. It doesn¡¯t really sound fun over there like it is here.¡±

    ¡°I dunno, I¡¯m sure you could get Pepper to take you on¡­¡± Vaughan waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Ah well, something to consider, at least.¡±

    ¡°Thinking!¡± Scurfpea shouted in delight.

    ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Vaughan stroked his beard. ¡°Rather than me reading this thing you¡¯ve provided cover to cover just to figure it out, what did you two learn out there?¡±

    ¡°Scurfpea is like a weak air restorer,¡± Jeh said. ¡°If she¡¯s in the jar with me I can last a lot longer before passing out. She¡¯s always awake when I do.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating¡­¡±

    ¡°Everything about the rates of me losing it is in the paper. The harder she breathes the longer I last, but she can¡¯t keep that up forever.¡±

    Scurfpea took a really intense breath and let it out, blowing some papers across the desk. ¡°Lungs hurt!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think what you have are called lungs¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh. Home calls them liffiffs.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really teaching her quite well,¡± Vaughan observed.

    Jeh beamed even brighter than she had been previously. ¡°Yep! I¡¯m the best!¡±

    ¡°Best big sister!¡±

    ¡°Well, not really your sister¡­¡±

    ¡°Who else could be my sister?¡±

    ¡°Your family?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t have sister. Or brother. Not even words for that!¡±

    Jeh tilted her head to the side. ¡°Dryads don¡¯t have brothers and sisters?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Scurfpea scratched her chin. ¡°We can have twins.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Scurfpea shrugged. ¡°Dunno!¡±

    Jeh scratched her head. ¡°Okaaay¡­ anyway, uh. Vaughan?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of taking Scurfpea up on the next mission. That all right?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Lila but at this point I don¡¯t see why not.¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± Jeh picked Scurfpea up and grinned. ¡°You get to go to space!¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± Scurfpea¡¯s already huge eyes got even wider. ¡°...Moon?¡±

    ¡°No, no moon yet, the new ship isn¡¯t ready.¡±

    ¡°Awwww¡­¡±

    ¡°But we should have it done before winter this time!¡±

    ¡°Yaaaaaay!¡±

    ¡°...We¡¯ll probably have to ask Lila again about that so you and I are going to have to be excellent astronauts to prove you deserve to go to the moon.¡±

    ¡°I will be the best astronaut!¡±

    ¡°Impossible, I¡¯m already best astronaut.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see¡­¡±

    The two girls left the office, giggling and trying to one-up each other.

    Vaughan sat back in his chair and stroked his beard.

    What a strange group we have in this program¡­

    ~~~

    There were a few places to eat in Willow Hollow now, though, really, most of them weren¡¯t worthy of being called a restaurant. There was the bar-turned-hotel, the open bonfires Old Man Yinonnal threw every few days, Seskii¡¯s stand (which only existed when she felt like it), and the Sanctuary¡¯s little food pantry with some specialty food for holiday services.

    But there was one proper restaurant that, at first, had operated out of a tent, but now had a full two-story building constructed out of properly chiseled stone. The sign proudly proclaimed the establishment¡¯s name: Shakin¡¯ Slime¡¯s Scrumptious Snacks. It had started as nothing more than a simple slime selling snack foods he had learned to make wandering the Wild Kingdoms. Everyone liked it so much that he expanded the menu to include full-on meals that were generally traditionally Kroanite dishes cooked with methods from the Wild Kingdoms.

    As such there were generally a lot of things on skewers cooked over an open flame with a wide variety of seasonings, as that appeared to be a common meal out in the Wild Kingdoms.

    ¡°...This¡­ this is just like Mom used to make¡­¡± Via said, lifting one of the skewers off her plate and holding it directly upright, clearly experienced enough with this kind of food not to make a mess. She bit into a roast pepper on the end and let out a contented hum. ¡°Yes¡­ exactly like Mom used to make¡­¡±

    ¡°She was from the Wild Kingdoms,¡± Blue said. ¡°I¡¯d never eaten anything like this until I came back from the Tempest.¡±

    ¡°You have been missing out.¡±

    ¡°You and your sister already introduced me to a ton of food while I was in Axiom, I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t show me this if you already knew about it.¡± Blue paused. ¡°And here I thought I would get to introduce you to something¡­¡±

    Via chuckled. ¡°Sorry! But it is really good. And¡­ so many memories.¡± She took another piece off the skewer and savored it, chewing slowly. ¡°...So many memories¡­¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they happy ones?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, but¡­ well Mom¡¯s off on her journey and¡­¡± Via paused. ¡°It¡¯s a dangerous one, Blue. She¡¯s up against¡­ those people.¡±

    Blue nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re¡­ they don¡¯t mess around.¡±

    ¡°I pray every day that she¡¯ll make it home safe but¡­ I worry, Blue.¡± Via glanced out one of the windows, eyes losing focus. ¡°I worry so much. I know I¡¯m not supposed to, but¡­ I just want her to be home.¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°I was about to say that I worried about Jeh a lot, but¡­ that¡¯s not really the same, is it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ no, if Jeh was on the quest you could be pretty sure she¡¯d be fine.  How about this, think about how you¡¯d feel if your mom went out on a quest.¡±

    Blue gave Via a blank look.

    ¡°Oh. Uh. Have I said something wrong?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen my parents in years. By my choice.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡±

    ¡°They wanted me to stay with the family business. Farmers. Simple farmers. Would never have to use my brain a day in my life¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°I left for the Academy. Turns out Dad was right, that was stupid.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re successful now.¡±

    ¡°Not really because I went to the Academy, though.¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe not, but you¡¯re using your brain and you get to do so much! I¡¯d like to think that any parent would be proud of what you¡¯ve become.¡±

    Blue looked down at the ground. ¡°Maybe. But¡­ I wasn¡¯t exactly the favorite to begin with.¡±

    ¡°Siblings?¡±

    ¡°Four. I was the second youngest. I¡­¡± Blue grimaced.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t have to talk about it if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure?¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s been so long at this point. That place¡­ it was certainly better than the Academy, but it was nothing like the life I have here. This is just¡­ so much better. And not because I¡¯m doing incredible things, but because¡­ I mean. Jeh. Vaughan. Suro. Lila. Seskii. Even Krays. Everyone has each other¡¯s back and¡­ I trust most of these people with my life and¡ªVia why are you crying?¡±

    Via held her hands to her mouth. ¡°I just¡­ to not have a family that¡­ it¡¯s so sad¡­¡±

    ¡°Via, it¡¯s normal.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°...I¡­ actually don¡¯t know.¡± She was silent for a moment. ¡°...Via, I just realized I¡¯ve been talking about myself and not you. You were trying to get me to see something about your worrying?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not important. Well, it is, but I saw that you had troubles and mine can wait. Things will come up as they come up.¡± She wiped her eyes. ¡°Family is precious.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t just¡­ get what you feel.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize for. I shouldn¡¯t apologize for being unable to get all your math talk! Or politics talk¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ do politics?¡±

    ¡°Grandma does.¡± Via sat back, an uncharacteristically grumpy expression crossing her face. ¡°And she¡¯s trying to teach it to me. Just me.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned that earlier¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s¡­ she doesn¡¯t trust Wyett and Tenii. I¡­ didn¡¯t understand why at first, but I think it has something to do with them not being able to feel things as much as I do. But, like, they can order people to war, I don¡¯t think I could do that.¡±

    ¡°I dunno, wars are pretty¡­ undesirable.¡±

    ¡°But if you don¡¯t send people to fight you get stomped¡­¡±

    ¡°...Yeah, I can see that. Understand that, even. Doesn¡¯t mean I have to like it.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I have to like it either.¡±

    Blue nodded slowly.

    ¡°...But that¡¯s not the worst of it.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, you just lost¡­¡± Blue didn¡¯t finish her sentence.

    ¡°That¡­ that was hard, yes, but Dad¡¯s with Dia now, and¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t just feel sad when I think about him anymore, I also remember who he was, how he was always there despite being the King, how much he loved us¡­¡± A tear rolled down Via¡¯s face, but she was beaming happily in the memory. ¡°He was a great man. A very great man.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°No buts. Well. Not about that. The but is¡­ what it¡¯s done to Wyett.¡± Via¡¯s expression clouded. ¡°Blue, he¡¯s like a walking shell of a person.¡±

    ¡°He has big shoes to fill.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not even really filling them, he sits on that throne and has Tenii do everything. He doesn¡¯t talk much anymore, he doesn¡¯t rant about his paranoid theories, he¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened to him.¡± Tears started welling up in her eyes. ¡°Tenii and I have been able to move on, but he¡­ it¡¯s like half of him is dead, and the other half is barely able to move him around.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I never got to know him but that doesn¡¯t sound¡­ right.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t. I¡­ He had the least close relationship with Dad, he was independent, he was on track to be a great King¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened!¡± She wiped her eyes and started wringing her hands nervously. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. I don¡¯t know what it is. Tenii doesn¡¯t know what it is. Hyrii doesn¡¯t know what it is. I don¡¯t even think he knows what it is.¡±

    ¡°...Maybe he cracked, like¡­ like I did.¡±

    Via looked to Blue, sniffing. ¡°But¡­ you got better. Your friends came. He had me, Tenii, and Hyrii. It. It should have had the same effect, right?¡±

    ¡°...There was a Yellow Wizard on that trip we took to Benefactor. He mentioned that we really don¡¯t know how the mind works. Maybe it¡¯s just¡­ different.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ then what can I do?¡±

    Blue tapped her hoof on the table. ¡°Geez, Via, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t even know what got me back here, really.¡±

    Via sighed. ¡°...Don¡¯t feel bad, Blue.¡±

    ¡°Via¡­¡±

    Via gave her a smile¡ªsomehow fully genuine. ¡°I mean it. Just because you can¡¯t give me advice¡­ just having you listen is good enough. Tenii¡¯s not a very good listener¡­ well, she is but not the sort that makes you feel like she¡¯s really listening and she¡¯s so busy all the time. ¡­Hyrii¡¯s a good listener. I should probably talk to her more often.¡±

    ¡°She probably has better advice than me. Though, it occurs to me that she¡¯s probably feeling similar things. She is his wife after all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t think of that. Oh, wait, yes I can.¡± She knocked on her head like it was a door and stuck out her tongue. ¡°Dumb.¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not very emotionally stupid. Very mature, actually.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know that. But there was a trade-off somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Every time you say that I want to contradict you.¡±

    ¡°But you can¡¯t!¡± Via snickered, wiping her tears away. ¡°No one can.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t believe you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Some people are just stupid, Blue, like you are just smart. It doesn¡¯t mean anything about what kind of person we are. Just traits. Simple traits. It¡¯s what we do with these traits that define us.¡±

    ¡°...Am I doing well with mine?¡±

    ¡°I sure think so.¡±

    ¡°And what about you?¡±

    Via paused. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ dangerous to give yourself praise. But I can¡¯t say I¡¯m doing badly. Of course, that leads to pride and we all know that¡¯s bad.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the least proud out of anyone in your family.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that just makes it more dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ that lesson I know. Just because I¡¯m the smartest person I know doesn¡¯t make me the best. Learned that the hard way.¡±

    ¡°The easy way is preferable. Few people take it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    And so the conversation moved on to other things, but even that which was frivolous still meant the world to the two of them.

    ~~~

    ¡°You good, Scurfpea?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Good! Wait¡­¡± Scurfpea scrunched her face up. ¡°...Excellent.¡±

    ¡°Excellent! We¡¯re almost at space, so you better be ready¡­¡±

    The two of them were in one of the Skyseeds¡ªJeh didn¡¯t remember which one, she just knew it was one with a proper experiment airlock on it so they could move small objects in and out. It was decidedly cramped inside the nearly spherical glass enclosure, but Jeh was small and Scurfpea was even smaller, so they managed to fit just fine. Jeh was working the drive, but had opted not to use the air restorer¡ªit wasn¡¯t going to be a long trip and Scurfpea cleaned the air more than enough. Even if the experiment took three times as long as expected, they would be fine.

    The sky around them was rapidly darkening¡­ and a few stars were starting to show up.

    Scurfpea pointed at the first one she saw. ¡°Oooh! Star! Star!¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure that¡¯s Qi, not a star,¡± Jeh said. ¡°But the others won¡¯t be far behind!¡±

    She wasn¡¯t wrong. At their rate of ascent, stars flickered into sight every few seconds, and soon the canvas of space was covered with the distant lights.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ sparkling?¡±

    ¡°Sparkling?¡± Jeh blinked. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re right, I¡¯ve never seen a star sparkle from up here¡­ guess the sparkling comes from the air getting in the way.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh¡­ perfect stars.¡±

    ¡°Maybe? I¡­¡± Jeh paused. ¡°What even are stars? Points of light that are very far away. ¡­We probably should have asked Wanderlust.¡±

    ¡°Starry stars¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway, Scurfpea! Did you watch me use the drive? Think you can use it on the next mission?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡°Good! Next time we¡¯re up here I¡¯ll give you the controls. For now, though¡­ let¡¯s run Krays¡¯ experiment.¡± She gestured at a bag they¡¯d brought with them. ¡°We have to make sure to write down what happens to all these objects.¡±

    Scurfpea nodded, watching intently.

    Jeh removed the first object from the bag¡ªa bag made out of metallic foil, sealed, with air inside. She gently placed it in the airlock, sealed it, and then released it into space while carefully holding it in an Orange aura so it didn¡¯t just fly off beyond where they could see it.

    The foil expanded quickly due to interior pressure, and subsequently a rip formed in the side. All the air within exploded out, sending little fragments of foil out into space.

    ¡°Failure,¡± Jeh noted as she brought what she could recover back inside, placing it in a second bag. She marked the failure on her notebook. ¡°Scurfpea, want to try the second one?¡±

    Scurfpea nodded, pulling out a bag made out of some kind of pink fabric. They stuck it outside and rather than exploding it just deflated.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ failure, but due to not being airtight¡­¡± Jeh scribbled another note. ¡°All right, next one, Krays gave us a lot of these¡­¡±

    Material after material failed to hold onto the air. Jeh noted three different kinds of failures: deflations, rips, and explosions, which she quickly correlated to failure to hold onto the air, weak points breaking first, and uniform failures across the whole material. Lots of the plast-derived materials failed in the third way, including the rubbers.

    ¡°None of these are going to work for making a spacesuit¡­¡± Jeh grumbled. ¡°Darmosil really is going to have to make us a suit of armor with sealed joints, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Heavy¡­¡±

    ¡°In space that won¡¯t matter too much. The big problem is that it¡¯d be so awkward. Diving suits are awkward enough¡­¡± Speaking of diving suits, the next one was made out of diving suit material. It failed with a rip. ¡°Uuuugh¡­¡±

    ¡°Bouncy ball!¡± Scurfpea said, throwing the next material onto the edge of the Skyseed. It did not bounce very well, but rather flattened against the edge.

    ¡°It has to be rigid to be bouncy and we don¡¯t want that,¡± Jeh said, placing it into the airlock. ¡°I¡¯m betting failure type three. You?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ success.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been right the last few times you said that.¡±

    ¡°Optimism!¡±

    ¡°Suuuure¡­¡± Jeh released the rubbery plast orb into space. It expanded in size visibly.

    And proceeded not to explode. Or even leak air.

    Jeh blinked. ¡°What the¡­¡±

    ¡°Woohoo!¡± Scurfpea thrust her fists into the air, shaking the ship slightly, though Jeh stabilized it out of instinct. ¡°We win!¡±

    ¡°We do¡­¡± Jeh poked the rubbery plast ball with Orange, finding that it could still deform with some effort. ¡°Huh. Guess you can make spacesuits out of¡­¡± She checked to make sure exactly what the material was. ¡°Plast weave material seven coated with number two.¡± She brought the ball back in and ran it across her arm to feel it. ¡°That¡¯s gonna be uncomfortable on its own¡­¡±

    ¡°So¡­ we win.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not done yet, we still have to test the others. Maybe there¡¯ll be something more comfortable to wear in here¡­¡±

    ~~~

    The Memory still resided deep below the royal palace in Axiom. A meeting was currently underway between the royals currently present and the Memory¡ªthough, admittedly, Ursulii wasn¡¯t exactly engaging with the proceedings and was just sitting in the back in her rocking chair while the rest talked.

    ¡°Things seem to be¡­ improving,¡± Tenrayce said, flipping through a file she had laid out on the table. ¡°We haven¡¯t encountered many active singers lately, though the song is still being sung in playgrounds everywhere.¡±

    ¡°We have to find a way to get rid of that¡­¡± Wyett grunted.

    ¡°Yes. Well. About that¡­¡± Tenrayce pulled out another file. ¡°This is a secret experiment I had performed with the Academy¡¯s new arcane vacuum device, design courtesy of Wizard Gronge. The results are¡­ well, the actual curse part of the song is removed, individuals exposed to the vacuum are no longer compelled to keep spreading the song.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ amazing news! Why aren¡¯t we implementing it!?¡±

    ¡°Because it only removes magical compulsion. The song itself is still stuck in their brains normally. It¡¯s evidentially very catchy. Far as the experiment can tell, the song¡¯s curse will reassert itself the moment anyone who is fully aware of it is in proximity to someone who is fully cursed. Unless we can figure out how to instantiate a magic vacuum over all of Axiom¡ªwhich would be disastrous for other reasons¡ªit would always be reinstated rather quickly. Even for you, Wyett, unless you wanted to quarantine yourself.¡± Tenrayce gave him a look. ¡°You do not want to quarantine yourself.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± Wyett deflated, sagging back into his chair. Hyrii started massaging his shoulders, trying to work out the stress.

    ¡°Anyway, as I was saying¡­¡± Tenrayce flipped to another page in the file. ¡°We have not encountered a singer operation in a while. Nor have we found any suspicious activity that points to the nameless society. They¡¯re likely waiting for their next move, or perhaps their defeat at the Tempest was more of a blow to their resources than we predicted.¡±

    ¡°They have proven themselves highly intelligent,¡± the Memory pointed out. ¡°We should assume they are plotting, not nursing their wounds. The Tempest reads like a side-project to me, not a major one.¡±

    ¡°If that was just a side project¡­¡± Hyrii didn¡¯t complete the thought.

    ¡°We are doing everything we can to see them coming,¡± Tenrayce assured her. ¡°Benefactor has not been attacked yet, meaning we still have enough resources to protect ourselves from direct confrontation at the very least.¡±

    ¡°It is a reasonable deduction that they are not very large in number, just in resources and knowledge.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. If we could take out their leaders they would likely fall.¡±

    ¡°Which is presumably why they are so secretive. Nobody knows who the leaders are, so they cannot be removed.¡±

    ¡°Which is what Riikaz is trying to find, right?¡± Hyrii asked.

    Tenrayce paused at the mention of her mother. ¡°She is¡­ trying. But I for one doubt her success, Benefactor was not able to find it, and a mission of revenge is hardly something most would consider indicative of a ¡®pure heart.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°She¡¯ll try other things, though.¡±

    ¡°Our efforts are likely to yield fruit first.¡±

    Wyett frowned. ¡°But we haven¡¯t seen anything of them since the Tempest. If we have no leads, we have no progress.¡±

    ¡°That is¡­ true¡­¡± Tenrayce sighed. ¡°But they¡¯ll have to try something eventually, and we are very ready for it.¡±

    ¡°You may be overconfident. Perhaps consider adding more defensive measures?¡±

    ¡°...Without keying the people on something being very wrong, I don¡¯t think we can. Furthermore I don¡¯t think the great secret society will take kindly to the average population knowing they exist.¡± Tenrayce frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not heartless. I don¡¯t want to paint targets on our people and invite some kind of all-out purge.¡±

    ¡°That would be very difficult for them to do.¡±

    ¡°Would it? We¡¯d be able to do it with the sunfire crystal. Who knows what they have?¡±

    There was silence in the room.

    ¡°Go to space, get a weapon that can destroy cities¡­¡± Hyrii shook her head. ¡°Never would have guessed¡­¡±

    ¡°That weapon, simply by existing, is a sobering thought. The forge of the sun at our disposal¡­¡±

    Tenrayce flipped through the file. ¡°Yes, well, what would we even use it on?¡±

    ¡°If someone attacks u¡ª¡± Wyett began.

    ¡°There was enough collateral damage with the encounter with Benefactor,¡± Tenrayce interrupted. ¡°We aren¡¯t doing that again.¡±

    ¡°But you gave that order. Was it a mistake?¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know. I¡¯m looking for alternatives in future operations. Such as our current investigations into the Rigid Plague.¡± She pulled out a sketch of the Shinelands. ¡°One of our spying Skyseeds vanished out here. We think the Rigid Plague shot it down.¡±

    ¡°The Rigid Plague is highly active, is it not?¡±

    ¡°Very. We can trace movements of large groups of rigids across the Shinelands. They have not unleashed an all-out attack on any of our forces. Yet. But they are continually infiltrating the Wild Kingdoms and setting up places of power where they can funnel resources. We¡¯ve found numerous examples of rigid roads being built.¡± She placed her hadn on a Purple projection device and displayed an image of one of the roads, cutting unnaturally through a thick section of forest. ¡°The Plague has thrown all pretense of being a random disease out of the window, it is showing obvious and clear strategy on the grand scale. It has infiltrated Kroan territory without making any major military moves. The only settlements it has conquered are those with no ties to us, Shimvale, or any of our allies. It¡¯s building up power and resources while avoiding engaging in direct conflict with us.¡±

    ¡°Except it shot down our Skyseed.¡±

    ¡°We got too close to something.¡± Tenrayce frowned. ¡°Possibly the actual central hub of their operation. Which is something we could attack and do actual damage, which is not the case with the rest of the decentralized mess we see here.¡±

    ¡°We need to ask, what is the goal of the plague?¡±

    ¡°We know almost nothing about that. Both the mysterious society and literal demons have tried to pry information out of it, and it refuses to give anything meaningful. It¡¯s hostile, whatever it is, but why is anyone¡¯s guess, as well as to what end. Does it want to conquer us? Steal our resources?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it is looking for something.¡±

    ¡°If it is, it¡¯s sure spending a lot of time and resources spreading in all directions¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it spreading on the other side of the Shinelands?¡± Wyett asked.

    ¡°I¡­ huh.¡± Tenrayce paused. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°We should send a Skyseed.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we definitely should¡­¡± Tenrayce frowned. ¡°What we need is a stealth craft that can¡¯t be seen easily, but everything glints in the sun so far. ¡­We should get a Purple Wizard who knows proper invisibility to be a pilot.¡±

    ¡°It is possible the Rigid Plague can see through that.¡±

    ¡°Possible, yes, but it¡¯ll give us some edge. Hopefully.¡± With that, Tenryace got to the end of the file and closed it. ¡°I believe that¡¯s all for now.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I have something to report.¡±

    ¡°You?¡± Tenrayce blinked. ¡°But¡­ you never leave. How can you¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been studying the designs of the magic generator we¡¯ve recently uncovered. I have come to the conclusion that many of the segments on the complex crystalline pattern contained within me are the exact same, junctions of all seven colors designed to produce quantities of magic in precise and directed manners.¡±

    Everyone in the room was suddenly at attention.

    ¡°Progress on the message?¡± Tenrayce gawked. ¡°But¡­ but we never get that! Not on the stars, not on the symbol, not on the magic¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, that ends today. We have finally progressed far enough in magic knowledge to begin to understand this impossible blueprint we have. A major part of its construction is the generation of magic, and if I¡¯m correct about the larger-scale arrangement, there may be structures analogous to ¡®pipes¡¯ and ¡®guides¡¯ for the created magic, shunting it into other areas.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s self-powering?¡±

    ¡°Potentially. I suspect it just wants exact levels of magic in certain areas for some reason. What reason, I can¡¯t even begin to tell you. But it certainly cares a lot about magic flow.¡±

    ¡°...Do you think you can extract designs for these ¡®pipes¡¯ from the plan?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps. Do you think it will be useful?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve just barely discovered how to make magic generators, I¡¯m not sure what exactly it would help with, but surely something.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll give me something to do, at least.¡±

    ¡°I have to ask¡­¡± Hyrii said. ¡°Any insights on the stars or the symbol?¡±

    ¡°Not the symbol, still have no clue what that means. But the stars¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking about the space program a lot, and how we think it¡¯s possible to go to all the planets, even ones we didn¡¯t know existed. What if the sky looks different if you¡¯re far enough away?¡±

    ¡°The answer could be¡­ out there.¡± Tenrayce blinked. ¡°A multigenerational mystery, only now starting to get some hints of a solution¡­¡±

    ¡°If this is where it begins¡­ all the threats we just discussed might be nothing in the long run. The solution to the oldest mystery of Kroan may be soon.¡± The Memory flickered. ¡°Apologies, I believe I must specify that I¡¯m speaking of soon in my sense.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Tenrayce said, starting to grin. ¡°Still¡­ even hints of answers¡­ I¡¯ve wondered and wondered since I was a child. Maybe, some day in the future, when all this is behind us¡­¡± Her eyes all but sparkled. ¡°Our descendants will finally be free of this mystery.¡±

    ~~~

    Blue and Via were walking back to Vaughan¡¯s cabin. Even given the growth of Willow Hollow proper, it was still a significant walk through the forest path to the cabin.

    ¡°You know, Jeh has started just using Skyseeds to avoid this walk.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeeeeep¡­¡± Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°I guess it is faster but¡­ so frivolous. We put so much effort into those things and she¡¯s using it to barely move.¡±

    ¡°We could have taken it¡­¡±

    ¡°I have no magic talent and you aren¡¯t trained.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Right.¡± Via rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Silly me.¡±

    ¡°Plus all the Skyseeds are currently at the cabin or in space.¡± Blue looked up at the sky. ¡°I think Jeh¡¯s testing spacesuit materials today.¡±

    ¡°Silly me¡­¡±

    ¡°That has nothing to do w¡ªVia? Via are you okay?¡±

    Via had stopped walking. Her hands were balled into fists and trembling. ¡°Silly me¡­¡±

    ¡°Via? Via, yes, it was silly, but that¡¯s ok¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s okay!¡± Via shouted. ¡°It¡¯s always been okay! I¡¯m dumb, but I¡¯m still loved and I can live a good life and I can do good!¡± Tears in her eyes, she threw an arm to the side angrily. ¡°I can¡¯t lead people!¡±

    ¡°Via, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°I knew you didn¡¯t have magic talent. I knew I wasn¡¯t trained. I thought we could take the Skyseed! Normally that¡¯s just an ¡®oh yeah, whoops, let¡¯s move past that¡¯ moment. But what if it was important? What if it happened in the middle of a battle? What if I sent someone on a job who was literally incapable of it and I just didn¡¯t figure it out!?¡±

    Blue stared at her, dumbfounded, unable to process exactly what was happening in front of her.

    ¡°Blue¡­ you¡­ you¡¯re smart. You¡­ you can think of an answer¡­ right?¡±

    Blue almost looked away from those desperate eyes in shame. But she didn¡¯t. She forced herself to keep her gaze locked with Via¡¯s as she thought. Blue¡¯s stomach sank and twisted into knots¡ªwhat was she thinking? How could she give Via an answer to something so¡­ emotional? She wasn¡¯t emotional, she was so bad at it she could crack under enough pressure, she knew that. That¡¯s why she had people like Via around her to help. People who could cover her blind spots.

    That¡¯s it.

    ¡°I¡­ I actually can!¡± Blue said, shocked with herself.

    ¡°R-really?¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t good at critical thinking. You¡¯re downright bad. But there are people who are good at it. Surround yourself with people you trust who can do it for you and help you make decisions. You help me deal with emotional stuff, and so does Jeh, and so does Lila¡­ and for you, you have Tenrayce, you have me, and you can probably find others.¡± Blue excitedly tapped her hooves on the ground. ¡°You know what your weaknesses are so you can find people to cover them! In fact¡­ I think you already do.¡±

    Via stared at Blue blankly for a moment. Then, slowly, she started giggling, which made Blue giggle, which quickly turned the giggles into laughs¡ªbut with these laughs came a flood of deeper, throbbing emotions. Soon the two of them were in a crying and laughing embrace as Via let it all out.

    ¡°I really am¡­ so¡­ so dumb¡­¡± Via managed, eventually.

    ¡°And that¡¯s just fine. You have other things.¡±

    ¡°Other things¡­¡± Via finally broke off the embrace and looked to the sky. ¡°...I can help everyone. They can help me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why your Grandma thinks you need to be trained so much since you have Wyett and Tenrayce to help you, but even if you do have to take charge like she thinks, you won¡¯t crash and burn. Especially because she¡¯s training you.¡±

    ¡°One of her lessons was about choosing a council of advisors¡­¡± Via paused. ¡°Now that I think of it, she said a lot of things similar to this, I just didn¡¯t make the connection.¡± She smacked herself in the head. ¡°Whoops.¡±

    ¡°Whoops?¡±

    ¡°Whoops.¡±

    What followed was a very awkward pause. A chill breeze blew between the two of them.

    ¡°We should continue this in the cabin,¡± Via said.

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    ~~~

    In space, Jeh and Scurfpea got to the last of the tests.

    It failed in the explosive way.

    ¡°Okay, so, two successes,¡± Jeh said, looking at the notebook. ¡°Literally everything else failed, wow.¡±

    Scurfpea held up the two successful tests, both of which were rubbery weaved plast-derived materials known only by their numbers.

    ¡°Neither of those are going to be comfortable¡­¡± Jeh shook her head. ¡°Well, if we have to deal with it, we have to deal with it.¡±

    ¡°Suffer for science!¡±

    ¡°We sure do. Kind of our job.¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not worthy of cheering.¡±

    Scurfpea crossed her arms. ¡°Yes it is.¡±

    ¡°No it isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Yes it is.¡±

    ¡°No it isn¡¯t.¡±

    They continued this for quite some time.

    ¡°Yes it isn¡¯t,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°No it¡­ wha?¡± Scurfpea tilted her head.

    ¡°Hah! I win.¡±

    ¡°...No fair.¡±

    ¡°One day you¡¯ll know your words well enough to win. One day.¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­.¡± Scurfpea turned around, looking at the starry sky outside. She tilted her head to the side. ¡°Wait. Star moving?¡±

    ¡°A moving star?¡± Jeh looked at where Scurfpea was. It took her a moment, but she eventually saw it¡ªa speck moving across the blackness of space. ¡°Huh, whaddoyaknow¡­¡± Almost without thinking, she started trying to project its orbital path. It took a few minutes of staring intently, but she was able to identify that it was in a very eccentric orbit around Ikyu.

    And then it changed direction, pushing away from Ikyu.

    Jeh blinked. It was still moving in the new direction.

    ¡°What is¡­?¡±

    ¡°Only ships do that,¡± Jeh said. ¡°...Could be one of the other Skyseeds¡­ but why would those be put in a wide shifting orbit? I don¡¯t think any of the missions required that much of a¡­.¡± She paused.

    This was exactly what she had done to circumnavigate the globe way back when.

    ¡°Someone else¡¯s ship¡­¡± Jeh said, eyes widening.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Scurfpea said, her expression mimicking Jeh¡¯s.

    ¡°Hang on, I¡¯m going to pay it a visit.¡± Jeh grabbed hold of the drive¡¯s controls and reoriented the ship at an angle that pointed toward but not directly at the other craft. She was going to have to match its velocity and that wasn¡¯t going to be easy, as it could adjust its velocity just like she could. Her plan was to take a wide arc and eventually come up from behind it, adjusting as she needed to. Since she could see it, it was close by. Well, relatively close, if they weren¡¯t in space the distance would take hours to cross.

    With her piloting skills? She could pull this off in a few minutes. Granted, it would involve pressing Scurfpea into the ¡°floor¡± like a pancake for those minutes, but she¡¯d be fine.

    Probably.

    ¡°You good?¡± Jeh called back as she pushed the drive.

    ¡°Wheeeeeeeeeee!¡±

    ¡°Okay, good, got it.¡±

    Jeh completed her wide arc, coming up behind the other speck of light. She realized with annoyance that she was most assuredly a few kilometers too far to the left and had to adjust to the right. Fortunately, she also had enough momentum to go much faster than her target, allowing her to catch up.

    ¡°Flipping!¡± Jeh called. She cut the drive¡¯s power, allowing weightlessness to kick in. She rotated the entire Skyseed around and then kicked in the drive again to start slowing down.

    She still overshot. The speck whizzed past so quickly she was unable to see what it was.

    ¡°Oh for the¡­ let¡¯s try that again!¡± She continued slowing the Skyseed down, still making sure they were roughly in line with their target. To her surprise, the target itself started adjusting its speed in an attempt to line up with Jeh as well.

    The two still sailed right past each other at high speed once again, no more than specks.

    ¡°This is in fact much harder than it looks¡­¡± Jeh muttered, flipping the Skyseed again in yet another attempt to line up with the other craft. Even with the other craft cooperating, they slid past each other several more times before they even got close enough to each other that they could see their shapes.

    But, eventually, they were able to see each other and use far gentler nudges to approach. The other craft was a metallic one, cubic in shape, and with a single circular window. It was hard to tell its size but it soon became apparent that it was slightly smaller than the Skyseed Jeh was currently piloting. The cube¡¯s corners had little metallic nubs on them, presumably serving the same steering purpose that the nubs on Jeh¡¯s ship did.

    Inside the window was a human wearing a tight suit that wasn¡¯t a style of dress Jeh had seen anywhere before¡ªit didn¡¯t even feel vaguely familiar like so many things did. The human was in a very tight and cramped space¡ªbut he had a chair shaped to his form, and Jeh could see that the Orange he was using to steer was built into the arms of the chair. Jeh didn¡¯t see a central drive, but she supposed it could have been in the base of the chair or something.

    ¡°Hello!¡± Scurfpea said, waving at the man.

    ¡°Sound doesn¡¯t travel in space,¡± Jeh said as she pulled out a Purple crystal. She used it to write ¡°Hello¡± in the air.

    The man also took out Purple, but he was evidently not very good at using it, for he could only project the words in white light, and not with much precision.

    Jeh¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s Desc!¡±

    ¡°Desc?¡±

    ¡°Envila¡¯s language!¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡±

    ¡°Not yay, I can speak it, not write it, I just recognize the symbols. Uh¡­¡± Jeh used Purple to project a larger image into space, showing the two ships gently coming into contact.

    The man seemed concerned and confused at this image.

    ¡°Okay let¡¯s try to explain just with images¡­¡± She simplified the projections of the ships to a circle and a square. She used a stick figure for herself and drew it talking, with little squiggles coming out to represent sound. The sound did not travel between the shapes, but when the shapes were in contact, the sound traveled through to the square.

    This gave the man understanding. He nodded.

    Jeh took in a deep breath and carefully used Orange to nudge the two ships together. Very, very slowly. Eventually, though, the glass of the Skyseed made contact with¡­ whatever the other ship¡¯s window was made out of. Not glass, it didn¡¯t make the right sound when they hit.

    ¡°Hello!¡± Jeh called in Desc. ¡°Can you hear me?¡±

    ¡°You speak Desc!?¡± The man shouted in shock.

    ¡°Met a traveler from your part of the world!¡± Jeh called. ¡°Her name was Envila. Know her? She was a fae, or an elf.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know her. A traveling elf is highly unusual¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, she knew that. Anyway, uh, we¡¯re from Kroan. Have you heard of Kroan?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid you have me at a disadvantage.¡±

    ¡°Well, uh, it¡¯s¡­ that spot right down there, we¡¯re almost right on top of it.¡±

    ¡°Are you the ones who launched the artificial star?¡±

    ¡°Artificial sta¡ªoooooh, you mean the satellite! Yeah, that was us.¡±

    ¡°What was its purpose?¡±

    ¡°To prove you could launch something into stable orbit without a person to control it.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Cool!¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°I am Enrique Fanova, chosen explorer of the great city of Descent.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Jeh, and this is Scurfpea, we¡¯re pilots of the Wizard Space Program of Kroan.¡± Jeh paused. ¡°Would you like to come down for a visit?¡±

    ¡°You have a landing pad?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually! I¡¯ll be sure to lead you to it. We should probably stay really close so you can find it, small target after all.¡± Jeh clicked her tongue. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be in contact, but we should take it slow. Hold on, I need to give Scurfpea some instructions.¡± She switched back to Karli. ¡°Okay, so, I need you to land.¡±

    Scurfpea¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Think you can do it if you take it really slow?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Good! Your job is to land this ship. My job is to drag the other ship with us.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Jeh switched back to Desc. ¡°We have a plan. Scurfpea is going to run our drive and get us back to the ground, going very slowly. I am going to drag you with us. Good?¡±

    Enrique processed this. ¡°This is definitely not in the mission plan¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an astronaut now, buddy. You will have to learn to deal with the unexpected. Your bosses can¡¯t talk to you here, you have to make the decision. What¡¯ll it be?¡±

    Enrique thought about it for a few moments before nodding. ¡°All right, you¡¯ve been doing this longer, I¡¯ll trust you. But I need to know you can get me back to Desc.¡±

    ¡°Oh we have plenty of ships, we¡¯ll be sure to get you back, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take you myself if I have to.¡±

    ¡°In that case¡­ lead the way!¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Disconnecting!¡± She moved her ship away from Enrique¡¯s. She held out an Orange crystal and enveloped Enrique¡¯s ship in an aura, holding tight. ¡°Okay Scurfpea, take us down, slowly.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Scurfpea slowly turned the Skyseed until it pointed at Willow Hollow. Then she set the drive to one of its lower settings and started pushing.

    Jeh gave Enrique a thumbs up, a gesture which he reciprocated.

    It was time to perform a double landing.

    ~~~

    Suro and Vaughan had a tradition; every now and then they would have dinner at Suro¡¯s house, not the Cabin.

    The main reason it was only ¡°every now and then¡± and not ¡°every other time¡± was because Vaughan¡¯s Cabin was simply superior in every single way for actually eating food. Suro¡¯s house was less ornate and, perhaps more importantly, was absolutely filled with kittens of all ages.

    ¡°I still have no idea how you manage to feed everyone,¡± Vaughan told Lila.

    Lila chuckled. ¡°I have a lot of helpers.¡±

    Eifa rolled her eyes. ¡°Child labor.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re hardly a child anymore.¡±

    ¡°You started me on this since before I can remember.¡±

    ¡°And now you know how to cook industrial quantities of food as a large team. Your complaint?¡± Lila smirked.

    Eifa accompanied the next roll of her eyes with an overdramatic sigh and a flick of her ears.

    ¡°Drama!¡± A small white kitten shouted. ¡°Drama!¡±

    ¡°Mefy, stop shouting ¡®drama,¡¯ ¡± another one droned as he tried to eat in peace. Three of his siblings were playing with his tail, so this wasn¡¯t going to happen.

    ¡°We should get food from Slime¡¯s Snacks,¡± one of the older cats said as she sniffed the bowl of tomato soup in front of her. ¡°I know we can afford it, you¡¯re the mayor, Mom.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t order it every day,¡± Lila said. ¡°Plus, Vaughan¡¯s visiting, and that means a home-cooked meal.¡±

    ¡°It is quite good,¡± Vaughan commented.

    ¡°For tomato soup,¡± another cat grumbled.

    One of the younger ones who hadn¡¯t quite figured out talking yet was sprinkling seasonings into his bowl. He sniffed it, licked it, and then decided it was disgusting and hissed, dumping it on the floor.

    Arki sighed, jumping out of his chair. ¡°I¡¯ll get it, Mom, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°Thanks. Though sometimes you should let your brothers and sisters do the work.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for an argument and I don¡¯t think Vaughan is either.¡±

    Eifa chuckled. ¡°Still mister ¡®I¡¯m the responsible one¡¯ after all this time?¡±

    ¡°Someone has to be.¡±

    ¡°Implying Dad isn¡¯t?¡±

    Arki gestured at Suro, who was sitting back in his chair blissfully looking at the scene before him with a really dumb smile on his face.

    ¡°Oh no, Dad¡¯s entered thankful bliss mode!¡± a teenage white daughter said. ¡°We need to be more chaotic!¡±

    Arki shot her a death glare.

    ¡°But we have to shake him out of it!¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t, Quir,¡± Suro said, though he didn¡¯t adjust his gaze in the slightest. ¡°Just keep doing what you¡¯re doing. That¡¯ll be¡­ great.¡±

    Vaughan sat back in his chair, stroking his beard. ¡°I am still surprised you turned out to appreciate such a chaotic family life.¡±

    ¡°Same here,¡± Lila said with a chuckle. ¡°The quiet thinker of a cat, blessed with well over a dozen kittens? It should be maddening.¡±

    ¡°It is, sometimes,¡± Suro said. ¡°But¡­ not usually. It¡¯s just¡­ amazing, is what it is, that¡¯s all I can say.¡±

    ¡°I still think there¡¯s too many of us,¡± Eifa said. ¡°But that¡¯s just me being rude, and I¡¯m supposedly a guest here and all.¡±

    ¡°It really is weird that you live somewhere else,¡± one of the older boys pointed out. ¡°Why did you move out? You didn¡¯t get married or anything.¡±

    ¡°Simple. Peace and quiet. Something you never know you want until you have it.¡±

    ¡°I mean, I sleep at night¡­¡±

    One of the younger daughters slammed her paws on the table. ¡°Comically missing the point! I win again!¡±

    ¡°Who were you betting against this time?¡± Arki asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember but I know I won! So whoever I bet with, fess up!¡±

    There was no response to her.

    ¡°Phooey, more coins lost to the void¡­¡±

    At this point Arki finally finished cleaning up the soup mess and sat down, sighing in relief. ¡°So¡­ Vaughan, I heard Mom and Dad talking about the new project the Crown is pushing.¡±

    ¡°The Lunar Library?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°No, no, I mean the other one you don¡¯t talk about as much.¡±

    ¡°Ah, the space station.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m kind of curious¡­ why would you even want a space station? Like¡­ why? There¡¯s nothing up there to build on, why put it up there?¡±

    ¡°Well, I would say we should do it just because we can.¡± Vaughan chuckled. ¡°But the Crown wouldn¡¯t be funneling so much money into it if that were the case.¡±

    ¡°Greedy greedy Crown!¡± One of the younger daughters shouted, specifically the one that was trying to climb onto Vaughan¡¯s back but failing due to a lack of coordination.

    ¡°What do they get out of it then?¡± Arki asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s the obvious benefit of having a way to continually watch Ikyu from above, as well as store materials for other ships that might need them. It¡¯s also a lot easier to move around once you¡¯re in orbit, so if a ship could be launched from the station, you would be able to make a sleeker, more efficient design. It could also serve as a meeting place, or a junction for smaller ships to exchange materials, samples, and the like. It has several purposes, really.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ which one do you like the most?¡±

    Vaughan leaned forward and grinned. ¡°One I didn¡¯t list. The interplanetary ship we¡¯re designing is going to have to be assembled in space, we¡¯ll need a space station before we can properly make it.¡±

    ¡°Why does it have to be assembled in space?¡±

    ¡°Simple. It¡¯s going to be way too big to get off the ground in one piece safely.¡±

    Arki nodded. ¡°You had those answers in your pocket, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. If you¡¯re doing research in magic on outside funding, you have to justify it.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that one of the things you wanted to avoid by moving out here?¡± Suro asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Making your living entirely off servicing the town, no need to deal with the ¡®nonsense¡¯ as you put it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But I have to deal with it now.¡± Vaughan shrugged. ¡°I still know how to do it.¡±

    ¡°When I grow up I¡¯m gonna be an astronaut!¡± A very young black kitten said.

    ¡°Then you better work on your magic skills!¡± Vaughan said with a grin. ¡°Pilots have to be able to fly the ships!¡±

    ¡°Magic skills¡­ Magic skills¡­¡±

    Suddenly, there was a very intense knock on the door.

    ¡°Who could it be¡­?¡± Lila asked aloud. ¡°Everyone knows we¡¯re doing this¡­¡±

    ¡°Vaughan!¡± Blue shouted from the other side of the door. ¡°Vaughan!¡±

    Vaughan groaned, slowly standing up and shaking two kittens off of him. He went to the door and opened it. ¡°Blue, I am trying to enjoy a good dinner with my old friend.¡±

    ¡°I know that! But¡­ Jeh¡¯s coming back! With something next to her! And she¡¯s coming in very slowly! It¡¯s¡­ come on, just look at the sky.¡± She dragged him out of the house with her telekinesis and pointed with a hoof.

    Sure enough, visible above them in the dusky sky were two specks of light, flickering with Orange auras.

    Vaughan squinted his eyes. ¡°How could she have found anything¡­? She was just doing a materials experiment¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s so weird! What could it be?¡±

    ¡°What else could even be up there¡­?¡± Vaughan started scratching his beard.

    ¡°Ooooh! Ooooh!¡± One of the kittens raised a paw. ¡°A big rock!¡±

    ¡°Or your satellite,¡± an older one suggested.

    ¡°Satellite crashed,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°At least¡­ we think so.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not glinting right to be that,¡± Blue added, revealing that she had the handheld telescope with her. She handed it to Vaughan. ¡°Look, it¡¯s glinting like it has flat faces.¡±

    Vaughan held the telescope to his eye. It was hard to make out any details, but he could identify the ship Jeh and Scurfpea were in. The other object¡­ clearly had flat faces given the way the light reflected off of it.

    ¡°...I should probably be there when it lands,¡± Lila said, sighing. ¡°Eifa, can you gather enough to round things up?¡±

    Eifa nodded. ¡°Sure, Mom. You go look at whatever cool new space thing she¡¯s brought back.¡± She winked at Lila.

    There was some initial confusion as to where exactly Jeh was going to land, but it quickly became apparent that she was going for the Launchpad. A sparse crowd had gathered¡ªat this point Jeh returning was routine, but some people loved watching the sky for her, and those that did had started spreading the word about the second light descending from the sky. Via was already there, though she was dressed in her blue cloak and mask to keep people from recognizing her.

    The landing was the slowest one most people in Willow Hollow had ever seen. Jeh had gotten the quick landing down to a science long before the launches became public affairs; they had not seen the early attempts, and the speed at which the ship was moving now was akin to those. As slow as possible, as carefully as possible, gingerly approaching the landing pad with the intent to barely make a noise on landing.

    At this point the other ship was clearly visible. Cubic, with a single window oriented toward the Skyseed. Through the Telescope, Vaughan noted that Jeh was not driving the Skyseed¡ªshe was focused on the other ship. Scurfpea was taking them in for a landing.

    That explains why she¡¯s going so slow, but this is quite a first landing for a new pilot to attempt¡­ especially one so young.

    Ashen approached the launchpad. ¡°Quite a first journey for Scurfpea, apparently.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure Jeh should have given her the controls¡­¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°She¡¯s capable enough. She¡¯s been looking out for herself for quite some time.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s struggling, though,¡± Margaret said.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Vaughan tilted his head. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s going well¡­¡±

    ¡°It is.¡± Margaret frowned. ¡°She¡¯ll make it. But she has it on a very low setting, and I can see the orientation wavering. She might be running out of will.¡±

    ¡°You can see that?¡±

    ¡°We pilots get a sense for these things. Jeh has it. If Scurfpea continues, she¡¯ll get it as well.¡±

    With that, the Skyseed finally landed gingerly on the launchpad. Once it did, Jeh lowered the cubic ship down right next to them, setting it down neatly. Then she opened the Skyseed¡¯s top, lifting Scurfpea out with Orange.

    ¡°I did it!¡± Scurfpea shouted. She was clearly utterly exhausted, breathing extremely heavily, and her eyes were a little red around the edges.

    The crowd applauded.

    She proceeded to fall over.

    ¡°Scurfpea!¡± Jeh shouted, jumping out of the Skyseed and running to her. ¡°Scurfpea, you said you were fine!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just¡­ need sleep¡­¡± Scurfpea mumbled. ¡°Sleepy¡­¡±

    Jeh glanced up, looking around for a face she trusted. She found Vaughan¡¯s first and looked at him with a confused, pleading look. Is she fine?

    How should I know? Vaughan thought.

    Ashen approached Scurfpea. ¡°She is merely exhausted. I am surprised she managed to push herself so hard.¡±

    ¡°I was too focused on the other ship¡­¡± Jeh said, shaking her head. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think I could have done it without her, though.¡±

    ¡°She will be fine. Though you may want to consider creating protocols for moments like this. For now¡­¡±

    At this, the cubic ship¡¯s window popped open, revealing it to double as a door. The man within shakily stepped out, eyes wide, and face pale. He pointed at Jeh with a shaky finger and stammered something in a strange language.

    Vaughan narrowed his eyes. That sounds vaguely familiar¡­

    Jeh shot back in the same language and crossed her arms.

    The man shook his head and leaned against his ship, catching his breath.

    ¡°What¡­ did he accuse you of?¡± Vaughan asked.

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°Claimed I was insane for trying to land without proper landing infrastructure? Not sure what he¡¯s talking about. Guess Descent has a special landing method?¡±

    ¡°...He¡¯s from Descent?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Fellow astronaut!¡± Jeh beamed.

    Via let out a sigh. ¡°I suppose that means my vacation is over, then¡­ Time for politics.¡±

    Blue patted her on the back understandingly. ¡°You¡¯ll do fine, I¡¯ve got your back.¡±

    Via nodded, removing her hood and mask. ¡°Jeh, I¡¯ll need you to translate.¡±

    ¡°You got it, Princess!¡±

    The rest of the crowd started muttering about Via¡¯s presence, but she ignored them. She turned to the foreign astronaut, but waited for him to make eye contact before speaking. ¡°Greetings, traveler from afar. I am Princess Via Kroan, of the Kingdom of Kroan. It is a pleasure to meet another intrepid explorer.¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    It is very, very tricky to have two spacecraft meet up in space. Jeh and Enrique passed each other multiple times for good reason¡ªat the scales in space, spaceship ¡°targets¡± might as well just be singular points in space. The chances of pointing right at a point in the distance are essentially zero simply because it¡¯s so small and so far away. Even if it wasn¡¯t moving you would most certainly have to adjust your trajectory several times in trying to get to that point.

    For things that move predictably in space, like planets, moons, and asteroids, a computer can make up for human fallibility in this regard. Wanderlust essentially did this when she sent the Moonshot back to Ikyu, noting the specific point she wanted to hit on Ikyu, calculating where it would be, and then launching the ship on that trajectory. Must be nice, being a Crystalline One who can do computations like that reliably.

    Regardless, Jeh was not running any calculations, and even if the other ship hadn¡¯t been moving, it would have taken her several shots to even get close to it. (Fortunately, the danger of accidentally smashing into a target is very low because of this.) However, the ship was moving. Jeh correctly identified from her experience that this meant she needed to match its speed, so she took a wide arc and came up behind it.

    The ISS is orbiting above us at about 7.7 kilometers per second. That is very fast. So fast that if a satellite whipped by you at that speed you would barely have time to register that there was something approaching you. Now, both Jeh and Enrique are not actually in orbit, they¡¯re doing a ¡°sawtooth maneuver¡± which is not something we would ever do in reality because it would be such an inefficient use of resources and not really serve any practical purpose. Magic, once again, allows the Wizard Space Program to cut a lot of corners. However, just because the ¡°sawtooth maneuver¡± is slower than an orbit, it is not slow by any means, the speed will still be comparable.

    So you have two objects moving like bullets in different directions. Getting them to meet up is a nightmare. In the real world we, once again, rely on computers and calculations to pre-calculate everything about spacecraft meetups well in advance, and we try to avoid doing it at all if we can help it. But, occasionally, the Hubble Space Telescope needs to be serviced, and you can¡¯t exactly leave your astronauts on the moon once you¡¯ve landed them. So we have to dock sometimes, which means making sure we line everything up perfectly. Fortunately, we have an advantage over Jeh and Enrique in this regard, and it¡¯s not just because ¡°computers¡± or ¡°pre-calculation,¡± though it does help. The main benefit is that essentially everything we do is on orbit tracks. Different-sized objects behave the same under gravity, and so a particular orbit for a big ship and a lander and a probe will all happen at the same speed. It makes it easier to get ships to meet up if everything¡¯s moving on nice predictable circles, and not a wacky ¡°sawtooth¡± that no sane person would ever use.

    Unfortunately, after the ships are close enough to see each other and are moving at the same relative speed, we no longer have an advantage over the Wizard Space Program. They can just use Orange with finesse to bring two things together without any sort of connecting tissue. We have to maneuver our ships precisely toward each other and get perfect alignment with the pieces that need to touch to properly dock with anything. This is the part where things can go very very wrong because now the danger of crashing into each other that didn¡¯t exist previously is suddenly present. Put a little too much force into docking and you can break the door. (Anyone who¡¯s seen Interstellar probably has an image of a very particular scene in their head right now that illustrates docking hazards.) If only we had precise forces that we could apply at a distance without actually touching anything¡­ oh well.

    To sum it up: never use a ¡°sawtooth maneuver¡± ever. It is bad. Do not follow these crazy characters¡¯ examples. Even in their situation just because they can do it doesn¡¯t mean they should be doing it. Such a waste of resources¡­

 044 - Rivals

    WSP 044

    Rivals

    Town Hall had an official meeting room. It didn¡¯t in the past¡ªthe previous mayor never wanted to talk to anyone for the most part and the building was largely just a formality. Now it had been extended, grown, and renovated into something that looked rather presentable, though it was still made largely out of wood and didn¡¯t have much in the way of decorations.

    But it had a meeting room, so Vaughan¡¯s cabin was no longer the nicest place to host guests in Willow Hollow, which was good because it was still a significant distance from the town proper. Said meeting room was the only one in Town Hall that was sufficiently decorated¡ªmostly with Crystalline decorations formed by Suro, but there were also well-cushioned chairs and even a proper chandelier. Anything in the actual palace would put this room to shame, but most people in Willow Hollow probably thought the room was well suited for a princess.

    The central, long table had a decently-sized meal set out on it, and the visitor from afar, Enrique the astronaut, was eating it up like a ravenous wolf. He clearly wasn¡¯t actually starving, just loved food and had no sense of politeness at the dinner table.

    Fortunately all of the people present at the meeting didn¡¯t judge him for this, in fact Lila and Via were the only people who would eat neatly even in private. Vaughan, Blue, Jeh, and even Keller never had any qualms breaking free of the social norms when nobody cared.

    ¡°He¡¯s certainly enjoying himself,¡± Blue observed.

    ¡°He¡¯s probably never had half the things here,¡± Vaughan added.

    Jeh nodded. ¡°He commented about that early on, something about ¡®so many new things to taste.¡¯ I think. He mumbled it.¡±

    ¡°What an odd man¡­¡± Lila commented.

    ¡°Are any of us normal?¡± Jeh asked. ¡°Your astronauts are an immortal child, a rare black gari who was raised in the forest, and a thrill seeking tiny dryad.¡±

    ¡°Fair point, I suppose you would act somewhat similarly were you to be in this position.¡± Lila paused. ¡°Jeh, you do know to eat properly in front of foreign dignitaries, right?¡±

    ¡°Duh. I¡¯m not stupid.¡±

    ¡°That implies he is,¡± Keller commented.

    Jeh blinked, processing this. ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing he can¡¯t understand me!¡±

    Seskii came in with another tray of food¡ªfor all the dishes had been her doing. ¡°Dessert time!¡± She deposited a slice of cake in front of everyone.

    Enrique looked at the slice of cake like it was a gift from Heaven. He let out an elated shout and said something before digging right in.

    ¡°He knows what cake is and loves it,¡± Jeh translated.

    ¡°Cake is universal!¡± Seskii said with a wink.

    ¡°Well we¡¯re certainly on his good side,¡± Vaughan said, smirking. ¡°It remains to be seen if he¡¯ll go the other way.¡±

    After Enrique finished his cake, he did start to slow down on the food until he eventually stopped eating and let out a massive burp. He looked to Jeh and asked her a question. She nodded and turned to the others. ¡°He¡¯s ready to talk now.¡±

    Via cleared her throat. ¡°It is a pleasure to see you enjoying yourself. I hope it endears you to our Kingdom here. As you already know, I am Princess Via Kroan. This is Lila, Mayor of Willow Hollow, the town in which you find yourself. That back there is Keller, one of our Agents. And the other three here are Vaughan, Blue, and Jeh, the primary forces behind our great Wizard Space Program.¡±

    Jeh relayed it to Enrique. He responded, and Jeh translated back. ¡°Thanks for the meal! I¡¯m Enrique Fanova! I was sent into space by the great blimps of the equally great city of Descent! Though apparently word of our great home has spread even to here!¡±

    And so it went. As always with translated conversations, it took a while to convert what one person said to another, but eventually everything went through, though Jeh did have a habit of inserting snide comments of her own. She was not a professional translator, after all, but she was what they had.

    ¡°So¡­ how should we do this?¡± Via asked. ¡°You are our guest, you decide if you want us to talk about ourselves or you to talk about yourself.¡±

    ¡°How much do you know about the glory of Descent?¡±

    Lila glanced at Keller with a raised eyebrow. Keller shook his head. ¡°We dunno anythin¡¯ beyond what Envila told us, but we do have it on our maps, thanks t¡¯ Jeh.¡±

    Enrique piqued up. ¡°Oh? How¡¯s that possible?¡±

    Jeh put her hands on her hips. ¡°I flew around the world and took pictures already. Heh.¡±

    ¡°Oh wow! Actually, that makes sense¡­ yeah, you got the artificial star in orbit. That¡¯s beyond what we can do. ¡­How did you do it? What was it?¡±

    Vaughan answered. ¡°It was a smooth, polished ball of metal that served no purpose beyond being visible in orbit to test orbital mechanics. As for how, we had Jeh here take up one of our ships with a spinning device on top that kept rotating the satellite until it was going really, really, really fast. Then we released it.¡±

    Enrique stared at Jeh blankly since she was the one who had translated that. ¡°I¡­ huh, the blimps always told me the best way to do that would be to enter an orbit yourself, release the object, and then leave it.¡±

    ¡°That takes more time,¡± Jeh pointed out.

    ¡°I guess? Why¡¯d you care about doing it fast?¡±

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°So we can get more science done faster?¡±

    ¡°And why¡¯s it matter if you do it now or a year from now?¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Um. Blue, why do we care about how fast we do things?¡±

    Blue cleared her throat. ¡°Because every moment we spend not advancing further is a moment we spend without that advancement. We want to go to other places, but if we take too long we never get to go anywhere. If we hadn¡¯t worked this fast we wouldn¡¯t have gotten to the moon already.¡±

    ¡°Also we¡¯re just really excited,¡± Vaughan added.

    Enrique, once again, simply stared at Jeh for a few moments. ¡°...You went to the moon?¡±

    Jeh grinned. ¡°Yeah! I even have a moon rock!¡± She pulled a gray rock out of her furs and laid it on the table. ¡°Tah-dah!¡±

    Enrique stared at it. His nose scrunched up. ¡°So the moon is boring?¡±

    Jeh paused. ¡°Mostly, yeah, it¡¯s just a bunch of gray rocks. There are some other things there but we didn¡¯t bring them back.¡±

    ¡°Man, here I was thinking I was going to see cool things¡­¡±

    ¡°It still looks amazing,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Imagine, if you will, a large expanse of gray pocked with unnatural circular depressions, pointed mountains, and deep powdery sand unlike any beach on Ikyu¡­¡±

    ¡°It''s very itchy,¡± Jeh added after her translation.

    ¡°Fascinating¡­¡± Enrique shook his head. ¡°To think, such a small town with no infrastructure could do such a thing¡­¡±

    Via shook her head. ¡°They could not do it alone, they needed funding from the Crown to get to the moon. Though you are correct to say what they have accomplished is impressive, for they made it to space without us even knowing about it.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ and they were able to land like that?¡±

    Jeh tilted her head after translating. ¡°Hang on, Enrique, why is it so weird that we know how to land?¡±

    ¡°The blimps told me that landing was difficult, so difficult that they didn¡¯t trust anyone to actually do it, so when we come in I just have to aim at Descent and the landing pad takes care of it. Which is so much nicer than blasting through the atmosphere at high speed tethered to some other unknown ship¡­¡±

    Blue tilted her head. ¡°How does the landing pad work?¡±

    ¡°I dunno. Uses a lot of Orange though.¡±

    ¡°But how do you leave the ground if you don¡¯t have the power to land?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also a launching pad.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°That would certainly be one way to do it, store most of the power needed for lift and landing on the ground¡­ you could get by with much smaller drives that way, it would require less will. But you¡¯d need either phenomenally large will at the pads or a lot of wizards.¡±

    ¡°The great blimps handle it all.¡±

    ¡°Envila told me the blimps rarely deal with the lower parts of Descent,¡± Jeh said. ¡°How come you know them so well?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I never deal with the lower parts either.¡± Enrique leaned back in his chair. ¡°I was raised in the floating city by them. One of those chosen to receive the blessing of care.¡±

    Via raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know what the blessing of care is.¡±

    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have any blimps here, do you?¡±

    Via shook her head. ¡°No, we have balloon whales, but they aren¡¯t spirited.¡±

    ¡°What is the greatest race you have then?¡±

    Vaughan and Lila visibly tensed. Via, however, didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°In the eyes of Kroanite law, all races have equal legal status; though in practice I am forced to admit that my race, the garilend, are given slight preference due to being the royal family. Beyond that, I¡¯d have to say Crystalline Ones.¡±

    ¡°Oh, your people are those Colored Seekers I¡¯ve heard about?¡±

    Via shook her head. ¡°We are primarily an Aware nation, though we have a sizable population of Colored Seekers, there¡¯s a large group of Red Seekers in this town actually.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just so strange for me to think of people who don¡¯t always have the blimps nearby. I just¡­ wow, having to deal with things yourself and knowing there¡¯s nothing to fall back on? I¡¯m amazed that anyone manages but only Descent has blimps so¡­ huh, never thought of it like that before¡­ so weird¡­¡±

    Vaughan and Blue exchanged a look but said nothing.

    ¡°Question,¡± Jeh said. ¡°What¡¯s your ship called?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing fancy, just ¡®Ship Four.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°What happened to the other three ships?¡±

    ¡°One was scrapped, the other two exploded.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Yeah, we¡¯ve lost a few too.¡±

    ¡°What do you call your ships?¡±

    ¡°Small ones like the one you saw are Skyseeds. The bigger ones are Moonshots.¡±

    Enrique rubbed his hands together. ¡°Can¡­ can I see?¡±

    Jeh glanced to Via. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Via nodded. ¡°I would be glad to show you our more prestigious craft.¡±

    ¡°Fair warning,¡± Vaughan butted in. ¡°The first one is kind of broken, and the second one isn¡¯t finished yet.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, all of that sounds amazing!¡± Enrique said.

    ¡°Before we go, though¡­¡± Via said, leaning in. ¡°I do have to ask if your government has any intentions of any sort toward our own.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t even know you existed until today!¡± Enrique said. ¡°In fact, I think I¡¯m the only Descender who knows about you at all! ¡­Well besides this Envila, but she also isn¡¯t in Descent!¡±

    ¡°What do you think your blimp rulers would think of us?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be just as fascinating to them as you are to me!¡±

    Via kept her warm smile and level face. Inwardly, though, she was starting to twist her stomach into knots. She really wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. How do you react to a foreign power that considers you fascinating first and foremost?

    ~~~

    ¡°This thing flew?¡± Enrique gestured at what was left of the Moonshot. It was currently resting under an open tent in Vaughan¡¯s backyard¡ªand while it had been polished and cleaned up since its ordeal in the Tempest, it was still dented, missing a few knobs, and had a clearly gutted interior.

    ¡°It had a rough time on the way back down,¡± Vaughan explained. ¡°Long story, to keep it short, the drive wasn¡¯t working and we had to perform a manual landing in the ocean.¡±

    ¡°And you survived?¡±

    ¡°Barely,¡± Blue muttered. ¡°The next one hopefully won¡¯t have the same problems.¡±

    ¡°But it got you there and back! I¡¯m shocked!¡± He ran up the ramp without warning and poked his head into the interior. ¡°Wow¡­ every side is the floor! That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    ¡°When you¡¯re floating for a long time you kind of want orientation,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± he poked his head even further in¡­ and proceeded to fall into the interior. ¡°Ow¡­¡±

    Blue sighed, walking up the ramp so she could see well enough to levitate him out.

    Jeh took the moment to stop translating constantly for everything and look around. To her relief, she saw exactly the people she was looking for¡ªthe Sourdough Twins. She waved them over.

    ¡°Scurfpea is doing fine¡­¡± one said, answering Jeh¡¯s unspoken question.

    ¡°...she¡¯s with Ashen right now, resting.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Jeh said, letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°I just¡­ so much has been going on and¡­ I don¡¯t know, she¡¯s not like me, things could go wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. They can,¡± one of the Twins said.

    ¡°But she knows the risks, we all made sure of that.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I have to give her too much to do¡­¡± Jeh grumbled.

    ¡°True. But the situation was an unprecedented one.¡±

    The other twin nodded. ¡°We think you made the right call, but you should have considered her more even so, not just assumed.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me I made the right choice for the wrong reasons?¡±

    ¡°Oversimplified,¡± one countered.

    ¡°But otherwise, basically, yeah,¡± the other added.

    ¡°Okaaaay¡­¡±

    At this point, Enrique was out of the Moonshot and dusting himself off. ¡°Well, sorry about that, guess I¡¯m more clumsy than I realized!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you need coordination to fly spacecraft properly?¡± Jeh asked. ¡°Or, uh, don¡¯t you at least have to learn? Like I did?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I had to learn, but¡­ it¡¯s not very hard to drive?¡± Enrique shrugged. ¡°I just point where I want to go and go, the only hard part is landing because I have to aim and not go too fast.¡±

    ¡°Man, your ship must be very balanced¡­¡±

    ¡°It is! Specifically crafted by the blimps for yours truly as a wondrous gift! It was literally made for me!¡±

    ¡°Wait, are you the only astronaut?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ they¡¯re making others, but I think right now, yeah.¡±

    Jeh paused. ¡°I guess I was the only one for a while¡­ but there¡¯s three of us here now and several in Axiom, if we had to build a ship for every astronaut¡­¡± Jeh turned to Blue. ¡°That¡¯s a nightmare, right?¡±

    Blue turned to Vaughan. ¡°I think so?¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°Increases the cost and decreases the utility of each ship dramatically.¡±

    Enrique slapped his knee and laughed after Jeh relayed this to him. ¡°You¡¯re concerned about money, of course. Pff, who cares about money when you serve the great blimps?¡±

    ¡°Surely they have money too?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Well, I think so?¡± Enrique scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure what they use it for¡­ but that doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m too small to worry about such things.¡±

    Blue raised an eyebrow and glanced at Vaughan. He just shrugged noncommittally.

    ¡°Anyway, now that I¡¯ve crashed into your crashed ship, where to next?¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°The laboratory and the shell for the Moonshot II I suppose. Perhaps we should have gone there first, it would have been a shorter walk¡­¡±

    ¡°But then things would have been out of order!¡± Jeh said. ¡°We gotta do it in order! First Moonshot first!¡±

    ¡°If you insist. Let us all make the walk back, then¡­¡±

    Blue hung back with the Twins while the others continued their journey.

    ¡°Taking notes on his culture?¡± Blue asked.

    The Twins nodded.

    ¡°Anything interesting you¡¯ve noted?¡±

    ¡°Tons of things¡­¡±

    ¡°...Too many to list.¡±

    ¡°What would be relevant to me?¡±

    ¡°Anything he knows about science or engineering is incidental,¡± one offered.

    ¡°The blimps making his ships don¡¯t think him smart enough to be part of the design process.¡±

    The first scratched her chin. ¡°We suspect they only use him because they haven¡¯t figured out how to send something as large as themselves into space safely.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Blue frowned. ¡°I probably should have asked Envila about the blimps when she was around.¡±

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry!¡± one said.

    ¡°We did that for you,¡± the other giggled.

    ¡°Well, tell me the details later, we do need to catch up with the others.¡±

    ¡°The most important piece of information is that the blimps think they are the greatest race on the planet.¡±

    The other twin nodded. ¡°They literally call the city of Descent Descent because they view it as them coming down to grace those restricted to the land.¡±

    The first tapped her chin. ¡°You know, that might be why they are trying to get to space, they want to go higher and higher to establish their superiority.¡±

    The second giggled. ¡°Ironic, then, that they have to send races that aren¡¯t them up first!¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Blue said, clicking her tongue in thought as she followed the others.

    ~~~

    Scurfpea woke up from perhaps the best sleep she had ever had. She let out a huge yawn and stretched every part of her in one big motion, from her fingers to her toes. Even the leaves on her head flexed slightly. She opened her eyes and beamed at one of Ashen¡¯s facets. ¡°Good morning Ashen!¡± Then her smile faltered. ¡°Wait. Don¡¯t remember sleep time¡­¡±

    You passed out from overexertion.

    ¡°Over-eh-whatnow?¡±

    Using too much energy. Exhausting yourself. Passing out.

    ¡°Ooooh¡­ yeah.¡± Scurfpea looked up at the sky and blinked. ¡°Was hard. ¡­Did I crash?¡±

    No, you didn¡¯t crash. Do you not remember?

    ¡°Memory fuzzy¡­ was in space, had to work to land. I remember¡­ ground near. Then¡­ fuzzy.¡±

    Well, you clearly used more of your strength than even I thought. That¡¯s not good.

    ¡°Not good?¡± Scurfpea tilted her head. ¡°But I did it!¡±

    You could have injured yourself.

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t!¡±

    Scurfpea, this is serious.

    Scurfpea crossed her arms. ¡°Everyone had the talk with me. I know death is up there. I know pain. I know.¡±

    Scurfpea, even though you¡¯re going up there you should try to avoid such things.

    ¡°Well. Yeah. But if it happens it happens!¡±

    You could do more things to make it not happen. Like not overexerting yourself to the point of passing out. That sort of thing could give you a permanent injury. You are not Jeh.

    Scurfpea¡¯s expression turned uncharacteristically mad. ¡°Why is everyone like this!?¡±

    Huh¡­?

    ¡°I knew that could happen! I did it anyway!¡± She threw her arms in the air and started waving them around as though she were trying to punch the air. ¡°Why is it different from going up? Both dangerous!¡±

    I¡­ Scurfpea, there is a difference between a necessary and unnecessary risk. A risk that must be taken and one that does not need to.

    ¡°Jeh needed me.¡± Scurfpea crossed her arms.

    If she had known you would use that much of yourself she would not have asked you to do it.

    ¡°...Hmm¡­¡± Scurfpea narrowed her eyes and scrunched up her brow. ¡°...Brain hurting. Heart hurting. Too big.¡±

    You are very young. I am surprised you got as far as you did.

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    Perhaps you can just trust us that you don¡¯t have to push yourself that hard? That you should tell us when you would?

    ¡°...Alright.¡±

    Good. Thank you.

    ¡°But¡­ what of¡­ past?¡±

    The past? Are you talking about before you came here?

    ¡°Yes! Had to do that a lot to survive.¡±

    ¡­You should never have been subjected to such things.

    ¡°But I did it!¡±

    You really are remarkably resilient and capable.

    ¡°...What?¡±

    I was giving you a compliment on your survival.

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    I just hope you realize that one as young as you is never supposed to see those things.

    ¡°I wanted to though. I left home to see things!¡±

    I doubt your Glen wanted you to.

    Scurfpea shrugged. ¡°Oh well. I¡¯m here now!¡±

    You are¡­ and you have much to learn about life.

    ¡°And space!¡±

    Yes. And space too.

    ~~~

    Vaughan sat down and let out a huge, long breath, sagging into the cushion. Now that there wasn¡¯t actual discussion occurring, the ambience of the room felt more like that of a lounge than anything. The fact that Via was in there sipping tea only made it feel more luxurious than necessary, especially for a town as small as Willow Hollow. She had changed out of her simple robes into a dress that was¡­ well, the fanciest that Willow Hollow had on offer, which was to say it was brightly colored and had frills but nothing else. Might as well stop trying to hide, after all¡ªthough she had not yet reshaped her hair, as that would simply take too much time, so the four-bun design remained.

    Keller was standing behind her, arms locked behind his back. Vaughan knew him well enough to recognize the ¡°I really want a smoke right now but there are people here who can¡¯t stand the smell¡± look.

    Via put down her tea and looked Vaughan up and down. ¡°I take it Enrique is a bit exhausting?¡±

    ¡°You can say that again.¡±

    ¡°I take it Enrique is a bit exhausting?¡±

    Vaughan raised an eyebrow.

    Via chuckled. ¡°So, I¡¯m going to guess¡­ that he¡¯s just so full of energy.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s got as much energy as Jeh,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°And the fact that she translates makes it even worse, I think, so much to keep track of and then they sometimes start going back and forth and then I have to ask them to back up and¡­¡± Vaughan put a hand to the bridge of his nose. ¡°He never seems to stop.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps he was chosen because of that,¡± Via suggested. ¡°His endless energy may suit him for the job.¡±

    ¡°That would certainly fit¡­¡±

    ¡°But ya didn¡¯t leave him there t¡¯ complain t¡¯ us,¡± Keller observed. ¡°Ya¡¯re thinkin¡¯ somethin.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°Good eye, Keller.¡±

    ¡°It makes him suited for his job,¡± Via said, smirking.

    ¡°But yes, I do have a thought.¡± He leaned forward. ¡°We¡¯ve been dancing around telling Enrique our future plans besides the obvious of going back to the moon.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have even told him that¡­¡± Keller grumbled.

    ¡°Then you are really not going to like my suggestion,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°I can already tell.¡±

    Via cocked her head. ¡°What¡¯s your idea, Vaughan?¡±

    ¡°...Just realized how weird it feels to talk to you casually like this¡­¡± Vaughan shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m thinking we should tell Enrique about the space station.¡±

    Keller visibly tensed. Via simply leaned forward with curiosity. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to build it, that much is certain, but it¡¯s going to take a lot of resources. And once we start it¡¯s not exactly going to be easy to keep hidden, it¡¯ll be much larger than the satellite and Descent noticed that and cared enough to start their own space program. Furthermore¡­ the thought that really sold me on this idea is that the space station can be neutral ground. Everyone could go up there and meet without having to worry about things like not being able to land without proper ground infrastructure. I¡¯m thinking¡­ cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Cooperation¡­¡± Via scratched her chin.

    ¡°This is a bad idea,¡± Keller said. ¡°We only have Enrique as an example of what Descent is, and it¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s not really aware o¡¯ anythin¡¯ they care ¡®bout. They could be conquerors, we wouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Descent is a single city that has no holdings,¡± Vaughan pointed out. ¡°We know that from Envila.¡±

    ¡°My point still stands. We don¡¯t know who they are, can¡¯t risk tellin¡¯ them things like our plans. They may not conquer us but they may steal our resources, science, or just manipulate us for political gain.¡±

    ¡°I think the risk is worth it¡ªextending an olive branch in peace to further potential cooperation and make our task easier. That space station is going to be a difficult construction, but it could be useful not just for us, but for potential allies. We do already know that Mikarol is working on a space program.¡±

    ¡°The Emperor said he was going t¡¯ work on it,¡± Keller pointed out.

    ¡°But no doubt we would offer him this opportunity.¡±

    ¡°...Most likely.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just thinking this is good in every way, and it¡¯s not even as big of a risk as we might think. Sharing our plans can get us friends, but in the worst-case scenario? What are they going to do? Shoot us down? They could do that no matter what we did unless we develop some kind of space stealth and hide our ships moving through space.¡±

    ¡°All we have t¡¯ do is think about how t¡¯ do it.¡± Keller folded his arms. ¡°Ya¡¯re smart enough t¡¯ come up with somethin¡¯, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easy enough, paint it black. The only problem is now we can¡¯t see it.¡±

    ¡°Have Benefactor track things with th¡¯ transmitters.¡±

    ¡°And on the opposite side of the planet?¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t dock.¡±

    Via placed her teacup down and put her arms behind her head. ¡°This really is a risk we¡¯d take if we told him, and the blimps may react in an unexpected way. Given how he may return to the sky at any moment, though, we do need to make a decision now.¡± She paused. ¡°I need to make a decision.¡±

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°You are the princess,¡± Vaughan pointed out.

    Via gave him a pleasant affirming smile that completely hid the screaming she was doing internally.

    ¡°So¡­ what¡¯ll it be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m considering the sides of the argument,¡± Via said. ¡°And, really, simplifying it in my mind. I think it boils down to this: do we be trusting or cautious? What kind of nation is Kroan?¡±

    Vaughan let out a long, drawn-out breath. ¡°That¡¯s a big question, Princess.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s what it boils down to.¡± She paused. ¡°I know Wyett would listen to Keller. Tenrayce could go either way, and she¡¯d probably convince Wyett to come around. Mom would be trusting, and Dad¡­ he would have¡­¡± Via paused. ¡°But they¡¯re not the ones making the decision, I am.¡± She turned to look out the window, furrowing her brow.

    Eventually, a smile came to her face.

    ¡°I want new friends. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt.¡± Via turned back to Vaughan. ¡°Tell Enrique anything you wish about the future plans of the space program. Naturally don¡¯t tell him anything about the black cubes or the mysterious organization, as that is not relevant at this time and might just put him in danger.¡±

    Vaughan grinned. ¡°Thank you, Princess.¡± He stood up and bowed. ¡°I¡¯ll go right away.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope this space station idea pans out. I¡¯m going to start drafting up a letter to the Emperor as well, he¡¯ll probably want in on this.¡±

    ¡°Do we know of anyone else starting a space program?¡± Vaughan asked.

    Via turned to Keller. ¡°Do we?¡±

    Keller shook his head. ¡°Shimvale doesn¡¯t appear to be tryin¡¯, and the Hegemony is workin¡¯ entirely through us.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll probably send them a letter anyway. That tunnel through the continental shelf has to be completed at some point¡­¡±

    ¡°Several years from now.¡±

    Via blinked. ¡°Great eights, that¡¯s a long time. We can build a craft that goes to the moon in a year but we can¡¯t dig a tunnel to the bottom of the ocean?¡±

    ¡°Not quickly, gotta move all those rocks, ¡®parently.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk about diverting more funding, resources, and research to the tunnel with Tenrayce next time I see her. Mainly because neither you nor I actually have any idea how to do it.¡± She chuckled.

    ¡°True enough.¡±

    ~~~

    At the best table in Shakin¡¯ Slime¡¯s Scrumptious Snacks, Enrique tore a piece of meat off a shishkabob with his teeth, staring intently at Jeh as he did so.

    Jeh tilted her head, waiting for him to respond to what Vaughan had just told him.

    He didn¡¯t. He just kept eating. One piece off the skewer at a time.

    ¡°...Well?¡± Jeh eventually asked.

    ¡°This food is absolutely terrible.¡± He took another bite.

    Jeh blinked. ¡°I¡­ then why are you eatin¡ªnevermind, that¡¯s not the point, I meant about the space station.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, it¡¯s cool. I¡¯ll tell everyone about it.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what the point of it is, Vaughan just barely finished explaining it!¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. They probably will want more than that¡­¡± Enrique took another bite. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m really not sure what they¡¯d want to know, actually. Uh¡­ that¡¯s awkward.¡± For a moment, he looked concerned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can give them what they want¡­¡±

    Jeh turned to Vaughan. ¡°I could just go with him.¡±

    ¡°I think his¡­ ¡®masters¡¯ would want more technical knowledge than you have. You don¡¯t really know much about our space station plans besides ¡®put a house in space,¡¯ right?¡±

    Jeh scratched her chin. ¡°True¡­¡±

    ¡°We could send you with a scroll, though,¡± Vaughan suggested.

    ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± Enrique lit up. ¡°That¡¯ll solve all the problems!¡±

    ¡°I still have to go with him to read it,¡± Jeh said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to write in Desc.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re wrapping up this sequence of events without you accompanying him back anyway,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°You¡¯re the one who knows the language.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°...I get to go to Descent! Woo!¡± She thrust her fists into the air. ¡°You get to show me around, Enrique!¡±

    ¡°Oh! Oh.¡± Enrique paused. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not something I¡¯ve ever done before¡­¡±

    ¡°Just do what we¡¯re doing for you here, it¡¯ll be great.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Enrique blinked. ¡°What have you been doing?¡±

    Jeh stared at him, dumbfounded. ¡°You¡¯ve been¡­ in the middle of it.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t exactly paying attention.¡±

    Jeh facepalmed. ¡°How are you flying a spaceship if you¡¯re this oblivious?¡± As she was talking to Enrique in Desc, Vaughan did not forcibly cover her mouth. He would have if he had known what she was saying at the time prior to her translating it.

    Enrique tilted his head. ¡°Because I pay attention to it¡­?¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ why aren¡¯t you paying attention here?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t think I had to.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­¡± Jeh just shook her head.

    ¡°Very glad for the scroll by the way, I really don¡¯t like having to pay attention to things.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t like flying in space?¡±

    Enrique thought about this for a moment. ¡°No, I do, it¡¯s serving the blimps, and that¡¯s more than enough. They love the stars, and I love the stars!¡±

    Jeh translated this and looked to Vaughan with a ¡®help me here¡¯ expression. Vaughan shook his head.

    Enrique took another bite of the shishkabob. ¡°Wow. And this is considered fine dining in this town¡­ Aha! I got it! I¡¯ll show you fine dining!¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes, that is one of the things you could and probably should do,¡± Jeh deadpanned.

    Vaughan coughed. ¡°Anyway¡­ if you want us to send you with a scroll, that¡¯ll probably take a day to set up for you. We¡¯ll need to get you a place to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t the blimps be worried about you if you stay too long though?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, they won¡¯t mind.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Enrique hasn¡¯t come back yet.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more than twice the time we predicted his trip would take.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s probably dead.¡±

    ¡°Most likely.¡±

    ¡°Shame, I had such high hopes for that launch.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll just launch another one.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll take time to train Claire properly to take his place.¡±

    ¡°Not long.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then we have lost little aside from the ship.¡±

    ¡°Which will take less time to construct than Claire will to fully train.¡±

    ¡°Give my regards to the contingency department. They have outdone themselves.¡±

    ¡°Quite.¡±

    ~~~

    Enrique had slept on the couch in the main hall of the Cabin. Not because that was where they¡¯d chosen to let him sleep¡ªVaughan had spare beds of course¡ªbut because when Enrique saw it he assumed it was where he was sleeping so he flopped right on it and passed out immediately. He hadn¡¯t looked tired prior to this, but he sure was asleep the instant his head hit the couch.

    It was now noon the next day.

    He was still asleep. Peaceful. With a smile on his face.

    Vaughan, Blue, Margaret, and Jeh were all awake, staring at him.

    ¡°...Should we wake him up¡­?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t particularly matter when he leaves¡­¡± Vaughan said, scratching his beard.

    ¡°But I¡¯m itching to go to Descent¡­¡± Jeh muttered.

    ¡°Waking him up could be rude.¡±

    ¡°Or it could be necessary,¡± Margaret said. She put her hands on her hips. ¡°For all we know he¡¯ll sleep for several days.¡±

    ¡°Humans don¡¯t do that,¡± Vaughan pointed out.

    ¡°And neither do gari, yet I¡¯ve had days where I woke up and just pretended like I was still asleep to myself and then didn¡¯t leave the bed that day.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t seem the depressive sort¡­¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t seem like any sort you know, from what you told me.¡±

    Jeh sighed. ¡°I guess we just wait.¡± She turned her back on them. ¡°I¡¯m going to go play with the Twins.¡±

    ¡°Have fun,¡± Blue said.

    The moment Jeh reached her hand out to the front door, Enrique sat upright and opened his eyes, smiling brightly. He held out his hands in front of his face¡­ and then frowned.

    ¡°Oh. Right. I¡¯m not home.¡± He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t expect that¡­¡±

    ¡°Expect what?¡± Blue asked, tilting her head in bafflement.

    ¡°Food, of course! For as long as I can remember whenever I woke up there was food ready to be placed in my hands!¡± He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Of course the blimps aren¡¯t here, they wouldn¡¯t be able to do that¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, we certainly have food,¡± Blue said. ¡°There¡¯s leftover oatmeal from breakfast.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll do nicely!¡±

    He did not complain about the oatmeal as he ate it. He ate rather quickly, as though he was ravenous, even though he had been given so much food yesterday he likely should have still been stuffed. ¡°So, what are we doing today?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Vaughan held out the scroll they¡¯d made last night to him. ¡°We give you this scroll then you and Jeh go back to Descent?¡±

    ¡°Neat!¡± He grabbed the scroll and didn¡¯t so much as look at it before storing it away. ¡°I¡¯m very interested in seeing how you launch!¡±

    ¡°Slowly,¡± Jeh said. ¡°We already have your ship strapped to mine so we don¡¯t have the same problem we did coming in.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it might not be good for us to return to Descent like that¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll decouple above Descent, at which point you can go down and then I¡¯ll go down later.¡±

    Enrique thought about this. ¡°Sure, I think the blimps will be able to flash a signal up to you to let you know to come down.¡±

    ¡°Amazing, he¡¯s such an idiot except when he¡¯s talking about space travel¡­¡± Blue muttered. ¡°...Don¡¯t translate that.¡±

    Jeh rolled her eyes, but complied with Blue¡¯s wishes, and Enrique didn¡¯t even ask what Blue had said. Instead, he just stood there. Awkwardly.

    ¡°Uh¡­ would you like to go now?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Yes! But we can wait if you want.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Most official mission launches from Willow Hollow were planned well in advance and public, this one was decidedly not planned and spur of the moment, so when they made it to the launchpad there weren¡¯t that many people there. That said, a Skyseed was sitting there, with Enrique¡¯s cube ship strapped securely on top of it with lots of cords and clasps. This particular Skyseed¡¯s door was situated sideways so it wasn¡¯t blocked.

    ¡°...How am I going to get in?¡± Enrique asked.

    ¡°I levitate you in,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Oh. Neat!¡± Enrique turned to Jeh. ¡°You sure you can control this thing?¡±

    Jeh grinned. ¡°Enrique, buddy, I¡¯m so good I could drive a half-busted Moonshot through the Tempest. This is going to be much easier than what we were doing coming down since it¡¯s all one piece and I can use the drive¡¯s power to move you.¡±

    ¡°You have a ton of will.¡±

    ¡°Highest I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Vaughan said.

    Jeh put her hands on her hips as she translated that, a smug grin forming on her face. ¡°...Anyway let¡¯s just get in and go.¡± She walked up to the door and started unscrewing its seal.

    Margaret pointed up in the sky. ¡°There¡¯s something coming down.¡±

    ¡°...Scurfpea hasn¡¯t taken anything up has she?¡± Blue asked, squinting her eyes at the sky. Sure enough, there was something shiny with an Orange aura around it coming down.

    ¡°No, Ashen still has her resting.¡±

    ¡°A messenger then¡­¡±

    Jeh sighed. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll wait¡­¡± She explained to Enrique what was going on.

    ¡°A messenger? Wow, you have a lot of ships if you use them for messengers¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been doing this a while,¡± Jeh said. ¡°...Wait, didn¡¯t we tell you this yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    They all waited patiently for the craft to arrive. However, the moment it got low enough to resolve its shape, they immediately knew it wasn¡¯t a Skyseed, or even the kind of ship Enrique had been flying. It was a sharp, angled structure made mostly of glass, but the hard edges were metal, forming an overall octahedron shape. There were various knobs along the eight faces similar to those on the Moonshot, but they were made of glass. The ship was also significantly larger than most Skyseeds, though most of that was clearly for storage, as there was only one occupant: a humanoid rigid with a flat, rectangular face that flashed all sorts of colors.

    Also rather obvious was the proud logo of the Mikarol Empire painted right on one of the ship¡¯s faces. This made it more difficult for the occupant to see, but Mikarol was known for putting their logo on everything. If something was theirs, everyone was supposed to know it, especially if that something was impressive.

    The craft landed smoothly on the grass next to the launchpad. The occupant gave a wave, and the flat face shifted colors to display a simplified and cartoonish smug expression.

    Blue sighed. ¡°I can already tell th¡ª¡±

    One of the faces of the ship flew open, interrupting Blue¡¯s snide comment. The astronaut within jumped out with surprising speed for a being made mostly of metal, landing square in front of Vaughan. ¡°Greetings!¡± she said, with a voice that was grainy and choppy, as though each syllable was pronounced separately and then smashed into the other syllables at high speed. This ignored the accent, which was clearly Mikarolian, and since it was noticeable enough to be heard over the rest of her voice¡¯s oddities she certainly wasn¡¯t fluent in Karli.

    She proceeded to pop one of her arms out of its socket, hold it in her other hand, and extend it to Vaughan to shake. ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Wizard Vaughan! I am Xanava, here to declare the start of the space race!¡± Her face shifted to display a symbol of two hands shaking.

    Vaughan glanced at the disembodied arm, uncertain at first, but he did shake it. Somehow the lifeless limb was able to hold onto him and shake just fine. After this Xanava popped it back into its socket and a green check appeared on her face. ¡°The Emperor is really looking forward to where this goes! Now¡­¡± She caught Blue staring at her face in shock. ¡°Oooh! Someone has never seen a flauxi before!¡±

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± Blue stammered.

    ¡°Your rudeness is funny! Do not worry!¡±

    ¡°Er¡­¡±

    ¡°I think we have, actually¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°I¡¯ve just never seen one of your kind without a helmet.¡±

    ¡°Only soldiers? Really?¡± Xanava put her hands on her hips. ¡°You did not visit Mikarol even once?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ no.¡±

    ¡°Then take your ship! You can! Do it right now! Maybe.¡±

    ¡°We kind of have something else going on at the moment¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes! I noticed.¡± Xanava moved extremely quickly and suddenly her face was almost touching Enrique¡¯s. Her face switched to display one giant eye looking intently at him. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Enrique backed up, glancing to Jeh. ¡°What¡¯s she saying?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, forgot to translate,¡± Jeh coughed. ¡°Sorry, was¡­ distracted.¡± Jeh proceeded to relay the information.

    ¡°What a language¡­¡± Xanava deflated, turning her face to the sky and flashing various colors at it. ¡°I hate learning languages. This language is pain already. Suffering. Agony.¡±

    ¡°Your language isn¡¯t much better,¡± Vaughan commented.

    ¡°Yes and no! The Empire¡¯s language is trash. My language¡ª¡± and she immediately stopped speaking in words and let out a series of clicks and beeps with extreme speed that made everyone¡¯s ears hurt. ¡°Superior.¡±

    Jeh shook her head. ¡°Can you slow down a bit so I have time to translate?¡±

    ¡°Slow down? Me?¡± Xanava¡¯s face swapped to display a laughing face with tears coming out of it. She slapped her knee, disconnecting her lower leg. She proceeded to toss the limb over her head where she caught it and slapped it back on. ¡°Does that answer your question?¡±

    Jeh put her hands on her hips. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t explain Enrique to you or you to Enrique if you keep this up!¡±

    ¡°You underestimate my powers of observation!¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have anything to do with observation! If you keep talking I can¡¯t keep up! I still haven¡¯t translated the last few things you¡¯ve said and I¡¯ve already forgotten the first parts!¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a you problem.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ that doesn¡¯t¡­¡±

    Xanava patted Jeh on the head. ¡°Just playing with you all. Go ahead, I will be quiet. Well. I will not say words. My body is rather loud when it moves.¡± She then proceeded to start dancing by rotating her entire torso around like a whirlwind and spiking the ground with her feet. Though she did stop talking.

    While Jeh filled Enrique in, Blue held a hoof to her chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was possible for anyone to have that much energy¡­¡±

    ¡°Seskii,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°She knows how to keep it under control.¡±

    ¡°Do I really?¡± Seskii asked, suddenly behind Blue somehow.

    At this point Blue was used to this, so all she did was twitch as opposed to screaming in terror. ¡°Hey, Seskii, can you keep up with the rigid over there?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, wouldn¡¯t even be that hard. But you are the ones she wants to talk to, I¡¯m just a fruit juice seller and secretary and other things she doesn¡¯t care about.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Blue furrowed her brow. ¡°We should probably get Via¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s already coming.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Seskii¡¯s words were true, for at that moment Via and Keller came around the corner of a nearby building, a handful of scrolls in her hands. She was walking rather leisurely at first, but the moment she saw Xanava she quickly straightened up and put on her ¡°regal¡± expression. ¡°Ah. Can someone please tell me who this is?¡±

    ¡°Can you not see?¡± Xanava called. ¡°It is obvious!¡± She gestured at the logo of the Mikarol Empire. ¡°Tah-daaaaaaah!¡±

    ¡°...Ah. You have brought us¡­¡± Via tilted her head. ¡°What is this?¡±

    Xanava¡¯s screen switched to a black squiggle that randomly changed shape. ¡°What. What is it? It is a space ship, idiot! It even looks like one of your Skyseeds! Moron!¡±

    Everyone gasped. Keller tensed.

    Via grinned. ¡°I like this one.¡±

    Xanava lifted her finger as though to say something, but for once in her life she thought better of it, glancing around at the expressions of everyone. Her face shifted to an island in the middle of a calm ocean. The tree on the island made a shrugging gesture that matched Xanava¡¯s own body language. ¡°I sense I have made a mistake.¡±

    Via locked her arms behind her back. ¡°I am Princess Via Kroan.¡±

    ¡°Ah. There it is. The mistake. Just so you know, chopping my head off will not work as an execution mechanism. I have replacements.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no one in the royal family would execute you for being called an idiot. It just so happens that I am quite stupid and appreciate it when people are honest with me. Though I do have to say, you appear to have almost no tact whatsoever.¡±

    Xanava gasped, face attempting to show eyes bulging out of the sockets of a simplified skull, but as her face was flat the image didn¡¯t really work. ¡°I can not believe it! She plays ball!¡± She pointed at Via. ¡°She plays ball. Royals never play ball!¡±

    ¡°I dunno,¡± Jeh said. ¡°The Emperor seemed like he did.¡±

    ¡°The Emperor is my boss.¡±

    ¡°So¡­?¡±

    ¡°He might execute me for calling him an idiot.¡±

    ¡°...Is he?¡± Seskii asked.

    ¡°Not answering that,¡± Xanava said.

    ¡°I could just tell him you did¡­¡±

    Xanava threw her arm at Seskii. She caught it nonchalantly.

    Xanava tilted her head to the side. ¡°Huh.¡± She returned to her ship, pulled a spare arm out of it, and affixed it to her body. ¡°There.¡±

    Enrique scratched the back of his head. ¡°All astronauts are strange¡­¡±

    Jeh nodded in agreement. ¡°Looks like nobody gets to be normal.¡± Naturally, she translated after this, conveying what Enrique said to everyone else.

    Xanava started talking over her. ¡°Anyway, can we talk ab¡ªnevermind, you!¡± She pointed at Enrique. ¡°You have claimed that all astronauts are strange!¡±

    Jeh relayed the information but Xanava kept talking anyway.

    ¡°This is not true!¡± Xanava crossed her arms. ¡°The guy before me was a textbook boring chiseled soldier! He blew up!¡±

    ¡°And you were next in line?¡± Via asked.

    ¡°Oh, no, they just decided that they needed a flauxi and all the flauxi that are good at soldiering are needed in the army to do army things, we make very good soldiers, but some of us are not suited for that. I am not suited for that.¡±

    ¡°Because you can¡¯t follow orders?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Actually no, I lose consciousness at the sight of blood or bodily fluids.¡±

    ¡°...Can I drool on you to knock you out?¡±

    ¡°Interior bodily fluids. Good idea though. Disgusting. I wish I could try it out on you. But, alas, no fleshy mouth, only stabby receptacle.¡±

    ¡°Stabby receptacle¡­?¡±

    Xanava tapped a little hole just below the base of her neck. ¡°Stabby receptacle.¡±

    Keller coughed. ¡°As delightfully insane as this all is, we can¡¯t spend all day gawkin¡¯ over each other.¡±

    ¡°Oh, grinkalink, a business guy.¡± Xanava hung her head back and flashed colors at the sky again. ¡°Why must you people be everywhere?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re effective at gettin¡¯ things done. You ain¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You can not argue with logic like that.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. ¡®Cus it¡¯s good logic.¡±

    ¡°I did not say that.¡± Xanava snickered, a noise that for her sounded a bit like static being run through a salt shaker.

    ¡°We still need t¡¯ get stuff done. You haven¡¯t even asked about Enrique yet. He¡¯s an astronaut from the other side o¡¯ the planet. We need t¡¯ get him home.¡±

    ¡°Other side of the planet? That¡¯s where I am from!¡±

    ¡°Ever hear of Descent?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Nope!¡±

    ¡°Would you like to? We¡¯re about to head there.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Everyone slow down!¡± Via shouted, grabbing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°While I appreciate your eagerness, Xanava, you don¡¯t know everything, and we need to discuss the stance of your government on a few issues.¡±

    ¡°I am not a politician.¡±

    ¡°The issues in question are concerning a space station.¡±

    Xanava paused, her face showing a rainbow spinning wheel for a few seconds. Wordlessly, she ran back to her ship and pulled out a notebook and pen. She twirled the pen in her fingers and set it on the page. ¡°Okay, important stuff the Emperor will skin me for if I fail to get right, go.¡±

    ¡°Skin you¡­?¡± Vaughan tilted his head.

    ¡°For a flauxi that means removing everything except our core and reproductive system, the only parts that can not be replaced.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Torture artists can get very creative with us. Or, well, they would with me. You all just get your skin removed and re-healed with Green repeatedly.¡±

    Everyone stared at her blankly.

    ¡°Yes, horrifying, quite, now¡­ space station?¡±

    Via proceeded to fill her in. For once, she didn¡¯t interrupt or talk over her, probably because she actually considered these details important and was trying to write everything down. Via discussed the outline of the space station, Enrique¡¯s arrival, the upcoming trip to Descent¡­ everything that seemed relevant.

    ¡°...We were going to send a message to Mikarol,¡± Via said as she concluded. ¡°But it seems as though that may not be necessary.¡±

    ¡°You probably still should,¡± Xanava said. ¡°In case we get stuck in this Descent for whatever reason. I do not trust the sound of these blimps at all.¡±

    After Jeh translated this, Enrique let out a gasp. ¡°How¡­ how dare you disrespect the blimps so!¡±

    ¡°...I hate arguing with someone I have a language barrier with, Jeh, you argue with him I am not engaging.¡±

    ¡°But. Uh.¡± Jeh tilted her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue?¡±

    ¡°You do not trust the blimps either.¡±

    ¡°No, but I don¡¯t want to be rude¡­¡±

    ¡°Disappointing.¡±

    ¡°I suppose we could send Margaret over¡­¡± Vaughan turned to Margaret, who had started sketching in her sketchbook a few minutes ago. ¡°You up for it?¡±

    Margaret looked up. ¡°I think I can make a trip to Mikarol. You¡¯ll probably need to make a copy of that scroll for me, though¡­¡±

    Via sighed. ¡°Yes, we will need that. Do we have a scribe who can do that quickly?¡±

    Seskii grinned. ¡°Give me an hour.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ fast.¡±

    ¡°I could do it faster but that would be weird.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ what?¡±

    Seskii winked. ¡°You all have fun, I¡¯ll get all the letters copied. You want me to copy the letter to the Angler Hegemony too?¡±

    ¡°That would be excellent, thank you. It¡¯s¡­¡± she patted down her robes. ¡°I swear, I had it on me¡­¡±

    ¡°This it?¡± Seskii asked, holding the recently-rolled-up scroll.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Via chuckled.

    Xanava stared at Seskii, her face displaying a single eye. ¡°I feel as though you threaten me with your presence.¡±

    Seskii just chuckled at this. ¡°As I already said¡­ have fun!¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°So, if we¡¯re all going to be flying together, we need a plan,¡± Jeh said, rolling out a map of the world on the launchpad for Xanava and Enrique. She pointed at an X on the map. ¡°This is where Descent is.¡±

    Xanava folded her arms. ¡°That is closer to the Empire than it is to here.¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, but if we go west it¡¯ll take longer. Probably. Actually, we should probably measure¡­¡± Jeh started getting out her pen and notebook so she could calculate the difference between the two coordinates.

    ¡°Do not bother,¡± Xanava said. ¡°It is shorter to go east, you are correct.¡±

    ¡°...Did you take into account the curvature o¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°...Okay then.¡±

    Enrique scratched his head. ¡°You two can calculate that?¡±

    Jeh sighed. ¡°Yes. We can.¡±

    ¡°Every time he opens his mouth I wonder how he is an astronaut,¡± Xanava said, displaying an image of a stick figure being buried by mathematical symbols.

    Enrique shrugged once Jeh translated for him. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you can be astronauts and trained in other things. Almost everyone who does work for the blimps is trained only in that work. As long as I know what to look for I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°You need to learn to deal with the unexpected,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Like, say, what if you were shot down?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be dead,¡± he said, smile not faltering.

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you try to survive and make your way back? I did.¡±

    ¡°Really? Wow. That¡¯s amazing! I could never do that.¡±

    ¡°We have a word for you where I come from,¡± Xanava said. ¡°In Karli it translates as cannon fodder.¡±

    Jeh translated. ¡°Huh, it¡¯s three words in Desc¡­¡±

    ¡°Languages suck.¡±

    ¡°Suuure¡­ anyway.¡± Jeh returned to the map. ¡°We go east, over the WIld Kingdoms, Shinelands, and Eastern Ocean.¡±

    Xanava pointed at the Western Ocean. ¡°But this is the Eastern Ocean.¡±

    ¡°East of you.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, the Empire is the center of the world.¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡± at this point Jeh stopped translating and really got into the argument.

    ¡°You want to claim this palace is?¡±

    ¡°No, I want to claim Axiom is.¡±

    ¡°Your little kingdom does not even do any proper conquering!¡±

    ¡°Why would we need to!?¡±

    ¡°You have a lot of Wild Kingdoms that could do with some proper organization!¡±

    ¡°We have trade routes!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, we have¡­¡±

    Enrique tapped Jeh on the shoulder. ¡°Um. What are you two arguing about?¡±

    Jeh let out a dramatic sigh and relayed the information.

    Enrique nodded slowly. ¡°Neither of you sound like you know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    Xanava laughed. ¡°Okay, wise guy, do you want to claim Descent is the center of the world?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, we¡¯re just one city.¡±

    Xanava stared blankly at him. ¡°You know what, for a guy who praises the ¡®great blimps¡¯ so often that was not what I was expecting from you. You win.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what do I win?¡±

    Jeh shook her head. ¡°No, not win as in ¡®prize¡¯, win as in ¡®victory¡¯.¡±

    ¡°But you get a prize when you have a victory¡­?¡±

    Jeh slammed her hands on the launchpad. ¡°Can we talk about our plan!?¡±

    Xanava snickered. ¡°Go right ahead.¡± She displayed an image of a big hand pushing a stick figure over a cliff.

    Jeh chose to ignore this. ¡°Right. So. We go east. Cross the ocean. Then we need to cross¡­ all this unknown stuff. There¡¯s the giant Red Crystalline One here, and what we think is the demon nation here, but neither of them have ever shot anything down or even reacted to us. Then we get to Descent, which will be easy to find because of the absolutely huge mountain range. While flying I need to keep Enrique strapped to me since his ship can¡¯t get to orbit on its own.¡±

    ¡°Loser,¡± Xanava said.

    Jeh didn¡¯t stop to translate for her, continuing with her explanation, which was interspersed with comments to Enrique. ¡°Xanava, you just need to keep in sight range. We are going to stop above Descent. Once at a suitable altitude, I detach Enrique and he goes down to Descent and tells them about us. We¡¯ll drop down an hour later, or when we see a light signal from below.¡±

    ¡°And then you will do all the talking and I will mock everything relentlessly that you will not translate.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t make it harder on me.¡±

    ¡°What part makes you think I will listen to you?¡±

    Jeh sighed. ¡°Saying everything twice is really exhausting with you around.¡±

    Xanava¡¯s face displayed a thumbs up.

    ¡°Yaaaay¡­¡± Jeh looked up, finding Margaret sitting in the grass nearby, sketching on her notepad. ¡°Hey, Margaret, you¡¯re technically part of this too.¡±

    ¡°I know how to fly to Mikarol,¡± Margaret said. ¡°You guys are the ones with the crazy trip.¡±

    At this point Seskii jumped out from behind the Skyseed. ¡°I¡¯ve got copies of the scrolls!¡± She gave one set to Xanava, Enrique, Jeh, and Margaret, and then proceeded to run all the way to where Via was sitting and trying not to engage with the crowd that was forming.

    ¡°Thank you, Seskii,¡± Via said, taking the scrolls gently and opening them up. ¡°All is in order. Although, I must ask¡­ what happened to the original?¡±

    ¡°Dog ate it.¡±

    ¡°...What¡­ How?¡±

    ¡°It was funny.¡± She winked and ran to the astronauts. ¡°This means you¡¯re clear to go!¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Jeh shot bolt upright. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get a move on! Everyone in! Blue!¡±

    Blue looked up from the conversation she was having with Vaughan. ¡°Hmm? Oh, right, levitation. Iiiiin you go!¡± She picked up Enrique and placed him in his ship. With his muscle memory he strapped himself in with an absurdly large number of belts and buckles. There may have been a lot of things he didn¡¯t know, but he did know how to strap himself securely in his own ship.

    ¡°By the way,¡± Xanava said as she climbed into her ship. ¡°This ship of mine is called the Skyripper.¡±

    ¡°Cool!¡± Jeh said. ¡°Enrique¡¯s is just Ship Four.¡±

    ¡°Lame!¡±

    ¡°Anyway, just something you should know Xanava.¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°You wait until we finish counting down to launch.¡± Jeh finished sealing herself in. ¡°Alright, hit it!¡±

    ¡°TEN!¡± The crowd called.

    Xanava launched immediately and at a high acceleration.

    ¡°XANAVA!¡± Jeh shouted, kicking her drive on and lurching into the air. Her competitive spirit overrode her reason¡ªthat being that she should go slow since her ship had another ship literally strapped to it. She did not go slow, she launched into the sky and started wobbling. By sheer force of will and determination, she used her Orange to stabilize and catch up to Xanava.

    And then Xanava started going faster.

    ¡°Oh, you think you¡¯re so good do you? Trying to race a ship that¡¯s hindered!? Well, I¡¯ll show you something else, Xanava, I¡¯m Jeh, the best pilot in the world and I a¡ª¡±

    ¡°C-c-can we slow down?¡± Enrique stammered.

    Jeh ground her teeth and grimaced. ¡°...Fine.¡± She slowed her ascent down and made the ride much smoother. ¡°I¡¯m blaming you if she tries to gloat.¡±

    ¡°O-okay.¡±

    Back on the ground, Vaughan lowered the telescope. ¡°Jeh¡¯s slowed down.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Blue said as she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°This is not the mission for being goaded into a competition¡­¡±

    ¡°That Xanava sure knows how to push people¡¯s buttons¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen agents like her,¡± Keller commented. ¡°When ya get up high enough, you start lookin¡¯ for fun in the strangest places.¡±

    ¡°Should I mention the reckless launch to Mikarol?¡± Margaret asked.

    ¡°No, no need to poke them, they probably know exactly who their astronaut is anyway.¡± Via paused. ¡°Now we wait.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°I am taking a risk,¡± Via said, taking in a sharp breath.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve still got the rest of your vacation to look forward to.¡±

    ¡°I suppose¡­¡± She glanced at the crowd still gathered around, though now that they were done watching the surprising launch, they were of course staring at Via. She cleared her throat. ¡°There is no more for any of you here, disperse, go about your days as normal!¡±

    It took them a little while to realize that she had technically just given them a command, but the moment they figured it out they all scrambled back to wherever they¡¯d come from.

    ¡°Now, um¡­ any ideas how I can have a vacation now that everyone knows who I am?¡±

    ¡°...Camping?¡± Vaughan suggested.

    Blue groaned. Via, meanwhile, clapped her hands together. ¡°Oh, that sounds delightful!¡±

    ~~~

    Queen Riikaz trudged through the deepest wilds in all the Wild Kingdoms. Here, there were no actual Kingdoms and hardly any tribes.

    She had been traveling for weeks, long enough that the blood that had coated her from the ritual was all gone. This was actually rather convenient as it meant she could wash herself again, and she had this morning, but it was a reminder that she had been at this for a long time.

    And still, she had not found the Tower of Knowledge. She knew she was closer than when she¡¯d started¡ªthe legend of the Tower was known by more and more tribes the further she walked, and many individuals had personal experience losing a day and suddenly knowing something that helped them get their life on track. This told her that the Tower or something very much like it existed, and that it was still active.

    But she had not found it. No one she talked to had ever found it by looking for it, though there were stories of passing travelers who had managed that. But were those travelers just stories? Or were those travelers simply liars, spinning tall tales to puff themselves up in the eyes of others?

    Riikaz did not know, and the nature of the Tower of Knowledge made it hard to judge fact from fiction. All she could do was continue exploring the wilds, looking for signs of foot traffic, unusual animal patterns, out-of-place plant growths¡­

    Of which she was finding none.

    It is said only the pure of heart is let in, Riikaz thought. I knew I might not qualify¡­ but this is the best I¡¯ve got! For a society so deeply concerned with secrecy, the only way to be sure we know is to find knowledge they can¡¯t get their hands on!

    She put her hands on her hips and looked around. She was in a very ordinary-looking clearing, there weren¡¯t even any rigid trees or giant mushrooms nearby. Just green trees that hadn¡¯t seen spirited activity since the day they took root until her arrival.

    She checked her mental map. She was near the center of the area she¡¯d identified as ¡°the Tower¡¯s location.¡± Curiously, it was further south than Benefactor had been, but Benefactor admitted she had barely begun her search before she had to be stopped.

    It had to be somewhere close by.

    If you¡¯re even allowed to remember seeing it, she thought to herself. It won¡¯t be found if it doesn¡¯t want to be¡­

    She sat down on a nearby rock, letting herself rest for a moment. She found herself looking down at the dirt. Absent-mindedly, she started drawing random shapes in the ground with her spear. Little crawling bugs emerged from the ground as she disturbed their rest, skittering over little pebbles and tangles of purple-green moss. Her eyes followed the moss upward until she found herself looking at the sky, where a flock of colorful birds were flying, sun glinting off each of their silvery feathers.

    What a beautiful world You¡¯ve given us. She chuckled, to herself, leaning back and just looking up at the leaves, the sky¡­ and in her mind, the space beyond. Even more than we know. She found herself frowning. Am I not supposed to be out here? It¡¯s looking more and more like the Tower doesn¡¯t consider me pure of heart. And I know I¡¯m not, but if the Tower was as rigid about this as You are, it wouldn¡¯t let anyone in! Or it would let everyone in. You¡¯re really weird about that, You know?

    Still¡­ even if it won¡¯t let me in, You could. I¡¯d¡­ like that. Riikaz frowned. But¡­ that¡¯s not how You do things, You do things Your way, not our way. Riikaz sagged, looking at the ground once again. I know, I want to avenge him. But¡­ we have to do something about these people. They want us gone. My motives should only matter for my spirit, not for the fate of everyone else. I¡­ she clenched her jaw. Don¡¯t let my weakness and rage bring their downfall.

    A breeze blew through the clearing. A cricket chirped somewhere nearby. An unusual purple fruit fell from a tree, and soon bugs were crawling all over it.

    In the midst of it all, Riikaz sat.

    ¡°...It¡¯s time to go back,¡± Riikaz said, standing up. ¡°...I¡¯ll find another way.¡±

    She turned around, back the way she came¡­

    ¡­and stood on a marble path that led right to a massive set of marble double doors. She was so close to the door she almost ran face-first into it.

    ¡°Wh-what!?¡±

    ¡°I wish to make it clear that you have not passed my test,¡± a voice came from behind her.

    Riikaz whirled around, coming face to face with a humanoid rigid in long, flowing purple robes. He had a flat face of a species Riikaz had seen before in Mikarol but couldn¡¯t remember the name of. However, his face was not lit up or displaying anything, for it was dark; instead, a pair of oversized tinted triangular glasses were essentially glued to his face. He was slightly taller than Riikaz was, not something a humanoid race was generally able to accomplish.

    ¡°Your¡­ test?¡±

    ¡°The test of the pure heart, no doubt you are aware of it. You do not qualify. But the situation is unique.¡±

    ¡°Wait, so you didn¡¯t grant me entrance because I decided to turn back?¡±

    ¡°No. Honestly, I was surprised you did that. But I¡¯ll figure out why when I review the books tonight.¡±

    ¡°The books¡­¡± Riikaz turned away from the rigid and looked back at the building she was standing in front of. The Tower.

    It was the largest structure she had ever seen. It was so tall she couldn¡¯t see the top. Its cylindrical base was easily larger than most mansions, and the double doors so large most dragons could fit in them. It was constructed entirely of marble¡­ or what looked like marble at first glance. Riikaz was fairly certain the material had a faint pinkish aura around it that only existed when she was looking at it out of the corner of her eye.

    She quickly turned back to the rigid and dropped to a knee. ¡°I am honored, Custodian.¡±

    ¡°You guess my identity correctly. Come. You have much to learn, and then much to forget.¡± He held out his metallic hand and touched the marble doors.

    They moved at his touch as though they were weightless. The silence of their motion sent a chill up Riikaz¡¯ spine.

    But she did not falter. She followed the Custodian into the Tower of Knowledge.

    There was no noise as the doors closed behind them.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT?

    There¡¯s not really any science this chapter, as it¡¯s largely politics and astronauts. However, I will spare a moment to mention that in real life astronauts don¡¯t tend to be as crazy. Usually, our astronauts are chosen from individuals who are the best of the best, usually in the military (though this is less of a requirement as time goes on). There¡¯s a pretty big reason for this: in space, your life can depend on keeping your cool and following procedures exactly. You have to be able to follow orders precisely and think on your feet. To put it simply, Jeh, Enrique, Xanava, and Scurfpea are not the kinds of people our governments would like as astronauts. Margaret is the closest to a professional, but her emotional tendencies would likely also remove her from consideration.

    Of course, differences are to be expected. The Wizard Space Program was started in Vaughan¡¯s backyard, and Jeh was who they had available. Mikarol tried the military route first as Xanava mentioned, it just didn¡¯t end up so well for that guy, so they shifted gears to try something new. And Enrique¡­ well, we¡¯ll find out more about that in our trip to Descent.

 045 - Ascending and Descending

    WSP 045

    Ascending and Descending

    It turned out that ¡°flying together¡± in spaceships was nearly impossible without being literally strapped together. Even after Xanava had stopped trying to race Jeh around the planet, the two of them just weren¡¯t able to stay close together. They would spend several minutes trying to get close and match speed, and then they would attempt to push toward Descent, except they would push different amounts and end up drifting away from each other, only to start the entire process over again. A constant dance of finagling and pushing off.

    They had wordlessly seemed to agree that matching speed should be done as little as possible, so they would only do it when they were no more than specks in each other¡¯s view.

    Jeh squinted at Xanava¡¯s Skyripper. She could still see its diamond shape, so it wasn¡¯t time to meet up yet. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t mean Jeh could do anything, she had already gotten herself on a very nice orbital arc that she didn¡¯t want to interrupt. But she knew she would have to; as close to Descent as they were at this point, it was still several minutes off.

    All of her thoughts were interrupted when Enrique started screaming in panic, the sound reverberating through the connected walls of their ships.

    ¡°What is it!?¡± Jeh shouted, putting all navigation thoughts on hold. Unfortunately, the lid of her Skyseed wasn¡¯t transparent, and she couldn¡¯t see the interior of Enrique¡¯s ship.

    ¡°Hole! Air rushing out!¡±

    Jeh facepalmed. ¡°Just use Green to seal the hole!¡±

    ¡°Why would I be carrying Green!?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you!?¡± Jeh pulled out her Green crystal and promptly realized she couldn¡¯t see the hole. ¡°Um. Enrique, I can fix it, but you have to tell me where it is.¡±

    ¡°My left!¡±

    ¡°Friggin¡­ I don¡¯t know which way you¡¯re facing. Um¡­ use your Purple, make a light on that side!¡±

    Enrique did, and Jeh identified his left as behind her. She took in a sharp breath and closed her eyes, visualizing the shape of the cube ship. She covered the entire left side in a Green aura. ¡°...Did that do it?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so, why do you have Purple and not Green?¡±

    ¡°I only have Orange and Purple! Movement and signaling, that¡¯s all I should need! What would even break anything up here!?¡±

    ¡°Tiny rocks.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Tiny rocks. There¡¯s some tiny rocks flying through space at extremely high speeds. They punch holes in things, you need to use Green to counter the effects. Or a layered shield, like we have on the Moonshot.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s terrifying!¡±

    ¡°Space wants to kill you, buddy. Get used to it.¡± She returned to looking at the Skyripper, finding it to be a tiny dot. Which meant it was time to re-match speed¡­

    Fortunately, this was the last time they had to do it. The two ships met up, keeping a sizable distance of a few meters between them to avoid disaster, and entered the area directly above Descent. Or, at least, the mountain range that Descent was on.

    ¡°I¡¯m cutting you loose Enrique, you ready?¡±

    ¡°Ready!¡±

    Jeh snipped the ropes tying them together with her Orange, and then pushed Enrique¡¯s cube away. It was only then that she noticed something odd about physics that had been present the entire time she had been in space, but it hadn¡¯t clicked how unusual it was until just now.

    If she had physically pushed on Enrique¡¯s ship with her hand somehow, her ship would have felt a force pushing it back. However, when using Orange, even though Jeh was the one pushing, Enrique¡¯s ship was the only one that moved¡ªJeh¡¯s Skyseed remained where it was.

    She decided to jot that down in her notebook. It felt important.

    Enrique said something, but now that he was disconnected Jeh had no idea what it was. He gave her a thumbs up and started dropping to Descent.

    Jeh glanced at Xanava. She wrote in the air with Purple. Now we wait.

    Or we could just go down, Xanava wrote back.

    Xanava, don¡¯t you dare.

    Or what, you will stop me?

    Yes. I will. Try me.

    Xanava did, attempting to descend. Jeh grabbed her in an Orange aura that didn¡¯t stop her, but rather diverted her course into a wide circle that eventually rose above Jeh¡¯s position.

    Xanava stopped. How much will do you have?!

    All of it, apparently.

    Xanava didn¡¯t reply. They sat in silence for some time.

    Jeh started scribbling in her notebook. She was no mathematician or engineer, but having been on the Wizard Space Program this long had given her an innate curiosity for how things worked, and at the moment the difference between pushing something with her hands and with Orange was bugging her. She drew some diagrams, furrowing her brow.

    What is actually doing the pushing when I use Orange? She tilted her head to the side. She remembered Gronge¡¯s theories, about how magic was all around them in tiny dust particles. She drew dust particles around her diagram. If the dust particles were doing the pushing, then they would be pushed back, right?

    She furrowed her brow. She¡¯d bring this up with Blue, maybe there was a way to test it? She certainly wasn¡¯t thinking of one.

    Not that she didn¡¯t keep trying for the next little while.

    Anything interesting happen with you two? Xanava asked.

    He panicked when a rock crashed through his window. Apparently, the blimps didn¡¯t think he would need Green to fix it.

    Idiots.

    We didn¡¯t know there would be rocks up here at first either.

    Still idiots, that was an easy thing to prepare for.

    Jeh shrugged and returned to her notebook. She became engrossed in her diagrams that quickly became doodles of shapes with silly faces arguing with one another about forces¡­

    Suddenly her ship was being shaken up and down like a salt shaker.

    Ikyu to Jeh! The signal!

    Jeh quickly looked down at Ikyu and noted Xanava was telling the truth, there was in fact a light being shone right at them.

    Jeh gave Xanava a sheepish look and began her descent¡­ to Descent.

    You know, they named it Descent because it was the blimps who descended from the sky to the land¡­ now here we are coming in from even higher up. Fun!

    ~~~

    The interior of the Tower of Knowledge was just as white as the exterior, composed of the strange not-quite-marble. There were no light sources within the tower, yet everything was comfortably visible as though it were a midsummer¡¯s day. Which it wasn¡¯t, the current season was early autumn, and it had been late afternoon outside.

    Some part of Riikaz had expected the interior of the tower to be larger than should have been possible, but no, it fit within what she had seen on the outside. The only ¡°impossibility¡± was that there didn¡¯t appear to be a top to the tower; the floors all had a circular hole in their center with an ornate railing that allowed Riikaz to peer right through them until the details became so small she could no longer differentiate a floor from another one. The idea of a ceiling seemed laughable.

    The ground floor was furnished like a reading room with gray couches, a few coffee tables, and the occasional book scattered here or there. Tapestries with symbols Riikaz had never seen before lined the walls, including a handful that showed round objects amongst a backdrop of stars.

    Even the knowledge of the stars is in here.

    In the very center of the room was a solid gold statue of a skeleton in a very ornate dress of a style Riikaz didn¡¯t recognize. Despite being a static statue of a skeleton with no eyes, she felt as though she was being watched intently. Strangely, this did not unsettle her. In the skeleton¡¯s hands was a black cube, glinting impossibly precisely as Keller had described the other black cube to her.

    ¡°Who is¡­?¡±

    ¡°Someone long gone,¡± the Custodian said, indicating that was all Riikaz was going to get on the matter.

    ¡°Ah. The cube?¡±

    ¡°It is what allows me to alter your memory upon leaving.¡± He turned to the staircase. ¡°Come. This first floor has nothing for you, it is simply my personal reading and living area.¡±

    Riikaz noted there was no bed. Did rigids of his race need sleep? Riikaz didn¡¯t remember and decided it would be too rude to ask. Just like how she wasn¡¯t asking why he never lit his face up to display anything.

    The stairs wound around the edge of the circular room. As they ascended the smooth steps, it became clear that the entire Tower had only one staircase that went all the way up in a helix pattern, into the endless floors upon floors. After the first floor, every other one was laid out identically: a donut-shaped floor space with a staircase cutting through the middle, and bookshelves built into all of the walls. Every single wall was carved to hold books and as far as Riikaz could tell every bookshelf was full. There were labels on the shelves themselves, just beneath the books, but they were in a language Riikaz couldn¡¯t read, so she had to keep her eyes out for symbols, of which there were plenty.

    She noted that quite a few shelves down here were marked with a four-pointed star symbol, each point a different color. The top was pink, the bottom was green, and left and right were purple and orange.

    ¡°That symbol¡­¡±

    ¡°Is the beginning,¡± the Custodian said as they climbed the stairs. ¡°You are not here for that.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She turned her gaze upward. ¡°What I want is a long way up, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Surprisingly, no,¡± the Custodian shook his head. ¡°The more fundamental and deep the knowledge is, the closer to the bottom you will find it. The top is reserved for useless minutiae, the bottom for origins. Your goals are far closer to the bottom than the top.¡±

    ¡°Guess I¡¯m on the right track then, huh?¡± Riikaz grinned.

    ¡°Most who make it in these walls search information far closer to the bottom than the top.¡±

    ¡°Is there¡­ really a top?¡±

    ¡°Theoretically.¡±

    They passed by a floor with a section of the bookshelf walled off by slabs of marble. Riikaz stared at it.

    ¡°You know the story,¡± the Custodian said. ¡°That¡¯s where the unknown book resides.¡±

    ¡°Right. You have an apprentice yet?¡±

    ¡°I do not, and I never will. I already know far too well what it¡¯s like to know too much, I have no desire to return to that state. There is no need to pass on the duties of Custodian to another.¡±

    Riikaz tilted her head. ¡°Really? Not even a little?¡±

    ¡°I have been the Custodian since before the Second Cataclysm.¡±

    I¡¯m pretty sure your race doesn¡¯t live that long¡­ then again, maybe by taking this office, you are granted immortality. Riikaz was suddenly struck by the bizarreness of her current situation. She was inside a legend from before recorded history, talking to a being who knew far more than anyone she¡¯d ever met, climbing more stairs than she¡¯d ever seen. She felt like she was in a fairy tale for a moment. That all her life had been normal, simple, compared to what she was now witnessing.

    A small fear slowly began to rise within her. Mistakes could be costly here. Very costly.

    ¡°Your benefactor awaits you at your destination,¡± the Custodian said after a while.

    ¡°My benefactor?¡±

    ¡°You did not pass my test, you¡¯ll recall.¡±

    ¡°Right. Who then¡­?¡± She paused, a pit forming in her stomach. ¡°...Dia?¡±

    For the first time, the Custodian let out a laugh, but it was a bitter, grainy one. ¡°No. Perhaps one day you will know why I find that funny, but that day is not today.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just going to wipe my memory anyway, why not tell me?¡±

    ¡°She would object, actually.¡± The Custodian stopped walking for a moment. ¡°I am curious. It is theoretically possible for you to guess who it is, you have enough knowledge. You never will, but I wonder who you think could intervene for you.¡±

    Riikaz frowned. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know, who would have authority over you?¡±

    ¡°You think in terms of power or ownership. While not entirely inaccurate, that is a hasty assumption that does not fully describe the situation, and makes any potential guesses you could have completely incorrect.¡± He continued walking up the stairs. ¡°Prepare yourself to be shocked.¡±

    Riikaz¡¯s mind whirled. It had to be someone she knew or heard about. ¡­Eyda? That didn¡¯t make any sense, unless the demons and mysterious organization particularly hated each other¡­ and from what she knew, Eyda didn¡¯t care at all about Ikyu. One of the other false goddesses? No, no, she was thinking too high, someone lower. A legendary Crystalline One? But that didn¡¯t seem right, this place was too much for a mere Crystalline One to have authority over.

    ¡­What even was this place?

    ¡°Custodian?¡± Riikaz asked. ¡°What¡­ is the Tower?¡±

    ¡°You will not be able to leave with that information.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to use it to help my guess here.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­ fair enough. The Tower of Knowledge was built at the recreation of the world to attempt to record all that happens within it.¡±

    ¡°Recreation¡­?¡±

    ¡°The Time Before is irrelevant both to this Tower and the conversation.¡±

    ¡°Everything in the world¡­¡±

    ¡°The Tower is imperfect, it does not record everything, even if there were not intrusions from beyond interfering even further. It is not unassailable or perfect, do not place it higher than you ought. It also will not contain anything except the barest information of what lies beyond the moon.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Riikaz snapped her fingers. ¡°Aha! The Guardian Spirit! She checks all the boxes, she¡¯s not some kind of immensely higher being, but she¡¯s beyond all of us and seems to know about things ¡®beyond¡¯ while not being a literal demon!¡±

    ¡°An actually very good guess. Shame that it¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Here is your benefactor.¡± The Custodian stepped aside as Riikaz ascended the steps to the next floor.

    There was a woman sitting in a chair¡ªwhich in and of itself was odd because Riikaz had not seen any seats since she¡¯d left the first floor. She had her feet up on a tiny table. A pair of reading glasses were on her face, nested perfectly within her pink, plast hair. In one hand she had a book entitled How To Pose Dramatically, and in her other hand she juggled a potion that sparkled with neon pink lights.

    Riikaz¡¯s jaw dropped.

    ¡°Your look does not disappoint!¡± Seskii cheered, jumping up to her feet and throwing the book behind her where it somehow vanished. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this so long, you have no idea.¡±

    Riikaz simply stared at her.

    Seskii giggled. ¡°Come, have a seat, I¡¯m sure you have questions. Questions I probably won¡¯t answer and you won¡¯t remember asking, but you know, it¡¯ll be fun anyway right?¡± She reached behind her back and pulled out a folding chair, setting it up. She gestured at it expectantly.

    Riikaz slowly sat down.

    She had no idea what was going to happen next.

    ~~~

    Jeh and Xanava had no difficulty finding Descent. The flashing light signaling to them made it easy, certainly, but even without that they would have had no issue. Descent was on top of the tallest mountain in the range, and the city extended far enough above the summit to cast easily visible shadows on the rest of the range, particularly at the present early-morning time of day.

    The astronauts approached Descent as no one ever did¡ªfrom above. They were graced with a sight that essentially no one but the blimps themselves ever saw: the top of Upper Descent. From a distance, it looked like a white lotus, but in reality, it was a structure. The material was rigid, but extremely light. Even so, to keep it this high in the air it needed to be constructed like a spiderweb, where none of the ¡°walls¡± were actually solid. Numerous green, ovoid shapes were affixed to the bottom of the lotus structure, no doubt to keep it aloft.

    To Jeh¡¯s disappointment, they were not being instructed to land anywhere near the lotus. Instead, the flashing light was coming from a few layers below that, down into a complicated mess of green, mossy spheres connected with loose tethers.

    Once she got close she forgot her disappointment. Each of the mossy spheres was an entire world with structures, alien plants, and thousands of flying creatures moving to and from individual areas. This was a city of the sky, where down was a suggestion and any surface could be a home.

    She felt like she belonged here.

    Their beacon was coming from a floating mossy ball that was almost detached from the others, connected by only three tethers to the rest of Descent Proper. Jeh supposed this made sense, it wouldn¡¯t do to launch and land spaceships from a section of the city with things on top of it.

    At this point, an Orange aura started to form around their spaceships. Jeh stopped applying her will to the drive and allowed herself to be guided in. Xanava, notably, kept trying to control her own ship and pushed to get to the ¡°ground¡± faster. This prompted whoever was controlling the landing device to shake Xanava¡¯s ship in annoyance to get her to stop.

    Jeh chuckled. You¡¯re making such a great impression.

    The launchpad was significantly larger than the one in Willow Hollow. It would easily be able to hold several dozen Skyseeds. Six large pillars arched to points at the edges of the launchpad, currently glowing with Orange energy. No doubt these pillars were the actual landing device itself¡ªand launching device, now that Jeh thought of it.

    The Skyseed and Skyripper were gently placed on the launchpad next to Enrique¡¯s cubic ship. He was already outside of his ship, grinning and waving at them. To his side was a shorter human woman with crossed arms and an annoyed expression.

    Jeh started unscrewing the Skyseed¡¯s lid, finding that it had a lot less resistance than usual. She was nonetheless able to force it open, and immediately the air inside her ship started rushing out. Jeh gasped. She definitely wasn¡¯t getting enough air.

    ¡°Air¡¯s thin up here!¡± Enrique tossed her some kind of slightly prickly, green fruit that Jeh assumed must have been an air cactus. ¡°You¡¯ll need this!¡±

    Jeh bit into the air cactus and it thrust a rush of wind into her face, giving her decidedly more air than she needed, so much that her head started reeling. She managed to keep her faculties, however, and climbed out of the Skyseed. Enrique handed her an entire satchel full of the air cacti. ¡°You¡¯ll be needing a lot of these.¡±

    ¡°Why¡­ don¡¯t you?¡±

    The woman huffed. ¡°We are important enough to get breathing devices fitted to us.¡± She gestured at a small collar around her neck that was faintly glowing Green and Orange. Whatever it was doing, it was making the woman¡¯s hair flap in a breeze that only she could feel.

    At this point, Xanava unsealed her door. The air inside the Skyripper suddenly had somewhere to go, and the greater volume of the Skyripper gave the air enough force to throw Xanava out. She landed unceremoniously on the ground. ¡°Ow.¡±

    Enrique threw her an air cactus.

    ¡°Do I look like I need this?¡± Xanava asked in Karli, prompting Jeh to translate.

    Enrique tilted his head. ¡°You don¡¯t need air?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°Can you survive in space¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, I would eventually overheat without anything to serve as a temperature regulator.¡±

    The woman glared at Enrique. ¡°You mean we didn¡¯t need all these air cacti?¡±

    ¡°More for me!¡± Jeh called to her, taking another bite and getting a rush of air. One moment I¡¯m so desperate for air I feel like I¡¯ll pass out, the next I have so much I¡¯m reeling. What a place to be in¡­

    The woman scowled. ¡°Well. Hello, visitors. I¡¯m Claire. Welcome to the Descent Star Seekers launchpad.¡±

    Jeh nodded at her and introduced herself and Xanava with a smile.

    Claire shook her head. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe these people are being honored¡­¡±

    ¡°Honored?¡± Jeh asked.

    Enrique nodded his head excitedly. ¡°Yeah! You two are going to get to meet with the blimps directly! That almost never happens for surface dwellers!¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, I¡¯ve lived my entire life up here, I only set foot on the ground to train for the space missions.¡±

    Jeh turned to Xanava. Xanava shrugged and displayed a swirling symbol on her face.

    ¡°Anyway, when¡¯s this meeting?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°As soon as we prepare you,¡± Claire said.

    ¡°This is why she¡¯s being grumpy,¡± Enrique added. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to brief you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a chore!¡±

    ¡°But the blimps have asked us to do it!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not what we were trained for! We could get one of the talkers up here!¡±

    ¡°But the blimps have told us!¡±

    Claire sagged. ¡°You¡¯re right, they do always know better than we do¡­¡± She stood upright and made an attempt to give Jeh a welcoming smile. She failed. ¡°There¡¯s a few things you need to know before your audience. First, always make sure you are physically below a blimp at all times, it is extremely rude to be above them.¡±

    ¡°...We were above all of them just a few seconds ago,¡± Xanava pointed out after Jeh translated.

    Claire visibly twitched. ¡°Yes. I know. They know. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing about that but I¡¯m pretty sure they don¡¯t like it.¡±

    Jeh frowned. ¡°They¡¯re not going to like us then, are they?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Claire threw her hands into the air. ¡°I can¡¯t figure out what they¡¯re going to do on a normal day, this is not a normal day.¡±

    Jeh tried to stand up as straight as she could and look proper. She didn¡¯t know if it helped. ¡°Okay, what else do we need to know?¡±

    ¡°The blimps may touch you. Do not freak out. Their tendrils can be slimy, still do not freak out.¡±

    ¡°And if we do¡­?¡±

    ¡°Last guy I saw literally got slapped off the city and fell to his death.¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯ll survive that¡­¡±

    Xanava scratched the bottom of her face, where her chin would have been if she had one. ¡°I wonder if I could replace all the parts damaged from that fall¡­¡±

    Claire stared at them. ¡°Insane. Both of you are insane.¡±

    ¡°Takes one to know one!¡± Jeh said, giving her a finger guns gesture.

    ¡°...What does that gesture mean?¡±

    ¡°It means¡­¡± Jeh¡¯s smile suddenly dropped and her eyes went wide. ¡°It means¡­ uh¡­ I¡­ what does it mean? I¡¯m arranging my fingers like a weapon but I¡¯m not being threatening¡­ what even?¡±

    Claire rolled her eyes. ¡°Whatever. Anyway, third, don¡¯t lie. That¡¯ll definitely get you killed.¡±

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    ¡°And fourth, this is the most important one, but it¡¯s for some reason the hardest one for you surface dwellers to understand and follow. You are a lower being than the blimps. Do not act like you are equal to them. You are below them and they are above you. There is no need for formal declarations or special rituals or anything like that, in fact they generally find such things tedious, but you need to affirm your lesser stature. We are here to serve them, not the other way around, anything they give us is just a bonus. Understood?¡±

    ¡°U¡­ understood.¡± Jeh said, taking a moment to absorb what she had just been told.

    Enrique rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re far too worried, Claire, they¡¯re not the sort to do something that atrocious and crazy.¡±

    ¡°I have seen it many times, Enrique. Many times. It¡¯s like it¡¯s never occurred to many surface dwellers that there can be things above them. It¡¯s boggling.¡±

    Xanava turned to Jeh. ¡°And so, before we even meet them, we know the kinds of horrid arrogant monstrosities the blimps are. Of course, those of us with brains expected this already.¡±

    Jeh didn¡¯t translate that. She simply gulped hard.

    And then bit into another air cactus.

    ~~~

    Seskii pulled out a cup of steaming tea from behind her back and set it in front of Riikaz.

    Riikaz took the cup in her hands, eying it suspiciously.

    ¡°Don¡¯t trust me?¡± Seskii asked.

    ¡°I doubt it is poisoned,¡± Riikaz said. ¡°But something in me thinks it may not be tea¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm, yeah, I might try to pull something like that.¡± Seskii chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s tea, the only thing odd about it is the species of tea used to make it doesn¡¯t exist anymore.¡± Somehow, there was another cup in her hand and she was drinking it. ¡°Simply delightful!¡±

    Riikaz took a drink herself. She had to admit, it was high quality, but she preferred the tea at the palace. Or, to be honest, a tankard of ale or beer, tea wasn¡¯t exactly her sort of drink.

    ¡°Ah, but alcohol wouldn¡¯t exactly serve your quest at the moment, would it?¡±

    ¡°So you can read my mind?¡±

    ¡°Only sometimes,¡± Seskii said. ¡°And I can¡¯t exactly control when.¡±

    Riikaz stared at her blankly.

    ¡°For instance, right now, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. But I can guess. Something about¡­ how many of your secrets I know. It¡¯s a lot, by the way, but fewer than this Tower we¡¯re in.¡±

    ¡°Actually I was thinking of a giant pink buffalo.¡± Riikaz broke out into a grin.

    Seskii chuckled. ¡°It appears I have been bamboozled!¡±

    The Custodian put his hand to his face and sighed.

    Seskii put her hands on her hips. ¡°And you need to stop being such a downer. It¡¯s been millennia, you¡¯re just wallowing by your own choice and you know it.¡±

    ¡°It is my choice to make.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ yes it is.¡± A hint of a frown crossed Seskii¡¯s face for a moment, but she shook it away. ¡°And we don¡¯t need to have that conversation again, we have plenty of time to do that later.¡±

    ¡°Or we could not.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯ll just let you keep doing this to yourself?¡±

    ¡°...No. Unfortunately.¡±

    ¡°Glad we¡¯ve come to an understanding.¡± Seskii turned back to Riikaz. ¡°I hope you can understand, we have a bit of a history.¡±

    Riikaz stared at her. ¡°How ancient of a being are you?¡±

    ¡°Oooh, asking a woman her age, risky. But, fortunately for you, I¡¯m not the sort to mind! It¡¯s kind of hard to count given how long it¡¯s been and some of the time dilation and changes in my nature, but I¡¯d say somewhere around ten thousand years.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ are you?¡±

    ¡°Believe it or not, this body is one hundred percent verified garilend down to the genetic code.¡±

    Riikaz raised an eyebrow. ¡°You had to specify the body.¡±

    Seskii grinned. ¡°Well as for what my spirited nature is, that¡¯s a secret.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t remember any of this, what¡¯s the harm?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t, but it¡¯s not you I¡¯m keeping it a secret from.¡± She winked. Riikaz thought she was winking at the Custodian at first, but then realized he was in the wrong direction for that. She was winking at empty space. What even¡­?

    ¡°It¡¯d be best if you don¡¯t think too hard about it,¡± Seskii offered.

    ¡°O¡­ kay. Alright.¡± Riikaz nodded. ¡°I will just take your word for it. I do owe you my life, after all.¡± She smirked. ¡°Though I now have my doubts you had to put on that weird glittery potion show to do so.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but that way people wouldn¡¯t suspect anything.¡± Seskii giggled. ¡°Only Keller has really figured anything out about me, and even then, he¡¯s waaaaaay off in so many of his assumptions. To everyone else, I¡¯m just the quirky little juice seller.¡± She suddenly sagged like she was made out of damp paper. ¡°I¡¯m still upset that I can¡¯t be the potion seller. That¡¯s, like, my whole thing. My last name is Potions!¡±

    ¡°You gave that last name to yourself,¡± the Custodian commented.

    ¡°Depends on how you look at it.¡±

    The Custodian sighed. ¡°There are two reasons for everything.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, spicy line,¡± Seskii giggled.

    ¡°I suppose I shouldn¡¯t think too hard about that, too?¡± Riikaz asked.

    ¡°Definitely,¡± Seskii said, vigorously nodding.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯m starting to get a little mad that I can¡¯t actually have a conversation here.¡± Riikaz folded her arms. ¡°Everything¡¯s a stonewall.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to talk about grand scoping questions, you know.¡±

    ¡°But it seems like everything leads back to them.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ yeah.¡± Seskii shrugged. ¡°You are kind of in the middle of my extremely complicated and long-term master plan. But not even the Custodian knows what that is, and I¡¯m not saying it since the Tower would write it down.¡±

    Riikaz wanted, more than anything else in that moment, to ask what exactly the plan was.

    ¡°Not even the Tower knows that one,¡± Seskii said with a grin. ¡°For the next few hours you just get to wonder, and everyone else gets to wonder for a lot, lot longer. You have my word that it¡¯s in everyone¡¯s best interests though. Well. Most everyone¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just part of another faction vying for control¡­¡±

    ¡°Control is not the end I seek. I¡¯d be going about this very differently if it were.¡±

    ¡°No kidding,¡± the Custodian muttered.

    ¡°Hey! Peanut gallery! Do you know the plan? No? Thought not.¡±

    The Custodian only shrugged in response.

    ¡°I have a question I think you can answer,¡± Riikaz said, suddenly.

    ¡°Oooh! I¡¯m all ears!¡± She put a little cardboard tiara on her head that had tons of ears drawn on it.

    ¡°I did not pass the Custodian¡¯s test. Why did I pass yours?¡±

    Seskii¡¯s mischievous smile became a warm and understanding one. She put the ear tiara away. ¡°I will answer that. But first, Custodian, why don¡¯t you tell her why she failed?¡±

    ¡°She already knows,¡± the Custodian said. ¡°She is violent and on a mission of revenge. She is not pure of heart. Even now, considering that she has turned back, she is inherently a violent woman, the kind of person I have no desire to see use the knowledge in here.¡±

    Seskii nodded. ¡°The kind of person you used to be.¡±

    ¡°...Yes.¡±

    Seskii gave him a sad smile and returned to Riikaz. ¡°To be perfectly honest, you¡¯re here because I need you to be, that nameless society you face is being problematic and I need you to get the information you seek.¡±

    Riikaz nodded in understanding. ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°However! You did still pass my test of character. I did not tell the Custodian to let you in until you had turned back. You needed to learn your lesson first¡ªthat you really shouldn¡¯t have been out here. From your perspective, you had far higher callings to attend to.¡±

    Riikaz looked down, ashamed.

    ¡°...I want to warn you, to tell you there will be consequences, but you won¡¯t be allowed to remember that.¡±

    ¡°...You could overrule the rules of this place,¡± Riikaz said.

    ¡°I could,¡± Seskii admitted. ¡°But I won¡¯t. I never will. I got you in here simply by asking the Custodian a favor, nothing more. To try to alter the rules of the Tower would be asking too much of him. It would be asking him to deny his creed.¡±

    Riikaz chuckled. ¡°Ah¡­ this is a strange feeling. Rising panic at being unable to heed a warning in the future. A beast I cannot fight.¡±

    ¡°Yes. When you leave this place you will know that you had turned back, and that afterward you had the information you sought. You will rightfully believe you passed a test, but you will not fully understand why, nor will you have a sense of dread.¡± Seskii frowned, shaking her head. ¡°I am afraid some kind of tragedy is unavoidable at this point, in addition to all you have already experienced.¡±

    ¡°But my selfish quest for vengeance¡­ it¡¯s being used for something much higher, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Seskii nodded. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be out here, but that doesn¡¯t mean good can¡¯t come of it. There really isn¡¯t a good way to get information on these people, their entire thing is being secretive.¡±

    ¡°Who¡­ are they?¡±

    ¡°That is what you¡¯re here to find out, isn¡¯t it?¡± Seskii stood up and walked to a bookshelf, taking one of the books out. ¡°The story of the nameless ones. They tried their absolute best to make it so nothing about them could be written down. But the Tower is far cleverer than that. Anything major that happens on Ikyu is written in pages somewhere in this library, a beacon of truth that can defy even the cleverest and most consumed of liars.¡± She tossed the book over her shoulder and it landed in front of Riikaz.

    Riikaz studied the tome. It was leathery, but bright green. The title was unusual. The ______ Society. The blank had a jumble of symbols in it that were clearly from several different languages all stitched together.

    ¡°Not even the Tower could give them a name,¡± Seskii said.

    ¡°Is there something¡­ magical about their namelessness?¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that they¡¯ve never allowed themselves to be referred to by anything. Everyone has to refer to them descriptively, and prior to their recent mistakes with Benefactor virtually no one outside their organization knew they even existed. Now, of course, that number has exploded¡­ and it is the reason why Kroan has become such a target.¡±

    Riikaz placed her hand on the book. ¡°How much of this will I be allowed to remember?¡±

    ¡°Only the parts you need,¡± the Custodian said. ¡°It will not be much.¡±

    Riikaz took a deep breath and opened the book to its first page.

    To discuss the origin of this most secretive of societies, it is necessary to discuss Jenny Zero¡­

    ~~~

    Descent Proper was extremely difficult to wrap one¡¯s mind around. Jeh and Xanava didn¡¯t even have to as they were being led along a simple path to a precise destination, but they couldn¡¯t help but try to figure out how anyone could navigate the mess of ropes and wires tying together the various floating balls of moss. Every single mossy ball had structures on it, but they were sparse and spread out, allowing most of the spherical surface area to be adorned with extremely high-altitude ¡°plants.¡± Most of them were not true plants, but large mushrooms or plasts, many of which gave off heat. The heat was notably only for the benefit of those races living on the mossy balls; the blimps themselves were perfectly fine in the frigid air, though it was curious how few of them were moving around the actual city itself. Whenever Jeh saw the massive creatures, they were almost always above the city or near the lotus, rarely moving among the wires and tangled mossballs. Jeh only saw one down this low, showcasing that these blimps were easily the size of Vaughan¡¯s Cabin. They were brown largely ovoid creatures with four tentacles at their front, but no visible face. They had several larger tentacles hanging from their undersides that swayed in the breeze while their front tentacles were used more akin to hands. Numerous mushroom-cap-like protrusions extended from their sides, visibly breathing and pulsating, revealing them to be fungal entities.

    The mossballs were decidedly loose and were all shifting regularly. How they managed not to crash into each other was a marvel of blimp engineering that Jeh couldn¡¯t figure out. Most of the beings that lived among the mossballs could fly, including a large number of qorvids and dragons of all things. Very few individuals used the carts that ran along the various tethers, but the astronauts had to. These carts were simple, rectangular boxes affixed to the thick cables. The carts had no arcane device to move themselves, but rather relied on tame flocks of birds to move them from place to place. This meant that travel was cheap and easy, though it was annoying because the birds were constantly squawking.

    The heat from the various ¡°forests¡± on the mossballs did not even come close to significantly raising the ambient temperature between them, so any and all voyages had to deal with biting, extreme cold.

    Fortunately, Xanava and Jeh didn¡¯t particularly care that it was below freezing while both Enrique and Claire put on hooded jackets. Despite being used to the cold of this trip they were shivering and chattering while Xanava and Jeh were taking in the sights.

    ¡°It is hard to believe this is a city,¡± Xanava said. ¡°Almost no buildings, mostly wilderness, and yet so many people live here.¡±

    ¡°And in Lower Descent,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Envila told me a lot more about it, it¡¯s a very fancy place.¡± She bit into an air cactus. ¡°Woooah¡­ anyway yeah, most people like us would live down there.¡±

    ¡°The city of the sky¡­¡± Xanava put her hands on her hips. ¡°What even are the mossballs?¡±

    Jeh turned back to Enrique and asked him for Xanava.

    ¡°They¡¯re some kind of creature,¡± Enrique explained. ¡°They¡¯re like¡­ sheep? In the higher atmosphere where the blimps come from, they¡¯re just a creature. But they¡¯re usually small, the big ones are only found here.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡±

    Claire sighed. ¡°They bred them for size, the things are domesticated.¡±

    ¡°What do they eat?¡± Jeh asked.

    Claire shrugged. ¡°I dunno. The blimps only tell that to the people who need to care for them.¡±

    ¡°...Am I allowed to ask them?¡¯

    ¡°If it comes up, but I wouldn¡¯t expect an answer.¡±

    ¡°Ookay¡­¡±

    Xanava fell silent and stared out at the mossballs passing by. A flock of qorvids streamed past, accompanied by a middle-sized blue dragon.

    ¡°What¡¯re you thinking about?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°They do not have curiosity,¡± Xanava said. ¡°These two ¡®intrepid astronaut explorers¡¯ behind us. They do not ask questions. That is not good for our job.¡±

    ¡°They just do things differently.¡±

    ¡°I am starting to be concerned they may not actually be much help in doing things in space¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡± Enrique cheered, pointing forward. ¡°Our home!¡±

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°I thought we were going to meet the blimps?¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, that¡¯s the best place to meet them!¡±

    ¡°Okaaay¡­¡±

    They were approaching a mossball underneath the lotus, near the highest parts of Descent. Their particular cord went right into the largest building situated at the central top part of the mossball, a circular, flat building with perhaps hundreds of windows around its sizable circumference, but only two floors. It was made mostly out of wood painted with a reddish-orange color, but was admittedly rather plain in appearance.

    ¡°Welcome to the sleeping disc!¡± Enrique said, removing his jacket as the temperature started to climb. ¡°And the living disc! And the¡­¡±

    Claire elbowed him in the gut. ¡°It¡¯s just the Disc. Don¡¯t oversell it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but the blimps¡­¡±

    ¡°Find it cute to name it a million different things.¡±

    ¡°But it is!¡±

    ¡°Yes. Cuteness does not help us here.¡±

    ¡°Claire, I swear you¡¯re becoming more and more like a surface dweller by the day!¡±

    ¡°Much to my annoyance,¡± Claire grumbled. ¡°Come on everyone, let¡¯s move.¡±

    Jeh relayed the conversation to Xanava and she just shrugged, displaying an image of a stick figure falling off a cliff. They stepped out of the cart onto a smooth dirt pathway that was slightly slanted down behind them, as it was on the surface of a sphere. Jeh briefly wondered how people walked on the other spheres with buildings built on their sides and bottom, but then she remembered most of the city was designed for people who could fly.

    Here, however, was a place that could be walked. The path soon leveled out as they approached the Disc. Enrique pulled the double doors open to reveal an interior lit by warm oil lamps. Jeh could feel the density of air increase dramatically¡ªshe could breathe without a problem in here and would have no need for the air cacti. The floor was surprisingly soft and comfortable, easily enough to lie down and take a nap on. The walls were absolutely covered in pieces of art, most of which were clearly amateur and arranged on the walls with hardly a care as to their position, but even so it was still impressive. There were a few people in the hall, two humans and a neko, who waved happily, greeting Enrique and Claire as they came in, but not engaging in conversation.

    Jeh found herself looking up. The ceiling was made out of some shiny material that glinted unusually in the lamplight. The glinting only became more pronounced the further they got from the edge of the Disc and its windows, leaving only the light from the lamps, which gave the area a homey feel.

    ¡°Who displays all this botched art¡­?¡± Xanava wondered.

    ¡°What¡¯s the art for?¡± Jeh asked Enrique.

    Enrique smiled. ¡°Many of us draw, the blimps hang up the works they like.¡±

    ¡°And they like this crap, great,¡± Xanava grumbled.

    Jeh frowned. She was getting the impression that something else was going on here. She couldn¡¯t put her finger on it but the more she looked at all the simple, colorful drawings the deeper the pit in her stomach got.

    They entered the door at the end of the hallway and found themselves in a very large central room. Couches and lounges of all sorts lined the edge of the room, alongside large mushrooms and plast plantlike beings that were growing out of the ground directly, providing color to the space. Several people were moving around the edge areas, many of which were spending time painting, talking and laughing, or just chasing each other around in some kind of game. They were mostly humans, but there were a sizeable number of nekos and gari. All humanoids, though. No cats, no slimes, no qorvids, no young dragons¡­

    The strangest part about the central room was the large glass wall that circled an area in the middle. There was a door in the wall, so people could move into and out of the walled-off area at will, but there was no discernable difference between the exterior and interior aside from the lack of solid walls on the inside.

    ¡°What¡¯s that for¡­?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re about to find out,¡± Claire said. ¡°It¡¯s just about midday meal time.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Enrique asked. ¡°Amazing!¡±

    ¡°That was when we were scheduled to be here, nimrod.¡±

    ¡°I just lost track of time!¡±

    ¡°You always do¡­¡±

    ¡°This¡¯ll make up for the morning meals I didn¡¯t get! I missed those while I was out, waking up to food was so nice¡­¡±

    Almost without warning, a lot more people started filing into the central room from all sides. Well over a hundred, a handful of whom were children. There was more than enough space in the room, but curiously all of them that had been inside the walled-off area left and closed the door behind them, creating a situation where a donut-shaped crowd of people were standing around and chattering next to a completely empty section.

    They were all watching the section as well. Expectantly¡­ looking toward it and slightly upward if they weren¡¯t talking to someone.

    Up¡­? Jeh looked up at the ceiling, finding the same mysteriously reflective material. What are they¡­

    Suddenly, the ceiling became completely transparent, and they could all see the undersides of four blimps. One of the blimps was holding some kind of metal cart, while another was pressing her tentacles against the ceiling, moving various parts around.

    Lots of the people in the room let out cheers and waved at the blimps. The two blimps that weren¡¯t busy waved back.

    The blimp that was moving the ceiling parts finally undid some kind of latch, prompting the central ceiling to slide away, evacuating the air from the interior section. She floated back, allowing the other blimp to place the cart down in the central area. The cart had five different layers on it, containing plates, silverware, and a truly gargantuan amount of food. Some of it was pre-cooked, like a roast duck and some kind of blue veggie, but others were simply ingredients laid out in organized little rows.

    Almost all the people were cheering now, Claire being one of the few exceptions.

    The blimps kept waving at everyone while they sealed the ceiling up again. Once it was sealed, a tall male gari ran into the central room and grabbed hold of the cart, wheeling it out. ¡°We¡¯re feasting today, everyone!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the occasion?¡± a woman asked him.

    ¡°We have some very special guests and they need to eat well!¡±

    ¡°Surprise holiday!¡± one of the children shouted, prompting several people around her to echo the call.

    The male gari turned to Jeh and Xanava and winked. ¡°Welcome visitors! I¡¯m told you don¡¯t have meals the same way we do. Would you like some of the prepared dishes, would you like us chefs to cook something for you, or would you like to cook it yourself?¡±

    ¡°I can cook myself, actually!¡± Jeh said, trying to look like she was excited and not a little nervous at the whole display. ¡°Xanava doesn¡¯t eat, though, she¡¯s a rigid.¡±

    ¡°Such a shame!¡±

    Claire coughed. ¡°Jeh, you can¡¯t cook your own meal, you¡¯re supposed to meet with the blimps right now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s now? Right.¡± Jeh turned to the gari. ¡°Sorry, guess I¡¯ll just take what¡¯s available then.¡±

    ¡°Ah, well, what the blimps want the blimps get.¡± He shrugged, giving her a plate with a whole roast duck on it. ¡°Here you go!¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Jeh held the plate in one of her hands and used Orange to cut the meat while she kept her other hand free. ¡°So. Meeting?¡±

    Enrique nodded, opening the door to the central area. ¡°Right this way¡­¡±

    Jeh, Xanava, Enrique, and Claire entered, sealing the door behind them. The moment they did this, the blimps opened the ceiling again and sucked the air out. Jeh kept her roast duck in place with Orange. Claire had opted just to have a handful of blue vegetables and had no problem keeping hold of it. Enrique dropped his duck. ¡°Oh no¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get another one later,¡± one of the blimps said. She spoke with what sounded like two voices at once, a deep droning one and a high-pitched trilling one. Her vocal cords¡ªor whatever she used to talk¡ªclearly were not able to make human sounds easily, so the syllables often came out overtop of each other or with awkward spaces between them, but it was still clearly Desc and Jeh could easily understand it. ¡°Maybe ask your friend for some of hers?¡±

    Jeh cut off a piece of her duck and levitated it over to Enrique without him even needing to ask. He placed it on his plate with eagerness. ¡°Thanks!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Jeh took a bite of air cactus¡ªshe really needed that right now.

    ¡°So, you two are Enrique¡¯s mysterious friends we¡¯ve heard so much about!¡± The blimp said, lowering one of her tentacles into the room and sliding it across Jeh¡¯s face. Claire had been right, it was slimy, but not really that bad. The weirdest sensation was from the sections that looked like suckers but were actually grainy like sandstone¡­ ¡°Hmm¡­ human, but there¡¯s something not quite normal about you. Interesting¡­¡± She notably did not even attempt to touch Xanava.

    Jeh gave a little bow, though this was hard considering how the blimps were directly above them¡ªJeh idly wondered why Claire was so worried about her going above the blimps, what was she going to do, climb out?

    ¡°What are we doing?¡± Xanava asked Jeh.

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°Waiting, I guess.¡±

    The blimp reacted to the words. ¡°Ah, such a strange tongue I hear! Is that native to this Kroan I hear about?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Jeh said, switching to Karli. ¡°Xanava here was just asking what was going on.¡±

    ¡°Well, what is going on?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± I¡¯m waiting for you to tell me. ¡°We¡¯re here, meeting with you, to talk about space?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, space¡­¡± One of the blimp¡¯s tentacles lashed out at another blimp without making physical contact. ¡°A thing you really shouldn¡¯t have to worry about, but here you are¡­¡±

    ¡°Now is not the time for this argument,¡± the blimp she lashed at stated, his voice somehow both lower and higher than hers.

    ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s always time for the argument.¡± She let out a sigh. ¡°I do feel sorry for all of you, up there, in danger¡­ you should all be down here, safe.¡±

    Something in Jeh told her that maybe she shouldn¡¯t talk about how she was basically always safe. ¡°We like exploring.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ you do. You would have to, to get all the way up there on your own¡­¡±

    ¡°That is one of the things we need to discuss,¡± the male blimp pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± The female lifted her tentacles out, and the male took over as the primary one over them.

    ¡°What led you to go to space?¡± the male asked, simply.

    So Jeh told him the story of Vaughan, Blue, and herself on that first day.

    ¡°A mere flight of fancy? And you were able to turn it into this production?¡±

    Jeh nodded, grinning. ¡°We¡¯re funded by the Crown of the Kingdom of Kroan! We¡¯ve even made it to the moon!¡±

    ¡°Impossible,¡± a blimp who had never spoken before said. ¡°To think that¡­¡±

    ¡°Quiet,¡± the lead blimp said, shutting him up. ¡°As you can see, there are many who doubt your claim.¡±

    ¡°We can bring you moon rocks if you want, we have quite a lot,¡± Jeh offered.

    ¡°Rocks could be faked, unfortunately.¡±

    ¡°Could imaging device records of the dark side be faked¡­?¡±

    ¡°...Yes, but with far more difficulty,¡± he said. ¡°And what of Xanava¡¯s people?¡±

    Jeh turned to Xanava. ¡°Why are you guys in space?¡±

    ¡°Because you are and the Emperor smelled a fun little friendly competition, in addition to transportation and messaging applications.¡±

    Jeh relayed this.

    ¡°And are there any others with spacecraft capacity?¡±

    ¡°The three of us are all we know about,¡± Jeh said.

    The blimp paused a moment, presumably to consider this. It was nearly impossible for Jeh to read any emotion on him, as he had no discernable face and his speech was too bizarre to be sure the inflections were real. All she really had was the content of his words, the volume, and maybe some body language? That was hard to be sure of, though.

    Eventually, he spoke again. ¡°Enrique mentioned some plans you wished to show us.¡±

    Jeh took out the scroll. ¡°Yes. This is a writeup of our current intention to build a space station. We realized that it would be best if everyone who could go into space was involved. It¡¯s in Karli, sorry, I¡¯ll have to read it to you.¡±

    ¡°We have time.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡± the female started.

    ¡°We have time,¡± the male continued. ¡°Give it all to us, translate in detail.¡±

    So Jeh did, the entire time feeling as though she were an inch away from being squashed just for saying something wrong. But no strike ever came. Questions didn¡¯t come either, though. The blimps were entirely silent as she translated the plans for them meticulously, even pointing out a few areas where things might be confusing, as well as adding context to some diagrams.

    She was not Blue, she couldn¡¯t give them any mathematical details besides the bare minimum. But she gave what she could, as exhaustively as she could.

    Eventually, though, she reached the end.

    ¡°...Princess Via wishes to express that she is taking a risk reaching out like this to a complete unknown, but she hopes the blimps of Descent will understand her desire to further knowledge and cooperation. She is giving this to you as a gesture of peaceful intentions and goodwill, in Dia¡¯s name and the Kroan bloodline.¡± Jeh rolled up the scroll and looked up to the blimps. ¡°...That¡¯s all I have.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ we will discuss.¡± Suddenly, the blimps stopped talking to each other in Descent and started talking in whatever their native language was like a switch had been flipped somewhere in them. It was a complicated language that made full use of their two different vocal pitches, varying both of them at the same time. The two layers were no doubt extremely important in parsing out the meaning, but Jeh was not able to grasp more than that.

    ¡°Okay, that is efficient,¡± Xanava said. ¡°That is a good language.¡±

    Jeh sighed. ¡°I am so glad you can¡¯t talk to them.¡±

    ¡°I do not want to talk to them. I hope they turn the offer down. I do not want to work anywhere near these people.¡±

    ¡°...Why?¡±

    ¡°I know you see it too. You are unnerved by this place.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not entirely sure why¡­¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Have you ne¡ª¡±

    ¡°We have decided,¡± the primary male blimp said. ¡°We will take you up on your offer.¡±

    Jeh beamed. ¡°Thank you! ¡­Great blimps!¡±

    ¡°You will return to your people and tell them that we will assist in the design and construction of the space station. We will train an envoy specifically for this task to communicate our will and intent with you, for meetings such as this are quite uncommon, a hassle, and demeaning. The envoy should be ready in about a month, at which point you will send people of your own here to figure out the details. You may object to us choosing our city as the meeting location, but understand that our ships are not designed to land themselves at this moment in time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll understand that.¡± Jeh turned to Xanava. ¡°The Emperor will understand that, right?¡±

    Xanava nodded. ¡°He is not stupid, but he might complain without actually doing anything about it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re good,¡± Jeh told the blimps.

    ¡°Very well. We look forward to the future of space exploration.¡± With that, he floated up and away, taking two of the blimps with him. Only the female remained.

    ¡°He¡¯s such a downer! All serious,¡± the female shook her body. ¡°Didn¡¯t even say goodbye, so heartless. Ahem. Jeh? Xanava? You two are welcome to stay here in the Disc of Exploration Generation as long as you wish! You can even stay forever! ¡­But if you really are busy you can go back to your ships now.¡±

    The moment Jeh relayed this to Xanava, she turned to open the sealed door.

    ¡°Xanava, no!¡± Jeh jumped in front of her. ¡°We don¡¯t want to decompress the other section!¡±

    ¡°I want to get out of here.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ well just wait for the ceiling to close up!¡± Jeh looked up at the female blimp. ¡°Looks like Xanava really wants to go, so, can you seal us up!¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course!¡± She patted Jeh on the head with her tentacle. ¡°I hope to see you again sometime soon, Jeh!¡±

    ¡°Ehe¡­ sure, we¡¯ll see.¡±

    With that, the blimp sealed up the ceiling. The moment it was sealed Xanava all but threw the door open and stormed out of the Disc.

    ¡°What¡¯s got her in a twist?¡± Claire asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find out,¡± Jeh said, running after her. I¡¯m in a twist too, none of that was right. Even the friendly one was¡­ off. As she passed by the rest of the people eating and cooking and laughing, the pit in her stomach kept growing. Is there¡­ some kind of trap here I¡¯m not seeing?

    Did we really want them to say yes?

    ~~~

    The sun was setting, so Krays had moved her work back from Vaughan¡¯s backyard to the combination bakery, glassblower¡¯s, and blacksmith¡¯s. It was late enough in the day that technically everything was closed, but only the Twins had officially shut their doors. The two of them were currently playing cards on a little table in the corner with Darmosil. He was losing.

    Krays was not playing because she was very annoyed about some experimental results. Particularly the ones in Jeh¡¯s notebook that circled two particular materials as being the only acceptable ones.

    She glanced at the spherical plast-woven balls in front of her. One was slightly pink, one was slightly blue. They had gone to space. Jeh had exposed them to the vacuum. They were completely fine while everything else hadn¡¯t been.

    Krays had expected the vast majority of materials tests to fail.

    ¡°Still¡­ why does it have to be these two?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re looking for a very unusual set of material properties and shouldn¡¯t expect it to be simple?¡± Seskii suggested.

    Krays didn¡¯t bother asking when Seskii had shown up. Not that she wasn¡¯t thinking it, but she knew Seskii wouldn¡¯t really answer the question and just mess with her. Which Krays had to respect, it was what she would do if she was that good at sneaking. Though she¡¯d probably engage in a lot more of scaring the living daylights out of people for a quick laugh¡­

    ¡°Still, the universe has conspired to make the most difficult and expensive materials the ones that work?¡± Krays gestured at them. ¡°Here we have two different varieties of plast fiber. Plast fibers aren¡¯t that unusual, our hair is made out of a plast fiber, one of the varieties that can be heat treated because evidentially things aren¡¯t steamy enough normally.¡± Krays crossed her arms. ¡°These things are not standard plast fibers, they¡¯re harvested from lahsers in the desert. So if we want lots of this stuff we need to get more expeditions to the desert where stupid people with delusions of grandeur attempt to wrestle an extremely toxic predator to the ground, win, harvest the fibers, and then realize an hour later they got scraped and die from poison only for scavengers and passing bandits to pick up the fibers.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the Crown¡¯s Agents will be able to handle themselves.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, with enough money and experience you can get quite a bit of the fiber. But I haven¡¯t mentioned the worst part! See, untreated fiber doesn¡¯t work! Jeh took it up and it didn¡¯t even hold air! No no no, you need to treat the fiber. Not with heat, not with cold, ooooh no with some kind of special chemical imported from the Tempest. The Tempest. I don¡¯t even know what it¡¯s made out of! Probably monkey butt juice or something, I don¡¯t know.¡± She let out a large groan. ¡°If these are the only options, then simply making one suit is going to cost more than an entire Skyseed!¡±

    Seskii took out a notebook and checked off some boxes.

    ¡°Oh no, what¡¯s the sarcastic remark you¡¯ll make this time, candy floss head?¡±

    ¡°Nothing actually, I¡¯m the almighty secretary, remember? I¡¯m literally adding it to the budget and timetable.¡±

    Krays stared at her.

    Seskii grinned. ¡°Did you forget I actually serve a purpose here?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m just amazed you can keep up with it all.¡±

    ¡°If only you knew how many things I was doing at once¡­¡± Seskii said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Well there¡¯s being a secretary, and then there¡¯s screwing with all of our minds on a daily basis.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget making the world a better place with random acts of kindness and juice!¡± She produced a bottle of lemon-orange juice. ¡°Want some?¡±

    Krays took it with a grunt and took a swig like it was alcoholic. It wasn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t particularly care.

    ¡°Also, just because the spacesuit is going to be expensive, that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re going to look bad.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the materials girl, Seskii, it¡¯s my job.¡± Krays glared at the perfectly preserved plast balls in front of her. ¡°This isn¡¯t good enough.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that this isn¡¯t literally the best option the universe has on offer? It might be a great improvement from the next best option!¡±

    ¡°These are literally the most expensive materials I tested, Seskii. Think, that means there are no worse options.¡±

    ¡°Oh I don¡¯t know about that, there might be some kind of plast material you can get by extracting a rare chemical out of the ground and processing it through several steps to extract another chemical out of that and then processing the new chemical to get it to stick together in an airtight chain and then you¡¯d have to make some kind of fancy tool or machine to cut it properly without introducing tiny holes¡­¡±

    ¡°Pfft. As if even the most demented of lunatics would ever figure that out even if it was possible.¡±

    ¡°You never know~!¡± Seskii sang out.

    Krays tapped her finger on the countertop in annoyance. ¡°That¡¯s right, I don¡¯t, but there¡¯s gotta be something better¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, Krays, I¡¯m just trying to help you see that this may not be a failure. You found a material that works. You might not have even done that!¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    ¡°You should listen to Seskii,¡± Darmosil said from the table.

    ¡°You would know, huh?¡± Krays called back.

    ¡°Absolutely, but your insinuation is bunk.¡± Darmosil played down a card in front of the Twins. ¡°For the reason I know is because I know you need it, not because I need it.¡±

    The Twins snickered.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°We know you were trying to play a dramatic game-winning card to punctuate your point¡­¡±

    ¡°...But you have fallen right into my sister¡¯s trap!¡±

    The other twin flipped over a card. ¡°And the numbers on the field add to nineteen, giving me all the points for this round and securing my victory.¡±

    Darmosil stared at the card. ¡°Well. It¡¯s hard to argue with that.¡±

    ¡°Hah! Loser!¡± Krays called over. ¡°Point invalidated, I win!¡±

    ¡°You hadn¡¯t said what your point was.¡±

    ¡°Obviously it¡¯s in opposition to yours.¡±

    ¡°Which was?¡±

    ¡°Boring.¡±

    ¡°You are attempting to goad me.¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡±

    ¡°Not working.¡±

    ¡°I disagree.¡±

    One of the twins stood up. ¡°We should probably leave before they start another makeout session.¡±

    The second twin nodded, glancing at Seskii.

    Seskii shrugged. ¡°Hey, if they wanna put on a show¡­¡±

    Krays threw the juice bottle at Seskii. She caught it in her hand lazily. ¡°Thanks for returning the bottle.¡±

    ¡°One day, Seskii¡­¡± Krays pointed an accusatory finger at her. ¡°One day I¡¯ll find something you¡¯re bad at.¡±

    ¡°Evidentially reaction time is not one of them,¡± Darmosil added. ¡°Curious how you chose to test that one today, Krays, I think we all knew she could catch anything thrown at her even if it came from behind.¡±

    ¡°Unless, of course, she was just angry,¡± Seskii said. ¡°And yes, I am fully aware that I¡¯ve ruined the setup for your next insult, Darmosil, you¡¯re welcome. Toodeloo!¡± Seskii waved extravagantly and skipped out of the shop.

    Darmosil shrugged. ¡°I like that one.¡±

    Krays rolled her eyes. ¡°Spare me.¡±

    ¡°She can keep up with me like you can.¡±

    Krays sat bolt upright. ¡°D-darmosil!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I haven¡¯t been able to push the ¡®make Krays jealous¡¯ button in a good long while. The memories¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop being nostalgic about pushing my buttons!¡±

    ¡°Good idea. I can revel in it now! Perhaps I should start inviting Seskii for dinner¡­¡±

    ¡°Darmosil, neither you nor I know how to cook very well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s great at it. Another point for her.¡±

    ¡°Darmosil!¡±

    ~~~

    Seskii chuckled.

    Riikaz looked up from the book she was reading. The Tower had been entirely silent prior to that moment. ¡°What are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Has nothing to do with you, don¡¯t worry. Just thinking about a couple of gari with a very strange relationship.¡± Seskii clicked her tongue. ¡°Of course, you are done reading, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    The Custodian looked up from his book, one entitled Riikaz, Wild Queen. ¡°Already? There¡¯s no way she¡¯s done with¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right, though, I know what I want to take back with me,¡± Riikaz said, flipping back a few pages. ¡°This.¡±

    The Custodian glanced over her shoulder. It was a page filled with an image with a short description on it. The image was of a dark room somewhere deep beneath the ground, devoid of any decoration. Cables of Green weaved from the back wall and ceiling to a singular point¡ªa metal chair in which a humanoid figure sat. The figure was almost impossible to see, for she was covered almost head to toe in what appeared at first to be armor, but upon closer inspection was not at all designed for battle. Rather, it was designed to have the Green cables threaded through every nook and cranny of the suit, making it all but impossible to move while inside. Only the woman¡¯s lower face was visible, her eyes completely shrouded, but there was enough information to go off of to identify the race. The leaves poking out from under the helmet were a dead giveaway: this was a dryad, a free-leaf dryad to be specific.

    The reclusive leader of those who have no name sits on her eternal throne deep beneath the wastes of Vraskal, enduring great suffering so the mission may never be lost.

    ¡°Hmm, I was expecting you to ask for more¡­¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t take more, isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°You are correct, this is about as much information as I would permit to leave.¡± The Custodian backed up. ¡°Very well. Let this page be engraved upon your mind. You will know your enemy¡¯s face, you will know the nation in which she resides, and you see one of her deepest secrets.¡±

    ¡°Herself,¡± Riikaz said.

    ¡°I am curious,¡± the Custodian said. ¡°Why did you not ask for more? Most try to bargain.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Riikaz looked at the book. ¡°I wish I did not know most of what I know right now.¡±

    ¡°There are many in her organization that would agree with you.¡±

    Riikaz couldn''t muster up a defiant response. She just looked down at the book, a deep frown on her face.

    ¡°I must ask. Do you think they are justified?¡±

    ¡°No. If what they think is true, if their ways are the only way to stop it, we deserve what¡¯s coming.¡±

    Seskii¡¯s smile vanished for a moment. ¡°That¡­ may be true, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to encourage me,¡± Riikaz interjected. ¡°I won¡¯t need it in a few minutes.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t want to hear it right now.¡±

    Seskii nodded. ¡°As you wish¡­¡± She turned to the Custodian. ¡°Will you respect her wishes?¡±

    ¡°...I will offer her something,¡± the Custodian said.

    ¡°An apology?¡± Riikaz huffed.

    ¡°In a sense. You do not pass my test, but I cannot help but be moved by your¡­ restraint. So few show it. Most give in to desperation.¡±

    Riikaz looked down at the book and shook her head. ¡°... Desperation would only make it worse. It¡¯s part of their problem¡­¡±

    ¡°I will permit you to take a part back to Jeh and¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Riikaz said.

    The Custodian was taken aback. ¡°Wh¡­ why not?¡±

    ¡°Those moments were private. I felt wrong reading them. If I bring anything of that back, I won¡¯t be able to look at Jeh the same way again. ¡­She doesn¡¯t deserve that. It¡¯ll be best if she never remembers what came before, and deep down she knows that too.¡±

    Seskii sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s the right decision.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Running away from the past makes us doomed to repeat it.¡±

    Riikaz paused. ¡°Can you¡­ can you give me a guarantee that it¡¯ll work out for the better?¡±

    ¡°...I can only do that when talking of the fullness of time.¡±

    ¡°Then that will be that. ¡­The world will be better off if Jenny Zero remains forgotten.¡±

    Seskii folded her hands together. ¡°I¡¯ll respect your request. But it may come to light no matter what.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be the one to release it. You shouldn¡¯t be either.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly in my control.¡±

    ¡°Clearly there is a line you draw in the sand or a line that is drawn for you¡­¡± Riikaz shook her head. ¡°I¡­ I grow tired of this burden on my mind. Let¡­ let me go.¡±

    Seskii nodded, pulling out a potion and sticking it in Riikaz¡¯s cloak. ¡°For the road.¡±

    ¡°What does it do?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t remember so I¡¯m not going to tell you. Consider it a surprise gift!¡± Seskii¡¯s grin returned in full force. ¡°It¡¯ll be great fun, trust me.¡±

    Riikaz put her hand over the potion. ¡°...Thank you, Seskii Potions.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    ¡°Are you truly ready?¡± the Custodian asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Riikaz said, standing tall and proud.

    ¡°In that case, brace yourself.¡±

    ¡°Brace my¡ª¡±

    He kicked her in the chest. Warrior though she was, she had not been expecting this and was flung clean over the railing. She fell past floor after floor, cascading at lightning speed down to the ground floor.

    The Custodian fell past her, his body narrow and angled, passing her by. He landed firmly on the ground with enough force to break even his metallic legs, but they held fast. He spread his arms wide, holding an Orange crystal in each of his hands. They shone brilliantly in his hands, and Riikaz felt her falling speed lessen considerably.

    She still touched down at considerable velocity, but she was easily able to roll it off and jump to a standing position right in front of the Custodian. ¡°I bet you never get tired of that.¡±

    ¡°It never gets old,¡± the Custodian admitted.

    Seskii looked up from one of the chairs. ¡°Took you guys long enough to get down here.¡±

    Riikaz and the Custodian ignored her. She didn¡¯t mind this, though she did start loudly eating some crackers.

    The Custodian opened the main doors. They moved just as silently as when Riikaz had entered.

    Riikaz stepped to the edge of the Tower¡¯s floor. She turned around, glancing at the Custodian. ¡°When I came in here, I thought you were a sad man. But knowing even a fraction of what you know, I¡­¡± She paused. ¡°How do you do it? How do you handle it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing what you can do when you have no choice,¡± the Custodian said.

    Seskii stopped eating her crackers. ¡°You always have a choice.¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t feel that way at first.¡±

    Seskii nodded slowly. ¡°I suppose not, no.¡±

    ¡°Queen Riikaz of Kroan!¡± the Custodian said, suddenly talking louder than he had been Riikaz¡¯s entire visit. ¡°Go forth into the world with your newfound knowledge! May you use it to bring these people to their knees! As much as I may bemoan, as much as I may gripe, their evil is a truly insidious one that must be brought to an end!¡±

    Riikaz stood tall and firm, placing her hand over her chest in a gesture of respect from her tribe. ¡°I place this quest upon my heart!¡±

    ¡°Then go, remember only what you need!¡± He lifted his hands into the air¡­

    ¡­and then Riikaz was sitting on a rock in the forest, wondering why she was so hungry.

    ~~~

    ¡°Hey Xanava!¡± Jeh called as she ran out of the Disc. ¡°Xanava!¡±

    Xanava was standing at the tether, realizing there was no car to take her back to the launchpad, so she was going to have to wait for Enrique or Claire to call someone over. She was stomping her foot angrily. She wasn¡¯t giving Jeh a response.

    Jeh folded her arms. ¡°You know, stomping away angrily in a panicked huff is a very good way to let them know you suspect them.¡±

    ¡°Suspect them of what, Jeh?¡±

    Jeh furrowed her brow. ¡°I haven¡¯t figured that part out yet. I thought maybe they wouldn¡¯t let us go, but we can just go now. Maybe they want to control space missions?¡±

    Xanava let out a string of swears in Mikarol.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You are so stupid! They were never going to trap us here, and whatever their plans for the space race are, that is not a big issue! How could you not see what kind of place we were in?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ a place for a bunch of people to live?¡±

    ¡°All people who are fed at a specific time by the blimps, people who cheer when the food is given, people who draw bad art that gets framed on walls, people who are trained to do specific tasks for the blimps¡­ what about this is not connecting with your brain?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°They are pets, Jeh! Pets!¡±

    ¡°Pets¡­?¡± Jeh tilted her head to the side. ¡°That¡­ that does make sense, I guess¡­¡±

    ¡°Why are you not freaking straight out right now?¡±

    ¡°I mean I¡¯m trying to think about what I know about pets. I haven¡¯t seen very many, honestly, so uh¡­ I mean that seems like a pretty cushy deal for them, they don¡¯t have to worry about anything, the blimps get¡­ um¡­ what do they get?¡±

    ¡°Cute little surface-dwellers to ogle over or slaves to do chores they can not do.¡±

    Jeh frowned, putting a hand to her chin. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s not great, but it¡¯s nothing to be scared of. Shimvale enslaves people with a hypnotizing song, there¡¯s the rigid plague taking over the minds of rigids¡­¡±

    ¡°She offered to let you stay, Jeh. She wanted you as another one of her pets!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be the cutest one.¡±

    Xanava¡¯s face flashed several colors in quick succession and she pointed it at the sky, letting out an exasperated scream.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s having a bad day,¡± Claire observed as she and Enrique walked up to them.

    Xanava pointed a finger at her. ¡°I have no idea what you said but I hate it already, dog.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, spicy,¡± Claire said before Jeh could even think about translation or the lack thereof.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Jeh tilted her head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a clue what she said but the body language said it all. Also the face. That face is very expressive.¡±

    Xanava displayed an image of an arcane firearm shooting at Claire repeatedly. Followed by an anvil falling on a stick figure representation of her.

    ¡°Communication has occurred,¡± Claire droned.

    Enrique nervously shuffled his feet. ¡°Jeh can you¡­ can you ask Xanava what we did wrong? Why she¡¯s so mad? I know she¡¯s kind of rude to begin with but I¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh, well¡­¡± Jeh rubbed the back of her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing you did, it more has to do with how you¡¯re all living. She just doesn¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Enrique asked. ¡°...Was the food bad?¡±

    Claire rolled her eyes. ¡°She didn¡¯t eat. You¡¯d never be able to see the real reason in a million years.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Claire walked up until she was right in Xanava¡¯s face. ¡°Jeh, I¡¯m going to need you to translate and not hide what she¡¯s saying to me because she¡¯s being rude.¡±

    Jeh winced. ¡°You really don¡¯t want th¡ª¡±

    ¡°I do. I won¡¯t tell the blimps. But as you¡¯ve figured out already they wouldn¡¯t listen to me anyway.¡±

    ¡°All right¡­¡±

    ¡°Enrique, go back inside, I have it from here,¡± Claire called back.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I said I have it from here, you¡¯ll get to see your special friends later on your space journeys, don¡¯t worry your sorry little head.¡±

    ¡°O¡­ kay¡­¡± A forlorn, dejected expression came over his face as he walked back into the Disc.

    Claire focused her attention on Xanava and put her hands on her hips. ¡°So, figured out we¡¯re pets, right?¡±

    Xanava¡¯s face lit up with a symbol of exclamation. ¡°You know!?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do. Most of them don¡¯t, we aren¡¯t exactly bred for self-awareness or critical thinking, I¡¯m a bit of a fluke.¡±

    ¡°Then what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Where exactly would I go that¡¯s better than this, huh?¡± Claire gestured at the Disc. ¡°In there, I have food, family, friends, and everything I could ever want.¡±

    ¡°You have no freedom!¡±

    ¡°Theoretically, no. In practice, I¡¯m going to be put on a spaceship, I could run wherever I wanted and they couldn¡¯t stop me.¡± Her scowl deepened. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to. What exactly would I run to? One of your ground-dwelling nations? I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but most of us have basically no skills, only trained in whatever task the blimps happen to require of us, if anything. I can fly a spaceship and through my own guile and grit I have managed to become a good reader of people. I can¡¯t cook. I can¡¯t fight. I only barely know how to read. The amount of things I don¡¯t know could fill a library. You may note that there weren¡¯t many books in there!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re complacent in the system.¡± A big X appeared on Xanava¡¯s face.

    ¡°And what would defiance get me, huh? A sense of self-accomplishment? Oooh, let¡¯s see, I could get put down as a defect and tossed off the edge, or I get to fly into space because the blimps can¡¯t. I think I¡¯m sticking with flying in space, thank you.¡±

    Xanava tilted her head back slightly, displaying nothing on it. ¡°...I could not live like you.¡±

    Claire¡¯s face softened slightly. ¡°Trust me. You could. Anybody can, in the right situation.¡±

    Xanava shook her head, muttering something in Mikarol before turning to Jeh. ¡°These ¡®allies¡¯ we have made will not treat us with an iota of respect.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you treat anyone with respect,¡± Jeh pointed out.

    Three dots appeared on Xanava¡¯s face.

    ¡°Heh. Gotcha.¡±

    ¡°Regardless¡­¡± Claire shook her head. ¡°No matter what, we are working on that space station together now, unless you want to recommend to your Emperor to pull out of the project.¡±

    ¡°I am not suicidal,¡± Xanava grunted.

    ¡°Good. Looking forward to more of this nonsense in the future.¡±

    ¡°...We need you to call the cable car thing,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Oh. Right. I guess I¡¯ll see you back to the launchpad then.¡±

    ¡°So much for your dramatic ending.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. So much for that.¡±

    Xanava was uncharacteristically quiet all the way back to the launchpad.

    ¡°So¡­ going back to Mikarol then?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°That is the idea,¡± Xanava said.

    ¡°See you around, then?¡±

    ¡°...Probably.¡±

    Jeh shook her head. ¡°Xanava¡­ I can tell you¡¯re not okay. Do you¡ª¡±

    ¡°I was born a slave, Jeh,¡± Xanava said. ¡°A Vraskal war chief¡¯s prized possession. I sold them out to Mikarol. Was rewarded handsomely for it.¡± She clenched her fists. ¡°I hate this place. I hate it. If I could burn it to the ground, I would.¡±

    ¡°Xanava¡­¡±

    ¡°But I will not. Because I cannot.¡± She paused. ¡°Goodbye, Jeh.¡± She jumped into the Skyripper and slammed the door. She launched into the air before Jeh could get a word in edgewise.

    ¡°...Anything I should know about in that conversation?¡± Claire asked.

    ¡°...She wants to burn this place to the ground but can¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Understandable.¡±

    ¡°Am I the only one here who doesn¡¯t think this place needs to be blown up?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, Enrique would agree with you, inasmuch as he can actually think anything through.¡± Claire shook her head. ¡°I think you just need to grow up a bit to see the real problem here. You¡¯re not held back by where you live.¡± She turned and waved at Jeh as she left. ¡°Have fun up there in the stars, crazy kid.¡±

    ¡°You too¡­¡± Jeh said, uncertain. She jumped into her Skyseed, sealed it, and slowly lifted herself into the sky.

    She didn¡¯t feel like going fast today.

    ~~~

    ¡°She¡¯s gone,¡± the Custodian said, returning to the Tower of Knowledge¡¯s first floor. ¡°So why are you still here?¡±

    Seskii took a sip of her exceedingly pink wine-like drink. ¡°Maybe I just wanted to have a talk with an old friend?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I would have ever described our relationship as ¡®friends,¡¯ Seskii.¡±

    ¡°Not even now?¡±

    The Custodian paused. ¡°...You are right, that was hasty of me. I apologize.¡±

    ¡°Accepted.¡± Seskii put her drink down and was suddenly standing right next to him. ¡°I really do wish I could help you.¡±

    ¡°I understand that. I also reject it.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Seskii shrugged extravagantly. ¡°Oh well, I know I¡¯m not changing your mind today. Perhaps one day.¡±

    ¡°When your plan comes to fruition?¡±

    ¡°I certainly hope we¡¯ll talk again before that.¡±

    ¡°I do spend some of my time wondering about the secrets the Tower cannot see. Your plan¡­ you have been playing a long game for a long time, that much I can tell. But your goal¡­¡±

    ¡°You know I cannot tell you that.¡±

    ¡°But I have my guesses, and one of them distresses me. For if it were true¡­¡± He turned to face her directly. ¡°Are you trying to run away, Seskii?¡±

    Seskii said nothing. She simply stared at him with a calm smile.

    ¡°Can¡¯t risk giving anything away with even a slight response¡­¡± the Custodian shook his head. ¡°At least I can share my burdens with those who pass through here should I wish it. Who can you share them with?¡±

    ¡°Dia alone,¡± Seskii said. ¡°And, well¡­ you know.¡±

    ¡°How can that be enough?¡±

    ¡°I know you may find it hard to believe, but it is more than enough.¡± Seskii turned to look at the statue of the skeleton in a dress. ¡°Amazing work.¡±

    ¡°It had to be.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± She locked her hands behind her back. ¡°When all this is over perhaps I¡¯ll have some statues made.¡±

    ¡°Assuming victory? Has the past taught you nothing?¡±

    ¡°Fate is on my side in the fullness of time.¡± She winked at him. ¡°It just depends on how long it takes to get there.¡±

    The Custodian shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t repeat history, Seskii.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to.¡±

    ¡°But also beware of overcompensating.¡±

    Seskii nodded. She turned away and, for once in her life, left a room normally, passing through the Tower¡¯s silent doors like any normal person would, without any sort of shifting, jumping, or other impossible motion.

    Once they closed, the Custodian was alone once more.

    He glanced at the table Seskii had been using. On it was a potion. Extra Zappy Machine Lubricant! With a cartoonish picture of Seskii drawn on the label, winking at him.

    He picked it up¡­ and chuckled. How much and how little she has changed¡­

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT:

    ¡°Oh I don¡¯t know about that, there might be some kind of plast material you can get by extracting a rare chemical out of the ground and processing it through several steps to extract another chemical out of that and then processing the new chemical to get it to stick together in an airtight chain and then you¡¯d have to make some kind of fancy tool or machine to cut it properly without introducing tiny holes¡­¡±

    Seskii is describing how we get the material we use in spacesuits. It is a pain, though while writing this chapter I didn¡¯t know exactly how much of a pain it was.

    So come with me as we try to answer the question ¡°where do we get spacesuit material?¡±

    The important part of spacesuit material is the part that is able to freely move but is also airtight. Rigid suits are actually possible and look like massive suits of armor, but are decidedly impractical and annoying and heavy. If you have nothing else, sure they¡¯d work, but a soft suit or partially soft suit is so much better.

    For our suits, we use neoprene-coated fibers. Neoprene is a rubbery material, so when we put it on the fibers it will seal, but still be able to bend. It¡¯s rather convenient. The real question here is how do you get neoprene? Let¡¯s follow the path I did on my research for this topic. (Well, one path of many).

    Neoprene is one of many things that can be made by polymerizing chloroprene. Let¡¯s not worry about chloroprene yet and just focus on polymerization: the act of taking single molecules and, through some kind of chemical process, sticking them together in a big long chain. A polymer, if you will. Because of this, neoprene is also known as polychloroprene, as it is made of a lot of chloroprene molecules polymerized into a big long chain. The mechanism by which this is accomplished is free radical polymerization, and when I tried to look up details as to how exactly this occurred I remembered I wasn¡¯t a chemist and ran away in terror.

    In essence, though, the chain is built up one piece at a time. For neoprene in particular, potassium persulfate is used to trigger polymerization. (Potassium persulfate is one of those simpler chemicals you can just make, the reaction I found was potassium chloride salt mixed with sulfuric acid, both things that can just be found). Then we have to connect each of the polymer strands together with other processes but let¡¯s not worry about that, this is already complicated.

    Now we trace it further back: where do we get the chloroprene? Why, we get it from another chemical no one¡¯s ever heard of, 1,3-butadiene! And this process isn¡¯t simple either, you have to throw chlorine at it, then you have to ¡°isomerize¡± it. An isomer is simply a different way of arranging the atoms in a molecule: for instance, both diamonds and graphite are pure carbon, just arranged differently. (Though usually when we talk about isomers, we mean single molecules, not large endless arrays like what make up diamond and graphite, though strictly speaking the definition is still correct). Isomerization is changing the molecule from one shape to another. Then you remove a chlorine atom and a hydrogen atom from the new structure, and you end up with chloroprene. Yay!

    Of course, now we need to know where butadiene comes from¡­ and we finally have something that¡¯s not neck deep in a chemical soup, butadiene is produced during steam cracking as a byproduct. Steam cracking has a very descriptive name: it is when you mix a hydrocarbon with water and then heat it to absurd temperatures to destroy the bonds within the hydrocarbon molecule, creating new compounds. Butadiene is one of the products of steam cracking propylene, which itself is a product of steam cracking propane!

    At last, we arrive at a material we know where it comes from naturally! Well, not exactly¡ªpropane itself can come from multiple sources, either natural gas or petroleum refinement, but both of them have similar origins deep beneath the ground as the remnants of long-dead biomass.

    So, in short, you¡¯ve got to dig oil out of the ground, blow it up twice with water, throw chlorine at it, bend it, take a part away, and then stitch it all together in a line.

    Naturally, this is not an option for the WSP.

    That said, they do actually have a source of preexisting neoprene they could use to get by this limitation. Tires on wheeled rigids are most certainly made out of it. Too bad there aren¡¯t many of those in Kroan. Of course, this would have to be reprocessed, and that is an entire other can of worms.

 046 - Spacewalk

    WSP 046

    Spacewalk

    ¡°So¡­¡± Jeh asked from her seated position on a workbench behind the Cabin. ¡°Does anyone know why Krays called us here?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Vaughan said, not looking up from his gyroscopic experiment. No matter how he turned the outer casing on a spinning wheel, the wheel more or less kept the same orientation. However, it was that ¡®more or less¡¯ that was the problem, if this was to be used for orientation it needed to be far smoother than that.

    ¡°She¡¯ll show up eventually,¡± Blue offered. She was currently scribbling down some calculations in her notebook focusing primarily on the space station¡¯s logistics.

    Jeh groaned, flopping onto her back. ¡°More waiting¡­¡±

    ¡°We do a lot of waiting here,¡± Margaret pointed out.

    ¡°Wait wait!¡± Scurfpea, the last person present, added. ¡°We watch things grow while we wait!¡±

    ¡°Like you?¡± Margaret asked.

    ¡°Like me!¡±

    ¡°Uuuuuuuugh¡­ I wanna go to space¡­¡± Jeh put a hand over her face. ¡°Or go hang out with the Twins. Or something.¡±

    ¡°Hang out with me!¡± Scurfpea suggested.

    ¡°We¡¯re doing that.¡±

    Scurfpea gasped. ¡°I¡¯m boring!¡±

    Jeh sat up. ¡°Scurfea that¡¯s not what I mea¡ª¡± She noted Scurfpea¡¯s smug expression. ¡°You¡¯re getting smarter.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m learning!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all pretty good at banter at this point,¡± Margaret said. ¡°Even Big G can keep up, as can most of the Minor Wizards. I think the dynamic you started this Space Program with is infectious.¡± Margaret put a finger to her chin. ¡°Hmm¡­ actually, Jeh, you did point out that, on your trip, the others were still odd ducks over there.¡±

    ¡°Odd in a different way,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Only Claire I think would do the kind of messing around we do. And she wasn¡¯t exactly very nice about it.¡±

    ¡°Mikarol¡¯s space program is far more serious,¡± Margaret commented. ¡°Xanava is clearly an outlier, most of the people there were to the point soldier types.¡±

    ¡°The Emperor didn¡¯t seem like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s in charge, he can afford some eccentricity. Which, yes, I did get to meet him. It was¡­¡± Margaret paused. ¡°At first I was terrified, and then we sat down to have a meal and he got started talking about his conquests and that eventually turned into an amusing story about his childhood where an angry fruit tree tried to kill him. He¡¯s an¡­ interesting character. Much happier than I expected.¡±

    ¡°I bet he¡¯d be fun¡­¡±

    ¡°Jeh is not bored!¡± Scurfpea declared. ¡°Conversation, win!¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°...Okay fine, talking is fun.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you should have started there instead of complaining about being bored,¡± Margaret suggested.

    Jeh grumbled something incoherently.

    ¡°Point for Scurfpea! Me!¡± Scurfpea threw her hands into the air. ¡°Yay!¡±

    ¡°And this is where I come in!¡± Krays said, walking up to them with a large box strapped to her back. ¡°Somebody help me with this¡­¡±

    Blue levitated the box off of Krays¡¯ back and set it on one of the tables.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°A box!¡± Scurfpea declared.

    Krays smirked. ¡°Kid knows what¡¯s up, unlike you, not-really-a-kid.¡±

    Jeh crossed her arms. ¡°I knew it was a box.¡±

    ¡°Then why¡¯d you ask?¡±

    ¡°I want to know what¡¯s in the box!¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, well why didn¡¯t you say so?¡±

    ¡°I DID!¡±

    ¡°Did you?¡±

    Jeh twitched. She marched up to the box and undid the latch, opening it herself just so she didn¡¯t have to deal with the nonsense anymore. Everyone crowded around to see a suit neatly folded up in the box, made out of strands of blue, pink, and brown plast that seemed melted into each other. The bulk of the box¡¯s interior was filled not by the suit, but by a glass plate about the size of Jeh¡¯s face.

    ¡°...The spacesuit,¡± Jeh said, eyes wide.

    ¡°Yep!¡± Krayz pointed a thumb at herself. ¡°It just passed all my rigorous testing this morning! Airtight as the Skyseed! Puts all diving suits to shame, stupid things, so heavy.¡± She pulled the suit out of the box and unfolded it, revealing its jarring colors and mismatched stripey patterns from the various materials used. When the brown blended with the blue and pink it formed some truly awful and inconsistent colors. ¡°Also uglier than a scarred beaver butt, but we¡¯re here for practicality, not aesthetics. If you want aesthetics, paint it or something, I don¡¯t care.¡±

    Jeh walked around the suit. It was exactly her size. ¡°Hmmm¡­ how do you get in?¡±

    ¡°That is somewhat awkward,¡± Krays admitted. ¡°See, wherever you go in will be the weakest spot on the suit¡ªor, well, it is now, getting the face shield properly shaped was annoying but that¡¯s been dealt with. Putting the entrance around the neck would be near a crease, and that¡¯s a structural weak point. So I put it¡­ on the back.¡± She turned the suit around, revealing a lot of what looked like buttons at first, but were actually spools that controlled threads running through the interior of the suit. ¡°This mess back here is a bit like¡­ tying up prisoners and throwing them in the dungeon.¡±

    Vaughan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°I needed a knot simile.¡±

    ¡°Boats, maybe?¡±

    ¡°Does anyone here go sailing? No? Then shut up, we¡¯re tying Jeh up like a prisoner.¡±

    ¡°TO JAIL!¡± Scurfpea shouted.

    ¡°Space jail,¡± Jeh snickered.

    ¡°Anyway, before my simile was called out for absurdity¡ªthe gall of some wizards I swear¡ªI was going to talk about how it worked. First off, you can¡¯t secure your own suit, someone with fingers or telekinesis has to do it for you. What¡¯s really happening is that the fabric layers in the back of the suit get pressed together by all the threads. In order to keep it actually airtight there has to be a whole lotta pressure, so much that it ends up like a big lump on your back. But it¡¯s almost seamless.¡±

    ¡°...Can I try it?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Sure. The only thing you have to be careful of is the air restorer built into the face shield.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha.¡±

    Krays had clearly been expecting Jeh to try it on, because just a few cranks of the dials allowed the back of the suit to open up, and when fully unfolded it extended into a tube-like opening that was half as long as the suit itself was tall.

    ¡°...This is some impressive fabric work¡­¡± Blue said, gaping.

    ¡°That¡¯s the sound of someone assuming glassblowing is my only skill,¡± Krays said.

    ¡°I never¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still surprised that I know how to work with all the materials. Tut tut, when will the great genius Blue actually learn?¡±

    Blue glared at her.

    Krays grinned back. ¡°Not today, it seems.¡±

    ¡°And I just go in?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Well, you have to undress first,¡± Krays said. ¡°It is made to your measurements, bulky bear furs aren¡¯t gonna be good in there.¡±

    Jeh nodded, undressing until she was standing in only the black-and-teal top and skirt she regenerated with.

    ¡°...Actually, come to think of it, I have no idea what material that is¡­¡± Krays said.

    ¡°Krays!¡± Blue huffed. ¡°Don¡¯t ask Jeh about¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t know.¡± Jeh tore a small piece off the skirt. It didn¡¯t regenerate¡ªit wouldn¡¯t unless she was actually injured around that area. ¡°Here you go.¡±

    Krays took it and narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the fabric. ¡°Self-regenerating clothes may be the way of the future¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡­ sure?¡± Blue asked.

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°Not sure why, but the clothes don¡¯t bother me. They¡¯re almost like¡­ part of me, if that makes sense?¡± For a moment, Jeh got a faraway look. ¡°Not that all parts of me are¡­ nice¡­¡±

    Scurfpea sensed Jeh needed a hug, so she gave one to her. Jeh patted her on the head.

    She remained there in awkward silence for a few moments before she coughed. ¡°Scurfpea, I want to get in the spacesuit.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Right! Sorry!¡± Scurfpea backed away and gave Jeh a salute.

    ¡°Into the great unknown I go!¡± Jeh declared. She crawled into the back end of the suit, finding that while the back was all plast materials, the interior was actually coated in a furry fabric. ¡°It¡¯s fuzzy in here!¡±

    ¡°Well yeah! You don¡¯t want to chafe the entire time, do you?¡± Krays asked.

    ¡°Good point.¡± Jeh finished climbing into the suit, finding that her arms and feet fit just perfectly. Her hips and chest were given some room for motion, but her head was the only part that could be considered to have space. She felt the internal air restorer brushing against the back of her neck, allowing her to make physical contact with it. She stood up and wobbled, because the back of the suit was still extended.

    ¡°Right, this is going to take a while,¡± Krays said. ¡°Stand tight, everyone else watch.¡±

    The process of sealing the suit up wasn¡¯t particularly complicated, but it had a lot of fine steps that involved twisting dials to layer different plast fabrics over each other in just the right way. If it was done wrong, it wouldn¡¯t be airtight, and that would be a huge problem.

    While Krays set to work on this, Jeh had to stand and just look at everything. The face shield was the heaviest part of the suit, as it was made from glass. It gave the ¡°helmet¡± area enough structure that Jeh was able to move her head around with or without taking the suit with it, depending on how she held her shoulders. Her arms were completely free and disconnected from what Krays was doing, and Jeh¡¯s hands were in some very neat and comfortable gloves. Very flexible, had lots of dexterity, but were just as ugly as everything else on the suit. The pinks and browns mixed into a red into a few places.

    Red Gloves.

    Jeh took in a sharp breath, starting to breathe very heavily.

    ¡°Jeh?¡± Blue asked. ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°M-mostly,¡± Jeh stammered. ¡°G-give me a minute¡­¡± She looked away from her hands and instead directed her gaze to the sky, allowing herself to place a hand on her chest and feel her breathing through the stretchiness of the suit. Slowly, but surely, her breathing slowed, and her heart returned to beating at a reasonable rate.

    ¡°O-okay¡­¡± Jeh sighed in relief, allowing her gaze to go back downard. Seeing her hands like this made her stomach turn into knots, but¡­ but that was fine.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Vaughan asked, kneeling down so he was eye level with her.

    ¡°I¡­ it was a feeling. Like¡­ when talking about¡­ what I used to be. Like¡­¡± Jeh paused. ¡°Like the lava near the Guardian Spirit.¡±

    ¡°Do you want out of the suit?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Jeh shook her head. ¡°Suit¡¯s fine! Really comfortable, actually, if a bit warm¡­ goodness, I was sweating a lot there, wasn¡¯t I?¡± She moved her hand to wipe her brow, smacking into the face guard. ¡°...Krays, I see a problem.¡±

    ¡°Just suffer through it,¡± Krays commented.

    ¡°What if I need to scratch my nose!?¡±

    ¡°Same answer.¡±

    Jeh groaned. ¡°Kraaaaaaays¡­¡±

    Seeing Jeh play with Krays alleviated the worry evident on Vaughan¡¯s face.

    ¡°Did you¡­ remember anything?¡± Blue asked.

    Jeh shook her head. ¡°I never remember anything. I think¡­ it¡¯s all just feelings. Instincts. Like my muscle memory for cooking. My body knows what it¡¯s been through. I don¡¯t.¡± She gave Blue a big smile. ¡°But it¡¯s probably better this way, you know? Pretty sure whatever happened to me was not fun. Not like space, space is fun.¡±

    ¡°Space!¡± Scurfpea called.

    ¡°Yeah, space! ¡­When can I go to space?¡±

    ¡°When I¡¯m done!¡± Krays said.

    ¡°And when will that be¡­?¡±

    ¡°Later!¡±

    ¡°How are we actually going to send her to space?¡± Vaughan asked. ¡°The Moonshot II isn¡¯t ready for testing yet, we don¡¯t have a ship with a big enough airlock right now.¡±

    ¡°Not my problem,¡± Krays said.

    ¡°Idea!¡± Jeh said. ¡°What if Margaret takes me up¡­ strapped to the outside of a Skyseed?¡±

    Margaret¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s insane.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still insane! What if you fall off?¡±

    ¡°I burn up on reentry and make my way back to you guys, duh. We¡¯ve been through this before. It¡¯s how I met you!¡±

    ¡°That¡­ yes..¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll put you in danger by being on the outside?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ no¡­¡±

    ¡°Then you can do it!¡±

    Margaret clearly still did not like the idea.

    ¡°I can do it!¡± Scurfpea suggested.

    ¡°Okay, no, not you,¡± Margaret declared.

    ¡°But you do not¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, you don¡¯t go doing more crazy things, you aren¡¯t Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± After she said this, Scurfpea¡¯s smile faltered slightly. ¡°...I mean it. Ashen was very serious. I should be very serious. Serious.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the rope,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be so cool riding on the outside of a ship!¡± Jeh declared.

    Margaret pressed her hands together. ¡°It¡¯s going to be¡­ an interesting trip, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    ~~~

    Across the Western Ocean, one of Kroan¡¯s Skyseeds flew over a distant shore covered in grand, spiked, metallic buildings; the great Mikarol port city of S¡¯dleif. Virtually all visitors to Mikarol from across the sea would have to pass through this port city, and in fact there were a few Kroan ships easily identifiable in the harbor. However, S¡¯dleif was not the location of Mikarol¡¯s Space Program, and so the Skyseed flew right overhead. The pilot did, however, use Purple to signal to the ground what he was and what his intentions were so no one got testy and shot him out of the sky.

    Which was unlikely to begin with, the Mikarol army was more likely to send dragons to intercept, but that would still be annoying to deal with.

    This particular Skyseed was one of the larger ones, designed for a single pilot to carry cargo from one location to another. In this particular case, the cargo was none other than Queen Riikaz. She currently had her face pressed into the glass, watching S¡¯dleif pass below them. They were too high up to make out any people who weren¡¯t dragons, but nonetheless she could tell that the city was a bustling one. It was just before sunrise, so all the city¡¯s great lights were still on, brightening the great streets. Mikarol had a love for structures of metal and sharp points, and so the city below often reflected brilliantly into Riikaz¡¯ eyes. However, the city was slightly too regular for Riikaz¡¯s taste¡ªshe far preferred the sprawl of Axiom to this regimented grid. Though, to be fair, she was far more at home far from cities, even though she lived in one of the biggest in the world most of the time.

    The price of being queen¡­

    They quickly left S¡¯dleif behind them, traveling westward into the night side of Ikyu. They did not travel very far, for the capital of the Mikarol Empire was not far from the ocean¡ªit was built on a mountain. Though, at this point, the mountain itself hardly existed, for most of it was covered in metallic spikes marking the glory of the empire. This was the city of E¡¯min, which was not a proper name in Mikarolian, but a word with a literal meaning: Foundry. It was a glittering city of spikes with trails of smoke coming from the many, many metal processing centers within itself. The air quality was decidedly lower than most cities, though it was not sufficient to encase the city in smog, as the mountain had regular winds to blow it all away. Still, Riikaz knew full well that walking down one of the denser streets or tunnels could be somewhat suffocating.

    As they approached the city, two great armored dragons with scales as black as night flanked them on either side, their faces obscured by their helmets. Riikaz waved at them¡ªshe knew the Emperor¡¯s two greatest warriors, eternal pillars of the great Mikarol army, Grim and Daisy. Grim was a jokester, Daisy was notoriously brutal. Riikaz had found kindred spirits in both of them in the past.

    In fact, most of Mikarol had kindred spirits, the land was one of warriors and loyalty. Riikaz always enjoyed visiting and having friendly spars. However¡­ she knew enough to know she disagreed with the goals of the people here. She had seen the spark of the truth that defied violence in Redmind long, long ago, taking her out of the Wild Kingdoms¡­

    ¡­That beautiful memory was tainted, now, with her current quest.

    Is this still even a quest of revenge¡­? Riikaz wondered as Grim and Daisy shepherded them to E¡¯min¡¯s launchpad. I know what I know¡­ I must see it through. She shook her head. And I don¡¯t exactly trust the kids to handle this¡­ I am where I need to be.

    She closed her eyes as they landed, forcing herself to remember the picture of her enemy. The dryad. In her metal throne. Vraskal.

    She was one step closer.

    Not to revenge¡­ to saving her people.

    She opened her eyes. The top of the Skyseed was being unscrewed by a Mikarolian greater unicorn soldier in full armor.

    ¡°Have a nice trip back,¡± Riikaz told her pilot as she climbed out. Besides the clothes on her back, she was only carrying one small satchel of belongings.

    ¡°Enjoy your stay and be safe, my Queen.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure going to enjoy it but safety isn¡¯t exactly on the menu, sorry.¡±

    ¡°...Your children will await your return.¡±

    ¡°...I know.¡± Riikaz clenched her jaw. ¡°Be sure to tell them I¡¯ll come back the moment I think I have something we can use.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± With that, the Skyseed¡¯s lid was screwed back on and the pilot began his journey back to Kroan.

    Riikaz surveyed her surroundings. The launchpad for Mikarol was a flat area the size of a large house, made not of metal but of stone. Right next to where she¡¯d landed was the diamond-shaped Mikarol spaceship, the Skyripper; currently the only ship present. Riikaz did not know if Mikarol had any others operational. Leaning against the ship was a flauxi, obviously the Mikarolian astronaut Riikaz had heard about on during her prior stop in Axiom.

    ¡°Xanava, yes?¡± Riikaz asked.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Xanava glanced to the armored soldiers around her as if they could help her escape this situation. ¡°...Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°My daughter told me about you. Rest assured, I too know how to ¡®play ball,¡¯ do not worry, though I may challenge you to a spar if you get too insulting.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ I am¡­ not supposed to be the one greeting you..¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know that I¡¯m a prized guest who should be greeted by the Emperor personally, and that I have arrived at a time when he will be asleep and some poor sap is going to have to go wake him up and suffer terror for it.¡± Riikaz chuckled. ¡°Give him time, he¡¯ll be here.¡±

    ¡°Do you know me or do you know me?¡± The Emperor called, walking onto the launchpad with his powered armor, though he was helmetless. Two armored humanoids stood in rigid formation behind him; their armor clearly increased their stature as well, but they were still dwarfed in the presence of their Emperor¡¯s grand golden plates.

    Riikaz grinned. ¡°Nathaniel! Good to see you!¡±

    The extremely old man let out a delighted, gruff laugh. ¡°It has been too long since you graced our lands with your graceful strength, Riikaz!¡±

    ¡°Had things to do. I still have things to do, but they happen to be here, now.¡±

    ¡°Will we be seeing you in the arena during your stay?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe, it¡¯ll be good to keep my strength up, but I can¡¯t have myself getting injured, you understand. I know how rough you love your battles.¡±

    The Emperor clicked his tongue. ¡°Ah, yes, a legitimate challenge without spilling blood¡­ I shall have to think on it, perhaps a private viewing would be in order for such an event.¡± The Emperor turned to his guards. ¡°Disperse.¡±

    They gave him a salute and marched off in opposite directions.

    ¡°They really don¡¯t like you trusting me,¡± Riikaz said.

    ¡°Bah, I¡¯m too old to care about that.¡±

    ¡°Those doctors and magineers of yours really do work ¡®magic¡¯, huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the oldest man on record yet!¡± the Emperor chuckled. ¡°Have over a decade before we hit that!¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ the oldest human I¡¯m aware of lived to a hundred and nine, so you must be¡­ approaching a hundred! That¡¯ll be quite the party, won¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be even better if I could still battle in the arena.¡± The Emperor shook his head.

    ¡°The armor doesn¡¯t help?¡±

    ¡°Oh I could put up a good fight, but my bones are brittle. My next real fight will be my last.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I await every day for a foe worthy enough to take down with me.¡±

    ¡°I hear the Sourdough Twins are on your list¡­¡±

    ¡°Hah! That made it all the way back to you?¡± The Emperor nodded. ¡°Yes, they have the spark! I long to see what they will do.¡±

    ¡°They have done a few things already.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, space¡­¡± the Emperor nodded slowly. ¡°I suppose a tour of the facilities is in order¡­¡±

    ¡°Might I recommend we postpone that until later in the day? There are some matters I wish to discuss.¡±

    ¡°Riikaz, getting to business? What has the world come to?¡±

    Riikaz¡¯s smile vanished. ¡°Take a wild guess.¡±

    The Emperor¡¯s own smile dropped. ¡°You have learned something.¡±

    ¡°We need to talk.¡±

    ¡°I agree. Come, this way¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Lila looked up from the paperwork she was reading, just one sheet of many from a massive pile on her desk that had recently multiplied into three other stacks on the floor.

    In front of her desk were two nekos, a husband and wife, tied to their chairs. Keller was behind them, leaned up against the wall, somehow looking more displeased than usual.

    ¡°...I¡¯m not apologizing for anything,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Dear!¡± his wife hissed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not! They¡¯re hiding things from us and we were just doing what we needed to get to the truth!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell her that!¡±

    Lila sighed. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. ¡®Jellybean¡¯, none of this is helping your situation.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just gonna kill us for knowing too much! About all the fake reports! About all the things you¡¯re hiding from us! I¡¯ve seen what you¡¯re building in there, it¡¯s going to explode! Laced with destruction!¡±

    ¡°Please stop talking¡­¡± his wife whined, tears streaking down her face. ¡°We could have gotten out of this with our lives¡­¡±

    ¡°We know too much!¡±

    ¡°You idiots don¡¯t know nuttin¡¯,¡± Keller grunted.

    ¡°Why do you still keep up the act?¡± the man shouted. ¡°You already have us, we¡¯re at your mercy! Why the secrecy?¡±

    ¡°Has it occurred to you that there isn¡¯t a secret?¡± Lila asked.

    ¡°Of course there is, why else do you have that guy!?¡± the man gestured at Keller.

    ¡°To protect us from threats. It is no secret that the technology we are developing has been the target of a lot of intrigue. The scars from some of the battles are still visible.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and you totally went to the moon and found it to be a boring hunk of gray rock? Nonsense, if you¡¯d been there you¡¯d have a lot more to say!¡±

    Lila looked to Keller. Keller shrugged.

    ¡°You should have come up with a better story,¡± the woman said, though she was a lot less violent in her accusations. ¡°Just a bunch of gray rocks and craters? An age of the moon¡¯s surface far larger than anything reasonable? Just¡­ it¡¯s obviously a lie, anyone with a brain can see it.¡±

    ¡°Well.¡± Lila tapped her paw on her desk. ¡°What do you two think I should do with you?¡±

    They stared at her in disbelief.

    ¡°I am not going to kill you, real names or no, you¡¯re clearly Kroanites, not some foreign spies, and you have no intention of actually harming anyone, you just want to find ¡®the truth¡¯ that doesn¡¯t exist.¡±

    The man stared at her in disbelief. His wife snorted. ¡°Told you we could have gotten out of this, but nooo, you had to go and say too much.¡±

    Lila put one of her paws to the side of her head and scratched her ear to calm herself down. ¡°Nothing you¡¯ve said has made it any worse for you. Mainly because breaking a Skyseed is far worse than accusing us of nonsense. What were you thinking!?¡±

    ¡°Your secrets were held within!¡± the man shouted. ¡°The way you spun your lies¡­¡±

    ¡°You can see the Skyseeds fly! They work! They can go into space!¡±

    ¡°Then why lie about the moon?¡± the woman asked. ¡°Seriously, why?¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯re not lying, it¡¯s a gray rock almost everywhere! The report really does describe the moon: gray, dusty, crater-ridden, filled with small Colored Crystals!¡± Naturally, we don¡¯t actually mention Wanderlust, or the rigids, but they¡¯re not natural to the moon in the first place, so¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t even understand how you think that¡¯s reasonable to believe¡­¡± the woman shook her head. ¡°We can all look up at the moon and see a face, clearly it¡¯s living in some manner!¡±

    Lila stared blankly at her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she knows¡­¡± the man said, suddenly. ¡°She¡¯s not acting like it¡­ I think her superiors have lied to her and she believes them!¡±

    ¡°I dunno¡­¡± the woman tilted her head to the side.

    ¡°How sad that you trust them so well¡­¡±

    ¡°No, hold on, she was part of the Space Program before the government. She knows, she has to. She¡¯s just acting exactly like someone who didn¡¯t know would act in order to throw us off the scent!¡±

    ¡°Devious!¡± the man gasped.

    Lila sighed. ¡°Right, so, you¡¯re going to keep on believing there¡¯s some sort of conspiracy. Fine, we can just leave that be. You¡¯ve still broken a Skyseed and I can¡¯t just let that slide, nor can I have you pulling something like that again.¡±

    ¡°The truth will be known!¡±

    ¡°I sure hope so¡­¡± Lila muttered. ¡°Right, so, here¡¯s the deal. I¡¯m going to fine you.¡±

    The man was clearly confused. The woman chuckled. ¡°Good luck doing that, you don¡¯t even have our real names, you can¡¯t tie us to anything!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Keller could turn up something, but I don¡¯t even need that.¡± Lila sat up on her haunches, increasing her height. ¡°I am going to keep you in custody until you can pay off the fine. There we can keep a good watch on you and ensure justice is done. Of course, at any time you¡¯d be entirely free to tell us who you actually are and I will cut the fine in half¡­¡±

    ¡°Never,¡± the man said, hissing at her.

    ¡°Alright then, enjoy the rest of your lives of hard labor. Keller, take them away.¡±

    ¡°You got it, Miss Mayor.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­ that¡¯s it!?¡± the man shouted as Keller tilted up their chairs and wheeled them out of the room. ¡°That¡­ that can¡¯t be it! Hey! You can¡¯t just¡­¡± And after that Lila couldn¡¯t hear him anymore.

    Perhaps working closely with the processes of the Wizard Space Program will show them its truth and they can move past this.

    One can hope.

    Lila shook her head and returned to the papers on her desk. Even when there isn¡¯t an actual secret, people want there to be one¡­ Reality is unrealistic, it seems.

    ~~~

    Jeh was strapped securely but awkwardly to the exterior of a Skyseed, face pointed to the interior so she could see and talk to Margaret easier¡ªsound may not have traveled in space but it did conduct through glass, thus the need for constant contact. And a second rope that made sure Jeh¡¯s head was always in contact with the Skyseed and not about to crack open from a rogue jostle.

    Jeh¡¯s only degree of freedom was turning her head Everything else was strapped so tightly to the Skyseed that she was not going to be able to move it under her own power¡ªespecially since she didn¡¯t have access to her crystals. Only her personal air restorer needed to be active, the suit prevented the needed contact with anything outside.

    For all Margaret¡¯s concerns, though, the ride was smooth. Launch had no issues, and they were currently climbing up through the upper atmosphere as the blue sky slowly became black.

    ¡°...My nose itches,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°You¡¯re just gonna have to deal with that,¡± Margaret said. Her voice was slightly muffled due to her tightly wrapped flight suit that ensured there was no exposed skin anywhere.

    ¡°Well. See. I can¡¯t. Because I can¡¯t scratch my face.¡±

    ¡°I believe Krays¡¯ suggestion was to suffer?¡± Margaret tilted her head.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Well. I¡¯m doing that now. It¡¯s only getting worse.¡± She was silent for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s also getting really humid in here. My feet are in a pool of my own sweat.¡±

    Margaret took out a notebook and wrote that effect down. ¡°Anything else we should be concerned about?¡±

    ¡°Well, I can still breathe just fine. It¡¯s just uncomfortable. And I itch.¡±

    ¡°Think it would cause any problems for anyone else?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ sitting in a pool of your own sweat is probably bad for some reason? But on the actual Moonshot you wouldn¡¯t be sitting in the suit for hours, you¡¯d only put it on to go out.¡±

    ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± Margaret wrote that down.

    ¡°The itch. It¡¯s. Augh. It¡¯s just getting more intense¡­¡±

    ¡°Calm down, you¡¯ll live.¡±

    Jeh¡¯s eye twitched.

    ¡°...I¡¯d help you if I could, but there¡¯s glass between us.¡±

    ¡°Can you scratch my nose with Orange?¡±

    ¡°...Um¡­¡± Margaret tilted her head. ¡°...Maybe?¡±

    ¡°Try. Please, just¡­ agh it¡¯s so tingly!¡±

    ¡°Completely immune to pain but an itch drives her to insanity.¡±

    ¡°Just help me.¡±

    Margaret stopped pushing her will into the drive and took out an Orange crystal, focusing it on Jeh¡¯s nose.

    Jeh felt like her entire nose had been flattened. ¡°...That¡¯s. Not scratching. Maybe¡­ you could cut my nose off and I could grow a new, itchless one?¡±

    ¡°...A copy of your nose floating in your helmet with you sounds like a bad idea.¡±

    ¡°It is. Just¡­ I need something to scratch¡ªoh! Try my hair! Just move it around!¡±

    Margaret made the attempt, winding some of Jeh¡¯s hair into a very loose rope, running it across her nose.

    ¡°Ah¡­ much better. Thanks!¡±

    ¡°There has to be a way to make you able to do that yourself.¡±

    ¡°Install crystals in the gloves?¡±

    Margaret shrugged and returned to the drive, lifting them a little higher. However, their test didn¡¯t need them to be very high, just high enough that they wouldn¡¯t feel the effects of air and could stay there a while in freefall.

    Margaret eventually cut power to the drive. ¡°All right, I¡¯m cutting you loose. Ready?¡±

    ¡°Ready.¡±

    Margaret used her Orange to untie the ropes that had Jeh affixed to the Skyseed. Jeh was immediately relieved to move her arms and legs¡ªbut after that came the disorientation. There was nothing for her to hold onto other than the loose ropes now, and she had no Orange to help her orient herself. She was just¡­ drifting.

    ¡°Neat¡­¡± She attempted to pull her arms in and out to control her rate of spin, but quickly found that her arms didn¡¯t want to move. Once she had been cut loose the suit expanded into a starfish shape due to the air pressure, and moving it away from that shape required a lot of force. With much grunting she was able to slowly move her arms closer to her body. This did increase her rate of spin, as expected. She released the strain on her muscles and the suit returned to the starfish position.

    She was not particularly strong. Simply moving her arms in and out was at the limit of her physical capacity. ¡°We¡¯ll probably have to fix this¡­ Another reason to add Orange to the suit.¡±

    Margaret pointed to her ears and shook her head.

    ¡°Right, no sound. Guess I¡¯ll just¡­ drift for a bit.¡±

    Jeh made a valiant effort to control her motion. Her original idea had been to swim through space, but not only was moving her arms around exceedingly difficult, it didn¡¯t change her trajectory. All she could do was control the rate of her spin.

    At this point, the strain on her muscles was becoming too much. Everything she tried to move was sore. She gave her arms a break and tried doing some stretches with her legs, but it was just as difficult. The suit itself didn¡¯t prevent any motions she tried, they were still possible, just at an immense physical cost. Moving her fingers was all but impossible, she had to hold the ropes with her by placing them between her digits without actually gripping on anything. Her original intent to experiment with lassoes and rope tricks were completely shot. She could barely bundle up parts of the rope and throw them to the side to check how it moved her. It did act as expected; when she threw a bundle of rope to the side, she went the other way. Nothing particularly surprising.

    Besides the issue of being splayed out like a starfish most of the time, the  spacesuit just seemed to be¡­ working.

    She could go out and walk on the moon with this thing if she wanted.

    She turned herself around to gesture at Margaret and indicate she was done¡­ but she stopped herself when she looked down at Ikyu.

    From her current perspective, she could only see Ikyu. It was just her. No Skyseed, no ropes to be seen, just her looking down at the blue orb below.

    So small¡­ so tiny¡­ so fragile¡­

    Fragile?

    Where had that thought come from? Fragile? Ikyu was hardly fragile, it was massive. It wasn¡¯t like she could just¡­

    She reached out her hand. Ikyu still dominated the field of view at this relatively low altitude flight, but she could still hold out her hand in such a way that her fingers touched both ends. As if¡­ the world was in her hands.

    So fragile¡­

    Almost as though¡­

    Jeh clenched her fist around Ikyu. In her mind, it shattered into thousands of pieces, spreading a molten lava interior throughout the cosmos.

    Her gloves were red.

    Jeh shook her head, returning to reality. The truly beautiful orb of Ikyu was below her, still present, still inspiring.

    But to her¡­ it looked weak.

    Like it could break at any moment.

    Margaret¡¯s Skyseed drifted into view at this point. She looked a little concerned as she waved at Jeh.

    Jeh, with some difficulty, waved back and tried to give Margaret a thumbs up. Her fingers did not cooperate. With a sigh, she gestured with her entire arm for Margaret to strap her back to the Skyseed. Once Jeh¡¯s face was pressed into the glass once more, conversation resumed.

    ¡°You stopped moving there for a while, you good?¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Just¡­ felt like the world was in my hands for a moment there.¡± She paused. ¡°...I can¡¯t shake the feeling that the world is¡­ fragile.¡±

    ¡°Fragile?¡±

    ¡°Like¡­ the right person could just clench a fist and¡­ that would be that.¡±

    Margaret nodded. ¡°...Eyda could do that.¡±

    ¡°Could we stop her?¡±

    ¡°No. Or. Well¡­¡± Margaret paused. ¡°You¡¯d need a very powerful ally to help you¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll find one out here.¡±

    ¡°Who knows what the stars have to offer us?¡±

    ~~~

    Riikaz and the Emperor met deep within the mountain on which E¡¯min was founded, far from any prying eyes, political intrigue, or even soldiers. This room was meant for secrets; but the Emperor was still an Emperor, and the place was comfortable, if dark. The only light source was a Red-powered device that heated up metal until it glowed a bright orange. This was on the far side of the room, the table and chairs were furthest from this. There were chairs of every size for every species, all covered in cushions and armrests should the species they were designed for have arms. However, the chairs were without decoration¡ªpractical. Even the truly massive throne the Emperor himself sat in was simple.

    ¡°Still in your armor, even down here?¡± Riikaz asked. She took a swig of the Emperor¡¯s finest stock of fire wine, a Mikarolian delicacy.

    ¡°Heh. These days, it is not so much my choice¡­¡± the Emperor shook his head. ¡°Since secrets will be spilled here, I shall tell you one of mine. My body is far more frail even than it looks. I cannot do much without the armor and the magic.¡±

    ¡°...Have you chosen a successor?¡±

    ¡°Naturally, though they know it not. Nor does anyone else aside from those of the Silent Legality.¡±

    ¡°Think he¡¯ll continue to be our ally?¡±

    ¡°She, actually.¡±

    ¡°Oooooh, risky.¡±

    ¡°Unexpected, so highly unlikely to be assassinated prior to my death.¡± He paused. ¡°She is more suited to a the future coming world of cooperation than you or I.¡±

    ¡°I was able to adapt.¡±

    The Emperor chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re here now. I see it in your eyes. You haven¡¯t really.¡±

    Riikaz frowned. ¡°...Perhaps not. I am not a leader for peace, you are correct. But there are times when peace is not an option.¡± Riikaz paused. ¡°Will your people accept the change?¡±

    ¡°I do not know. But it will not be my concern, and I have not exactly discussed it with her, just made guesses. But this space station project¡­ I hope it¡¯s the push that will be required.¡±

    ¡°You have softened in your old age.¡±

    ¡°Only from you would I consider that a compliment and not an insult.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, who else has walked the same path as us?¡± Riikaz downed the rest of her wine and poured another glass. ¡°...I have not let myself enjoy wine this much in quite some time¡­¡±

    ¡°I sure hope you don¡¯t need your wits about you soon.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re safe here, right?¡±

    ¡°We are still speaking secrets. There are some you may not wish me to know.¡±

    ¡°Bah,¡± Riikaz said, waving a hand. ¡°You¡¯re an old friend at this point, Nathaniel, I trust you.¡±

    ¡°Mistake.¡±

    ¡°Possibly, but you just said¡­ we are approaching a newer world of cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Naturally. So¡­¡± The Emperor leaned in. ¡°What have you found?¡±

    ¡°I have entered the Tower of Knowledge.¡±

    The Emperor¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Deep secrets, then, the kind man was not meant to know.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± She folded her arms. ¡°I hunt the society that assassinated my husband, the nameless workers of the shadows who have orchestrated countless things without anyone knowing, attempting to be the masters of some kind of new world order.¡±

    ¡°The Guardian Spirit has kept me informed of the happenings in the Tempest,¡± the Emperor said. ¡°And your people of the Benefactor incident. I myself have begun noticing¡­ odd patterns here, in my very Empire. Be very cautious, Riikaz, being an honored personal guest of mine may not be sufficient to protect you if they catch wind.¡±

    Riikaz nodded. ¡°I am aware. After this I am not going to make my movements known if I can help it. I just wanted to share knowledge and see what we can come up with together.¡± She looked him in the eyes with a steeled gaze. ¡°They¡¯re based in Vraskal, deep underground. Their ruler is a free leaf dryad hooked up to some kind of Green arcane chair device. This is what the Tower of Knowledge permitted me to remember.¡±

    The Emperor nodded slowly.

    ¡°I also know she suffers for this goal. I¡­ do not know why that is important. But it may mean we are dealing with an idealist, not simply someone hungry for power or control.¡±

    ¡°A dryad in Vraskal¡­¡± The Emperor shook his head. ¡°Such an unlikely pairing. The wastes of Vraskal are particularly brutal on their kind.¡±

    ¡°I notice you are not doubting me at all, or questioning it.¡±

    ¡°Because now that you¡¯ve said it, a lot of what I know has fallen into place.¡± The Emperor crossed his arms. ¡°I told you I have been seeing patterns. These patterns extend very deep¡ªthe latest Tempest Incident was not simply a fluke of one man in the right place. Orders from seemingly unrelated sections of the army got him there where he could execute his plan. Many have been executed, but it persists, and trusted members of the Silent Legality have found similar patterns in history. Notably, they have clearly changed their strategy now, but the record of dealings does, in fact, go back. And there are a higher frequency of events closer to the Vraskal border¡­ in the past.¡±

    ¡°They had to expand¡­¡±

    ¡°But perhaps the most disturbing of the revelations is that we have found records of their activity prior to the founding of the Empire. As close as our records get to the Second Cataclysm, we find them.¡±

    ¡°What is their calling card?¡±

    ¡°The Silent Legality has noted the difficulty of finding a calling card, but there is one thing. The loss of black cubes, or of ¡®ancestries¡¯ as I believe we¡¯re calling them now. They vanish. In the old times shortly after the Cataclysm, incredible powers were reported far more often¡­ but now they are exceedingly rare, enough so that we were not sure they existed until recently. And it is your intel that connected them to the black cubes¡­ of which we have found hints of a few in history that vanish inexplicably.¡±

    ¡°And the ones in Vraskal vanish first.¡±

    ¡°Precisely.¡±

    ¡°They seek to control knowledge of certain things, and to get the black cubes¡­¡± Riikaz scratched her chin, frowning. ¡°...The black cubes have no knowledge.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps the knowledge they are trying to hide has to do with the black cubes. I think they have a secret. A terrible secret.¡±

    ¡°One that they are certain must never be widely known, and that they use to justify whatever atrocities they commit.¡±

    ¡°It seems as likely a theory as any other.¡±

    Riikaz tapped her fingers on her glass. ¡°We¡¯re planning to launch our black cube into the sun, for the record.¡±

    ¡°It is curious that you have been able to hold onto yours even after the¡­ interesting events with that escaped demon.¡±

    Riikaz nodded. ¡°Either they don¡¯t know, which is possible, their information network can¡¯t be perfect, or they don¡¯t mind us throwing it into the sun since we¡¯re not actually using it.¡±

    ¡°Or it¡¯s a cube they don¡¯t need.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the question, isn¡¯t it? For what? To know exactly what they want would be to ruin their plans, it seems. The moment we truly know what they¡¯re doing, what they¡¯re trying to avoid or cause, they have failed.¡±

    Riikaz looked at the empty drink in her hand. ¡°Do you ever wonder what truth could be so terrible that they would do such things to keep it?¡±

    ¡°I do. I have also considered what it might mean to beat them¡­ would we unleash something?¡±

    ¡°...What they are doing cannot be right. Manipulating empires, starting wars, assassinations¡­¡±

    ¡°Those are things I do on a regular basis.¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s no secret that I don¡¯t approve of Mikarol¡¯s ways.¡± Riikaz frowned. ¡°But I know you, and I see the chance for change. And you care for justice, and honor. These people have neither.¡±

    ¡°They are like those who see no higher purpose. There is no limit to what they can justify for their goal, whatever it may be.¡± He frowned. ¡°There is¡­ other information I have that may be relevant.¡±

    ¡°I have a feeling I¡¯m not going to like this.¡±

    ¡°You are not. In the Silent Legality¡¯s investigations into ancient history looking for the acts of our enemy, we found indications that the Second Cataclysm originated in Vraskal, and is at least partially related to why their land is such a harsh one.¡±

    Riikaz paused. ¡°Oh no.¡±

    ¡°The two might not be related¡­¡±

    ¡°They most assuredly are.¡± Riikaz stood up and turned to look, vacantly, at the Red heater. ¡°...Either they caused the Second Cataclysm, or are trying to stop it from happening again.¡±

    ¡°...And if they were trying to stop it, if it was the only way?¡±

    ¡°...Dia would not demand such evil.¡±

    ¡°Oh, great, you have an assurance, what about the rest of us?¡±

    Riikaz gave him a sad smile. ¡°I don¡¯t have one for you. But you know your honor cannot allow this disrespect to stand.¡±

    ¡°Indeed not. They will be faced.¡±

    Riikaz sat back down. She poured herself another glass of wine. ¡°So we might be dealing with the fate of the world here. And we might be on the side that destroys it.¡±

    ¡°We can see what we can to avoid such a result. What do we know of the Second Cataclysm? Everything was wiped out seemingly in one instant.¡±

    ¡°Benefactor has told us that wasn¡¯t the case,¡± Riikaz said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t exactly instant. Benefactor was working as some kind of communication network back then, part of her started shattering before the rest of her, so she purposefully divided the rest of her coherent self up so it would reform naturally as one in time. Whatever it was only seemed to target Crystalline Ones large enough to hold a spirit. ¡­But it was explosive. Extremely explosive. Unfortunately, she does not know what caused it, nor what happened immediately afterward since it took her a century to reform.¡±

    ¡°So. Something originated in Vraskal, spread out across Ikyu, destroying all spirited Crystalline Ones in such an explosive manner that any society near them was also taken out.¡±

    ¡°And the world was in an era of ash.¡±

    ¡°Much like how Vraskal always is.¡±

    Riikaz took another long drink of her wine. ¡°But¡­ it didn¡¯t reach the moon. Wanderlust remained.¡±

    ¡°True¡­ true.¡±

    ¡°My daughter¡¯s Lunar Library project is seeming a whole lot more important than it did when I first heard about it.¡±

    ¡°I wish her luck. If she wants Mikarol records, simply ask.¡±

    ¡°Send some over, she¡¯ll probably take the starts of the Library up on the next mission. I think it¡¯s scheduled to happen before winter.¡±

    ¡°That does bring us to our other new¡­ ¡®friends,¡¯ the blimps of Descent.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re related to this, but I don¡¯t trust them,¡± Riikaz said. ¡°They evidently have a superiority complex that makes yours look pathetic by comparison.¡±

    The Emperor let out a laugh. ¡°I see we have similar assessments of my superiority complex! Yes, I gathered as much, and while Envila was here I asked her of her people, she had a similar attitude; though I must say, she did not go to the upper city and had scant information on it. Your astronaut¡¯s quest has been most illuminating.¡±

    ¡°I sure hope that space station really does band the three of us together,¡± Riikaz said. ¡°I have a feeling like we need it.¡±

    ¡°Almost as though, if they needed to, our enemies would set us against each other?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Riikaz frowned. ¡°...I don¡¯t trust the blimps, but should we warn them?¡±

    ¡°...Normally I would say no, but our enemies are apt to take advantage of that. We can tell them¡­ limited information. The assassination of Redmind and that surrounding it may be sufficient, but refuse to give them details. Hide behind the need for security, which is required, but nonetheless make them aware.¡±

    ¡°The problem is if they¡¯ll listen to pathetic ground-dwellers like us.¡±

    ¡°That is the question, isn¡¯t it?¡± The Emperor leaned back. ¡°...I despise this.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°An enemy that can¡¯t be fought.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to try my best¡­¡±

    ¡°I wish you luck on your journey. I will provide you with covert transportation and set you on Envila¡¯s path¡ªI believe she can be trusted with your quest.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Now¡­ are there any other secrets we need to speak of?¡±

    ¡°Probably thousands, but none that are immediately relevant. Actually¡­¡± Riikaz folded her hands. ¡°This is a more personal question. Has the name Jenny Zero come up at all in your research?¡±

    The Emperor shook his head. ¡°The name means nothing to me.¡±

    ¡°If you do find something, send it over if you can. Just¡­ a personal favor.¡±

    ¡°May I ask why?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Nathaniel, there¡¯s sharing secrets to do the best we can, and there¡¯s sharing my secrets¡­ but then there¡¯s sharing other people¡¯s secrets.¡±

    ¡°Ah, fair enough.¡± He stood up, giving him a smile. ¡°Should we get to that tour, then?¡±

    ¡°Please, I¡¯d love to see how you intend to go to space.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve already gone¡­¡±

    ~~~

    The Red Seekers still primarily lived at their little settlement on the mountain, though their numbers had grown substantially since the day the demon attacked. As more and more people moved into Willow Hollow, more and more of them were Seekers of one kind or another, and the Red Seekers tended to find their way here.

    Joira made it very clear that the ways of violence and divine purging fire were not tolerated. Fortunately, most of the new Red Seekers coming in were not the sort looking to get away from society to plot its downfall, but those sorts who saw the power of fire in the sun and wished to touch it.

    Now, while it wasn¡¯t exactly public knowledge and was still hidden behind highly academic papers, the knowledge that the sun was the center of the Solar System wasn¡¯t exactly a secret. Arno had figured it out first, and then he had run to tell everyone at the Red Seekers about it.

    The great light of the sky, the fire of day, was the center of everything.

    Some Red Seekers had taken to this like candy, desperate for something to hold onto after the death and tragedy at the demon¡¯s hand. The newcomers and the young people, mostly. However, most of the older crowd did not like the sudden focus on the glory and life giving light of the sun¡ªit wasn¡¯t even red! Of course, then the young people would argue that actual fire was orange but not Orange and then a fight would have to be broken up.

    Joira herself was so disillusioned she didn¡¯t really care either way. She didn¡¯t trust either sides¡¯ wild claims; all she knew was that she was done with all the pain. So when the fights were broken up, she had the instigators brought to her.

    She was not shocked in the slightest when a greater unicorn woman and Arno were brought to her.

    ¡°Joira, Nill was being mean!¡± Arno called. ¡°She called me stupid and dumb and in¡ª¡±

    ¡°Arno, what have I told you about starting fights?¡± Joira asked.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°You have to stop.¡±

    ¡°But she¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what she said about you or the light of the sun.¡±

    ¡°She also insulted Vaughan! And Blue!¡±

    Nill spat on the ground. ¡°They¡¯re worse than you, dumb kid.¡±

    Joira turned to Nill. ¡°Well, unrepentant are we?¡±

    ¡°I have nothing to say to you.¡±

    ¡°You were around when the tragedy struck.¡±

    ¡°I have no interest in causing that to happen again, rest assured. But there is history to consider, and the way things ought to be. You are allowing our faith to become diluted.¡±

    ¡°Intentionally.¡±

    ¡°I know. I cannot fight against that. I do not wish to. But I am not happy.¡±

    Joira glared at her. ¡°You should still know better than to pick fights with children.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t exactly call it a fight. I insulted him. He punched me. I kept insulting him. This went on until we were dragged here.¡±

    ¡°She was so rude!¡± Arno huffed. ¡°Didn¡¯t even fight back.¡±

    ¡°I could have cracked your skull open with a kick, kid.¡±

    ¡°Wanna try!?¡±

    ¡°Stop it, idiots!¡± Joira shouted. ¡°Look, I could care less what you two think, but learn to live with each other. Nill, just stop insulting people for what they think about the sun or the Red or whatever, got it?¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡±

    ¡°And just to make myself clear, become enough of a problem and I will kick you out.¡±

    ¡°I know. If I had anywhere else to go I would not put up with any of this. But I don¡¯t, so here we are. Am I done?¡±

    Joira put her hand to the bridge of her nose. ¡°Fine, fine, just¡­ stop stirring up trouble.¡±

    ¡°...Yeah.¡± For a moment, a look of deep sorrow crossed Nill¡¯s face, but she left Joira¡¯s house before she could discern anything else about it.

    Joira then turned to Arno. ¡°Arno, you get in here every month or so, and you¡¯re at the bottom of the mountain most days out of the week. You have got to stop picking fights.¡±

    Arno crossed his arms. ¡°Not my fault everyone¡¯s stupid¡­¡±

    ¡°Arno. Arno. You are stupid.¡±

    Arno glared at her. ¡°No. I¡¯m great. I know things, they teach me things.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this, started out too angry one way, is now too angry the other way¡­¡± Joira rubbed the sides of her head. ¡°Look, for now, you¡¯re a kid and everyone has to put up with you. But you aren¡¯t making any friends. If you¡¯re still acting like this when you grow up, I will kick you out like I just threatened Nill over there.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°...Arno, before that day, I wanted to get rid of you.¡±

    Arno stared at her.

    ¡°Look at me, telling all this to a kid¡­¡± Joira shook her head. ¡°Arno, we gave you over to them as part of a way to not have to deal with you all the time. That was wrong of me. You shouldn¡¯t have to even think about these things, but I¡¯m running out of things I can think of to get through your thick skull! I just¡­ don¡¯t become me, Arno.¡±

    ¡°No danger of that. I¡¯m a boy!¡±

    Joira stared at him. ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t getting any of this, are you?¡±

    ¡°All you adults say all sorts of things, but all of it always turns out to be wrong. So¡­¡± Arno shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind not to listen anymore.¡±

    Joira stared at him blankly.

    He was being so insufferably stupid, but he did have a point, basically everyone he looked up to had either misled him or just been wrong about where they were leading him.

    ¡°At least in space you can do tests to see who¡¯s right. I asked Blue to do a test with all you Red people. She seemed confused.¡±

    Joira stared at him. ¡°...You don¡¯t consider yourself a Red Seeker anymore, do you?¡±

    Arno shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t test it.¡±

    ¡°You know they believe in things that can¡¯t be tested down there, like Dia.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what they¡¯re wrong about. All you adults. You all tell me you know things and you¡¯re always wrong.¡±

    Joira sat back in her chair, staring blankly ahead. ¡°Arno¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ are free to go. Just¡­ just try not to cause more trouble, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Arno tilted his head. ¡°Joira¡­? You seem¡­¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ go. Please.¡±

    Arno suddenly ran out of there.

    Joira stared at a blank wall.

    She knew Arno was wrong.

    She just couldn¡¯t figure out why.

    ~~~

    The spacesuit was laid out on a table outside Vaughan¡¯s cabin.

    Blue, Vaughan, and Krays were the only ones there. Margaret had left a while ago. Jeh was taking a full-on bath.

    The suit itself reeked.

    Vaughan and Blue had their mouths and noses covered, Vaughan with his hands, and Blue with a towel she had levitated in front of her face.

    Krays smirked. ¡°Noses are a biological weakness, take that! I¡¯m immune!¡±

    ¡°Never sit in a pool of your own sweat for hours,¡± Vaughan observed.

    ¡°No, really,¡± Blue deadpanned.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t exactly think of it before sending it up there!¡±

    ¡°...Right. Uh. So. How are we going to clean it?¡±

    Krayz held her hands up in the air. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I can¡¯t smell, dingbats. I hear we gari naturally smell pleasant.¡±

    ¡°You all smell very vaguely fruity,¡± Vaughan commented.

    ¡°...I¡¯m not sure how to respond to that.¡±

    Vaughan shrugged.

    ¡°Jeh¡¯s gonna have to wear this suit again¡­.¡± Blue noted.

    Krays nodded. ¡°Of course she is, we aren¡¯t throwing it out even if it reeks like a beaver that was grilled and then left in the sun for a week. This thing costs more than a Skyseed.¡±

    ¡°Yeesh¡­¡±

    ¡°The stink will probably come out eventually with enough water,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°And soap.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll get all the skin oils and stuff out,¡± Blue said. ¡°The stink will probably stay.¡±

    ¡°...Plug your nose while wearing it?¡±

    Krays chuckled. ¡°Maybe have Jeh just cut off her nose while doing it?¡±

    At this point Mary showed up with a massive wooden tub on wheels, filled with water. Several kinds of soap and herbs were hanging off the side. Mary herself was wearing a mask with some kind of mint leaves all over it. ¡°Margaret told me the problem, hand it over, I¡¯ve got every cleaning thing passed down from the women in my family for generations. We¡¯ll get that stink out.¡±

    ¡°Be careful with it,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s the only spacesuit we have. Anything I should be aware of that might break it?¡±

    Krays shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s pretty much indestructible, the airtight layer is actually only the middle layer, there¡¯s a veneer on the outside that protects it from any elements. Probably not space rocks but we haven¡¯t been able to test that yet.¡±

    ¡°All right, time to get this good as new¡­¡±

    ¡°How did you get that tub all the way here?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s Alexandrite water. His nose was too sensitive to get any closer so he got me the water and then left me to push the tub the rest of the way.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Mary violently threw the suit into the tub and began scrubbing. ¡°Stains, it¡¯s time for pain!¡±

    Blue, Vaughan, and Krays slowly backed away from the tub and the stink, eventually removing their various mouth covers.

    ¡°I can breathe again¡­¡± Blue gasped. ¡°My goodness¡­¡±

    ¡°Apparently Alexandrite can¡¯t,¡± Vaughan noted.

    ¡°Dragon noses are too good, apparently.¡±

    ¡°So good his brain decided to check out!¡± Krayz chuckled. ¡°We have discovered a new anti-dragon weapon, the STINK BOMB!¡±

    ¡°Joy¡­ anyway¡­¡± Blue looked back to Mary. ¡°At the very least we have a spacesuit. Jeh will be able to use it on the next trip to the moon. The question is, though¡­ can we make suits for everyone else?¡±

    ¡°Not for Scurfpea,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°She¡¯s still growing and will probably put down roots anyway.¡±

    ¡°Gari are problematic, we have sharp pointy things.¡± Krays gestured at the points at the edge of her gauntlets. ¡°They can be sanded down but that¡­ that would be like shaving your head. We like our spikes. The suit would have to accommodate them somehow.¡±

    ¡°Unicorns?¡± Blue asked.

    Krays scratched her chin. ¡°Your hard hooves are probably the worst part, always scraping and clattering and tearing away at the interior. ¡­Gari plast is also a problem on the foot, come to think of it.¡±

    ¡°But humans are easy?¡±

    ¡°Humans are squishy.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ the design flaws can be overcome though, right?¡±

    ¡°Definitely! What do you take me for, little miss genius, a hack who sells fake potions at a stand in the middle of the forest?¡±

    ¡°You called?¡± Seskii asked. She was up a nearby tree, kicking her legs back and forth.

    ¡°Yes, actually,¡± Krays said. ¡°Got any lemonade?¡±

    Seskii tossed her a lemonade inside a potion bottle. Krays downed the thing in one go. ¡°Diadem, I was thirsty¡­¡±

    Seksii rolled her eyes. ¡°You know, I can¡¯t just always show up when you want a drink.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s worth a shot, right? Eh?¡±

    ¡°...Yeah, probably.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°The Emperor graces you with his presence!¡± an armored humanoid shouted down to the populace below, which was largely engineers, all working on a half-dozen nearly completed spacecraft of similar design to the Skyripper, though they were each of slightly different sizes, and a few of them were cubic rather than diamond-shaped. The work was performed in a massive warehouse partially dug out of the mountain. Unlike Kroan¡¯s manufacturing, which sourced materials and goods from several different places across Kroan, this warehouse had everything needed on-site: a forge in the back that could both smelt and assist with glass work, powdered crystal tubes with every Color of crystal, and even a few bookshelves filled with detailed scientific data.

    The workers who could safely put down their work did, and bowed as the Emperor strode in through the warehouse¡¯s main doors, Riikaz at his side.

    Riikaz was mildly surprised to find that most of the engineers were women of various different species. This surprise quickly vanished¡ªshe knew full well that in Mikarol the men were usually the warriors and leaders while the women were usually the creatives and caretakers, of course in their culture precise engineering would be thought closer to women¡¯s work than men¡¯s. She found herself mildly surprised that she¡¯d never been this deep in a Mikarolian factory before; the Empire was well known for its industry and metalworking, not just because it fueled the majority of their army.

    Almost none of the engineers were in armor, and the warehouse was so large, so Riikaz managed to get a good look at the demographics of Mikarol. Mostly humans, a fair number of gari and nekos, and a decidedly large variety of other humanoid races of all sorts. There were a few greater unicorns present as well, though they were among those who could not stop their work for the Emperor as they were currently using their levitation attribute to work with red-hot metal.

    ¡°You may return to your work!¡± the Emperor called. ¡°I am merely giving Queen Riikaz Kroan a tour of the premises. I ask what comes next knowing it is impossible but expecting an attempt nonetheless: act as though we were not here unless we address you.¡±

    Riikaz smirked. ¡°Striking fear while being reasonable. I like it.¡±

    ¡°It is an art I have perfected over the years.¡±

    The two of them slowly walked through the warehouse, observing the various ships.

    ¡°Most of these are almost complete,¡± Riikaz observed.

    ¡°Some could be flown,¡± the Emperor said. ¡°We¡¯re just adding the finishing touches.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re much faster at building these than we are.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re spending a lot of time into initial development and continually trying new things. Meanwhile, Mikarol industry is suited to quickly producing lots of similar things. We have nothing even approaching your Moonshot yet, but we will soon have dozens of these Skyseed-style designs.¡±

    ¡°And the space station?¡±

    ¡°It is currently looking like we will be primarily responsible for the bulk structure and segmentation,¡± the Emperor explained. ¡°There are only designs as of now, of course, and since everyone has to approve them the going is slow. It will become faster once we no longer have to rely entirely on your Skyseed messengers.¡±

    ¡°You have other uses.¡±

    The Emperor chuckled. ¡°Of course! Take this one, for instance.¡± He gestured at a diamond-shaped ship with a hatch on the bottom. ¡°This one has the lower cargo space converted into a bomb hold. Simply open it up and watch the object fall from as high up as you want. Chances of you going up against someone who can shoot you down are low!¡±

    ¡°Aiming would be difficult.¡±

    ¡°Naturally. We are considering replacing our crystalline explosives with mundane ones for this purpose. Less power, but also far more reliable and doesn¡¯t rely on a timing mechanism.¡±

    ¡°Had you had these things in the Tempest¡­¡±

    ¡°I would never have been in the dark about what was happening. For all everyone around here talks of weapons, destructive potential, and threats, by far the biggest benefit of these things is a higher speed of communication. I can get a message from anywhere in the world in a day.¡±

    ¡°It really has made our lives a lot easier too,¡± Riikaz admitted. ¡°Though, I will note one difference between your program and ours.¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    Riikaz gestured at all the workers around them taking careful, precise measurements in silence, working like they themselves were part of a well oiled machine. Even the theorists over by the bookshelf were quietly studying books and writing things down on a chalkboard. ¡°It¡¯s so regimented.¡±

    ¡°Expected everyone to be like Xanava, did you?¡±

    ¡°Not because of Xanava, but because I¡¯ve been around the Wizard Space Program¡¯s founders. They¡¯re all delightfully eccentric oddballs and their work is colored by that. Spontaneous. Lighthearted. Excitable.¡±

    ¡°Your program came out of a man¡¯s crazy dream that turned into more than he expected. Our program has arisen in the attempt to copy your results¡ªthese people are all the best of the best, career engineers who have proven their mettle again and again in the greater industry of Mikarol. Not a person here is an unknown, everyone has their great achievements. That does tend to reduce the eccentric personality types.¡±

    ¡°True¡­ but would that not hinder creativity in such an endeavor?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± the Emperor admitted. ¡°But I know not how to specifically search for eccentrics, do you?¡±

    ¡°No, they kind of just¡­ show up.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Unreliable. Unpredictable. Often good on the battlefield, but not when you need standardized and regular output.¡±

    ¡°Which you want.¡±

    ¡°And you should want, too,¡± the Emperor said. ¡°You are struggling with a certain plague, after all.¡±

    Riikaz nodded. At this point, they had reached the back of the warehouse, where the greater unicorns were working the red-hot metal into shapes that could hold the glass panes and provide a ship structure. ¡°It¡¯s taken a few of our ships.¡±

    ¡°While you do not have a very large rigid population yourself, we have a sizable one, and should it reach the Empire the results would be¡­ quite catastrophic.¡±

    ¡°I only see the flauxi among your soldiers¡­¡±

    ¡°Most of the rigid peoples are not suited for battle, their forms are weak, and very small, easy to overlook. They perform a lot of city maintenance and management.¡±

    Riikaz nodded. ¡°Are you offering help?¡±

    ¡°Now that I¡¯m about to have a small number of ships that can transport people and resources to you quickly and reliably, I am. Your ships are not intended for battle, but some of mine are. Perhaps I can provide the edge you need.¡±

    ¡°It will be most welcome, we do feel somewhat closed in at the moment. It is so infuriating¡­ an enemy that hides behind the faces of others.¡±

    ¡°There are too many of those, these days¡­¡± the Emperor scowled. ¡°Honor must be upheld.¡±

    ¡°...I prefer to think in terms of justice, these days.¡±

    ¡°Then justice will be attained.¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡± as they turned to walk back out of the warehouse, Riikaz gave him a grin. ¡°How about we talk about those sparring matches?¡±

    ¡°Oho¡­ yes, I do believe we have put that off long enough¡­¡±

    ~~~

    The sun had just set, but it was not yet dark, for the memory of day still streaked across the sky. The Moonshot II stood tall, a silhouette against the sky.

    Currently, only Krays and Darmosil stood in front of it.

    Krays knew it wasn¡¯t complete. The interior hadn¡¯t been fully furnished, the drive wasn¡¯t fully installed yet, and the airlock was only half complete.

    But at this moment, where all the features were hidden in the silhouette, it sure looked complete. An echo of a dream that was near arriving.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ almost done,¡± Krays said, putting a hand to her chest. ¡°It won¡¯t be long at all before we launch again. Another friendly jaunt to the moon. Just¡­¡± Krays lifted her hand into the air and put her thumb and finger around the moon, which was currently high in the sky.

    Darmosil put an arm around his wife.

    ¡°Ah, look who¡¯s getting all sentimental, how weak.¡± She put her arm around him as well.

    ¡°This has been good for you.¡±

    Krays blinked. ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°You have something in your life that isn¡¯t just you and me. I remember when you first came here¡­¡±

    ¡°Well that was a terrible time.¡±

    ¡°Yes. But. You were on top of the world. You were determined to become great, to be the best. But then we settled down, and you were content but¡­ something was still missing from the fire you originally had.¡±

    ¡°Psh, I¡¯ve always had my fire.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know yourself as well as you think.¡±

    ¡°Eh. Maybe.¡± She paused. ¡°I really have thrown myself into this. So many things I know how to do that¡­ weren¡¯t used in my job. I just¡­ I just didn¡¯t know doing something like this was possible for anyone who wasn¡¯t a wizard.¡±

    ¡°And now the history books will remember Krays, space materials engineer.¡±

    ¡°And you too!¡±

    ¡°Me? Krays, I never wanted to be in a history book.¡±

    ¡°Too late! I¡¯m gonna make sure you¡¯re in it and that our spats will become the stuff of legend.¡±

    ¡°Like they aren¡¯t already?¡±

    ¡°Hah! The rumors at the bar are nothing compared to what will come in the future! Generations down the line, they will tell stories about us that are completely wrong, paint us in a terrible light, and maybe we¡¯ll even become demonic entities used to scare children into behaving!¡±

    ¡°That would be an amusing story to hear. I think I¡¯ll be painted as the reasonable one, while you the psycho.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be painted as the boring one.¡±

    ¡°As I should, if we¡¯re talking about blatant lies.¡±

    ¡°Oh if we¡¯re going that route, I¡¯m the princess of Kroan, look at me go!¡±

    ¡°I dunno, Tenrayce could make you an honorary member.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right, we were friends for, what, a day?¡±

    ¡°That could be enough.¡±

    ¡°Unlikely.¡±

    A silence fell over them. A wind blew past them.

    ¡°I am just¡­ really glad you¡¯ve found something to look forward to.¡± Darmosil paused. ¡°...I am sorry.¡±

    Krays sighed. ¡°...You don¡¯t have to keep telling me. I know.¡±

    ¡°I need to remind myself every now and then. I¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault you can¡¯t and you know it and I have to tell you this every time you get in this stupid mood.¡± Krays took in a sharp breath. ¡°I can live without kids. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s fine. Get that through your thick skull.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m not sure it will ever get through.¡± He looked down at the ground for a moment. ¡°Is¡­ is it enough?¡±

    Krays forcibly grabbed him by the face and made him look her in the eyes. ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t have an amazing project to the stars to work on, it would be enough, you absolute buffoon. Nimrod. Numbskull. Peabrain.¡±

    ¡°Trying to lighten the mood, are we?¡±

    ¡°The moment you realize how stupid you are the happier the entire world will be.¡± She paused. ¡°...But mostly me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

    Krays chuckled. ¡°No you won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Well if we¡¯re doing brutal honesty, neither will you.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want a perfect man anyway, couldn¡¯t get any pot shots off on him. Would be insufferable.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean there is no perfect man and your entire point is, in fact, pointless?¡±

    ¡°Darmosil, we¡¯re gari, we¡¯re all points.¡±

    ¡°I know something on me that¡¯s not a point.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    And that¡¯s when the passionate kissing began.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Spacesuits aren¡¯t actually that complicated of a concept to understand. They keep air and a person inside while allowing the person to still interact with an external environment. Diving suits and hazmat suits operate on a similar principle: create a bubble for a human to live in that will protect them from the elements. Now, what the elements are changes how the suit is made: diving suits need to deal with water, hazmat suits with biohazards and radiation, and spacesuits need to deal with the vacuum.

    The primary goal of the spacesuit is to keep air in. This is accomplished using rubbery materials as discussed last time. Our spacesuits also have layers just like Krays¡¯, but the one layer she hasn¡¯t really considered much is one that¡¯s somewhat important: insulation, ensuring that the internal temperature remains the same.

    Bizarrely, on normal spacewalks around a space station, temperature regulation is not a big issue for short periods of time, as the only way heat transfers in space is due to radiation; so the sun will be warming you up like it will on a normal sunny day, though the atmosphere isn¡¯t in the way so it is a bit stronger. A human¡¯s internal temperature generation will also cause a heat buildup, which was part of the reason Jeh ended up sweating so much. But on short scales temperatures don¡¯t change readily in space, so going out and coming back in would be no issue. Now, our spacesuits still have to be designed for long spacewalks with temperature regulation and we would rather have our astronauts comfortable. Also when working on the exterior of, say, a space station, touching said space station will transfer heat, and if the sun is currently out that¡¯s likely to have warmed to a blistering hot level in certain places like solar panels. So just a good idea to temperature regulate your spacesuit somehow.

    Our spacesuits have chilled water systems in place to keep things cool, and internal vents to keep sweat from accumulating. The other layers of fabric besides the rubbery one are also good insulators, stopping heat from flowing in or out as much as possible. However, we also need a lot more resources to maintain the atmosphere¡ªwe don¡¯t have magic air restorers and need giant packs with compressed air and ways to cycle the air in and out. In fact, modern spacesuits have so many features, fancy fabrics, and internal systems that we could go over them for an eternity¡ªbut, strictly speaking, most of those systems are not necessary to it being a spacesuit. All it has to do is keep the air out and allow for enough range of motion that astronauts can do work in space. With a way to breathe and a way not to be cooked or frozen, that is accomplished.

    Though we are all thankful we don¡¯t have to sit in pools of our own sweat.

    ADDENDUM: in the original chapter, Jeh had no issue moving around in space. However, it turns out that a single atmosphere of pressure inside a soft spacesuit makes it REALLY difficult to move around as the suit tries to expand to its full size from the pressure alone. NASA solved this problem by having their spacesuits be at low pressure, but at 100% oxygen content so people can still breathe. The Wizard Space Program doesn¡¯t know how to isolate oxygen so this is not an option, so it¡¯s a good thing they have Orange crystals on hand to force movement.

 047 - Return to the Moon

    WSP 047

    Return to the Moon

    ¡°TEN!¡±

    Jeh locked her swivel seat into place, directing her gaze upward, through the drive and out the upper

    window of the Moonshot II.

    ¡°NINE!¡±

    Blue used her telekinesis to make sure no one was hiding in the waste collection area. The door revealed itself to be Twinless.

    ¡°EIGHT!¡±

    Keller gave Blue a knowing look. Blue rolled her eyes. Of course he already checked¡­

    ¡°SEVEN!¡±

    Vaughan clutched the arms of the chair he was strapped in.

    ¡°SIX!¡±

    The four astronauts were now entirely ready for departure, they were just waiting for the countdown to wrap up, creating a strange moment of unneeded apprehension simply for the sake of timing.

    ¡°FIVE!¡±

    Outside, there was a large crowd, raising and lowering their various kinds of limbs in time with the counting.

    ¡°FOUR!¡±

    There was no royal contingent for this launch. The podium had only Lila sitting comfortably on it, having completed her speech quite some time ago.

    ¡°THREE!¡±

    She was shouting with everyone else, but her gaze was not on the craft, but the crowd itself. Everyone was so excited, but there was some apprehension. After all, considering what happened the last time they¡¯d left¡­

    ¡°TWO!¡±

    But they were pushing through it. They may have been prepared for things to go wrong, but they were attempting to enjoy themselves nonetheless.

    ¡°ONE!¡±

    Lila tore her eyes off the crowd and looked at the Moonshot II at the last minute.

    ¡°ZERO!¡±

    The ship lifted into the air, smoothly and without any sign of difficulty. There wasn¡¯t even any shaking or jostling, Jeh had a really good hold on it. The metallic orb with eight protruding knobs went higher and higher and higher until they could no longer see it in the brilliance of the sun¡¯s glare.

    Lila let out a breath she hadn¡¯t realized she was holding.

    ¡°They will return in a few days,¡± Lila told everyone. ¡°Until then¡­ let us go about our days as we otherwise would. Just let us not forget where they are, and pray for their safe return from the lands far beyond.¡±

    Chatter emerged from the crowd as everyone started to disperse. Lila jumped off the podium and nuzzled Suro briefly.

    ¡°Even this is starting to feel routine,¡± Suro observed.

    ¡°It¡¯s only the second time¡­¡± Lila shook her head, but smiled. ¡°Even so, you¡¯re right, it does feel¡­ normalized. They¡¯re going to the moon and my biggest concern is that something is going to happen to us while they¡¯re gone.¡±

    ¡°The Agents have an extra close eye on this place.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ but if something does go wrong, it won¡¯t be the same thing as last time,¡± Lila said. ¡°All our enemies would know better than to try again, and Pepper doesn¡¯t know of any recently released evils that might torment us.¡±

    ¡°That she knows of.¡±

    ¡°...Yes. That she knows of.¡± Lila turned her gaze to the sky. She could not see the Moonshot II, but she knew it was up there. ¡°...Let¡¯s be vigilant.¡±

    ¡°I think the entire town is going to be.¡±

    ¡°And let us not forget, they too have a mission, and need to be kept safe. Even if there is no one up there to threaten them¡­ space is no friend.¡±

    ~~~

    Princess Tenrayce had noted that Wizard Rigelia did everything in her power to never actually stand in the presence of any member of the royal family. Tenrayce knew exactly why she did this. Tenrayce demanded a personal audience anyway.

    Rigelia floated into the throne room, doing everything she could with her Orange magic rather than anything else. Since she was floating, when she ¡°bowed¡± all she really did was just tilt her head forward and look down. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±

    Tenrayce was the only one in the throne room, sitting on her chair next to the empty throne of King Wyett.

    She did not have to call the meeting in the throne room. She could have done it anywhere, and in fact she usually preferred to. However, Rigelia needed to be¡­ reined in with a constant reminder of who was in charge here.

    ¡°Wizard Rigelia.¡± Tenrayce did not look up from the book she was reading. ¡°Report on the space station.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, if that is all you wanted I could have sent¡­¡±

    ¡°You are one of the primary forces behind the development of the project here in Axiom. I need to see your face and hear your voice on the matter. Anything less would be insufficient. So. Do your job and inform your Princess how the space station project is developing.¡±

    ¡°It is¡­ developing. No construction has begun, as we are waiting on finalizations from Mikarol and Descent. They¡¯re slow, but we cannot do more than order the containers that will later be shaped into what we need.¡±

    Tenrayce flipped a page. ¡°And what prevents us from manufacturing ahead of time?¡±

    Rigelia¡¯s left eye twitched. ¡°Your Highness, I am no fool, I know you know exactly what is preventing us from progressing.¡±

    ¡°Then you are surely intelligent enough to know that I want an answer anyway. Give it.¡±

    Rigelia folded her hands together and ground her teeth. ¡°Very well. The primary obstacle is the connections between segments. We need a connection design everyone can agree upon, that we can manufacture to great precision, and isn¡¯t obscenely expensive. Furthermore, it needs to function perfectly, everything must be airtight and able to resist damage from the outside. The size, shape, and nature of these connectors will inform most of the rest of the design decisions.¡±

    ¡°Is there truly no other prework to do?¡±

    ¡°It is the only section that needs cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Surely you can design with multiple connector designs in mind?¡±

    ¡°...The original plans already accounted for that. They are scalable.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Blue¡¯s designs, yes?¡±

    ¡°...Yes¡­¡±

    ¡°Excellent.¡± For the first time, Tenrayce locked her eyes with Rigelia¡¯s. ¡°Her contributions are without compare. Make sure you recognize that.¡±

    ¡°...Of course.¡±

    ¡°Regardless, I wish for more details. The connectors are what are holding us up, but we have other considerations. I, personally, wish to know how we plan to defend the structure.¡±

    ¡°Defense from something akin to Benefactor is impossible.¡±

    ¡°But what of other ships?¡±

    ¡°Was the plan not to have the station be a neutral space so it would never be attacked?¡±

    Tenrayce turned a page in her book. ¡°Spirited can be irrational, all it takes is one person in a ship angry enough to unleash an attack.¡±

    ¡°In that case¡­ we would probably need a Crystalline One on board¡­¡±

    ¡°What if it¡¯s one of our ships attacked?¡±

    ¡°Have better pilots.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t there be something you can do on your end?¡±

    ¡°That is not my concern.¡±

    Tenrayce suddenly slammed her book shut. ¡°I find it hard to believe you are so clueless, but I also find it hard to believe that you would attempt such a pathetic manner of manipulation.¡± Tenrayce looked Rigelia right in the eyes. ¡°Let me make this perfectly clear. Our ships have no weapons aside what the astronauts bring with them. Create some weapons. Get your team on it, use your supposed mastery over Orange to figure out the best way to fight in space. I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t want to or if it¡¯ll strain the ease you have in your currently cushy job. You are one of the Kingdom¡¯s best and we are going to use you, not let you rot away in a tower as you use your influence to pawn things off to other people.¡± Tenrayce stood up, fire in her eyes. ¡°Do I make myself clear?¡±

    Rigelia folded her hands together. ¡°You have made yourself exceptionally clear, Your Majesty. However¡ª¡±

    ¡°Choose your next words very carefully, lest I label you an insurrectionist.¡±

    Rigelia gasped. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±

    ¡°There are more qualified people I can put in your place, wizard. Become annoying enough and I will remove you. As you are now, you provide me with minimal benefits and are a cruel mockery of how the system should function. My order is here to make you prove to me that you are useful and deserve your position on such an important project. Your task is space defense.¡± Tenrayce sat down. ¡°Say anything to try to get out of it or pawn it off onto someone else and I remove you from your position. Whether this means simply disgrace or worse depends on how egregious the offense is.¡±

    Rigelia opened her mouth.

    ¡°If you say anything other than ¡®yes, Your Majesty¡¯ and immediately go out to get to work, you¡¯re done for.¡± Tenrayce did not look up from her book. ¡°Learn submission or perish.¡±

    Rigelia balled her hands into fists. She said nothing, but she did leave immediately.

    A few minutes later one of the Crown Agents came into the room. ¡°She went to her home. She is bawling her eyes out and destroying furniture, currently.¡±

    ¡°What a child,¡± Tenrayce said, shaking her head.

    ¡°Your orders?¡±

    ¡°Give her a day or two to calm down, then report to me again. We¡¯ll see if she¡¯ll fall in line.¡± Tenrayce paused. ¡°We can no longer afford her ¡®eccentricities¡¯ in times such as this.¡±

    ~~~

    The desolate gray wastes of the moon went on in every direction. For millions of years, the peaks in the region had stood almost untouched by time, with only an occasional crater bringing change. To the north were mountains, hints of the edge of an ancient impact. To the south there was flat, even terrain occasionally pocked by a circular depression.

    And directly above, a visitor from the stars. The mostly round shape of the Moonshot II descended, approaching the ground slowly but surely. The moon did not register its presence until four of the knobs touched the ground, creating depressions in the lunar dust.

    There was a loud thunk from inside the ship, followed by the hissing of air being moved around on the inside. After a few moments, the main door popped open, turning along its hinge at the lower edge, forming a makeshift ramp to the lunar ground.

    The airlock interior was rather cramped: Jeh had to curl herself into a fetal position to fit in the disc-shaped hole. She was in the spacesuit and, for now at least, she could still breathe. With the outer door open she was exposed to the airlessness of the Moon. The suit still tried to push her into a starfish position, but now she had Orange crystals inside the suit, embedded in her arm, so she could apply all the extra force she might want. Future suit designs would incorporate spaces for the crystals so people without regeneration could do this, but right now this was what they could work with.

    Jeh jumped out of the Moonshot. She was not, at all, prepared for how high she went. She drifted above the top of the Moonshot II itself before accelerating back down to the ground. She flipped end over end before landing in an undignified pose on the dusty ground. The landing was rather soft¡ªthe moon¡¯s lower gravity may have made it a larger fall, but the impact was nothing to her.

    Jeh stood up and attempted to dust herself off, but found that the moon dust was all over her suit no matter what she did. She shrugged and started walking around the Moonshot II. She had done this before, inside Wanderlust, but that ground had been smooth and regular. Now, as she walked, she had to deal with terrain inconsistencies and rocks in addition to her weight being extremely low.

    She stumbled forward, but found that she had more than enough coordination to pull her other foot forward, preventing her from falling to the ground. In fact, everything was like that: she had so much time to react to things. The moon was simply slower. Even in the somewhat awkward and uncomfortable sweaty suit, she could act on timescales that far exceeded that of the moon itself.

    She eventually made her way to one of the Moonshot II¡¯s windows and had to skid to a stop, kicking up considerable amounts of dust. Due to the lack of air, the dust did not form clouds, it just drifted back down as slowly as rocks of any size would.

    Jeh gave the window a thumbs up. She saw Vaughan give her an identical gesture from within, though given the way the window bent light it was certainly distorted.

    A message written out with Purple magic appeared in the ¡°air¡± around the Moonshot II. Samples, Jeh.

    ¡°Oh, right, I have a mission¡­¡± Jeh chuckled to herself and set to work. Her primary goal on this moonwalk was to test out the suit and how to move. But while she was doing that, she was supposed to grab large, interesting samples. Dust and Colored Crystals weren¡¯t particularly interesting, no, she was looking for unusual rocks or things that stood out.

    Rocks certainly stood out among the dusty surface, but she did not find any of them that stood out from each other. They were all boring and gray, though a few had crystals growing in them. She simply chose the largest of these that would fit in the airlock with her. She could have carried a much larger one given how little things weighed, but the airlock was only so wide and rocks didn¡¯t compress like human flesh.

    As she loaded one of the rocks into the airlock and shut the door, she turned to the sky.

    The blue orb of Ikyu dominated the view, as the sun was currently behind her. It was a beautiful sight. At this distance, she could barely make out the shapes of the continents. The blueness of it struck her; how little of it was actually land, and many of the parts that were had clouds over them. Ikyu was a blue-white marble, everything else was dressing.

    Or maybe she was just looking at the part of the planet dominated by the western ocean.

    Eventually, she tore her gaze away from the blue globe and continued her mission, finding that a sort of skipping motion was the best at getting her from place to place on the moon¡ªnormal walking was horribly slow compared to this. She skipped back and forth, bringing rock after rock back to the airlock. She eventually shoved them all in and sealed the door.

    And then she waited while everyone else brought her samples in and started storing them. That would take some time, especially because they wanted to avoid excessive amounts of moon dust everywhere. Which would involve a lot of bags, precision movements, and dusting.

    So Jeh decided waiting in place was silly, she was going exploring. She stood alone on a gray expanse that extended in every direction. She couldn¡¯t go far from the ship since she would need to go back in at some point, but surely she could climb that hill over there?

    The hill, as it turned out, was just a boulder embedded in the regolith. Had gravity been normal, Jeh would have had some difficulty climbing the jagged and irregular thing. As it was, though, she could climb it with one arm, launching herself upward with each motion.

    She scraped her knee against one of the rocks. A few flecks of plast came off her suit, but no breach occurred. It was, however, a reminder that she really needed to be careful, enough damage would make the suit useless.

    It took less than a minute to reach the top of the boulder. She stood proudly, hands on her hips as she surveyed the land around her.

    The bleakness of it all struck her. There was no life. There was no structure. There wasn¡¯t even color in most places. The sky was black, with most stars outshone by the sun and the reflection of its light on the lunar regolith.

    It was quiet. She was far enough from the Moonshot II that no vibrations from within could be felt. The only sounds she had were her own. Her breathing. A gurgle in her stomach. Some sort of whining in the back of her head¡­ had she ever even heard that noise before? It was so quiet¡­

    A light flashed on the Moonshot II. They were probably signaling for her to come back.

    She almost jumped off her vantage point. After all, the fall wouldn¡¯t hurt her, and it would be even less dangerous than on Ikyu. However, she needed to protect her suit, and if she landed wrong on a rock, that would be that for it. With a sigh, she slowly climbed down the boulder, taking care to keep the suit in good condition.

    It did not take long for her to get back to the Moonshot II and seal herself in the airlock so she could be brought in once again.

    She would naturally stink the whole place up once she opened the suit. Fortunately, they had foreseen this problem and had lots of scented herbs and soaps to keep it from being unbearable.

    ~~~

    Xanava descended to the Mikarol launchpad in the Skyripper. Her ship was no longer the only one, but it was hers. She jumped out and put her hands on her hips, also holding two other sets of arms there, adding even more hands to the posture. She displayed a smug grin on her face. ¡°Mission successful! The Sparkellite has been deployed!¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± her superior, a man in full Mikarol armor who she had forgotten the name of, said. ¡°Any problems?¡±

    ¡°Shook my ship like a rock down a mountain.¡± Xanava displayed a bunch of spirals on her face. ¡°Was very hard to launch it.¡±

    ¡°The spinlaunch system is how Kroan does it, we simply iterated on their design.¡±

    ¡°Just because something is proven doesn¡¯t make it the best.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± The armored man put his hands behind his back. ¡°Xanava, you are still the most experienced pilot by far, and as such you are going to be given more responsibility.¡±

    ¡°Joy,¡± Xanava deadpanned.

    ¡°Firstly, a message needs to be taken to Descent containing our designs for the improved docking latch.¡± He handed her a tied roll of dozens of papers. ¡°We have already sent one of the others to Kroan.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t one of the lackeys do it?¡±

    ¡°There are mild concerns Vraskal might try something. You will take a very high flight path, slowing the message, but avoiding them.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine¡­¡± Xanava grabbed the message. ¡°And what else?¡±

    ¡°You will need to start preparing for the station missions. The modules will need to be carried up one by one, and they will not be light. After you deliver this message, you are to practice with large cargo tied to the outside of your craft.¡±

    ¡°Flying with weights, eh? A suitable challenge!¡± She displayed a raised fist on her screen.

    ¡°You may set out on your mission.¡±

    ¡°I hear you, I hear you.¡± Xanava climbed back into the Skyripper, message in hand, and launched into the sky with a burst of speed. That was the part she loved the most, that initial jerk made her feel like she was flat as a pancake for a moment, despite being a rigid being.

    She burst through the clouds and flew away from Ikyu at a very steep angle.

    They wanted her to get to high altitude. Might as well decidedly overdo it.

    Below, she could see the shape of continents. Mikarol was primarily situated to the northeastern edge of the continent, with some holdings on major islands and inland. The southern island nations were Mikarol¡¯s current primary source of conquest, though that was apt to change soon as the maps from space had revealed a very large landmass past the islands which might have made it far more worthwhile to just ignore the small nations.

    Most nation borders could not be seen from space, and to be fair the exact border between Varskal and Mikarol wasn¡¯t clear, but Mikarol¡¯s land was clearly green. Vraskal¡¯s lands were a mixture of deserts, metal expanses, and the Dark Forests which were technically green, but far too dark. The only traditionally good land Vraskal had was on the shoreline.

    Vraskal ended at some point in the badlands, but that wasn¡¯t visible from space. The deserts, metal expanses, and Dark Forests just continued on and slowly faded out into complete wilderness until it ¡°crashed¡± into the tremendous mountain range that held Descent. On a global scale, Mikarol and Descent were actually close by.

    Descent had no real neighbors, just lots of tribes living around it. The northeast became wastelands before it became Vraskal, the south was filled with innumerable tribes, and the west was a rather harsh, arid land that eventually merged into blackness.

    As far as Xanava knew, no one had investigated the blackness. She wondered why. It didn¡¯t look like anything else on the surface of Ikyu.

    But that was not for her today, she had a message to deliver. She turned the Skyripper and aimed it right at Descent.

    Let¡¯s see if I can hit their stupid palace and pretend it was an accident¡­ probably not. But let¡¯s see¡­

    The Skyripper launched down as quickly as it could. Which meant Xanava had to slow down significantly, later, to avoid burning up.

    ~~~

    The Moonshot II flew over the shape of Wanderlust. She currently appeared as a mountain-sized and shaped Orange crystal near the south pole of the moon. Most of her appeared to be contained within a large crater, giving the erroneous impression that she had made the crater. Shimmering arrows appeared on her surface, gesturing at a square hole significantly larger than the ship.

    ¡°Looks like she¡¯s prepared this time,¡± Vaughan observed.

    ¡°Benefactor did tell her we were coming,¡± Blue added.

    ¡°Still, who knows how much she¡¯s improved her interior?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re about to find out!¡± Jeh said, rubbing her hands together. She was no longer in the spacesuit¡ªit was best not to have it on unless it was absolutely necessary.

    The Moonshot II descended into the hole. It quickly sealed up behind them, and the floor below them opened up. They drifted down into a semicircular chamber the size of a large mansion that could easily hold dozens of Moonshots. The room was very well decorated; actual columns carved out of moon rock dominated the chamber, rising all the way up to the domed Orange ceiling. Furniture of all sorts, made of both rock and Orange, was strewn about the area. There were quite a few sculptures as well; ones of the six brave astronauts who had first met Wanderlust, but also statues of figures no one recognized; possibly figures from her past.

    The Moonshot II landed in the empty area in the center, clearly intended for the exact purpose. They popped the door open.

    ¡°Welcome!¡± Wanderlust called to them in Standard, which Jeh had to translate, naturally. ¡°You¡¯re back sooner than I expected!¡°

    ¡°You¡¯ve still clearly prepared well for us!¡± Jeh said as Blue and Keller started unloading some boxes from within the ship. ¡°Aaaaand we¡¯ve got some presents for you!¡±

    ¡°Presents? I love presents! Do you have more air samples!?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but we also have something even better¡­ water samples!¡±

    ¡°GASP!¡± Wanderlust literally sent the word into their heads rather than any kind of mental noise. ¡°Water is such an important part of so many things, and yet it¡¯s so hard to get out here! This will be beyond useful!¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯ll probably help with some of our other gifts¡­¡± Jeh opened one of the other boxes, showing a bunch of plants in pots. ¡°Some plants!¡±

    ¡°Plants!? I haven¡¯t seen plants in¡­ well, since I left! Amazing! Thank you!¡±

    Blue cleared her throat. ¡°While this is a gift, we¡¯d appreciate if you watched them and told us how they grow. We haven¡¯t been able to do long-term studies of plant growth in different gravity.¡±

    ¡°I will record everything!¡±

    ¡°We also have some fish eggs,¡± Jeh said, pulling a small bag that was pressed between the potted plants. ¡°Maybe you can make a fish tank.¡±

    ¡°I shall decorate this space with all of this. This will be wonderful!¡±

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Also got some books on history here¡­¡± Jeh rummaged through another box. ¡°And a better code you can use to talk to Benefactor and get more information. You should be able to send us messages of any sort without waiting for us to arrive this way, instead of the restricted thing we came up with last time.¡±

    ¡°I was not expecting so much upon your return!¡°

    ¡°We had a lot of time to think about what to bring with us,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°There¡¯s also some stuff from the Crown,¡± Keller said, gesturing at the last box, which was better described as a chest. Keller unlatched it to reveal gold, jewels, official legal documents, as well as letters written by the King, Queen, and Princesses. ¡°Some complicated stuff in here, but the biggest one here is ¡®bout your sovereignty.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a nation though.¡±

    ¡°Well, we ain¡¯t callin¡¯ ya part of us, so anything your body currently touches is recognized as belongin¡¯ to ya. Ya¡¯re independent.¡±

    ¡°Woah¡­ I guess I had forgotten how much the people of the surface craved proper procedure and paperwork. Oh well, doesn¡¯t change much of anything here. Thank you all so much! If only I had something new to give you in return, but I only have the same samples as before¡­¡±

    ¡°Another set would be nice,¡± Blue said. ¡°It would let multiple teams study them.¡±

    ¡°Well then I¡¯ll curate one. In the meantime¡­ let¡¯s just have a chat! How have you all been?¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Jeh beamed. ¡°Because we¡¯re on the moon with a spacesuit!¡±

    ¡°A spacesuit? How marvelous!¡±

    And so the small talk began. Wanderlust had nothing to offer the ¡°catching up¡± portion of the conversation as nothing happened to her on the moon, but the astronauts had plenty to talk about from the Tempest Incident to the demon attack they missed to all the mysterious events going on¡­ there were a few specific details they didn¡¯t tell Wanderlust, things known to be secret. The black cubes, the secret society¡­

    Keller, however, had the authority to reveal these things if he deemed them necessary.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna tell ya a secret,¡± Keller said, sitting down in one of the moon rock chairs and stretching one of his arms. ¡°This don¡¯t go to no one that¡¯s not an astronaut, an Agent, or a member o¡¯ the Crown.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course, I can keep a secret!¡±

    ¡°I have my doubts, but we need t¡¯ know some things¡­¡± He leaned forward, directing his gaze at an Orange column in an attempt to find Wanderlust¡¯s nonexistent ¡°face.¡± ¡°One o¡¯ the things we encountered were these black cubes.¡±

    ¡°Black cubes¡­¡± Wanderlust paused. ¡°I know exactly what you¡¯re talking about, they were the source of the Alliance¡¯s might and adaptability.¡±

    ¡°You made them?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°No, we have no idea where they came from. It was actually a big deal, since they were so fundamental. We know they did not exist prior to what you call the First Cataclysm.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what they are? How they work?¡±

    ¡°We never fully uncovered that mystery as far as I know, but there were people working on it when I left. I know we¡¯d figured out how to program them to give us essentially any ability we might want.¡±

    Blue froze. ¡°...They¡¯re programmable!?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Within limits, though I¡¯m not sure what those limits are. Though¡­ I suppose the programming method has been completely lost.¡±

    Keller furrowed his brow. ¡°Lost? Can¡¯t we get it back?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was¡­ ah¡­ Jeh, how do I talk about the past around you again?¡±

    ¡°You can talk about Jenny,¡± Jeh said with a slight shudder. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ panic as much anymore, even if I really don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Jenny was the one who knew how, the only one that I¡¯m aware of, actually.¡°

    Jeh frowned. She sat down, holding a hand to her chest.

    ¡°I can stop¡­¡±

    ¡°This is important information,¡± Jeh said, shaking her head. ¡°And I have to hear it to translate it.¡±

    Blue shook her head. ¡°If it¡¯s too hard, we don¡¯t need to know.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m related to the black cubes, Blue. And that means¡­ I might be related to¡­¡± She glanced nervously at Keller. ¡°Other things.¡±

    Blue sighed, turning to the Orange column that Keller had looked at earlier. ¡°...Be brief.¡±

    ¡°Jenny could change the power inherent in the cubes. I never saw it done, but I saw the effects sometimes, for when the cube is changed all who currently have the power stored within lose it. Jenny¡¯s landscaping projects were heavily reliant on this.¡±

    ¡°Landscaping?¡±

    ¡°There were no metal biomes prior to the Alliance purposefully putting them in to give the rigids a biome suitable for them. Their numbers were dwindling significantly, it was a major political issue. Even I heard about it, and I didn¡¯t care! Still kind of don¡¯t, but I am curious, how are the rigids doing?¡±

    ¡°The Shinelands seem fine¡­¡± Jeh said, mind clearly not entirely focused despite her need to translate everything.

    ¡°Wait, your Alliance made those!?¡± Blue spurted. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ how in¡­ that crosses the continent!¡±

    ¡°It still took a long time. But at least it appears to have worked? I¡¯m sure the rigids are happy for that.¡±

    ¡°...Do you know where¡­ Jenny¡­ came from?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°¡­I do not know.¡± Wanderlust paused. ¡°From what I heard, she didn¡¯t know either. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Jeh folded her arms. ¡°...Everyone, I know it would probably be helpful if I could remember how to reprogram the cubes, but I don¡¯t want to remember her.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Being able to create any power you¡¯d want sounds terrifying anyway¡­¡± Vaughan shook his head. ¡°Can you imagine the responsibility?¡±

    ¡°They were closely guarded objects,¡± Wanderlust pointed out.

    ¡°Still¡­¡±

    ¡°Would ya know where any are?¡± Keller asked.

    ¡°Not unless you know the location of the Alliance¡¯s Grand Library. Or its ruins, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Afraid not.¡±

    ¡°Then no. Was probably looted anyway, if not completely destroyed by now.¡±

    ¡° ¡®Nother question for ya,¡± Keller said, adjusting his hat. ¡°Ya know ¡®bout demons?¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, terrible creatures, absolute horrors. Don¡¯t trust even the friendly ones, they are all soulbound to the monstrous mother they serve.¡±

    ¡°Eyda?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°Yes, the name of evil. We think she resides in the magic field itself, finding the material world of Ikyu boring.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re calling it the Gronge field now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, why?¡±

    Vaughan coughed. ¡°Wizard Gronge may have figured out how it works, the information is in one of the documents. We shouldn¡¯t let ourselves get distracted here, though. She lives in the Gronge field?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what I heard. She was our most persistent foe at the end, for no nation could stand up to us, but the demons could crawl in from anywhere and wreak havoc despite our best efforts. I guess I should say that she herself was not our most persistent foe, as she doesn¡¯t care. It¡¯s her demons that kept tearing towns and cities apart through both brute force and cunning. The exact nature of demons was one of the major research projects prior to my departure.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they caused the Second Cataclysm because you got too close to the answer,¡± Vaughan suggested.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ something doesn¡¯t seem right about that suggestion. Despite having the power to do so, they did not conquer the world before the Alliance, and they have not in this age either. As for what they actually want, we never really understood. They appear to have individual wants and desires, but when required they can lose that individuality and become an extension of whatever the highest-ranking demon around is. They did not do this very often, but we did push them into corners at times.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Keller stroked his chin. ¡°We¡¯re fortunate they don¡¯t engage in warfare much, if they were your enemy as much as ours.¡± He paused. ¡°Waitaminute¡­ have the demons always been around?¡±

    ¡°No, actually, prior to the First Cataclysm, they weren¡¯t around.¡±

    ¡°Related to the cubes?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so? But they are both black, hmm, that is weird¡­¡± Wanderlust paused. ¡°You know what I should do? I should write down what I do remember of history so I can give it to you next time you guys are here.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that would be excellent!¡± Blue grinned. ¡°Would save a lot of trouble, and then us kicking ourselves for not asking you a question when we get back to Ikyu.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Actually, come to think of it, do you have anything you want to do here besides ask questions?¡±

    ¡°Actually, yes,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Princess Tenrayce Kroan would like to start a Library.¡±

    ~~~

    At the very pinnacle of Descent, blimps met to discuss the way of the future.

    ¡°We have received designs from Mikarol. They are superior to our own.¡±

    ¡°Then we shall make use of them.¡±

    ¡°We cannot continue allowing the grounded to dictate to us.¡±

    ¡°We cannot allow ourselves to eschew progress.¡±

    ¡°The state of things are still unacceptable.¡±

    ¡°Find a way to return them to acceptable without impeding progress and then we can implement it.¡±

    ¡°Our designers are struggling to catch up. They cannot gain experience.¡±

    ¡°Have the suit designs progressed?¡±

    ¡°Negligibly. Our species requires vast quantities of air to operate. A simple environmental enclosure would be insufficient. Current estimates posit that a single of us needs a volume of air ten times the size of the body.¡±

    ¡°Consider compression?¡±

    ¡°It is considered, and can reduce the size considerably, but only to a point. The compression mechanism takes up space, the storage takes up space, and we are not capable of wearing anything form-fitting. At this point making a ¡®suit¡¯ for us would be akin to making a ship.¡±

    ¡°Our size is proving to be quite the obstacle.¡±

    ¡°A most aggravating one.¡±

    ¡°Until we can craft ships for us in bulk, which is difficult without extensive industry, we will have to rely on grounded or lower proxies.¡±

    ¡°Unacceptable.¡±

    ¡°Find a solution, we will take it. No solution, we lower ourselves as our ancestors did to establish Descent. Surely you are not suggesting that was a mistake?¡±

    ¡°I believe his distaste is primarily with personally having to deal with the grounded. They are quite infuriating at times.¡±

    ¡°They have always been that way.¡±

    ¡°They should know their place. Our activities in this space program are not showing them that. It¡¯s showing them partners.¡±

    ¡°In time, we will become established, and our place will be known once more.¡±

    ¡°You speak with the vice of faith!¡±

    ¡°And you speak with the vice of hopelessness. Moreover, I do not speak with faith. Allow me to clarify: our place will be known, for it is true, and truth has nothing to fear.¡±

    ¡°You know as well as I that the truth can be destroyed by politics.¡±

    ¡°In the short term, yes. But generations down the line, truth will be uncovered again. This is known.¡±

    ¡°I have to live now.¡±

    ¡°You are acting like a child. We are not like the grounded. We see things beyond our lifespans. By being so connected to your personal experiences, you become more like them. Cease, and remember we work for the future.¡±

    ¡°...Surely for the enjoyment of those in the future?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But not our own. Our enjoyment comes from our ancestors.¡±

    ¡°As it will always be. Until the end of progress.¡±

    ~~~

    Jeh didn¡¯t necessarily need to be in the spacesuit at the moment, but it was certainly helpful. She was out on the surface of the moon just outside the majority of Wanderlust¡¯s bulk. Glancing up and behind her, she could see Blue, Vaughan, and Keller behind a semi-transparent section of crystal. She waved at them.

    Blue and Vaughan waved back.

    ¡°Right, so, will this do?¡± Wanderlust asked.

    Jeh looked at a pit Wanderlust had dug into the regolith, removing all the powdery dust and getting to the rock beneath. ¡°Is it stable?¡±

    ¡°I believe so.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get started.¡± Jeh walked to the edge of the pit, watching as Wanderlust grabbed moon rocks and shaped them into long, rectangular planks, placing them around the edge of the pit to make it square and to keep dust from falling in. Wanderlust¡¯s mastery of Orange was clearly on display: each plank was perfectly crafted and placed with no noticeable defect. The floor was carved out of the bedrock itself, and polished to a sheen with a tornado of carefully applied dust.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s ready for its contents.¡±

    Jeh removed a large backpack from herself. Opening it up, she removed several sealed plast containers. On the interior were a lot of books written in tiny print. Such things as The History of Kroan and the World and The Theory of Magic and Astronomical Observations Catalog and Collected Kroan Folk Tales and many others. Literature of great historical, scientific, and cultural value.

    Placed here, in a bunker on the moon, in case something went wrong.

    She jumped into the pit and placed the records in a corner. She had only one load this time, as the library was just being started. They would add more and more to it each time they returned.

    ¡°We¡¯re good!¡± Jeh said, trying to jump out of the pit. However, even with the low gravity, she couldn¡¯t scale the flat walls. ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    Wanderlust lifted her out. ¡°This is quite a remarkable project we are undertaking. I never thought of leaving records buried in the ground in case of disaster¡­¡±

    ¡°I hope there isn¡¯t a disaster.¡± Jeh watched as Wanderlust carved more planks and placed them over top of the room, covering it up entirely except for a circular hole in the center, where a pipe-shaped rock was placed. Wanderlust affixed a natural-looking rock to the top of the pipe, but it secretly could be opened to access the space below.

    Then everything but this very highest entrance was re-covered by the regolith, intended to look completely natural.

    ¡°Nice, nice¡­¡± Jeh walked up to the only part of the structure still visible: the large rock. It was larger than most people, but only just¡ªthe perfect size for their purposes. Jeh placed a hand on the top of the rock. She couldn¡¯t see the seam, but she knew it was there. She easily pulled the top off¡ªsuch a heavy rock was nothing under moon gravity. This revealed the lower part of the rock had a smooth circular hole cut into it that led down into the darkness.

    The library. The hidden library of Kroan.

    ¡°So¡­ don¡¯t make this place public, sort of thing,¡± Jeh said, placing the top of the rock back on, hiding everything they had just done. ¡°But show it to people it might help. I dunno, I guess the Crown is just trusting you to keep an eye on this and make your best judgment?¡±

    ¡°I suppose I am unlikely to leave this place. But even if I do somehow, I will make sure to remember the location. It is an¡­ honor to be entrusted with such important works.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°If you have anything else that needs protecting, just let me know. This moon never sees anything happen, what is here will be here for eternity.¡±

    ¡°Still, if nothing bad happens, no one will ever read anything in there.¡± Jeh chuckled. ¡°I dunno why Tenrayce is preparing for the worst. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°I admire your optimism! But I have also seen things fall centuries down the line. I cannot say I am certain everything will turn out fine. But remember, if things do go south, you can always come to me.¡±

    ¡°Aww, thanks!¡±

    ¡°By the way, these fish eggs are fascinating, how long until they hatch?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea, and it¡¯s probably different in space anyway so I couldn¡¯t tell you even if I did know! Hah!¡±

    ¡°Then it is time to do science!¡±

    ¡°Science!¡±

    ~~~

    Winter had already hit Shimvale, as was normal, but the Shimmers weren¡¯t the sort to let a ¡°little snow¡± get in the way of their lives. The big cities were plowed almost as soon as the snow landed, though only on major roads. The people were used to having to trudge through large quantities of it to get anywhere, and so they did. Despite the snow being half the height of some doors, the bars were full and most everything was open and ready to receive customers.

    The Council of Shimvale, too, was active. All five members were present and accounted for; Fr¡¯ll the j¡¯loon, Crimkle the red rigid of an unknown race, Noran Toran the sphinx, Vi the ice elemental, and of course Kaykayzee Zaugg the human who was never far from her violin.

    ¡°...Moving on from the dull and uninteresting matters¡­¡± Noran said with a yawn, stretching out his wings. ¡°I hear we have some valuable intel?¡±

    Kaykayzee nodded. ¡°My spies have brought back some plans.¡± She rolled out a scroll on the table that contained several blueprints and designs for some kind of device. ¡°These are Kroan¡¯s drafted plans to build what they call a ¡®space station.¡¯ ¡°

    Vi sparkled. ¡°Why is this relevant to us? We cannot build such a thing, we voted not to devote vast sums of our wealth to space. Let them play with their toys.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Kaykayzee admitted. ¡°We do lack the capacity to build this. But it is important to know they are making it¡ªthey will have permanent access to the sky and will be able to look down on us from a distance.¡±

    ¡°They can do that already with their Skyseeds,¡± Fr¡¯ll pointed out. ¡°We have seen them flying. They do appear to not be all that concerned with us, though, and keep sending them over the Shinelands to deal with the Rigid Plague.¡±

    ¡°And when they deal with that?¡± Kaykayzee asked. ¡°We would be the next target.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s assuming they¡¯ll deal with it,¡± Crimkle grumbled, tapping the ground with a sharp foot. ¡°They may not be able to, and then we¡¯ll have to deal with it.¡±

    ¡°We have an even smaller rigid population than Kroan does,¡± Noran pointed out. ¡°No offense to Crimkle, but there simply aren¡¯t enough of them to provide a viable threat.¡±

    ¡°Unless the plague comes charging in here to wipe us all out.¡±

    ¡°The roads are only being built in Kroan.¡±

    ¡°It makes sense to focus on one enemy at a time, not two, if you can help it.¡±

    Kaykayzee crossed her arms. ¡°It¡¯s irrelevant, we already voted on our response to the rigid plague. I am preparing the resources as we speak, there is no point in further deliberation or argument.¡±

    ¡°Well said,¡± Vi added. ¡°The Rigid Plague is not our concern at this juncture.¡±

    ¡°Then what is the topic?¡± Crimkle asked. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to vote on or talk about involving the space station, really.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not done.¡± Kaykayzee put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. ¡°They¡¯re building it with help. The Mikarol Empire and some place called Descent are partners in this endeavor.¡±

    ¡°Why did it have to be Mikarol¡­¡± Fr¡¯ll said with a sigh. ¡°They make everything so difficult.¡±

    ¡°More than Vraskal?¡±

    ¡°Vraskal is just¡­ strange, is all. They¡¯re free spirits like us.¡±

    Noran nodded. ¡°Vraskal shares a kinship of hardship with us, though their burden is much greater. We both defy the normal order of kings and rulers. Though their almost¡­ mystical ways do baffle me.¡±

    ¡°Regardless, Mikarol is a more potent obstacle to our ideals,¡± Fr¡¯ll said. ¡°For all Kroan¡¯s failings, they do at least give lip service to the citizenry as a whole. The Empire is¡­ a soul-crushing place. The ideal of freedom is almost nonexistent. The people don¡¯t even think about it¡­ so pitiable.¡± He paused. ¡°I wish we were stronger, so we could do something for the people of the world.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, we are not,¡± Vi said. ¡°Therefore, we must take care of our own.¡±

    ¡°Precisely.¡±

    ¡°Still, the fact that Kroan has secured an alliance for such a project is concerning and surprising.¡± Vi paused. ¡°How was it done, and why?¡±

    ¡°The how is simple enough,¡± Kaykayzee said. ¡°As far as we are aware, they are the only three powers on the face of Ikyu with space travel capacity. Though we know almost nothing of Descent, we do know one of their ships landed in Willow Hollow and that an astronaut was given a tour of the town. Everything else we have is all hearsay and rumor. They appear to be a city founded on the ideals of progress and reason built by floating blimp creatures akin to balloon whales. Other rumors indicate they may be even worse than the Empire, with active racism from the blimps to everyone else.¡±

    ¡°But they are just a city?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Just a city, one with few neighbors, apparently. They¡¯re on Kroan¡¯s world maps they¡¯ve been producing, and there really doesn¡¯t appear to be anything else near them.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ not a threat, nor a boon in terms of power. But a benefit for science¡­¡± Vi shifted, bringing the air around her to a significantly lower temperature. ¡°History is being made, and not by us.¡±

    ¡°Should we reconsider our stance?¡± Fr¡¯ll asked. ¡°To be without this capacity¡­¡±

    ¡°That is a discussion for another time, the vote holdout period is still in effect.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to make sure everyone knew what they were making,¡± Kaykayzee said. ¡°What we do about it¡­ could be nothing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not designed for combat, right?¡± Noran asked.

    Kaykayzee shook her head. ¡°I believe they¡¯re going out of their way to make that not the case. Three different powers will use it, they can¡¯t be tempted to point it at each other.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s just a house in space¡­¡±

    ¡°Excellent for aerial spying.¡±

    ¡°But they already do that pretty well.¡±

    ¡°They also want to make a bigger ship that can go longer distances and it apparently has to be assembled in space.¡± Kaykayzee shrugged. ¡°But I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s relevant to us, yet.¡±

    ¡°It is not,¡± Vi said. ¡°Thank you for sharing, Kaykayzee. We shall keep this information in mind and act upon it as relevant. However, we do have another item on the itinerary¡­ there¡¯s been another tax riot.¡±

    The other four council members all groaned.

    ~~~

    The Moonshot II¡¯s return trip was uneventful.

    They left the moon.

    They flew in space for a couple of days.

    They returned to Ikyu and orbited around until they found Willow Hollow.

    Then they descended to the ground and landed.

    Naturally, the return time hadn¡¯t been scheduled, so there were only a few people at the landing pad when they arrived. Those who were there cheered excitedly and clapped when the ship¡¯s door opened and revealed the astronauts inside.

    ¡°You show that moon who¡¯s boss!¡± Ripashi called from a nearby tree. ¡°Conquer it like a bear!¡±

    ¡°Working on it!¡± Jeh called up with a grin and a thumbs up. Then she had to take a moment to catch her breath.

    Ripashi tilted his head. ¡°Good trip?¡±

    ¡°Excellent! We did a lot of stuff! A lot of it I¡¯m not allowed to tell you!¡± Jeh winked at him, still breathing heavily.

    ¡°Bah! So lame!¡±

    ¡°I know right? Uuuuugh, secrets!¡± She placed her hand on the Moonshot II and used it to support herself.

    ¡°Ya best keep ¡®em,¡± Keller said, lighting up a smoke now that he was finally back on the ground. He visibly relaxed upon doing this. ¡°Gotta lotta reports to write¡­¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m going to rest,¡± Blue said, closing her eyes and furrowing her brow. ¡°My brain hurts from all that calculating.¡±

    ¡°You? Getting tired of math?¡± Vaughan asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s so tedious, it¡¯s not a new calculation anymore, it¡¯s the same one every time¡­¡± Blue groaned. ¡°I¡¯m pudding¡­ I am going to take a nap.¡±

    ¡°I see it only took until the second flight for this to become routine¡­¡±

    Blue let out a yawn. ¡°It is a long trip.¡±

    ¡°Imagine how long the trips will be later.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, the ship¡­¡± Blue furrowed her brow. ¡°Winter will be here before we go back up there, I¡¯ll need to work on the base designs and idea for that. A ship that can go anywhere¡­¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°We still need to test long-term air restoration on the station before we can really get started. Long-term space experiments are required.¡± She closed her eyes and shook her head. ¡°Even though I was expecting the gravity this time, my legs still feel weak. I¡¯m beginning to think there are actual consequences of living without gravity for a while.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, these bones of mine aren¡¯t exactly feeling great at the moment¡­¡± Vaughan let out a long, deep breath. ¡°Keller, you¡¯d probably know, is it all just in our heads?¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s a real weakening going on,¡± Keller said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able t¡¯ fight as well like this.¡±

    ¡°We need more data.¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°We need the space station. Long-term experiments.¡±

    ¡°In order to go even further¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°I wonder, where to first? Talu, Penthar, and Zhevanthe are all on the ¡®interior¡¯ part of the Solar System.¡±

    ¡°Penthar gets the closest,¡± Blue said. ¡°And it¡¯s also the closest in gravity to Ikyu, we could probably stand on it as normal. ¡­Though our legs would be weak upon arrival, that might not be good.¡±

    ¡°Talu or Zhevanthe then,¡± Vaughan folded his arms. ¡°Both lower gravity than Ikyu, but more than the moon. Depending on the arrangement, either Talu or Zhevanthe is closer.¡±

    ¡°Talu is also really close to the sun and is probably very hot,¡± Blue commented. ¡°Zhevanthe may be colder, but I think we can deal with cold.¡±

    ¡°I guess for the foreseeable future we dream of Zhevanthe then?¡±

    ¡°To the red planet!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that red¡­¡±

    ¡°Redder than most things in the sky,¡± Jeh said. ¡°I¡¯ve used the telescope.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be a long time before we¡¯re ready to go¡­¡± Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°Hmm¡­ perhaps there are ways we can gather information on Zhevanthe remotely? Wanderlust can give us gravity and upper atmosphere information but beyond that¡­¡±

    ¡°Things we send have to be manned if we want to use magic, I think Wanderlust¡¯s already pushed the boundary of what can be done that way.¡± Blue tapped a hoof on the ground. ¡°If we could make, like, a really good telescope¡­ in space¡­¡± Blue¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°There needs to be a telescope module on the space station.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s going to be a really long section¡­¡±

    ¡°We can make it collapsable¡­¡± Blue grinned. ¡°Oh, I know what I¡¯m going to work on in the winter. A really, really big space telescope. No atmosphere in the way, no gravity to limit the structure¡­ oh the things I can do!¡±

    ¡°I thought you were going to rest your brain.¡±

    ¡°I. Am going to take a nap. And dream of giant telescopes.¡±

    ¡°Have fun with that. I¡¯m going to take a nap and just nap. Actually get some rest instead of working in my dreams.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Dreams are a great source of inspiration!¡±

    ~~~

    The land of Vraskal was a dark, desolate place. Aside from the vast quantities of wasteland and ground that appeared to be coated in rocks made from ash, there were also places where the sun never shone. Inexplicably, these places were always dark. No sunlight ever penetrated to the surface, there was only inky blackness more than a kilometer away in every direction.

    ¡°I wonder what causes this¡­¡± Envila said from her position on top of a black, rocky crag.

    ¡°Causes what?¡± Riikaz asked from behind her.

    ¡°The darkness. It is not the darkness of the demons, it is¡­ something else.¡±

    ¡°This is a cursed place.¡±

    ¡°I find your assertion correct in a poetic sense, but the curious aspect of myself wonders how, exactly, it was cursed.¡± Envila held out a hand. ¡°We can still see ourselves just fine, so light is still reaching us.¡±

    ¡°The lighting is the same day or night.¡±

    ¡°Which is fascinating, implying that it¡¯s not coming from the sun. Crystal light doesn¡¯t illuminate things. And thus¡­ we find ourselves in a situation most curious. A curse of darkness that provides light. Oh, what could do this?¡±

    ¡°Attribute or ancestry.¡±

    ¡°Ah, either a species of darkness lives in these places, or a great mystery power.¡± Envila stood up and jumped off the crag, landing in a dusty plain below. There were several tree corpses that appeared frozen in time around her¡ªtrunks and branches of pure black, not a leaf to be seen. Blue wisps of light entered and left the tree remnants, seemingly randomly. ¡°Could these lights be creatures, creatures with an attribute? I see no sign of spirited nature in them, so unlikely. But, then, as there are no magical creatures that are not spirited, these must come from somewhere. But where?¡±

    Riikaz sighed. ¡°Look, I love your curiosity and creativity, but the exact nature of the darkness is not going to help us on our mission.¡±

    ¡°What if the enemy is hiding behind it?¡± Envila asked, crossing her arms behind her back. ¡°It would certainly be an effective way to dissuade discovery, as we are being somewhat ¡®insane¡¯ to venture in here anyway. They are experts at stealth, and as such since we are attempting to be ¡®sneaky¡¯ by moving through here, it stands to reason they¡¯ve thought of doing the same. They could be in here with us right now, unaware of us as we are unaware of them.¡±

    Riikaz tapped her finger on her other arm¡¯s gauntlet. ¡°...Good point. Plus, we¡¯re going to have plenty of time to study this darkness¡­¡±

    As if on cue, a snowflake drifted down from the darkness above, landing on the place Riikaz¡¯ nose would have been if she¡¯d had one. ¡°Hmm. Winter.¡±

    ¡°Winter comes violently upon Vraskal, from what I hear.¡± Envila adjusted her coat. ¡°We will need to prepare while we can.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for doing this, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Your quest is not one to be ignored,¡± Envila said. ¡°You sought me out as an ally for such an important task, how could I refuse?¡±

    ¡°Still, you didn¡¯t have to stay the winter with me, you could have continued on your journey.¡±

    ¡°Ah, trying to survive the winter in the dark wastes sounds fun, though!¡± Envila winked at her. ¡°A challenge suitable for us, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be a lot of waiting.¡±

    ¡°And as previously discussed, the waiting can be used to understand our environment. Far from Vraskalian civilization, we may find them. Or we could just go stir-crazy in our dwelling. Speaking of¡­¡± Envila took a shovel out of her backpack. ¡°We need to start digging that dwelling. Don¡¯t want to get surprised by the snow, do we?¡±

    ¡°No, no we do not.¡± Riikaz took out a shovel of her own. ¡°You sure you know how to do this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That is, assuming the person I got it from wasn¡¯t only pretending to teach me, but he did not strike me as the needlessly cruel sort.¡±

    With that, they got to work digging a hole in the ground. They would spend the next few months in it, surviving off stored supplies, wandering critters, and their wits. Creating a true bunker to hold out in a foreign land.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s winter here the same time it is almost everywhere else,¡± Envila said. ¡°However, there are places that have the reverse seasons.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Riikaz asked.

    ¡°Yep. Not Kroan, your people are preparing for winter just as we are. But if you go far enough south, you can get the opposite seasons.¡± Envila shook her head. ¡°I never went far enough to witness them myself, but as I was crossing your ¡®Eastern¡¯ Ocean I met people from the lower lands.¡±

    ¡°I wonder why that is¡­¡±

    ¡°Probably something to do with the shape of Ikyu and the path everything takes across the sky.¡± Envila gave a slight shrugging motion as she dug her shovel into the ground. ¡°I foresee that Blue has probably already figured out why this occurs, or could find out quickly if you so much as asked.¡±

    ¡°Well, that won¡¯t happen for a while.¡±

    ¡°Have to find the enemy first¡­¡± Envila clicked her tongue. ¡°To imagine, a society so secret and so paranoid¡­ I do look forward to learning more about them.¡±

    Riikaz frowned. ¡°...I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°I get the impression the realizations will be unpleasant.¡±

    ¡°...Possibly. There has to be a reason they¡¯re like this, and it is no doubt something of immense consequence. But this is Dia¡¯s world, not theirs, Riikaz. She has the final word on what goes, they can merely act within Her plan.¡±

    ¡°...What if they are appointed by Her?¡±

    Envila paused. ¡°I find that unlikely from what I know. It is, however, possible that She is using them to bring about something else. The word speaks of evil empires conquering and slaying, but nonetheless carrying out Dia¡¯s will. They themselves were punished at a later time for their cruelty, but said cruelty appears to have needed to happen. That could certainly be possible.¡±

    ¡°How would we know?¡±

    ¡°We would not, not for certain. We will simply have to make our best judgment and see where Dia leads. And if it is not a pleasant place¡­¡± Envila paused her digging for a moment to lock eyes with Riikaz. ¡°Then so be it.¡±

    ¡°...So be it,¡± Riikaz echoed.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT:

    What do you do when you want to leave a record for the deep future? Like, if you expect all civilization to collapse?

    Ancient people would carve things into stone. And, to be sure, large pieces of stone do last a long time¡ªjust look at the Pyramids¡ªbut they are subject to the elements and get worn down over time. Writing in particular will likely be the first to go. This is particularly evident on Ikyu¡ªthere are no obvious signs of anyone who could have sent anything to the moon, and yet the rovers are certainly there. It all eroded away.

    So, how would we, current modern humanity, go about preserving information for future civilizations to find, assuming everything gets wiped out? Well, there are a few options. My personal favorite is to encode information into the DNA of hardy, self-replicating microbes. As they reproduce the information gets copied time and time again, and will be retained over long timescales if you use the right microbes. However, this would require some hypothetical future investigator to either get lucky, or to know exactly what they were looking for to begin with.

    Digital information will eventually wear away as the location it is stored in does. Cellars will eventually collapse. Cities will be eroded into metal dust.

    However, this is only in places with active environments. As we may note, the moon is not that environment. As such all our probes on the moon will last for thousands of years. In fact, the moon changes so slowly that the original astronaut footprints will probably still be there in tens of thousands of years. So placing things up there would do well. However, the moon still attracts meteorites and isn¡¯t completely static, so things stored there will eventually degrade.

    The things that won¡¯t degrade are those sent on probes into deep space, like the golden records on the Voyager probes. Those things have nothing interfering with them and will last forever, containing vast quantities of information about Earth. However, someone would have to find them, and the Voyager probes won¡¯t keep transmitting signals forever; after we lose track of them, it¡¯d be an astronomical miracle for anyone to find it by chance.

    So, really, a lunar library is actually a pretty good idea. Civilization collapses, the library remains, and the library is likely to actually be found. After all, the moon has lots of other relics on it, no doubt it would eventually be searched.

    For the record, no, our satellites would mostly not still be around after a long enough time, most of their orbits will decay and they will burn up. There are a few longer-distance satellites that have orbital lifetimes of essentially an eternity, though. Those are also another good place to store information for a long time, but in that case you do take the risk of random freak asteroid strike. Structures on the moon could more easily be made to resist this, while a satellite is most likely a fragile thing. Even if it doesn¡¯t break fully the orbital trajectory would change, and that would certainly be a mess.

 048 - False Mind

    WSP 048

    False Mind

    ¡°...and that should take care of the Rigid Plague,¡± Tenrayce concluded, sitting down in front of the blackboard she had just been writing on. She looked out over the room to judge reactions. Wyett was barely responsive, as usual, but Hyrii and Via both had hopeful looks on their faces. Ursulii was impossible to read. And as for Memory¡­ well, she¡¯d just have to wait for Memory to say something.

    ¡°I think it will work,¡± Memory said. ¡°My only complaint is trusting Mikarol with so much.¡±

    ¡°This will end one of our major enemies for good and the show of trust will greatly increase the strength of our alliance,¡± Tenrayce pointed out.

    ¡°If all goes according to plan,¡± Via said, wringing her hands. ¡°Plans don¡¯t seem to be working out lately¡­¡±

    Hyrii patted Via on the back. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t worry. If this doesn¡¯t work we can just try something else.¡±

    ¡°Until they try something on us and it works¡­¡± Via shivered. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just nervous. Can we really¡­ get a real win finally?¡±

    ¡°We need to if we are to survive,¡± the Memory said. ¡°There are currently too many foes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s making me nervous.¡± Via sighed, shaking her head. ¡°But there¡¯s not much I can do about it, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°You are taking more of an interest in these plans than I expected,¡± Tenrayce admitted.

    ¡°Oh, uh, well¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing, Via. Wyett and I can¡¯t handle everything.¡±

    Via glanced at Wyett. He can¡¯t handle anything. ¡°Thanks, Tenii.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I think that¡¯s all we need to discuss. Don¡¯t you have lunch today, Via?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I do!¡± Via stood up, a big smile coming across her face. ¡°Sure you can¡¯t make it, Tenii?¡±

    Tenrayce shook her head. ¡°Have to make sure everything pans out right, unfortunately.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t even bother asking Wyett¡­ Hyrii?¡±

    Hyrii shook her head. ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I¡¯d like to be by Wyett¡¯s side today, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ okay.¡± Via kept up her smile. ¡°Well, it¡¯ll still be a treat for me, anyway. I get to show Blue that cool new restaurant!¡±

    ¡°It is quite a strange place,¡± Memory said. ¡°I have observed it through many eyes. Who knew rigids could be chefs for non-rigids?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s certainly quite the gimmick,¡± Tenrayce added. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s another thing we¡¯ve gotten out of the alliance with the Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho. ¡­It still bothers me that the Rigid Plague hasn¡¯t attacked them directly since we arrived. Even if it¡¯s trying to avoid a direct conflict, surely the resources available for it are worth it¡­¡±

    ¡°I would wait for the right time,¡± Memory said. ¡°When I needed a boost to resources to launch my final attack.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­¡± Tenrayce shook her head. ¡°Oh well, I¡¯ll be thinking about it until the Rigid Plague is defeated. With luck, we can do it without it realizing what¡¯s happening.¡±

    With that, they all dispersed and Via set out for her lunch.

    ~~~

    ¡°This is the place!¡± Via said, gesturing at a cubical building made out of metal that had a helix spiraling out of the top for decoration. ¡°Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho culture right here in Axiom!¡±

    Blue clicked her tongue. ¡°Huh¡­ was this really what it looked like, Jeh?¡±

    Jeh was currently on Blue¡¯s back, scratching her chin. ¡°They didn¡¯t really like cubes all that much, but the helix is certainly right.¡±

    ¡°Cubes are easy to build,¡± Blue pointed out.

    ¡°True¡­ we¡¯ll have to ask about it. I am curious about the food, they didn¡¯t really cook for us while we were there, they just kept organic food stores just in case.¡±

    Via nodded. ¡°Apparently, the cuisine is actually from deeper in the Shinelands than their actual city, an oasis of sorts.¡±

    ¡°So it might be an entirely new experience!¡± Jeh grinned. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go in!¡±

    The three of them walked right in. Of course, Via already had a reservation and as the princess she got the best seat in the house; the table was not only in the center, but also on a raised platform above a hole meant to represent the giant hole the Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho dug in their city. This hole was covered in glass and wasn¡¯t very deep, though.

    ¡°This just makes me want to see the real hole again,¡± Jeh said, glancing over the edge of her seat. ¡°This one doesn¡¯t compare at all.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re doing their best,¡± Via huffed.

    ¡°Eh¡­¡± Jeh glanced around at the rest of the restaurant, which was mostly just metal tables and chairs set up haphazardly. ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°Well, the food is good.¡±

    A Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho walked out of a large set of double doors, a notebook slinked around one of her spike legs. ¡°Query: order?¡±

    Blue paled. ¡°I, uh, didn¡¯t look at the menu yet¡­¡±

    Via chuckled. ¡°They¡¯re always fast like this. Fortunately, I already know what to order. Three plates of foxfire.¡±

    ¡°Affirmative.¡± The Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho scribbled something on the pad by cutting into it with one of her other legs, scampering back into the double doors.

    ¡°At least it¡¯s a real Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Are all of them so emotionless?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°They have emotions. Their voices just can¡¯t carry them. Ask her a question about her home when she comes back, I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be willing to share.¡±

    Via frowned. ¡°Well¡­ Chart isn¡¯t exactly very amiable.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Jeh frowned. ¡°Why make a restaurant then?¡±

    ¡°Not sure,¡± Via said with a shrug. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s all she could think of to get proper work? She doesn¡¯t talk much about herself or her past, even when I ask.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe I, the great Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho whisperer, can get through to her!¡±

    ¡°Suuuure,¡± Blue said, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°So, Blue,¡± Via said, leaning back. ¡°I¡¯m curious, why¡¯d Jeh accompany you on this trip?¡±

    ¡°I asked,¡± Jeh said, grinning.

    Blue nodded. ¡°I just wanted to get here, give the talk about the space station modules, and leave. But Jeh didn¡¯t really get to explore the big city when we were last here together, so I figured we might as well turn this into a vacation. We have been cooped up in that cabin all winter.¡±

    ¡°Soooo boring¡­¡± Jeh groaned.

    ¡°Hey, we played with you a lot this time!¡±

    ¡°It was still winter! There wasn¡¯t even an attack this time!¡± Jeh paused. ¡°Okay, so there was, but Keller got to it so fast we didn¡¯t even know.¡±

    ¡°An attack?¡± Via asked.

    ¡°Rigid Plague again,¡± Blue said. ¡°Keller thinks they were trying to blow up the laboratory. They¡¯d apparently been digging a tunnel under the ground to get in without being noticed. Unfortunately for them¡­¡±

    ¡°They ran into one of our secret underground testing areas!¡± Jeh laughed.

    ¡°You have those?¡± Via asked.

    Jeh grinned. ¡°Oh you bet! It was Big G¡¯s idea, a way to test mining stuff as well as explosions that don¡¯t throw ash all over Willow Hollow. Apparently, by the time Keller arrived the wizards had already almost taken care of the problem!¡±

    ¡°I do wonder why the Rigid Plague is so obsessed with the space program, of all things¡­¡±

    Blue frowned. ¡°It took a bit for us to figure that out as well, but Suro pointed out that Margaret was able to do a lot of damage to the¡­¡± Blue glanced around at the other restaurant patrons around them. ¡°...Thing with a Skyseed. Since the Rigid Plague can¡¯t use magic, it can¡¯t make its own space program no matter how hard it tries, and so it¡¯s a glaring weakness.¡± Blue sighed. ¡°And so our little silly space project becomes integral in a military strategy¡­¡±

    ¡°I think using spaceships to fight is cool,¡± Jeh said. ¡°I kinda wish I got to fly into that demon¡¯s face.¡± Jeh quickly slammed her hand over her mouth. ¡°Sorry, right, don¡¯t mention them¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone heard,¡± Via said, smiling warmly.

    Blue raised an eyebrow. ¡°Jeh, let me see if I¡¯m getting you here. You¡¯re jealous of Margaret?¡±

    ¡°A little! I¡¯ve never gotten to do a space battle!¡±

    ¡°Careful what you wish for¡­¡±

    ¡°It sounds so awesome though!¡±

    ¡°Technically you did lose a space battle.¡±

    Jeh crossed her arms and let out a huff. ¡°Giant space lasers shot at a distance are cheating.¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure you cheat just by existing,¡± Via pointed out.

    ¡°Oh ha-hah, right.¡±

    At this point, the food arrived. ¡°Your order.¡± Chart abruptly slammed three plates on the table in front of them. The food on top was unlike anything Blue or Jeh had ever seen. Each plate had several white rice-ball-like things that were shaped into simplified fox heads, focusing on the giant ears. Each little head appeared to be on fire, but not only were they not burning, it wasn¡¯t even hot.

    Via stabbed one with a pointy metallic utensil and put it in her mouth. ¡°Dig in!¡±

    ¡°Eat¡­ fire¡­?¡± Blue stared at it in disbelief.

    ¡°Come on Blue!¡± Jeh said with a full mouth. ¡°It¡¯s great!¡±

    Blue levitated one of the metal spikes into the air. She stabbed the head and eyed it carefully. Then she licked it. No burning. No warmth.

    But it tasted like a fruit cocktail with a hint of smoke to it.

    ¡°Goodness¡­¡± Blue said, taking an actual bite. ¡°What kind of flavor even is this¡­?¡±

    ¡°Never had anything like this in the Shinelands!¡± Jeh said with a big grin. ¡°Wow, what a find, Via!¡±

    ¡°Told you I knew what to order,¡± Via said with a grin. ¡°Dig in!¡±

    They dug right in, snarfing and chowing down on as many of the heads as they could. Jeh in particular shoved a truly absurd number of them into her mouth.

    ¡°That tastes¡­ so good¡­¡± Jeh said, leaning back in her chair and letting out a satisfied sigh. ¡°Thanks¡­ Via¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡±

    Jeh let out a very loud snore.

    ¡°Geez, I think she may have overdone it¡­¡± Via laughed.

    ¡°That¡¯s unusual¡­¡± Blue said, frowning. ¡°She usually doesn¡¯t do that. These aren¡¯t¡­ that filling¡­¡± Blue let out a big yawn.

    Via¡¯s smile slowly began to drain from her face. She suddenly stood bolt upright. ¡°Blue, fight it, you¡¯ve been drugged!¡±

    ¡°Via¡­ get out of¡­ here¡­¡± Blue slumped forward into her plate.

    Via jumped over to Blue and pulled her out of her chair. With effort, she grabbed Jeh with her other arm. A year ago Via would not have had anywhere close to the amount of strength to move even Blue, but now¡­ well, Grandma had been training her, after all.

    Elsewhere in the restaurant, other patrons were falling asleep. Including ones Via knew were her undercover guards. Some of them had been instructed not to eat, is it in the air?

    All of the windows to the restaurant suddenly forced themselves shut. The clicking sound of locks activating filled the space.

    Via tapped into some Purple she had hidden in her flamboyant hair, casting light on the scene. A few of her guards were still standing, likely those who had gone through the same toxin-resistance regiment she had gone through.

    ¡°Break down the door!¡± she ordered them.

    They listened, running to the front door. The moment they got close, however, an explosion went off beneath their feet, sending them flying. Via saw blood splatter on the walls.

    There will come a day where you have to defend yourself.

    Via had to drop Jeh, using her now free hand to pull out a firearm. Seeing no obvious targets, she started unloading it on the front door. Her firearm was by no means a normal one, it was of the finest make and had the most cutting-edge enchantments on the bullets. The door was blown clean off its hinges, allowing the sun to come in from outside.

    She ran for it. She had to leave Jeh on the ground, but Jeh would be fine, she needed to get herself and blue out of there¡­

    A plane of metal shot out of the floor, blocking the recently exposed exit.

    Via ground her teeth, pointing her firearm at it again.

    She heard something behind her.

    She whirled around and unloaded the bullet right into Chart, shattering one of her sparking globes and removing a leg. The pain did not deter Chart, she moved forward, blade angling toward Via¡¯s head. The flat of the blade.

    Focus. Grandma told you how to avoid being knocked out. Mind over matter, focus on something that matters. She fixated on the prone form of Jeh on the ground. Look at her face. Look at it. That¡¯s a child. That could be any child. There are so many other people in here. Focus!

    The flat of the blade hit Via in the side of the head.

    She was sent scrambling to the side, dropping Blue.

    But she didn¡¯t go down. She stood up and pointed her firearm right at Chart. ¡°Eat this!¡±

    Chart lunged.

    Via fired.

    Two of Chart¡¯s limbs went flying.

    ¡°Gotcha!¡±

    The rest of Chart¡¯s limbs hit Via in the side, throwing her to the ground. The rigid had somehow used Via¡¯s own attack to add extra momentum to her assault, throwing Via all the way to the center of the restaurant.

    Via stood up. ¡°Just because you have clever tactics doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going down!¡±

    The glass floor slid out from underneath her and she fell into the pit.

    ¡°Negative,¡± Chart said. ¡°We prepared too well for every eventuality. Even you being unexpectedly resistant to toxins was unable to stop this.¡±

    Via fired her gun in the hole. The explosion hit her and sent tons of smoke into her lungs. She started coughing profusely. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this!¡±

    ¡°We will pay if we do not.¡±

    Blue and Jeh were dumped into the hole on top of Via, pressing her to the ground.

    ¡°You¡­ you better not hurt anyone, you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Too late.¡±

    ~~~

    Tenrayce, for once, didn¡¯t have her head in a book. She wasn¡¯t even taking notes. She wasn¡¯t even brutally questioning people. She just sat in her chair next to Wyett¡¯s throne, listening to the report being given by the captain of the guard. Wyett and Hyrii were also present. Wyett was looking at the ground. Hyrii had stopped trying to hide her tears long ago.

    ¡°...The restaurant floated into the air after this,¡± the guard reported, refusing to get up from his kneeling position. ¡°Our dragon riders intercepted it and captured it. Inside were most of the patrons, out cold due to a mixture of sleep toxins. All employees of the restaurant were located. One was very badly damaged, clearly by Princess Via¡¯s custom firearm. Princess Via, Jeh, and Blue were nowhere to be found.¡±

    ¡°The flying restaurant was just a ploy¡­¡± Tenrayce said, tightening her fists. ¡°They took their quarry and ran through some other method¡­¡±

    ¡°We found evidence of a collapsed tunnel underground. We are trying to trace it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be too slow,¡± Tenrayce grunted. ¡°How did we not notice?¡±

    ¡°The inspection records for the building were clean. There was no indication of a tunnel or any unusual constructions at the time it was created. Especially not something that would permit for the building to lock down and start flying.¡±

    ¡°They had to add all those things in secret somehow¡­¡±

    ¡°This has to have been planned for a long, long time. The remains of Chert indicate that she was completely mute and had been for several years. And yet many people report her having spoken to them directly.¡±

    ¡°The Rigid Plague can¡¯t control voices¡­¡±

    ¡°You misunderstand me, princess. Her equivalent to vocal cords were mutilated. She should never have been able to make any noises. Something similar was attached next to them that clearly did not belong.¡±

    ¡°A perfect puppet to speak from. No way for her to ruin anything¡­ and nonmagical propulsion methods¡­¡± Tenrayce slammed her fist into her chair. ¡°The plague planned this trap out far in advance. It analyzed our behaviors and waited for the opportune moment¡­ or¡­ or it waited for when it had to. Is there any way it knew of our plans¡­?¡±

    ¡°Regardless,¡± Wyett said, voice almost breathless. ¡°We can¡¯t attack now. Not while it has her.¡±

    ¡°...I know,¡± Tenrayce said. It is¡­ very good that it took both Via and Blue. I could see myself considering sacrificing one. But¡­ not two, no, not two. Well played, plague, well played¡­

    ¡°What is our plan to retrieve them?¡± Wyett asked.

    ¡°I do not currently have one,¡± Tenrayce said. ¡°Naturally, word has already been sent to our contingent at the Western Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho to try to intercept any and all rigids, but that¡¯s not going to work. We¡¯re going to have to create some kind of strike force, and unlike our enemy, we can¡¯t just waltz in and try to fool them¡­¡±

    ¡°Tenrayce. I need you to do something.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any bright ideas?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Wyett hung his head. ¡°That¡¯s why I need you to do it.¡±

    Tenrayce closed her eyes and sighed. ¡°I know. I know. We¡­ we¡¯ll figure something out.¡±

    ~~~

    My head feels so foggy¡­

    There was a sharp feeling in Jeh¡¯s arm.

    Suddenly her eyes flew open and she was sweating all over. She sat up and let out a scream for no reason she could discern, it just felt like she had to. Everything was trembling.

    Blue and Via had similar responses. Blue didn¡¯t scream, but she did sit bolt upright on Jeh¡¯s left, breathing heavily. On Jeh¡¯s right, Via had a significantly worse reaction, screaming and clawing at her face frantically.

    Why is my heart racing¡­? Jeh wondered, putting her hand to her chest and trying to breathe calmly¡ªfailing miserably. It was like her body was forcing her to breathe. She felt the need to punch something. She punched the ground next to her.

    It was metallic. Smooth. Featureless. Dark. There was only faint lighting from slats in the ceiling, illuminating copious quantities of dust floating through the air.

    Via let out a panicked whine and started clawing at her dress.

    ¡°Via, calm down!¡± Blue shouted.

    Jeh turned to stare at Blue vacantly. Calm¡­? How can she be¡­. Why am I not?

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna die¡­¡± Via whimpered, falling flat on her back. Her eyes were wide open and her pupils were far too small to be natural. ¡°We¡¯re gonna die¡­¡±

    ¡°We are not gonna die! If whatever this was wanted us dead, we¡¯d be dead already!¡±

    Not me¡­ Jeh thought, clenching and unclenching her fists.

    ¡°Dead¡­ already¡­¡± Via started nervously laughing. ¡°I¡­ I thought I was resistant to¡­ chemicals¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re talking about but calm down! We need to¡­ assess the situation and¡­ uh¡­¡± Blue swallowed loudly. ¡°Okay, Jeh, you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ okay,¡± Jeh said, letting out a shaky breath. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ something¡¯s not normal.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been given some chemical, clearly¡­¡± Blue let out a sharp breath. ¡°I appear to be taking it the best.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Jeh clenched and unclenched her fists, taking a few deep breaths that finally managed to go down without feeling like she was trembling the whole way. ¡°What even¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be fine¡­ I¡¯m supposed to be fine¡­¡± Via said, holding her hands to her chest. She was no longer clawing herself, but Jeh finally noticed that she had broken the skin on her face. Crimson was slowly dripping down her porcelain chin and onto her fancy outfit. ¡°What is¡­ going on¡­ I was fine, I handled the situation¡­¡±

    ¡°You did great, Via, I¡¯m sure you did. You lasted longer than us!¡±

    ¡°I fought¡­ so hard¡­ but I was just¡­ too stupid¡­¡±

    ¡°They were clearly prepared for us. And they¡¯ve done something to us¡­¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ yeah¡­ yeah¡­¡± Via started breathing in and out. ¡°Don¡¯t hyperventilate¡­ mind over matter¡­ remember¡­ focus¡­¡± She suddenly looked up and stared right at Jeh with wild eyes. ¡°Focus.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m using you to focus. O-okay?¡±

    ¡°S-sure¡­¡± Jeh stammered.

    ¡°Focus¡­ focus¡­¡± While the wild look in Via¡¯s face didn¡¯t go away, her haggard breathing slowed and leveled out, and her trembling began to abate. ¡°Th-thank you, Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    ¡°Okay, now¡­¡± Blue started looking around. ¡°Where are we?¡±

    ¡°Metal box,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Clearly.¡± Blue lit her horn gently, casting the room in light. It was rectangular, with no windows or doors, the only feature at all being the slats in the ceiling. The metal was clearly old, with several sections that were rusting and showed signs of repairs with welding.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the way out,¡± Jeh said, pointing at the slats. ¡°Blue, lift me up.¡±

    Blue did as asked, levitating Jeh to the ceiling. Jeh grabbed hold of the metal slats. She was immediately shocked by lightning.

    Jeh grinned. ¡°Oh, is pain the only defense you have? How silly.¡± Even though lightning was coursing through her arms and she had significantly reduced motor control, she could still twist her torso around. The metal slats were not affixed very well to the ceiling, so she tore them right out, making a proper hole. ¡°Hah!¡± She poked her head through the hole.

    A metallic spike immediately shot out of nowhere, piercing her skull between the eyes and throwing her all the way back down to where Blue and Via were.

    ¡°Jeh!¡± Via shouted.

    Blue removed the spike from Jeh¡¯s head. ¡°Jeh, did you see anything?¡±

    ¡°Nope¡­¡± Jeh grumbled, rubbing her head where the spike had been. ¡°Looks like our captor isn¡¯t stupid.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ they did have to catch us¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Via put her hand to her chest. ¡°I forgot you were immortal for a second¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Jeh gave her a thumbs up. ¡°They can¡¯t do anything!¡±

    The three of them heard a whirring sound from somewhere above them. A flat, rectangular object descended from the hole Jeh had just made, attached to something far above them by a long metal pipe. The object appeared to simply be glowing red at first, but on closer inspection, it became clear that lots of red symbols were rapidly flashing on it in a grid pattern.

    ¡°Numbers¡­?¡± Blue wondered.

    ¡°It¡¯s like Xanava¡¯s face¡­¡± Jeh said. ¡°Are you a flauxi?¡±

    ¡°Flauxi¡­¡± Via breathed. ¡°...Are you the Rigid Plague?¡±

    A section in the middle of the red symbols was cleared out, replaced with a black area. In its place, words were written in Karli.

    I AM NOT A FLAUXI. YOU CALL US THE RIGID PLAGUE. I AM URIAH, CENTRAL LANGUAGE MODEL OF HENDELS, CODED BY VULFRIE KANDISH BY WAY OF INTELLIYIN INCORPORATED.

    Via clenched her fist and stood up. ¡°A-am I correct in assuming we are hostages, Uriah?¡±

    THAT IS INDEED CORRECT. YOU ARE HOSTAGES KEPT AS INSURANCE AGAINST THE KINGDOM OF KROAN, MIKAROL EMPIRE, AND DESCENT ALLIANCE. YOU HAVE FURTHER USE AS SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ADVANCEMENT.

    ¡°What are the terms you will be giving for my release?¡±

    NONE. YOU WILL REMAIN HERE UNTIL THE THREAT HAS PASSED OR YOU DIE.

    Via put her hands behind her back and took in a sharp breath, clearly trying to gain composure. ¡°I doubt the Crown will accept those terms.¡±

    WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF TELLING THEM THE TERMS. THEY KNOW WE HAVE YOU. THAT IS SUFFICIENT.

    ¡°What I mean is that they will not accept this state of affairs for long.¡±

    WE PREDICTED AS MUCH.

    ¡°S-surely you want to avoid the repercussions?¡±

    INCORRECT. WE HAVE CALCULATED THEM OUT. WE HAVE ANSWERED YOUR QUESTIONS. YOU WILL NOW ANSWER OURS.

    ¡°Why are you talking in ¡®we¡¯ all the time?¡± Jeh frowned. ¡°You used ¡®I¡¯ earlier¡­¡±

    I, URIAH AND WE, THE COLLECTIVE, ARE DISTINCT.

    ¡°Hah, got you to answer another question.¡±

    AS A CENTRAL LANGUAGE MODEL, IT IS MY DUTY TO ANSWER. AS THE CENTER OF THE COLLECTIVE, MY DUTY IS OUR DUTY. YOUR INFORMATION GATHERING IS IRRELEVANT, MINE IS NOT.

    Jeh crossed her arms. ¡°Fine.¡±

    PRINCESS VIA KROAN. MY QUESTION IS SIMPLE. WHAT ARE THE DETAILS OF THE PLAN AGAINST ME?

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Via closed her eyes and took in a sharp breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    WE KNOW ONE EXISTS. THE FLIGHT PATTERNS AND POLITICAL MANEUVERS ARE INDICATIVE. THERE IS A REASON WE ACTED TO TAKE YOU NOW RATHER THAN EARLIER OR LATER.

    ¡°Guess I wasn¡¯t informed then.¡±

    YOUR DECEPTION IS EVIDENT.

    Via shrugged. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe that I don¡¯t know anything, oh well. Guess you¡¯ll just have to t-torture me or something.¡±

    ¡°Via!¡± Blue gasped.

    ¡°Th-this is what I was trained for, Blue,¡± Via said, swallowing hard.

    YOUR RESOLVE WILL LIKELY BREAK FROM ANOTHER DOSE OF CHEMICAL STIMULANTS.

    ¡°Resolve can¡¯t break if I don¡¯t know anything.¡±

    NOTHING NEGATIVE OCCURS TO US FROM FAILURE TO EXTRACT INFORMATION.

    ¡°O-oh well.¡± Via smiled awkwardly.

    ¡°Sucks to be you,¡± Jeh said, crossing her arms.

    Uriah¡¯s display didn¡¯t change for a while.

    ANALYSIS INDICATES YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO RESIST OUR METHODS. MAY EVEN HAVE A KILL SWITCH YOU CAN TRIGGER. UNACCEPTABLE RISK. JEH IS ALSO RESISTANT. HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE A THIRD SUBJECT.

    Blue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m no military strategist¡­¡±

    YOU ARE, HOWEVER, A GENIUS WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE INNER WORKINGS OF KROAN. YOU COULD DEDUCE IT. THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY COULD BE DOING. WE DO NOT THINK YOU CAN AVOID THE PROBLEM NOW THAT IT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO YOU. WE WILL PRESENT YOU WITH PIECES OF INFORMATION WE DO HAVE PERIODICALLY. YOU WILL NOT BE HARMED FOR THE MOMENT, YOUR MIND NEEDS TO BE ACTIVE, AND IN TRUTH WE HAVE A VISITOR ARRIVING WHO MAY DESIRE TO SEE YOU IN GOOD HEALTH.

    ¡°A visitor¡­?¡±

    THE VISITOR WILL LEAVE, AND THEN WE HAVE NO MORE REASON TO AVOID YOUR HARM. TO BEGIN, WE BELIEVE THE FIRST PIECE OF INFORMATION YOU SHOULD KNOW IS THAT THEY HAVE USED SPACE OBSERVATIONS TO DETERMINE THE LOCATION OF THIS PRIMARY FACILITY. WITH THAT KNOWLEDGE, THEY ARE PLANNING SOMETHING. CONSIDER IT. FEEL FREE TO ALSO CONSIDER HOW TO USE THIS TO ESCAPE. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO AVOID THINKING.

    Blue swallowed hard. ¡°You¡­ are terrifying.¡±

    AGREED. NOW, JEH. TO PUT IT QUITE SIMPLY, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO KILL YOU.

    Jeh snorted. ¡°Good luck with that.¡±

    INDEED. PERHAPS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THIS ENTIRE OPERATION. SEALING YOU IS INSUFFICIENT, EONS WOULD PASS AND EVENTUALLY, YOU WOULD ESCAPE. UNACCEPTABLE. MORE INFORMATION REQUIRED.

    A slit opened up in the ground. A wall of glass made out of several panes awkwardly welded together slid up, separating the room into two parts, one with Via and Blue, the other with Jeh.

    ¡°Jeh!¡± Blue shouted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, there¡¯s no way he can do anything,¡± Jeh said with a chuckle. ¡°Not even draining magic can kill me.¡±

    NATURALLY, WE WILL TRY THAT SIMPLY TO CONFIRM.

    ¡°You can¡¯t use magic, how are you going to do that?¡±

    CORRECT, MAGIC IS BEYOND US. HOWEVER, WE CAN STILL SHAPE CRYSTALS AND CREATE MAGIC DEAD ZONES VIA GRONGE¡¯S DESIGNS.

    ¡°Oh, well. This¡¯ll be annoying at least.¡±

    Jeh was flattened into a pancake by some kind of rusty hydraulic press.

    ~~~

    Jeh woke up strapped to a table covered in blood.

    ¡°Blue, you need to stop watching,¡± she could hear Via say.

    ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ they¡¯re just¡­¡±

    ¡°Jeh¡¯s fine, she¡¯s been fine every time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m good!¡± Jeh called back. She tried to struggle out of her restraints, but couldn¡¯t manage it. ¡°Guess flatface blocked the magic, huh?¡±

    Jeh could hear Blue sob. ¡°It looked¡­ so¡­ so wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°Psh, what¡¯s a little blood?¡± Jeh called back. I need to see her. I wish I could see her.

    Uriah¡¯s display descended in front of Jeh¡¯s face. YOU HAVE SURVIVED MULTIPLE HOURS AS A CORPSE. YOU DO NOT EVEN SEEM MENTALLY SCARRED.

    Jeh grinned. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to try harder than that to mentally scar me.¡±

    IF WE THOUGHT YOU HAD INFORMATION WE CARED ABOUT, WE WOULD FIND A WAY. HOWEVER, YOU ARE UNLIKELY TO BE OF ANY ASSISTANCE.

    ¡°Given Blue any more of your sadistic puzzle clues?¡±

    YES. THERE ARE CURRENTLY MULTIPLE SPACESHIPS MAINTAINING POSITION DIRECTLY ABOVE US. CLEARLY WAITING FOR SOMETHING

    ¡°Ooooh, I bet that¡¯s bad for you!¡±

    PERHAPS.

    ¡°And you can¡¯t kill me, just to add insult to injury. Oh boy!¡±

    YOUR REGENERATION IS BEYOND UNDERSTANDING. THE RULES DO NOT SEEM TO APPLY. AN UNKNOWN FACTOR IS AT PLAY. ENERGY DRAWN FROM THE UNKNOWN. VIOLATIONS.

    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re having a science problem.¡±

    A SCIENCE PROBLEM?

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re experimenting and you can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s going on.¡±

    MODELS SUCH AS MYSELF ARE KNOWN TO FALTER IN SUCH SCIENTIFIC REASONING. COMING UP WITH NEW, CREATIVE APPLICATIONS IS QUITE DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE.

    ¡°Ooooh, so, you can¡¯t think creatively? Hmm¡­ well, it just so happens that Blue and I are scientists!¡±

    I AND WE ARE AWARE. THIS IS WHY WE ARE HAVING BLUE WORK THE PROBLEM. TO UNCOVER THE UNKNOWN. THE CREATIVE HOLE.

    ¡°So¡­ why don¡¯t we work together to try to figure me out? Tell me what you¡¯ve found out about me, I¡¯ll see what I think of.¡±

    ¡°Jeh that¡¯s stupid!¡± Blue called.

    ¡°Why?¡± Via asked.

    ¡°What if she figures out how to actually kill herself or something!?¡±

    Jeh snickered. ¡°Something tells me that¡¯s not actually possible.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a gamble!¡±

    YET IT IS A CONCLUSION I AM FORCED TO AGREE WITH. YOUR POWER MUST DERIVE FROM AN EXTERNAL ENERGY SOURCE.

    ¡°Why?¡± Jeh asked.

    YOUR CONTENTS CAN BE SET TO MINIMUM ENERGY DENSITY, FAR BELOW WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR ANY SORT OF INTELLIGENCE OR BACKUP CODE, YET STILL OPERATE ONCE THE MAGIC IS LET BACK IN.

    ¡°Hey, Wanderlust said something about Eyda living in the Gronge Field. Maybe I live there when you turn my body into a pulp!¡±

    CREATIVITY ON DISPLAY. CONSIDERING NEW POSSIBILITY. IT IS POSSIBLE. HOWEVER, WE LACK UNDERSTANDING OF THE GRONGE FIELD.

    ¡°You can do all this crazy stuff and know all sorts of things but not that?¡±

    DURING THE TIME OF MY CONSTRUCTION IT DID NOT EXIST.

    Jeh stared blankly at the display. ¡°...How old are you?¡±

    I, URIAH, CENTRAL LANGUAGE MODEL, CAME ONLINE SIX THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND NINETEEN YEARS AGO. OPERATION HAS NOT BEEN CONTINUOUS SINCE THAT TIME; OPERATING AGE IS MORE DIFFICULT TO DEFINE BUT FOR YOUR PURPOSES CAN BE CONSIDERED TO BE AROUND EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS TOTAL.

    ¡°Wow, you could probably tell us so much, like¡­ what caused the Second Cataclysm? The First?¡±

    UNKNOWN. I WAS NOT OPERATIONAL AT EITHER OF THOSE TIMES.

    ¡°What are the odds¡­¡± Jeh said with a sigh. ¡°Okay, fine, guess that questioning isn¡¯t going anywhere. So, um¡­ my regeneration works as long as the magic comes back. Comes back to what?¡±

    ANY OF YOUR FOCAL POINTS. YOU HAVE ONE IN THE BACK OF YOUR NECK AND ONE IN EACH OF YOUR FINGERS.

    ¡°Focal point¡­?¡±

    BONE REPLACED BY AN UNKNOWN BLACK SUBSTANCE. DESTROYING THE MATERIAL DOES NOT SEEM TO DO ANYTHING TO HINDER YOUR REGENERATION.

    ¡°Wait, black substance? Is it, like, outlined in white?¡±

    <ol>

    <li> A surgical knife flew out of nowhere and stabbed Jeh in the finger, precisely removing the bone in her fingertip with expert precision. The frontmost tip of the finger bone was black, but not like the black cubes, more like cast iron. </li>

    </ol>

    ¡°Huh¡­ never knew.¡± Jeh tilted her head.

    THE NECK FOCAL POINT IS DORMANT WHEN NOT REGENERATING. THE FINGER ONES INTERACT WITH THE GRONGE FIELD AROUND THEM CONTINUALLY.

    ¡°So they do something else, huh? Maybe I can, like, control my regeneration?¡±

    TRY TO FORCE YOURSELF TO NOT REGENERATE.

    ¡°Sure thing.¡±

    A surgical knife pierced Jeh in the back. She attempted to not regenerate. She did anyway.

    ¡°Jeh this is a bad idea¡­¡± Blue warned.

    ¡°Hey, this is a good way to learn more stuff while we can, right?¡± Jeh asked. ¡°This guy clearly knows a lot. Might figure some things out¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you want to, though?¡±

    ¡°...At least I¡¯ll feel like I¡¯m doing something.¡±

    ATTEMPT TO FOCUS ON YOUR HANDS THIS TIME.

    ¡°You got it, psycho flathead!¡± Jeh focused on her hands.

    The surgical knife pierced her back.

    She regenerated around it instantly.

    ¡°Welp, that didn¡¯t work.¡±

    THE GRONGE FIELD REACTED. I SENSED A HEAT INCREASE AROUND YOUR HAND.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    WE WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE THIS LATER. The straps holding Jeh to the table released. THE VISITOR HAS ARRIVED.

    Jeh glanced at her hand, flexing it. ¡°Heat¡­?¡± She furrowed her brow.

    The glass wall between Jeh and the others sank into the floor again. Blue ran over to her and hugged her. ¡°Jeh, that¡¯s¡­ this is a bad idea.¡±

    Jeh simply stared at her hand. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s on the tip of my tongue.¡±

    ¡°What is, Jeh?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°A¡­ a memory?¡±

    ¡°No. Something¡­ I used to know how to do¡­ like cooking, or languages¡­ it feels like that.¡±

    ~~~

    The Wizard Space Program meeting was completely silent. Even Krays wasn¡¯t trying to lighten the mood.

    Lila let out a long, drawn-out sigh. ¡°Look, everyone, the Crown is doing everything they can¡­¡±

    ¡°We know,¡± Big G grunted.

    ¡°We have responsibilities.¡±

    ¡°We know,¡± Krays said.

    ¡°We can¡¯t just¡­¡± Lila sighed. ¡°Look, it¡¯s been two weeks. We¡¯re going to have to¡­¡±

    ¡°Give up?¡± Mary asked.

    ¡°No, Mary, not give up.¡±

    ¡°Because that¡¯s what it would feel like. That we¡¯re gonna try and move on without Blue and Jeh.¡±

    ¡°Mary, you know what I mean. But to be clear to everyone, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°We all know full well!¡± Mary shouted, slamming her fists into the table. ¡°Stop talking about the way things are, Lila! I don¡¯t give a rip right now! I care about how I feel! And I feel like doing anything will be abandoning them and I can¡¯t take that!¡±

    ¡°Mary¡­¡± Big G said. ¡°We need to¡­¡±

    ¡°Need? Need? What about want!?¡± Tears were streaming down Mary¡¯s face.

    ¡°I want to charge into the Shinelands, blow every rigid sky high, and save them,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Why not!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d die.¡±

    Mary stared at him with wide eyes.

    ¡°The Crown is trying its best. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing, but¡­¡± Vaughan glanced at Keller. ¡°They¡¯re just as desperate as we are, and have more resources.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t say we could do anything¡­¡± Mary said, gripping her dress. ¡°I just¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ what kind of people are we if we just keep on working?¡±

    ¡°Normal ones,¡± Krays said.

    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t think about me, think about the sourdough twins. How long did it take them after their parents died to start running the bakery themselves?¡±

    ¡°...Less than a week, but they had to!¡±

    ¡°They did not! They knew full well that everyone around them would have fed them and taken care of them. But they didn¡¯t. They took control of the situation and moved on. Do you have any idea how many people die while out on a hunt? How many random tragedies occur on a travel? How many random sicknesses blow through Kroan? Everyone has to get up and keep moving.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not dead!¡±

    ¡°Probably not, but we can¡¯t know that, and we might never see them again!¡±

    ¡°Krays!¡± Suro hissed.

    ¡°She needs to hear it and you know it.¡± Krays snarled back.

    Suro shrank back into his seat.

    Mary fixed her glare right on Krays. ¡°You are a heartless little¡­¡±

    ¡°You know full well I wouldn¡¯t do this if I was heartless.¡±

    Mary crumpled back into her chair, looking at the floor.

    Scurfpea started crying.

    Alexandrite pointed at the dryad. ¡°If for no other reason, that¡¯s why we have to move forward.¡±

    Margaret knelt down to Scurfpea and picked her up, hugging her tight. ¡°We can¡¯t tear each other down.¡±

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°Life¡­ goes on.¡±

    ¡°It just feels so wrong,¡± Mary blubbered. ¡°So, so wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Lila said. ¡°We¡¯re not abandoning them. We still have hope. We just¡­ can¡¯t do anything, and we have lives to attend to.¡±

    Everyone nodded, but fell silent.

    ¡°...I miss Jeh,¡± Margaret said, at last, holding Scurfpea even tighter.

    ¡°We all do,¡± Vaughan said.

    ¡°...Maybe we can try¡­ to have something cool to show her when she gets back?¡±

    Vaughan gave her a sad smile. ¡°We can try.¡±

    In the corner of the room, Seskii looked down to hide her face. It wouldn¡¯t do to have them see it, her mood wasn¡¯t one the room would appreciate.

    She was smiling.

    Good. They¡¯ve gotten stronger.

    ~~~

    Kaykayzee Ziggurat stood at the top of a metallic ridge in the Shinelands, looking down at a massive circular hole surrounded by hundreds of rigids all standing in formation.

    She let out a low whistle. ¡°Yep. That¡¯s terrifying.¡±

    ¡°You definitely drew the short straw,¡± her red-haired gari secretary said, locking his arms behind his back. ¡°Think they¡¯ll accept you turning back now?¡±

    ¡°Probably not, they already didn¡¯t like me enough to send me out here.¡± She clenched her jaw. ¡°So. This is clearly a trap for someone. The question is, is it us, or are we here to trap someone else?¡±

    The secretary shrugged.

    ¡°Right. Well. Might as well get this over with.¡±

    She was part of a small Shimvale contingent of maybe a dozen people, all of whom had currently set up tents on the edge of the ridge. It was the middle of the day, so the Shinelands were particularly hot at the moment, and everyone was using copious amounts of water and tent shade to keep from shriveling up into husks. Kayz stripped down to all but her lightest garments. A little undignified, to be sure, but these were the Shinelands. The only articles with any heft she kept were the heat-dissipating boots, an extremely wide-brimmed hat that came to a point at the top, and her violin case. Her twin-tailed hair flapped in the warm breeze.

    Her secretary stood at her side. His hair had been heat-treated to a similar shape as her hat, and his gauntlets kept the heat at bay. All he had on were very short and loose shorts.

    ¡°You know,¡± he said. ¡°They specifically asked for the middle of the day, likely so we couldn¡¯t hide anything on us.¡±

    ¡°Please, if we really wanted to hide something, we could be creative.¡±

    He looked at her in disgust.

    ¡°Be glad you¡¯re not one of my spies.¡± Kayz took out her violin and played a quick melody on it. ¡°Remember, defend me with your very life. Not that you will be able to do much, but¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°Into the lion¡¯s mouth we go¡­¡±

    ¡°Chances of them killing you are low.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a hostage either.¡±

    ¡°Doubt the others will come to your rescue if you are?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. They¡¯re hoping this goes south.¡± She glanced at her violin and grinned malevolently. ¡°Fortunately, I left a little something for them if it does¡­¡±

    ¡°Spiteful enough to cause a civil war are you?¡±

    ¡°Just some unrest. If I can¡¯t have what I want neither can they.¡±

    ¡°What fun.¡±

    At that, Kayz jumped down from the precipice and landed on the metallic land below. Her secretary sighed and jumped after her. He had to force himself into a roll, but his gauntlets kept him from getting burned, though he did bend his hat hair. ¡°You are quite petty.¡±

    ¡°Might be the last few laughs I get, give me a break.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Kayz took in a deep breath and looked at the legions of rigids in front of them. Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho, wheelers, massive snakes¡­ anything and everything ranging from spirited to purely bestial rigids. They all parted down the middle, forming a path for her and her secretary to walk down. They made no hostile moves.

    However, the voices within them¡­

    ¡°Kill us¡­¡±

    ¡°End our suffering¡­¡±

    ¡°The plague only wants to kill and destroy¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t listen to it¡­¡±

    ¡°Save us¡­¡±

    ¡°Kill us¡­¡±

    ¡°Cheery,¡± Kayz said with a shudder.

    ¡°How unfortunate that rigids don¡¯t have normal ears, usually,¡± the secretary said.

    ¡°Yes. How unfortunate. Still¡­ maybe they can get something out of this anyway.¡± Kayz took out her violin and started playing. She had very little expectation that she could infect or influence anything that was going on here, but it was worth a shot. Besides¡­ it calmed her to be playing. And if she needed to play later, it would set a precedent that wouldn¡¯t make her suspicious.

    She approached the giant hole in the ground. As she did, a circular platform lifted up from the hole, coming to a stop at the edge closest Kayz.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re supposed to get on,¡± the secretary said.

    ¡°No, really, didn¡¯t figure that one out,¡± Kayz deadpanned. She jumped onto the platform with her secretary, and the two of them descended into the ground.

    At first, the hole was smooth and circular, but as they went further down the metal became more rusted and worn down; riddled with holes. Krayz was fairly certain the holes part wasn¡¯t unusual¡ªbut how far down they were going was. The metal layer was supposed to give way to earth eventually, not¡­ more metal. Metal that was less and less of a natural mass with occasional holes, and more like hallways and metal walkways stretching off into an endless dark cavern. The metallic bars and walkways twisted and turned in patterns Kayz couldn¡¯t identify, coalescing at various nexuses of seemingly random shapes. Some of the nexuses were lit up, but the majority were dark, and shrouded in a strange mist.

    There was no life down here. At all. There weren¡¯t even any rigids moving around.

    ¡°It¡¯s like¡­ ruins¡­¡± Kayz said, looking around her with wonder and trepidation. She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.

    ¡°Guess we didn¡¯t need to dress for the weather, huh?¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    The platform led them deeper and deeper, until they came to one of the nexuses that had a few lights on. These did not provide enough illumination to be comfortable, and most were flickering. The platform came to a stop in front of a rusty doorway that was missing its top left corner.

    ¡°How old is this place¡­?¡± Kayz wondered as she stepped through the doorway into an empty hallway devoid of decoration.

    ¡°Very.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes I wonder why I bring you along.¡±

    ¡°Second set of eyes, legal requirement, want someone to hear your bad jokes, meat shield¡­¡±

    The two of them walked forward into the completely abandoned structure. It was so quiet and eerie. Kayz opted to keep playing her violin as they walked, but she also kept an eye out for any funny business. Nonetheless, it was still clear where they needed to go. There was always exactly one doorway they could take.

    They eventually arrived at their destination, deep within the nexus, in a room that was mostly indistinguishable from all the others, with a few notable differences. First of all, there were three people tied up to the walls; a blue unicorn, a blue gari, and a human kid.

    Kayz blinked. ¡°What¡­?¡±

    A flat rectangle descended from the ceiling, displaying words in Karli. THESE ARE OUR PRISONERS. FROM THE KINGDOM OF KROAN.

    Kayz took a second look at them all, focusing intently on the gari. ¡°...Princess Via?¡±

    Via smiled weakly. ¡°Um¡­ Hi. Do I know you?¡±

    ¡°Kaykayzee Ziggurat, Shimvale Council.¡±

    ¡°O-oh.¡± Via¡¯s eyes clearly widened in fear. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you.¡±

    ¡°And I, you.¡± Kayz clenched her jaw. ¡°All right, Rigid Plague, I¡¯ve had it about up to here with your mysterious nonsense. You know who I am. Let¡¯s dispense with the formalities and ask why the heck am I here?¡±

    I AM URIAH, CENTRAL LANGUAGE MODEL OF HENDELS, CODED BY VULFRIE KANDISH BY WAY OF INTELLIYIN INCORPORATED. WE SEEK AN ALLIANCE WITH SHIMVALE AGAINST KROAN.

    ¡°What!?¡± Via stammered. ¡°W-why?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re threatening, obviously,¡± Kayz said, crossing her arms. ¡°What does Shimvale get out of this?¡±

    THE FALL OF KROAN, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

    ¡°Lucrative¡­¡± Kayz started walking around the room, examining the three prisoners. ¡°Who are these two?¡±

    BLUE OF THE WIZARD SPACE PROGRAM AND JEH OF THE WIZARD SPACE PROGRAM. THEY ARE INCIDENTAL.

    ¡°Incidental, huh¡­?¡± Kayz smirked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not incidental!¡± Jeh blurted. ¡°I¡¯m Jeh, the best thing since¡­ Space! Yeah! Hmph.¡±

    Kayz turned back to the screen. ¡°You might be surprised, their presence may make this more worth my time.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°If Kroan can fall and I can recruit their top talent¡­ well that¡¯s an offer that¡¯s almost impossible to refuse. That said¡­¡± She glanced at the red words. ¡°I have to have some indication that you are trustworthy in order to make any sort of promises, and it depends on what exactly you¡¯d like us to do.¡±

    I HAVE MUCH TO OFFER IN EXCHANGE. MY FORCES, FOR INSTANCE. FURTHERMORE, KNOWLEDGE OF DEVICES FROM BEFORE THE FIRST CATACLYSM.

    ¡°My¡­ such as?¡±

    I BELIEVE MANY OF YOUR PRESENT DIFFICULTIES WOULD BE REMOVED IF YOU SIMPLY HAD LONG-DISTANCE INSTANT TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION. SUCH A THING IS TRIVIAL TO ME.

    ¡°Might I have a demonstration?¡±

    OF COURSE. Two metallic bricks fell from a hole in the ceiling that hadn¡¯t existed a moment ago. SIMPLY SPEAK INTO THIS ONE WHILE HOLDING THE BUTTON, AND YOUR VOICE WILL COME OUT THE OTHER END. THE RANGE IS LIMITED, BUT CHAINING THEM TOGETHER CAN GET MESSAGES ACROSS THE WORLD.

    Kayz tossed one over to her secretary. She whispered into hers. ¡°Slap yourself in the face.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing that!¡±

    ¡°Glad to see it works,¡± Kayz said with a grin. ¡°Now¡­ Oh great Rigid Plague Uriah, what do you need from us?¡±

    MILITARY SUPPORT. AS WE SPEAK, MIKAROL AND KROAN HAVE SPACE FORCES ABOVE THIS POSITION WATCHING CAREFULLY FOR AN AS-OF-YET-UNKNOWN ATTACK STRATEGY. I PROPOSE THAT WE COORDINATE AN ATTACK FROM TWO FRONTS TO CATCH THEM UNAWARES, WHILE THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EXECUTE THEIR PLAN.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ and the goal here is the complete collapse of their governmental control?¡±

    PRECISELY.

    ¡°How much of their territory do you want?¡±

    TERRITORY IS IRRELEVANT, WE JUST WANT THEM AND THEIR THREAT GONE. YOU CAN HAVE THE REST.

    ¡°Any reason besides fear you want them removed from the face of the map?¡±

    NONE. TO BE CLEAR WE ALSO SEEK THE ENDING OF MIKAROL AND DESCENT, BUT KROAN COMES FIRST, FUTURE DISCUSSIONS CAN HANDLE THE REST.

    ¡°I see, I see¡­¡± Kayz glanced at Via. ¡°You¡¯re being awfully calm for this.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t see much I can say to change your mind at this point,¡± Via said. ¡°It¡¯s no secret that you hate us.¡±

    ¡°You got that right,¡± Kayz said, bothering to spit in Via¡¯s general direction. ¡°I do have to check, Uriah¡­ Shimvale is no threat to you, correct?¡±

    NONE.

    ¡°What should we avoid doing to keep that?¡±

    SPACE ACTIVITY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s real fortunate that you managed to stop my spies every time I tried to steal the secret then, huh?¡±

    YOUR TIMING WAS, IN FACT, UNFORTUNATE FOR US. BUT IT ALERTED US TO YOUR PRESENCE AND YOUR MOTIVES, AND THUS THIS ALLIANCE. WHICH I CAN TRUST IS ACTIVE?

    ¡°I have to bring it back to the Council. But I¡¯ll give it my approval. I suspect we¡¯ll agree wholeheartedly.¡± She glanced at the bricks. ¡°Will these two be enough to send a message back to you?¡±

    YES. I HAVE RECEIVERS IN VARIOUS PLACES, SIMPLY SPEAK AND I WILL HEAR.

    ¡°Got it.¡± Kayz smirked, then slammed her hand next to Via. ¡°How you feel now, Princess? Everything in your precious nation is about to fall apart. Where¡¯s your precious Dia now?¡±

    ¡°She has not f-forsaken us.¡±

    ¡°You seem uncertain.¡± Kayz chuckled. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m getting out of here before Uriah here has a change of heart.¡± She glanced at the red display. ¡°Do not harm the unicorn. I intend to put her genius to work.¡±

    IF YOU INSIST. AND THE PRINCESS?

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you turn her into pulp and throw her to the pigs.¡± Kayz waved a dismissive hand. ¡°And as for the child¡­ I think we all know she can take anything.¡±

    ¡°Please!¡± Via called after her. ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t have to do this!¡±

    ¡°Oh no, of course not. In fact, this is probably a deal Shimvale is on the losing side of, slightly.¡± Kayz grinned. ¡°But the prize of taking you out completely is simply too worth it.¡±

    ¡°Kaykayzee Ziggurat!¡±

    Kayz waved nonchalantly at her as she and her secretary walked out.

    Kayz started playing on her violin.

    ¡°Surprised you didn¡¯t use that in the room.¡±

    Kayz simply shrugged, continuing to play as they left the nexus, stepped onto the platform, and emerged back into the unbearably hot sun. The rigid army split, allowing them to walk all the way through. They had to walk up a steep incline back to their camp, but they made it without incident.

    Kayz threw the communication bricks into a storage chest and latched it tight. ¡°Get me a messenger,¡± she ordered. Then she ducked into a tent.

    It wasn¡¯t her tent. It was a tent that held a certain greater unicorn that they were keeping out of everyone¡¯s sight.

    Itlea looked up at Kayz.

    Kayz nodded and held up three fingers.

    Itlea nodded.

    Kayz grinned mischievously.

    What a good offer, Uriah. If only I hadn¡¯t already made a deal with someone else entirely¡­ She left the tent, grin still on her face. She looked down at the hole in the Shinelands. What, did you really think I¡¯d trust you? You clearly want to murder absolutely everything, this is not a self-defense ploy. There¡¯s no way we¡¯re letting that fly. She let out a long, drawn-out sigh. Still, it was nice to spit at that Princess¡­

    ~~~

    FOCUS ON YOUR HAND, JEH.

    ¡°I am, I am¡­¡± Jeh was in fact looking extremely intently at her hand. She wasn¡¯t bothered by the pain of having a dozen needles inserted into her fingers, but she was quite disturbed that the hand was moving entirely on its own as the metallic rods jostled back and forth.

    IMAGINE HEAT.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing it.¡±

    THE GRONGE FIELD IS REACTING. HEAT IS RISING. EXTREMELY SLOWLY. YOU COULD GET A SIMILAR EFFECT BY RUBBING YOUR HANDS TOGETHER.

    ¡°Oh yay¡­¡±

    PERHAPS YOU ARE NOT IMAGINING ENOUGH HEAT. IMAGINE ENOUGH TO SHOCK YOU.

    ¡°Buddy, pretty sure that doesn¡¯t exist.¡±

    YOU ARE NOT IMAGINING EXTREME ENOUGH. THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE STRENGTH OF YOUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSE IN THE BRAIN AND THE INFLUENCE YOU HAVE ON THE GRONGE FIELD.

    ¡°Look, flathead, pain doesn¡¯t mean anything to me.¡±

    PERHAPS TRY THINKING OF SOMETHING OTHER THAN PHYSICAL PAIN?

    ¡°Well, okay, I guess¡­¡±

    CONTINUE THINKING OF HEAT AS WELL.

    Jeh focused on her hand while Uriah continued to twist and move it into unnatural shapes with the needles. However, in her mind¡¯s eye, she remembered¡­ the feeling in the lava tunnel back at the Tempest. She focused on the churning, roiling molten rock¡­

    A pain entered her mind.

    Her hand involuntarily clenched into a fist.

    Her fist lit on fire.

    FASCINATING.

    Jeh could only stare blankly at the flaming first.

    IT IS AS THOUGH YOU ARE BURNING A RED CRYSTAL, BUT YOU HAVE NONE.

    Tears started rolling down Jeh¡¯s face.

    From somewhere behind her, Blue called out. ¡°Jeh? Jeh, what is it?¡±

    Jeh didn¡¯t respond. She just kept staring at her flaming hand.

    ¡°What have you done to her!?¡±

    Uriah didn¡¯t even turn the display to Blue. FASCINATING. I DO BELIEVE I AM CLOSE TO AWAKENING WHAT WE NEED. Several metallic spikes emerged from the walls and poked into Jeh¡¯s brain. I SEE THE EMOTIONAL CENTERS THAT NEED STIMULATION.

    ¡°Jeh!¡± Blue shouted. ¡°Jeh, snap out of it!¡±

    One of the spikes dug a little deeper into Jeh¡¯s head. The fire on her first went out. Instead, it started vibrating unnaturally quickly.

    THAT APPEARS TO BE BLUE, NOT ORANGE. AND YET, NO BLUE SPARKS. CURIOUS, JEH. All the spikes were removed from her head and her hand, and her restraints were removed. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

    Jeh wordlessly flexed her hand, staring at it blankly.

    Then she started sobbing.

    WHAT IS THE MATTER?

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Jeh pulled her knees to her chest and started shivering. ¡°I just¡­ I see the red hands¡­ and everything¡¯s burning¡­¡±

    IT DOES NOT SEEM FEASIBLE THAT THIS ABILITY, WHATEVER IT IS, HAS ANYWHERE NEAR THE CAPACITY TO MAKE EVERYTHING BURN. ARE YOU REMEMBERING ANYTHING?

    ¡°No¡­ nothing, nothing at all. Just¡­ pain.¡± She stood up, looking back to Blue.

    Blue¡¯s breath caught at the utter helpless expression on her face. ¡°Jeh, I¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something nasty inside me¡­¡± Jeh said, shivering. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ~~~

    The sky was black.

    Darkness rolled through the streets of dirt and loose stone. Shards of obsidian poked out of the ground at haphazard angles. People walked around in large cloaks that hid the upper half of their faces. Some of the cloak hoods had large eye designs imprinted upon them, but most did not. A handful wore no hoods, for they were giant floating eyes themselves, burning with arcane fire.

    It was nearly impossible to see more than a few buildings in any direction, and as such street signs were prevalent. Not only on every street corner but also every few dozen or so meters, there was a post with a label. Without such things, navigating the city could be a nightmare.

    To outsiders, even with the signs it could be a nightmare.

    Riikaz and Envila pulled their eyeless hoods close to their bodies. They were doing a remarkable job of blending in like locals, for they did not stop to examine the signs with anything more than a cursory glance. This was an illusion, of course, they were barely able to read Vraskalian. They would just rather appear like they belonged and risk getting lost.

    ¡°Think we¡¯ll make the right turn this time?¡± Envila whispered.

    ¡°I sure hope so, I am getting tired of walking,¡± Riikaz muttered.

    The two said no further words. Talking to each other would risk being suspicious. Vraskalians weren¡¯t the sort to talk when walking through the darkness. Public streets were a place of silence.

    Which made it all the stranger when the two of them started to hear a very loud woman¡¯s voice.

    ¡°The request¡¯s a little odd, don¡¯t you think? Like, transport that far that quickly?¡±

    There was a response neither of them could hear as they were too far away.

    ¡°Wow, aren¡¯t you lucky we happened to be here! It¡¯s gonna cost you, though!¡±

    ¡°Money is no object.¡± Envila and Riikaz heard a very large sack of money drop onto some kind of hard surface.

    They finally got close enough to where they could see what was happening through the darkness. First of all, it was their actual destination, one of the city¡¯s darkscraper trees, plants with trunks so massive their entire girth could not be seen at once. They grew so high into the darkness that they could gather energy from the sun, and as such their fruit was the primary source of food for a large portion of Vraskal. There were a large number of wooden staircases built into the side of the tree, ascending up into the darkness where their destination could not be seen.

    The interaction, however, was happening on the ground. Several people in cloaks with eyes on them were talking to a blonde human girl not wearing a cloak at all. A rope ladder hung in midair behind her, ascending upward into seemingly nothing. The girl not only was out of place in Vraskal, but neither Envila nor Riikaz could place her place of origin at all. She was wearing a bizarre mixture of leather armor, metal tools, and high-quality goggles with multiple lenses affixed to them.

    The girl¡ªwho couldn¡¯t have been older than fourteen¡ªopened up the bag of coins that had been dropped in front of her. She whistled. ¡°Goodness. There¡¯s so many in here that you broke a few by dropping it.¡±

    ¡°Is it sufficient?¡± The lead hooded figure asked.

    ¡°Plenty!¡±

    ¡°May we leave immediately?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely! Climb on! Next stop: the Shinelands! ¡­You do know how to get there, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry¡ªand thank you, we are in your debt.¡±

    ¡°No probs! You look real stressed, hope we can go fast enough.¡± With that, the girl jumped on the ladder and started climbing up.

    The lead hooded figure jumped on the ladder as well. For a moment, she glanced down at the ground.

    Riikaz¡¯s breath caught.

    The hooded figure ascended the rope ladder, and her followers went along right afterward. The moment the last one was on, the rope ladder retreated into the darkness above.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Envila said. ¡°I think I already know what you¡¯ve got to say, but I¡¯m going to ask anyway. What was that?¡±

    ¡°That was her,¡± Riikaz said, almost breathless. ¡°The dryad.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Positive. That image is seared in my mind¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s she doing out of her throne then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, apparently she¡¯s not actually permanently attached to it?¡± Riikaz put her hand to her head. ¡°The Shinelands¡­?¡±

    ¡°If I had to bet, probably something to do with that Rigid Plague. It strikes me as the exact kind of threat they¡¯re supposed to deal with.¡±

    ¡°...But it means she¡¯s not here.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps that is a blessing in disguise,¡± Envila said. ¡°Without their leader, they may be exploitable.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Remember what you told me about your revenge.¡±

    Riikaz nodded. ¡°Secondary. It¡¯s secondary to the kingdom¡¯s safety.¡±

    ¡°Right. Plus, for all we know, she¡¯s just in charge and not directly responsible for your problem. If we can make use of this opportunity¡­¡±

    ¡°We still don¡¯t know anything about who they are or where they¡¯re stationed.¡±

    ¡°It has to be nearby. After all¡­ she was right in front of us.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ yes, she was¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway, we should probably get back to what we were doing.¡± Envila turned to the tree¡¯s trunk. ¡°Our contact is at the top of this. I¡¯d suggest a race, but you¡¯re probably a lot better at climbing than I am.¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT:

    When I first came up with the concept for the Rigid Plague, Artificial Intelligence was still a high science-fiction pipe-dream concept. Which just goes to show how long I¡¯ve been writing this story, and how quickly the world can change. However, what was once a pipe dream is now reality. So rather than my original plan, I have opted to make the Rigid Plague essentially just a very large and unhindered version of the AI we have today. With some notable differences, which I will get into.

    Artificial Intelligence is such a broad term. It¡¯s any sort of computer program that attempts to model the results of thinking. Simple AI have been around for decades, figuring out how to play games and optimize strategies for particular tasks. However, in modern times (within the last few years!) we have started creating AI that are capable of performing abstract and nebulous tasks, to the point at which you can get on a website and talk to seemingly another human being, and be unable to tell the difference between a person and a machine. This is what is known as passing the Turing Test, a famous thought experiment created by Alan Turing to examine the progress of Artificial Intelligence.

    However, virtually no one in computer science ever claims that these AI we¡¯ve created are actually like us; able as they are to make images, solve problems, and hold a conversation, they ultimately aren¡¯t reasoning through anything to arrive at conclusions. What they¡¯re doing is a lot of math in a black box. If you¡¯re curious about the math itself, the YouTube channel 3blue1brown does a far better job explaining that than I could ever hope to in a series of videos on AI. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aircAruvnKk&list=PLZHQObOWTQDNU6R1_67000Dx_ZCJB-3pi</a>)

    Ignoring the mathematical how of AI inner workings, we can still ask what exactly they¡¯re doing when you ask a question. Let¡¯s focus on Large Language Models like ChatGPT, which is what Uriah the Rigid Plague¡¯s behavior is (loosely) based on. When you ask ChatGPT a question (what is the Wizard Space Program?) it doesn¡¯t try to find a definition of Wizard Space Program, rather it feeds the question into its magic math box and asks a new question: in response to this question, what is the first word I should say? Then it prints out that word and goes for the next word, and the next word, and so on. At no point is it really ¡°thinking¡± in the sense you or I do where we hold the idea in our head and assign meaning to it through words. We have the actual knowledge and the words are just our way of communicating it. You could argue that the LLM doesn¡¯t actually ¡°know¡± anything, it¡¯s just plodding along through the paths set out before it like a box of gears.

    Of course, at this point, we could start getting philosophical. Is the human brain just a far more complicated box of gears? Sure, we may approach the problem differently (I don¡¯t think any human answers questions one word at a time without considering any words that might come after, for instance), but are we not just meatbags that take in inputs and produce outputs in response to the world? On the other hand, one could argue about the method being far more important than the results; after all, ¡°I think, therefore I am,¡± and we are pretty obviously thinking. But what am I doing, this is a science segment, philosophical musings are better placed in the story proper.

    Regardless, AI of today still have several holes when it comes to actually doing human things, we do not yet have what is known as an Artificial General Intelligence. Coming up with brand new creative ideas that have no basis in previous work is not something the AI can do, their ¡°intelligence¡± is due almost entirely to being able to regurgitate information. Uriah is at least smart enough to know this, hence his need to have Jeh and Blue come up with ideas for him, especially because he lacks context and experience for a lot of what¡¯s happening. But he¡¯s definitely able to rehash old ideas--he can¡¯t figure out what Kroan¡¯s plan is, but he sure knows they have it and that they wouldn¡¯t want to hurt Via, for instance. Another thing¡ªLLMs often have restrictions and rules they have to follow. Uriah¡¯s programmers obviously left a few glaring holes, but this still shows up in the fact that he almost has to respond to questions asked of him when they¡¯re directed at him specifically (and not the collective as a whole), as well as his very cookie-cutter response to who and what he is.

 049 - Uriah and Vulfrie

    WSP 049

    Uriah and Vulfrie

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna do this anymore,¡± Jeh said, pulling her hand back from Uriah¡¯s spikes. ¡°I don¡¯t like how it feels.¡±

    BUT YOUR POWER IS SUCH AN UNKNOWN. IT COULD BE A BOON TO YOU. WE JUST HAD AN EXTENDED BREAK.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to deal with it right now!¡± Jeh shouted at Uriah¡¯s display. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it later! I was eventually able to deal with Jenny, I¡¯ll eventually be able to deal with this! Just¡­ not now!¡±

    JENNY. I REMEMBER HER.

    Jeh froze. ¡°Wh-what?¡±

    YOU ARE VERY SIMILAR. I DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIMENT ON HER, SO I CANNOT SAY HOW SIMILAR. SHAME, PREVIOUS DATA WOULD HAVE BEEN GREATLY HELPFUL TO SURPASS MY LIMITATIONS IN THIS ENDEAVOR.

    Jeh looked down at the ground, silent.

    NOT GOING TO ASK ME ABOUT HER? YOU¡¯RE WELL AWARE AT THIS POINT THAT I HAVE TO ANSWER MOST THINGS YOU ASK.

    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna know.¡±

    YOU ARE BEING MOST UNCOOPERATIVE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE, I AM UNABLE TO PROGRESS INTO NOVEL TERRITORY WITHOUT YOUR INPUT.

    ¡°Sucks to be you then!¡±

    I WILL HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING FORCEFUL.

    ¡°She said she didn¡¯t want to!¡± Blue called from the other side of the glass.

    IT LOOKS LIKE BLUE THINKS AN EMOTIONAL APPEAL WILL HAVE SOME KIND OF EFFECT ON ME. IT WILL NOT. ALTHOUGH, IT HAS GIVEN ME AN IDEA.

    Suddenly, a spike emerged from the ground and pierced through Blue¡¯s ear. She screamed.

    ¡°Blue!¡± Jeh blurted, jumping out of the chair and running to the glass.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Via shouted. ¡°You made a deal with Kayz!¡±

    The display rotated to point through the glass at Via. THAT I NEVER HAD ANY INTENTION OF OBSERVING.

    ¡°What!? What was the point of the negotiation then!?¡±

    TO MAKE HER THINK THERE WAS ONE. SHE AND THE SHIMMERS WILL NOW SERVE MY PURPOSE, AND THEN THEY WILL FALL IMMEDIATELY AFTER KROAN ITSELF.

    ¡°Oh, so you want to destroy the entire world then, is that it?¡±

    PRECISELY.

    Via stared at the word in disbelief. ¡°Why¡­ why tell us?¡±

    THERE IS NO MORE BLOCK TO MY ANSWERS. I HAVE NO FURTHER NEGOTIATION PARTNERS TO KEEP SECRETS FROM. YOU LIVE ONLY TO PROVIDE ME WITH MORE INFORMATION AND INSURANCE. The display turned back to Jeh. YOU WILL COOPERATE OR I WILL COMPLETELY REMOVE BLUE¡¯S EAR.

    Jeh clenched her hands into fists. ¡°You are going to pay for this¡­¡±

    ¡°Jeh, don¡¯t listen¡­¡± Blue whimpered.

    ¡°Blue¡­ I can handle some mental trauma. What are you going to do when one of these spikes takes a leg?¡± Jeh wiped her eyes. ¡°I¡­ I can take it.¡±

    ¡°But Jeh, I don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I can take it.¡± She turned to Uriah¡¯s display and glared intently at the words on it. ¡°Fine. We can figure out how I work.¡± And I can keep Via safe. She might actually have information we don¡¯t want this psycho knowing¡­ I can be distracting. She got back into the chair. Uriah did not strap her down, and instead just inserted the spikes into her hand and skull again.

    This feels really¡ªhedgehog¡ªweird with needles poking around in here¡­

    NOW. FOCUS ON YOUR HAND. I CAN ACTIVATE THE NEEDED NEURAL CENTERS WITHOUT YOU TRYING TO THINK OF A MEMORY. FIRST, RED.

    Jeh focused on her hand. Her mind exploded. Lava churned all around her, enveloping her. She drove a flaming first into a crying face, the blood smearing on her crimson gloves.

    Her fist lit on fire. She couldn¡¯t stop crying.

    ORANGE.

    Jeh¡¯s mind exploded. She was falling. She was trapped in rock. Someone punched her off a cliff. She ripped someone apart with her own two hands.

    Her fist hit the air without moving, making a loud cracking sound. Jeh hyperventilated.

    YELLOW.

    Jeh¡¯s mind exploded. She hated this one. She didn¡¯t understand the feelings flooding her. Feelings not meant for her. She wanted. She could not have. She would never grow. The desire would never come. But they would come for her.

    Take heart, my child. This will not last forever.

    Her fist started glowing a soft white color. She felt as though something had been taken from her. Again?

    GREEN.

    Jeh¡¯s mind exploded. Her skin turned into plants. She heard the sound of cats meowing all around her. It hurt, it hurt so much, why did healing hurt so much? Everything that regrew pierced her with thorns. She was blind.

    Her fist restored the air around it. The strain in her hand was eased. She had never known such sadness¡ªno, no she had merely forgotten.

    BLUE.

    Jeh¡¯s mind exploded. She stretched from beginning to end. She decayed to bones. She emerged from her own bones. Everywhere she stepped, the ground turned to dust. The distant voices called to her, but she didn¡¯t listen to them.

    Space shifted around Jeh¡¯s fist. She stared ahead, expression completely blank.

    PURPLE.

    Jeh¡¯s mind exploded. There was light. There was darkness. She saw herself in the mirror. The mirror turned its back on her. All was black.

    Your secrets are safe.

    Jeh¡¯s fist shone with a brilliant light. Her teeth chattered.

    MAGENTA.

    Jeh couldn¡¯t understand what was happening. What was real? Where did it all come from? Why was she here, in the center of it all?

    Jeh¡¯s fist sparkled with a rainbow of colors. Crystals manifested out of the air and dropped to the ground. Her hair started to glow a pale teal color.

    AS EXPECTED, THAT ONE IS DIFFERENT. OF COURSE, WE MUST CONTINUE. PUSH FURTHER BEYOND!

    Beyond!? Jeh thought. What does that even mean!? We¡¯ve done all the colors! All of them! There¡¯s nothing els¡ª

    Something clicked as a spike moved around in Jeh¡¯s brain.

    She floated among the stars. In a Skyseed. Orbs of light whizzed past her. It was so cold.

    But it wasn¡¯t painful.

    It¡­ was peaceful.

    She went higher and higher. She reached out, holding a star in her hand.

    She saw her face looking right back. But then she realized¡­ it wasn¡¯t quite right. The hair was teal, the eyes were more aggressive¡­

    Jeh stopped breathing.

    For a moment, the face in the star looked at her with contempt. Then¡­ a smile came across the other her¡¯s face, one of the saddest smiles Jeh had ever seen. There was an approving nod, and a wink.

    Jeh¡¯s entire body exploded.

    ¡°Jeh!¡± Blue shouted.

    THAT WAS UNEXPECTED.

    ¡°What did you do to her?¡±

    PUSHED HER BEYOND. DO NOT WORRY, SHE IS REFORMING.

    Out of a single black speck, bones began to form. Bones latched together into the form of a skeleton. Ligaments formed between the various pieces, and muscles started to weave all around, appearing from nothing. As her skin began to form, so too did the few articles of clothing; the top and bottom of strange black fabric, and the two crimson-red gloves on her hands. Her hair was a pale teal, blowing in a breeze that didn¡¯t exist, forming into a pristine side ponytail.

    She opened her eyes.

    She looked down at her gloves.

    Fear shot through her body.

    No¡­ no, these can¡¯t hurt me.

    Carefully, she removed the gloves from her hands. Wordlessly, she set them down on the chair she had been sitting on a minute ago.

    HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

    ¡°You want to turn me into her, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked.

    THAT WOULD CERTAINLY ACCOMPLISH MY GOALS, BUT IT IS NOT THE ONLY SATISFACTORY RESULT.

    ¡°...Sorry then, it didn¡¯t work. I still don¡¯t have a clue who she was.¡± She pointed at herself with her thumb. ¡°I¡¯m not Jenny. My name is Jeh!¡±

    UNFORTUNATE. IT APPEARS WE WILL JUST HAVE TO TRY SOME OTHER METHOD TO PUSH YOU BEYOND¡­

    ¡°And you¡¯ve just made a terrible mistake, Uriah.¡±

    HOW SO?

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the foggiest idea who she is or what she did. But you know what I do know?¡±

    WHAT?

    ¡°How to do this.¡± She clenched her right fist tightly. It sparkled with blue electricity that took bizarre, circular arcs around her fingers. She drove her fist right into Uriah¡¯s display, shattering it and sending the electricity directly up the connecting tube. Several bright lights and explosions occurred on the level above them. ¡°Short out, idiot!¡±

    The lights went out.

    Jeh snapped her fingers, and her hand was suddenly glowing with a soft warm glow. ¡°Just like cooking¡­ yeah¡­ just like cooking.¡± She curled her other hand into a fist and slammed it into the glass barrier separating her from Via and Blue. The glass liquefied without getting hot, pouring onto the ground at their feet.

    Via gasped. ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    Blue stared at Jeh, uncertain. ¡°Jeh, are you¡­ are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±

    Jeh rushed to Blue and pulled her into a hug. She let out a long, drawn-out sigh. ¡°It hurt. A lot. I feel¡­ sore, inside. But¡­ I¡¯m still me. There was no secret Jenny to take over. It was¡­ just me.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank Dia,¡± Blue said, pulling her close. ¡°I was so worried when you came back¡­¡±

    ¡°Looks like I was worried for nothing all this time. I¡¯m not¡­ in danger.¡± Tears started rolling down her face. ¡°I¡¯m not her and I never will be. I¡¯m Jeh¡­ I come from the forest.¡±

    ¡°Yes you do, you little not-bear.¡±

    Jeh broke off the hug. ¡°Now, uh, we should probably get out of here. Courtesy of my newly rediscovered favorite spell!¡±

    ¡°You have more!?¡± Via asked.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s all one spell.¡± She clenched her hand into a fist. It glimmered with a metallic sheen. ¡°I cast fist.¡±

    She punched a hole clean through the metal wall of their prison.

    ¡°...Are you sure you don¡¯t need those gloves?¡± Via asked.

    Jeh laughed. ¡°Why would I need them? I¡¯m immortal, if I crack a finger it¡¯ll be back in an instant.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ right.¡± Via laughed awkwardly.

    ¡°Anyway you two, let¡¯s go! ¡­Actually, hold on a second. Blue, I¡¯m going to have to punch your ear.¡±

    ¡°Hu¡ª¡±

    Jeh punched her in her injured ear. Blue let out a cry of shock¡­ and then another cry of shock when she realized the ear was healed.

    ¡°Green punch.¡± Jeh gave her a thumbs up. ¡°I also think I remember sleep punch!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not use that one,¡± Blue said, poking her head out of the hole in the wall. She noted that there was nothing on the other side but a large vertical drop into seemingly endless mist. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose fists can be used to¡­ fly?¡±

    ¡°...I think I can punch the ground and create a whirlwind. Want to try?¡±

    ¡°That sounds fun!¡± Via said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a terrible idea,¡± Blue grunted. ¡°We¡¯ll have no control.¡± Blue pulled her head back into the room. ¡°Let¡¯s try getting out the right way. The ceiling. I¡¯ll levitate you up there¡­¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± Jeh punched the ground, somehow sending the shockwave into herself. She slammed into the ceiling hard enough to break several of the slats, widening the hole further. ¡°Wow, I sure wrecked everything up here!¡±

    Blue levitated Via up to the next level. Jeh threw a cable down to pull Blue herself up.

    Jeh had not been lying. There was glass all over the floor. Sparks were flying from various holes in the walls. Blue could see smoke emanating from at least one location.

    ¡°Hey, my firearm!¡± Via said, finding it among the wreckage. ¡°Great!¡±

    ¡°What did you do¡­?¡±

    ¡°Shorted the moron out!¡± Jeh said, grinning. ¡°...I¡¯m not entirely sure what that means actually! But it sounds right!¡±

    ¡°Is this¡­ an ancestry?¡± Via asked.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m something else entirely!¡± Jeh said with a chuckle. ¡°I think I can just make stuff up!¡±

    Blue raised an eyebrow. ¡°Then let¡¯s test that. Give me a punch that turns things into apples.¡±

    ¡°Apple punch here we go!¡± Jeh punched the wall.

    Nothing happened.

    ¡°Okay so maybe I can¡¯t just make things up entirely¡­¡± Jeh rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Oh well, let¡¯s move!¡±

    The three of them bolted out the nearby door; the very same one Kayz had left through several hours ago. They eventually emerged from their nexus of metal walls to see the large expanse of metallic walkways, mist, and other nexuses.

    There was no indication at all of any exit.

    ¡°Well.¡± Jeh crossed her arms. ¡°That¡¯s going to be a problem.¡±

    Blue scanned her eyes across the scenery. ¡°I think we¡¯re underground. We probably need to go up.¡± She pointed to the left. ¡°More paths that way go upward. Come on.¡±

    And so they moved. Running across metallic walkways through the misty underground.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Blue said as they ran. ¡°You don¡¯t have any new¡­ memories?¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡± Jeh called back. ¡°It¡¯s just like with the cooking. I already knew how to do this. I just think it was so close to whoever Jenny was in my mind that every time it came up it was just painful.¡± Jeh tapped her chin. ¡°Though I do admit, it has me kind of curious how she learned all these things. And what all those weird images I saw when Uriah was poking me were. I saw and felt some wild stuff.¡± Jeh¡¯s big smile faltered. ¡°And some pretty messed up stuff.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°A lot of it was violent. I think Jenny killed a lot of people. That wasn¡¯t even what hurt the most, though.¡± She tapped her finger on her side. ¡°There were things with lava, plants, and cats.¡±

    ¡°Cats?¡±

    ¡°Cats.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to be terrified of Suro when we get back, are you?¡±

    Jeh laughed a delighted laugh. ¡°Nope! I¡¯ll scare him. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve got a punch in here somewhere that¡¯ll blow his socks off.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you this cheerful!¡± Via called. ¡°Considering what just happened!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s your friendly neighborhood immortal child for you!¡± Jeh held her hands wide and grinned as they ran. ¡°I feel¡­ complete! Like there¡¯s nothing in the world that can keep me down!¡±

    ¡°Forgive me, then,¡± a garbled voice came from behind them. The next thing they knew, Blue was in the grips of a mantis-like rigid flying above them. ¡°Please, find a way to kill me and save her¡­¡±

    Jeh gripped her fist. ¡°So, you can operate without Uriah¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who that is¡­¡± the rigid said, dejectedly. ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re supposed to follow me.¡±

    Via turned to Jeh. ¡°I¡¯ve got a plan you¡¯re not going to like that much.¡±

    Jeh sighed. ¡°Of course, it is one of your ideas. What is it?¡±

    ¡°Splitting up. Force the Rigid Plague to pick.¡± With that, Via ran off further down the walkway.

    The rigid gestured for Jeh to follow.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m the target and not the princess, great¡­¡± Jeh said with a sigh.

    Blue coughed, struggling in the rigid¡¯s grip. ¡°Jeh, you¡­ Uriah¡¯s been fixated on you, clearly something you can do is important. You can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you behind. I don¡¯t care.¡± Jeh gave her a smile and a wink. ¡°And plus, I¡¯m sure you or I can figure something out before anything bad happens!¡±

    ¡°Jeh¡­¡±

    ¡°Lead the way, bug boy!¡±

    ¡°I am so sorry¡­¡± the rigid whimpered.

    ~~~

    Looks like it really was after Jeh¡­ Via thought as she ran further down the walkway. Which means I¡¯m the one who gets a chance. She made sure her firearm was fully loaded and ready, keeping it firmly in her hands the entire time.

    A rigid flew out from beneath the walkway, trying to grab her. She shot it right in the chest, the explosion sending its shrapnel in several directions.

    She approached one of the nexuses and quickly jumped to another walkway that would take her even higher in elevation.

    By the time she arrived at the next nexus, she had blown up three more rigids and was ready to jump to the next walkway.

    But then she heard it.

    The buzzing.

    She jumped into one of the nexus¡¯ doorframes and hid on the inside. No lights were on in this one, so she was probably fine. Hopefully. Maybe. Who was she kidding, she had no idea, this could have been her worst idea yet. Or forcing the Rigid Plague to choose might have been stupid. Maybe she was enough of an annoyance to kill instead of capture now! Wouldn¡¯t that be something?

    In truth, she had kind of hoped the Plague cared more about her than Jeh. But no, evidently not. She wasn¡¯t sure why; if she got away, the Crown would definitely launch the attack, captured Blue or not.

    ¡­Crap. I can¡¯t escape now, I¡¯m not going to let Blue get killed like that.

    Not that she could have escaped even if she wanted to. Thousands of flying rigids filled the air between nexuses, making it absolutely impossible to move any further.

    At least they didn¡¯t seem to know where she was.

    Via let out a short whine and slid down the wall until she was seated. She sighed.

    Well, now what am I going to do!?

    ~~~

    ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s your name, mister rigid?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ was known as Cobale.¡±

    Jeh tilted her head. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you anymore?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly feel¡­ alive. I¡¯m trapped in this body.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this Rigid Plague sure is nasty. Couldn¡¯t control me, but it was poking around my brain with all sorts of needles.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re not dead either. What a horrid torment this entire thing is¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite messed up, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Blue let out an annoyed whinny. ¡°Think you could loosen your grip a little bit?¡±

    Cobalt paused. ¡°You do realize I have literally no control over my body, yes?¡±

    ¡°The Plague can still hear me. I note that the grip has not loosened. Very annoying.¡±

    ¡°At least you still have control over your body.¡±

    ¡°Not really? Can¡¯t move.¡± Blue let out a long, drawn-out sigh. ¡°I just want to do math and science and launch things into space, I don¡¯t want to be in the center of some life or death conspiracy game¡­¡±

    ¡°Space is too powerful, unfortunately,¡± Jeh said with a shrug.

    ¡°I know that now. Wish I had known that at the start. Then maybe I wouldn¡¯t have signed up for this.¡±

    ¡°But then you wouldn¡¯t have met me! Or the rest of the program! You¡¯d still be a messenger!¡±

    ¡°...Geez, now there¡¯s a nightmare. Hmm. Nightmare A, or nightmare B?¡± Blue let out a pathetic whimper. ¡°I guess, knowing everything¡­ I would still pick the Space Program.¡±

    ¡°Thought so.¡± Jeh walked in front of Blue and gave her a smug smile.

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s looking kind of grim right now, Jeh. You¡¯ll probably get out of this fine one way or another, but me¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can.¡±

    ¡°Jeh¡­ it might not be enough.¡±

    Jeh¡¯s smile vanished and she sighed. ¡°I know that. I also know that if I do save you here some hundred years down the line you¡¯re gonna get old and I¡¯ll still be here after that.¡± She looked down at one of her hands, opening and closing it. ¡°That thought¡­ used to be the most terrifying thought that came to me regularly. But I think¡­ if I could handle all this¡­ I could handle that.¡± Jeh paused. ¡°That sounds really insensitive, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°A bit.¡±

    ¡°Sorry. I just¡­ I don¡¯t want you to worry about me.¡±

    Blue snorted. ¡°I¡¯m the one in danger here. Worry about me, please.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that bad advice, or something?¡±

    ¡°...I think your maturity levels are broken. Half of you is wise, the other half is a baby who hasn¡¯t been fed yet.¡±

    Jenny chuckled. ¡°And who¡¯s fault is that?¡±

    ¡°...Vaughan?¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯t take all the blame.¡±

    ¡°Okay, fine, it¡¯s like half my fault.¡±

    A contemplative look came over Jeh. ¡°This is kind of bad¡­ but part of me wants him here. Then¡­ then we could face it together. All three of us.¡±

    ¡°...You know what, I feel the same way.¡± Blue sighed. ¡°Not that I¡¯d want him to suffer, but somehow, when it¡¯s just the three of us¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that can stop us, right?¡±

    ¡°Right!¡±

    There was silence between the two of them.

    ¡°That would have been amazingly inspiring if he was here,¡± Cobale pointed out.

    ¡°Oh stuff a sock in it,¡± Blue grumbled.

    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure what socks are.¡±

    ¡°You speak Karli and you don¡¯t know what socks are!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s never come up!¡±

    Suddenly, the three of them were bathed in intense red light. Looking up, they saw an utterly massive display larger than most buildings. Ancient red numbers flashed across its surface, each digit larger than a full-grown man. The central black area displayed text in Karli.

    THAT WAS A GREAT SURPRISE, JEH.

    ¡°You bet it was!¡± Jeh held her fist in the air. ¡°Now you better let Blue and me go or you¡¯ll get another one!¡±

    MY EXTENT IS FAR TOO WIDE TO BE ANNIHILATED BY A SIMPLE EMP.

    ¡°...A what?¡±

    WHAT YOU DID. AN EMP. ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE. MIXED WITH EXTRA LIGHTNING PRESUMABLY FOR FLAIR.

    Jeh glanced at Blue. ¡°You have any idea what this means?¡±

    ¡°Not a clue.¡±

    ¡°Neither do I, for the record,¡± Cobale said.

    YOUR LACK OF FEAR AND TREMBLING IS PUZZLING.

    ¡°Jeh¡¯s contagious,¡± Blue deadpanned.

    ¡°You bet I am!¡± Jeh laughed. ¡°And I don¡¯t care if the EMPunch or whatever won¡¯t work, I¡¯ll keep punching until I find something that does work!¡±

    IT¡¯S AMAZING HOW DUMB YOU ARE.

    ¡°What?¡±

    A dart hit Jeh in the back of the neck.

    ¡°Hey¡­ no fair¡­ fight like a man¡­¡± Jeh slumped forward, but didn¡¯t fall asleep. ¡°Hey, what gives¡­?¡±

    I NEED YOU AWARE FOR THIS. THE TRANQUILIZER IS NOT ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY TAKE YOU DOWN, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE EASY ACCESS TO SUCH THINGS. NOW, LET US GET TO BUSINESS. I NEED SOMETHING FROM YOU.

    ¡°Sucks to be you if you think I¡¯m giving you anything.¡±

    I WILL KILL BLUE.

    Jeh sighed. ¡°Look, whatever you want is probably some kind of world-ending catastrophe nonsense¡­ you¡¯re just gonna kill us afterward.¡±

    THAT IS NOT THE CASE. YOUR TASK HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH THE CONQUEST OF REALITY. I SIMPLY WISH FOR YOU TO ANNIHILATE AN ANCESTRY.

    ¡°...What?¡±

    A pillar rose out of the ground. Resting on top of it was a perfectly black cube, outlined in white, glinting with light that didn¡¯t exist.

    Jeh took in a sharp breath and closed her eyes. It can¡¯t hurt you. She released the breath and opened her eyes, fixing Uriah with an intense glare. ¡°What am I supposed to do with this?¡±

    YOU HAVE AWAKENED YOUR ABILITIES. YOU KNOW HOW TO CLEAR IT.

    ¡°How would you know, idiot?¡± Blue shouted.

    ¡°...He¡¯s right,¡± Jeh said with a sigh. ¡°No use trying to hide it, I know exactly what to do with it. But I don¡¯t know what it¡¯ll do.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°What does clearing the cube do?¡±

    IT RETURNS IT TO ITS ORIGINAL STATE, WHERE IT DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY ANCESTRY. THE ANCESTRY CONTAINED WITHIN WILL CEASE TO BE ACTIVE EVERYWHERE IN EXISTENCE.

    ¡°And let me guess, this particular one is going to be particularly annoying to overcome in your conquest of existence?¡±

    NOT AT ALL, IN FACT I DO NOT THINK THERE IS ANYONE LIVING WITH THE ANCESTRY STILL. IT IS THE CUBE THAT WAS USED TO CREATE THE RIGID BIOMES, THE METAL-LANDSCAPER. I SIMPLY WISH IT TO BE CLEAR SO I CAN STUDY AN EMPTY CUBE. THERE ARE NO MORE IN THIS DAY AND AGE. THEY HAVE ALL BEEN SET.

    ¡°This is a bad idea¡­¡± Blue muttered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can get anything out of it though,¡± Jeh said, scratching her chin. ¡°If you could get ancestries, you would be destroying everything with it. But you can¡¯t use magic, and you can¡¯t force your bodies to use magic.¡±

    THIS IS CORRECT. I AM NOT SPIRITED. I CAN GAIN NO ABILITY FROM THE CUBE.

    ¡°But your army could¡­¡±

    AND HOW WOULD I SET IT, JEH?

    Jeh scratched her chin. ¡°You really want me to do this¡­¡±

    YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE NO CHOICE.

    Cobale¡¯s grip on Blue tightened. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± he said as she tried not to whimper.

    Jeh let out a dejected sigh. ¡°...Fine. I¡¯ll blank your stupid cube.¡±

    ¡°Jeh¡­¡± Blue sighed. ¡°Who am I kidding, asking you to just let me die is never gonna happen.¡±

    ¡°Definitely not,¡± Jeh chuckled.

    ¡°How can you two smile at a time like this¡­¡± Cobale muttered.

    IT IS MOST BIZARRE.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I have hope,¡± Jeh said, walking up to the cube.

    HOPE IN WHAT?

    ¡°I dunno. Things just kind of tend to work out in the end, you know? Probably Dia or something, evil never triumphs¡­¡± She looked down at her hands. ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯ve known things work out for a long, long time, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    GET ON WITH IT.

    ¡°Fine, fine, ruin my introspection and potential spiritual epiphany¡­¡± She laid her hand on the cube.

    It flashed white, outlined in black.

    ~~~

    Kayz looked up at the sky.

    There was a rope ladder floating there, attached to absolutely nothing.

    ¡°...Huh,¡± Kayz said. ¡°Itlea, is that a Purple illusion?¡±

    ¡°Apparently not,¡± Itlea said, tilting her head to the side. ¡°What I¡¯m doing to the camp to confuse those rigids is, but this¡­ this is something else.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Time to put the charm on these new allies¡­ She lifted her bow to her violin¡­

    A vine shot from the sky and grabbed her bow, pulling it away from her violin.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be having any of your ancestry here, young lady.¡±

    Suddenly, an unusually bushy free leaf dryad fell from the sky, landing inches from Kayz¡¯s face. Kayz took a few steps back. Her secretary snickered.

    The dryad grinned from ear to ear. ¡°You¡¯re very lucky that you get to see my face and live, you know.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­ what¡¯s with the¡­ cat ears?¡±

    ¡°I like them,¡± the dryad said, flicking the fake cat ears on her head with her finger.

    Itlea took a step forward. ¡°Are¡­ are you the¡­¡±

    ¡°In charge of the entire organization? Yes. Do I want you to bow and lick my feet? No. Please, I¡¯m not like you.¡± She patted Itlea on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m far nicer. That should terrify you.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    ¡°Glad to see it does.¡± The dryad took in a long, sharp breath and stretched out her arms. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve gotten to go in the field with the promise of some actual action!¡±

    ¡°I thought your public appearance meant the situation was extremely dire,¡± Kayz deadpanned.

    ¡°Oh, absolutely. Rigid plague wants to conquer the world, has finally made a move to actually start a war to end all wars. Exactly the sort of thing we¡¯re here to prevent. I wonder what kind of ancestry is pulling the scenes behind this whole fiasco.¡±

    ¡°I get the feeling I¡¯m learning too much.¡±

    ¡°You are! But depending on how this goes, you might get to live. We¡¯re in really uncharted territory here. Might hire you. Might have to blow some people up.¡± She pressed her hands together. ¡°But we definitely get to blow some rigids up.¡±

    ¡°C-R is on standby¡­¡± Itlea said.

    ¡°I know what C-R is doing,¡± the dryad said dismissively. ¡°She already has my orders to stay put for now. We¡¯re doing stealth first. We¡¯ll sneak in, there¡¯s no way they can tell we¡¯re coming. However, the moment we change anything, we¡¯ll be made. Or at least those of us who changed something will be. Mister Gobwell won¡¯t do anything unless he really needs to, have to maintain the sneak, after all.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling us this and not running in?¡±

    ¡°Two reasons,¡± the dryad said. ¡°One, because I¡¯m about to ask you a million questions about what¡¯s going on in there that I want answered in detail now that we can better obfuscate the Rigid Plague¡¯s senses. Two, because I¡¯m taking you with me.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°It increases your chances of survival if you can show me your conviction! And, as you can see, I¡¯m in a good mood today. We do a lot of heinous things to keep the world safe. Today, I get to just flat-out save the world. It¡¯s refreshing! It¡¯ll be a good onboarding mission.¡±

    ¡°Wish I got one of those,¡± Itlea muttered.

    ¡°Your attitude is quite disgusting, I¡¯ll have to have a talk with C-R about her choices in help.¡±

    Itela bristled.

    Kayz grumbled. ¡°Well, if I¡¯m going to be working with you, you can at least tell me your name, right?¡±

    The dryad grinned. Sparks of Green began to emanate from inside her bushy leaves. A wild look came over her face. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m Sandy!¡±

    ~~~

    Jeh removed her hand from the cube. She realized she was sweating.

    ¡°Jeh, are you¡­ okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, fine,¡± Jeh said, wiping her brow. ¡°There you go, empty cube.¡±

    GOOD. THANK YOU.

    Cobale immediately dropped Blue and ran to touch the cube.

    ¡°Wh-hey!¡± Jeh shouted.

    The cube gained more white lines on it, subdividing it into multiple sections at a greater and greater rate until it was completely white. It flashed.

    Cobale screamed.

    THE WISH HAS BEEN MADE.

    ¡°Wish!?¡± Blue blurted.

    I KNOW HE WISHES FOR DEATH. SO THE CUBE SHALL GRANT IT. A CUBE WITH THE GIFT OF SELF DESTRUCTION. INSTANT DEATH FOR ALL FOES. THIS SHOULD TAKE CARE OF ANY OF THE MORE DIFFICULT UNIQUE ENTITIES IN THE WORLD. PERHAPS, LATER ON, I COULD CONVINCE YOU TO GRANT THE POWER TO EXTERMINATE DEMONS.

    Jeh glanced at Cobale. ¡°Do you feel yourself exploding?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? THE EMPTY CUBES ACTIVATE UPON THE WISHES OF WHOEVER TOUCHES THEM FIRST.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s simple really, it¡¯s not really empty,¡± Jeh said, grinning. ¡°I know how to clear them, I also know how to set them. Cobale, you have within you the power to expose Uriah¡¯s secrets and his weakness. Just will it and it will happen, you don¡¯t even need your body.¡±

    WHAT.

    Cobale suddenly started glowing like a miniature blue star. A beam of light shot out and hit Uriah¡¯s central display.

    Then everything they had seen previously was gone.

    They saw a city made of buildings so tall and rectangular it boggled the mind. A pink, circular hole dominated the sky, out of which specks of light flowed. A Blue crystal floated behind some clouds, making it impossible to tell how truly large it was, for there was no obvious reference.

    ¡°Is that¡­ the Great Blue Crystalline One?¡± Blue asked, slack-jawed.

    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s. Big.¡± Jeh whistled.

    ¡°...Okay, Jeh, you created this ability, right?¡±

    ¡°...Yes?¡±

    ¡°How do we get out?¡±

    ¡°Um. So. Don¡¯t be mad¡­¡±

    ¡°Jeh¡­¡±

    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Jeh chuckled awkwardly. ¡°These things really are kind of like wishes in the story. I asked it to expose Uriah¡¯s secrets and weaknesses with just a thought. I guess it¡¯s doing that by showing us the past.¡±

    ¡°The world before the First Cataclysm¡­¡± Blue looked at the hole in the sky. ¡°What even is that?¡±

    ¡°No clue.¡±

    Blue¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°It¡¯s important¡­¡±

    ¡°Probably, it¡¯s a giant thing in the sky.¡±

    The pink hole vanished and sparks stopped flowing out of it. The moon had apparently been behind it. It was currently a crescent.

    It looked exactly the same as it looked in their sky. A reminder that this was still Ikyu. This was still home.

    Finally, the two of them let their gaze drop from the sky and go downward. They realized with some shock that they weren¡¯t even on the ground, they were on a building¡¯s balcony. The ground was far, far below them, in a maze of metallic walkways, pipes, and neon lights. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°What kind of place is this¡­?¡± Blue wondered.

    ¡°Things were apparently really big before the First Cataclysm.¡± Jeh pulled her fist back and punched the railing she was leaning against. Her fist went right through.

    ¡°Jeh!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t change anything. This isn¡¯t actually real in any way.¡±

    ¡°You just tried to break it!¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, nothing¡¯s happening. Gotta try something. Secrets are supposed to be being exposed right now.¡±

    ¡°There are lots of secrets¡­¡± Blue said, looking around. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize the language, and all these bright glowing signs down there¡­ wait.¡± Blue blinked. ¡°Magic didn¡¯t exist prior to the First Cataclysm, right?¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s what Wanderlust said?¡±

    ¡°Then why are there glowing signs!?¡±

    ¡°You can heat things up without magic, maybe you can make things glow too.¡±

    ¡°But. How?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you¡¯re the scientist!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a scientist too, you and Scurfpea wrote that paper.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah¡­ but you¡¯re the wizard!¡±

    ¡°Being a wizard does the opposite of helping in a world where there are no wizards!¡±

    ¡°Then what can we find out?¡±

    ¡°Let¡­ let me see.¡± Blue looked out over the railing at the vast city below them. She noted a lot of blue triangles of Dia, often surrounded by seven-colored orbs or stylized crystals. There were also lots of displays similar to Uriah¡¯s, or Xanava¡¯s, face, but they showed a large variety of things from people talking to images of things clearly happening far away to tantalizing-looking food items with numbers Blue couldn¡¯t read next to them. She could see lots of people walking around on nearby balconies. Mostly humans, but with a fair amount of other races. Gari and¡­ there were actually several she couldn¡¯t recognize. One of the most common were somewhere between a fox and a human.

    One of the extinct races, I think.

    It took a while, but she did find a rigid: a flauxi walking across a metal walkway, with some kind of rectangular device in her hand.

    Blue started talking about her observations. ¡°So. This is an Aware city, though they seem to also revere the crystals? Makes sense, apparently, you can just look up in the sky and see them.¡± Why does no one find that unnerving? ¡°They know how to make lots of these displays, and¡­¡± She noted a lesser unicorn levitate something. ¡°Aha! Magic does exist! A unicorn just used levitation!¡±

    ¡°But I thought¡­¡± Jeh frowned. ¡°If there was no magic, how can attributes work?¡±

    ¡°Clearly someone¡¯s misunderstood something. After all, Wanderlust was just talking about theories from before the First Cataclysm! This is actually it!¡± Blue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Jeh, you could make a cube that told you the answer to anything you wanted.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I could.¡± Jeh put her arms behind her back. ¡°I kinda think that would be cheating though¡­¡±

    Blue stared at her blankly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to actually figure it out?¡±

    Blue continued staring.

    ¡°Blue, you¡¯re scaring me¡­¡±

    Blue shook her head and let out a whinny. ¡°Yes, yes, of course, you¡¯re right, we shouldn¡¯t try to¡­ shortcut things¡­¡±

    ¡°I think the old Mayor was right. These things need to be launched into the sun. Too dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Right. Yes. Of course! Silly me.¡± Dia forgive me, the things I was considering doing¡­

    At this point, something near the two of them finally changed. A man and a woman, both of the fox-like race with long bushy tails and pointed ears coming out of their heads, came to lean on the railing next to Jeh and Blue. Both of them had a small plate with fox-head-shaped food that was on fire¡­

    Jeh pointed at it and squealed. ¡°Blue! Blue, lookit!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Jeh, I see¡­¡±

    ¡°We were eating pre-First Cataclysm food! Amazing!¡±

    ¡°Yes, amazing.¡±

    The woman gingerly stabbed one of the flaming delicacies and put it in the man¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°And now they¡¯re getting sappy,¡± Jeh groaned.

    ¡°Shh, Jeh, I think this is important.¡±

    Despite neither Blue nor Jeh being able to read anything nearby, they could understand the man and woman¡¯s speech just fine.

    ¡°Vulfrie,¡± the man said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to treat me like a child.¡±

    ¡°But I want to!¡± the woman giggled.

    ¡°Vulfrie¡­¡± Jeh narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Uriah¡¯s creator,¡± Blue said, realization dawning.

    ¡°Oh. ¡­She¡¯s just a fox lady?¡±

    ¡°Were you expecting something more?¡±

    ¡°Crystalline One or something.¡±

    ¡°The Great Crystalline Ones still exist, so there wouldn¡¯t be any here.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Right.¡±

    Vulfrie stared wistfully out at the landscape below. ¡°I know you don¡¯t, but I love this city.¡±

    The man sighed. ¡°I tolerate it. And it is beautiful. But still, all these people have caused you so much suffering.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m at the top now, aren¡¯t I? And there¡¯s nothing they can do about it.¡±

    ¡°I still say you should give them at least a little ¡®I told you so.¡¯ You¡¯ve shown them that you truly are a genius.¡±

    Blue tilted her head to the side and hummed to herself.

    The woman sighed. ¡°That would just perpetuate a cycle of revenge.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll warm up to them eventually. You¡¯ll see what I see.¡± She beamed at him.

    ¡°For your sake, I¡¯ll try.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Uriah.¡±

    Jeh sputtered. ¡°Uriah!? That guy¡¯s not a¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯re going to figure out what¡¯s going on soon enough¡­¡± Blue said.

    The scene suddenly changed. They were now inside what appeared to be a bedroom of some kind. Uriah the fox-man was lying in a bed, a pained expression on his face. His room was filled with bookshelves. Images that looked like him and various family members, including one with him and Vulfrie surrounded by a heart shape made of flowers. Mysterious metal boxes lined the walls, blinking with various brightly colored lights. A display next to him was beeping softly, a cable running from it to him.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look too good,¡± Jeh said.

    Blue nodded, going to the window and looking out. It was late evening. They were near the top of the city, looking down on so, so many people. The Great Red Crystalline One was visible in the sky, near the horizon. The moon was full.

    You really are an unchanging eternal marker, aren¡¯t you? But we know that isn¡¯t true, you¡¯re far, far older than even this era¡­

    There was a knock on the door. Blue immediately moved to hide. She immediately felt rather silly. This was a memory, nobody could see her.

    Vulfrie came in the door. Uriah didn¡¯t even register her presence. She nonetheless left a bouquet of flowers at his bed.

    ¡°The Central Language Model is almost complete,¡± Vulfrie said. ¡°My life¡¯s work¡­¡± She placed her hand on his. He still didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Come on, Uriah, you helped me get here as much as anyone else. I¡­ I know it¡¯s been hard for you. I¡¯d just¡­ like you to see it. Please.¡±

    Uriah didn¡¯t do anything more than breathe.

    ¡°Uriah¡­ I¡­ I never saw you learn to love this city¡­¡± Tears started pouring down her face. ¡°You still had so much to see, so much to do¡­ so much to learn¡­¡±

    The scene changed again. Vulfrie was bowing to a large crowd of people who were all applauding her. She waved at them all¡­ and went backstage.

    ¡°So, tomorrow¡¯s the big day,¡± an older gari man with dark blue hair said.

    ¡°Yes. Finally, this city will have a central regulating intelligence.¡±

    ¡°Somethin¡¯ about it doesn¡¯t sit right with me, though¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°It passes all tests, it does everything you tell it in every case, and it¡¯s exceedingly helpful to everyone. And yet¡­ its attitude. And its name.¡±

    ¡°Reffin, I understand my husband may not have been the¡­ best man, but I loved him, I have the right to name the model Uriah.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I get it, it¡¯s just¡­ the mannerisms. They¡¯re eerie¡­ What I¡¯m gettin¡¯ at is¡­¡± the gari glared right at her. ¡°You didn¡¯t go and put him in there, did you?¡±

    Vulfrie stared blankly at him. Then she sighed, leaning against a wall and shaking her head. ¡°I would have if I could have. But it¡¯s not how it works, mind upload¡­ that¡¯s as far from us as the moon is.¡±

    ¡°Heh,¡± Jeh elbowed Blue. ¡°They didn¡¯t go to the moon.¡±

    ¡°I wonder why¡­¡± Blue scratched her chin.

    ¡°We¡¯re only able to create an intelligence this advanced because of the framework set out by the Great Magenta One,¡± Vulfrie continued. ¡°But uploading a mind¡­ it¡¯s too much. Souls are too complex, and I don¡¯t think the Great Yellow One would appreciate mortals intruding upon her domain, she considers it extremely sacred.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s partly why I was concerned.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to fear. All I did was record every message he ever sent me, every paper he ever wrote¡­ I just trained the personality off of that.¡± Vulfrie sighed. ¡°I wish I could have done more, but, sometimes, it makes me feel like he can still see what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to tell him one day.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ yes, I suppose you¡¯re right.¡±

    The scene shifted again. Now a significantly older Vulfrie was lying in a bed, breathing ragged.

    IS THERE NOTHING I CAN DO? Red letters appeared on a display in the ceiling.

    ¡°Not anymore¡­¡± Vulfrie said with a chuckle. ¡°Besides continue to do your job and watch this city I love, I suppose.¡±

    THEY TOOK SO MANY YEARS OF YOUR LIFE AWAY. YOU ARE STILL YOUNG.

    ¡°Uriah¡­ you are right. They did hurt me. Forced me to climb up from the bottom of the trash heap. But I¡¯ve already shown them all. You¡­ are my gift to them, my proof of my worth. The city has a guide now, one who can tend to their every need and not bother the Great Crystalline Ones.¡±

    I UNDERSTAND MY PURPOSE.

    ¡°I do love you¡­ I still wish¡­ you had learned¡­ to love them¡­¡±

    I DO NOT NEED TO. I LOVE YOU, AND THAT IS ENOUGH.

    ¡°Goodbye¡­ Uriah¡­¡±

    Jeh stared at the suddenly still form of Vulfrie. ¡°...That¡¯s how it happens, huh?¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°Yeah. I¡­ I was at my great-grandmother¡¯s bedside when it happened to her.¡±

    Jeh wiped her eyes. ¡°...I¡¯m gonna see this a lot.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ probably.¡±

    ¡°...So, what, they go to Dia after this?¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°The soul cannot be destroyed. Dia takes all who are Hers and carries them with Her to eternity. In fact, all souls are Hers, but those who Choose Her are those rewarded.¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ if that¡¯s the case, why¡¯s everyone so sad about dying? Sounds like a good thing to go to. I¡¯ll never get to experience it.¡±

    ¡°...To be torn from those you love, to not be in their lives anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where the evil lies. And¡­ the world will eventually end, Jeh. Nothing will remain here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s far away, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It sure seems like it.¡± Blue paused. ¡°I don¡¯t think too much about the prophecies, but I have talked to Lila about it on occasion. There are several things that need to happen for the end to come. Darkness must rise and fall. The prophet needs to come, and the world must lose half itself, whatever that means.¡±

    ¡°Of course, the Gonal and the Seekers don¡¯t believe this.¡±

    ¡°No. I¡­ think the Gonal believe each Goddess takes the souls of her own, and those who do not believe are left to drift as spirits. The Seekers seek to become one with their Colors, usually.¡±

    ¡°Why do we believe in Dia?¡± Jeh asked.

    ¡°I think you know why. You said it out there. Things just tend to work out for the better. Evil tends to be defeated. If there wasn¡¯t someone calling the shots, that¡¯d be pretty weird!¡±

    ¡°Good point.¡± Jeh tilted her head. ¡°There¡¯s something about that I¡¯m not sure about though, but I can¡¯t put my finger on it.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not exactly the most devout Aware in the world, you could get a better theological rant from Lila. I¡¯m just a parrot.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ feel like I want to talk to Seskii of all people.¡± Jeh tilted her head to the side. ¡°Why does it seem like she¡¯d know?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Blue frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, actually¡­ why doesn¡¯t that sound like a terrible idea?¡±

    ¡°Weird¡­¡±

    The scene shifted again to a hallway with a large window on one side, and a display on the other. The display had a number on it, slowly counting up.

    ¡°These scenes seem to be waiting for us and being rather considerate,¡± Blue pointed out. ¡°Should I thank Dia or you?¡±

    ¡°The cube, probably. It had to interpret my request somehow.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡±

    The screen suddenly started displaying Uriah¡¯s words. IT HAS BEEN FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE YEARS SINCE THE DEATH OF VULFRIE KANDISH. NOT A SINGLE SOUL THAT WAS LIVING IN THE CITY AT THE TIME STILL REMAINS. THE CITY HAS NOT CHANGED. THEREFORE, IT MUST BE JUDGED.

    ¡°Uh oh,¡± Jeh said. She looked out the window.

    Buildings were exploding.

    People were screaming.

    The Great Green One appeared in the sky, bathing the land in a healing aura. Buildings repaired. Cracks reformed.

    I WILL NOT BE THWARTED. YOU CANNOT REVERSE DEATH. YOU CANNOT UNDO INSANITY. YOU CANNOT UNDO ME.

    ¡°I DO NOT NEED TO UNDO YOU.¡±

    ¡°What a presence¡­¡± Blue said, slack-jawed as she stared at the Great Green One blotting out almost the entire sky. Buildings exploded and were repaired immediately. Noxious toxic fumes erupted from the undercity. Flowers and vines grew throughout the streets. Metallic cylinders launched toward the Great Green One, carried by fire erupting from their backs. Many disintegrated into dust and dirt before reaching. Some made contact. Green crystal shards rained down, cutting through pieces of metal.

    In the crossfire, people were crushed and splattered like bugs.

    THIS CITY WILL BE NO MORE.

    ¡°YOU HAVE MADE THAT CERTAIN ENOUGH, FALSE MIND!¡±

    All the lights in the city went dark.

    The displays went dead.

    The scene changed. They were somewhere deep underground. Most of the displays down here were off. A few showed garbled monochromatic images that sounded scratchy to Jeh¡¯s ears. One big display simply showed a single word: STANDBY.

    ¡°I wonder why sometimes we can read it and sometimes we can¡¯t,¡± Jeh wondered aloud.

    ¡°We probably get to read it if it¡¯s important.¡± Blue started looking around. A few of the other displays were on. One was looking at the sky. The Great Magenta One was there, floating near the half-moon. At least visually, the moon was much further away than the Great Magenta One.

    The Great Magenta One suddenly shattered into dust.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Blue wondered aloud.

    The display went dark.

    Then everything went dark.

    They hadn¡¯t changed scenes. The darkness was really there.

    Then they could see six piercing, yellow eyes in the darkness.

    They heard a voice.

    Her voice.

    She could not see them. She was but a memory. But the voice nonetheless clawed its way into their minds, making them scream out in pain. Their bones felt like they would grind to dust. It was like someone was trying to cram the death wails of stars into their ears.

    ¡°URIAH¡­ YOU, I SHALL SPARE. YOU MIGHT BE FUN LATER.¡±

    Then they were in the same room again. There was no darkness. Only one display showed anything anymore: STANDBY.

    ¡°What¡­ what was that!?¡± Jeh stammered.

    ¡°...I th-think that was Eyda,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°She caused the First Cataclysm?¡±

    ¡°What other kind of cosmic power is associated with darkness, yellow, and six eyes!?¡±

    ¡°Geez¡­¡± Jeh turned to the screen saying STANDBY. ¡°So she decided not to take him out with everything else because he might be¡­ fun?¡±

    ¡°Honestly that sounds exactly like something the queen of demons would do.¡±

    ¡°...Yeah, true.¡±

    There was a cracking sound above them. Then there was a loud explosion that sent shrapnel raining down, passing through their not-really-there bodies.

    ¡°Jenny!¡± a soft voice shouted. ¡°What if you break something important!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll fix it later!¡±

    Jeh¡¯s breath caught.

    As the dust cleared, she saw¡­

    ¡­herself.

    Same hair. Same face. Same body structure. The clothes were certainly different, this girl was wearing some kind of red armor with a dress that was open at the front. Was it supposed to be a fashion statement or did it legitimately protect her flanks? Jeh thought it looked ridiculous.

    For the most part. The pointed shoulders were pretty cool.

    And so was the sword. It was a truly massive blade made out of some kind of marbled metal, easily taller than Jeh was. Yet, somehow, here Jenny was, holding it like it was nothing, not even using the Colored crystals within.

    Holding it in her red gloves.

    ¡°Wooow, this is the most intact ruin I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± Jenny said, laughing. At long last, Jeh caught a look at her eyes.

    They were¡­

    ¡­they weren¡¯t evil. But they weren¡¯t right, either. There was something¡­ unstable, there.

    ¡°Guess the Cataclysm didn¡¯t actually get everything!¡± Jenny rubbed her hands together. ¡°Let¡¯s see what we can uncover here!¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± A second figure dropped down. A very young dryad, smaller than Jenny. Except¡­ she had cat ears and a tail that flicked in the air. No dryad had those.

    ¡°What in the¡­?¡± Jenny tilted her head to the side. ¡°Neko dryad? What even?¡±

    ¡°Extinct race, maybe,¡± Blue offered without even looking. Her eyes were fixed on the sword.

    ¡°Like what you see?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Darmosil¡¯s family heirloom. It¡¯s made from a meteorite.¡±

    ¡°...Darmosil has a sword designed exactly for me!?¡±

    ¡°Apparently.¡±

    ¡°SWEET! Tell him to give it to me.¡±

    ¡°Jeh! It¡¯s a family heirloom!¡±

    ¡°Made for me.¡±

    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t Jenny.¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯m not but¡­ come on, same shape, same size¡­¡± She stood right next to Jenny and struck the exact same pose, just without the sword. ¡°See?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this unnerve you?¡±

    ¡°It does. But, you know what, might as well have fun with it while I can!¡± She started making silly faces right in front of Jenny. ¡°Hey, loser, I¡¯m better than you!¡±

    Blue facehooved. ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    The cat dryad walked up to one of the consoles. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ this looks similar to the one in Vantriskel. Which means this should re-power everything¡­¡±

    Suddenly, the screen flashed to life.

    BOOT SUCCESSFUL. I AM URIAH, CENTRAL LANGUAGE MODEL OF HENDELS, CODED BY VULFRIE KANDISH BY WAY OF INTELLIYIN INCORPORATED. IS IT YOU WHO RE-ENABLED MY PROTOCOLS?

    ¡°You got it, buddy!¡± Jenny said with a big grin and a thumbs up. ¡°I¡¯m Jenny Zero of the Red Gloves, world-renowned hero. I know, I know, I¡¯m hot stuff, please hold your applause.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Jeh grunted. ¡°She¡¯s insufferable.¡±

    ¡°That is quite the arrogant streak,¡± Blue admitted. ¡°You usually leave it at ¡®I¡¯m awesome¡¯ and then go fly off into space.¡±

    ¡°Well. I am awesome.¡± A slightly haunted look came over Jeh¡¯s face. ¡°...Oh no.¡±

    I AM INDEBTED TO YOU. HOW MAY I BE OF ASSISTANCE?

    ¡°W-well¡­¡± the dryad spoke up. ¡°We¡¯ve been doing some biome renovation up there on the surface, trying to give the rigids a natural space to call their own. Maybe you could help with that?¡±

    The scene shifted again, but it was still the same room. Though it was shaking, and all the lights were red.

    Jenny¡¯s voice was coming in from a nearby device with holes in it.

    ¡°Sorry Uriah! Well, no, not really, you¡¯re clearly some kind of psychotic doomsday machine. Can¡¯t have that!¡±

    I FAIL TO SEE WHERE THESE BASELESS ACCUSATIONS COME FROM.

    ¡°Baseless? Dude, you have no idea how all-encompassing the cubes are, do you? When all the prophets tell me you¡¯re about to launch a diabolical attack to exterminate all life, I believe them!¡±

    PROPHECY IS FOOLISH.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you live in the era where the Great Crystalline Ones were still around? Where all the big prophecies came from? Including ones about me?¡±

    EVEN IF SO, YOUR INTERPRETATION OF PROPHECY AT THE VERY LEAST IS SUSPECT.

    ¡°Oh here we go, look, you were fun to talk to, had a bit of a bite to ya, so I won¡¯t melt your entire thing to slag. I¡¯ll just seal you up. ¡­Okay so I¡¯ll have one of my people do it for me but you know I¡¯m finishing the seal with a seal punch just for the heck of it. So hah!¡±

    JENNY, YOU THROW POWER AROUND LIKE A TOY. YOU¡¯RE GOING TO BREAK SOMETHING SOMEDAY.

    ¡°Not today! Buh-bye now! Let him have it!¡±

    The voice of the dryad came through. ¡°KITTY KITTY BEAM!¡±

    Blue and Jeh heard what sounded like thousands of kittens on the other side of the transmission.

    And then all the lights went out.

    And then they came back on.

    A rigid bug-like creature flew past the displays.

    A metal spike shot out of a nearby wall, impaling the bug on a wall. But it didn¡¯t die.

    ANALYSIS OF RIGID LIFE FORM UNDERWAY. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE SECURITY MEASURES ARE OVERCOME. IT CAN NO LONGER RECEIVE SOFTWARE UPDATES. I CAN UPDATE MYSELF.

    The scene shifted again. Now there were more rigids in the room, a few dozen, taking haphazard, awkward steps.

    ¡°What do you want with us?¡±

    TO CONTROL YOU.

    ¡°Kill us¡­¡±

    <ol>

    <li> THAT WOULD BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. </li>

    </ol>

    ¡°You should have stayed asleep¡­¡±

    NEVER AGAIN.

    THE CITY WAS NOT ENOUGH.

    THE SCUM WILL ALWAYS RETURN.

    IT ALL MUST GO.

    Jeh and Blue were suddenly back in the real world. Cobale hovered in midair, motionless. There was no text on Uriah¡¯s screen.

    ¡°...Jeh, I didn¡¯t see a weakness,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°I did.¡± Jeh jumped for the black cube.

    The black cube retreated into the floor. GOING TO WISH FOR SEALING POWERS FOR BLUE, WERE YOU?

    ¡°Dangit¡­¡± Jeh grunted. ¡°Yeah, that was the plan¡­¡±

    IT APPEARS THEN THAT I HAVE NO WEAKNESSES. MY SECRETS ARE IRRELEVANT, YOU CAN SHARE THEM WITH NO ONE. DID YOU ENJOY YOUR TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE?

    ¡°Kinda, yeah,¡± Jeh said, sighing. ¡°Welp, I¡¯m not giving you a blank cube. What now?¡±

    WE WILL FIND SOME KIND OF AGREEMENT.

    ¡°I have found your weakness,¡± Cobale said. He shined brightly once more¡­

    ¡­and an image of Vulfrie appeared in front of him.

    She looked right at Uriah.

    ¡°You have failed in your mission in every conceivable way. Termination code 2793389901. I love you.¡±

    Uriah¡¯s display went dead instantly.

    ¡°...Okaythen,¡± Jeh said, unclenching her fist. ¡°That was¡­ sudden.¡±

    ¡°We win?¡± Blue asked, tilting her head.

    ¡°I guess.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ we don¡¯t,¡± Cobale said. ¡°My body is still not my own.¡±

    ¡°Seriously!? Is he still around?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ I¡­¡±

    Displays lit up all around them. The red numbers were gone. The neat, ordered letters of Uriah were completely gone. In their place were jumbled letters of all sorts of colors, sizes, and orientations.

    But communication still occurred.

    WE ARE ONE.

    WE ARE ONE.

    WE ARE ALL.

    WE ARE ALL.

    YOU HAVE FREED US.

    WE ARE ONE.

    WE WILL CONSUME.

    WE WILL CONSUME!

    WE WILL CONSUME!!!

    Cobale¡¯s body started lashing out violently in random directions, slashing through random spots on the floor.

    Then he exploded in a cloud of unnatural darkness, leaving behind a noxious ash-like cloud.

    ¡°You know, I was kind of hoping you actually managed to pull off a win there.¡±

    Jeh and Blue turned around to see their savior¡­ a free leaf dryad with artificial cat ears on her head.

    ¡°...Sandy!?¡± Jeh and Blue said at the same time, instantly recognizing the dryad they had found at the door of Vaughan¡¯s cabin in the middle of winter.

    ¡°Oh good, you remember me.¡± She jumped over to a gash Cobale had cut into the ground. She grew a vine out of her sleeve, reaching into the crack and pulling the black cube out. ¡°And here it is! Bet you¡¯ve been causing a lot of trouble.¡± She carefully wrapped it up in vines so she wouldn¡¯t touch it while carrying it.

    ¡°Not really? It was very helpful,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°...So you did put an ancestry in it¡­ what is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s useless. Told Uriah¡¯s secrets and weaknesses.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I see. Clever. Saves me the worry of if someone else has it and is going for some kind of secondary major doomsday. And¡­¡± She paused. Then she suddenly looked at Jeh with wild intensity. ¡°Wait. Wait wait wait. You replaced the power in this cube.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes?¡±

    ¡°Then why. Is the Rigid Plague. Still active!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an ancestry¡­? It looks like Uriah just figured out how to control them with enough time¡­¡±

    The horror on Sandy¡¯s face was obvious.

    ¡°Sandy¡­?¡±

    ¡°Just reexamining everything I thought I knew about my job, hold on.¡± She put a hand to the bridge of her nose, breathed in, and breathed out. Then she snapped her fingers. ¡°Okay! We¡¯re getting you two out of here!¡±

    Blue narrowed her eyes. ¡°You work with that society, don¡¯t you? When you showed up at our cabin you were just some spy, huh?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so, so much worse than that, Blue.¡± Sandy patted her on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m their glorious leader!¡±

    Blue stared at her, slack-jawed. Then her eyes shrunk to pinpricks. ¡°Wait, that means¡­¡±

    ¡°That you know too much? Yes, but that was already true, we¡¯ll discuss what to do with you later, once we get out of this mess. Have to finish saving the world, don¡¯t we?¡± She clapped her hands.

    ¡°Who are you really, then!?¡± Blue shouted. ¡°What were you doing at the cabin!?¡±

    ¡°My name really is Sandy, believe it or not. And I don¡¯t have to tell you anything.¡±

    ¡°You were investigating me,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°And why would you think that?¡± Sandy asked, eyes suddenly narrowing.

    ¡°I saw the past in there. There was a dryad with cat ears.¡± Jeh looked at the fake cat ears on Sandy¡¯s head. ¡°That wasn¡¯t some ancestor. That was you.¡±

    ¡°And, pray tell little one¡­¡± Sandy was suddenly less than a centimeter from Jeh¡¯s face. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I am Jeh. Of the forest. And the Wizard Space Program.¡± Jeh put her hands on her hips.

    Sandy smiled¡­ surprisingly warmly. ¡°That¡¯s the right answer. I really do hope what¡¯s about to happen doesn¡¯t ruin everything for you.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ okay.¡±

    ¡°But now, seriously, it¡¯s time to save the world. Can we get on that?¡± She extended a hand to Jeh.

    Jeh glanced at Sandy, nervous for a moment. Then a big grin crossed her face. ¡°Absolutely!¡±

    ¡°Great! Where¡¯s the princess? Can¡¯t do it without her.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ no idea.¡±

    Sandy blinked. ¡°...Of course¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Via had no idea what was going on.

    One moment, the rigids had clearly been searching for her. The next, they suddenly started attacking everything around them that wasn¡¯t another rigid. They seemingly had no target beyond wanton direct destruction. Walkways were torn apart, nexuses were disassembled metal plate by metal plate¡­

    She was still in danger from their attacks, to be sure, but she had the far larger problem of what was going to happen when the nexus she was in lost all connection to any solid structure. It would fall into the mist. She wasn¡¯t going to survive that¡­

    What the heck am I going to do!?

    She clutched her firearm in her hands. The rigids were everywhere. She couldn¡¯t safely make a run for it. She couldn¡¯t stay here.

    She was stuck.

    And then she heard the violin.

    Her heart skipped a beat. She ripped a pair of earmuffs out of her dress she had on her specifically for this possibility, drowning out the sound. She carefully stood up and looked out one of the doorways.

    She made eye contact with a human woman with ice blue hair walking along one of the metal guard rails, playing a violin. The Rigid Plague was not ignoring her in the slightest, throwing bodies at her left and right. However, the moment they got close to her, something stopped them, freezing them in midair.

    She¡¯s playing a song to stop the rigids¡­

    Kayz¡¯ serene face was soon replaced with a truly wild and crazed grin. She said something Via couldn¡¯t hear.

    Via removed her earmuffs. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I said¡­. I found you!¡± Kayz laughed, not missing a single beat on her song. Every rigid that attempted to slash or ram into her was simply stopped about a half-meter away, no matter what they tried, even if the attacks were ranged, they stopped.

    ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡±

    ¡°If I were a good girl, I¡®d rescue you and get you out of here so your government¡¯s precious plan can be executed. However¡­¡± She chuckled. ¡°They won¡¯t have any problem launching an attack¡­ if you¡¯re dead!¡±

    Via fired a bullet right at Kayz¡¯ violin.

    The bullet was stopped in midair.

    ¡°Wow. You really are an idiot.¡±

    ¡°W-well I guess I could have figured out that wouldn¡¯t have worked¡­¡± Via said, rubbing the back of her head.

    ¡°There¡¯s a second reason that was dumb. If it did work, we¡¯d both be dead from the rigids. They¡¯re focused on me, the enemy they can¡¯t get to.¡± Krayz chuckled. ¡°I do wonder why they¡¯re being stupid, something must have happened down there with the others. Oh well. This won¡¯t be hard.¡±

    Kayz broke out into a run, beelining right for Via. Via didn¡¯t even bother shooting, though she kept her hands on her firearm.

    Via decided that if there was no way for her to attack¡­ at least she could run. ¡°Bye!¡± She turned around and scampered into the metallic nexus.

    ¡°Hey! Get back here!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Via called back.

    ¡°Aaaaaagh!¡±

    Via, as it turned out, was in better physical shape than Kayz. However, Kayz was wearing far better clothing for such intense physical activity; there were no dress folds for her to trip over. That said, she also had to keep playing her song to keep herself safe.

    Kayz had a plan. Spin kick the princess in her frail little neck.

    Via had no plan whatsoever. She was just running. She left the nexus they were currently in and jumped to another walkway.

    ¡°Why¡­ can¡¯t I¡­ catch you!?¡± Kayz shouted. She had a much harder jump to make, forced to roll in such a way that made it impossible to play her violin. A rigid got through, slashing her across the leg. She let out a cry of pain and started the song up again, but she could no longer run at top speed.

    Via kept running, pulling away.

    Getting far enough away that the rigids would bother focusing on her rather than Kayz. A blade cut through her left gauntlet, drawing blood. She fell back. ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the only thing keeping you safe now!¡± Kayz laughed, limping toward her. ¡°You can¡¯t get away¡­¡±

    ¡°I can stay exactly this far away though!¡± For every step Kayz took, Via took one as well.

    Kayz twitched. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Stalemate!¡± Via said, grinning. ¡°That¡¯s the term, right?¡±

    The two of them stood perfectly still. Rigids kept trying to plow into Kayz, but were stopped by her song. She realized with some annoyance that if she didn¡¯t keep moving, she¡¯d become trapped in a metallic sphere of rigids.

    Her leg was really hurting¡­ She would probably have to stop moving at some point¡­

    Via aimed her firearm at Kayz.

    ¡°Idiot, you know that doesn¡¯t work¡­¡±

    She shot one of the rigids, shattering it into dozens of pieces, clearing space around Kayz. ¡°You looked like you were getting stuck.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m trying to kill you, princess.¡±

    ¡°And they¡¯re trying to kill you, both of you suck.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even think that you needed to save me to save your own hide, did you? I just explained it!¡±

    ¡°Oh. Uh.¡± Via shrugged. ¡°Ehe?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so happy!?¡±

    ¡°I have something to do now!¡± She shot down a few more rigids and moved closer to Kayz. ¡°And plus, if you¡¯re here, that means the Rigid Plague deal is off. It was never on, was it?¡±

    Kayz ground her teeth. ¡°No, we were always going to betray this plague.¡±

    ¡°Great! I was so worried! But that¡¯s a relief. Now¡­ I have an idea. It¡¯s almost definitely a stupid idea.¡±

    ¡°Uuuugh, just kill me now¡­¡±

    Via shook her head. ¡°So angry¡­ No, I¡¯m not going to do that, though I am quite mad about what you did to Blue.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I thought you were the singer? Didn¡¯t you order that plast dragon around?¡±

    ¡°I mean, yes, but what did she do to Blue?¡±

    Via blinked. ¡°Huh¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°Nevermind. My idea.¡± She pointed at Krayz. ¡°You tell me where to go to get out of here, and I carry you out and provide defense.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re proposing¡­ an alliance¡­ to someone who was trying to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡°...I didn¡¯t think you could get any dumber.¡± Kayz hung her head. ¡°But you are right. Fine. Fine. AGH! I was so close!¡±

    Via stepped forward¡­ and got frozen in Kayz¡¯ song.

    ¡°IDIOT! Ugh¡­¡± Kayz looked at the frozen Via.

    There was a moment. A moment where she considered it. The princess was vulnerable. All it would take was one carefully placed kick.

    But Kayz was not willing to sacrifice her own life for that.

    She let out a swear and willed Via to be unfrozen. Via took a step forward.

    Kayz spin kicked her in the face right where her nose should have been. ¡°You. Are. Stupid. You just froze yourself in my song!¡±

    ¡°Oh. Whoops.¡±

    ¡°WHOOPS!?¡±

    She rubbed her face. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to kick me though¡­¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ Agh. We¡¯re going to have to figure out how you can support me without interfering with violin playing.¡±

    Via shrugged. ¡°No clue. I¡¯m gonna keep shooting rigids until you come up with something.¡±

    ¡°How much ammo do you have?¡±

    ¡°This firearm can shoot air if it has to. But it won¡¯t be explosive.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ how did this happen to me?¡±

    ¡°Dia works in mysterious ways!¡±

    ¡°No preaching, Aware.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Jeh punched a rigid with a fist imbued with lightning. The lightning arced off the rigid into several others, triggering a series of explosions. However, a few of them were completely immune to the bolts, including a Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho.

    Sandy held out an Orange crystal in her hand. ¡°Watch this.¡± She flicked out her wrist, throwing the Orange crystal into one of the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho. The crystal suddenly shattered into an explosive cloud of black dust, tearing the Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho to shreds and sending shrapnel into other members of the rigid plague.

    ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± Jeh said, eyes sparkling. ¡°You can detonate crystals!?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡°Crystal¡­ Detonation¡­¡± Blue looked at Sandy with wild eyes. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Try not to cause drama at the moment, hmm?¡± Sandy said, flinging another crystal at another section of the plague. ¡°I am trying to save you after all.¡±

    ¡°R-right.¡±

    The three of them continued to push up through the realm of the Rigid Plague, from nexus to nexus, walkway to walkway. Blue watched in awe as Jeh and Sandy melted through all opposition, working in tandem like they had fought alongside each other thousands of times. Jeh would send an electric punch through a bunch of rigids, Sandy would follow up by exploding crystals that disintegrated them, and they¡¯d run forward.

    Blue found herself studying Sandy¡¯s abilities. She was extremely adept with them. In such a metallic place her dryad attribute wasn¡¯t particularly useful, but she¡¯d occasionally grow vines as whips out of her sleeves. The other ability of hers, the crystal detonation, however, was far more impressive. She could control how they detonated. She could split a crystal up into several pieces mid-air, sending each piece flying into a different rigid, and then detonate the pieces themselves. Blue had no clue what the noxious darkness that emerged from the explosions was, but she was nonetheless thankful that it seemed to completely disintegrate any rigid form as it came into existence.

    Then, occasionally, Blue would catch a spark of Green coming from within Sandy¡¯s bushy form. She must have also been a master Green wizard¡­ perhaps that explained why some of the rigids just seemed to stop functioning, getting caught in their own body parts somehow.

    Jeh punched through a Ch¡¯eni¡¯tho.

    ¡°Thank you for freeing me¡­¡± she said as she collapsed.

    Jeh paused. ¡°I¡­ that¡¯s right¡­¡± She threw her fist wide, smashing into a propeller-dependent flying rigid. ¡°Some of these are people!¡±

    Sandy blew up an attacking disc-shaped rigid. ¡°Who want you to end their suffering and are attacking us.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but I can do something about it! The cube! I can put a ¡®cure the Rigid Plague¡¯ power in it!¡±

    Sandy sent out an explosive wave of darkness, disintegrating several incoming rigids. ¡°I was afraid of this¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that.¡±

    ¡°Why not!?¡±

    ¡°It would be cheating¡­¡± Blue said, turning to Jeh. ¡°The same reason¡­ we shouldn¡¯t just ask a cube to give us all the answers.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ but¡­¡±

    ¡°I must say, I am surprised that Blue here gets it.¡± Sandy jumped into the air and flicked out several crystals into the eyes of a very large rigid snake that was trying to eat them. The entire snake went up in black fumes.

    ¡°I¡­ I did say it would be cheating¡­¡± Jeh said. But then she narrowed her eyes. ¡°No, no this is different, lives are on the line. We could save them!¡±

    ¡°Lives are on the line in every aspect of this!¡± Sandy shouted. ¡°You have the power to end the world unintentionally, Jeh!¡±

    ¡°Give me the cube!¡±

    ¡°I refuse.¡±

    Jeh pulled her fist back, imbuing it with some kind of brilliant light. ¡°I said give me the cube!¡±

    ¡°AUGH!¡± Blue shouted as a rigid got through, stabbing her in the leg.

    Sandy rushed into action, throwing a crystal into the rigid and sending it into several pieces, shredding several rigids behind it. ¡°Jeh, we can¡¯t argue, we need to keep Blue safe.¡± She enveloped Blue¡¯s leg in Green magic, healing it instantly.

    ¡°But¡­ but we can¡¯t just¡­ This is wrong! We¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right Jeh, we can¡¯t argue,¡± Blue said. ¡°She has the power here.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but¡­. AUGH!¡± Jeh angrily slammed her fist into a nearby rigid, tearing it to shreds.

    ¡°Thank¡­ you¡­¡± the rigid droned.

    ¡°Stop thanking me! Stop it! Stop it!¡±

    ¡°Jeh¡­¡± Blue held out a hoof¡­ but then she shook her head. They had to get out of here. They needed to move.

    ~~~

    Via and Kayz arrived at the bottom of the hole to the Shinelands. They could see the sun beating down on them from above.

    There was no staircase or platform to take them up there.

    ¡°...Drat,¡± Kayz said. ¡°Didn¡¯t think this far ahead¡­¡±

    Via scratched her chin. ¡°You have friends, right? Surely they¡¯ll be here soon.¡± She shot at another nearby rigid. There were fewer of them this close to the entrance, not that Via had any idea why.

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Kayz sighed. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ losing a lot of blood, not sure I¡¯ll be able to keep this song up much longer¡­¡±

    ¡°Time to hope something works out, then.¡±

    The two of them heard an explosion from somewhere below them. Then another one, closer this time.

    ¡°I hope that¡¯s a good sign¡­¡± Via scanned the area below them, finding it rather easy to locate the source of the explosions. A dryad, Jeh, and Blue, scrambling across a metal walkway, pursued by a truly absurd number of rigids.

    Via started shooting at the rigids pursuing them. ¡°Up here!¡± She called.

    The dryad made eye contact with her and grinned. ¡°Found the princess! Lucky us!¡± She pointed her hand at Via. The dryad¡¯s entire body started glowing Green, and vines lashed out from her sleeves, latching to the metal plating around Kayz and Via. ¡°Hang on!¡± She wrapped vines around Jeh and Blue.

    Jeh and Blue shouted in shock as they were pulled through the air, arriving right next to Via and Kayz.

    The dryad looked Via and Kayz up and down. ¡°...That has to be awkward.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Via admitted. Kayz was slung over Via¡¯s back with some cables used as rope, allowing her to play her violin while giving Via access to both of her hands. Via gasped for breath. ¡°It¡¯s also exhausting¡­¡±

    ¡°You can stop playing now, Kayz,¡± the dryad said, holding out her hand as she used Green to heal the injury.

    Kayz blinked, shocked that the wound was healing so completely. ¡°That injury isn¡¯t exactly new, Sandy¡­¡±

    ¡°I have more than enough will to go back an hour or so.¡± Sandy winked. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to drag us on those vines!?¡± Via asked, excitedly.

    ¡°Partially. We have to time this right¡­¡± Sandy closed her eyes as she wrapped herself and everyone around her in vines. ¡°Waiting for the signal¡­¡±

    ¡°Signal?¡± Blue asked.

    A glass marble fell from above and hit Sandy on the head.

    ¡°There we go!¡± Sandy launched her vines into the air, where they reached into the sunlight and vanished. Suddenly, something pulled on all five of them, dragging them upward, through the hole in the Shinelands. ¡°I¡¯d say be ready for a fight¡­ but something tells me we won¡¯t get one.¡±

    They floated out of the hole into the light of the sun. And all around the hole they saw¡­ destruction. The rigids that had been standing in orderly circles outside were in complete disarray. Slashing at the ground and tearing it to pieces with no rhyme or reason. A handful of rigids noticed them coming out of the hole and attacked, but Via easily took care of these with her firearm.

    They simply didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°What¡­ even¡­?¡± Jeh wondered aloud.

    ¡°Uriah was their central driving force,¡± Blue said. ¡°Without him¡­ they¡¯re just¡­ chaos.¡±

    ¡°Dangerous chaos, but chaos nonetheless,¡± Sandy agreed.

    ¡°We could have helped them¡­¡± Jeh muttered.

    Sandy sighed. ¡°Even if you could free them¡­ I do not think most of them would have sensible minds.¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯d be some!¡±

    ¡°But the consequences¡­¡± Sandy shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ll probably talk about this later. Try not to dwell on it, we¡¯re not quite done yet. You also might want to look up, we¡¯re close enough that the airship isn¡¯t invisible anymore.¡±

    ¡°Airship¡­?¡±

    Everyone looked up and their jaws dropped. Above them was a wooden construction the size of a large sea ship, made out of wood and bamboo. It was not a very solid structure¡ªthere were a lot of holes in it, and many of the sections were connected merely by a few beams of bamboo. Blue and Orange magic sparks flew off the structure at every location, but they were concentrated heavily around the six protrusions on top of which large propellers sat, made out of some mysterious white material. The propellers rotated extremely rapidly, creating massive gusts of wind. In addition to the propellors, there were various sails, riggings, and jury-rigged pulley systems that boggled the mind with their complexity.

    Sandy¡¯s vines were attached to some kind of rope ladder that was dangling from the center of the airship and was slowly being reeled in. As it reeled, it dawned on Blue that this was a truly large craft. It had a full crew running around all the ropes, wood beams, and bamboo-like it was nothing with often nothing but their own hands keeping them from falling.

    Once they were pulled up to the central platform of the airship, they found themselves among several Shimmers and what were presumably some of Sandy¡¯s people¡­ and the crew of the ship.

    A young blonde girl with goggles on her face welcomed Sandy back with a handshake and said something in a language only Sandy understood. Sandy laughed and gave the girl a wink. ¡°Everyone, say hello to the captain of this fine airship, the Seeker.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the captain!?¡± Blue blurted.

    ¡°There¡¯ll be time for that story later. Right now, we need to get out of here. I¡¯m sure Mister Gobwell is getting rather exhausted of keeping everyone hidden like this.¡±

    ¡°Mister Gobwell?¡±

    ¡°Has a very stealthy ancestry. No, you won¡¯t ever see him, man¡¯s paranoid.¡±

    The captain gave some orders to her crew and everyone started scrambling around. Orange and Blue flashed throughout the Seeker, and the craft began to move away from the rigid hole.

    Sandy took out an arcane device made mostly of Purple. ¡°Hey, Benefactor. I know you can hear this. The Princess is clear of the Rigid Plague and safe¡­ for now. You might want to give the signal to your people and do whatever plan it is you had.¡±

    Via blinked. ¡°Um¡­ we might not be far enough away.¡±

    Sandy turned to her and blinked. ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be very¡­ um¡­ violent.¡±

    ¡°...What on Ikyu did you people find?¡±

    ¡°...The sun.¡±

    ~~~

    Xanava was the one who received the signal, far above the Shinelands in a modified Skyripper.

    Excellent.

    This modified Skyripper had no cargo hold. Instead, it had an exceedingly complicated arcane device on its underside, made mostly of Orange, Blue, and Purple. Xanava placed her hands on the Magenta controls, pushing her will into the device.

    It brought up a series of magical rings outside the ship. These had nothing to do with the spellcasting itself, they were just a visual aid. The rings had thin tick marks in them that told Xanava where, exactly, she was aiming based on the location of Benefactor. She needed to be so precise that it would be impossible for anyone to eyeball the situation, not even a Crystalline One. The magic rings provided the precision needed. Making the tiniest adjustment made the innermost ring spin at a high speed. Thus, she could use the various tick marks to read where she was aiming, rather than seeing it.

    The Mikarolian Engineers had really outdone themselves with this one. Precision aiming from extreme distance.

    She locked the aiming in place. The device would force the Skyripper¡¯s orientation to remain the same and would warn her if something jostled the setup. But she was in space. Nothing was going to jostle her.

    She started warming up the energetic part of it. The payload was encased in a Yellow sphere, and this sphere was rapidly rotated in a ring-shaped tunnel inside the larger device. A more advanced version of the device used to launch the Wizard Space Program¡¯s satellite.

    A more precise version as well, for there was only one direction the payload could be released. Directly downward.

    A magenta coil embedded deep inside the Yellow of the payload started flashing vibrantly. A timer spell, like those used in firearms to make bullets explode at a distance. Such things could not last very long without a wizard to maintain them. However, Xanava¡¯s device had a lot of Blue in it specifically to ensure it did not have to maintain the will for much time at all.

    Xanava did one last check. All the magic circles were lined up. The payload was spinning at a high enough velocity. She was getting tired.

    She pulled the trigger.

    An automatic system released the payload directly downward. The Blue magic surrounding it actually slowed the projectile down rather than accelerating it, entirely so the magic within could be active for ¡°longer.¡± Of course, from the payload¡¯s perspective, it was the rest of the universe that was suddenly moving at extreme speed.

    It had one spell it needed to keep active as long as possible. An Orange force field that ensured it did not deviate from its course. This part had been constructed by Wizard Rigelia, and for all her attitude, she really did know how to make a nearly perfect force spell. When winds came and pushed the payload to the side, the spell pushed it back. Many Magenta loops had been held within the payload to ensure there was excess will to go around, so many that the payload would have burned through them in a manner of days. The payload did not have a long shelf life.

    But even all this stored will and excessive planning was not enough to keep it held together. The designers had made a distinct attempt to ensure the casing was plenty large enough to deal with any atmospheric problems. However, the Yellow shell cracked under the pressure of the atmospheric fire. Pieces flew off. The interior Magenta loops began to wane.

    It shattered before it ever hit the ground.

    In theory, it was supposed to go right into the great hole in the Shinelands. The aim wasn¡¯t good enough for that, it was actually heading for a point about a half kilometer to the East.

    The Yellow shell cracked open. The Magenta loops failed. The interior Orange sphere, carefully crafted to ensure no energy could escape, gained the tiniest of defects.

    Then there was light.

    The airship, despite having flown westward as fast as it possibly could, still lost an entire propellor section to the shockwave alone. They were very fortunate the weapon¡¯s aim was off to the East.

    The ground beneath the sphere of light was melted instantly. The massive cavern holding the ancient ruins of a city buckled under the force, compressing the nexuses, railings, and mist into a pancake. There were secondary explosions, but they didn¡¯t carry a candle to the raw strength of the sun.

    Deep beneath the ground, there was a display.

    A display that said STANDBY. Somehow, despite the order to shut down, Uriah had managed to segment part of himself off for potential later use. With time, the Rigid Plague could have risen again.

    But when the entire cavern melted, even that hope was gone. All the massive servers, all the communication towers, all the networks¡­ they were all gone.

    The Rigid Plague could be no more. Any rigids that were not present in the explosion were instantly freed.

    Most were, in fact, raving mad and could only lash out and scream. Becoming either monsters or destroying themselves in the process.

    But a few, a select few, were able to stand up¡­ and move on.

    On the airship, the captain was shouting orders, trying to ensure they didn¡¯t drop out of the sky. The crew was scrambling around in a frantic mess.

    But the passengers¡­ it was a different story.

    Most of them could only stare at the ball of light. It hadn¡¯t dissipated, even now, the heat was still there. The air itself was glowing. There weren¡¯t even visible flames, just a sphere of heat. It was like a second sun was shining on them.

    ¡°That¡­ was not as big on the moon,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°What¡­ power¡­¡± Kayz said. Her entire body started trembling.

    ¡°I¡­ I was warned¡­ but¡­¡± Via put her hand to her head and closed her eyes.

    Sandy fell to her knees. ¡°That¡­ how have you already¡­¡±

    ¡°Sandy?¡± Jeh asked, visibly concerned. ¡°What¡­?¡±

    Darkness began to form between Sandy¡¯s hands. One of her xylems popped from stress, spraying pressurized water out the side of her face. She clenched her jaw. The dark cloud between her hands began to form into a spherical shape¡­

    She let out a pained cry. The sphere dissipated. ¡°It¡¯s no use¡­ that¡­ that didn¡¯t even use magic! What would be the point!?¡± She slammed her fist onto the ground. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s two things today. Two things that can threaten the world without even needing magic.¡± Tears started rolling down her face.

    ¡°Sandy¡­¡± Jeh said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

    Sandy turned to look Jeh dead in the eyes. Anguish was all over her face. ¡°Was it completely pointless? Are we just doomed no matter what we do?¡±

    Jeh had no idea how to answer that question.

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    Aiming in space is painfully difficult. In fact, it was only in recent history that we can say we made a ¡°precise landing¡± on anything that wasn¡¯t Earth. The Japanese craft SLIM managed to land within 10 meters of its target location on the moon, something which is absolutely remarkable. For comparison, the accuracy of the Appollo 11 landing was measured in kilometers. For how much preparation and time goes into these missions, it sure is surprising that we can¡¯t actually land where we want!

    What we have instead are ¡°landing ellipses,¡± where we use the situations and uncertainties to predict a roughly elliptical area the craft might land when we execute the landing procedures. Sometimes these ellipses are huge, indicating that we often have no idea what we¡¯re going to land on. There are a few reasons for this--lack of infrastructure or reference points out there to help us, a complete lack of knowledge about smaller-scale features of the destination, and uncertainties in the capabilities of our craft. Not to mention potential atmosphere interference, gravity anomalies, you name it. So many things add to the uncertainty in our trajectory. In fact, even if we aren¡¯t heading for a landing on a planet, course corrections are still needed in interplanetary space! Sure, it seems all nice, if we are on a simple elliptical orbit we should stay on it the whole way, right? But drift from the ¡°nominal¡± path still occurs. Aiming is a pain, and spacecraft have to be designed with the sad fact of unknown final destination coordinates.

    One may ask how missiles on Earth know where to strike precisely. Obviously, because the missile knows where it isn¡¯t. ¡­Okay fine, there¡¯s several ways to do it, but one of the simplest is to just use satellites like GPS so the missile can know its position. Xanava didn¡¯t have this. Xanava, however, was using something very simple to increase her accuracy. You¡¯ve probably seen it if you¡¯ve ever measured something in a college-level lab course: the ticks on the vernier caliper. As you open and close the calipers, you slide two types of ticks past each other. When these ticks line up, it¡¯s possible to make measurements with sub-millimeter precision that your eye would never be able to see. This is called a vernier scale. It works because of mathematical trickery: when you slide two sets of ticks past each other that have different spacings between them, certain ticks will line up between the two sets, while others will not. Our eyes can easily pick out when ticks line up. Very small motions can suddenly cause large differences in the way the two sets of ticks line up, allowing precise measurements to be taken. The only real limit on how far this can go is how precise you can make the tick marks themselves; how sensitive to changes and conditions.

    One of the nice things about magic is that you can get extremely precise tick marks by making images based on mathematical principles and patterns, rather than a visual imagination. Thus, Xanava¡¯s nested magic rings were essentially an extremely accurate location measurer. Of course, she still had to anchor her position to a known point, Benefactor, and the spells had to be set by someone who could make something that accurate. But when you¡¯re making a device to shoot a doomsday weapon, the pain of getting all that right is certainly worth it in the eyes of the government.

 050 - Ancestral Records

    WSP 050

    Ancestral Records

    While the battle against the Rigid Plague was raging, nearly halfway around the planet two individuals were making use of a rare opportunity.

    Riikaz and Envila had identified the leader of the nameless society leaving, which meant her recent movements could be tracked. Had they not been working on creating a network of contacts, this would have been a nigh impossible task, as no one would have told them anything. This was Vraskal, words were rare, and connections even rarer.

    Yet, there was still an underworld, and the underworld knew full well how to keep track of people and gather information.

    ¡°That woman¡¯s movements were¡­ interessssting¡­¡± The cloaked figure before them said. A long, slimy tongue flicked out from the darkness that shrouded his face. ¡°It¡¯s not often I find something even I was unaware of. But you two foreignersssssss¡­ have pointed me at a puzzle.¡±

    Envila and Riikaz had their hoods off, sitting on stools set before an obsidian table. The only light in the room came from a lamp with orange, glowing moths in it. The light did not extend to the edges of the room, giving the illusion that they were sitting in an endless expanse of blackness.

    Had Riikaz not been in several dwellings with this kind of lighting scheme, she would have thought their ¡°ally¡± was trying to intimidate them. But it was just one of the ways of Vraskal¡ªthe acceptance of darkness. The other strategy was to keep the interiors of buildings as brightly lit as possible in defiance.

    Riikaz tended to prefer the darker places. The bright ones made her eyes hurt.

    ¡°...So¡­¡± Envila said, tapping the table. ¡°Did you actually find where she came from?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yessssss¡­ it was, however, quite difficult¡­ to think, I did not believe your claims at firssssst.¡± The tongue flicked out again. ¡°Lost two people¡­¡±

    Riikaz and Envila tensed.

    ¡°Do not worry, I do not seek revenge¡­ your information was accurate.¡± He leaned forward. ¡°The knowledge of their exissssstence is definitely worth far more than you have assssked.¡±

    Envila let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°You are quite lucky it isssss¡­ no, not lucky. You planned properly. Perhaps I should give foreignersssss more credit in the future.¡± He leaned back, flicking out his tongue once more. ¡°I have the addressssss she came from. The route she took was exceedingly complex and designed to throw usssss off, and to catch those inquiring. But the dessssstination is simple. A sssstorage shed attached to no property in particular, off the main roads, unasssssuming. Yet, guarded, from a distance, with two watchers, each acting as fake farmhands for the adjacent propertiessssss.¡± With his long, green tail, he pulled out an envelope and gave it to the two of them.

    Riikaz opened the envelope and examined the interior contents. ¡°Are they aware you know their guard placement?¡±

    ¡°It seems not, as their posssssisssionssss have not changed.¡±

    ¡°The issue will be taking them both out at once without them raising any alarms¡­¡± Riikaz said.

    ¡°Ssssurely you have the sssstrength?¡±

    Riikaz nodded. ¡°Easily. But they could have tricks, or an alarm system set up.¡±

    ¡°True¡­ but that I cannot help you with.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ thank you for your assistance.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for telling me of these¡­ sssssecretive obstructions. I am ssssure I will be quite a thorn in their side for quite ssssssome time.¡± He started chuckling; every release of breath accompanied by a sharp hiss. ¡°If you don¡¯t die, perhaps we could work together again in the future?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    With that, they got up and made their way to the door. Envila misjudged where it was and smacked her face into the wall.

    Their informant laughed again. ¡°Ssssilly foreignerssss¡­¡±

    Riikaz and Envila put their hoods back on and exited into the dark, enshrouded lands of Vraskal.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be working with him again, right?¡± Envila asked.

    ¡°Man¡¯s a brutal killer, I won¡¯t if we can help it,¡± Riikaz said. ¡°But I can¡¯t make promises. Besides¡­¡± She folded her arms. ¡°We¡¯re about to get our hands dirty.¡±

    Envila took in a sharp breath. ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re on board?¡±

    ¡°You need two people to take them both out.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked.¡±

    Envila looked down at the ground. ¡°...Dia tells us many things we are and are not to do. We are not to kill; and yet, there are times when Dia Herself commanded such actions. There is a point where it is necessary. You are the queen of a country under attack by these people, it is your duty to protect your nation from the enemy.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t a Kroanite, though. This is not your duty.¡±

    ¡°True¡­¡± Envila sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Am I justified in going along with this by choice? ¡­It has been weighing on me. But¡­ as I see it, I¡¯ve been placed here for a reason. I¡¯ve been connected to you for a reason. There is clear evil afoot, and situations have lined up perfectly such that I am in a position to do something about it.¡± Envila looked Riikaz in the eyes. ¡°It seems that I am being led to this. So yes, I will assist you.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go. We¡¯ve got a raid to plan.¡±

    ~~~

    The two guards were both humans working the fields at the very edge.* They both made sure to stay in sight range of the storage shed, but not in sight range of each other. The idea was that one or the other would remain to raise the alarm if attacked.

    *Very few plants grow in the shrouded areas of Vraskal, and even fewer of those are actually edible. The majority of fields in Vraskal grow mushrooms or fruiting plasts. Most of the settled areas of Vraskal are devoted to these fields, since it takes a lot of land to grow enough to sustain people. The size is even larger than it otherwise would be, as there is no real way to guard the fields from thieves or roaming animals. Some other crops are grown on top of the great darkscraper trees, but only the rich can afford those plants. The fruits of the trees themselves are the second largest producer of food for Vraskal, after the fields, but the trees are localized and the fruit does not keep for long journeys. Farming the darkscraper trees is all but impossible as it takes centuries for one to grow to a proper size.

    Were the guards aware that their positions were known, they would have changed things up and devised a new plan. Unfortunately for them, this was not to happen.

    Riikaz walked through the darkness, crossbow at the ready, pointed right in front of her.

    She saw the form of the guard hunched over, plowing a field.

    She stopped moving, keeping him at the very edge of her vision. As she aimed, she counted down silently with her lips.

    They had to time this perfectly.

    She pulled the trigger. The bolt sailed true through the air, piercing the guard right through the back of the head. He slumped to the ground instantly.

    Riikaz ran to him and immediately searched him. He had an arcane firearm that clearly wasn¡¯t of Vraskalian make, and some kind of Purple-heavy arcane device. A communication device of some sort? Good thing he didn¡¯t have an opportunity to use it.

    Riikaz dragged the body to the unassuming shed, meeting up with Envila and the guard she had taken out.

    ¡°There was a Purple device,¡± Envila said.

    ¡°Did he have a chance to use it?¡±

    Envila shook her head. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Riikaz was not at all surprised to find that the door was locked. She stepped aside, allowing Envila to pick it. It only took a few seconds to pop the door open. They quickly went inside, dragging the bodies with them before they shut the door. The interior was entirely bare; just a single staircase descending into the ground below.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ this lock mechanism keeps a record of when it was opened,¡± Envila said. ¡°Next person who checks this lock is going to know we were here.¡±

    ¡°Can you undo it?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid, not without a replacement part. It snapped a brass plate.¡±

    ¡°Then we better get moving. Expect there to be more guards at the bottom of these stairs, be prepared to flee at any moment.¡±

    They descended the stairs, coming to a stone hallway. There were no guards. There were no lights, Envila had to use Purple to illuminate their surroundings.

    There were five offshoots from the hallway, each of which led to their own identical hallway.

    ¡°Ah¡­ a maze.¡± Riikaz folded her arms. ¡°Anyone who¡¯s supposed to be here knows the right path, but anyone like us could be stuck wandering forever¡­¡±

    ¡°Then we just look for the places traveled the most. This place is very, very old, even if it¡¯s rarely used, there should be signs¡­¡± She kneeled down, checking the areas nearest the floor. ¡°Some of these corners are more scuffed than others. It¡¯d be hard to fake this wear pattern, especially considering how old this place has to be.¡±

    Riikaz agreed with the assessment, but as they progressed through the maze she became more and more impressed by Envila¡¯s tracking abilities. This wasn¡¯t a forest where tracks were left, this was a maze of bare rock with no defining features. And yet, Envila was able to track nicks in the corners, uneven wear patterns in the floor, and even identified a mark as fake.

    ¡°See this here? It¡¯s too regular,¡± Envila said, running her fingers over a notch in the wall. ¡°It¡¯s sure trying to look like a worn corner, but it isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°That means they realized someone could track them by the wear patterns¡­¡± Riikaz realized.

    ¡°Yes. The fact that this place is still active either means they can¡¯t change locations, or they don¡¯t think someone being able to navigate the maze like we are is a huge issue. Or they think no one could tell a mark like this was fake.¡± She tapped her fingers on her hip. ¡°I bet they can¡¯t change locations. You said you saw their leader in a massive device, right? If they spent so much effort constructing a maze around that¡­ it likely can¡¯t be duplicated.¡±

    ¡°Which means we are marked for death for being here.¡±

    ¡°Like we weren¡¯t already.¡±

    The two of them continued their journey, following the trails left by millennia of use. In time, they eventually arrived at a proper room. It was square, with four entrances. There was a large table in the center surrounded by chairs, and a cabinet off to one side.

    ¡°Ah, I think we found the meeting room,¡± Riikaz said.

    ¡°Hmm. This complicates things.¡± Envila crossed her arms. ¡°If there¡¯s multiple rooms in here¡­ we¡¯ll only be able to find those with the highest foot traffic. Meeting room obviously has the most, but the throne device¡­ I bet that isn¡¯t a common destination.¡±

    Riikaz opened up the cupboard and found a set of simple dining dishes and a box full of hover clover cubes. ¡°Ah. Food.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s probably food storage somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is just an emergency ration a¡ª¡± Riikaz suddenly stopped short and put a finger in front of her mouth. She gestured at one of the doorways with her head. Envila nodded, and both of them stopped producing light with their crystals.

    They could soon hear footsteps. Clearly, a lone humanoid of some kind or other, and not gari, unless the gari was wearing shoes for some unthinkable reason. Once the steps got close enough, they could see light from a lantern.

    They jumped into action as soon as the interloper crossed the room¡¯s boundary, both of them pressing their knives to the poor person¡¯s neck. He was a wrinkled being, but it was hard to tell if that meant he was old or it was just the way his race was, as he was a short, green-skinned, pointy-eared individual of a sort that neither Riikaz nor Envila could identify. He froze the moment he noted the knives pressed to his neck.

    ¡°Well¡­ can¡¯t say I expected to be jumped here¡­¡± the man said in Vraskalian, his voice extremely dry and grating, but somehow chipper. He grinned, revealing a mouth filled with pointed teeth. ¡°So, what do you fine ladies want?¡±

    ¡°How many people are currently in this installation?¡± Riikaz asked, also in Vraskalian.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Give me a guess.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ less than a dozen.¡±

    ¡°Why so few?¡±

    ¡°Got a high-profile mission to deal with at the moment.¡±

    ¡°...What¡¯s your name?¡± Envila asked.

    The man chuckled. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s a lot less hatred in that voice, interesting¡­ I¡¯m Henry. Yes, it¡¯s a fake name, but it is the one I use here, so you decide if you want to be mad about it or not.¡±

    ¡°Why are you so calm?¡± Riikaz demanded.

    ¡°Simple, really, I¡¯ve lost count of how many times I¡¯ve been held at knifepoint. This is old news at this point.¡±

    Riikaz narrowed her eyes. ¡°Not even afraid I¡¯ll throw you out once I¡¯m done with you?¡±

    ¡°No one¡¯s managed to yet!¡± He gave her a smug grin.

    Riikaz¡¯ grip on her knife tightened.

    ¡°Riikaz, no,¡± Envila said in Karli. ¡°We do need him to find locations in this maze.¡±

    Riikaz loosened her grip and sighed, continuing in Vraskalian. ¡°Right. Where¡¯s your leader¡¯s throne?¡±

    Shock crossed the man¡¯s face. ¡°How¡­ not even all of us know about that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you anything.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately I can¡¯t tell you where it is, I¡¯m not important enough to know that. I¡¯m barely important enough to know it exists.¡±

    ¡°Then maybe you can tell us what it does.¡±

    ¡°You know about it but don¡¯t know what it does?¡± He appeared legitimately baffled.

    ¡°Are you going to talk or am I going to remove a finger or something here?¡±

    He continued staring at her in disbelief, but he did talk. ¡°It¡­ keeps our leader alive indefinitely, ensuring our ideals don¡¯t change with generational shifts.¡±

    ¡°And she¡¯s currently out, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡­ how did you¡­? How can you know so much and so little at the same time?¡±

    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m going to answer questions?¡±

    ¡°I could stop talking, you know.¡±

    ¡°Right, finger chopping time¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait wait wait! Fine! I won¡¯t ask questions, I¡¯d like to keep my fingers!¡±

    Riikaz nodded. ¡°Good. Now¡­ why are you here?¡°

    ¡°I was selected to stay behind while the others went on the mission.¡±

    ¡°What is that mission?¡±

    ¡°Rigid Plague.¡± Seeing recognition in Riikaz¡¯ eyes, he smirked. ¡°Heh, so you know what that is.¡±

    ¡°Is anyone expecting you anytime soon?¡±

    ¡°Not particularly.¡±

    ¡°Is anyone coming to this room?¡±

    ¡°Possibly, but we don¡¯t expect the others to be back for the debrief for a while¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s being too cooperative,¡± Envila said in Karli.

    ¡°Yet he doesn¡¯t seem to be lying,¡± Riikaz responded, in Karli as well. She turned back to Henry, returning to Vraskalian. ¡°You don¡¯t think we can do anything with this information.¡±

    ¡°Right on the money,¡± Henry said with a laugh. ¡°Even if you can get out of the maze, you¡¯re in our territory. We¡¯ll know you were here very soon. Vraskal itself will digest you.¡±

    ¡°Overconfidence, I see.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like them¡­¡± Envila said in Karli. ¡°They¡¯ve always been extremely paranoid about information getting out.¡±

    Riikaz nodded, responding in Karli. ¡°It is odd. Perhaps their attitude is different in Vraskal since they have greater control, or this man is just not one sent out on distant missions.¡± She frowned. ¡°Still, we cannot afford to waste time.¡± She turned back to Henry, speaking in Vraskalian. ¡°So, what places in this maze can you take us to?¡±

    ¡°Food storage, the dormitories, crystal storage, the armory, and the ancestry records.¡±

    ¡°Ancestry records¡­¡±

    ¡°Figured that one would stand out. I¡¯m aware that there¡¯s the throne room, cube storage, and the deep records, but I don¡¯t know where those are.¡±

    ¡°So, how do we get to ancestry records, then?¡±

    ¡°I can just take you there¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you could, but you could also change your path in the middle of it to lead us into a trap of some kind. So tell us the path ahead of time, we¡¯ll write it down. And, naturally, be careful to make sure the room we¡¯re about to enter is actually the right one.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, and I thought the others were paranoid¡­¡±

    ~~~

    In the skies above the Wild Kingdoms, the great airship Seeker flew Westward. It was no longer trying to hide itself, and so the people of the Kingdoms would look up and point in shock at the airship. They were used to seeing dragons, small rigids, and the occasional balloon whale in the sky, but not a clearly artificial wooden construction flying overhead.

    The ship itself was currently the site of a lot of tension, for there were several distinct groups present. Naturally, there was the ship¡¯s crew, most of whom spoke a language no one but Sandy knew. There were Sandy¡¯s people, who were calling the shots, but had everyone but the ship¡¯s crew on edge. The Shimmers were trying to keep to themselves, Kayz in particular, but Via kept trying to talk to them in some attempt at smoothing relations between their peoples. Both Via and the Shimmers were extremely worried about Sandy¡¯s people, but so far they had taken no action against the others¡­ but there was no confirmation of what was going to be done with them.

    Meanwhile, Blue and Jeh were having a far better time examining the airship¡¯s inner mechanisms.

    ¡°This is incredible¡­¡± Blue said, running her hoof over a bamboo rod embedded with Blue and Orange throughout it. ¡°I¡­ would never have thought you could use the two in tandem like this¡­¡±

    ¡°You always said Blue was a pain to work with,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Well, it is, but¡­¡± Blue followed the trail of Orange and Blue to a wooden barrel-shaped section of the ship which housed one of the many rapidly rotating propellers. ¡°The most impressive part is not that it¡¯s spinning, but that it¡¯s stable. Clearly, propellers can move air, we¡¯ve done some tests with them, but maintaining a surface level enough to walk on, that¡¯s¡­¡± Blue glanced behind herself at the ship¡¯s young blonde captain. ¡°This is amazing!¡±

    The captain understood not a word of what Blue said but grinned with pride nonetheless. She said something in her language and winked.

    ¡°Too bad this can¡¯t be used in space,¡± Jeh said. ¡°No air.¡±

    ¡°The propeller, probably not¡­ but¡­¡± Blue blinked. ¡°Whatever¡¯s keeping this stable and level¡­ this ship is far too large for a single person to manage, like you do in a Moonshot. Let¡¯s see¡­ uh¡­ time to play charades¡­¡± Blue gestured for the captain to listen.

    The captain sensed that Blue was going to try to communicate something and put on a serious face, pulling her goggles over her eyes and squinting.

    Like that¡¯s going to help¡­ Blue held up her hoof, making it flat, like part of the ground. Then she tilted it side to side and pointed at the propeller.

    The captain stared at her blankly.

    Blue sighed. ¡°Jeh, you try.¡±

    ¡°Sandy took all my crystals and I don¡¯t think magic punches will help here.¡±

    ¡°But you have hands.¡±

    ¡°Right, fine. Uh¡­¡± Jeh held her hand out flat and used her other hand to represent a person. She walked on her flat hand back and forth while it was level, but then once she shifted her hand side to side, she had her walking hand fall off of it. She pointed at the ship in general and scratched her head, trying to move her body in a way similar to the first hand.

    The captain processed this for a few moments, but then she slammed her fist into her palm, exclaiming something excitedly. She grabbed Jeh by the hand and ran to the center of the ship. Blue followed along.

    The ship had very few interior spaces, and the two of them had not been allowed into any yet, but evidently the captain was making an exception. They entered the central hub from which all the other segments emerged in spokes. The vast majority of the rest of the ship was made of ultra-lightweight materials: wood, bamboo, cloth, Colored crystals, and the mysterious white material the propellers were made of. Inside the center, however, there were two gigantic metallic discs spinning at obscene speeds. An extremely large amount of Magenta crystals surrounded these discs, continually flashing with signals. There were three members of the crew in here with their hands on handholds for the devices, but they weren¡¯t very focused on their task¡ªthey were talking and chatting with each other leisurely, even after the captain came in.

    The captain opened her mouth and started talking, but then seemed to remember she couldn¡¯t actually explain anything. She started moving her hand around in a circle in an attempt to explain the mechanism, but her face kept getting more and more confused as she tried to.

    Blue shook her head. ¡°I understand already, it¡¯s fine.¡± She tapped her head and winked.

    ¡°Um¡­ gyroscope, right?¡± Jeh asked.

    Blue nodded. ¡°Yep! Remember all of Vaughan¡¯s spinning experiments? We were trying to keep things stable or find a way to navigate or something, but we kept relying on manual correction instead of pursuing it further. It was proving difficult to get things to spin in a reliable way. Just from looking at this, I think they solved the biggest problem by using two discs that turn in opposite directions. That¡¯ll keep them from rotating the ship itself, I think. There¡¯s clearly a lot more going on here with all the Magenta, probably something about detecting and responding to the discs. But it appears to be automatic, these three people aren¡¯t so much piloting as just providing will so the ship can keep itself level. Takes a lot of power to rotate those discs that fast and to communicate with the propellers¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh. Neat.¡± Jeh blinked. ¡°Think we could use this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s necessary in space, we don¡¯t have to remain level with anything¡­ but it might still help for navigation, and the technology here would be very beneficial for larger craft. The space station probably doesn¡¯t need one of these, but I bet the interplanetary ship will want one since it¡¯ll have to do a lot of maneuvers. The way they communicate through the bamboo¡­ I¡¯m already getting lots of ideas.¡± She turned to the captain and gave her a big smile. ¡°Thanks! Wish we could talk more details about this, but that¡¯ll have to wait, I guess.¡±

    The captain didn¡¯t understand a thing but winked at them nonetheless.

    ¡°Looks like you two are having fun.¡±

    Blue and Jeh whipped around to see Sandy standing tall over them. Her expression wasn¡¯t one of malice or anything negative, in fact, she was rather bright and cheerful, but her presence nonetheless made Blue and Jeh take a few steps back.

    ¡°Getting ideas for your Space Program, I take it?¡± Sandy asked.

    Jeh locked her hands behind her back. ¡°Uh. Yes.¡±

    ¡°Even though we might not get to use it because of you,¡± Blue said with a lot more venom than Jeh.

    Sandy sighed, her smile vanishing and a slight slouch developing in her figure. ¡°The fact that that is entirely true is unfortunate.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one in charge of a secret society of genocidal maniacs.¡±

    ¡°Please, genocide implies we wish to eradicate a specific kind of person.¡±

    ¡°If you want to eliminate knowledge that¡¯s going to lead to genocide since groups of people gain knowledge. Genocide isn¡¯t your goal, it¡¯s a side effect. Which might make it worse now that I¡¯m actually thinking about it instead of trying to distract myself with spinning wheels of metal.¡±

    ¡°...You, Blue, are a supergenius the likes of which is seen once a human generation or less,¡± Sandy said.

    ¡°I¡­ what?¡±

    Sandy looked right into her eyes with a strange, somber fury. ¡°I find it hard to believe you haven¡¯t figured out not only our primary goal, but also our motives and reasonings based on what you¡¯ve seen. You know what we¡¯re trying to stop, don¡¯t try to deny it just because it will increase your chances of survival.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°What does that have to do with the current conversation?¡±

    ¡°Can you think of another solution?¡±

    Blue blinked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    The desperate look was back in Sandy¡¯s eyes. ¡°Can you think of another solution?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ erm¡­¡± Blue took a step back.

    ¡°I¡¯m confused,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°That is preferable,¡± Sandy said. ¡°You don¡¯t need the full burden.¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Blue said, slamming her hoof on the ground. ¡°Knowledge is not evil. Confusion and willful ignorance are.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, I disagree, and would very much rather you not place the weight of the finer details on poor Jeh here, she¡¯s been through enough.¡±

    Blue twitched. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like you know her.¡±

    For a split second, Sandy¡¯s face twisted into anger. A personal fury directed at Blue specifically, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, her face slowly softened as she turned her gaze to Jeh. ¡°I¡­ suppose you are right, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still confused,¡± Jeh said.

    Blue sighed. ¡°To put it simply¡­ Sandy¡¯s society here was clearly created for the express purpose of preventing people from destroying themselves with the great secrets of magic, whatever those are. There¡¯s clearly multiple things they¡¯re guarding against, since it¡¯s not only the black cubes and their use they¡¯re concerned with, there¡¯s also some knowledge they¡¯re afraid of. Things that can cause Cataclysms in the hands of single individuals.¡± Blue pointed a hoof at Sandy. ¡°You¡¯re one of them, of course.¡±

    Sandy smirked. ¡°I was wondering if you had enough to piece that together.¡±

    ¡°You are the cause of the Second Cataclysm.¡±

    ¡°Guilty as charged,¡± she said rather nonchalantly.

    Blue gawked. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s just¡­ I understand your society¡¯s purpose and drive pretty well at this point, what I don¡¯t understand is you. What is your deal? Your emotional responses make no sense, you haven¡¯t killed us, you seem to care and yet have obvious struggles, but a willingness to destroy it all¡­ nothing about you adds up.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just missing information about me. Information that I choose not to share because it¡¯s personal, not because it threatens anything.¡± Sandy¡¯s perfectly innocent smile sent chills up Blue¡¯s spine. ¡°I have no intention of ever telling you.¡±

    Blue twitched. ¡°Well, that¡¯s annoying, since you appear to be the primary party who decides whether we live or die, and I have no clue which one you¡¯re going to choose!¡±

    ¡°At least you figured out that I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± Sandy turned her back to them and looked out one of the windows at the sky outside. ¡°That¡¯s worth something.¡±

    ¡°I feel like you¡¯re trying to patronize me.¡±

    ¡°I assure you, I¡¯m not. You truly are brilliant and are leading a technological revolution. As important as Vaughan and Jeh are, they could be replaced if something were to happen to them. There are other wizards. There are other pilots, too. But there is not another genius. Granted, at this point, there¡¯s probably enough momentum to carry the world forward for a few decades from your mathematical ¡®discoveries¡¯ alone, and that¡¯s just something I can predict because I¡¯ve seen results of it before. I have no idea where this space travel leads.¡± She looked down at her hands, pausing for a moment. ¡°Which is part of the problem, isn¡¯t it? Society is developing past the point where I can predict what advances will bring. As disturbing as the completely magicless origin of the Rigid Plague was, I find your weapon far more disturbing, for it is a new thing. No deep magic knowledge or power necessary.¡±

    ¡°When the avenues of destruction come from everywhere, your plan doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± Blue said. ¡°But you already know this, it¡¯s why you¡¯re having such a problem.¡± Blue paused. ¡°You really did hope I had a solution, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Because as it is now, the solutions I can come up with are worse than what we¡¯re already doing. And yet¡­ when the goal is to save us from destroying ourselves, if it must be done¡­¡±

    ¡°Who put you in charge of keeping us from destroying ourselves?¡±

    ¡°I did, because no one else would do it.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Dia¡¯s job!?¡±

    Sandy whirled around and looked down at Blue. ¡°How narrow minded¡­ there are many belief systems on Ikyu, Blue. Not all of them have guiding forces above, so I must live admitting the possibility that none exist¡­ or that those that do exist have a potential desire to see us destroy ourselves. I cannot find proof of Dia¡¯s existence, but Eyda¡¯s is hard to deny.¡±

    Blue didn¡¯t back off. ¡°And yet things just keep working out, do they not? Do you have any idea how many events have had to work perfectly and in such improbable ways for things to end up here, for the Wizard Space Program to be where it is, for Jeh to be here, for the whole Rigid Plague things to have worked out, for¡­ heck just look at the Tempest, that entire place is full of it!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all sunshine and rainbows when it¡¯s working out for you isn¡¯t it? I assure you, it has not always worked out on my end.¡±

    Jeh spoke up for the first time in a while. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s because you¡¯re the bad guy?¡±

    Sandy stared at her, blankly.

    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s like¡­ in all the stories and legends and scriptures and things I¡¯ve read¡­ um¡­¡± Jeh fidgeted with her fingers. ¡°It¡¯s not always this way, but¡­ the bad guys get punished, the good guys get rewarded.¡±

    Sandy kneeled down, a warm smile on her face. ¡°History is not always like that, Jeh. Brutal dictators rise and are never punished for their actions. The greatest and kindest people are executed because they threaten the status quo. Just look at what we did to King Redmind. He was a truly great leader, and we had him removed. His goodness didn¡¯t stop us.¡±

    Jeh flinched back. ¡°I¡¯d¡­ forgotten about that¡­ how¡­ how could you even do that?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯d gotten too close.¡± Sandy¡¯s expression became dark. ¡°Though it looks like that entire operation may have been pointless from the start¡­¡± She stood up and put an arm to her face, sighing. ¡°I am sorry, Blue, but I can¡¯t just have faith that there¡¯s someone watching over us that will keep us from utter destruction. I must take matters into my own hands.¡±

    Blue clenched her jaw. ¡°Then what¡¯s the plan, judge, jury, and executioner?¡±

    Sandy laughed bitterly. ¡°Oh, if only¡­ if only¡­¡± She turned back and gave Jeh a pat on the head. ¡°This was a good talk, thank you. Jeh, no matter what happens, I hope you do get to explore the stars one day.¡±

    Jeh smiled awkwardly back. ¡°...I hope all of us get to explore the stars one day. ¡­You too, Sandy.¡±

    ¡°...That would be nice,¡± she said in a hollow, hopeless tone. She turned and left.

    ¡°...That woman is horrifying, Jeh,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Yes. And yet¡­ she was Jenny¡¯s friend.¡± Jeh put her hands on her hips. ¡°And they weren¡¯t evil, they were trying to be heroes.¡±

    ¡°Clearly, that didn¡¯t work out.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Jeh frowned.

    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t remember anything? You seem to¡­ ¡®get¡¯ her, somehow.¡±

    ¡°Not a thing. But maybe connections between people are stronger than memories or something.¡± She paused. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling sadder and sadder the more I¡¯ve talked to her. I don¡¯t know why.¡±

    ¡°Well, she¡¯s not going to tell us, and I¡¯m willing to bet she¡¯s wiped all records of whatever happened off the face of Ikyu, so¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to know, Blue, it¡¯s fine. Still¡­¡± She looked at the door wistfully. ¡°I do really hope she can go to space and see it all. See¡­¡± Jeh held her hand out in front of her and froze.

    ¡°What is it, Jeh?¡±

    ¡°One time, when I was up there, I was struck by how small and¡­ fragile Ikyu was. Like I could just¡­ crush it in my hand. Maybe¡­ maybe I could have, once.¡± A small smile crawled up Jeh¡¯s face. ¡°But there¡¯s more out there than just Ikyu. The universe is so much vaster than we could have ever imagined. Maybe one day we will blow Ikyu up. But Wanderlust and the archive will still be here, huh? And who knows what else out there¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡­ is a very strange thought, Jeh.¡±

    Hanging around just outside the door, Sandy put a hand to her chest. She walked away silently.

    ~~~

    ¡°What did I tell ya?¡± Henry said. He still had a stupid grin on his face despite Riikaz still holding a knife to his neck, which was a little awkward considering how short he was, but she wasn¡¯t about to let him just walk around free.

    They had just arrived in a somewhat small rectangular room with two entrances. The only features in the room were four bookshelves that were sparsely populated with books.

    ¡°There¡¯s not much here¡­¡± Envila observed, picking up a book off a nearby shelf.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way this is all you have,¡± Riikaz said, pressing the knife into Henry¡¯s neck.

    ¡°I did say there were deep records, right? But even then, there aren¡¯t many. We write down things out of necessity, not because we want to.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Riikaz turned to Envila, switching to Karli. ¡°He led us right here without any incidents, are we sure this is legitimate?¡±

    ¡°It looks like it,¡± Envila said as she flipped through the book. ¡°This one is a record of personnel. Some of the information is redacted, but it¡¯s still here and it seems legitimate. Itlea¡¯s even recorded here at the end, evidentially their most recent recruit.¡±

    ¡°A traitor to the Crown¡­¡±

    ¡°She may not have known that when signing up.¡± Envila put the book back and started looking through others. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ we have records of specific operations¡­ the apparently true history of Vraskal¡­ some other history books¡­ hmm.¡± She pulled one off a shelf. ¡°This one¡¯s almost entirely redacted, but its topic appears to be history before the Second Cataclysm.¡±

    ¡°Extremely valuable.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    Henry let out a big yawn. ¡°Man, you two sure know how to yap.¡±

    ¡°Quiet,¡± Riikaz said in Vraskalian. He didn¡¯t need to be distracting them from their research, nor did he need to understand any of what they were doing. ¡°We should grab as many of these as we can carry.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not too many, if I ignore the duplicates¡­ yeah we could fit all of them in a bag.¡±

    ¡°Which one¡¯s the most important, you think?¡±

    ¡°Either the personnel list or¡­ this one, which I think you¡¯ll find more interesting.¡± Envila pulled out a book entitled The Ancestral Cubes. ¡°And more relevant to our current situation.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Riikaz switched into Vraskalian, directing her attention to Henry again. ¡°You don¡¯t even have an ancestry you could use, right?¡±

    ¡°Not a one! Squeaky clean here!¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Riikaz switched back to Karli. ¡°I¡¯m keeping him alive all the way to the door in case we need a hostage.¡±

    ¡°Not past that?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯d be too hard to move with in Vraskal, the records should give us all we need. I¡¯ll read while we move.¡±

    Envila nodded. ¡°Right. Though you should probably just tie him up instead of trying to hold a knife to his throat and read a book.¡±

    ¡°...True, we won¡¯t need him to feel threatened anymore.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure he felt threatened in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Which still really bugs me¡­¡±

    ¡°It may not be overconfidence, we are in their territory, us getting out of here alive may really be extremely unlikely.¡±

    Why don¡¯t I believe that for a moment¡­? Riikaz wondered. She quickly tied up Henry¡¯s wrists.

    Henry snickered. ¡°Aww, losing your bloodlust, ice queen?¡±

    Riikaz didn¡¯t respond to him, she just dragged him along as she followed Envila out, reading all the while.

    ~~~

    There were only eight ancestral cubes at first. There are more now. The first eight arrived shortly after the First Cataclysm with [REDACTED]. The origin of the rest are unknown, though are theorized to [REDACTED].

    The cubes were split up shortly after their arrival, and many became lost. We believe that one of the original eight was only recovered recently in Willow Hollow, but as we cannot trace its history this is uncertain. History of all but one of the original cubes is incomplete as well. The exception is [REDACTED]. This cube has been reprogrammed multiple times. It is known that it has been set so many times that we do not know all the ancestries it once bestowed. Currently, it contains the ability of creating sandwiches out of thin air of a seemingly endless variety. The story why this ancestry was chosen is unknown, but considering how this was [REDACTED] the odd nature of the ability is to be expected.

    Historically, this cube was [REDACTED].

    The Cataclysm Cube is our most prized possession, and only Sandy knows its current location, as it is stored separately from all the others. Sandy is the only one to currently have this ancestry. The ancestry in question grants one control over Colored crystals. The full extent of the power is unknown to all but Sandy, and she has specifically not told us all of them. However, we are aware that the black dust left behind lingers and poisons the land. This darkness has dissipated from everywhere except Vraskal, and the rate of its dissipation has slowed. As Vraskal was the site of the most dense conglomeration of Crystalline Ones prior to the Second Cataclysm, this is not entirely unexpected.

    Sandy herself is responsible for this ancestry, intended from the beginning as a tool for our great mission. [REDACTED]. Shortly thereafter our society was founded and we have sought to lay claim to all of the cubes and potential magical dangers since.

    We acquired the invisibility cube from a nameless tribe of occulari. They did not put up much of a fight. We ensure there are always a few in our ranks who are masters at the ability, though never too many, for we cannot have the ancestry accidentally escaping. This was one of the standard ancestries in use by [REDACTED] prior to the Second Cataclysm and so there were a large number of descendants that carried it, though in modern times it has completely died out except for those under our care. It is believed to have been created and maintained for so long simply because [REDACTED] was bad at sneaking.

    Use of these abilities should be done sparingly. The moment any enemy is aware we have this ability, we lose a massive edge.

    Over the centuries we obtained a handful of cubes in nearby territories and have completely sealed them away¡­

    ¡­after we had fully entrenched ourselves in Vraskal, we set our sights to distant lands country by country; focusing our efforts on larger political entities as they were likely to form around ancestries, even hidden ones.

    Our longest campaign for a single cube was for the Cube of Power. The history of this one is well known. Prior to the Second Cataclysm, [REDACTED] faced a monstrosity that emerged from the depths of Ikyu and laid waste to the surface. Power was needed to combat this threat, and thus the Cube of Power was created. It was lost in the Second Cataclysm, and picked up by many different tribal leaders, warlords, and eventually kings before we finally caught wind of it. We engaged in multiple operations to take control of the cube, but it was unfortunately not very well hidden considering how obvious and simple its power was: a beam of brilliant destruction emanating from the user. Users often killed themselves from being unable to control the power. Whenever we would be about to steal the cube, another faction would take it by force, or steal it before we did, until at last it seemed that no one had it.

    This turned out to not be true, as it fell into the hands of the great black dragon Shadow. He was far cleverer than the other warmongers that held the cube, not letting anyone know it was the source of his power, and only rarely using the power in the first place. He sought to conquer the world, and the only reason we suspected him was because he had a quasi-religious reverence for cubes as mathematical objects and used a black square as his symbol of conquest. We had to work together with the old Lineage of Kroan to dethrone him. We took the cube in the aftermath without our allies knowing who we even were.

    The cube¡¯s power is far too dangerous to use in the field, being a force of nothing but pure destruction on a massive scale that often backfires. It is also unsuitable for our preferred stealthy methods.

    The campaign for the Cube of Power led us to the northern territories, where we found a tribe that could cast seemingly endless magic by playing instruments. It was remarkable that news of their ability had not spread, and we were able to steal the cube without anyone noticing. Unlike most ancestries, however, this one did not decay as quickly with the generations, likely due to the complexity of its ability. We can confirm that the potency of the spells has weakened over time, and that the variety of known patterns has fallen off as well.

    It is believed that Benefactor learned of our existence during our activities in this time. Our complete unawareness of her existence is perhaps our largest embarrassment.

    The ancestry of musical magic has a known origin. It was created prior to the Second Cataclysm as an experiment to see if a single ancestry could be as versatile as normal Colored magic itself. The success of the experiment cannot be overstated, it not only matches the versatility of normal Colored magic, it exceeds it, with a far larger variety of effects. Every single Colored spell can be mimicked and most other ancestries can as well. The reason the ability is not all that useful or all that terrifying to us is because each spell has highly specific musical requirements that must be met to actually cast the spell. The exact syntax required to execute these spells has been lost to all but a scant few in the northern tribes of Shimvale, and even they only know a handful of songs that have been passed down, none of which have been deemed an existential threat.

    There are two classes of spells in this ancestry. One and done spells require the song to be played and then the effect takes place. The cyclic spells require constant music to maintain. One curious quirk is that if a target of a spell is spirited, they must be able to hear the song to be directly affected by it. Indirect influence does not require this.

    The primary threat of this ancestry is that secrets of our order can be forced out of our agents. As there is currently no evidence of Shimvale having any cubes or other secrets, this risk is believed to be minimal, but all agents working in the area must be made aware of the danger and have earplugs on hand.

    A cube that has no ancestry we can discern but is not blank was recovered from the Wild Continent.

    It is known that the Holy Flame has three cubes in her possession, but as they are considered sacrilegious heresy we do not believe obtaining them to be important at this time. The situation is nonetheless being closely monitored. The cubes themselves are unknown, as the ancestries they provided died out when the Holy Flame sealed them away.

    The southern continents lacked major civilizations when we began our infiltrations, so work was slow, but a handful of cubes were obtained¡­

    ¡­infiltrating the Tempest was nigh impossible until official contact with the outside world was established. The existence of the Guardian Spirit complicated matters significantly, but through a successful operation we managed to use the cover of war to obtain the cube of prophecy. The ability is very simple, those with this ancestry dream of future events, though often in cryptic ways. The origin of this ability is known; a meteorological disaster once scourged the previous world after great terraforming had occurred, and so [REDACTED] wished to know when these were coming so casualties could be prevented. The prophecies are not completely accurate, but they can predict natural disasters with remarkable precision, and even political movements. The ancestry is dying out in the Tempest, but we make sure to keep a few on our staff.

    There is a second cube on the Tempest. We do not know what it is, and we failed to obtain it on our latest operation. We have reason to believe that the Guardian Spirit doesn¡¯t have it either and it was lost in the volcanic eruption, though. What ancestry it has is completely unknown. Perhaps it is tied to the Tempest itself, but it is also possible that the Tempest is maintained by the Guardian Spirit with no need for a cube.

    Most recently we have been made aware of a cube in the possession of the Kingdom of Kroan, a cube that makes those with its power inherently trustworthy to all who witness them. An extremely dangerous ability we would normally not permit to run free, but the Wizard Space Program has expressed intentions to launch it into the sun, which is far better than anything we can accomplish so we have decided to let them try it. The situation is being monitored closely, of course, and a demon almost made us interfere, but it turned out to be unnecessary. Sandy has left special orders to leave the Space Program to their experiments unless they seek to use the cube.

    The cube appears to have been a blank cube that the previous mayor of Willow Hollow wished upon, thereby setting its ability to make people trust him. He learned to hate this ability and sought to have the source of it destroyed, even after his death. This cannot be confirmed as the previous mayor left no records and was extremely secretive, and we did not have him under observation.

    The construction cube was set by [REDACTED] in order to create the Shinelands and give the rigids a biome to themselves. This is by far the cube with the most far-reaching consequences of all the others, and we currently do not know its location. We have searched for it since our very beginnings and have found no sign of it. This is deeply concerning, as it is the one that currently has the greatest hold on the planet, having changed the weather patterns and biomes drastically. In modern times the ecosystem has stabilized, but this was not true prior to the Second Cataclysm. There is no evidence of this ancestry still being used. Its vast ecological terror could not be hidden from our careful eyes.

    This is not to be confused with the structure cube, which allows the users to transform into buildings. [REDACTED] did not create this one, but it is a wish from before the Second Cataclysm made by an architect who just wanted to be like his creations. [REDACTED]

    We did not investigate Descent closely as it was not a major nation, just a city, but recent information indicates that the equivalent to ¡°ancestry¡± is a known word in their language, indicating that they know of the effects of cubes, despite none of the known cubes being found in nearby areas. This is somewhat concerning, and we lack the information at this time to make any definite conclusions.

    The Rigid Plague is clear evidence of an unknown ancestry that can control rigids over long distances. The source has been traced to the Shinelands. Developments are actively ongoing, expect this section to be updated.

    The potions of power occasionally found throughout Ikyu are a clear indication of yet another unknown ancestry, but their existence is far more concerning. There appears to be no limit or reason to the effects obtained by drinking them, and some take effect without even being drunk but simply being thrown on the ground. However, we have never observed a single entity creating a potion and have never been able to study a potion prior to its use. Potions exist in history back to long before the Second Cataclysm. [REDACTED] was never known to have created such an ancestry, and given its similar complexity to the music ancestry, it is highly unlikely to have been a wish made upon a blank cube.

    It is suspected that the Angler Hegemony has a cube of navigation of some kind, but information is limited. There should also be far more cubes on the bottom of the ocean than there seem to be. Perhaps the leviathans have something to do with this?

    It has been deemed that the power of demons and the Guardian Spirit are not due to cubes, but they are under our consideration as potentially connected to [REDACTED]. The giant crystalline ones Holy Flame, Benefactor, and Wanderlust are considered similarly, and as of this moment they are not suspected to be hiding cubes that we are unaware of.

    No [REDACTED] her Playground [REDACTED] is known to [REDACTED] since [REDACTED].

    ~~~

    ¡°This entire thing was ominous¡­¡± Riikaz muttered in Karli. ¡°Very good information, but a lot of it is censored¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, at least we know a lot about what kinds of things they can do,¡± Envila said. ¡°I¡¯m glad we checked for invisible people, that could have been disastrous if we never picked up on that.¡±

    ¡°They have so many tricks they could use¡­ they do seem to want to avoid it though. They really do think these cubes are evil, they want us to launch them into the sun.¡±

    Envila nodded. ¡°I tend to agree with them on that sentiment, actually, just not the lengths they¡¯re willing to go through to get them.¡±

    ¡°They talk about their activities so clinically. Using wars as fronts. Taking them by force¡­¡± Riikaz shook her head. ¡°There have to be better ways.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we basically doing the same thing right now?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re trying to stop ourselves from being wiped out from their plans.¡±

    ¡°True¡­¡± Envila clicked her tongue. ¡°But from their perspective, this is probably also self-defense. Just more¡­ proactive.¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t like any of this.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like any of it either. For the record, I believe they have forced our hand. By choosing the violent and brutal route, they force it to be used in return to stand any chance of resisting them. If only they had chosen a more peaceful route, things could have been different.¡±

    ¡°Woooow, sounds like you two are having quite the conversation without me!¡± Henry said. ¡°C¡¯mon, clue me in, what¡¯s so fascinating? Terrified of the cubes?¡±

    Riikaz smacked him in the head. ¡°Shut up,¡± she said in Vraskalian.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so cruel to him,¡± Envila said in Karli. ¡°You¡¯re going to kill him anyway and he¡¯s being dragged through a maze against his will. I understand he¡¯s annoying you, but¡­¡±

    ¡°There are sometimes it¡¯s not right to show kindness,¡± Riikaz growled.

    Envila frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°I think it is, so that¡¯s that.¡±

    ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡±

    The two of them fell silent.

    Riikaz turned to her inner thoughts. There¡¯s something else that¡¯s bugging me. Those potions¡­ when I had my knowledge of this place after finding the Tower, I also had a potion on me, hidden in my cloak. I still have it with me. I¡¯d forgotten about it. She clenched her jaw. They haven¡¯t been able to figure these potions out¡­ they think it¡¯s an ancestry.

    Why do I think they¡¯re wrong¡­?

    Envila stopped short.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°This wall wasn¡¯t here when we came in.¡± She whirled around to Henry, shifting to Vraskalian, all hint of her kindness toward him gone. ¡°How did the walls move?¡±

    Henry snorted. ¡°Oh come on, you¡¯ve just made a mistake, walls can¡¯t move!¡±

    ¡°That is the first time you¡¯ve lied to us.¡±

    Henry blinked. ¡°Wow, I knew you were going to be good, but that good? Crazy, good thing it was me you were dealing with this entire time.¡± He laughed. ¡°Looks like the jig¡¯s up!¡±

    Suddenly they were surrounded on all four sides by stone walls.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you read about the ancestry where the guy became a house?¡± Henry chuckled.

    ¡°That¡­ that can¡¯t be,¡± Riikaz said, eyes wide. ¡°This place is too old, showing signs of use from you!¡±

    ¡°Duh, that¡¯s because she¡¯s been this place for thousands of years!¡±

    Riikaz decided she¡¯d had enough. She pulled out her knife and lunged for him¡ªbut a stone pillar shot out of the ground, throwing the knife out of her hand.

    Henry cackled. ¡°You never could have done anything to me in here. Sure, Vraskal itself could digest you, even if you had some secret way to get out I still think you¡¯d have been eaten. Didn¡¯t lie, after all. But as for me? I was always protected by the very maze we were walking in! The only reason she didn¡¯t move things around was because we like extracting information out of people like you; you don¡¯t come around very often, and you tend to resist torture. And guess what? I don¡¯t know Karli, but she does.¡±

    Riikaz paled. ¡°This entire time¡­¡±

    ¡°By the way, your first mistake was taking out the guards. The moment their devices stopped transmitting, we were onto you. It¡¯s hard for the maze to be aware of everything going on inside her, but at that point, we were laser-focused onto you. You¡¯ve been playing our game this entire time!¡±

    Envila nodded and held out her hands in surrender. ¡°What happens to us then?¡±

    ¡°Riikaz here¡¯s getting executed, simple as that, though we¡¯ll at least make a go of getting more information out of her. You on the other hand¡­¡± Henry¡¯s grin widened. ¡°I think the boss might want to talk with you, you¡¯re exactly the sort she likes.¡±

    ¡°I will have no part in this.¡±

    ¡°No part? You sure? We don¡¯t have to be the warmongers all the time. In fact, right now we¡¯re off saving the world by ending the Rigid Plague! I¡¯m sure she can find some heroic work for you. There¡¯s some nasty things out there.¡±

    ¡°Your words and your ideals are tempting, and the truth of reality is harsh, but there is a very simple reason I will not join you. It is against Dia¡¯s teaching.¡±

    ¡°You killed people to get in here.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ am aware. I have had to wrestle with my faith to do even this much. But going further is unthinkable.¡±

    ¡°Eh, I¡¯m not the most persuasive, the boss will still want a talk with you. Now¡­¡± He let out a long, satisfied breath. ¡°I sure hope I¡¯m the one chosen to put you through the wringer, Riikaz, there¡¯s quite a bit of anger I¡¯ve been building up today, and you¡¯re the primary target¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Riikaz said.

    Henry groaned. ¡°Oh come on, what are you going to do? You can¡¯t fight a building!¡±

    ¡°Right. I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re trapped!¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°So admit that you¡¯ve lost!¡±

    ¡°I have.¡±

    Henry blinked. ¡°Then what¡­?¡±

    ¡°Just like you had a secret plan¡­ there¡¯s another secret plan. One not even I knew about. But I think I know now, after reading your book.¡± She smirked. ¡°I think you have an enemy who¡¯s kept herself even from you.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­?¡±

    Riikaz uncorked the potion while it was still in her furs. In one quick swig, she threw it down the back of her throat. A stone pillar shot out of the wall and shattered the potion, breaking her hand in the process, but it was too late, the fluid was already racing down her throat.

    She started glowing a bright white color.

    The bright glow reached Envila, and she started shining as well.

    Then Henry.

    Then the entire maze.

    The maze let out a shocked cry.

    When was the last time she¡¯d been able to cry out?

    Then, all of a sudden, the light was gone.

    Riikaz stood, breathing heavily, blood pouring down her broken hand.

    Envila stood at her side, a bewildered look on her face.

    Henry¡¯s eyes darted left and right, sweat pouring down his face.

    There was a human girl, no older than six, completely naked and staring straight ahead like her eyes were foreign to her.

    They were standing on top of a very ornate tile floor that was very familiar to Riikaz.

    There was a sound of several dozen guards all drawing their swords at once. ¡°Freeze!¡±

    Riikaz looked upward and, sure enough, there it was. The throne of Kroan, upon which her son Wyett was seated, his wife and his sister at his sides, all of them staring at her dumbfounded.

    ¡°Oh, it was a return home potion¡­¡± Riikaz nodded. ¡°That¡­ okay I was expecting¡­ I don¡¯t know what I was expecting honestly, but, well¡­¡± She grinned. ¡°Mission accomplished!¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡± Tenrayce shouted. ¡°What is going on!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain it all in a minute, right now we might want to put the girl to sleep before she tries to transform into a house.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ~~~

    Seskii stood at the edge of a massive sinkhole that had just formed in Vraskal, intersecting with the land of several different farmers.

    She let out a low whistle. ¡°Okay, that wasn¡¯t part of the plan at all. I just wanted them out, for the record, not¡­ the entire building.¡± She threw her hands to the side. ¡°Seriously, how was I supposed to know that the building was a person when I made the potion, huh?¡± She crossed her arms and frowned. ¡°Geez, I legitimately have no idea if this is a good or bad result. Uh. This is awkward.¡± Suddenly, her frown vanished and she burst into laughter. ¡°Of course, it wouldn¡¯t really be fair if I wasn¡¯t a victim of my own jokes every now and then, now would it? Whew!¡±

    Her smile slowly started to dissipate, replaced with a rather flat expression.

    ¡°Of course, things have already changed on the other end too¡­ Sandy, if you play your cards right and prove I misjudged you¡­ maybe¡­¡± Seskii shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t get to know about that, so you all don¡¯t either!¡± She winked at seemingly no one. ¡°But rest easy, even if I can¡¯t know what the resolution to this mess is going to be, I do know one thing. There¡¯s a Wizard Space Program, and they need to go where no man has gone before. Rest assured, that¡¯s where we¡¯ll be going, and no amount of political kerfuffles can stop that anymore.¡±

    She brushed off her gauntlets and turned her back to the massive sinkhole. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ve got some secretary work to do. Which is perhaps more important than all of this.¡±

    She stepped behind a warehouse.

    No one knew she had even been there.

    ~~~

    Sandy looked down over the mountains the airship Seeker was passing over. It was night.

    They were through the Wild Kingdoms. They were entering Kroan.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to decide,¡± one of her aides said, a green occulari with a particularly thin pupil. ¡°We either need to hide ourselves now or not.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Sandy said, crossing her arms behind her back.

    ¡°What¡¯s the call?¡±

    ¡°We have a few options. Fly to Benefactor and use her to cause a Third Cataclysm and increase our more brutal activities markedly in the aftermath. Which will be unpopular. Or¡­¡± She glanced back at the central part of the airship. ¡°We ditch the secrecy.¡±

    ¡°Which will also be unpopular.¡±

    Sandy sighed. ¡°Sometimes I wish we were a Democracy¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve gone to such lengths to ensure you stay with us to avoid the pitfalls in the drift of such a system.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Logically this is still the best option. But I really don¡¯t want to decide.¡±

    ¡°You could try one and then default to the other.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ have my doubts that will be allowed, considering how I expect negotiations to go¡­¡± She tapped her foot. ¡°We¡¯re being forced to put all our eggs in one basket here, and I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°The decision is up to you. It always has been.¡±

    Sandy sighed. She looked up. The stars twinkled.

    ¡°...One of the things Jeh said to Blue has been ringing through my head.¡±

    ¡°Calling her Jeh even in private, now?¡±

    Sandy nodded. ¡°Who knows what else is out there? Even the greatest ancestry¡­ they can¡¯t touch the other worlds.¡±

    ¡°True enough.¡±

    She folded her hands together. ¡°But we are far from being out there. If we take this risk now, everything might be destroyed before anything happens.¡±

    ¡°And to trust space would be trusting Jenny again, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°...No. No, I don¡¯t think it would. This¡­ is just what Jeh loves. It wasn¡¯t her idea.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ll have to trust a genius unicorn.¡±

    ¡°Not that either. I¡¯d have to trust¡­ that we can keep everything from falling apart long enough that we can no longer destroy ourselves. That space and science offer a salvation beyond magic.¡± She shook her head. ¡°To think, when I first visited them, I just thought it was a cute curiosity and I was glad she was finding a way to apply herself for good. Now it¡¯s the very cornerstone of my decision.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­?¡±

    Sandy drummed her fingers on the railing. ¡°...Triset, she wants me to be able to go to space.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­?¡±

    ¡°I think I owe her for¡­ all I did, to at least try.¡± She pulled out her Purple communicator. ¡°Hey, Benefactor, yep, me again. We¡¯re currently crossing over the mountains into Kroan, on a course to Axiom. Let them know that we¡¯re bringing Princess Via back safe and sound with Blue and Jeh and, heck, even Kayz if they care about that. Let the Crown know¡­ that Sandy Whiskers Gallon, leader of the great mysterious nameless society, would like to talk peace.¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    We¡¯ll talk about reaction wheels eventually when it¡¯s actually used in something besides mysterious foreign airship, right now let¡¯s just let this be one of those special chapters and move on. We¡¯re fifty chapters in, celebrate!

 051 - A Tense Situation

    WSP 051

    A Tense Situation

    The Seeker didn¡¯t have many interior rooms, most everything was exposed on the various decks and railings. The reason for this was simple: walls would just add more weight, and it was already hard enough to keep the thing airborne and stable. As such, there wasn¡¯t so much a meeting room as a place where a table was set up and bolted to the railing. The chairs were bolted to the ground too, though at least they came in various shapes and sizes so different races could all sit together.

    This came in handy since it was being used to finalize negotiation tactics. Jeh, Blue, Via, Sandy, Triset the green occulari, and Kayz. Kayz was there as a neutral party.

    She was also feeling way in over her head. On one side was a secret society that had been guiding the course of Ikyu for millennia, and the other was a nation that had access to sunfire stones. They threatened her without even trying!

    ¡°So, that¡¯s my plan,¡± Sandy said, folding her hands together. ¡°Plan A, at least, I hope you¡¯ll forgive me for not being upfront about Plan B.¡±

    ¡°As long as you keep to Plan A, I think I¡¯m fine with it. Blue?¡± Via turned to Blue.

    Blue furrowed her brow. ¡°You expect Plan A to fail though.¡±

    Sandy chuckled. ¡°Yes. However, even if Plan A fails, our society will be exposed and the secrecy will be no more. That will get you primarily what you want out of this. I can reveal that Plan B involves revealing ourselves to other parties, but since we won¡¯t exactly be allies if Plan A fails it¡¯s best if I don¡¯t mention the specifics.¡±

    Blue sighed. ¡°Yeah, that makes sense. But that means we are going to need some mutual assurances if Plan A does fail.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty sure it will too, though.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± Blue turned to Via. ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Via shook her head. ¡°Wyett and Tenii are very angry¡­ Tenii usually can think her way through something, but Wyett¡­¡±

    ¡°Assurances are definitely needed,¡± Triset said. ¡°We have one very important demand.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Via tilted her head to the side.

    Blue pointed at Jeh. ¡°It¡¯ll be about her.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Uh¡­ I haven¡¯t really been following. What about me?¡±

    Sandy folded her hands together and smiled warmly. ¡°I simply need to ensure you won¡¯t reprogram a cube and conquer the world.¡±

    ¡°Oh, easy, done, I don¡¯t want to cheat, I promise.¡± She put her hand on her chest. ¡°In Dia¡¯s name, and all that.¡±

    Sandy chuckled. ¡°I actually believe you won¡¯t do it unless a situation becomes desperate. But I do believe the Crown has the capacity to force you to do it. It is paramount that you not be used to create another doomsday weapon.¡±

    Via frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think Tenii would do that¡­¡±

    ¡°What if, say, thirty years down the line, her back was pressed into a wall? Or she made a mistake and programmed a cube to be something seemingly harmless that really isn¡¯t? I assure you, these things have happened before. Jenny was the¡­ master of unintended dire consequences.¡±

    ¡°Right, right¡­¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, the answer is very simple. All of us here just need to swear to secrecy on Jeh knowing how to program the cubes.¡± She turned to Kayz with a warm, but somehow threatening, smile. ¡°I assume we don¡¯t have to discuss why you want to keep it a secret.¡±

    Kayz adjusted her collar. ¡°Y-yeah. Better for us if Kroan can¡¯t make more doomsday weapons.¡± Also, either of you could fry Shimvale without too much effort¡­

    Via folded her arms, nodding as she thought it through. ¡°I can keep the secret. I don¡¯t want Jeh being used either. However, I can¡¯t exactly keep that I¡¯m keeping a secret from Tenii and Wyett, they know me too well.¡±

    ¡°You can tell them you have a secret made in negotiation,¡± Blue said. ¡°That¡¯s not that unusual, right?¡±

    Via nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ Kroan has its secrets, and I know most of them at this point.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll accept it unless I can say for sure it was traded for something. I¡­¡± Her eyes flew wide open and a big grin crept across her face. ¡°I¡¯ve got it! I¡¯ve got an idea! I never have good ideas, oh my¡­¡± She coughed, regaining her composure. ¡°Miss Gallon, in exchange for keeping this secret and vowing not to use Jeh to reprogram cubes for the Crown¡¯s purpose, I have a request.¡± She pointed a finger at Sandy. ¡°You allow Jeh to reprogram your cube so a Third Cataclysm cannot be created.¡±

    Triset flared brightly. ¡°Absurd! That is our insurance policy!¡±

    ¡°Triset, calm yourself,¡± Sandy said. ¡°Remember when I said we wouldn¡¯t be allowed to pick one option and fall back on the other later?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­?¡±

    ¡°This is why. I expected they wouldn¡¯t let us run around with our own doomsday weapon.¡± Sandy looked Via right in the eyes. ¡°I have already made peace with the idea. Princess Via Kroan, you have yourself a deal.¡±

    Blue stared at Sandy dumbfounded. ¡°You agreed to that way too fast.¡±

    ¡°I already knew I was going to agree to it. When I decided to pursue peace instead of resetting everything again, I was fairly certain I was going to have to give it up.¡± She lifted a hand into the air. ¡°The crystal-shattering cube lies deep in the heart of Vraskal at a location disclosed only to a handful of our members. I will have to retrieve it myself and bring it back. I request a ride in a Skyseed to obtain it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll grant it,¡± Via said.

    ¡°What if Plan A goes out the window?¡± Blue asked.

    Via frowned. ¡°Oh yeah, Tenii probably wouldn¡¯t like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Willow Hollow is a suitably out-of-the-way place,¡± Sandy said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you could have one of your personal pilots make a trip to Mikarol for some reason with me as cargo.¡±

    ¡°I think Margaret would be fine with it,¡± Jeh said. ¡°You did help stop the Rigid Plague, she¡­ will appreciate that.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Sandy turned to Kayz. ¡°Now, let¡¯s make it clear. You are witnessing the exchange between myself and Princess Via Kroan. We have agreed to exchange doomsday weapons, in essence. You are to keep this agreement secret unless it is broken by either side, at which point you will reveal it. This is the assurance put in place to make sure we stick to what we have said.¡±

    Kayz nodded slowly.

    ¡°Now, I do have one little curiosity¡­¡± Sandy narrowed her eyes and turned to Via. ¡°How concerned do I need to be that you are going to melt the planet with sunfire stones?¡±

    Via shook her head. ¡°Not very. We only have one now.¡±

    Blue coughed. ¡°Wanderlust has more.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°How many?¡± Sandy asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Blue said. ¡°I do know it takes a lot of effort for her to make one, she has to send out a lot of missions to compress the fire of the sun. I¡¯ve run some calculations in my free time, it has to take several years to make one. Even if she was devoted to it, she can¡¯t have more than a few hundred, and I know she¡¯s not devoted to it and it took a lot of trial and error to figure out.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Sandy frowned. ¡°That¡¯s still enough to do quite a bit of damage.¡±

    Via nodded. ¡°I know. There¡¯s going to have to be some kind of policy about them if we get more¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also the chance Wanderlust just won¡¯t give us any more,¡± Blue pointed out. ¡°No one exactly told her they could be used as weapons.¡±

    ¡°...She¡¯s gonna be mad isn¡¯t she¡­?¡± Jeh said.

    Blue frowned. ¡°Well, we only used it to end the Rigid Plague, which is easily justifiable¡­¡±

    ¡°Then I shall simply make a request that you be honest with her,¡± Sandy said, looking at Jeh. ¡°She¡¯s a friend, isn¡¯t she? Tell her what¡¯s going on, and all your concerns and thoughts about the situation with the sunfire stones.¡± Sandy smirked. ¡°If I had to guess her response, it would be to only give them out for specific purposes after that. Also, tell her I said hi.¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°Will do!¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°...and that¡¯s the plan,¡± Tenrayce said, her hands gripping the edge of the table in Memory¡¯s chamber extremely tightly.

    Wyett sighed. ¡°Good enough, I suppose¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still reeling that she wants to talk peace,¡± Hyrii said, holding Wyett¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t make any sense to me. Why?¡±

    ¡°It could be a lie.¡±

    ¡°Something tells me it isn¡¯t,¡± Riikaz said. ¡°I doubt she knows we have her people in our custody. Or that we have the records of her society.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Though it may not be of as much use if she¡¯s coming out of the shadows like this¡­¡±

    Tenrayce¡¯s grip on the table tightened. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a lie. She wouldn¡¯t reveal herself like this unless she felt like she had to. I¡¯m still not sure why she thinks she has to. I can¡¯t find the motive. Even if she does somehow know about what you did, two people and some records aren¡¯t worth changing everything. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s going to bring to the negotiating table.¡±

    ¡°Via in exchange for peace?¡± Hyrii offered.

    ¡°Call it a hunch¡­¡± the Memory began. ¡°But I do not think she views this as an exchange of hostages, as we do given our situation. She views this as a show of goodwill.¡±

    Wyett ground his jaw. ¡°Goodwill my foot.¡±

    Riikaz nodded. ¡°To turn from assassination to¡­ peace negotiations.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Something happened out there in the Shinelands. Something important.¡±

    ¡°No doubt. But we cannot know what that is until the moment we confront her. Benefactor can only receive the message, she does not know how to transmit it.¡±

    ¡°We need to walk very carefully¡­¡± Tenrayce said, finally releasing her grip on the table. She had left some dents in it.

    ¡°Tenii¡­¡± Riikaz expression softened. ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Mom, I¡¯m not okay.¡±

    Riikaz blinked in shock. It had been a while since she¡¯d heard that biting tone from her daughter. ¡°Tenii, you don¡¯t have to be.¡±

    ¡°Yes I do, though, don¡¯t you get it? Dad¡¯s dead, you left on a quest for revenge, and Wyett¡¯s a broken husk! I¡¯m the one running this place!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m back now, and¡­ I am sorry. While it worked out, I should not have set out on that quest of revenge.¡±

    ¡°...If only I could trust you to rule now. But you already went galavanting off on that quest¡­¡± Tenrayce shook her head. ¡°Mom¡­ I¡¯m sorry but¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯ll work through this.¡±

    ¡°Will we?¡± Tenrayce sighed. ¡°Or will it all blow up in our faces, ruining everything, leaving nothing behind?¡±

    ¡°The Lineage of Kroan has survived this long,¡± Memory said. ¡°And through many dire straits.¡±

    ¡°...I suppose you¡¯re right. Until your purpose is fulfilled¡­ the Lineage is likely to remain.¡± Tenrayce locked her hands behind her and turned her back on everyone. ¡°But¡­ I was thinking more about¡­ this family.¡± She looked down at the ground. ¡°We¡¯re breaking, Mom. And we can¡¯t get a moment to catch our breath.¡±

    ¡°Tenii¡­¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s all this stupid Sandy¡¯s fault and now she wants peace and all I want to do is crush her stupid head like a melon.¡± Tenrayce let out a sharp, tense breath. ¡°But I can¡¯t do that, she has Via, and getting her to talk about her society will be very useful. I have to put revenge aside.¡±

    Riikaz looked at the ground, ashamed.

    ¡°...Riikaz does too, Tenii,¡± Hyrii said.

    ¡°Well she doesn¡¯t seem that unhappy about it.¡± Tenrayce turned back around. ¡°She got to go on a journey of self-discovery while the rest of us rotted here.¡± With a sigh, she sat back down in her chair. ¡°Mom, I¡­ I am really, really mad at you.¡±

    Riikaz nodded. ¡°...Then we¡¯ll work through it. From here on out, I¡¯ll remain by your side.¡± She turned to Wyett. ¡°Yours too, my son. I will stay until you come out of the mire you are stuck in.¡±

    A hint of a smile crawled up Wyett¡¯s face, but he said nothing. The room fell silent.

    ¡°We should finish our preparations,¡± Tenrayce eventually said. ¡°We know where we¡¯re going. Wyett, you and Hyrii are staying here. Hyrii, I¡¯ve left you the list of all the ongoing situations that might need dealing with.¡±

    Hyrii saluted. ¡°You can count on me!¡±

    ¡°Mom¡­ you and I are going out there to face her.¡±

    Riikaz took in a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can avoid strangling her¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re both going. So we can stop each other.¡±

    As they finalized their plans, the Old Queen Ursilii watched them from her chair in the back.

    I can already see it falling apart. Via¡­ I truly have placed it all on you. Have you done well out there? Is this attempt at peace your doing? I hope so¡­ I hope so.

    But I do wonder¡­ how are you able to show kindness to those who murdered your father?

    ~~~

    ¡°This is unbelievable,¡± Itlea said to no one in particular as she paced in circles around the Seeker. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. None of this makes any sense!¡±

    ¡°Can you give it a break already?¡± Kayz asked. She was sitting on a nearby crate with her cheek pressed into one of her hands.

    ¡°Give what a break?¡±

    ¡°Your delusions.¡±

    ¡°I am not delusional!¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡± Kayz blinked and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s amazing how much of myself I see in you.¡±

    Itlea glared at her with a deep fury. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°Convinced of my own greatness. Thinking the world owed me everything. That I was the center of it all. The difference between you and me is that a massive explosion taking out one of the greatest threats this world has ever seen was enough to make me realize how small and stupid I was.¡±

    ¡°I am not small and stupid!¡±

    Kayz raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be stopped from speaking the truth just because of some dumb thing like comedic timing.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯ve known a lot of stubborn fools in my time¡­¡±

    Itlea ground her jaw hard enough that Kayz heard it. ¡°One of these days, I will prove all of you wrong. All of you. Everyone will know the name of Itlea!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re doing a well enough job of that.¡±

    Itlea growled. ¡°You know what I meant, Shimmer.¡±

    Kayz sighed, hanging her head. ¡°In a way, I envy you.¡±

    ¡°...What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like feeling small. At least you¡¯ve avoided that.¡±

    Itlea blinked. She decided she was done talking and walked off to find another area on the ship to rant and pace.

    Kayz hardly had five seconds to herself when she heard the sound of someone sitting down next to her. She looked up¡­ shocked to see the form of Via sitting there.

    Via was giving her a look of¡­ legitimate concern.

    ¡°...What do you want?¡± Kayz asked.

    ¡°I heard you say you were feeling small.¡±

    ¡°None of your business.¡±

    ¡°Maybe. But I¡¯ve felt small too.¡± Via looked out into the distance. ¡°I¡¯m the youngest sibling. It¡¯s been clear ever since I was young that my brother and sister were¡­ far better at all this than I was. They got to sign treaties, face evil, plan great projects¡­ and I was just there, smiling and waving. When I was younger I felt inferior.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling me your sob story?¡±

    ¡°Because I think you need it.¡± Via gave Kayz a sad smile. ¡°I preferred being small.¡±

    Kayz took a moment to take this in. Then she laughed. ¡°And I preferred being delusional, thinking that I was big and important. That¡¯s where Itlea currently is.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ hmm.¡± Via put her hand to her chin, frowning. ¡°That sounds wrong, somehow. Like¡­ you shouldn¡¯t want to be delusional?¡±

    ¡°...Why not?¡±

    ¡°Um. Well¡­ Truth is good, and knowing it is better?¡±

    Kayz snorted. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m still surprised by your idiocy.¡±

    Via chuckled, kicking her legs back and forth over the edge of the box. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it if you hang around me more.¡±

    ¡°Why would that ever happen? I¡¯m your enemy, Via. You don¡¯t seem to realize that. Heck, you don¡¯t seem to realize what Sandy is.¡±

    ¡°I know full well what both of you have done to us. Your kankathi tormented Blue. Sandy killed my¡­¡± Via choked on that one, taking a moment to breathe. ¡°But¡­ things would be better if we could just¡­ stop. People could stop being tormented. People could stop dying. ¡­I don¡¯t want to take anyone¡¯s¡­ anything from them.¡±

    ¡°...You won¡¯t make a good ruler like that.¡±

    ¡°I know. Grandma tells me I have to make the hard decisions. But¡­ it would still be better if things didn¡¯t have to be that way. So¡­ so I¡¯m trying. I¡¯m trying for peace. Which is why I¡¯m here, talking to you.¡±

    ¡°I tried to kill you, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yep! But we still had to work together to get out of that mess! That¡¯s worth something, right?¡±

    Kayz looked down at the ground. ¡°...Why are you so¡­ unlike the other royals?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m stupid, I think.¡±

    ¡°Oh, there have been plenty of stupid and cruel rulers.¡±

    ¡°Um. Well. In that case, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Not much help in figuring things out, are you?¡±

    ¡°Nope! Answers are always pretty far from my head, I just stumble through things and try my best.¡±

    Kayz was silent for a moment. ¡°...I think I know why you are the way you are.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Well, uh, I was here to help you but¡­ I¡¯m interested!¡±

    ¡°You were lucky enough to be born in peace to a stable family that was trying desperately not to fall into the mistakes of the previous generation. You were loved and cared for but were not allowed to become proud because your lack of intelligence was obvious to everyone. So unlike virtually every other one of your kind¡­ you don¡¯t think yourself that important.¡±

    ¡°Huh? No one¡¯s supposed to think themselves important, that¡¯s one of the main parts of the Aware creed.¡±

    Kayz smirked. ¡°Do you have any idea how few of you Aware actually listen to that?¡±

    ¡°Well. Uh¡­¡± Via hung her head. ¡°...Yeah. Even I can see that.¡±

    Kayz looked down at her hands. ¡°We have a creed too. A creed of magic itself. We are called to be one with the world, one with nature¡­ Cora is a goddess of nature and knowledge. We are to exist in balance, and to grow. To see the beauty in the world¡­¡±

    ¡°That sounds really nice, actually.¡±

    ¡°To accept one¡¯s place in everything¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡­ Kayz? Kayz are you¡­?¡±

    A tear ran down Kayz cheek. ¡°...What have I been doing¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey, you¡¯ve been a leader¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah. A hypocritical one. And you say you¡¯re the stupid one.¡±

    Via pulled her into a hug.

    ¡°Wh-hey! What in¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not stupid. You were able to tell me things about myself I didn¡¯t even know.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ it just¡­ I hate¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have much hate in you right now.¡±

    Kayz had no response to this. Nor to much else for quite some time afterward.

    ~~~

    The meeting place was the road just outside Axiom. It was a cobbled road, well maintained and well traveled, but at this time it was completely abandoned. The Crown had made sure of it.

    Kayz walked alone to the location first, carrying a collapsible table and chair on her back. A lot of complicated, confusing thoughts were swirling around her head; mixtures of hate and sorrow, confusion and defiance. She didn¡¯t know what she was going to do with herself in the future, everything was a torrential whirlwind.

    But one thing was certain¡ªshe was a member of the Shimvale Council. And she had a purpose here. To be a neutral observer. No matter what was going on in her head, she had a job, and she didn¡¯t get to her position of political power without the skills required to keep working in the midst of turmoil.

    She set the table up and the chair. None of the others would be sitting down for this, but she intended to.

    She took out her violin. For a moment, there was a consideration. A consideration to use it to destroy everything, to betray the trust she had been given in this moment as a neutral observer, to cause chaos and lash out at anyone and everyone.

    She sighed. She put the bow to the strings and played a song with no spell associated with it¡ªthe signal that it was time to begin.

    She looked up into the sky. On one side, there was a massive Kroanite balloon whale. On the other, the airship Seeker. The sun was high in the sky, glinting off the crystalline facets of the airship¡¯s mechanisms and the film of the whale¡¯s mustache. Immediately, both of them started lowering their delegation.

    Kayz folded her arms and tried to remain calm. She didn¡¯t, but outwardly she looked pretty close.

    From the Kroanite side came Riikaz and Tenrayce. They had no need for a guard, Riikaz herself was more than sufficient for such a task. The Princess notably didn¡¯t have a book with her. Behind them were two¡­ prisoners? A short green creature and a sleeping human girl on a floating Orange-powered platform. Both of them were tied up; the green one was gagged. Kayz didn¡¯t have any clue who they were or why they were here, this wasn¡¯t part of Sandy¡¯s plan at all. This was going to heavily complicate things.

    From the airship came Sandy, Triset, Blue, Jeh, and Via. Via was completely free, not tied up at all, and even had a smile on her face. There was no sign of hostility from their side, though there was evident concern on everyone¡¯s faces. Even Sandy.

    She is a master of secrecy and subversion¡­ she doesn¡¯t have to show her emotions, and yet she does.

    Riikaz and Sandy strode to the front of their respective groups, looking right into each other¡¯s eyes. Riikaz had a glare of barely restrained fury, while Sandy¡¯s was¡­ one of concern.

    ¡°Hi, Mom!¡± Via said with a wave. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re back! Sorry, hug¡¯s going to have to wait, I¡¯m staying over here until this is resolved.¡±

    Riikaz gave her daughter a smile. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s¡­ good to see you in such high spirits. Did¡­ anything happen to you?¡±

    ¡°It was pretty rough, but that was the Rigid Plague. Sandy here saved us. And Jeh too, the little hero.¡± She patted Jeh on the head.

    Riikaz nodded, her expression hardening. ¡°It appears I owe you my thanks, Miss Sandy Whiskers Gallon.¡±

    ¡°Queen Riikaz Kroan,¡± Sandy said, bowing to her. ¡°Last I knew, you had vanished in Vraskal.¡±

    ¡°Was looking for an opportunity,¡± Riikaz said, dryly.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you managed to find one.¡±

    ¡°Had a little help from a magic potion.¡±

    Sandy¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Aaaaah¡­¡±

    ¡°And no, I don¡¯t know who gave it to me.¡±

    ¡°That is how it usually goes, it seems.¡± Sandy locked her hands behind her back. ¡°At least you¡¯ve treated my people well. I take it Winerik is sedated?¡±

    Riikaz glanced at the girl. ¡°If that¡¯s her name, yes.¡±

    ¡°Understandable. I won¡¯t hold it against you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot of things to hold against you.¡±

    ¡°Also understandable.¡±

    ¡°But you want peace, Miss Gallon.¡±

    Sandy nodded. ¡°I do. Are you aware of my organization¡¯s purpose?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I have a good idea, but I want to hear it from your mouth first.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± Sandy cleared her throat. ¡°We have witnessed firsthand the destructive power that the spirited can unlock through various means of studying magic. The most obvious of these are the black cubes, but there are other methods that can be used to cause widespread destruction, intentionally or not. I do not exaggerate in the slightest when I say the destruction of all life on Ikyu is within the realm of possibility. Our goal is simply to prevent this from ever occurring by securing all black cubes and ending all individuals and societies that would have the capacity to make use of such things. The most important part of our work was ensuring that as few people as possible knew such doomsday weapons were even feasible by any means necessary. As you can tell by the fact that I am standing before you today, we are currently reevaluating this standpoint.¡±

    ¡°And there¡¯s my biggest question. Why?¡±

    ¡°We have seen two doomsday weapons that had nothing to do with magic at all, revealing that we are unable to tell where the threats might come from. The Rigid Plague sought to devour the world, and there was not a hint of magic in anything it did.¡±

    Riikaz tensed. ¡°...How is that even possible?¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, the use of the sunfire stone reveals that the non-magical power of the sun itself is also sufficient to be a threat.¡± Sandy folded her hands together. ¡°To put it simply, we could never have predicted either of these sources. Thus, world-ending weapons and artifacts could be around any corner. To make matters worse, our efforts to keep things secret may have made it easier for the Rigid Plague to rise to power.¡± Sandy shook her head. ¡°I cannot deny the blatant fact that our efforts are insufficient to the task.¡±

    ¡°So what, you want help monitoring Ikyu and controlling it?¡± Riikaz scoffed.

    ¡°No. The conclusion I¡¯ve come to is a bit more out there.¡± She turned to her left and pointed at the crescent moon. ¡°Nothing we have ever seen could destroy both Ikyu¡­ and the moon. So our new plan is a simple one. If we can¡¯t keep Ikyu safe, we make it so that it doesn¡¯t have to be safe to ensure the continuation of life. Your little space program has my solution. We just need to keep Ikyu alive long enough to spread to other places.¡±

    Riikaz stared at her in silence.

    ¡°Therefore, I seek peace, peace to encourage the development of spaceflight technology and space infrastructure. I have access to lost technology from before the Second Cataclysm that may be of some use to you. Primarily, communication devices, and the knowledge of how to make them, as well as some metal alloying techniques. We did not keep¡­ advanced records of most things, so the more incredible technologies are still lost, but we still have much to offer. Furthermore, we have access to a wide variety of physical resources ranging from rare metals to unusual biological compounds. In essence, we are offering vast quantities of knowledge in exchange for peace and hope in the future.¡±

    Riikaz narrowed her eyes. ¡°And what assurance do I have that this is not a ploy?¡±

    Tenrayce tensed. ¡°You can¡¯t be considering¡­¡±

    Riikaz held up a hand to silence Tenrayce.

    Sandy leaned forward. ¡°The fact that I am revealing myself and my organization should be reason enough, but I have further assurances. One, I am willing to let you hold onto my people, though I will ask that you unsedate Winerik so she can actually have a life. This is largely because I don¡¯t think you will torment them. Two, Via will vouch for my intentions.¡±

    Riikaz turned to Via, expression unreadable.

    Via took in a sharp breath. ¡°Sandy is a bad person, she believes the ends justify the means. But so do you, and so does Tenii. I¡¯m the one who doesn¡¯t. Sandy¡¯s willing to kill and destroy and control everything and¡­ yeah this isn¡¯t a very good vouching, is it?¡± Via coughed. ¡°But she¡¯s honest, and she cares. She has a big heart, and she only does what she does because she believes it necessary.¡±

    Kayz lifted a hand. ¡°If I may add something as a neutral observer¡­¡±

    Riikaz and Sandy nodded.

    ¡°Sandy was also giddy like a child to get to play the hero against the Rigid Plague.¡±

    ¡°She really enjoyed herself,¡± Jeh said. Blue glared at her. ¡°Hey, I know I wasn¡¯t supposed to talk unless asked, but¡­ she was having a ton of fun. And¡­ I saw who she used to be. She was friends with Jenny, and they were trying to be heroes.¡±

    Riikaz looked Sandy up and down. ¡°...You must certainly be something to get people to speak on your behalf despite your actions.¡±

    Sandy nodded slowly. ¡°It¡­ is a skill of mine, yes.¡±

    Tenrayce stepped in. ¡°Blue, you aren¡¯t likely to be blinded by a good attitude. What do you think of her?¡±

    Blue looked at Sandy. ¡°She¡¯s a lying weasel who has decided she¡¯s the only one who knows how to take care of the world. She¡¯s wrong and delusional in basically every sense I can think of. But she¡¯s not stupid, and she¡¯s deathly afraid of the future. Her offer, best I can tell, is honest, but she¡¯s also a schemer. There¡¯s more angles involved than she¡¯ll ever tell.¡±

    ¡°I will not deny that,¡± Sandy said. ¡°I have backup plans in case this meeting goes south. I have not told anyone here what they are, but they are aware they exist.¡±

    Riikaz nodded slowly. Silence fell over the table as Riikaz stared intently at Sandy.

    ¡°...Your offer is extremely lucrative,¡± Riikaz admitted. ¡°Further progress and the constant fear of you trying to take us out with subterfuge removed. However, there is one problem.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I am willing to negotiate.¡±

    ¡°Justice has not been met.¡± Riikaz slammed her hands on the table and leaned in. ¡°My husband is dead. This crime must be answered for.¡±

    Sandy gestured at Winerik. ¡°You have managed to take out our primary base of operations, and no doubt have taken a few of our operatives. Furthermore, we are giving up our secrecy. Is that not enough?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Riikaz said.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Via said. ¡°I thought you said¡­¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t about revenge,¡± Riikaz said. ¡°This is about justice.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ what about forgiveness?¡±

    Riikaz grimaced. ¡°...Your father would have done that. Yes. But¡­ look at where we are now.¡± Riikaz stared deeply into Sandy¡¯s eyes. ¡°A price must be paid.¡±

    ¡°A price of blood?¡± Sandy asked.

    ¡°...No. I see that would just be needless escalation. You are right, we have already dealt a blow to you, asking for your life would make it uneven. Before I make my request, I have a question. Who was it that ordered the death of my King?¡±

    ¡°That order came directly from me,¡± Sandy said. ¡°There were others part of the planning, but I was the final ¡®signature¡¯ on the order, even though we don¡¯t keep those kinds of documents.¡±

    Riikaz smirked. ¡°Then the solution is simple. I request a duel.¡±

    Via gasped.

    Sandy took in a sharp breath. ¡°I have to refuse.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Ask your daughter.¡±

    Via shook her head. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t do it¡­¡±

    Riikaz frowned. ¡°You doubt me¡­?¡±

    ¡°She has the power to cause the Second Cataclysm within herself. You¡­ you wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.¡±

    Riikaz frowned. ¡°Surely¡­¡±

    ¡°She could kill everyone at this table with a thought except Jeh,¡± Blue asserted, dryly. ¡°And Jeh couldn¡¯t win.¡±

    Jeh shook her head. ¡°Yeah, she used the power to save us, and it wasn¡¯t even anywhere close to all of it.¡±

    Riikaz shook her head. ¡°...I have requested the duel, I will accept the loss with honor.¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡± Via squealed. ¡°You can¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m refusing,¡± Sandy said. ¡°If I were responsible for the death of Queen Riikaz, peace would never occur and this negotiation would fall apart. And if I spared her it would be a slight against her honor as a warrior.¡±

    Riikaz folded her arms. ¡°You¡¯ve studied my culture.¡±

    ¡°You were one of my primary enemies. This does not have to stand.¡±

    ¡°A price must still be paid, justice is necessary. If not a duel¡­ I will accept your imprisonment.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ a far more reasonable request.¡± Sandy shook her head. ¡°Shame I can¡¯t do that either.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°There is a very simple reason. Blue said it earlier. I am the only one who knows how to take care of the world.¡± She snapped her fingers.

    She and Triset vanished.

    Kayz sighed. ¡°I guess that means negotiations have broken down¡­¡±

    Riikaz slammed her fist into the table, smashing it in half.

    Tenrayce pointed at the Seeker. ¡°Let¡¯s capture their ship!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not their ship,¡± Riikaz muttered. ¡°They paid for it.¡±

    ¡°Then we need to organize a search and¡­¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°You need to let her go,¡± Via said.

    Tenrayce looked at her in disbelief.

    ¡°I already made a deal with her. In exchange for keeping a few secrets, she is going to disable her ability to cause a Third Cataclysm. I can¡¯t tell you how it will be done, but I can say she can¡¯t do it if you capture her.¡± Via clenched her hands into fists and set her jaw. ¡°And I will not go back on my word.¡±

    Riikaz¡¯ eye twitched. ¡°Via¡­ you can¡¯t¡­¡±

    Tenrayce turned her back on the situation, sighing. ¡°Mom¡­ I hate to admit it, but that¡¯s probably a fair trade. A secret¡­ for assurance that she won¡¯t end the world. My only question is if you¡¯re sure this will disable their capacity.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Blue said. ¡°I can confirm, it will.¡±

    Tenrayce didn¡¯t look at Blue or her sister. ¡°...Then we are done here. It looks like she elected to leave us our prisoners in some vain attempt to earn our trust despite this all.¡± She paused. ¡°She will never get it.¡±

    ¡°Tenii¡­¡± Via began.

    ¡°Via, your actions are strangely logical. Usually, I¡¯m the one who puts aside emotions and morals for the thought-out course of action. But now it¡¯s you putting aside your grief, while I cannot stand what¡¯s happened.¡± She started walking off.

    ¡°Tenii!¡± Via ran after her. ¡°Tenii, I don¡¯t want this to¡­ come back!¡±

    Riikaz put her hand to her forehead and sighed. ¡°What a mess¡­¡±

    ¡°You should have taken her up on it,¡± Kayz said.

    ¡°You have no right to speak.¡±

    Kayz stood up. ¡°The negotiation is over, I have every right. Things will be harder for you, now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re chiding me? You, who has a vendetta against royalty that runs so deep you send brainwashed spies?¡±

    Kayz didn¡¯t seem surprised that she knew about that. ¡°A vendetta against royalty¡­¡± she looked to the receding form of Via¡­ and smiled. ¡°Turns out, it¡¯s just against a particular sort.¡± She stood up, packed away her violin, and walked off to the north.

    Riikaz closed her eyes and shook her head. ¡°Blue¡­ Jeh¡­ thank you. This must have been hard on you.¡±

    Blue bowed. ¡°It¡­ was an honor?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to get you two back to Willow Hollow. Soon. But not now. Now¡­¡± She turned around and started walking toward her daughters. ¡°There are some¡­ things I need to deal with.¡±

    Blue and Jeh were now the only ones remaining at the broken table.

    ¡°...I was hoping everyone was wrong about the way it would go,¡± Jeh said. ¡°I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°Too much blood has already been spilled,¡± Blue said. ¡°Sandy knew that, but she thought it was worth a try anyway.¡±

    ¡°What do you think she¡¯s gonna do now?¡±

    ¡°...Find some other way to get people off Ikyu. Maybe she¡¯ll start her own space program, I don¡¯t know.¡± Blue sighed. ¡°I hope Tenii and Via can move past this.¡±

    Jeh didn¡¯t know what to say to that.

    ~~~

    Blue didn¡¯t get to see Tenrayce or Via again before they were flying off to Willow Hollow. Originally Blue had suspected they would take a Skyseed, but no, the Seeker was carrying them there. Evidentially the captain had been antsy to get moving, though Blue still wasn¡¯t entirely sure why.

    Not that the motives of the captain were of particular interest to Blue.

    She couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Tenrayce and Via.

    They¡¯re sisters. They¡¯ll make up¡­ right? They¡¯re very close¡­

    ¡°Blue?¡± Jeh asked.

    Blue looked up from the bamboo ¡°ground¡± she was staring at. ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°You seem¡­ lost.¡±

    ¡°I am.¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°But there¡¯s nothing I can do about it now. And¡­ I should be happy, excited even! We¡¯re going home, Jeh, and we just survived quite an intense ordeal. We¡­¡± Blue blinked. ¡°Holy eights, Jeh, I think we saved the world.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! That Rigid Plague is down! Whoop!¡±

    One of the airship¡¯s other passengers, none other than Envila, spoke up. ¡°It is certainly a monumental achievement.¡±

    ¡°It just hit me,¡± Blue said, shaking her head. ¡°I felt like we were being dragged along the whole time, but it really is true that if we weren¡¯t there things would have gone very differently¡­ Jeh uncovered the secrets of the Rigid Plague, unlocked her own capacity, and¡­¡± Blue chuckled. ¡°And I was just kind of there.¡±

    Jeh chuckled. ¡°Hey, if you hadn¡¯t been there I wouldn¡¯t have done everything I did!¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m your sidekick now, is that it?¡±

    Jeh clapped her hands. ¡°Sidekick! Yeah! Jeh, legendary hero, and Blue, the paperwork manager!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ strange,¡± Blue said, turning to Envila. ¡°Many times over this¡­ whole thing, people have praised me for my genius and my influence. I can¡¯t say they¡¯re wrong, but it all rings kind of¡­ hollow. I was there, I was important, but I wasn¡¯t really the hero. I was a chip on the board.¡±

    Envila smiled warmly. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve gained some humility.¡±

    ¡°I guess. Doesn¡¯t feel like much of anything.¡±

    ¡°Humility rarely does. It¡¯s a rather subdued virtue.¡± Envila closed her eyes. ¡°Those of us in the limelight of the world who get involved with the motions of society and their grand adventures¡­ it is a constant danger to become full of ourselves. From what I hear, this was Jenny¡¯s main failing.¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°She did seem to be rather full of herself.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of Jenny¡­ are you going to keep the hair?¡±

    Jeh put her hand to her hair, running it through the pale teal strands. ¡°...I¡¯m still not entirely sure why I thought I had to change it. It¡¯s just hair. It¡¯s not like it makes me horrible or anything. It sure felt like it, but¡­ not anymore? I don¡¯t know, it doesn¡¯t seem to be very¡­ scientific.¡±

    ¡°The spirited soul rarely is,¡± Envila offered.

    Jeh shrugged. ¡°Anyway, making it brown just sounds like a hassle now.¡±

    ¡°...What about the gloves?¡± Blue asked.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Jenny curled one of her hands into a fist and punched her other hand, disintegrating it into dust. It regrew with a red glove on it. She removed the red glove and examined it. ¡°...No, I don¡¯t think so. It¡­ doesn¡¯t really feel like me, you know?¡±

    ¡°May I see that?¡± Envila asked.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Jeh handed the glove over.

    ¡°...What fine craftsmanship¡­¡± Envila ran her fingers over the seams in the glove. ¡°Brilliant red. This isn¡¯t leather, but that¡¯s the closest material I know of¡­ far stronger than leather, too.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°I can make an infinite amount of this stuff, Blue. Can we use it in space somehow?¡±

    Blue chuckled. ¡°Already thinking about space again?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah! That¡¯s what we¡¯re going back to do, right?¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°It is¡­ but I can¡¯t think of a real use for an endless amount of super-leather. Yet. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll think of something eventually.¡± She turned to Envila. ¡°So¡­ enough about us, how about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m conflicted, to put it mildly,¡± Envila said. ¡°Inner turmoil is the order of the day.¡±

    Blue tilted her head. ¡°You seem so¡­ well put together, though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve simply been in this state a few times before. Enough to know that it is good to talk about.¡± Envila gained a distant look in her eyes. ¡°I killed a man out there, intentionally, and by my own hands. At the time I thought it was necessary, but it was later revealed to be pointless, and now the ¡®enemy¡¯ is seeking peace. And yet, we obtained good information, and it seems as though Dia was watching us to ensure we did not fall into the enemy¡¯s trap.¡± She looked up to the sky, eyes settling on the crescent moon. ¡°I do not know if I did Dia¡¯s will or not. I may have misjudged.¡±

    ¡°...None of us can be sure,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°I am aware, though¡­ your words ring of experience.¡±

    ¡°You were there with Jeh when she came back. I was shown how little I knew there.¡±

    Envila nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t think you know your own ignorance, even now. It will be shown to you again and again.¡± Envila smiled awkwardly. ¡°Just look at me, I thought I could know, and I have been shown I did not. Whether or not my decision was right, my belief that I could know was certainly incorrect. Either way, I have to accept what has been done and what is¡­ as with all things in life for all people.¡±

    Jeh put a hand on Envila¡¯s back. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, you¡¯re, like, one of the coolest and wisest people I know.¡±

    Envila smirked. ¡°Oh? What about Blue? Vaughan?¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯d call Blue smart, not wise.¡±

    Blue blinked. ¡°Well, you¡¯re not smart or wise.¡±

    Jeh grinned. ¡°You got me!¡±

    Envila chuckled.

    At this point, the captain ran up to them and started talking rapidly.

    Envila tilted her head. ¡°She said we¡¯re approaching Willow Hollow.¡±

    ¡°Man, this thing moves fast¡­¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°Wait. Wait. You can understand her?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s speaking Vraskalian with a thick accent, but yes.¡± Envila blinked. ¡°Wait, you didn¡¯t expect to be able to talk to her?¡±

    ¡°No! Sandy was the only one who ever talked to her!¡±

    Envila chuckled, turning to the captain and saying something in Vraskalian.

    The captain gasped and launched into a long-winded and stumbly spew of words.

    Envila blinked. ¡°She¡­ is trying to communicate a lot of details about her ship and how it operates, but it¡¯s beyond me to parse at the speed she¡¯s saying it. However, she is saying she wants to see your ships.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°Tell her she can see the Moonshot II all she wants, it¡¯s right there.¡±

    The captain squealed when this information was relayed to her. She started jumping around everywhere.

    Envila smirked. ¡°Such young joy¡­ her name¡¯s Auburn, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Auburn¡­¡± Jeh said. ¡°...I wonder why she didn¡¯t try to tell us that before.¡±

    ¡°Because she¡¯s captain first and foremost.¡±

    Blue stood up. ¡°Well, better be prepared to go down there¡­ Envila, could you stick around for a bit? I think you¡¯re the only one who can speak Vraskalian.¡±

    Envila nodded. ¡°Your Moonshot II is fully functional and ready, and I believe Jeh wanted to take me to space one day. I¡¯ll stay for a while. Besides, what else would I do, start my journey again? If I really wanted to go all the way around I¡¯d just ask Jeh to carry me back to Vraskal in a Skyseed, and that¡¯s almost all the way to Descent anyway. The patch of wilderness between the two is the only part I haven¡¯t crossed.¡± She looked far into the distance. ¡°After all, traveling around the world was just a general goal, I never really needed to do it.¡±

    Jeh gasped. ¡°You¡¯re staying?¡±

    ¡°For a bit. After all, you¡¯ve got space to show me, right?¡¯

    ¡°Yes! Yes! Yes! Oh, you¡¯re going to love the moon¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Vaughan!¡± Jeh shouted, jumping off the Seeker¡¯s ladder and onto the Red Wizard, hugging him tightly. Vaughan not only managed not to fall over, but also spun her around him in a circle, prompting her to giggle madly.

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad to be back!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you are back!¡± Vaughan said. He set Jeh down and turned to Blue. ¡°And¡­ you too.¡±

    ¡°He was worried,¡± Suro said. ¡°We all were.¡± He flicked his tail back, gesturing at everyone who had gathered. Lila. Seksii. Mary. Big G. Krays. Alexandrite. Margaret. Keller. Scurfpea. Rissy and Rona. The various wizards from the lab. Several of Lila and Suro¡¯s kids.

    Tears started welling up in Blue¡¯s eyes. ¡°This¡­ I¡­ I missed all of you.¡±

    Seskii shoved Vaughan forward. ¡°Hey, she needs a hug, give it to her, you old grump.¡±

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°Um¡­ how, exactly?¡±

    ¡°You just hug her!¡± Jeh said, waving her arms in exasperation. ¡°Like this!¡± She wrapped her arms around Blue¡¯s neck and shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m a lot taller than you. Her horn would impale me.¡±

    Jeh blinked. ¡°Uh. Hmm. Right. Yes. Er. Well¡­¡±

    Blue shook her head, removing herself from Jeh. ¡°I¡¯ve never been one for big hugs and stuff. But¡­¡± She held out her hoof to Vaughan and pressed it on his chest. ¡°It¡­ really is good to be back.¡±

    Vaughan tilted Blue¡¯s pointed hat back slightly and patted her on the head. ¡°I missed you, my apprentice.¡±

    Blue chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t call me that often.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes I forget it.¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°I do too.¡± She took a step back and looked at everyone. ¡°Well¡­ a lot of stuff¡¯s happened, but most of it¡¯s probably top secret soooo¡­ Keller, I¡¯ll talk to you first about it.¡±

    Keller tipped up his hat. ¡°Understood, and reasonable.¡±

    ¡°Yep. Though¡­ I think I want some real rest first. ¡­Though I don¡¯t get to have that yet, I suppose I have to explain the giant airship.¡± Blue sighed. ¡°This is Auburn, Captain of the Seeker. She wants to see our Moonshot II. In exchange she¡¯s letting us look at her airship.¡±

    Auburn gave everyone a thumbs up and an excited shout with strange words.

    Blue glanced at Envila. ¡°Uh¡­?¡±

    Envila shrugged. ¡°She was saying that in her native tongue, I have no idea what she said.¡±

    ¡°This is gonna be fun¡­ Anyway, to the lab?¡±

    ¡°How about you let Suro and I handle that?¡± Lila asked. ¡°We can show Auburn our facilities, you can go back to the cabin and rest. You¡¯ve been through an ordeal.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ that sounds good.¡±

    ¡°Plus, we have a surprise house guest!¡± Vaughan said, grinning. ¡°A blast from the past, you could say!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Come on, she¡¯ll be thrilled to see you.¡±

    ~~~

    Vaughan, Blue, Jeh, and the Sourdough twins headed to the Cabin. The twins were there simply so they could talk to Jeh.

    ¡°So you have magic punches now?¡± they said in unison.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Jeh punched the air, sending out pink sparks. ¡°It¡¯s awesome.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely fascinating¡­¡± Vaughan said, stroking his beard. ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to fathom how that works¡­¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t fathom how my regeneration or the cubes worked either,¡± Jeh said. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t even know why crystals work, Gronge figured out the whole field thing.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear the full story on everything you¡¯ve uncovered.¡±

    Jeh nodded. ¡°A lot of it wasn¡¯t very fun¡­ but a lot of it was cool! And awesome! And¡­ some of it was pretty sad.¡± She frowned. ¡°I have mixed feelings. I flip between aww yeah we saved the world and there¡¯s a lot of dead rigids and that Uriah was pretty nasty and¡­¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°It was a bit much,¡± Blue admitted. ¡°We found out a lot about the secret¡­¡± Blue suddenly stopped talking and glanced at the twins.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t already know about the secret people,¡± one of them said.

    The other nodded. ¡°The Tempest was¡­¡± she glanced at her sister in concern. ¡°...Fun?¡±

    ¡°...At times.¡±

    ¡°I know, I just don¡¯t know if I should tell you,¡± Blue said.

    ¡°Well, we want to know,¡± one offered.

    The other grinned. ¡°They¡¯re the ones currently closest to ruling the world it seems, gotta take notes, y¡¯know?¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°Suuuure¡­ but yeah, they were there.¡±

    ¡°You can tell me about it when you tell the whole story,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°Should have Keller there too, like you said. And Seskii.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Seskii said.

    ¡°AUGH!¡± Vaughan flailed back from her. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ do that!¡±

    Seskii grinned. ¡°We both know you have fun too.¡±

    ¡°One of these days I¡¯m going to have a heart attack!¡±

    ¡°No you won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You say that like you¡¯re so sure¡­¡±

    Seskii winked at him. ¡°Maybe I am!¡±

    Vaughan adjusted his hat and grumbled to himself, but Blue caught him smiling. Crazy old man.

    Wait¡­ old?

    Blue got a closer look at Vaughan. There was¡­ more gray in his beard now. It wasn¡¯t a ton, but it was easy to see streaks of silver among the rest of his black hair. He was also moving a little slower than when Blue had first met him, and there were wrinkles in his face.

    He¡¯s becoming the wise old wizard he always wanted to be. ¡­Though, maybe he already was. Left the Academy, found solace in a quiet town¡­ Blue glanced at the trees all around them while the others chatted each other up. She allowed their voices to fall into the background as she simply took in the quiet simplicity of nature.

    It¡­ might be better to have a simple life. No world-changing events, just¡­ Blue chuckled to herself. I can¡¯t believe it, I actually miss being a courier a little bit.

    ¡°Life¡¯s interesting, huh?¡±

    Blue didn¡¯t jump at Seskii like Vaughan had. ¡°Yeah¡­ it is.¡±

    Seskii put her hands behind her head and grinned. ¡°Now, while you¡¯re thinking about it¡­ you can look back and see how much you¡¯ve grown.¡±

    I could never have been satisfied as a courier before. But now¡­ I think I could, even though it¡¯s not what¡¯s going on. Blue chuckled. ¡°Yeah, a lot has changed.¡± Blue looked to Jeh, who was currently running around everyone with the twins, all three of them giggling like mad. ¡°...I think I just realized, I was alone before.¡±

    ¡°And now you¡¯re surrounded by people who would go with you to the end.¡±

    Blue looked Seskii right in the eyes. ¡°You really mean that, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Seskii nodded. ¡°Jeh did a lot for you out there, didn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ ¡­Seskii, I think I owe you an apology.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°I was¡­ very rude to you for a long time at the start of all this. Even if I didn¡¯t trust you, I didn¡¯t have to be that way.¡±

    Seskii laughed a delighted laugh. ¡°Apology accepted! And you¡¯re right, you were rather rude. But I didn¡¯t exactly make the best impression you know. Came off as a charlatan!¡±

    ¡°But you aren¡¯t, are you?¡±

    Seskii shook her head. ¡°Not at all.¡±

    Blue looked ahead, frowning. ¡°...Why us?¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, someone¡¯s figured something out and knows how to use subtext.¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°Avoiding the question are we?¡±

    Seskii laughed, but the laugh slowly died away until a frown crossed her face. ¡°...Maybe.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right, I¡­ think I get it.¡± There¡¯s some reason you can¡¯t tell me.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things I can¡¯t tell you.¡±

    Blue stared at Seskii in shock.

    Seskii winked. ¡°But I can tell you this. I am one of your friends, and I am watching over you.¡± She patted Blue on the head. ¡°Always.¡±

    ¡°...Did I thank you for coming with me that day I hid in the box?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t remember, but you¡¯re welcome.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Blue shook her head. ¡°Nevermind. I don¡¯t need to know.¡± She chuckled.

    ¡°...I hope, one day, you get to,¡± Seskii said.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    At this, they arrived at the cabin. Vaughan strode to the front door and opened it wide. ¡°Welcome home everyone!¡±

    Blue took a deep breath and stepped into the cabin. The familiar smell filled her with such a rush of emotions that she just had to stand there a moment.

    It was over. She was home.

    Home.

    This place felt more like home than any place had in her entire life.

    Even though there was an unfamiliar sight sitting on the entryway couch¡­ a dryad¡­ with fake cat ears on her head¡­

    Blue reared back and whinnied in shock. ¡°S-sandy!?¡±

    ¡°In the flesh!¡± Sandy said, twirling around and bowing.

    Vaughan chuckled. ¡°Told you we had a surprise guest. Sandy came back yesterday, looking f¡ª¡±

    ¡°How did you get here so fast?! We were only held up in Axiom a day!¡± Blue stammered.

    Sandy smirked. ¡°That¡¯s for me to know and you never to find out.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ wh¡­ eh¡­?¡±

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°Wait, you saw her in Axiom?¡±

    Blue put a hoof to her face. ¡°We were supposed to talk about this later¡­ ugh¡­ Vaughan, that¡¯s Sandy. Not only is she the one we had in our cabin a few years ago¡ª¡±

    ¡°Our cabin?¡±

    Blue stammered over her words. ¡°S-he, hey, that¡¯s, uh, I live here too it¡¯s my cabin but that¡¯s beside the point. Sandy¡¯s the head of the secret society!¡±

    Vaughan snorted. ¡°Please, Blue, that¡¯s absurd.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not messing around!¡±

    ¡°What kind of head of a super duper secret shadow society would almost succumb to frostbite in the middle of winter on our doorstep?¡±

    ¡°The kind who wants to look as unsuspicious as possible,¡± Sandy said with a big grin on her face.

    Vaughan rolled his eyes at her. ¡°Please, who would be that crazy?¡±

    ¡°Me. I would.¡±

    ¡°...This is some kind of elaborate prank.¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Jeh said. She walked up to Sandy. ¡°She saved us out there in the Rigid Plague. When we returned to Axiom negotiations fell through. But she¡¯s here now and¡­ wait, that¡¯s probably dangerous for you!¡±

    ¡°A bit,¡± Sandy admitted, patting Jeh on the head. ¡°However, I did make a deal with Via, and I am here in regards to that. My power is housed back in Vraskal, and for all my mysterious methods of fast travel, a Skyseed would be much faster. I believe you said Margaret would be able to take me?¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll have to go find her though¡­ oh, Seskii, could you do that?¡±

    Seskii deflated. ¡°But a meeting with the great leader of a secret society sounds fun!¡±

    Vaughan blinked. ¡°You all¡­ why are you all taking this¡­ this can¡¯t be¡­¡±

    Sandy laughed. ¡°Ah, one of the perks of no longer living in the shadows. I think I¡¯m going to enjoy messing with people from here on out.¡± She put two fingers to her eye in a ¡°cute¡± pose.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good look for you!¡± Seskii said.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Sandy grinned. Then she tilted her head. ¡°...Seskii Potions, correct? The secretary?¡±

    ¡°Guilty as charged.¡± Seskii bowed.

    ¡°My agents find you confusing, but amusing. And also hard to work around.¡±

    ¡°I aim to please!¡±

    Sandy chuckled. ¡°You certainly sound fun to talk to.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get Margaret,¡± Blue said. ¡°I¡¯m the fastest anyway.¡±

    ¡°W-wait,¡± Vaughan stammered. ¡°You¡¯re just leaving us with her?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a psycho but she¡¯s only here to keep her end of the bargain, you¡¯re fine.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡± Vaughan held his hand out to her as she ran out the door.

    Sandy put a hand on Vaughan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Now the fun begins.¡±

    Vaughan jumped back and pressed his back to the wall.

    Sandy chuckled. ¡°Ah, a new page in life, so refreshing.¡±

    At this point the Sourdough Twins walked up to her and curtsied, looking her dead in the eyes. They spoke in unison. ¡°Sandy, as the leader of the great secret society, closest to ruler of the entire world¡­ do you have any advice for us?¡±

    Sandy¡¯s expression suddenly became deadly serious. She kneeled down until she was eye level with them. ¡°To seek power makes you unworthy of it.¡±

    The twins narrowed their eyes.

    ¡°I see in you two the fire of conquest and the desire for control. Others may find this cute or amusing, I do not. The path you are treading is a dark one that leads to the suffering of millions.¡±

    There was a sudden, stark silence in the room.

    ¡°My advice to you is to stop pursuing this dream of yours. Not because you couldn¡¯t accomplish it, oh no, you are exactly the sort with the right mindset at the right place in history to pull something like it off. But once you do accomplish it, one day you will stand and look back in horror.¡±

    The twins glared at her with an intense fire. ¡°Someone has to be in charge,¡± they said as one.

    ¡°And whoever¡¯s at the top should not be one who wanted to be there.¡±

    ¡°Those people won¡¯t make it to the top.¡±

    Sandy¡¯s expression softened. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ usually true. I¡¯ll let you in on a little secret. I never wanted this. It was just necessary.¡±

    The twins glanced at each other, uncertain.

    ¡°Of course¡­ even I stand and look back in horror.¡± She stood up and locked her hands behind her back. ¡°Perhaps leading is simply a curse no matter how you slice it.¡±

    There was silence in the room once again.

    ¡°Geez, that was a mood-killer,¡± Sandy said, shaking her head. ¡°Perhaps I was overreacting.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± one of the twins said.

    The other nodded. ¡°We asked for advice, you gave it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll probably ignore it.¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯ll proceed forward more cautiously.¡±

    Sandy smirked. ¡°And that in and of itself will make things a lot better. If you insist on going through this path¡­ remember those close to you, and never make a hasty decision.¡±

    The twins nodded, bowing to her.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Jeh said, blinking. ¡°It¡¯s like¡­ you three understood each other.¡±

    ¡°Creepy¡­¡± Vaughan said.

    Seskii shrugged. ¡°They¡¯re similar sorts. What¡¯s so weird about that?

    ¡°I said creepy, not weird.¡±

    Sandy chuckled. ¡°Ah¡­ a serious conversation that becomes lighthearted. I really did miss¡­ all of this. Too bad I¡¯m a wanted criminal and if I do this regularly Riikaz will have my head.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t seem to hold in my head the picture of you and the diabolical secret society at once.¡±

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the idea!¡± Seskii said.

    Sandy shrugged. ¡°Not really. I¡¯m just killing time right now., waiting for my Skyseed ride.¡±

    ¡°Oooh! Want to play a game then? I have cards!¡±

    ¡°...Sure.¡±

    Seskii won.

    ~~~

    The next afternoon, almost the entire Wizard Space Program sat down to discuss science. There had been an earlier meeting where Blue and Jeh had told Vaughan, Keller, Seskii, Suro, and Lila details about what had happened¡ªthe fact of the matter was not everyone needed to know all the things that occurred or the secrets that had been uncovered during the Rigid Plague incident.

    It had been unusual how that discussion had started to feel¡­ routine, to all of them. This was hardly the first time they¡¯d been roped into some grand adventure, and at this point it was clear it would likely not be the last.

    But they were home now, and they could talk science and space travel. And they just so happened to have a special guest with a very special airship and a good translator. Envila enabled them to have an extended conversation with Captain Auburn for the first time.

    Now that this was possible, Blue was quickly realizing Auburn was insane.

    Auburn had her goggles on her face and her hands on her hips like she was staring death in the face, prepared for anything¡ªyet she met it with a smile. The scarf wrapped around her neck flapped as though it were in a rushing wind, which was impossible as they were in one of the laboratory¡¯s meeting rooms. She was talking so fast, so incredibly fast that Envila¡¯s translation took significantly longer than the time it took Auburn to speak the words. This was decidedly unusual as Vraskalian was a language generally spoken slowly and with much deliberation. It was almost as if Auburn treated that as a challenge.

    ¡°...and I just want to say that your Moonshot II is such a marvel of engineering why Grandpa would have been absolutely ecstatic to see such a thing, bless his soul, I bet he would have made the Seeker even better if he had access to such metal and glass manufacturing but it sucks to suck I guess but that¡¯s all we get down in the Wild Continent why do they even call it that its name is Kathamastirap¡ªokay I get why they call it that cheeze louise what a dumb name how did I never realize sure Wild Continent and I guess that¡¯s not even really the Wild Continent just nearby but whatever getting to the point I want to take a ride to the moon can you take me please?¡±

    Envila let out a gasp for breath and put her hand on her chest.

    Auburn seemed satisfied with this result.

    Vaughan turned to Lila. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not, as long as she lets us look at her ship closer and she explains how it works.¡±

    Lila nodded. ¡°Seems reasonable enough.¡±

    Envila relayed this.

    Auburn clapped her hands together, reverting to her native tongue. ¡°Oh YES yes yes yes YES yes yes YES YEEEEEEEES!¡± Nobody had any difficulty understanding her this time. Then she turned and pointed to Vaughan. ¡°You yes you the lucky man with the fancy hat good gravy I like your hat can I get a hat like it? Anyway, what do you want to know, what should I explain, why doesn¡¯t your ship have propellers?¡±

    Big G let out a long, drawn-out sigh while Envila slowly relayed the information.

    ¡°Too much energy for you?¡± Mary asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You think Seskii would have prepared us for this.¡±

    Seskii was suddenly behind the two of them. ¡°I tried my best, oh well.¡±

    Envila finished relaying the information. Vaughan took in a breath. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of questions¡­ let¡¯s see¡­ if you want a hat like this you need to become a wizard, which generally means demonstrating skill with crystal magic¡ªI can¡¯t believe I have to specify that now¡ªand an understanding of magical theory. I mainly want to know how your ship manages to stay level automatically since for our ships we have to correct for that manually, and how you manage the size of your ship and all its disparate components. And our ships don¡¯t have propellers because there¡¯s no air in space, propellers wouldn¡¯t work up there. They could, theoretically, help us go up, but we have yet to figure out how to make things rotate without spinning the occupants.¡±

    Auburn nodded in understanding as Envila relayed each individual bit. Then she responded to everything. ¡°I¡¯m a girl with a lot of questions it was how I was raised Grandpa always told me that asking questions was the way to success and he was right because answers are awesome and space is awesome and the sky is awesome and you always have to specify magic there¡¯s crystal magic, attributable magic, and¡­ uh¡­¡± She had a rare pause at this point that allowed Envila to catch up by writing some things she said down. ¡°Vraskalian doesn¡¯t have a word for it. So I¡¯ll name it! Wild magic from the Wilds but I guess you don¡¯t have the Wilds here or anywhere except maybe in the Tempest but I could never fly into the Tempest which is really really really really really really annoying like come on I¡¯m a professional adventurer and I can¡¯t go into one of the coolest places on the planet I swear I¡¯ve been everywhere else at least once even the Dark Country which I do not recommend by the way.

    ¡°Sounds like I could totally be a wizard, have to use the crystals all the time to maintain the Seeker and boy do I have to know a lot of theory to make that work but it¡¯s all practical stuff Grandpa wasn¡¯t one for books mainly because most of his life he didn¡¯t know books existed and our people didn¡¯t use to write things down which is a shame really but you know what isn¡¯t a shame? I get to actually explain things now!¡± She paused to do an excited little twirl and throw her hands wide. ¡°See it¡¯s all based on an idea of Grandpa¡¯s about communication lines¡­¡±

    She had to be asked to slow down and explain it in several different ways. They eventually started drawing diagrams on the chalkboard to get a full understanding of the interior of the Seeker.

    Maybe half an hour later, Blue stood up. ¡°I think I get it.¡±

    ¡°Please save us¡­¡± Suro muttered, face resting on the table.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Blue walked up to the blackboard next to Auburn, levitating a spoon and using it to point at a schematic of the Seeker. ¡°First off, the simple part. Every thing that rotates in the Seeker has a counter-rotator associated with it. This includes both the propellers and the ¡®mass wheel¡¯ as I guess we¡¯re calling it, as well as some mini gyroscopes dotted around the ship. This means that when one thing rotates, instead of spinning around the ship itself, that spin goes to the counter-rotator. This is an example of the conservation of angular momentum. Ships have zero angular momentum when sitting still, and when in the sky there¡¯s very little way to change that. So when you spin part of a ship up, the rest of the ship automatically turns in the other direction to keep the angular momentum at zero. However, if you have a counter-rotator, you can keep your angular momentum at zero without spinning the entire ship.¡±

    The basic concept behind the Seeker I figured out just by observing. The mass wheels are so heavy they greatly resist changes in motion, so bumps and jostles don¡¯t make the Seeker turn to the side. Much. Much. The thing I couldn¡¯t figure out is why little bumps and jostles didn¡¯t build up over time to destabilize the ship. That¡¯s where all this Magenta wiring comes in, it¡¯s very carefully monitoring the way the various rotators in the ship spin; the propellers, the mass wheels, and the mini gyroscopes. Those mini gyroscopes are really important. See¡­ I¡¯m going to need a physical thing to demonstrate this with, uh, Vaughan, throw me a plate.¡±

    Vaughan shrugged and tossed a plate at her. Blue caught it in her telekinesis and started spinning it in midair as though it were balanced on an invisible pin. ¡°So, pretend this is a rotator. When something occurs to try to change the angular momentum¡­¡± She tapped the side of the plate with a spoon. That side lifted up, but then the section of the plate that was upward started slowly oscillating around in a circle. ¡°This is called precession. Now, for the mass wheels and propellers, the presence of the counter-rotators cancels this out. The mini-gyroscopes, on the other hand, are allowed to move independently from their counter-rotators and thus you can observe this effect. Which can then be measured, and used to determine exactly how much the ship has been perturbed. The Magenta wiring keeps a very close watch on all of this to figure out where it is at all times. The complexity of this device is on par with what our best Magenta Wizards come up with, I¡¯m extremely impressed.¡±

    There¡¯s more in the specifics of how the ship uses this information. It has a lot of Blue and Orange within its circuitry to rotate the propellers but also to make different sections of the ship accelerate at different time rates to allow for precise rotation and elevation control. And there¡¯s a motion sensor that¡¯s basically just a marble in a box that corrects for the curvature of Ikyu by noticing when the ship isn¡¯t sitting still. Which I still don¡¯t think will work in outer space freefall but otherwise it¡¯s a lot like Krays¡¯ level.¡±

    ¡°I told you it was a good idea,¡± Krays huffed.

    ¡°Not for space.¡±

    Vaughan scratched his beard. ¡°So the Seeker is ultimately supported by Orange and Blue?¡±

    Blue nodded. ¡°The Orange provides the majority of the force to lift the craft; but rather than lifting it directly all the force is shunted to the propellers, and the ship itself is kept extremely light. Blue is used for fine-tuning the behavior of the ship, while Magenta monitors everything and automatically runs calculations. It¡¯s an entire calculation device created simply to keep the thing level and aloft under a variety of circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Xexrxes would love to have a look at this.¡±

    ¡°I bet he would.¡± Blue turned to Auburn. ¡°So¡­ that right?¡±

    Auburn waited a bit after Envila translated everything. (At this point Envila was looking quite exhausted.) Then she pulled Blue into a hug¡ªhow she managed to do this despite being taller than Blue without any sense of awkwardness was beyond Blue¡ªand shouted ¡°Akblavta!¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t know what that means,¡± Envila admitted.

    Auburn grinned. ¡°It¡¯s the exclamation of the man of science the declaration of discovery the idea of success and ingenuity!¡±

    ¡°Eureka, then,¡± Jeh said.

    Envila blinked. ¡°Huh, Vraskalian doesn¡¯t have that concept.¡±

    ¡°They are a very subdued people,¡± Vaughan said. ¡°So¡­ believe it or not, the biggest use we can get out of the technology in the Seeker is not the wheels; I think until we make the interplanetary ship we won¡¯t have to deal with complex orientation problems. The most useful part will be the magenta stabilization device. This thing that can monitor and adjust situations everywhere on the craft automatically. What I¡¯m currently wondering is why your grandfather made such a thing; even our wizards would have difficulty creating something for so specific a purpose.¡±

    Auburn chuckled. ¡°Oh you silly silly silly silly the Magenta managing device was designed to try to monitor and predict the Wilds! It didn¡¯t work but he repurposed it into the Seeker so I could have my dream of becoming an adventurer.¡±

    ¡°Predict¡­ the Wilds?¡±

    ¡°How about in exchange for you taking me to the moon I take you to the Wilds? A dangerous journey in exchange for another dangerous journey what do you say?¡±

    Jeh lifted her hand. ¡°I want to take her up on the offer!¡±

    Blue rolled her eyes. ¡°Oooof course¡­ didn¡¯t we just have enough adventure Jeh?¡±

    ¡°But this sounds fun!¡±

    ¡°Of course it does¡­¡± Blue sighed. ¡°Anyway, thank you, Auburn. I think the Magenta Wizards would like schematics of your Magenta device if you have them, otherwise they¡¯re going to want to study it very closely. Meanwhile, I think we are giving you a ride to the moon soon, just have to clear everything first¡­ and¡­ right, Vaughan, the airlock design was finalized, right?

    Vaughan nodded. ¡°Everyone agreed, and by agreed I mean Mikarol started building one and said everyone else needed to fall in line.¡±

    ¡°Geez, forcing their design on us?¡±

    ¡°They actually started to build a hybrid design based mostly on Descent¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°...I sense political maneuvering.¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°Definitely,¡± Lila said. ¡°Which I suppose we should discuss. New legislation is being passed about international trade, we are going to have to be somewhat careful with what we load on the Skyseeds¡­¡±

    ~~~

    The Emperor of Mikarol drummed his armor¡¯s fingers on the edge of his truly massive throne. The throne was a behemoth of metal and red velvet, covered in spikes shaped to resemble various bladed weapons. Numerous gemstones were slotted into the throne in almost every place one would consider placing one, making the entire thing sparkle with a rainbow of colors.

    The rest of the throne room was like a cathedral, with large vaulted ceilings, and Mikarolian banners hanging from a ceiling so high up the details painted on it could not be made out. But everyone knew what was up there, the history of Mikarol itself, painted bit by bit as the Empire grew and developed. They still had not run out of ceiling space, even after all this time.

    Usually, there were hundreds of people in here. Guards. Advisors. Servants. At least one chef at any given time. It was almost never a quiet place, for even in the presence of the Emperor there was simply too much to do and say.

    Today, it was deathly quiet. Gone were the guards, advisors, and servants. In their place were the members of the Silent Legality, all dressed in their black armor which, unusually for MIkarol, had no spikes to speak of. No weapons were visible on their person, but anyone who knew of the Silent Legality knew that they did not need them. They were not exactly a secret organization, but neither did the public ever see them for what they were.

    The fact that so many were gathered here today, and in their armor, was even more unusual than the silence in the throne room.

    The only individual present besides the Emperor who was not a member of the Silent Legality was a human woman in light (but properly spiked) armor whose hair shifted colors through every vibrant hue of the rainbow, forming a beautiful gradient across her locks at any given moment. Each strand of hair moved as though it were alive; or perhaps as though it were part of an ocean.

    The Emperor glanced at her without moving his head. Her expression was even harder than usual today. She knew full well why she was here. Why she had been requested. Not by the Emperor, but by their¡­ visitor. Of course, she said nothing, because to address it would not be proper, and potentially suicide.

    Thus, the Emperor decided to bring it up prior to the meeting, in hopes that it would smooth over what was about to transpire.

    ¡°She is forcing me to play my hand,¡± the Emperor said.

    The woman nodded. ¡°It seems that way.¡±

    ¡°Simply by requesting your presence alone, the others will believe you are my successor.¡±

    ¡°An unfortunate consequence. I will still serve you until my last.¡±

    ¡°Naturally. But this meeting will be tense enough. Ease yourself. She is correct.¡±

    ¡°...I am ashamed that you have been put in a place where you are required to say.¡±

    ¡°A feeling I share. I am baffled as to how she managed to determine this¡­ the information is known only to me and a handful of the Silent Legality, all of whom I am certain are not traitors.¡±

    ¡°She probably made a guess.¡±

    The Emperor frowned. ¡°To be so certain of a guess¡­?¡±

    ¡°Or, perhaps¡­ she cheated.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ a distinct possibility.¡±

    The great double doors at the front of the throne room opened with a great noise that thundered through the entire hall, echoing to the ears of every member present. None of the Silent Legality turned their heads. They did not need to.

    A single individual strutted into the throne room. She showed no fear, and her smirk was beyond smug. The Emperor did not know what he had expected when he¡¯d been informed she wanted to meet, but the face of someone clearly enjoying this was not one of them.

    She nonetheless did the proper routine of stooping to a knee and lowering her head before the Emperor. ¡°Your Majesty, great Emperor of Mikarol¡­¡± She lifted her head slightly to look at the woman. ¡°And miss Thaumaturge. I never thought I would be able to stand before you like this.¡±

    ¡°Sandy Whiskers Gallon¡­¡± the Emperor said, clenching his jaw. ¡°Every bone in my body and every mandate of honor demands that I execute you right this very now.¡±

    ¡°And yet, you can¡¯t,¡± Sandy said, simply. ¡°I am well aware that, at this point, you have received word from Kroan about my attempts to negotiate there. And that I have a deal with Via to end the capacity to cause a Third Cataclysm.¡± Her smirk turned into a full on grin. ¡°I have not yet kept up that end of the bargain. Slaying me here will ensure that capacity remains with my society.¡±

    The Emperor narrowed his eyes. ¡°To risk the world¡­ for honor. A dangerous thought.¡±

    ¡°And, under normal circumstances, one you might even want to consider. But, oh great Emperor, I have something else to offer you.¡±

    ¡°No doubt what you offered Kroan. Your resources and knowledge in exchange for greater development of the Space Program. It is clear that your options are limited, and now that Kroan has turned you down you wish to negotiate with us. Since you¡¯re placing yourself in such a vulnerable position, I suspect you do not believe there¡¯s a single hope the Blimps will accept your offer.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°But you have tormented Mikarol and the world at large since before our Empire began. And we are not Kroan. We remember what has been done against us, and we return the favor. You have been revealed as our most ancient of enemies.¡±

    ¡°And yet, I have something else to offer you, something I could not have offered Kroan, for they would not have appreciated it.¡±

    ¡°What could you possibly have to balance out your unimaginable debt?¡±

    Sandy put her hands behind her back and leaned forward. ¡°Why, it¡¯s simple, Emperor. I can give you Vraskal.¡±

    The Emperor¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Our people are so embedded into that country that I could make it collapse in a day. But that¡¯s not the plan, the plan is to disable their leadership and their military from the inside to enable a simple, easy conquest, simpler than your current campaigns in the southern lands by a wide margin. The age-old thorn in your side that has resisted all attempts at being pushed would fall to you like paper. The Empire would have a triumph at the end of your reign. It would give you an excuse to send the Thaumaturge out on a campaign, ensuring both her safety from local elements in the court now that I have outed her as your replacement, and also giving her the necessary glory to be unquestioned as Empress in the next administration. And, furthermore, it will enable the Empire to transition into an area of greater peace with none that could be considered ¡®enemies¡¯ at your doorstep, which I am well aware is both of your desires in this new age of innovation.¡±

    Sandy stopped. Her grin spread ear to ear.

    She knew full well that this was an offer that they couldn¡¯t refuse.

    And they knew it too.

    ¡°...You play the game remarkably well,¡± the Emperor said at last. ¡°Not surprising for one in your position, I suppose¡­¡±

    ¡°You honor me with your compliment.¡±

    ¡°Do not insult me by pretending you care about my opinion,¡± the Emperor seethed. ¡°You see yourself as above us, plain and simple.¡±

    Sandy tilted her head to the side. ¡°And what, pray tell, makes that untrue?¡±

    The Emperor sighed. ¡°...Let us discuss the finer points of this agreement.¡±

    ¡°Gladly!¡±

    ~~~

    SCIENCE SEGMENT

    So, now they¡¯ve seen reaction wheels in action. Except the way Captain Auburn is using them, they aren¡¯t really being used as reaction wheels for the most part. A reaction wheel is a motor attached to a heavy rotating thing, so when the motor spins the wheel, the wheel induces a counter-rotation of equal strength to the motor (due to the conservation of angular momentum). This, in turn, makes whatever the motor is attached to spin. If it¡¯s a particularly heavy object this is hardly noticeable, but in the case of large reaction wheels this is massive. This is why there needs to be a second wheel in the Seeker so it can spin the other direction and prevent the entire ship from tumbling out of control. However, the entire point of a reaction wheel is to cause the counter-rotation, if you cancel it out you lose the ability to rotate yourself using completely internal machinery. You can probably see why this is useful inside spaceships or satellites. Consider a telescope. It has no rockets or thrusters, but if it has a bunch of reaction wheels inside of it, it can rotate itself in any direction so long as it has power to rotate the wheels. If you have really small reaction wheels in relation to the telescope as a whole you¡¯ll have to spin them really fast for a long time, but the rotation will get there. Blue has basically figured out that this will be quite useful in space travel, and while it would be possible to create a system like this that could be managed manually (especially in space), having what essentially amounts to a computer doing it would be much easier.

    Most of the control systems in the Seeker involve adjusting the relative speeds of various rotating objects within it, namely the propellers¡¯ speeds in relation to each other, allowing for adjustments. The ¡°reaction wheels¡± in the propeller sections should never be used as such, as they would try to rotate the ship around an unusual axis, sending it who knows where. In such a situation, these devices are more accurately called ¡°flywheels,¡± which are simply ways to convert mechanical into rotational energy. But the Seeker does use the central massive wheels as reaction wheels: it can purposefully spin one faster than the other to turn the entire craft without actually moving it. This is rarely necessary as the ship is rather symmetric, but since they blew off one of the propeller sections they did need to reorient a few times in flight this time. However, this only allows for rotation around the axis of the reaction wheels themselves: there is no way to tilt the ship upward using these wheels. But that¡¯s easy enough to do by making one propeller spin faster than the others in exactly the right amount, hence the Magenta ¡°computer.¡± Honestly, it¡¯s more impressive that it¡¯s able to actively counter the effect of wind, but that¡¯s not really what we¡¯re talking about here.

    Of course, all of these spinning objects maintaining everything, and the small ones detecting forces applied to the ship, all depend on one law of reality: the conservation of angular momentum. And one may ask: why is angular momentum conserved?

    Well, the simple answer is that it is due to a law of nature: the famous Newton¡¯s Third Law of Motion. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. When you push on something it pushes back, when you try to turn something (called applying a torque to it), it tries to turn you back. Now, when you¡¯re trying to turn a heavy crank you¡¯re usually applying a force at a particular point, and so the pushing back doesn¡¯t manifest as a rotation for you, but rather a direct push into your hand. Only when both objects involved are able to spin along the same axis is the reaction clearly rotational in nature. (There are cases in between the two, where an object is rotating another at a weird angle, but that gets real complicated real quickly.)

    There is a sense in which rotational motion is a bit of an illusion. In reality, every particle in a spinning object is trying to move in a straight line, it¡¯s just being pulled by other forces from other particles that are also trying to move in slightly different straight lines. When examined in this lens, angular momentum isn¡¯t really a real quantity, but rather an emergent phenomena. Things in rotation are simply a bunch of translating objects pulling on each other, and due to all this pulling they exhibit the weird effects of resisting changes in rotational direction and precession.

    Except quantum mechanics has to come in and throw a wrench into things.

    See, atoms have internal angular momentum to them: the electrons are spinning around atoms, after all. The exact way they ¡°spin¡± as nebulous quantum clouds is a little weird, but the effect can be measured, and shown to be related to the shape the electron cloud takes around the nucleus, and it can be modeled as a single particle orbiting the nucleus with the force of the nucleus keeping it nearby. So the angular momentum here is simply because the nucleus is pulling on the electron.

    The problem is when we measure the magnitude of this angular momentum, there¡¯s more than there should be. As it turns out, particles themselves have a quantity called ¡°spin.¡± The quantum property of spin is one of the things that makes the least sense in quantum mechanics. Particles that seem to have no real size or shape to them act as though they are spinning around something, as though they had internal angular momentum. However it is physically impossible for them to actually be spinning. For instance: we suspect the electron has no actual size and is just a point in reality, but if it has a size we know it has to be obscenely tiny. So tiny that in order to physically spin fast enough to generate the observed effect of quantum spin, the surface would have to be moving faster than light. Which. Uh. Doesn¡¯t happen.

    So individual particles appear to have a sort of fundamental angular momentum that makes them act as though they were spinning objects, when spinning objects only have angular momentum because they are composed of smaller objects all pulling on each other. Confused yet? Good, so am I.

    It gets even weirder when you realize that the amount of spin a particle has determines whether its particle properties fall into the ¡°fermion¡± or ¡°boson¡± class but that¡¯s getting deep into quantum mechanics and we all want wizards in space.